Hello friends, especially those from the Huckabee campaign!

NPR (everyone's favorite government funded liberal talk radio station) is sponsoring a "March Madness" type bracket competition for the potential runners in the 2012 GOP Primary.

If the last primary is any indication, it's never to early to start talking about this stuff (*rolls eyes*).

Still, just for fun, let's see if we can't get Huckabee (or at least a real conservative) into the finals.  You can find the bracket here:

LINK

Let us know how you voted in the comments section!

Huckabee in Columbia, SC

HUCKABEE: Put conservatism into practice
Mike Huckabee
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
(Part of our Reinventing Conservatism series)
Originally published by the Washington Times HERE 

Enough already of the hand-wringing and night sweats about the demise of the conservative movement!

Conservatives aren't challenged because of the basic principles that define us, but by the failure of the principles being translated into policy and practice.

Ghandi once said, "If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today."

I would be so brazen to say that if conservatives would really live according to the principles of classic conservatism, all of America would be conservative today.

The crisis is not one over the precepts, but the practice. It's not that we've failed in our doctrine, but our "doing."

Conservatives believe that the best government is the most local government possible and that the 10th Amendment means something and should be followed. Yet, the supposedly conservative Republican Party has been a drum major for the expanded role of the federal government.

Our founders feared a highly centralized and endowed federal government, instead preferring a system of strong and virtually independent states so that no one person, party, or power broker would exercise a great deal of control.

The inherent danger of allowing too much power in the hands of the few was the heart of the major dispute between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson won, believing that the dispersing of power among the states would by design keep the federal government from becoming too consuming and powerful in its approach to governing. The genius of the 10th Amendment, as is true of all of the Bill of Rights, was that it deliberately limited what the government could do - not what the individual could do.

The 10th Amendment defines the limits of the federal government in 28 words: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Over the past few years, Republicans have been either acquiescing in or encouraging the acquisition of more power and control by the federal government - in policy shifts in education, health care, and even how a driver's license looks.

During my 10 years as a governor, a constant battle raged with my own federal government over such programs as "Real I. D.," which was a federally conceived idea to force states to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to re-format the look of a state-issued drivers license so it would become the equivalent of a federal ID card.

Of course, no member of Congress wanted to come out and advocate an actual federal ID card, so forcing the states to make the driver's license the substitute seemed brilliant to Washington.

What they didn't really think about or seem to care the least about, despite the numerous attempts by governors, Democrat and Republican to explain, was that a state driver's license is just what it claims to be - a license to drive a motor vehicle. It is not proof of citizenship, good behavior or church attendance, and the people who work the counter at the state Department of Motor Vehicles are not trained law enforcement officers, immigration officials, CIA agents or detectives. They are typically entry-level state employees who do their best, but are hardly the choice front line of defense to catch a potential terrorist by discovering their true identity.

Ditto that for reforming the Medicaid program.

Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner - now Sen. Warner - and I spent many frustrating days on Capitol Hill trying to convince House and Senate members that the Medicaid program was out of control, financially unsustainable, and needed flexibility at the state level. Thanks primarily to Congressmen Joe L. Barton of Texas and Nathan Deal of Georgia, we finally were able to convince Congress that some of the decisions for the program could be made better if made closer to the people being served.

Perhaps no other example is more glaring than having painfully watched so-called Washington conservatives abandon the most fundamental principle of conservatism - fiscal restraint. A Republican administration pushed for and got the authority to spend $700 billion that we had to borrow from our grandchildren's future so we could do what government has no business doing - picking out winners and losers in the private sector marketplace.

It was especially disgusting to me to watch some of the very leaders who had smugly dismissed my candidacy for president because I had the audacity to speak out against the excesses of Wall Street and Washington as early as February 2007 now stand up and flop-sweat as they explained why they were about to support the government taking off the striped shirts of the referee and put on the jersey of a team to play the game for one team against another all in the name of "saving the markets."

