Life of the Party

John McCain and Republicans for Choice Must Be Defeated

Update: Republicans for Choice President, Ann Stone pays Life of the Party a visit in the comments.  Gotta love this gem from Ann,  "It is following the advice of folks like you that has taken the GOP to the brink of anihilation."  Does anyone have anything to say to her?  Since the "Republicans for Choice" website is not open for comments, here  is your chance. 

While the McCain scandals are just now breaking out in the mainstream media, and as Michelle Malkin points out, "if you lie down with MSM dogs, you wake up with stories like these," conservative Republicans still have their own beefs with McCain.  The MSM scandals and the conservative beefs are sure to keep coming from many directions. 

For instance, from Republican National Coalition for Life (RNC for Life):

Some prominent pro-life Republicans have endorsed John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination. Visit the McCain for President web site — you will see some names that may surprise you http://www.johnmccain.com/supporters/. They will surprise you because, while John McCain claims a pro-life record, he supports research that involves the killing of human embryos and he justifies abortion for babies conceived through rape or incest. Those are not pro-life positions. He voted to expand taxpayer funding of embryo-killing research, and he joined other Senators in signing a letter to President Bush asking him to expand the number of embryonic stem cell lines to be used for research.

The pro-life Republicans who endorsed John McCain should be embarrassed to find themselves on the same side as Republicans for Choice, the organization created in 1990 by Washington, D.C. fundraiser Ann Stone with the stated purpose of removing the pro-life plank from the Republican National Platform. They support Roe v. Wade and oppose a human life amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ann Stone and her supporters also understand that abortion will remain legal in this country as long as the human embryo is denied respect and protection under the law. Many pro-lifers don't "get it," but you can be sure that Republicans for Choice supporters do.

While their "first choice" Rudy Giuliani did not win, their second choice is John McCain. In asking their supporters to consider McCain in a message posted on the Republicans for Choice web site (http://www.republicansforchoice.com/) they say: "We know we can work with him to create common ground that will allow moderates and conservatives to come together to rebuild the GOP." That is code-language meaning that they think John McCain will work with them to rewrite the Republican National Platform to remove the principles that we have worked so hard to maintain since 1980.

The Republican National Coalition for Life came into existence in order to defeat the efforts of Republicans for Choice. We have done so successfully at every Republican National Convention since 1992 and we plan to do it again. If John McCain becomes the Republican nominee, he will exert tremendous pressure on the Platform Committee to bend to his will on many issues. John McCain has poked his finger in the collective eye of conservatives throughout his career. His campaign for the presidency has not been supported by social conservatives but rather, it has been buoyed by the entrance of Independents and Democrats in open primaries. If he gets the nomination, to whom will he listen? Will it be the smattering of pro-lifers who endorsed him, whatever their reasons? Or will it be to Republicans for Choice and Rudy Giuliani, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lew Eisenberg, and the rest of the Eastern seaboard establishment who are bankrolling his campaign?

Life of the Party came into existance, largely inspired by RNC for Life, to do what they do on a state level, but as a private citizen and blogger.  While there is no "out" Republicans for Choice in the State of Washington, the pro-abortion-choice forces are alive and well within the state GOP, and are constantly pressuring the party to weaken the platform on life, and even to pressure pro-life candidates to not campaign on the life issues.  This way, they figure, the argument can never be made that it's a "winning issue".  Instead, pro-life Republican candidates constantly get killed on the life issues when the Democrats attack their "anti-choice" position, and the candidate is handicapped to respond for fear of losing the support of party leadershp.  For these and other similiar reasons, the Washington State Republican Party is in the tiny minority with almost no end in sight.  The candidates do not defend Republican Principles.

As the campaigns get rolling here for local offices, I will try to report to you where the candidates stand, but meanwhile, the focus is still on the presidential race. 

As the media and the GOP Establishment are closing in, and calling the nomination "sewn up" for McCain, grassroots Republicans, need to give a close look, and determine whether or not we have it in us to defeat the "inevitable".  Remember that it was a "done deal" when President Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.  Remember that it was "inevitable" that Rudy Giulianin would be our nominee.  But the determination of the grassroots defeated those two "inevitables". 

Can we do it again?  Yes, if we unite the coalition.

Huckabee is not the answer.  While he says all the right stuff on the life issues, he cannot win the nomination or the presidency by being pro-life alone.  Grassroots conservatives who come to the GOP because they are activists for other good causes like fiscal conservatism or fighting illegal immigration, will not rally behind Mike Huckabee (much like they won't rally behind McCain), because they know his record.  Further, Huckabee has publicly stated that he could support McCain and that anyone who says they can't "is not a conservative".  That's an insult.

