Thursday, December 28, 2006

Or what?

After the ruling came down that Saddam Hussein was to be executed. Saddam loyalists warned that if he were executed there would be retaliation.

I have to laugh. What are they going to do? Not start an insurgency and murder their fellow Iraqi’s

Leftweek:

Today I thought I would comment on the charade that is Newsweek. Though it’s not a revolutionary idea to claim Newsweek contains a hard left bias, it should from time to time be pointed out. I regularly frequent their website to remind myself just how bad they are and this week they really have outdone themselves.

First you have to love the cover with Hillary and Obama. They made sure to pick two great photos to make them both look like the most likeable people in the world. Then they use red and black ink in the title asking the question “is America ready for either one?”. Before you even read the article you’re seduced by a photo that forces you to have good thoughts and setup to feel shamed if you don’t want to vote for them.

The fun doesn’t stop there as they also have an article on Hillary’s European twin Segolene Royal who is the new leader of the Socialist Party in France and also looking to become President. Newsweek paints Royal as great as Hillary and how she’s going to fix France, while claiming her opponent on the Right, Nicolas Sarkozy, “medicine threatens to be bitter” for the country.

But wait there’s more. They have a web exclusive that blames the recent Holocaust denier meeting in Iran on Christians. The author asks, “who ought to have the primary responsibility for correcting this abomination? I think it ought to be Christians”. He claims this on the premise that Christians committed the Holocaust.

Of course Newsweek wouldn’t be complete without throwing in the Iraq war. For this you can read, “Bush’s disastrous troop plan” or “Bush’s worst lies of 2006”.

Finally if you haven’t had enough conservative bashing you can always go to the Newsweek Blog that currently asks, “Was Jesus Christ the Son of God?”

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Reaching out or keeping down?

Eliot Spitzer has announced that he is picking Republican State Senator Michael Balboni to serve as his senior security official. Spitzer is painting the choice as an act of bipartisanship but under the covers it appears it’s just another one of Spitzer’s crafty moves to keep handing Democrats complete control over the State.

Senator Balboni’s appointment will create a vacancy in the Senate that will need to be decided in a special election. With Democrat momentum still strong it’s a perfect time for Democrats to take a seat in the Republican controlled State Senate.

Eliot Spitzer can position the choice anyway he wants but the reality is that there was no way forcing a special election in a Republican held seat did not come into play.

Gerald R. Ford 1913-2006



Yesterday former President Ford passed away. For a brief look at his time in office click here.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

What is a 9th grader doing out at 1:30AM?

The day after Christmas the news is always light. It’s so light today I’ve found myself reading the NYPD police blotter. On the blotter I came across a note that said a teenager was shot and killed outside his Queens home at 1:30AM Sunday night. The teenager was a 9th grade student and his devastated parents are asking for answers.

As I say a prayer for the family I have my own question. What is a 9th grader, who should be 14, doing out at 1:30AM? I’m going to go out on limb and assume he wasn’t on his way home from midnight mass. Is there ever any reason for a 14 year old to be out at that time by himself?

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Those red things mean stop:

Today I’m walking to my office and a guy three feet in front of me almost gets turned into road kill when a yellow cab plows through the crosswalk.

The guy went crazy and started yelling at the cabby who rolled down his window, to ask the guy “if he wanted to die”. He didn’t mean he was going to kill him but said it to mean the guy was crazy for walking out into the crosswalk.

The guy yelled at the cabby telling him he had a stop sign and should have stopped.

The best part was the cabby and his confused look on his face that read, “stop sign, what’s a stop sign”? The cabby really had no clue what the guy was talking about despite a big red stop sign staring all of us right in the face.

Classic!

Hevesi, not going to do a Martha Stewart:

It’s being reported that Alan Hevesi is about to cut a deal with Albany DA Soares that would keep him out of jail. The deal would force Hevesi to resign and plead guilty.

If the report is true Hevesi is doing the smart thing. A jury is not going to be sympathetic to Hevesi even if he’s a liberal Democrat. Martha Stewart showed everyone with her jury conviction, when the little guy has a chance to take you down, they will.

