Republicans need to speak a different language
National Review Online – John Agresto wasn’t impressed by John McCain’s inability to ‘speak the language’ of hard working Americans.  Republicans will never capture the ‘privileged classes,’ so they’d better start talking with those who do the work.  Read more.
11/20

Cole drops out; Sessions to head NRCC
Politico – The changeover of GOP leadership in the House continues (except for the top job), as NRCC Chair Tom Cole decided to step aside rather than face a vote that could have held him accountable for the committee’s poor performance of late.  Read more.
11/20

For McCain, a subdued return to Capitol Hill
Washington Post – Here’s a more personal look at John McCain’s return to the Senate – a task that must be very hard for any losing presidential candidate.  McCain’s friends claim that he’s not the kind to sit around and mope about what could have been.  Read more.
11/20

GOP voters were apathetic in 2008
Washington Times – John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin helped narrow the enthusiasm gap with Obama, but in the end, Republicans just weren’t excited about his candidacy.  Numbers don’t lie, and they indicate a lukewarm turnout for McCain.  Read more.
11/20

Gingrich:  Let’s have a real middle-class tax cut
Wall Street Journal – Newt Gingrich and Peter Ferrera write that Obama’s tax credits are really just code for welfare – and instead of transfer payments, a marginal rate cut for the middle class makes a lot more sense when trying to create economic growth.  Read more.
11/20

Where did the Reagan votes go in 2008?
World Net Daily – Phyllis Schlafly analyzes why the GOP lost in 2008, and concludes that turnout was depressed amongst conservatives – and also that John McCain lost the Reagan Democrats.  Schlafly says the solution is to offer candidates who will appeal to this group.  Read more.
11/20

How our economy went from Christmas to crisis
Wall Street Journal – Daniel Henninger has found a way to tie Christmas to the economic meltdown.  Henninger says for a society that can no longer say ‘Merry Christmas,’ it’s no surprise that we didn’t have the moral courage to stave off our own economic collapse.  Read more.
11/20

Ann Coulter:  Genius, thy name is Obama
Human Events – Ann Coulter provides her usual scathing commentary on the media’s swooning over Obama’s efforts to ‘reach out’ to his political enemies.  Coulter points out that Bush did the same in his first term, and there wasn’t quite the fanfare.  Read more.
11/20

Senate GOP in a big funk
Politico – John McCain lost the presidential race, and he’s now back in the Senate – but it isn’t helping the mood amongst Republican Senators.  The GOP is reeling from massive losses the past two elections and bickering factions that still can’t get it right.  Read more.
11/20

The New York Times’ hypocrisy over National Review
CNS News – Media watchdog L. Brent Bozell III says the crocodiles at the New York Times have been shedding tears over the supposed crack-up of the writers at National Review – nothing like liberals to bemoan something they don’t understand.  Read more.
11/20

GOP needs more Sarahs and fewer Arnolds
GOP USA – Doug Patton writes of one ‘star’ at last week’s GOP governors meeting, and one conspicuous absence.  Patton says Sarah Palin impressed everyone as the future of the Party, while ‘Govern-ator’ Arnold was thankfully nowhere to be found.  Read more.
11/20

First steps to GOP recovery – or make it worse?
Real Clear Politics – Mort Kondracke takes his shot at diagnosing and curing the GOP’s ills – and he says the Party should stop listening to Rush Limbaugh.  Kondracke’s essentially suggesting that Republicans should abandon their grassroots.  Read more.
11/20

2008 means culture warriors go on offense
American Spectator – Lisa Fabrizio reacts to those who believe the 2008 elections signaled the end of social conservative causes – on the contrary, Fabrizio says it’s merely a shift from defense to offense for those who care about American culture.  Read more.
11/20

Huckabee won’t rule out 2012 run
Associated Press – Mike Huckabee’s out and about promoting his book, and along the way he’s not ruling out another run for president in 2012.  Huckabee had good things to say about Sarah Palin – and she may figure into whether he tries again.  Read more.
11/20

No such thing as the ‘right to win’
GOP USA – Thomas Sowell addresses the psychological phenomena of ‘winning’ in America, and how many are coming to think of it as a ‘right.’  Sowell specifically points to ‘gay’ activists around the country who protested when they couldn’t win at the ballot box what they thought they were entitled to.  Read more.
11/20

The insane rage of the same-sex marriage mob
CNS News – Michelle Malkin reveals the hate-filled crimes of the pro-homosexual marriage crowd against businesses, individuals and churches who supported California’s Proposition 8, and wonders where is Barack Obama to calm the insanity?  Read more.
11/20