I call on my fellow pro-lifers and conservative Republicans to resist a McCain nomination, which will be a disaster for the Republican Party, not to mention, a loss to Barack Obama.  There is still time, and there is still a Republican alternative: Ron Paul, the ultimate non-McCain candidate. 

Ron Paul is solidly pro-life.  As a congressman, he has introduced legislation that would define life as beginning at conception and turn Roe vs. Wade on its ear.  His proposed bill has largely been ignored by the "cosmetically pro-life" politicians in D.C.  As president, this proposed legislation would be given much more publicity and suppport from the grassroots to pressure Congress to pass it.  To learn more, visit his Life and Liberty page. 

Ron Paul opposes amnesty for illegal immigration.  Further, he wants to restore the original intent of the 14th Amdendment and remove birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants, and remove the welfare incentives that drive illegal immigration here.  It should also be noted, that Ron Paul is not interested in punishing churches or private charities who give aid to illegal immigrants.  Visit his Border Security and Immigration Reform page to learn more.   

Ron Paul has never voted for a tax increase or for an unbalanced budget.  He has much to say about inflation, run away spending and our fraudulant and unconstitutional monatary system.  No other current or previous candidate in this presidential race has addressed these issues the way Ron Paul has.  Visit his Debt and Taxes and Inflation Tax to find out more. 

Ron Paul supports our right to keep and bear arms.  He has offered legislation that would guard our second amendment rights, including repealing the Brady Bill and the "assault weapons" ban before its sunset in 2004.  You can read more on his Second Amendment page.   

Yes, Ron Paul voted against the war in Iraq.  Is this a deal breaker for you?  Perhaps you should have a look at his perspective, in his own words, on Iraq.  Despite his detractors calling him a pacifist, he is strong on defense, and his biggest contributors are active duty military from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force.   If after reading his position on Iraq, you are still not won over, are you willing to give up all of the other Republican Principles (and give up restoring constitutional principles) to stay in Iraq? 

On just about every issue conservatives care about, Ron Paul is a champion.  (You can learn more on his issues page.)  It's a wonder the conservative movement as a whole, hasn't caught on yet.  Though he does already have a movement of supporters ready to carry on the fight, whether he gets the nomination or not, and mostly within the GOP. 

McCain is leading now for a few reasons: 1) The MSM media has given him help, 2) Democrats have been able to vote in our primaries, working to give us the weakest nominee, and 3) conservative opposition has been divided among the other candidates. 

I urge my fellow conservatives to join me in doing everything we can to defeat McCain with the real non-McCain candidate: Ron Paul.   

Last Chance to Save the GOP and Beat the Democrats

Calling all conservative Republicans!

Unhappy with a likely McCain nomination?

Discouraged that the guy you were backing (or the guy he was backing) has jumped on the McCain bandwagon? 

Tancredo endorsed Romney, now Romney is endorsing McCain.  Brownback endorsed McCain.  Thompson endorsed McCain.  Hunter endorsed Huckabee and Huckabee has no problem voting for McCain. 

His endorsers all want YOU to "fall in line", to "close ranks".

Should conservatives just throw in the towel?  Should we fall in line with a candidate who has the endorsement support and preference of Republicans for Choice, who is funded by George Soros, and who is the co-author and promoter of amnesty for illegal aliens? 

But isn't it a done deal?  Doesn't he already have the nomination sewn up? 

No.

He needs 1,191 delegates to vote for him at the national convention.  The delegate count right now is unclear, as the media calls states for McCain when the delegates haven't actually been chosen yet.  There is an overwhelming anti-McCain sentiment among the party faithful, and banded together, might be able to defeat the nomination of John McCain before or at the convention. 

Media darling McCain, has only gotten this far, because conservatives have been divided between the rest of the candidates in the previously crowded field.  Now that the field has narrowed, we need to unite the grassroots conservative movement, ala anti-Harriet Miers style, Catholics Against Rudy style.   

This ain't over. 

Life of the Party to Reagan Wing: Just Do It!

In a bizarre and fancifully written and illustrated, 3 part (so far) series, Reagan Wing president Doug Parris grapples with the only place for conservatives to turn: The REVOLUTION.  Read here for Part I, Part II, and Part III. 

Just do it! 

And for that matter, now that Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo and Fred Thompson are all out of the race, the entire Reagan Coalition needs to regroup and ask of themselves this question:  Is Democracy in Iraq worth the price of our Constitutional Republic?   

Paul Perserveres

Photo: Philadelphia Veterans Rally for Ron Paul (November 2007)

Message from the Ron Paul Campaign:

You say you want a revolution? (1/30/08)

Every movement in history has faced some time of testing, some experience that either forges it into something strong and unified, or forces it to fade away into the history books as another failed experiment.

Dr. Paul has written to you that we are heading straight for Super Tuesday. Our opponents are free to beat up on each other and wear themselves down while we gather our supporters and prepare to storm the convention with delegates.