My question though is for everyone who voted for him in the last election. Do you feel cheated and lied too? Considering that the same people that voted for Hevesi in November are the same people who hate George Bush for his so called lies, would be outraged at his pleading guilty.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Fixing President Clinton’s mistake:

The Iraq Study Group called for it, many already knew it needed to be done and yesterday President Bush requested it. President Bush has asked his new defense secretary, Robert Gates, to expand the size of the military.

Technically an increase in our military cannot be considered an expansion but instead a step back toward regaining what was lost. During the 1990’s, President Clinton went to great lengths to dismantle America’s fighting force. The reason America is stretched thin today is not because of fighting too many missions at once but because President Clinton left us ill prepared to do so. Under President Clinton America's active combat divisions declined from 18 to 10, over a 40% decrease. The Navy, the pride of our founding fathers, was also drastically cut as bases were closed and ships were taken out of commission.

The reality is that President Clinton’s much touted budget surplus came at the expense of our once admired military force. Though Clinton supporters claim that Bill could have never foreseen the present times I would disagree. Foresight is what makes a great leader and it’s something either President Clinton didn’t have or ignored. There were plenty of signs given to President Clinton throughout his Presidency that should have made him think twice about what he was about to do. The first World Trade Center bombing, his disastrous defeat in Mogadishu, two U.S. embassy bombings, the U.S. Cole and most important a deceleration of war against the U.S. by Bin Laden in a fatwa published around the world.

If President Clinton was half the leader of our early ones he would have been constantly looking at the world asking, what if, each time he cut a battalion. It’s President Clinton’s shortsightedness that makes you have to appreciate our early leaders. Leaders like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson who could see America’s vulnerability to piracy and imperialist Europe that led to the building of our Navy at a time and cost to our government that would make today’s politicians have a heart attack. It was that Navy that not only defeated the Barbary pirates in the early 1800’s but also was available and a crucial part to securing America’s success in the war of 1812 against Britain.

Leaders like President McKinley and Admiral Mahan who had the foresight to see 40 years into the future and call for the annexation of Hawaii. Mahan and even the then young Teddy Roosevelt saw the expansion of the Japanese Empire as a future threat and new that if America didn’t take Hawaii, Japan would giving them a launching point for an invasion on America. The examples can continue and is what makes early American history fascinating.

As I look at Iraq and its liberation, my support is based more on my appreciation of history and the potential benefits not years but decades into the future. When it comes to such endeavors I don’t pretend that the world is pretty and see nothing wrong in putting America in the best position to survive in the future as Adams, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt, Mahan, Polk and others did. President Clinton and his concern of only the present was a mistake and today we’re paying for it.

When the facts don’t fit, make them:

The Financial Times is reporting that leaders in the Unites States Senate are looking to introduce a change to the law that allows the U.S. to take economic action against foreign countries. The proposed change comes after a report to Congress on China’s currency controls didn’t contain enough evidence to allow the U.S. to take action against China and it’s growing trade surplus.

According to the article the incoming chairman of the finance committee, Senator Max Baucus, claimed that the report was “no longer a relevant tool to deal with currency issues”. How convenient.

During the Clinton administration, Clinton’s team did everything they could to keep the dollar strong, understanding that a strong dollar leads to cheap imported goods and higher consumption. What has changed? Are Democrats saying President Clinton’s strong dollar policy was wrong?

Looking at the situation just what are leaders in Washington looking to achieve by a revaluation of the Chinese currency? Is their goal for America to go backwards and start making t-shirts and plastic army men? Democrats and Republicans should be focusing on more important issues with China like digital piracy and making their banking system more open to U.S. investment.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Hugo Chavez mind games:

Over the weekend I was watching TV when a commercial came on that caught my attention. The commercial is a dramatization of a mother and her child sitting in their home with blankets over them. Then it shows their kitchen with the oven door open leaving you to believe that they're using it to heat their home.

Then out of no where a truck pulls up and the mother and son’s face light up with cheer as the man pulls out a fuel pump and puts oil into their home. The family and man gather for a group shot with smiles a plenty.

