I have not yet begun to fight!

On September 23, 1779, John Paul Jones fought one of the bloodiest engagements in naval history. Jones struggled with the 44-gun Royal Navy frigate Serapis, and although his own vessel was burning and sinking, Jones would not accept the British demand for surrender, replying, “I have not yet begun to fight.” More than three hours later, Serapis surrendered and Jones took command.

This most famous phrase “I have not yet begun to fight” has been coursing through my mind since the election of our newest President Barack Obama, and the complete takeover of the House and Senate.

The general consensus is that the Republican Party dropped the ball and so suffered a devil of a whipping Tuesday night. I agree with this simplistic assessment wholeheartedly and make not a single excuse for the failure of the Republicans, of which I am one, to gain/retain seats in Congress and lose the Presidency. They were out campaigned, out played, and out spent across the board.

As the Republicans wander amidships trying to put out the fires and asses the true damage, let them not despair overmuch for the fight for this country and the traditional values that made her great is by no means over. Even from the jaws of defeat can victory be snatched, it will take time, energy, and the same steadfast determination that Captain Jones displayed 229 years ago.

The question on everyone’s mind is “How?”

The Republican Party needs to remember and adhere to its basic principles of less government, the free market, and the Idea that the Constitution is inviolate and not to be toyed with. The concept that moderation is the way to victory and that the prostitution of one’s beliefs and values is what the electorate wants has been disproved. I for one respect no one who does not stand up for that which they proclaim to believe. This is basic to most Americans, we don’t trust those who backslide, we perceive it as weak, and dishonest. The Democrats played on that weakness with great skill.

The Party Leadership will have to either be replaced by those of more fortitude, or begin fighting for a complete restructure and overhaul. Status quo will work no more than the quid pro quo arguments of Bi-partisan moderation that created this mess to begin with. By returning to the basics the party will then begin to rebuild the confidence of the people and those people will reward the party by contributing time, money and effort on the Republicans behalf. The party needs to become accessible to the general population by which I mean, one should not have to call the Party Chairman for information on subjects because the Town, and County committees are not available. Lastly Republicans need a solid plan of action, a vision, and a strong voice advocating Fiscal conservative values. It does no good to organize large blocks of voters for rallies and meetings if there is no follow through for, once the voters leave the fold out chairs in the hall, they need to know what to do next. They need to feel that they can make a contribution to the cause no matter how small not just that they are “Informed” on the issues.

I suggest that each and every one of the battered and smoke smeared sailors on the Bonhomme Richard (Jones’ ship) felt a bit of despair as the British guns pounded away at them, killing and maiming their shipmates. I am sure that some felt that all was lost and that surrender was imminent. However, with great conviction, determination and strong leadership, the tide of battle turned and those same weary patriots were rewarded for their efforts. Each and every man on that ship had to redouble and then treble his efforts, they had to improvise, adapt and overcome all obstacles in order to subdue the enemy and claim victory.

A lesson of the ages lies within this naval engagement.

But will the Republican Party leadership learn from this Historical event, or will they squander the opportunity, and continue on with their non confrontational and moderate path and ignore it? I hope the former and not the latter to be sure, however only time will tell. What I can say is that the moment has come for all of us, to get involved and start redefining the Party from the ground up. I will be contacting my town Chair this week to see what if any plan is available going forward. If he has nothing then I will continue to climb the mysterious dark ladder all the way to the top screaming bloody murder the whole way. We need to begin banding together and formulating strategies for local and State elections now! And to make a stand for the values and principles the leadership should have been expounding. Seek out others of like mind, and find candidates of solid fiscal conservative thinking then try to get them into any office available. Don’t wait for the Party to do it for you; don’t rely on the good nature and common sense of others, or on the wisdom of the party leadership. On all counts they have failed, and need to know this!

I just started to fight! what about you?

Slainte’
Blighter

Snippets for November 4th 2008

Now the big day is upon us, and we all have the chance to chose who will represent us through our votes. I thought I would lay bare my soul and write out my thoughts on the various tickets and issues that we will be asked to decide tomorrow. I care not that one’s vote should be kept private, I have naught to hide and even if I did, I feel the stakes are way too high not to speak up. As there are so many tickets to look over I’ll try to keep it brief.

US First District Race (House of Representatives)
Charlie Summers (R)
Chellie Pingree (D)

Neither of these two candidates excites me in the least. Charlie is very moderate and soft spoken to the point of appearing weak at times; I wanted Dean Scontras to be the Republican pick in the Primary. However when I compare Mr. Summers to Ms Pedigree I have no choice but to chose him. Chellie’s record from when she served in the Maine State Legislature is one of Tax and Spend politics. She advocates for the redistribution of wealth, (which is a very bad idea) and she says she wants to bring Change to Washington, just like everyone else. This sounds like the mantra of campaign and not truth and or vision. Charlie I believe will at least deliberate before deciding to raise our taxes and with his experience from Iraq fresh in his mind he will look out for the best interests of our Servicemen and women. Charlie also has the benefit of knowing and working closely with Senator Olympia Snowe, which could prove beneficial when trying to get legislation passed. There is so much more but for this piece I’ll leave it at that.


US Second District Race (House of Representatives)
John Frary (R)
Mike Michaud (D)

This race is the most exciting I have seen in years. A true struggle between David and Goliath. John Frary is trying to unseat incumbent Mike Michaud in the upset battle of this century. I’ve made no attempt to hide my dislike for Mike Michaud these past years, so my excitement was great when I heard about Professor Frary’s bid. Unlike the incumbent Frary has funded his entire campaign with his own money. He has no large PAC’s or Unions to place ads for him, and even the RNC decided against funding him. This means he owes no one and can be his own man when he gets to Washington. John Frary believes in the Constitution of these United States and will defend that belief to the end. Mike on the other hand will need to take his que from whoever is running the Unions this year and vote accordingly. Hands down John Frary is the better candidate of the two.