By abandoning our bedrock conservative principles, and those of our founding fathers, they risked ruining our country to save the markets.

What gives me hope is my belief that the party of Reagan will reunite behind the consistent conservative policies that have made our country great - policies that empower individuals, families, and entrepreneurs, not government, to shape our own destinies. If we do that, we will not fail.

We don't need so much to redefine conservatism. Just practice the real thing.

&#8226 Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and sought the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. He is a columnist for The Washington Times' "Reinventing Conservatism" series.

Frankly, I’m disappointed and disgusted with my own Republican party as I watch them attempt to strong-arm a bailout of some of America’s biggest corporations by asking the taxpayers to suck up the staggering results of the hubris, greed, and arrogance of those who sought to make a quick buck by throwing the dice. They lost, but want the rest of us to cover their bets so they won’t be effected in their lavish lifestyles as they figure out how to spend their tens of millions and in some cases, hundreds of millions in bonuses and compensation which was their reward for not only sinking their companies, but basically doing the same to the entire American economy.

It’s especially disconcerting to see the very people who pilloried me during the Presidential campaign for being a “populist” and not “understanding Wall Street” to now line up like thirsty dogs at the Washington, D. C. water dish, otherwise known as Congress, and plead for help. I thought these guys were the smartest people in America! I thought that taxpayers like you and I were similar to the people at the U. N. who have no translator speaking into their headset - that we just needed to trust those that I called the power bunch in the “Wall Street to Washington axis of power.”

The idea of a government bailout in which we’d entrust $700 billion to one man without Congressional oversight or accountability is absurd. My party or not, that is insanity and I believe unconstitutional.

Will there be far-reaching consequences without some intervention? Probably, but we honestly don’t know since we’ve really never seen this level of greed and stupidity all rolled into one massive move. But may I suggest that letting “Uncle Sugar” step in and bail out the billionaires who made the mess will be far worse and will start a long line of companies and individuals who will demand the same of the government---which last time I checked means that they will be demanding it out of YOU and ME. This is not money that Congress is risking from THEIR pockets or future, but ours. Many if not most of us have already experienced lost value on our homes, retirement accounts, and pensions. Now they’d like for us to assume some further risks so they won’t have to.

What happened to the “free market” idea? Is that only our view when we WIN and when we LOSE, we ask the government to come in and take away the pain?

If you are a small business owner, is this the way it works at your place? When you have a bad month, a bad year, or face having to close, can you go up to Congress and get them to write YOU a fat check to take away your risk?

Some of what contributed to this disaster is too much government in the form of Sarbanes/Oxley. Some is due to the tax structure that created the hunger for companies to “game” the system. Some is the common sense that was ignored like loaning money to people who can’t pay it back.

Wall Street has become Las Vegas east, but at least in Vegas, people KNOW they are gambling and they don’t expect the government to cover their losses at the tables. In Wall Street, they do. And the American taxpayer burdens the responsibility.

If Congress wants to do something, here are some suggestions:

1. Eliminate ALL capital gains taxes and taxes on savings and dividends right now. Free up the capital and encourage investment. This is the   kind of  economic stimulus the Fair Tax would bring and if Congress is going to lose money, let them lose it with lower taxes, not with public dollar bailouts of  private market mistakes.

2.    Repeal Sarbanes/Oxley. It has failed. It was supposed to prevent this. It didn’t. Kill it.

3.  Demand that the executives who steered their ships into the ground be forced to pay back the losses of their companies. Of course, they can’t, so let  them work and give back to the government and they can live like the people they put on the streets or kept there. It makes no sense to put them in jail—that’s just more they will cost you and me. I’d rather them go out and earn money—just not get to keep so much of it this time. I’m not talking about limiting CEO salaries---just those of the people who now are up in Washington begging for help because they ruined their companies.

