Senate Race Tightening up.

US Senate race tightening up.
Heckman in, McCulloch out, Hoekstra in, Steele out, Glenn in and from day one Peter Konetchy has been in.
Click on pic to enlarge

The Ocean Tea Party had it’s monthly meeting last night. (8/3/11) A lot was discussed. Our group is coming together, more of our members are becoming involved in what we are doing; although our Vice Chair Tom Allison was out of town.

The previous Monday (two days before our meeting) Our Secretary Andrew Sebolt, and myself, with Kerry and Laura Krentz had our first “Guerilla Marketing” attempt. This was Andy’s Idea. He set it all up. The four of us in about an hour dropped 1/3rd sheet flyers covering 170 people. The flyers simply said we were having a Tea Party meeting with the when and where and who the guest speaker was. Just to help let people know about us. It was free and simple and took an hour. We did that in the Hart area and next time we’ll do it in another area.

We recently came up with some Oceana Tea Party Gear to sell. We now have 3x5’ flags, hats, T shirts, polo shirts and Buttons to go along with our Dump Debbie Buttons and Tea Party Tea. This meeting was the introduction of our gear.

Members Bill and Jeannette Marossey volunteered to be in charge of that. They did a great job and we took in some extra money. Many thanks to them. Pics below




Ted McKissack reported on his progress in regards to the Census Bureau’s Community Survey. Recommending An act of Civil Disobedience is where we are at so far. We hope to finalize a statement and pass it along to other Tea Parties in West Mi. Also I might suggest we pass it on to the Oceana Herald Journal.

I made up and passed out signup sheets to see if other members wanted to get involved. The suggestions were, “Guerilla Marketing”, "Facebook and Tea Party of West Mi. site Maintenance", "Becoming a Precinct Delegate", "Putting up Event Flyers", "Township/County Watchdog groups". Some people volunteered for some of those. I’ll call and get more before next meeting.

With all the news out there; I am feeling that the people are starting to get interested in politics again. However they are definitely not abiding in the politics as we’ve known it. They with the Tea Party’s help will be ready for the next elections.


Our guest speaker was Peter D. Konetchy who is running in the GOP Primary for US Senate. Mr. Konetchy gave a well thought out talk and proved to most of us that once elected he would be a strict Constitutional Congressman. We had over a half hour of Q+A after and he answered all questions. I think everyone came away knowing who Peter is and what he stands for.

Our State Rep. Jon Bumstead was there also and told us to keep our eyes open when the state legislature reconvenes. Now that they laid the groundwork in the previous session, they will get down to cutting regulations and getting rid of all they can which they feel hinders business from coming here and from the ones here from expanding. In other words opening the door for real private sector job creation. If this works and we can free capitalism in this state again I’ll be happy.

The weekly Cozy Conservative Corner which we Conservatives have every Tues morning at 8 am convened at La Fiesta in Downtown Hart. We had a different crowd with 3 of our regulars not there but Jon Bumstead with his aid came along with a township supervisor and a County Road Commissioner. Hey if you want to come, all are welcome. We are Conservatives, not necessarily Republican or Tea Party just conservative and we do like to eat a good breakfast and get snarky about Liberals. Every Tues 8am at La Fiesta. Reservations not needed lol.

The Oceana County Republicans will hold their monthly meeting this Tues 8/9/11 at Noon at Walker’s Restaurant in Hart; again all are welcome. Volunteers are needed there also to man the Oceana County Fair Booth.

Tempest in a Teapot

Tempest in a Teapot



With all the 24/7 nonstop crisis like reporting leading up to the consummation of the “Budget Deal” you would have thought that something momentous had happened.
Well it didn’t at least from a Conservative point of view.

Did Speaker John Boehner stand firm and fight hard enough??? Yes he did, though you may argue that he did so reluctantly, remember these facts.

1. There wasn’t even a budget last year or the year before under the Democrat super majority. Just continuing resolutions.
2. Congress failed under Democratic Control to come up with a Budget. They however seemed to find it easier to over spend without one.
3. Now at least we have a Budget Deal.
4. Again perhaps reluctantly the Speaker listened to the “Tea Party” wing of his party and forced the issue and stood firm. Both he and Cantor took turns walking out on the President and his team which would not budge from their “necessity” of raising taxes.
5. Well taxes weren’t raised.
6. Another thing Boehner brought to the dialogue was the idea of actually balancing the Federal Budget. Perhaps again the Tea Party may have forced the issue. But without Boehner, the idea of a Balanced Budget Amendment would not have made it to the table – let alone make it into the bill.
A. All the States except Vermont have a state mandated Balanced Budget. A recent poll showed that 74% of the people in the country think the Federal Government should have a constitutionally mandated balanced budget. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/07/21/rel11b.pdf B.
In a Mason Dixon poll May 23-24th even 45% vs 44% of Dems favor BB http://dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/balanced-budget-poll.pdfC. The politicians may not be nonpartisan but on this issue the people seem to be.
7. It is a shame that Boehner wasn’t leading the charge on that one, however he did listen and pick up the fight.