Then a voice is heard with an 800 number telling the viewer how thanks to Citgo and the Venezuelan people, Americans can get oil at a 40% discount.

Give Hugo Chavez credit for his subtle attack on the American government. Knowing he can’t beat us militarily he’s using his stockpiles of oil as a psychological weapon. Chavez shouldn’t be underestimated and his tactic is just another attack on our government.

Never mind:

Only one day after announcing controls on the flow of capital, the Thai government has reversed its new policy after the Thai stock market had its biggest drop ever, of 15%.

The drop in the market came a day after the country’s finance minister announced that any new foreign money coming into the country would have to wait 1 year before it could be pulled out. The goal was to stop speculation and create stability in the currency. However the opposite occurred as markets in the region plunged on speculation that the new law could spread.

It doesn’t take an expert in economics to think if you put controls on capital, new foreign investment will come to a halt. With a world of places to invest, few are going to be willing to put their money in a country that locks them in.

It’s scary how even after several hundred years of success in the practice of free markets, elected officials still think they can change the shape of the economic wheel without consequence.

Friday, December 15, 2006

It’s ok Rosie you’re a Democrat:

Not that I watch the View but I came across this article while on Yahoo about how Rosie O’Donnell had to apologize for mocking Chinese people. Apologize? I didn’t even know she mocked Chinese people.

I love how the only place you find the story is on Yahoo and the entertainment section of some news sites. I continue to love the double standard that is placed on Left leaning celebrities and politicians when it comes to racial comments.

I doubt moveon.org or the DailyKos will be calling for her resignation anytime soon.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Bloomberg on Education

Bloomberg has an editorial in the Journal today about education in which he makes a great analogy:

“The problem is not that America doesn't spend enough money on education -- we spend enormous amounts, far more than any other nation. But we're not getting a sufficient return on our investment. The fact is, our education system looks a lot like the U.S. auto industry in the 1970s -- stuck in a flabby, inefficient, outdated production model driven by the needs of employees rather than consumers.”

The teachers union is a tough entity to take on, I applaud Bloomberg for his efforts.

“Lock your doors”

The Investors Business Daily has a great editorial this morning about how Democrats are already reneging on their election pledge that they would be strong on national security.

According to the article Democrats “seems not just unconcerned about domestic security, but intent on dismantling it”.

They use examples such as Sen. Carl Levin’s pledge to dismantle the missile defense program. IBD scratches its head wondering how can Democrats tear down the program when you have North Korea testing nukes and Iran looking to get them.

They then point to how Democrats pledged right after the election to pull troops out of Iraq within months.

Finally the IBD points to the countless hearing Democrats are calling for, which will do nothing but make our security services “to sit before Congress and defend themselves when they could be out chasing down the enemy”. They finish by saying how the hearings wont make us safer but instead “make our national security officials hyper-cautious, worried about being punished for doing their jobs”.

It’s no secret that despite terrorist attacks all over the world since 9/11, America under President Bush’s national security policy has not had one attack on our soil. For all the crying of American rights being violated by the Left as if America is now like the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin, I still don’t know anyone who has been dragged away in the middle of the night. All my friends, family and colleagues are still accounted for.

I think the IBD has it right when they say it’s time to “lock your doors”.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

You’re a good man Governor Pataki:

With the days of the Pataki era winding down, I thought I would take a moment to do something no one else is, say thank you.

In an age of immediate gratification, Americans today seem to barely remember last week let alone 12 years ago. When Pataki first ran for Governor in 1994, New Yorkers were a fed up bunch. Crime in the State was high. I remember as a teenager in Queens, to hear someone was mugged, their house robbed or car stolen was no big shocker. So it was no big surprise that one of the main reasons Pataki defeated Governor Cuomo was because crime had just gotten out of control.

By now most New Yorkers have forgotten the popular case of Arthur Shawcross who after killing two young children was allowed to get a plea bargain where he ended up serving just 15 out of a 25 year sentence. The real story that shocked New Yorkers was that after his release he went on to claim a dozen new victims. It was this story and the personal experiences like the one I shared above that gave Pataki the edge and why the death penalty issue, which no one understands how today, was front and center.