ENPR:  Obama Admin. Looking more like Clinton 3rd term
Human Events – Timothy Carney provides a glimpse into what we can expect in January – observing that the new Obama Admin. is starting to look a lot like the old Clinton clan.  Carney also sheds light on potential appointees to fill vacant Senate seats.  Read more.
11/20

Karl Rove:  Now Obama has to govern
Wall Street Journal – Karl Rove presents a dose of realism for Barack Obama:  it’s easier to make promises than keep them, and setting expectations too high may come back to haunt him.  It’s a steep learning curve for a man with no executive experience.  Read more.
11/20

Joseph Farah:  Following Obama’s example
World Net Daily – Joseph Farah writes with some contempt (and amusement) at the fact our new president-elect refuses to release a valid birth certificate – and reasons, if Obama can get away with not producing officials documents, can’t we do the same?  Read more.
11/20

Paulson used scare tactics to force Wall Street bailout
BusinessandMedia.org – Now that the disastrous $700 billion Wall Street bailout has failed to do anything except waste taxpayer dollars, the truth is being leaked about how Hank Paulson was able to get Congress to pass it:  he ‘scared’ them into it.  Read more.
11/20

McCain owes GOP a second concession speech
Washington Times – Peter J. Parisi succinctly captures what John McCain should say in a ‘second’ concession speech – namely, the one he would deliver to the Senate to confess all the errors he made in running the worst campaign since Bob Dole in ’96.  Read more.
11/19

Dick Morris – Bush’s legacy:  European socialism
The Hill – Dick Morris tells of yet another tragic Bush Administration legacy – this time, his capitulation of U.S. sovereignty to a foreign body to oversee our economy.  Morris says Bush has succeeded in bringing European style socialism to our shores.  Read more.
11/19

At least one person’s still inspired by John McCain
Wall Street Journal – Here’s a young Harvard grad’s (Robbie Cohen) tribute to John McCain.  Cohen admits that he’s socially liberal and likes the fact that McCain didn’t invoke Jeremiah Wright, and that McCain championed immigration ‘reform.’  Read more.
11/19

McCain returns to Senate without fanfare
Politico – The crowds are gone, the media no longer pries, and John McCain has now returned to the Senate – largely unnoticed.  After campaigning for two years, McCain must now try and find normalcy in being just one of a hundred Senators.  Read more.
11/19

McCain may face bumpy shift from White House run
CNN – John McCain has been in the Senate for decades, yet his ‘new’ role in the body is yet to be determined after losing the presidential race.  Some say he’ll be a key go-between for Obama, and others think he’ll go back to bashing conservatives.  Read more.
11/19

Can libertarians and social conservatives find common ground?
Acton.org – Admitted social conservative Hunter Baker examines the ‘marriage’ between social conservatives and libertarians consummated during the Reagan years, and believes with a little bit of work, the ‘relationship’ can live and prosper based on mutual interests.  Read more.
11/19

Tony Blankley:  Who’s going on the presidential honeymoon?
Townhall – Tony Blankley examines the concept of Obama’s political ‘honeymoon,’ and says all the warm feelings of bipartisan cooperation will evaporate with the first dispute.  Blankley for one doesn’t want to be a party to the ‘honeymoon’ – let the conflict begin.  Read more.
11/19

Government ‘fixes’ slow recovery
Real Clear Politics – John Stossel writes that all the efforts of the Bush Administration to ‘fix’ the economy are only making it worse.  The Treasury’s irregular response has created even more uncertainty, and only the private market can right itself in the end.  Read more.
11/19

Mitt Romney:  Let Detroit go bankrupt
New York Times – Mitt Romney has more experience as a business manager than as a politician, and he thinks the potential Detroit bailout would ruin the industry.  Romney includes his recommendations on what should be done to help automakers.  Read more.
11/19

Liberals hate Palin because she’s not a victim
Washington Times – Mark Hyman writes that the Left’s hatred towards Sarah Palin stems from her ‘normal’ life.  Palin used her smarts and savvy to improve her career and family, not needing to rely on the rich or the powerful for help – and liberals hate it.  Read more.
11/19

The priceless world of political rhetoric
GOP USA – Thomas Sowell writes of a wonderful world without prices – which is the ‘real’ world of political rhetoric.  Politicians are pros at passing out goodies without giving any thought into what it costs – and we all end up paying dearly for it.  Read more.
11/19

