Following are links to the campaign websites of the sixteen Tea Party first term incumbents. There are currently over 60 Tea Party Caucus members and the entire list can be found here with links to other incumbents websites.

Sandy Adams (FL-24), Diane Black (IN-06), Bill Cassidy (LA-06), Jeff Duncan (SC-06), Blake Farenthold (TX-27), Stephen Fincher (IN-08), Vicky Hartler (MO-04), Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), Jeff Landry (LA-03), David McKinley (WV-01) Mick Mulvaney (SC-06), Rich Nugent (FL-05), Dennis Ross (FL-12), Tim Walberg (MI-07), Joe Walsh (IL-08) and Allen West (FL-22)

Take the time to look at those websites and pick the candidate you like best. Make a financial commitment to support the candidate every month until the election. Don’t forget that you’re going to be supporting another new Tea Party challenger as well as the incumbent you choose. Above all, don’t ever believe that a donation of $20 per month is too small to make a difference. Thirty=seven per cent of the voters in yesterday’s Florida primary were Tea Party supporters. That’s over 600,000 people and if they all committed to $20 per month it would mean $12 million per month going to Tea Party candidates – $120 million by the election. Just the Floridian Tea Party supporters could cover the cost of 40 successful campaigns.

Change will not occur until you decide that they aren’t fit to run things any more – and back up your words with acts.

Before we start, the ground rules: To the the peanut gallery: no clapping, standing, booing or showing your displeasure with the media in any way. You must be quiet and listen. To the candidates: There will be no mention of the President – His Fantasticness, unless of course you intend to praise him. This debate is solely about why none of you are fit to hold office. Now let’s begin:

Tonite, in an effort to inform the voters of Florida, let’s continue the conversation with the 1998 Terry Schaivo case. As you know, this is the number one issue on the minds of voters tonite. Senator Santorum?

As the conversation lingers we will pretend that Castro has died, and now all the Cubans want to come to the US. (Isn’t that backward Brian? If Castro goes away wouldn’t the Cubans celebrate getting their country back and stop trying to flee to the US?) What would you do about that Newt?

And now a conversation with Representative Ron Paul: We know your son was detained by the unconstitutional actions of the TSA this morning but I would prefer to get you to commit to running as a third party candidate. Your country needs you Rep Paul, and so does your president and his posse, the media. Can you promise you won’t let us down? And why don’t you dream about the White House?

And now lets turn the conversation to Governor Romney’s taxes. Is there anything you wish to apologize for Mitt?

And as we continue the conversation I note that the audience has left and the only TV’s still tuned to the debate are in the White House.

My job here is done.

Really?

I don’t think I am the only person out there who absolutely wants people fired. The threat alone is music to my ears. Let’s start with Obama and his merry band of Czars, recess appointments, Cabinet members he doesn’t talk to, aides and whoever else he is paying to hang around. And then let’s get serious.

I’d fire complete departments – Education, Energy and that third one Perry can’t remember – to start. I’d fire the bloat of federal employees who sit around all day doing nothing. I’d fire anyone who, on merit, should be fired. I’d be firing people for months after I took office and I hope Romney will too. There is a lot of waste out there that needs to be attended to.

Message to Newt and Perry: I’m a capitalist. I thought you were too. I’m sick of cronyism. It’s time to fire a whole lot of people and if you aren’t up to it, Romney is.

Diane: I’m really excited about this debate. First of all, I cannot imagine the candidates agreeing to let us question them again after what we got away with last time.

George: You’ve spent far too much time at the White House Diane. The President is the smartest man in the history of earth. These guys aren’t even second tier, far from it, in fact. They are lap dogs looking for attention. Let’s make sure they get some.

Diane: Let’s both agree to the things that are off limits. No one mention those unconstitutional recess appointments. We need to highlight that everything is Congress’ fault, but if someone mentions the President’s circumvention of the Separation of Powers shut them up quickly.

