I was offered the privilege on Friday of introducing Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana at CPAC, who gave a nice, staunch speech about conservatism and urged John McCain to "embrace the Right and the Right will embrace you." In my introduction, I noted that Brent Bozell said it used to seem like many Republicans on the Hill were conservative leaders when Reagan was president, since they were carrying out Reagan's work. But now, when Republicans are back in the minority and conservatives are discouraged, there might be five people you can identify as conservative leaders on the Hill. You might debate the other four, but nearly everyone nods their head at the mention of Mike Pence. You can see the Pence video at TownHall.
On one of our issues in Medialand -- the reimposition of a "Fairness Doctrine" to clamp down on conservative talk radio -- Pence has been a stalwart. He received several standing ovations, including these lines on freedom of speech:
And the future of conservatism demands that we oppose censorship, whether it takes the form of the so-called Fairness Doctrine or takes the form of Campaign Finance Reform. Our freedom to speak and listen to who we want when we want is a blood-bought American right. We must not permit the Democrats to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine.
Talk radio makes up the signal battalion of our movement. As Democrats pledge to return censorship to the airwaves of America, conservatives should know the next President of the United States can restore the so-called Fairness Doctrine without an act of Congress. Our candidates must stand for freedom, reject the censorship of the left and commit to end the Fairness Doctrine once and for all.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
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Mr. Graham you are a Conservative Leader
February 11, 2008 - 13:54 ET by Lame CherryMr. Graham, I have a mirror for you in that you are more of a Conservative leader than all those creatures on Capitol Hill put together. This site of Newsbusters is a mixture of the same with several real Conservative titans surrounded by a bunch of inputters who now support John McCain to thinking Bill Buckley is a Conservative (Bill Buckley I love, but he is nothing but a big brother right wing individual who thinks tax money is to be spent crafting the masses too stupid to know what they want.)
I though will refrain from key holing people here as I would like to keep on posting and do not need to start a riot of people taking sides as there is too much fragmentation in this right wing now without and effective leader.
I can not speak to the gentleman you introduced, but I would consider he knows nothing of the Strenuous Life and if you put that to him he would probably blink in wondering what those code words even mean.
Congress is nothing but paid for, put in place moderates. Most have dirt on them like Trent Lott who when he is about to be exposed simply runs. Some like Larry Craig are either idiots being set up or idiots being caught in set ups...........and some like George Allen who should be the landslide Conservative in 2008 get set up by the leftist Soros attack dogs and George W. Bush sits on his butt allowing him to get savaged and defeated........all so one of his picklings like "real conservative" John McCain to bite on it Mitt Romney sways the voters.
Sorry if I'm about to vent here, but I really get ticked off about this stuff when I see Mr. Bozell and yourself doing the utmost to accomplish Truth and discovery..........and then I see Michele Malkin, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh etc.... all being 90% hard line but always like Limbaugh sway just enough on things like bio fuels in lying about them to keep the money flowing in and their power center in tact to feed their egos.
I know what these people are about and I know first hand someone like Dinesh D'Souza the big "right winger" who when I poked him a few times sent me a screaming email which stated, "I'm not a conservative".
The biggest trumpet supposedly on the right explaining our issues and he tells me he is not even a Conservative.
It is a game of shills and sell outs. Congress has nothing in it, but look at the great wonders of Ron Paul as a GOP standard bearer.........this guy is pure nuts and does not disavow anti Semites or anti Christians. Really great tie isn't it Mr. Graham...........Brent Bozell is GOP and so is Ron Paul..........same people the MSM says feeding their lying stereotypes.
I really do not blame the GOP leaders in this as they can not help it in all being sloven morons as most people are. They are clueless in historical facts to base their outlook on and they know nothing of the Founding Fathers and certainly know nothing about ECONOMICS, RESPONSIBLE LIBERTY AND GOD.
The entire foundation of America and our leaders are clueless. I emailed Mitt Romney before this all started laying out an entire economic plan which in parts I posted here...............I got dead silence from him. The great business leader was probably too inept to understand economics. I'm not in the least bit sorry he was flushed.
