Friday November 6, 2009, 9:37 am
Digest

Friday, November 6, 2009

The Foundation

"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual -- or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." --Samuel Adams

Government & Politics

Tuesday's Elections Bring Hope, Change
There is a groundswell of conservative activism rising up across our great nation, as citizens are awakening to this ominous threat of constitutional adulteration and tyranny. Citizens are speaking out at public forums, attending grassroots "Tea Parties," making a stand for Liberty.

The first real political results of that uprising were manifest in the elections of Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie to the executive branches of the states of Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. Each of these Republicans vanquished a Democrat opponent for whom Barack Obama had campaigned extensively, and both victories came in states that went for Obama in 2008. McDonnell's 18-point victory in Virginia represented a 25-point turnabout from Obama's 7-point margin a year ago, though Clintonista Paul Begala claimed that Creigh Deeds lost because he didn't campaign closer to Obama. If you say so, Paul. As for Corzine, he lost in a deep-blue state despite positioning himself as Obama's main man, and despite spending nearly $30 million of his own fortune to savage Chris Christie.

Make no mistake, however. These victories are as much a rejection of Obama's arrogance and ineptitude by people who aren't "conservative" as they are a call for the restoration of constitutional authority. But it's a place to start.

Democrats wasted no time in downplaying the results of these two elections, saying even last week that whatever happened was not a reflection on Obama or his agenda. "We don't look at either of these gubernatorial races or the congressional race as something that portends a lot for our legislative efforts going forward or political prospects in 2010," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs argued Tuesday. Obama sure spent a lot of time campaigning for Corzine and Deeds to turn around and say that the results didn't matter.

Of course, on the eve of the same New Jersey and Virginia elections in 2005, then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel said, "Whatever the outcome of those elections, it will have an impact on people's interpretations of the upcoming election." Democrats love to have it both ways.

The one bittersweet defeat for conservatives Tuesday was the loss in New York's 23rd Congressional District, which pitted Doug Hoffman against Democrat Bill Owens. The silver lining is that Hoffman, who ran as the Conservative Party candidate, almost won despite misguided Republican "leadership" and Democrats spending over $2 million against him, plus fighting a virtual primary battle with Leftist Republican Dede Scozzafava (the title "RINO" would be a major step up for her) who withdrew and endorsed the Democrat. Owens took 48 percent to Hoffman's 46 percent, while Scozzafava, whose name was sadly still on the ballot, received 6 percent.

In fact, 49 House Democrats will be defending seats in districts John McCain won in 2008. They are now sweating 2010 substantially more. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) claimed, "From our perspective, we won last night." Indeed, Democrats now have one more seat in the House, but it's telling that Owens distanced himself from government-run health care. Apparently, he knew embracing it would cost him the election. Still, he is a Democrat, so his position is subject to change without prior notice.