No room for RINOs
Wall Street Journal – Republicans looking to avoid perpetual minority status are turning to three conservative governors to lead them out of the wilderness – Sarah Palin, Mark Sanford and Bobby Jindal.  The way home does not include any left turns.  Read more.
11/19

Republicans invite bad press coverage
GOP USA – Cliff Kincaid writes that Republicans who voted to ‘rescue’ Wall Street but suddenly find principled reasons to oppose the car makers’ bailout are going to get killed in the press – and their hypocritical behavior warrants every word they get.  Read more.
11/19

Defending Gov. Sarah from the Palin-bashers
World Net Daily – Mychal Massie joins those defending Sarah Palin against the gaggle of unfair attacks, reasoning those who would spread false rumors have ulterior motives – to try and discredit her before she’s able to rise high enough to impact them.  Read more.
11/19

David Limbaugh:  Arguing with my fellow Davids
World Net Daily – David Limbaugh says he disagrees with the Big Government Davids (Frum and Brooks) – ‘traditional’ conservatives don’t have to bow to the inevitability of socialism.  If we do, our children will never inherit the promise of freedom.  Read more.
11/19

Crony capitalism, predatory politicians and the big three
Human Events – Newt Gingrich writes the proposed bailout of the big three automakers reeks of crony capitalism perpetuated by predatory politicians – and if it goes through, the government officials must comply with the same rules as the rest of us.  Read more.
11/19

Lungren gets debate with Boehner
Human Events – John Gizzi spoke with House GOP leadership challenger Dan Lungren about his motivations for opposing John Boehner, and the fact that Lungren will get his ‘debate’ before the Republican conference prior to the vote – it will be interesting.  Read more.
11/19

For the House GOP, it’s a matter of leadership
American Spectator – W. James Antle III describes the leadership struggle being waged in the House between Dan Lungren and John Boehner.  Lungren may not win, but at least he’s bringing up the possibility of a desperately needed change in direction.  Read more.
11/19

It’s not an auto bailout, it’s a union payoff
CNS News – Dan Gainor writes that the real recipient of any auto bailout would not be the companies – it would be the unions.  Gainor says it’s a payoff to the Democrats’ union constituencies to continue their inefficiencies and corruption.  Read more.
11/19

Bill Kristol:  Beyond doom and gloom
Weekly Standard – Bill Kristol disputes the major media’s portrayal of the recently concluded Republican Governors meeting.  Far from the ‘doom and gloom’ that was reported, Kristol says it was full of hope and realism geared for the future.  Read more.
11/19

Conservative bloggers see their chance to speak
The Hill – Left-wing bloggers have dominated the blogosphere recently, but now a Democratic dominated government has many conservatives seeing their chance to catch up.  Conservatives are anxious to begin the counteroffensive against Big Government.  Read more.
11/18

Huckabee finally settles his campaign scores
Time – Mike Huckabee was nothing if not entertaining during the Republican primary season, and now he’s releasing a book chronicling his experiences.  Huckabee names names and spares no criticism for those he’s disagreed with along the way.  Read more.
11/18

Lungren’s lonely quest to unseat Boehner
Politico – Thus far, Rep. Dan Lungren is the only one committed to taking on John Boehner for the top GOP leadership spot in the House – and he’s finding it difficult to generate any support.  If the members don’t want ‘change,’ they won’t get it.  Read more.
11/18

John Boehner:  A real plan for economic growth
Washington Times – House Minority Leader John Boehner takes to the Editorial page to make his case for the Republican economic agenda – the ideas that will no doubt meet fierce resistance from the Obama-Pelosi-Reid partisan three-headed monster.  Read more.
11/18

Fred Barnes:  A little something for the GOP?
Weekly Standard – Contrary to most Republican commentators, Fred Barnes argues that Barack Obama could actually help the GOP.  Barnes says if Obama’s able to implement his agenda, it’ll provide the contrast that the Party needs to regain relevancy.  Read more.
11/18

McCain, Obama carve out rocky alliance
Politico – It wouldn’t be natural for two men who spent months criticizing each other to become friends and allies, but that’s apparently what John McCain and Barack Obama are committed to do, most likely as two Big Government birds of a feather.  Read more.
11/18

Fred Thompson:  Time to look ahead
Townhall – Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson writes that it’s time to stop the blame game and look ahead to the opportunities in the coming elections.  Thompson says conservatives must foster innovative solutions to problems, just like in 1994.  Read more.
11/18

