MoveOn moves on Walla Walla

via Martha:

Dear Friends,

We just got word that Moveon.org and other liberal groups will be protesting in front of the Congresswoman's Walla Walla office (29 South Palouse Street) Monday at 12:00 noon.

We will be meeting at 11:45am at 29 South Palouse Street to hold a rally supporting Cathy and her efforts to stop the wasteful spending in DC. As Cathy said earlier in the week, President Obama and others in DC have pushed the country to an economic crisis and we must stand together, united, to bring fiscal sanity back to the U.S. government. Please join us Monday at 11:45 and bring your Cathy signs!

It is important that we counter this liberal agenda of more spending and higher taxes. Now more than ever, we must show our strong support for Cathy. I hope to see you tomorrow at 11:45.

Please call Christian Bell at 509-301-4847 or email him at cmbell10@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Kristina Sabestinas Campaign Manager Cathy for Congress

 Be there!

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has quite a future ahead of him.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) points out -- rightly -- that the Democrats are not willing to negotiate on the budget. In the process, Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA, and he was in Vietnam, by the way) is schooled on how to be a gracious speaker.

Enjoy.

City of Walla Walla doesn't want to follow their own rules

Fair use rules prevent me from copying the entire Union-Bulletin article (linked here [registration required], published on 28 July 2011), but here's the essential part:

Change to rezone rules moves ahead

The City Council signed off on drafting of an ordinance that would give the city greater latitude to change zoning of its lands.

A proposed amendment that would grant planners greater authority to rezone city property narrowly passed City Council on Wednesday night.

Council members Dominick Elia, Shane Laib, Jerry Cummins and Conrado Cavazos voted in favor of having legal staff draft the ordinance that would allow the city to rezone its own property as it sees fit, even if that rezone is not what was stipulated in the city's comprehensive plan.

Fred Mitchell, Jim Barrow and Mayor Barbara Clark voted against drafting the ordinance, arguing it would do away with a key part of the public hearing process and give the city more rights than the average property owner.

"The part that concerns me is that this would allow any city land use designation to be applied. That is a concern ... because in that instance the city is acting as any other landowner in the city," Clark said.

Simply put, city employees would have more input to land use than a land owner.  Even  City Attorney Tim Donaldson agreed: "You could take and sell off a park for commercial development without much public input." 

The vote was only to draft the ordinance, and it is opposed by quite a few people, for a number of reasons (see the Union Bulletin's editorial, "City government should follow same zoning rules as citizens").

And it's certainly another attack on property rights, and definitely denies the public due process in rezoning changes.  That the current zoning process inconveniences public employees is immaterial; the City of Walla Walla does not need this degree of flexibility.  If the process is broken, fix the process.  As the WWUB put it, "City government should have to follow the same zoning laws as the citizens it serves."

If you live inside the city limits of Walla Walla, I recommend contacting the City Council about this.  There will public input on the ordinance.

Republicans did this

I picked this up through the "Ace of Spades" blog.  It's not relevant to the current budget battle and fiscal responsibility, but is relevant to limited government.  A House Committee approved a bill (H.R. 1981, "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011") that would require Internet Service Providers (ISP) to maintain a huge database of Internet transactions just in case police want to see it.  No warrant needed.   Most of the approving votes came from Republicans.

AofS said this about the bill:

"On Thursday legislation was approved that would force internet service providers to save information on customer usage for twelve months on the chance law enforcement might want to look at it sometime. The bill was mislabeled the "Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act of 2011" in a nauseating attempt to cut off debate on its merits.

It eliminates the warrant requirement.

ISPs would be required to store customer names, bank account numbers, IP addresses, credit card numbers and home addresses. In other words, a gigantic database will be created for any snooping purpose. And, let's be clear, since there is no warrant requirement, law enforcement will end-up simply grabbing all of the information available, whether or not there is an ongoing investigation, and storing it permanently.

Republicans did this.

There's a point where right meets left.....This has very little to do with what America is all about. It has everything to do with how these people view themselves. Liberals and conservative like these are drunk on power. They're so enamored of their own brilliance and so certain of their abilities, they feel they can fashion new law on an ad hoc basis whenever it suits them. "

It's important to remember that the Big Government problem is not limited to the Democrats.  And to hold all of Congress accountable.  There's a list of the Republican Representatives who voted for this bill at the end of the link......and a much shorter list of those who voted AGAINST it.  And several Democrats are against the bill as well.  Right does indeed meet left here.

President Obama's Leadership Failure

"Death Panels" in the United Kingdom

Obamacare has been off the radar for a while, given the budget battle.

But it appears that the "Death Panels" -- named by Sarah Palin and hooted down by lefties everywhere -- are here. Or, rather, in the United Kingdom, thanks to their "National Health System", on which Obamacare was partially modeled.

Which means we'll see our own death panels in a few years, unless Obamacare is repealed.