Last night, over 60,000 people stood up and asked for an end to the runaway violation of our liberties. But contrary to the impression you may be getting from the mainstream media, no national delegates have yet been won in Florida. Those delegates will only be awarded between February 6 and April 30 at delegate selection caucuses, and many of those delegates will be supporters of Dr. Paul.

Ron Paul is the only candidate not to give up on any state in the Republican race, and just as we competed strongly in overlooked states like Nevada and Louisiana, so too will we compete in Maine, Minnesota, and other states that the so-called "top-tier" candidates are content to ignore.

Now, as the focus shifts to Super Tuesday, Rudy's campaign is crushed, Huckabee is losing momentum by the day, and McCain and Romney are fighting over who is the most liberal.

We've been here before. In 1776, despite a courageous effort at holding onto the city, George Washington ceded New York and quickly retreated to New Jersey.

1777 brought the British recapture of Fort Ticonderoga, as well as American defeats at Brandywine and Germantown.

And then, during the winter of 1777-1778, Washington and his army faced perhaps their most humiliating moment, forced to endure a harsh Pennsylvania winter with limited supplies at Valley Forge.

The American revolutionaries dealt with their defeats, focused on their goals, and emerged from Valley Forge as a force that would defeat the most powerful nation on earth.

Our momentum is building. Each one of us, from Dr. Paul himself down to the grassroots supporter who donates the last $5 he or she can give, is focused on the goal.

Early in the struggle for American independence, George Washington wrote: "Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages." Even then, Washington realized that a fierce struggle for self-government can only be won with a spirit of determination equal to the challenge.

Today, in the midst of our new revolution, let's consider Washington's words once again. The task before us is enormous. The foes of liberty are deeply entrenched, and they will not relinquish their power without a struggle.

But fighting in our favor is the unconquerable human spirit, the innate desire to be free. We must embrace this inner strength, dig in our heels, and persevere, just as Washington and his rag-tag colonials, the first American grassroots patriots, did before us. And if we must pass through a Valley Forge or two along the way to victory, let those times of testing temper the steel of our determination.

If Ron Paul is to continue his fight for liberty to the Republican Convention, we need your help in two critical ways:

1. Become a precinct leader today: It's easy, but more importantly, it's vital to Ron Paul's success: https://voters.ronpaul2008.com.

2. Donate: Just as the Continental Congress supplied General Washington's troops in the field, we too must raise as much money as we can to equip our grassroots supporters.

Help us win this revolution and usher in a new era of freedom, peace, and prosperity. Donate today: https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate.

Matthew Hawes, Policy Assistant
Daniel McCarthy, Internet Communications Coordinator
Jonathan Bydlak, Fundraising Director
Ron Paul 2008

Guiliani to Back McCain

Update:  Catholics Against Rudy:  Mission Accomplished

Update II: Jay Anderson writes:

Maybe we need a Catholics Against Rudy "Mission Accomplished" banner to put on our blogs.

But then, if past "Mission Accomplished" banners are any indication, no sooner will we get one up than McCain will make Rudy his running mate.

So, on second thought, maybe we should forego the "Mission Accomplished" banner.

Exactly, Jay.  Pro-abortion Republicans are not giving up, and they still consider themselves to be winning this battle with John McCain as a "mixed-choice" frontrunner.  McCain's endorsement list reads like a Who's Who of the pro-choice, blue-blood, country-club-Republicans (blended with a few misguided pro-lifers, of course).  With or without Rudy as his running mate, he's their guy.  Catholics and pro-lifers should not be fooled by McCain's pandering.  By the way, Jay also observes:

It should be noted that McCain won handily among voters who think abortion should always be legal (45%), voters who think abortion should mostly be legal (42%), voters who attend church only a few times a year (39%), voters who never attend church (41%), and Catholics who who are not regular Mass-goers (40%).

Begin orignial post: 

The pro-life movement can rejoice in the defeat of its biggest opponent in the Republican Party, Rudy Giuliani.  Party leaders should take notice in the strength of the movement.  We were told that Giuliani would be our next president, and pro-lifers would just have to hold our noses and vote for him.  The determination of the pro-life movement, and Catholics in particular, is inspiring. 

But that is only one of the battles in the war for the heart and soul of the Republican Party.  Remember that the covert plans of Republicans for Choice revealed that they need to have a pro-choice or a "mixed-choice" candidate as the nominee.   The two mixed-choice candidates left are Mitt Romney and John McCain.  Which one of these is Giuliani endorsing?  Are you surprised?

Rudy Giuliani, who bet his presidential hopes on Florida only to come in third, prepared to quit the race Tuesday and endorse his friendliest rival, John McCain.

Read the rest here.