The reason this deal isn’t too exciting to Conservatives is that it really doesn’t cut spending not even the small amount it claims too because of the use of the accounting trick called baseline budgeting, which guarantees increases around 7% a year in the budget. As you and I figure our family budgets, this would amount to a need to cut the federal budget by 1 trillion just to break even.

Now the reason this is a good thing and I’m not picking Boehner’s work apart is that it is a step in the right direction. However small that step may be – it is twice as good as a small step in the wrong direction.

As to the title of my piece, “Tempest in a Teapot”; I chose it because the Tea Party ideology is the pot where all this Tempest was debated in. The parameters started out in the liberal court but were soon being led by conservative thoughts such as no new taxes, cutting spending and a balanced budget amendment. I give credit to the synergy that formed between the speaker and the Tea Party Freshmen along with McConnell and his Freshmen in the Senate.

As a true believer in the Tea Party principles, I am happy with that. The reason I'm happy with that is my belief in another core Tea Party belief that it is We the People that need to step forward and drive the debate not the government. The other reason is that I now have something more to get my hands on. I joined yesterday a new group that is fighting for a Balanced Budget Amendment. The President of it is in Texas and a doctor who is spending his own time and money in this effort to lobby for the passage of a balance budget amendment in Congress. He was not interested in politics before this. The name of the group is Americans for a Balanced Budget Amendment. (ABBA)
-----link-----
http://www.balanceourbudget.com/
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I’ve joined, donated and asked to be the Michigan Director of the group I’m waiting to find out. After talking on the phone with this Doctor I found out that you can join for free, of course donations are welcome. He said that at this point they want people more than money. (My kind of guy)

Another reason for hope that the "Budget Deal" has started the ball rolling.
Here is a link to the House Joint Resolution that is up and running in the House.
----link-----
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hj112-1
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The bottom line is that it is, as it has always been up to us “We the People” to elect good representatives and hold their feet to the fire and force them to do what they told us they’d do.

For that there is only the blind balance of reality.

The Teapot has started to whistle. Whether we do anything or not is up to us (it is our right). But one thing is certain we will get what we deserve.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Debbie's Doing's

Debbie’s at it again.
Hat tip to Susan for the photo shop


Karen Confer of the Flint Journal wrote the following piece titled, “Stabenow plans to introduce bill to aid production of batteries like in Chevy Volt”
-----link-----
http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/07/stabenow_plans_to_introduce_bi.html
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What exactly is Debbie doing again???

Spending another 2 $billion of our money and giving it to companies she likes.
On top of that she is as usual promising that this will create jobs.

How has that worked for Mi. in the past??? I’ll tell you. Better yet read the snippet below from the article.
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Jahan Wilcox, a spokesman with the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Stabenow had said the federal stimulus would create 100,000 jobs in Michigan. Since its passage two years ago, Wilcox said the state has lost 70,000 jobs.
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What Mr. Wilcox could have added was that in the Stimulus the jobs that were created cost $278,000 each.
-----link-----
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-s-economists-stimulus-has-cost-278000-job_576014.html
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Then there is this from the National Senatorial Committee.
-----link-----
http://www.nrsc.org/2011/07/stabenow-silent-as-another-democrat-comes-out-against-her-tax-hikes/
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Other Liberals have read the writing on the wall and out of fear of not getting re-elected have chosen to get on the side of cut spending movement. W. Virginia Sen. Democrat Joe Mancin had this quote. ” ‘I don’t believe in tax hikes,’ Manchin said. ‘We have to start living within our means in this country.’”

This was after the 111th Congress led by Pelosi Reed et al. Debbie and her buddies had during that Congress spent more than the first 100 Congresses combined. As a direct cause of that runaway spending the 111th “Historic” Congress received the lowest ever approval rating of 13%.

That dismal approval rating in turn is what caused the electoral drubbing the Democrats received in 2010. The population of the new Congress will not forget too soon I hope what got them there. That overwhelming victory for Republicans and 1st time politicians is what is causing people like Manchin and Nelson to rethink their positions.