US Senate Race
Susan Collins (R)
Tom Allen (D)

Tom Allen wants to be in the Senate to “Change the leadership in Washington.” Or so he says. I have to ask myself; has he not been a member of the House of Representatives since 1996? What change is he all of a sudden going to bring about? I mean after 12 years as a lawmaker in Washington has he not already been afforded the opportunity to reform and change the system? Perhaps Tom feels that if he is elected to a Senate seat as a junior Senator he will be powerful enough to vote against his party for once. Maybe, with the House being held by a Democrat majority these two years past, Tom Allen has felt that he was unable to put forth any ideas or thoughts that might afford a real change in the government. Subdued by his party’s majority, he silently sat and waited for just the right time to reveal his true nature, that of a reformer and a man of the people. Somehow, and I am a bit of a skeptic, I just don’t buy Tom Allen’s new stance on change, reform, or whatever you want to call it. Tom’s own words are what are causing me to vote against him. Susan Collins has my vote, as she at least has done what she says she is going to do, and that is fight for Maine and its people.



US Presidential Race
John McCain (R)
Barack Obama (D)

This is the easiest of the lot, though for some it looks difficult.

John McCain has served our nation his whole life. His love of this country and its institutions is unshakable and undeniable. He is tough, straight forward, and not afraid to take risks as we have seen with his controversial votes on Bills such as McCain/ Feingold. Though I don’t always agree with senator McCain’s decisions or ideas, I do know that his motivations are crystal clear. He believes in this nation and its people, all of them and will do anything it takes to make our country stronger.

Barack Obama is something of an enigma; he has some shady friends and associates. He has not done anything of significance in his time as Senator from Illinois, yet he feels qualified to lead our nation during this turbulent time. I am sorry for those who are supporters of this candidate, for obviously they are under such a cloud of despair they’ll cling to any thought of hope. They cannot see that what Barack is selling is nothing but a lottery ticket. They feel all full of dreams of a society in which they will be the primary beneficiaries, but soon it will all come crashing down upon their heads the harsh reality of capitalism and base economics. The senator from Illinois is neither ready or able to lead this nation, nor do I fully believe he has the love of this country’s institutions in his heart enough to try to preserve and protect those institutions rather than undermine them. I shall not cast a ballot for a catch phrase and a dream, therefore I’ll not vote for Obama, but for McCain.

As I close I must urge each and every one of you to go forth and honor our forebears and their sacrifices that guarantee us this right to vote for our leaders. It is not only our right, but our duty to vote and to do so wisely. Try and think not just of personal interests, but of the nation as a whole, of what has made and still makes us the greatest experiment in freedom throughout history.

Slainte’
Blighter

Last call for the US Second District

Last call for the US second district.

Right, as the final day of the election season looms large and we all prepare to find our way to the polls, I thought I would appeal one last time, to the voters of the Second District to cast their ballots for John Frary and impeach ignorance. In these final hours, I’ll not bore you with a long monologue as to the fine characteristics of Professor Frary, for as you are all aware he is unique and refreshing in his own right. Neither will I weigh too heavily into a “Mike Michaud needs to go” speech. What I am going to do is take the gloves off and say what’s on me mind once and for all.

Me father told me when I was young; never beat up on a person who is lacking in intellect. Though he used not that particular phrase you all know what I mean. There is no honor in it and if you do find yourself confronting someone disabled in such a way you should just let it go and move on. I have lived by this ethos my whole life, never raising my hand to the mentally handicapped or their caretakers no matter if they had done wrong or no. Neither have I openly humiliated through verbal discussion, any person I thought suffered from some form of mental deficiency.

Until now……

Throughout this arduous campaign I have seen naught but a total lack of brains from Mike’s camp. I watched in stunned silence the debate between John and Mike in which Mike proclaimed he didn’t have a stance on Roe vs. Wade. No matter your personal feelings on the subject either Mike is lying to the People of Maine or he is a complete Dolt. After all this time in Congress one would imagine some sort of opinion would have been formed either for or against this most controversial decision. Unless of course, you have not the brains to figure out how you feel about such a subject. That is where Mike Michaud fits in.

I don’t want to attack this person of lesser mental facilities, but he is a member of the House of Representatives and that I feel far out weighs my moral obligation to leave off.

How could anyone in their right mind vote for someone as obtuse as Mike Michaud? What has he done that has made the voters of the second district feel such great confidence in him? Has he brought Jobs? No. Has he written any lasting important Legislation that would benefit not only Maine but the nation as a whole? NO. He does stutter real well, and he smiles nice, but so does the bag boy at the local Wal-Mart. I cannot believe that this man, who has done absolutely nothing for eight years in Washington except collect a paycheck and vote party lines 93% of the time, is really representative of the voters of the Second District.

But here is some good news, with all this talk about “Change”; the second district voters actually have the chance to implement it. If you cast your vote for John Frary, a greater change could not be made for the people of Maine and our capitol. John will definitely shake things up with his brutal Honesty and common sense approach to issues such as Energy, the Economy and National defense. John is beholden to none but the voters of the Second district. He has received little to no support from the Republican Party nor are any Unions or Special Interests in his corner. If you want Change then you can get it, vote for Professor John Frary he’s going to shake things up nicely.

It's last call folks......time to make a move.

Slainte'

Blighter