Mike Huckabee will most likely be withdrawing from the race, as he hasn't raised much money to carry him the rest of the way through, not to mention, he alienates the rest of the Republican base with his big government policies and his record on illegal immigration. 

That leaves only Ron Paul, a pro-life, fiscal conservative who has never voted for a tax increase and wants to eliminate government handouts that serve as incentives to illegal immigration.  It's time for conservatives to unite and defeat the Establishment.  It's time for a conservative REVOLUTION!   

Ron Beats Rudy and Fred

"Who'd have predicted that a couple of months ago?"

The Power of the Pro-Life Movement

Have you noticed lately, that the so-called "front runner" presidential candidates haven't been doing as well as expected? 

It was assumed that Rudy Giuliani would be a shoe-in, given his popular "America's mayor" status.  That simply hasn't panned out in the first two states who've taken an actual vote (In Iowa, Rudy placed last and in Wyoming, Rudy did not receive any delegates to the national convention).  That is in no small part, due to the much publicized campaign of Catholics Against Rudy and its coalition of pro-life bloggers (including yours truly).   

But there is an equal threat to the pro-life movement in pretender, Mitt Romney.  After spending the most money and time in Iowa, Romney's loss was in no small part, due to the newly formed American Right to Life and their ads exposing the Mitt Romney Fairy Tale which they ran in Iowa and plan to run a similiar one in South Carolina: 

The power of the pro-life movement to bring down a candidate is evident in these two cases.  This battle certainly isn't over yet.  The question is:  Will the pro-life movement equally use that power to unite behind one real pro-life candidate who can also appeal to the rest of the coalition and win over converts? 

National Right to Life Endorses Pro-Choice Candidate

Remember that even some "intellectually honest" pro-choicers believe that Roe vs. Wade was wrongly decided?  I guess Fred Thompson is supposed to fit that category, even though he still wants to label himself as "pro-life". 

As reported here, in his Meet the Press interview, Thompson says that although he believes Roe was wrongly decided, and although he supports overturning Roe, he doesn't support a Constitutional Amendment that recognizes preborn children as persons with the unalienable right to life, and he doesn't even support "criminalizing" abortion (read: making it illegal) at any level.

And now it looks as though he'll be picking up the endorsement of National Right to Life, who some in the pro-life movement call "National Right to Lobby".  I can't say that I'm surprised.  National Right to Life has been known to do this kind of thing before, and it fits right in with the continued implosion of pro-life "leadership" and outrageous endorsements that are splitting the pro-life leadership, and will in effect, hand the nomination to Rudy.  That is, if we, the grass roots pro-lifers don't take matters into our own hands, and unite behind one truly pro-life candidate. 

God, have mercy on us!

Update: Michelle Malkin opines, sorta, and is now taking a poll.  Mixed reaction from her readers.   

The Way Giuliani Takes the GOP Nomination

It certainly isn't with the endorsement of Pat Robertson. 

Chuck Todd, NBC's News Political Director, has it right in a news report about this week's big endorsements:

If social conservatives can't coalesce around one candidate, then they're split among 4 or 5, and that allows Giuliani to ride in on a split Republican ticket. 

BINGO.

Maybe this is part of the covert plans of Republicans for Choice.  Help the "pro-choice" and "mixed choice" candidates woo the big social conservative leaders, and keep our coalition divided.  Work with media to keep propping up the weak social conservative candidates, one at a time, as our standard bearer.  First Romney, then Brownback, then Thompson, then Huckabee, and then McCain. 

Anybody but the real conservatives, Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter, whose positions could unite the entire conservative coalition.  It's just that party leadership has been invaded at every level by turncoats. 

Get involved. 

Rudy McRompson, "Scaredy Cat"

It was mentioned here the other day, that Fred Thompson had joined the "three headed RINO" in snubbing Joseph Farah and Phyllis Sclafly, by avoiding the upcoming "Values Voters" debate.  Here's what Farah, founder and CEO of of World Net Daily had to say in his latest column, The GOP Gutless Wonders: 

Would you elect a man president of the United States who was afraid of tough questioning from Phyllis Schlafly or Star Parker?

Would you consider voting for a man who had better things to do than to talk to an audience of millions concerned about the assault on family values?

What would you say to front-running GOP presidential candidates who take your vote for granted because they think you have nowhere to go?

These are some of the questions you should be pondering today as we get ready for a Republican presidential debate next Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – a debate in which four major contenders will be conspicuously absent.

They are: Willard "Mitt" Romney, Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain and Fred Thompson.

I, for one, am particularly disappointed in Thompson, who has not yet participated in a single GOP debate. This one would have been his first opportunity since officially announcing his candidacy. He could have changed all the dynamics. He could have made this debate the biggest national news story of the day. He could have forced others to join the debate. But, he, too, had better things to do....(click here to read the rest of "The GOP Gutless Wonders".)