The NTU (National Taxpayers Union) and CAGW (Citizens Against Government Waste) both list Sen. Stabenow at 7%. In other words she voted 93% against taxpayers and 93% for creating Government Waste. 7% out of 100% !!! That isn’t even close to a D- it is a flat out F.

I recently heard she is on a diet for her weight, if she did the same with her voting record, then she’d be on to something.

It is time to “Dump Debbie”




Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

If you want a button let me know
glhotdogs513@gmail.com
If I have to ship it I'll ask for a donation.

What a busy Time.

Our young Oceana Tea Party took a couple of steps on the road to adulthood this last week.
(click on any pics to enlarge)


First we had an Independence Day Picnic which was free to all. There were about 50 people attending at any given time and perhaps up to 100 total passing through. This was an important step for our Tea Party for two reasons.

The first was that we were out in the community spreading the word and the second was that the whole affair was put on by a volunteer and not by the leadership. This was a "We the People" type of thing. I even got my hand slapped for interfering. Oh well I deserved it. The bottom line is it came off without a hitch and the food and money was donated by local businesses and individuals.

The Chair of the Event Rebecca Wentzloff is pictured in the band below along with her daughter and her husband on base. The drummer was a volunteer also.




Peter J. Konetchy came to our event along with his wife drumming up support for his bid to "Dump Debbie" and take back a US Senate seat. Mr. Konetchy has proven to be a true conservative the few times that I had met him and that day he didn't disappoint.

At the event, we also had a speaker from a Florida Tea Party, and our State Senator Goeff Hansen along with State Rep. Jon Bumstead filled us in on the battles being fought in Lansing.

My battery on my camera died so I didn't take many pics.

That all happened on Saturday July 2nd.

July 4th was a day of parades; I carpooled with our vice Chair Tom Allison and a friend from Muskegon to save some gas as the parades were in Whitehall and then later in Ludington.







The Whitehall parade was nice as usual but when we got to the Ludington parade I was staggered. There must have been 10,000 people. The parade took at least a half hour just to pass by. The route was about a mile long with people constantly lining the sides 5-10 deep and more on the corners. We decided to march with Sen. Hansen and we had quite a nice group in Hansen T shirts as the pictures above show.
Congressman Bill Huizenga and his family and crew were there also. It was a huge parade.

Like I said it was a busy week.

Yesterday the 6th of July was our Oceana Tea Party regular monthly meeting; always on the 1st Wed of the Month at 7pm. This was the first time we held our meeting at our new digs. The Historic Districts "Heritage Hall" bldg. Our members all seemed to like the place due to its size and the tables and chairs. This is a bldg that we can grow into.






This was the second step I was talking about for the Tea Party. Our agenda for the meeting was full. Rebecca gave a quick rundown on her successful efforts for the picnic. Then Ted McKissack gave an update on the limited Census form that he has been tracking down. All thought that this was indeed an encroachment of the federal government into the private lives of its citizens. Going way past its duty as specified in the Constitution. We are forming a committee to look into what action we can take as a group or perhaps a coalition of groups to cut back on the Census.

Our next speaker was Senator Goeff Hansen who gave a run down on the budget battles that have been going on in Lansing and the progress they have been making. Next State Representative Jon Bumstead added to what Goeff Hansen had said and they both answered many questions from our group.

Our last guest speaker was Amy Hawkins, Executive Director of Citizens for Traditional Values out of Lansing. Amy with the energy of youth was able to fire up our group as only a young vital sincere person can. She talked of the importance of networking and of getting involved at the local level.

She talked also of getting the youth involved. She told of the importance of getting people on the school boards. Amy tied in the networking idea with Ted's Census issue and suggested trying to get other Tea Parties involved also. Both Goeff and Amy alluded to the idea the we the people are the ones that need to do the heavy lifting.

These were the themes the Tea Party has been pushing since we started and they all seemed to come together last night through our speakers, membership and our new Hall.

Today the 7th, I went to a fundraiser for Representative Jon Bumstead in Pentwater. There were as many MEA picketers outside as people inside. Actually it was a nice turnout for both sides. I went outside and talked with a couple of the union people. They were nice enough however they didn't like my "Dump Debbie" button. I asked them who printed their nice signs, they didn't answer. Oh well you can't make everyone happy and talking of that. Mary Valentine was there passing around a petition -- ??? Is she running for something? the 91st again? I went to ask her, but she turned around and quickly walked away.