Attempts by Democrats and Republicans to blame each other is nonsense. They are both guilty and ought to own up and admit it. They all lived off big campaign contributions and the swill of the lobbyists who strong armed them into permission to steal. Enough of blame. Fix it!

This would be a start. If we don’t hold these guys responsible, we are all finished.

Permalink: http://www.huckpac.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=1899

What the Republican Campaigns Reveal About their Candidates

In this highly unusual presidential campaign, one thing has not changed – the passionate and hope-filled promises of a better America. The real ideas and hard facts for how they could actually work are few and far between, but the promises are there. The problem is most of us have heard them too often, and have grown skeptical.

According to the latest polls, the number one concern among republicans is the economy. We have a deficit in the trillions of dollars and an economy that is, at best, slipping into a recession. Each candidate has shared his promises and the, too often, empty words of dreamy results, but who can really change the course? Which Republican candidate is best qualified to lead this country back to financial health?

At first, Mitt Romney looks as if he is the Messaiah on this point. A self-made millionaire who has a proven record of turning failing companies around, who better understands the economy – who better to lead America to financial recovery? But critics assail that his millions were made by corporate restructuring and sell-offs, which translated, is layoffs and job reductions. If so, that is hardly what we need.

Then, there’s John McCain. He touts his record of fighting against government waste and tenaciously denounces pork barrel spending, offering a handful of examples where he did just that. On the other side, he has never really had the responsibility of running a government or balancing its budget. Romney has asserted that he’s part of the “Washington is broken” problem.

Mike Huckabee did run a government, balancing its budget ten straight years. He got the attention of fiscal conservatives with a fresh, new idea for a stimulus package in the most recent debate – investing the money in a major infrastructure project using American labor and American-made materials. On the flip-side, he has been labeled by the Club for Growth and prominent conservatives as a tax-and-spend liberal.

Ron Paul makes the case that, were we not funding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we could divert that money to stimulate the economy. However, that would require abandoning our security interests in that region – something that most republicans would consider far too great a risk.

So, who is really offers America the most hope? Perhaps the answer is not in the promises or opinions, but can be found in the campaigns themselves.

It is no secret that Mitt Romney has outspent all of the other candidates. Estimates are that he has outspent some contenders by as much as 20-to-1. Yet, he has only managed to win three primaries or caucuses, two of which were not contested and one in his “home” state of Michigan. How well does that testify of his ability to control spending? How does it portray fiscal responsibility? How would it translate as an ability to cut the waste out of the federal budget?

And what about the current front-runner, John McCain? Not that long ago, his campaign was on life support – about to go under. His answer – borrow money. Would that he his solution to the economic woes of our country? What would that do to the federal deficit?

How about Mike Huckabee? Huckabee has never had an abundance of cash for his campaign. In fact, the media clearly stated that once Iowa was over, he would be done – that he couldn’t financially compete nationally. But Huckabee has inspired a grass-roots effort that has kept him in the race, in contention in the national polls, and poised for several victories on super Tuesday. When his campaign was feeling the tightness of the budget during the Florida campaign, he made some tough decisions to cut spending, but stay in the black.

America has a problem with spending and deficits. We need a leader who can inspire people, make tough decisions, and put us back on track financially. Some people have already written Mike Huckabee off in this presidential election. That’s a mistake, in more ways than one.

Florida doesn't hurt us. Obviously, it would have helped us if we won or exceeded expectations -- but we met expectations. We're not fazed. It's on to February 5th.

Think about it. Giuliani, the long-time front-runner, the unstoppable nominee, the Florida firewaller, is done. Gone. Out. Huckabee is not. He's competitive in many key February 5th states and he has a head start on McCain and Romney. And in a race about delegates, Huckabee leads in southern states with more delegates than either Florida or South Carolina.

This is our time. We're flying under the radar. As Romney and McCain (and all the talk show hosts) reveal one another's weak records on key issues, Governor Huckabee will quietly appeal as the only authentic conservative in the race. That's what he is.