After Gov. Pataki’s 12 years in office, crime in New York State has declined a whopping 47% since his election in 1994. In the Queens neighborhood I still live today, to hear about a mugging or robbery would bring shock to peoples faces.

Besides leading over a major drop in crime, Governor Pataki is leaving us with a State that has experienced economic prosperity. Despite the challenges of upstate New York, overall the State’s unemployment rate is at record lows and the values of New Yorker’s property are at record highs. Today Long Island is home to a large upper middle class with more construction under way. Though Gov. Pataki shouldn’t take full responsibility, as leader of the State who would ultimately get full blame if the opposite were to occur, he should get a big pat on the back for where we are today.

Besides lower crime and a growing economy there are other events under Governor Pataki that shouldn’t be forgotten. It was Governor Pataki who signed into law the Family Health Plus plan that provides health care for low-income families.

When it came to the environment he preserved countless acres of land statewide and his 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act is something every New Yorker should be thankful for and by far his most underappreciated achievement. Thanks to this policy New Yorkers and future ones will enjoy clean water for decades.

Governor Pataki may not be perfect but what he did was leave New York better then he found it, something his predecessor couldn’t claim. As Spitzer steps forward and takes control all I can say is he has some big shoes to fill.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

As I did my Christmas toy shopping, I thanked China:

This past Sunday I took part in my yearly ritual of spending a couple hours in Toys R Us purchasing Christmas presents for my son, nephews and nieces. Toy shopping for the children is my job and for the adults, my wife.

As I pushed my shopping kart through the store I dumped in everything, board games, Barbie’s, GI Joes, Superheroes, Lego’s and more. Part of the reason I was able to load up my kart was that it seemed everything I picked up only cost between $5 & $20. Operation a game that goes back to when I was a kid cost me only $8. $8! When I was a kid the game not only cost more but also my parents were making a fraction of what my wife and I make today.

Today America’s trade deficit for the month of October declined to $58.9 billion, it lowest level in over a year. Despite the decline our trade deficit with China increased to $24.4 billion because of large shipments of Christmas items including toys. As Senator Schumer and other Democrats attack China, I walked through the store on Sunday thanking China for making it possible to consume double then what I would have if those items were made in America.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Bathroom reading

In case you haven't had a chance, here is a place where you can download the Iraq Study Group report.

To quote President Bush, it's "interesting." But don't put too much credence behind it. See my earlier post on the subject.

Happy reading!

Friday, December 08, 2006

Still going:

The latest job data is out and the U.S. added another 132,000 jobs in the month of November. Even more telling, U.S. wages grew by a total of 4.1 percent over the last 12 months, which is higher then the rate of inflation.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Iraq Study Group submits its report

The following is sneak peek from my weekly contribution to the Patriot Post Friday Digest. This week's edition will be live Friday at 1:00pm EST. Read more here.

The Iraq Study Group submitted its report to an eager Washington press corps this week. Policy makers, reporters, and private citizens feverishly flipped through the 96-page document which is sure to sail to the top of Amazon's bestseller list. And what they found was…well, nothing we didn't already know, sprinkled with a dash of policy suggestions that we shouldn't follow.

It was foolish to think that the ISG report would offer a magical solution to the problems that we are facing in Iraq. Stabilizing the Iraqi government, defeating the insurgency, and reducing America's military commitment are monumentally complex tasks for which there is no easy answer. However, the report accomplished little more than reiterating the proposed solutions that have been floated for months from across the political spectrum—reduce the number of troops, speed up embedding American troops into Iraqi units, engage in region-wide diplomacy, and, of course, get more involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Unfortunately, these proposals (there are 79 in total ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous) are off-base, and likely to lead to greater problems if they are heeded word for word.