Do Palin’s 2012 chances depend on Ted Stevens winning?
Wall Street Journal – Pollster Peter Brown has an interesting theory:  if Sarah Palin wants to run for president in 2012, she’s better off having Sen. Ted Stevens win re-election.  Palin could then take Stevens’ seat when he’s expelled, and the logistics become much easier.  Read more.
11/18

Palin faces some cold realities back in Alaska
Associated Press – Sarah Palin clearly enjoyed her two months on the national stage, but now that she’s back ‘home’ in Alaska, she’s got some difficult problems to face in her elected capacity.  How she handles them may impact her political future.  Read more.
11/18

Palin deserves to be Time’s woman of the year
National Review Online – Kathryn Jean Lopez makes the case for Sarah Palin as the most noteworthy person of the year, even surpassing ‘the One’ who just won the election.  Lopez says Palin’s impact was just as broad as Obama’s without the hype.  Read more.
11/18

Facing Palin factor, Romney mulls political future
Time – Many have speculated Mitt Romney would give running for president another try in 2012, but with the emergence of Sarah Palin as a conservative favorite, his plans may be changing.  Opinions differ on Romney’s interest level for round two.  Read more.
11/18

George Will:  In Detroit, failure’s a done deal
Washington Post – George Will writes of the huge mess in the auto industry, which has unequivocally failed – and all that’s left is to decide what to do with it.  As expected, the Democrats’ protection of their own interests deserves much of the blame.  Read more.
11/18

Pat Buchanan:  As GM goes, so goes the GOP
CNS News – Pat Buchanan argues that the GOP’s future is tied to whether it will support help for the failing auto industry.  Buchanan bashes on bailouts of other industries and global free trade, yet he says the U.S. car makers deserve special consideration.  Read more.
11/18

Governors are the rising stars of the GOP
Weekly Standard – Stephen Hayes talked with several of the up-and-coming GOP governors at their meeting last week, and his reporting is more detailed than what you’ll find from most sources – it now seems like there is some hope for the GOP.  Read more.
11/18

With Obama, liberals are running out of excuses
Wall Street Journal – Liberals have long decried their lack of fortune that has prevented them from instituting the kind of utopia they’ve always sought – but now that they have ‘the One’ and strong majorities in Congress, they’ve run out of excuses.  Read more.
11/18

Using social conservatives as scapegoats
American Spectator – Many post-election analyses by ‘moderate’ Republicans have included jabs at social conservatives as the cause of the GOP’s woes – but here’s a view standing up for Evangelicals as the bedrock of the Reagan coalition.  Read more.
11/18

Global socialists toast victory over America
GOP USA – Cliff Kincaid exposes the travesty that was the G20 economic ‘summit’ this past weekend, characterized by a lavish taxpayer funded feast and agreements amongst the leaders of the world to cooperate – which is code for global socialism.  Read more.
11/18

Conservative says it was a mistake to give Treasury a blank check
CNS News – Conservative Senator Jim Inhofe didn’t vote for the Wall Street bailout, and he says Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s odd behavior justified his hesitancy.  Inhofe says the bailout was a mistake, and will try to save what’s left of the money.  Read more.
11/18

What course for McCain, now that he’s back in the Senate?
Associated Press – John McCain has run out of options in his presidential run, but he still has choices on how to influence matters in the Senate.  Those close to McCain say he wants to ‘play nice’ now that he’s back to his day job – just like the ‘old’ McCain.  Read more.
11/18

Conservatives should use lame duck as a test
Human Events – Jed Babbin writes that conservatives can use the lame duck session of Congress to ‘test’ their opposition principles for the next session – beginning with stopping and reversing the bailout business that’s ruining our financial system.  Read more.
11/18

Republicans debate Party’s road map back to power
New York Times – Debate continues within Republican circles as to the right ‘path’ to take back to electoral competitiveness.  Leaders such as Richard Viguerie call for a movement outside of the GOP:  “Everybody’s discouraged and disillusioned but also energized,” Viguerie said.  Read more.
11/17

Republicans ask:  Just how bad is it?
Politico – There are varying opinions as to the extent of the disease infecting the GOP, and here’s a look at a potential generational divide, with the old guard saying ‘I’ve seen worse,’ and younger Republicans claiming that the Party is on Life Support.  Read more.
11/17

George Will:  Socialism?  It’s already here
Washington Post – George Will writes that it was a bit foolhardy for Republicans to yell ‘socialism’ at the opposition this year, since Bush and the GOP Congress had already vastly expanded government’s power – and Obama will only make it worse.  Read more.
11/17

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