Go to MikeHuckabee.com and volunteer in your February 5th state. Look at the long lists of legislators endorsing and supporting Mike in Missouri. Look at the poll numbers in Tennessee. Look at the rock solid numbers in Georgia. Look at the delegate super-rich state of Texas on March 4th. This is our time.

So build your Meetup groups. Spread the AFA voter guides. Write to your local newspaper. Talk to your friends and remind them of Mike Huckabee -- the only solid conservative in the race. Let's roll.

Huckabee HQ in Columbia:
1722 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-733-5510

Huckabee HQ in Charleston:
8310 Rivers Ave.
North Charleston, SC 29406

Also, unaffiliated with the campaign, we are conducting phone banks in Rock Hill, SC at Hardin Services, 333 Cherry Road.  803-327-4724

It's now or never to get active folks!!!

Hey Everyone,

I don't know how Mike & Janet do it!!!!  After driving down from Traverse City to the Birch Run event on Friday, getting signs, a banner, and other supplies from George Dunn, I drove back home and went to bed about 1:00 am. 

I started out Saturday morning at 6:30 am, and got out to my pickup truck which was covered in a fresh lake effect snow.  I headed up to the Northern Michigan Voter's Fair & Straw Poll and setup a table right up front between Mitt Romney and John McCain's table.   Great turnout and we answered alot of really good questions about Mike and his positions.  The organizer gave us access to a laptop that had a high-speed connection to the web, that displayed it's screen on a overhead projector which showed up on the stage's huge big screen.  So we ran YouTubes of Mike all day long.

I left the Fair about 4:00 pm, and headed over to the Ronald Reagan Dinner/Charlevoix Gop fundraiser (charlevoixgop.org).  I put out some yard signs out on the shoulder of the road, in the driveway and was able to park in the very first spot, which was a straight shot viewable from the small entrance driveway.  Show I put a yard sign on my rear bumper, which was right between my FairTax bumper stickers.   It was seen by everyone who arrived to the event (over 150 people including Duncan Hunter and all the other speakers)!!! I was the first person there, besides the host, Charlevoix GOP Chairman - Wes Dillworth (a Romney supporter) and his wife & son.  I chose to sit at the very first table on the right, next to the bar (I didn't know why at the time, but I just listened to that little voice in my head, even though I don't drink, shortly I knew why I was guided to sit next to the bar!!!).

People started trickling in about 5:15, and then walked in U.S. Congressman-Peter Hoekstra R-MI.  Wes Dillworth was setting up behind the bar and Peter walked over to Wes to say hello.  They shook hands, and Wes asked Peter, "so how are we doing in the tracking", Peter Hoekstra said..."McCain is drawing smaller crowds than us, but Huckabee is kicking our butts".  Right then, Wes happened to look over and see me sitting behind my laptop, and leaned back and whispered something to Peter.  Peter immediately looked over at me and nodded...I simply smiled at him and nodded back.   It was a "gift" from the Holy Spirit.... It gave me a real boost, (almost a feeling of drinking a case of Red Bull) and refreshed my sense of confidence to speak in front of such a large group.

The event finally started late at 7:00 pm... We started by having the local sheriff leading us through the Pledge of Allegiance, then a local pastor lead us through a prayer, and then we had a buffet style dinner.

Presidential Candidate/U.S. Congressman-California Duncan Hunter started it off, by giving a great speech...He brought his wife and his son, Duncan Jr. who just got back from Iraq and is running for office in California. 

Duncan spoke about his past accomplishments; building 70 miles of a double layered fence from San Diego to Tijuana which stopped illegals and drugs from entering into the U.S.A.  He gave us information about the trade in balance with China, and China building up their military by using our U.S. Dollars to buy Russian arms and Mig fighter jets.  He warned us about Iran and that we must do whatever it takes to keep them from getting Nukes.  He closed by asking us to support him for President.