George: Oh I’m good at that. And we will make it Everyone Against Romney. And let’s make sure that cool Jon Huntsman gets his say – in chinese if possible. People need to see that he is the best nominee. Oh and let’s ignore Rick Perry.

Diane: Good ideas, all. And let’s make sure Ron Paul gets a lot of non-foreign policy questions. If we can get him to run 3rd party then Obama is a shoe-in for re-election.

George: What we really need is a theme or two. (Slapping head) I’ve got it – the most pressing issues of the night will be 1. contraception and 2. gay marriage!

Diane: Brilliant George. Let’s remind people that there are a lot of things more important than jobs and the economy. The Iranian threat pales compared to contraception.

George: And here is how we will do it. We will trap Romney into saying he wants to repeal Roe v Wade, and hope he forgets Roe was predicated on Griswald which created a right to privacy so women could buy birth control without their husband’s permission. It’s perfect. Repeal of Roe v Wade equals opposing contraception. Romney will never know what hit him and we can spend the next 11 months talking about the fact that Romney is a heartless conservative who wants women to be chained at home barefoot and pregnant.

Diane: Brilliant! It’s no wonder you are the king of ABC, George.

George: And we will follow it up with showing their rampant homophobia.

Diane: I’ll make it personal: I’ll say – “Imagine two homosexuals are in your living room”. That alone should send Santorum into a fit.

George: LOL Diane, I can barely wait.

ring ring

Diane: Excuse me George, I’ve got to run, Michelle is on the line.

“TEA PARTY”
sounds so much
nicer than
“Mob of Racists
and Homophobes”

I’ve had some personal experience with this talking point. A few months ago a fellow Rotarian,said to me out of the blue that he thought the tea party is racist. He has since tried to suggest he wasn’t referring to me specifically, which I find ludicrous since I am a founder of the Sturbridge Tea Party.

Over the Christmas holiday I made a comment about Eric Holder and my own mother asked me if I have “always been a racist”.

This is the same mother who raised me to believe that differences are the most interesting thing in the world. Apparently that motto doesn’t apply to political ideology in her mind.

One of my best friends reminded me that her sister-in-law, accused her of the same thing some time ago.

Does anyone dispute that Obama has been the most divisive president in the history of this country? If Obama doesn’t destroy the USA with his policies, he will surely destroy it with his campaign tactics.

And the media is complicit.

Tea Party Standout

Yours truly cannot take credit for attending.

That’s not what he said. What he said is that if gay marriage is your most important issue than you should probably vote for Obama because Newt would disappoint.

Not being gay or married it’s hard to see what all the fuss is about on the gay marriage issue.

My business partner is a lesbian who entered into a civil union in Vermont and subsequently married in MA – more for legal reasons than for the title. She always considers the day of her civil union to be her anniversary but will tell you it is the commitment not the piece of paper or title that she commemorates. I am all for gay marriage, but nothing in this world stops dedicated people from making a commitment.

It’s certainly not for me to judge if someone decides getting married is the most important issue in their life this year. And I agree with Newt, one narcissist probably deserves another. I really wish people- pro and con would get over the gay marriage thing. If I were gay I’d rename marriage “kadiddlehop” and get on with it. And then I’d try to do it better than the heterosexuals.

There is more than one route to victory.

Romney also did something as Governor that still impresses me. I remember hearing about it on talk radio back when it was happening in 2006 and I have never forgotten it.

J. Michael Ruane was a Massachusetts state legislator for 30 years representing the 8th Essex District. As a member of the Massachusetts legislature he was entitled to enroll in the very generous pension plan offered by the state. He declined repeatedly, indicating he did not believe in state offered pensions. At one point, a couple of years before he retired, he was told that he could be grandfathered into the pension system and would get full benefits dating back to when he was elected nearly 3 decades before without paying anything but current payments. Although that was the deal of the century Ruane once again declined, preferring to take home his full paycheck.

In 2005 Ruane retired and was diagnosed with cancer. He then petitioned the state legislature to award his wife his unearned pension benefits.