For starters, military commanders in Iraq and the Pentagon know for a fact that more, not less, troops are the key to stemming violence in Iraq. Every time there has been a drawdown of American forces in an Iraqi region, an upsurge in violence has followed. Second, we are currently embedding troops in the Iraqi command structure, but training an Iraqi army is a process made slow by factional riffs, corruption, and terrorist infiltration. Only our commanders in Iraq know at what speed this process should reasonably take place. And even James Baker, co-chairman of the ISG, doesn't think that involving Iran and Syria in a wider diplomatic solution is feasible. These two countries, which are behind the insurgency, have no reason to talk to the United States. What are we going to offer them? Should w let Iran have its nuclear bomb? It is proceeding forward with it anyway. Are we going to give Lebanon to the Syrians? They are already in the process of reclaiming it through Hezbollah.

Despite this insanity, liberals are touting the report as gospel, probably because much like their own approach to the Iraqi issue, it says what people want to hear, with little thought to how the goals we all want are to be accomplished. President Bush probably summed up the true nature of the report best when he called it "interesting." He never exhibited any hope that the ISG would give him a roadmap to achieve success in Iraq, and his somewhat muted response to the final product demonstrates that. The ISG report might be a good read, but it is only one more item in the far-ranging dialogue over the Iraqi question. It should not be considered anything more than that.

Pearl Harbor:

I don’t know if they’re still teaching this stuff in our public schools but today is the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Looking back I wonder how today’s politicians would handle the war with the Axis powers. I don’t think anyone can imagine a Normandy or Iwo Jima taking place today, two battles critical to our victory.

What does Wall St. have to do with it?

Not satisfied with their recent marches on the city, the anti-NYPD protest group has announced that they will attempt to shutdown Wall St. on December 22nd.

Now I understand if they want to take off work to protest their local precinct but to march on Wall St. is another issue. What are they saying that it’s Goldman Sachs fault that Sean Bell and his buddies were at a strip club at 4:00 AM and got shot 50 times by trigger happy police officers?

In yesterday’s protest a female officer was struck in the face and was taken to a hospital to fix a broken nose. Why do I have a sinking feeling that this is not going to peek until someone else gets seriously hurt?

Where’s the recommendation on how to steal the oil?

I’m reading through the Iraq Study Group Report and I don’t find anywhere on how we’re going to steal all that oil.

Wasn’t that what the war was all about?

I found some recommendations on how the Iraq government with help from the U.S. can use the oil sector to help the Iraqi economy but nothing on how we’re going to load it up on ships when no one is looking to send it over here.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

John Adams would be disappointed:

The Sean Bell shooting is still front page news in the city as his friend Trent Benefield, also shot on that evening, spoke from his hospital bed for the first time.

In an interview with Dominic Carter on NY1, Benefield claimed that there was no fourth man and that the cops didn’t identify themselves. Now though I’m likely to believe that there was no fourth man, I find it highly unlikely that the cops in question would have not identified themselves.

Whether they did or didn’t what is unsettling is the direction this event is taking. The cops in question have basically already been found guilty before charges have even been brought. Even our own Mayor Bloomberg, under the pressure of the press, was quick to claim the police were “excessive” all but sealing their guilty verdict.

Its times like these that make me appreciate the true leaders and visionaries of this nation. Back in 1770 another altercation took place between the authority of a city and its inhabitants. The authority was the British troops and the city was Boston. Back on that day a crowd of New Englanders converged on the customs house where 9 British soldiers were standing. The soldiers under fear of the moment panicked and fired into the crowd killing five people.

The immediate reaction and judgment of the event was similar to the Bell shooting. Protests were quick calling it a butchery and for the heads of the British soldiers. One man though, new that the right for a fair trial was critical and that every man was innocent until proven guilty, even a British Red Coat. That man was John Adams, who would go on to become our second President. John Adams knew he was risking is career in stepping up to take the case but couldn’t stand by and watch the soldiers, whether guilty or not, be condemned before the facts could be discovered.

Whether the officers in the Bell case are guilty or not, I don’t know. What I do know, is that Mayor Bloomberg is no John Adams.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Seats at the Table

This post is in response to something posted by Tom Lynch at Urban Elephants earlier today - "Republican Roundtable."