Next, Ex-Presidential Candidate/U.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, spoke and asked us to support John McCain for President.  He brought up the story about John being taken a prisoner of war and that he was given the opportunity to be released, but turned it down because his men would not be allowed to go with him.  He then reiterated John's criticisms of Donald Rumfield's running of the war in Iraq and John's push for more troops in Iraq.  Because of John's push for the surge, that qualified him to be our next President, and then he asked us to support John for President.

Next, U.S. Congressman-Peter Hoekstra R-MI, spoke about Mitt Romney and told us that we should vote for Mitt because he was born here in Michigan.  That he went to school here, and his first son was born in Michigan.  He then said the only negative comment of the evening..."another candidate has been saying that most people want a President like the guy they work with, instead of the guy who laid them off (Gee, I wonder who that candidate is?)...Give me a break!"  Mitt knows more about bringing jobs to Michigan than anybody else running for President...Mitt knows how to correct the trade deficit with China...Mitt knows how to get Michigan out of the recession we are in...Mitt knows...Mitt knows...Mitt knows...and we should vote for him so we will have a native son in the White House.

Oh, I forgot to mention...prior to the speeches starting, I had given the emcee my name to put on his lineup sheet.  When I told him my name, he asked me what office I held?    I said, "I don't hold an office, I'm a Truck Driver and I'm supporting Mike Huckabee for President, and I'm sorry I don't own a suit so I'm a little under dressed (Black & Silver pullover sweater and black dress slacks), so if you could please tell the audience that when you introduce me, I'd appreciate it."  He said OK.

"Next, we have Randy Bishop speaking on why he's supporting Mike Huckabee for President.  Randy is a Truck Driver, and he wanted to apologize for being undressed for this evening's event because he doesn't own a suit, so here's Randy".  (I got more applause than Sam or Peter, they were very nice to me).  I told Duncan Hunter, that Gov. Huckabee told me to say Hello....Duncan said; "Tell Mike I said Hi Back"...the audience applauded.  (Mike, I think he'd make a great Vice President...Huckabee/Hunter, sounds good to me!)

I started off by telling them a little about my trucking business.  I told them that I drive an average of four (4) times around the world per year (100,000 miles), using 16,662 gallons of diesel fuel, which cost $53,357 in 2007.  After corporate taxes, truck payments, repair bills, insurances, and a semi's license plate ($1,850 per year) I end up with less than 30% to claim as my personal income, which I then have to pay personal taxes on... and end up with less than 22% of my gross income to actually live on and pay for my personal expenses.  Needless to say, the entire room was shaking their heads in disgust and amazement. 

I also told them that from my travels across the country that I have seen not only in Laredo, Texas, or Miami, Florida, or Los Angeles, California, southern areas of our country, but in places like Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington and Cherryfield, Maine....almost every single dock I go to, most of the people working on the docks don't speak English.  I don't know if these people are illegal immigrants or not, but I do know they don't speak or understand the English language. 

One time, I asked a dock supervisor who did speak some broken English, on a dock in Valdosta, Georgia (a produce farm) how did he pay his Mexican workers?  He told me while laughing at my question,..."we pay them green, like our Okra!" 

Well, after a long pause...I told them that Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the MinuteMan Project, interviewed all of the candidates for President.  Jim told me personally in Traverse City this week, that all of the Democratic candidates,  "don't even think we have a problem with illegal immigration", and out of all of the Republican candidates, only Mike Huckabee has a real solution to this problem and that's why Jim Gilchrist endorsed Mike Huckabee for President.  I told them to go to MikeHuckabee.com under Issues, and read his 9 point strategy listed as his Secure America Plan.

Also, I told them that Mike wants to close the IRS, shut it down and replace it with the "FairTax".  I explained that it's a consumption tax and does not tax us on our productivity.  I told them to go to MikeHuckabee.com and read more about it there.  But more importantly, all these illegal workers would start paying into our tax system when they bought their necessities to live.  Other people who get paid in cash under the table, visitors to this country (like all of the Canadians who cross over from Windsor into Detroit, or Sarnia into Port Huron) and many others would start paying into our Federal Treasury.  Many applauded right then.