Ruane died in June 2006. Shortly after his death the Massachusetts legislature voted to award Ruane’s widow an unearned pension of $44,000 a year for life.

Governor Romney opposed the legislation and offered what I thought was a brilliant alternative: He proposed an amendment requiring members of both chambers, the governor, and the lieutenant governor to pay one-half of 1 percent of their base compensation to the state pension fund to cover Ruane’s unearned pension. Romney agreed with the legislature’s desire to take care of the Ruane family, but disagreed that tax payers should pay for it. Romney estimated that the pension would cost legislators $275 per year while the Governor and Lt Governor would pay $675 and $600 annually. He also suggested that a lien be placed on the legislator’s home to recover the benefits after his widow died.

The legislature disagreed, passing a bill which foisted the entire costs of the unearned pension on the taxpayers. Romney vetoed the bill and his veto was easily overridden by the MA legislature.

Still Romney deserves credit for his “conservative” attempt at protecting the people against the liberal legislature.

Despite the fact that Obama’s will not be in the White House for Christmas, and so many people in the country are aching because of a horrible economy imposed on the country by an inept administration, the first family has erected 37 Christmas trees in the White House this Christmas. Apparently they plan to do what so many others cannot afford to this year. The first family will endure the smell of pine even if kids all over the country can’t afford to.

in addition to the 37 Christmas trees, the Obama’s are thrilled about their 400 pound gingerbread house. But don’t worry, Michelle has pronounced a theme for her Christmas extravaganza: “Share, Give, Shine.”

That’s right. The Obama’s thumb their noses daily at the problems the people in this country are having because of their bad policies, but make everything okay with a theme. Apparently the first lady wants us to share and give, while she plans to shine. But she doesn’t. Instead, channeling Kim Jon Il, she assures us that the memory of her riches will be enough for those who are hurting:

“I know for some of you, this holiday season will be tough, she told some But hopefully, it’s times like this that make you know that you live in a grateful nation, and that we are just so inspired by your sacrifice. And hopefully, this is a memory that will stay with you every holiday season.”

Oh the memory will stay with us for a long time, but not for the reasons Mrs. Obama thinks.

On Dec.16th the National Flood Insurance Program is set to end. Insurance companies are already not renewing policies because of the uncertainty and lack of publicity on this issue.

On one hand what is the Federal government doing in the underwriting business?
On the other hand how do they walk away from it after entangling so many people’s lives within it since its inception in 1968?

If Congress lets this program end real estate markets will crash further.

People required to have it will be in default of the mortgage requirements. New sales transactions requiring it will not be able to be conducted.

It is estimated by the National Association of Realtors about 1,300 new transactions per day are currently on hold because the deals cannot close without the properties being insured. No private insurance company can currently write or renew a flood insurance policy because the Federal government is sitting with its thumb up a place the sun don’t shine.

If Congress lets this program end, real people who built homes in beautiful places like the Outer Banks, or other beach places will now do so without a safety net. Not that they should of built homes in those places to begin with; but once allowed , with no current reform policy in sight, they should still be covered. Government said it was ok we will under right you. Now they are about to renege on their word.

I don’t think the Federal government belongs in the underwriting business but I certainly don’t think they can be allowed to callously walk away from it and leave people high and dry either.

Where is the reform? The conversion to privatization? They’ve done more of that in getting out of the space program than they have Flood Insurance.

I’m betting if you don’t have flood insurance that you hadn’t heard about this issue. What if they decide to suddenly get out of medicare or some other program instilled on society, should they be allowed to do that and leave people in the lurch with no plan?

Wouldn’t this be the kind of important issue that you wished was talked about in at least one of Presidential Debates so far?
Well since it hasn’t yet it’s up to blogs like this to start the discussion on this issue.

Weigh in on what you think Congress should do with the pending end date of the National Flood Insurance Program and why?
If Congress won’t have the discussion it’s up to us to have it.
Thanks,
ConservaWin