I will though keep pushing and blogging in hopes that a chant will start for Lynn Cheney to be Vice President for John McCain. His being vulnerable now CPAC should be hammering him to put Lynn on the ticket. I know she is not perfect, but she brings 3 issues to the table in fracturing the DNC vote in the fall, uniting Conservatives as we trust Dick and her credentials in being vetted and a powerful message carrier.
She can be the one on Rush's program talking our language and not John McCain who would come on there and piss people off with some jab he can not help himself from doing.
Thanks for listening.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
for me it's way too late
February 11, 2008 - 13:57 ET by TruthMongerfor me it's way too late for Mc
NOW he needs us? When it helps HIM?
what a great offer - I'll give it some thought
Pence is absolutely
February 11, 2008 - 14:14 ET by bigtimerPence is absolutely correct.
I have always liked him a lot, he is one I wished would've of been able to take Delay's place....the Fairness Doctrine is in a lot of jeopardy if McCain get's in, Just one of the major issues that would be in jeopardy ...JMHO.
Tim that must of been a great moment for you...I will watch the segment as soon as Rush is over...
Btw...thank you.
I am starting to miss the
February 11, 2008 - 14:19 ET by BruzillaI am starting to miss the reason that we don't want a return of the Fairness Doctrine. Oh yes... it's because we might lose our key voices on the Right... voices like those of Hannity, Limbaugh, and others on Talk Radio. But what value are these voices anymore? There was a time when these guys would tell us the things we needed to know and that the MSM refused to tell us. There was a time that these guys would be the voices saying what really needed to be said, exposing the truth about people and conditions, but sadly, this is no more.
Both Hannity and Limbaugh have evolved into pompous, self-engrandizing windbags who can't see past their own selfworth. Any criticism of them personally will divert their attention for days or weeks as they rage on in their own defense, regardless of how pointless the original criticism was. Both refused to come out and support a true conservative like Fred Thompson when their support could have made the difference. Instead, they were afraid to tarnish their reputations by supporting any guy who wasn't a lock. For them it was better not to support than to guess wrong... not exactly the signs of leadership is it?
Now we have Hannity doing his best to start the drumbeat for John McCain's conservative credentials based on one speech at CPAC. Somehow, Hannity feels that vague promises made at one speech is a better judge of character than fourteen years of demonstrated and documented actions. How could anyone who's opinion matters, possibly make the case that McCain "made a great start" of reconciling with the conservative base by making a speech? I don't know who the bigger fool is... Hannity or the folks who believe that he is right?
The absence of a Freedom Doctrins is really only of value if there's somebody out there worth listening to, and more and more there seems to be less and less of those voices.
It's OUR voices, not 'key voices'
February 11, 2008 - 15:12 ET by ChaitealoverBruzilla, may I suggest that you turn off the 'superstars' and listen to some that don't have constant national tv coverage? People like Lars Larson, Michael Reagan, Neil Boortz, Mike Gallagher, Hugh Hewitt, and too many more to name are well worth the time to listen to. How about your local conservative radio talkers? Here in San Diego we have Mark Larson and Roger Hedgecock. If the un-Fairness Doctrine is brought back, you won't hear any of these people or the everyday people who call in with their thoughts anymore. We'll be back to hearing only one point of view. Do you really want that?
So often, when I hear the results of some poll or another, my first thought is: I wish they would divide those polled into two separate groups, 'MSM' and 'other.' Those who get all their information from the major networks and newspapers would undoubtedly give different answers [no matter what the subject] than those who also get information from talk radio and the internet. Why is that? Answer, the second group learns more about the subject than the first group, simply by looking in more varied places.
Odd-ball example: There's a lot of recession talk around right now, but [because I'm laid up with an injured knee] I keep seeing those 'home shopping' channels as I surf for something I can bear to watch. Those channels are selling out of expensive jewelry and $500 handbags, not to mention exercise equipment and just weird, but seldom necessary, things. Somebody's buying that stuff. If our economy is as bad as we're told, where are all those people getting the disposable income? The MSM won't tell you because they won't even admit that it's happening.
Chai
“...Bury me on my face,” said Diogenes; and when he was asked why, he replied, “Because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.”
Pence gets a solid "A"
February 11, 2008 - 14:47 ET by sarcasmoBut the top-dog conservative on tax/spending is Flake.
JMR
If this is winning, I think I'd rather lose...