I finished by saying simply, Mike Huckabee wants to seal the border, have all of us not be penalized for our labor and profits, and get the U.S. economy booming like we have never seen before in our lifetime!!!  That's just some of the reasons I'm supporting Mike Huckabee for President"!   The room broke out in a huge, loud applause.

I stayed for the other politicians and listen to their speeches.  When it was over, I had no less than 20-25 people come over and tell me that they were switching their vote, and would be voting for Mike Huckabee.  A former judge, (I promised not to tell you his name) came up to me and said, "you were the most credible guy on that stage tonight, the rest of them were just politicians"!  That made me feel good for Mike.

Gov. Huckabee, I tried to do my best for you.  I hope I didn't say anything to hurt your campaign or anything that you didn't want me to bring up...but like I told you at the Birch Run Rally, "I'm just a Truck Driver, who wants you to be our next President".

God Bless you and Janet!!!  I think God has a hand in everything we all are doing in this campaign and hopefully we will deliver a win in Michigan for you this Tuesday.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you,

Randy

Friends, we've come almost full circle.  I wrote the following post on this website on August 10, 2007...right before the Iowa Straw Poll.  I went back to read it just now given the Caucus that takes place in just a few hours.  Wow.  It's amazingly still accurate!  Read the following, and realize that the only two things I changed were the words "straw poll" into "caucus" and "Ames" into "caucus location".  We've really come full circle!  The fuse to the "Huckaboom" was lit at the Iowa Straw Poll.  The explosion will be felt across the country tonight!  If you are in Iowa, VOTE!!!!

From August 10: 

Alright friends, the day of reckoning is upon us!  By tomorrow evening, we will know the results of the Iowa Caucus.  I am starting to feel just like I used to before taking the stage in a theatrical production…scared to death, but with a certain peace knowing that the hard work has been done and things usually have a way of working out just fine.

I’ve been following the Mike Huckabee blog since their new website came online.  I’ve seen event after event posted and through it all have seen the crowds get larger, the buzz get louder, and the national press, well, show up.   Momentum is clearly on the side of the Huckabee movement.  Other candidates seem to be standing still despite their efforts and dollars spent.  You simply can’t buy legitimacy or likeability.

What you can buy are buses.  Lots and lots of buses.  There isn’t a bus available for rent in the entire state of Iowa, due in large part to the “major” or “cash dependant” campaigns purchasing them all.  This sets up an amazing set of circumstances.

If Governor Huckabee is to do well, which I fully expect, and he does it on message and personality alone, what do the other candidates gain from staying in the race?  To be beaten or competitively close to a candidate who has spent relatively little money only shows that their time has come to an end and the torch needs to be passed with all due haste.  It shows that people can see through the slick commercials, the robo-calls, and the general talking point staged rhetoric lacking any semblance of sincerity.  It means that people still understand that it is they who decide whom their representatives are and not the kingmakers in the press.  It means there is still hope for the Republican Party, and the country for that matter.

If you live in Iowa, it is time to take to the streets.  Hopefully you do so in a car with a map to your caucas location.    Show us the dedication necessary to assemble thousands of supporters for an event however far away from home it may be.  Prove your worth.  Show that a candidate can achieve an honorable victory through honest grassroots efforts and a message that resonates all across your state.  Prove that the ”dark horse” has become a “stallion of light” shining the way to a better America, an America Rising!

With your help, we can keep this campaign alive.  What donors across the country could ignore the potential juggernaut found in the lethal combination of message/personality and the resourses with which to share it!  They have been waiting for a reason.  Let’s give them one!

Here’s to Mike Huckabee.  Here’s to the FairTax.  Here’s to America!