Representative Ryan destroys Reid's "budget" bill

Brilliantly.  The video is on Breitbart TV.

Washington Conservative Coalition Rally

And Major Statewide Political Announcement!

Saturday, August 6, 2011, 

The Historic Gazebo at Pioneer Park
940 E. Alder St.

Walla Walla, Washington
2:30-5:30pm

Music and free ice cream at 2:30 pm; Rally begins at 3:00pm.

CALLING ALL CONSERVATIVES! Come celebrate with like-minded citizens the principles that have made America great! What is ahead for the Northwest states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana in 2012?  Can we unite with other voters to elect principled candidates who share our constitutional values and have the courage to fight for them?

Come one and all—Stand for "Principles before Party!”

Featured speakers include: Bob Pederson -- Rally Right Idaho... Steve Pidgeon -- Legal Analyst..... and several local candidates for office. Other speakers to be announced soon!

Keynote Speaker: Shahram Hadian – Christian pastor and former muslim- who has been traveling around the Nation speaking on the Threat of Islamic Shari’ah Law in America, will be speaking on the need for “Courageous Leadership” in our State and Nation. Hadian, who is the founder of the TIL (Truth In Love) Project LLC., believes that our Nation is in crisis, and that political correctness has handcuffed our ability to address the critical issues that we face as Americans.

Hadian is a former candidate for WA State Representative whose unique background includes experience as a police officer, teacher, pastor and small business owner. He is a proud U.S. citizen. Hadian will also be making a major campaign announcement for statewide office in Washington State! You will not want to miss this momentous announcement!

Hosted by the Washington Conservative Coalition: “Our purpose is to unite, support, and train Americans who believe in rebuilding the strength of the Republican Party by returning to an unwavering faith in the Conservative values so wisely established under God by the Founding Fathers and so eloquently espoused in the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.”

Please bring your own blankets, lawn chairs, and an American flag if you have one.  We look forward to having you join us!

RSVP’s are encouraged by not required. You can email your RSVP or any questions to WACONCO@gmail.com


Join Us on Facebook!

This event is paid for and hosted by the Washington Conservative Coalition.

The Washington Conservative Coalition

Courtesy of Martha:

The Washington Conservative Coalition is associated with Rally Right of Idaho (www.rallyright.org) and we concur with the Rally Right Mission and Creed below. The Washington Conservative Coalition has added a 13th principle at the end of the Conservative Creed.

OUR MISSION: The purpose of the Washington Conservative Coalition is to unite, support, and train Americans who believe in rebuilding the strength of the Republican Party by returning to an unwavering faith in the Conservative values so wisely established under God by the Founding Fathers and so eloquently espoused in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

CONSERVATIVE CREED ™

We believe in...

• God: That the United States of America was founded on principles endowed by our Creator
• Freedom:  As the cornerstone of our Republic, which we must defend with our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor
• The Constitution: Which must be implemented and interpreted as it was intended by the Founding Fathers
• States Rights: As protection against tyranny of a Federal Government
• Justice: Evenly administered under the Constitution and Bill of Rights, free of judicial activism
• Individual Rights: In particular: Freedom of speech, religion, the right to bear arms, and the pursuit of happiness [WCC note: including property rights]
• Right to Life: Because life is sacred
• Marriage: The union of one man and one woman
• Personal Responsibility: Through self-government and accepting our own successes and failures
• National Security: By securing our borders, and by maintaining U.S. sovereignty
• Military Defense: Protect our sovereignty by maintaining a strong military
• Fiscal Responsibility: By the government adhering to low taxation, maintaining a balanced budget and opposing pork barrel spending
• Standing with Israel [WCC additional principle]: Israel is a sovereign Nation and our greatest ally in the Middle East

 For more information, please email Washington Conservative Coalition at waconco@gmail.com

Who's up for a trip to Middle Earth?

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) certainly needs one.  He denigrates the "TEA Party Hobbits", without realizing that the hobbits were one of the "good guys" in the "Lord of the Rings" novels. 

I take it as a compliment, myself.  As Mr. Robbins says:

Anyone with a literary bent would never use the term “Hobbit” as an insult. The Hobbits are the most admirable characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s opus The Lord of the Rings. Mr. Tolkien was a traditionalist with a romantic attachment to particular English ideals and myths that also have strong resonance in this country. The Hobbits were an archetype of the doughty English yeomanry, a free people living productive and pleasant lives, hard working, honest and happy. They stand in contrast not only to the evil denizens of Mordor but also to the city folk of Gondor. The Hobbits lived more simply, free of the complexities, anxieties and dangers that beset their urban human counterparts. And the same type of people who inspired Tolkien to invent the Shire are those who came to America in the 18th century to forge a pastoral utopia on the Midwestern frontier.

Thank you, Senator McCain.  Even if you don't understand it.