Below are some pictures from inside of the Bumstead fundraiser. The guest speaker was the young Jase Bolger who is the Speaker of the Mi. House. I came away knowing better why he is the speaker at such a young age. The man is sharp and quick on his feet. An asset to be sure and we will see him in the future of the Republican Party.
Senate Candidate Peter Konetchy was there along with his wife also and I had a chance to talk with him some more. Rumor has it that Andy Sebolt our own secretary of the Tea Party has become Mr. Konetchy's interim campaign manager. Good job Andy.






As I say one thing leads to another and the next week will be filled also with a meeting to flesh out what the OTP can do with Ted's Census issue and tomorrow I'm going to a fundraiser for Ray Franz who will have a favorite of mine as a speaker, Lt. Governor Brian Calley.

Then also on the 11th is my Township Meeting (Newfield) . There will be fireworks there I can feel it.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Why "Dump Debbie"

Why Dump Debbie ???



After the fireworks of the 2010 elections I immediately got to thinking of ways for Republicans to recapture the US Senate. Beyond that I also hoped it was possible to try for a veto proof majority. At the time people didn’t pay much attention or scoffed, but I was used to it. By the middle of 2009 for example, I had a Boehner for speaker bumper sticker on my truck and talking about winning the Mi State House back.

It was last December that I started to think of a slogan to unseat Michigan’s incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow. “Dump Debbie” was my pick. It is pretty simple and some may think crude; but as a private citizen I can get away with it; besides in the trenches cute doesn’t work. It does catch people’s eye and if they are not into politics they would ask me who was Debbie? thus starting the conversation.

I then had some buttons made up at a local business. So far I’ve had over 100 made and given out. They cost me $1.50 @, I do ask sometimes for donations. I have given some to members of 4 local Tea Parties and to members of 3 different County Republican Parties. Such luminaries as Pete Hoekstra, and Congressman Bill Huizenga have been seen in public wearing them. I also have given them to two of the current primary candidates seeking to replace Debbie.

Therefore it was heartening to see the linked article below from Newsmax about Larry Sabato a political scientist from W. Virginia stating the GOP could win the Senate and he even admitted the possibility of a veto proof majority. Michigan played in his figures for that.
-----link-----
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Senate-2012Elections-LarrySabato/2011/06/24/id/401317?s=al&promo_code=C81B-1
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However, just as Republicans are finding out in the Presidential Primary race, the key ingredient for victory is to have a candidate that can put out a message that will resonate with the voters. To achieve that and what most candidates lack is a sense of believable enthusiasm and sincerity along with an unswerving set of core beliefs.

Getting back to picking a candidate to “Dump Debbie” I have seen and talked with three so far and I am not impressed enough to commit to any yet. Don’t get me wrong, they all had part of the equation but as of yet they all lacked the ability to stir the masses, i.e. they lacked that necessary enthusiasm. Of those three Peter Konetchy came the closest and may yet evolve into what I’m looking for.

Getting back to the Presidential Primary analogy, as Ann Coulter recently commented; she would vote for any of the Republicans over Obama. So too would I vote for anybody over Ms Stabenow. But in both what we need to win is a candidate that people WANT to vote and work and donate too. That is the difference between victory and defeat.

Here is a WSJ blog in Capitol Confidential by Peter Brown that buoyed my hopes shortly after I had the “Dump Debbie” buttons made.
-----link-----
http://blogs.wsj.com/capitaljournal/2011/02/23/odds-improve-for-gop-takeover-of-congress-in-2012/
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This article gives better specifics on why the odds are so against the Democrats. As Mr. Brown points out, the Dems have twice as many seats up for grabs as do the Republicans and most of them are in the South or otherwise Republican leaning areas.

The key to the races in general is in my opinion, whether the voters that were responsible for the Conservative Wave of 2010 believe that the people they elected are doing what they put them into office to do. If they do they will be willing to put more of the same stripe into power, if not they won’t. Who are those people?

For all the talk and news of the Tea Party and constitutional fundamentalists, I think the majority of those independents simply saw a system that was falling apart from sheer “bigness” and wanted it fixed. Whether the actions of this current House do anything towards buttressing that thought will be the key.

This debt ceiling is one of the key votes coming up, because the average voter not only wants someone who will stick to his guns, but do it in a convincing manner and actually present something positive and creative. President Reagan did just that with a smile and people believed him – in record numbers.

As with all things, this is speculation and while it might look good on paper what it will take is a lot of hard work by a lot of people in the trenches and a lot of money. It is rumored that Debbie has 4-5 million in the bank. If a candidate can fire up the masses that can be overcome. Think about it, what is the money for? To buy votes in effect with state wide adds on TV and Radio. There are plenty of examples of grass roots activity short circuiting the “big Money” process.