While I believe Tom's intention was to indicate that there should be a place at the table for more Republicans to discuss the future of our party, the ensuing dialogue seemed to insinuate that the NYYRC is little more than a mouthpiece for the county and state GOP. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When it comes to getting all Republicans on the same page in terms of the direction of our party and the movement in general, you will find no bigger advocate than me. I have always believed that nothing educates and energizes more than open and honest dialogue.

The current state of affairs for Republicans in New York State and just what we should do next calls for just that type of dialogue. Our party is at a significant point right now; call it a tipping point, turning point, flash point, what have you. Whatever you want to call it, a great deal of reflection and thought is called for right now about what needs to be done. I have confidence that Chairman Mondello will approach the situation with an open mind and that he will listen to reasoned opinions.

Regarding the discussion taking place right here, I have to respectfully disagree with the assessment that the affiliated New York Young Republican Club is in some way a lackey of forces in Albany or even Manhattan. We discuss and we debate just like any other organization. We often host speakers and engage in discussions that have offered criticism of the city, state, and national GOP.

And I wouldn't have it any other way. I desire a club membership that is informed about all the issues so that they can make intelligent decisions about policy and the people who guide it. I don't tell members who they should vote for, and I don't push any policy position upon the membership. I welcome anyone and everyone to attend one of our meetings to see for themselves how open we truly are.

As far as recognition is concerned, the club that I currently lead is formally recognized by the city and state GOP organizations. We are also the New York county YR club that is recognized by the state and national Young Republican organizations. Merging and name-changing with the club that is led by Robert Hornak has been brought up before, and probably will be again, but I am not going to address that here.

There may be some who think that the debate about the Republican Party's future is a closed discussion, but please don't count me or the New York Young Republican Club that I represent in that ilk. I'll sit at a table with anyone to discuss party politics. I'm open minded, and I like my colleagues to be the same way.

Best,
Rick Brownell
President
New York Young Republican Club

Trans fats banned:

The board of health has just unanimously voted to ban trans fat from foods in NYC.

This is a sad day in the name of freedom and individual responsibility. One can only wonder what’s next from our government. Shutting down the city at 10:00PM to make sure everyone gets the 8 hours of sleep doctors say we should?

Why are people not up in arms over this?

Not Smart

Lastnight on HBO Demand I was watching a comedy benefit called "Comic Relief" that would help Hurrican Katrina survivors. From what they were saying it seemed as if it was taped a couple weeks ago.

Anyways, they had the usual suspects such as Rosie O'Donell and Bill Maher, etc. bashing Republicans. At one point O'Donell looks into the cameras flips the bird as if to say "F*ck Republicans". My first thought was how many people watching that must be thinking "Ok, F*ck Republicans? Well F*ck my donation!".

Now I have no clue how much they raised but to me it just doesn't seem like such a smart strategy when you're a charity and you're bashing such a large group of people. I know the only reason people think Odonell is funny anymore is because she bashes the GOP and Bill Maher seems to only have a career because of that but couldn't they have picked a different lineup? If they wanted racy, on the edge comedy, there is an abundance of comis out there that could be just as funny, and not single out one group of people. If their goal was to bash Republicans they could have easily had someone like Jay Leno who to me is always telling political jokes but he gives to both sides. He also doesn't villify an entire group of people and will just go after the politician themselves.

Obviously, they have their choice to bash whoever they want, but to me it just doesn't seem smart to take out a whole group of people.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Can Hillary Clinton be our next President?

It seems one of the main stories coming out of the weekend, is whether or not Hillary Clinton can be elected President if given the Democrat nomination.

Though I don’t think she could win I don’t think Republicans should underestimate her or get excited over her nomination should it occur.

Though New York voters aren’t the brightest bulbs when it comes to voting, you still can’t take away the success Hillary has had in making New Yorkers believe that she cares about them instead of just using them as a stepping-stone.