It goes back to the same old two questions. “What am I willing to do today?” and “Why”. If all the people of “We the People” can answer those questions, then we will have the tools necessary to bring America back to the Land of Opportunity and the Shining City on a Hill, President Reagan talked about.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be a Conservative

Remember ! ! ! !

“Remember!!!”


As a Star Trek fan, that is what Spock secretly told McCoy as he was dying of radiation poisoning after saving the Star ship Enterprise. Because of that memory, like a phoenix Spock was able to rise again.

Enter Ralph Reed. Remember??? The early 1990’s and the Christian Coalition? Remember Ronald Reagan winning the Presidential nomination and the actual Presidency? That victory for conservatives was made possible through Reed’s efforts at bringing together the different groups of conservatives. In short he built a winning coalition.

Well like the Phoenix Ralph Reed is back and doing some more coalition building which he is so good at. This time he is trying to meld the Christian Evangelicals with the Tea Partiers.

The Tea Party Groups have in the past shied away for the most part from being outright Religious. The Tea Party individual members however for the most part are religious if not “Evangelically” so.

I Remember also the great effect the Tea Party had in influencing the 2008 elections. As a Tea Party member of long standing I also remember how hard it was to even get a small percentage of our groups and members motivated enough to actually get out and do the leg work needed to win elections. This difficulty was due of course to human nature but specifically it was due to the Tea Party’s lack of an overall command structure.

That structure is what Reed provided in the 90’s with the Christian Coalition and is trying to put forth again with his “Faith and Freedom” coalition.

And he is doing it on a grand scale as the link below shows. Ralph Reed is doing what he is good at and that is organizing large events but beyond that he is doing what he loves and that is gathering disparate groups and building a coalition to combat a specific enemy at a specific time. This time it will be to put into office a new President and elect a new Senate.

-----link-----
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/religion/Republican-Candidates-Appeal-to-Religious-Conservatives-123143963.html
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What stood out to me in that article was how Grover Norquist a leader of the Anti-Tax fiscally conservative branch,a decided secularist; praised "Faith and Freedom" and Ralph Reed. He is also a leader in the field of coalition building. (In fact I copied his idea when I started the "Cozy Conservative Corner").

When I see Norquist giving praise to a “rival”, I was impressed. I realize if you read Grover’s quote “between the lines” it may be a little tongue in cheek, but what he realized and knows is one thing. The Conservative movement needs a hard core organized group to gather as many similarly minded voters together to actually vote.

Mr. Norquist would agree as would most that the Conservatives need an organized group to provide direction and foot soldiers to combat what the Liberals have built in their coalition. Namely the organizational strength of the Unions. The Liberals have bribed, cajoled and outright “thugged” the unions (especially the Public Unions) into being a direct arm for the Democrat party providing money and foot soldiers come election time. As Grover Norquist said {“Faith and Freedom is probably the most important one because what it does is it turns out votes,”}.

The Christian Evangelicals represent the closest thing the Conservatives have to fight this. I hope we are wise enough to gather together NOW before the primary to be sure we get a good candidate and either way gather to fight against the current menace.

The Evangelicals unlike other more “sedate” religious groups are unafraid to be politically incorrect. They are organized. In my stint trying to build coalitions with some great Godly Christian groups such as Pregnancy Centers and some church leaders of the major denominations, they are too afraid to alienate the people in charge because they might lose their tax exempt status to outright say what they believe politically. The same is true with most large organizations. Even the Chamber seems to have succumbed to the financial thuggery of the Left. The Evangelicals are not afraid.

That fearlessness alone make them a good fit with Tea Party People. Their organizational history and experience put together with the Tea Party desires and hopes can be a major factor in changing the course of this country.

As Grover Norquist in his book “Leave Us Alone” so eloquently put it; this country was created to keep government intrusion into our lives at a minimum and our individual freedom to choose at a maximum. That includes the freedom to worship.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative.

PS More links to the Faith and Freedom event.
-----link-----
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0&oq=Faith+and+Freedom+&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS425US425&q=faith+and+freedom+coalition#q=faith+and+freedom+coalition&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS425US425&prmd=ivnsu&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=MhfqTZfmKcLqgQfCvqjXCQ&ved=0CDcQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=79442dcab0ef0c23&biw=779&bih=330
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Leave us alone
http://www.amazon.com/Leave-Us-Alone-Getting-Governments/dp/B003H4RBIU/ref=tmm_pap_title_popover