The strategy her Republican opponent will have to look out for is the sympathy machine that she’ll rollout with the help of the overwhelming Liberal media. You can already envision the articles talking about how she can never win because she’s a woman, with the goal being to shame American’s into proving them wrong. They’ll make it a male vs. female event looking to get moderate and independent female voters to feel that women not Hillary is being attacked. This would increase her chances immensely and possibly tilt the election in her favor as women who are undecided or usually don’t vote come out to vote for Hillary because they feel they’re being part of an historical event.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Jason Weingartner Announces Run for National YR Chair

Jason Weingartner has decided to run for chairman of the Young Republican National Federation. Next year in Florida, the YRNF will vote for its next national chairman, and I can honestly assure you that Jason is the best choice.

A little background for those of you not in the know: Jason, or Gos, as we affectionately refer to him, is currently chairman of the New York State Young Republicans, a position he has held for almost four years. During that time, he has tirelessly traveled the state, meeting with all the county clubs, helping them build their membership base, and helping channel resources to get Republicans elected.

Gos is also a former president of the New York Young Republican Club, the host of this blog. From August 2001 to April 2004, Gos took the NYYRC from a dozen members to 400, and made it a vibrant organization that maintains a strong presence in NYC Republican politics today.

If Gos has the chance to put his skills to work on the national level, he will make the national Young Republicans as strong as he has made the YR organizations in New York City and across New York State.

To find out more and lend your support, visit Gos's site: www.StatesFirst07.com.

New Yorks' New GOP Chairman Speaks

This is excerpted from today's New York Post.

N.Y. REPUBLICANS: NO MORE 'ME, TOO'
By JOSEPH MONDELLO
December 1, 2006 -- EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is excerpted from yesterday's remarks by Joseph Mondello after being elected the new chairman of New York's state Republican Party.
 
LET me make it clear that during my tenure decisions about the future direction of our party will not be made by a small consultant-dominated group devoted to the candidacy or career of one elected official or their own private gain.

Instead, our party's future course will be decided by a leadership that seeks and encourages input from its grassroots activists, a leadership devoted to advancing the fortunes and success of every single Republican elected official and candidate for governor in a little over 1,200 days.

That's why we must begin today to recruit young, dynamic and energetic candidates to run for statewide office four years from now as well as to mount aggressive challenges for every elected office, in every corner of New York, that is now held by a Democrat.

I pledge to bring the same tight-fisted, fiscally conservative business principles to the running of state committee that have been the foundation of my success as a county chairman. I've always believed that every dollar saved on consultants and administrative overhead is another dollar that can be put to use directly in support of the campaign of a Republican candidate.

While I firmly believe that a renewed emphasis on fundamental grassroots politics is the essential foundation upon which our party's renewal must be based, the Republican Party's future can't be based simply on refining the time-tested political skills of the committeeperson, block captain or district leader.

To attract the support and votes of a majority of New Yorkers, many of them new immigrants to our nation who have chosen the Empire state as the place to build a bright future for themselves and their families, our party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan must once again be a party of ideas; a party that offers our citizens a real choice between two very different sets of ideals, principles and values.

Simply put, if we are content to espouse a "me too" philosophy that gives voters little choice between our candidates and the Democrats, we can never hope to forge a new majority that will consistently elect Republicans at the statewide level.

I don't know about you, but I am not content to devote myself to building a party that elects a Republican governor as an aberration, only once every generation or so, and that must rely on scandal or voter fatigue from an administration that stayed around one term too many, as the necessary ingredient for victory.

In the weeks and months ahead we must renew our commitment to a party that presents a clear and consistent platform that attracts men and women from every walk of life, from every color, creed and ethnic background, because of its unwavering commitment to smaller government, lower taxes, less government regulation, robust private entrepreneurship and an unshakeable commitment to keeping our homeland safe and secure.

New York already has a party of big government and runaway wasteful spending - they're called Democrats.

As Republicans, we need to offer New Yorkers a clear choice by returning to our roots as the party that fights for the hard-working, middle-class taxpayers of our state who believe that all people are deserving of a good job, quality education, affordable health care, safe and secure communities and freedom from oppressive taxation.

More proof that prices are a reflection of wages:

I regularly argue that raising the minimum wage will not help Americans since prices are reflection of what people make, meaning that if you raise the minimum wage businesses will raise prices to reflect the extra capital in the system. The effect is that the person who just saw their wage increase is right back to where they started because of the higher prices.

As evidence, during a conference call with the executives of the Cheese Cake Factory, they told shareholders that they would be raising the prices on their menu to reflect, drum roll, higher wages.

Making sure Democrats stay in control of New York:

Eliot Spitzer is currently touting the new campaign finance rules that he plans on implementing. Spitzer will limit how much can be accepted by donors and PAC’s to just $10,000. Spitzer is trying to make it sound like this is a great thing and how it’s going to remove conflicts. The reality is the move instead ensures that the state will stay in the hand of Democrats.

In a state that blindly votes Democrat, the limitation will make it virtually impossible for any Republican to promote him or herself to the voters. Add that to a New York media that suppresses Republican candidates and you get a formula for indefinite control by Democrats.

And so it begins...

With individual debt increasing, and savings decreasing, the culture of consumerism is dimming our real cultural values but also damaging the United States economic positions around the globe. Never being one for more regulation if it can be avoided, I am curious about Sen. Carl Levin's (D-Mich) speech yesterday at the Center for American Progress saying he will hold hearings on the issue of practices by credit card issuers.

Levin will be chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations next year and expects Sen. Dodd (D-Conn.) to propose legislation as chair of the Senate Banking panel.

Levin cites unfair and confusing practices by these credit card issuers to reap extraordinary profits which takes advantage of low and middle class American families.

So, let's take a look at this. I feel most would agree that credit card companies and their solicitations are extreme and their practice can be conniving. I receive at least two credit card offers a day via postage mail and that is not an exaggeration. With the terms of agreements more capturing and confusing than ever, in my opinion, these companies do need a slap on the wrist. The individual debt issue is a problem in this country and it should definitely be looked into in a competent manner by the government. While the government should intrude on our lives as little as "possible", it should also protect the people from oppressive elements within our society that grow too large and have become manipulative. These proposed hearings seems like a case in point, but don't be deceived.

Most likely what we will see are the hearings, the legislation, then more legislation, then more until the democratic Congress feels it has enough control over the industry where it can execute its socialist agenda of redistribution of wealth. The democrats always feel that the American's personal wealth should be the governments to manage as the democrats see fit.

This is the mentality of the democratic party and my experiences here in New York City tell me that most people do not agree with this, yet they continually elect legislation happy democrats to Congress that push this agenda.

In 10 months or so we will see this issue all over the news as Dodd and co. go after the evil credit card companies playing up the media propoganda of "fighting the good fight" for the people, when all that will be needed is simple legislation to curb excess manipulation by these companies. Instead they will excessively abuse their power to try to control this industry and unfairly redistribute wealth that is not theirs. So lets keep an eye on Levin and Dodd to see just how much they abuse their legislative power to promote their agenda of socialist redistribution of wealth. Instead of pursuing the redistribution of wealth that is not theirs, all someone needs to do is use congressional power to demand competency and responsibility from this industry. Is that so hard? We'll probably know by next year this time.

Maybe the Gap should stop pretending there’s no Christmas:

Yesterday retail sale numbers came out for the month of November and Gap continued to see its problems get worse. Sales for November and the start of the holiday season declined 8%, with every division seeing a drop. As the Gap watches its competitor’s sales increase I have a crazy suggestion for the company, how about recognizing Christmas.

For several years now the Gap has implemented a policy that bans any holiday decorations from its stores. The holiday spirit is not alive and well in the Gap as it may as well be July. Only recently employees were even allowed to wish people a happy holiday and that was only after employees and customers complained.

Though now there allowed to wish you a happy holiday the company still doesn’t want anything resembling the holiday tainting their stores. I know a number of people, myself included, that refuse to patronize the store during the holidays because of their policy. Why should you spend your Christmas dollars in a store that is embarrassed to embrace it?

Maybe if the Gap stopped worrying about the few who find a Christmas tree offensive, traffic in their stores during the Holiday would pick up.