Michigan Squeaker

  The Michigan and Arizona Republican Primaries were held on Tuesday night.  Arizona was no big surprise with Mitt Romney taking that state with 20 percentage points over Rick Santorum. The big story though was Romney's home state, where he won with just a 3 point lead. Michigan was thought to be a slam dunk for Romney, where he grew up and where his father had been a very popular governor. Anything less than a win would have been a near fatal blow for the Romney campaign. In Michigan Ron Paul came in third with 11.6% and Newt Gingrich with 6.5%. In Arizona, after Mitt Romney's 47%, Rick Santorum's 26%, Newt Gingrich was at 16% and Ron Paul at 8.5%.
  So why was the vote so close for a guy with the home state roots behind him? There was an attempt by the Santorum campaign with robocalls to registered Democrats to encourage them to get out the vote for Santorum. But while the robocalls may not have done the trick, about 100,000 Democrats did vote for Santorum, possibly the result of Unions encouraging their members to vote for Santorum in an attempt to derail Romney. The dirty little secret is that the person the Democrats fear the most is Mitt Romney. He is the candidate with the most money and the most organization to give Barack Obama a run for his money. They see Rick Santorum as the weaker candidate mainly because the main stream media has tried to portray him as only focusing on social issues. There is also some thought that Romney has yet to convince a large portion of hard core Conservative voters that he is indeed, a Conservative, leaving his questionable "Romney Care" days behind him. 
 Next on the agenda is "Super Tuesday", where 10 states will hold primaries. Of those 10 states, 7 have "open" primaries, where Democrats as well as Republicans are eligable to vote. Newt Gingrich is expected to do well in the south, taking his home state of Georgia. Mitt Romney could increase his delegate count in Alaska, Idaho, and of course Massachusetts. Rick Santorum will no doubt take a large portion of Evangelical Christian voters in places like Tennessee and Oklahoma.

By this time next week, Republicans may have a better idea of just exactly where this process is headed.     
            

The Bizzarro World of Obama

We all know that in the last three years, a lot of the things about our country that we know and love have been turned upside down, all in the name of Obama. Political correctness run amok, five year olds being suspended from school and being branded as sexual predators because they said a classmate was pretty, and let's not forget that everyone on the team gets a trophy so no ones self-esteem is trampled on.
  But it is especially insulting when the target is the Military. The Washington Free Beacon reported today that in an effort to cut spending, the Obama administration is attempting to cut the medical benefits of retired and active personnel. In an effort to cut 487 billion dollars over the next ten years. The goal is to force active duty and retirees out of Tricare with co pays increased more than three times the current levels into, you guessed it, Obama care.
  Meanwhile, down at Guantanamo Bay, the detainees will have a brand new $750,000 dollar soccer field, complete with an underground tunnel to make sure that people who have been detained because they have been deemed a threat to the United States can get to their new soccer field with the utmost comfort and ease. The bill of course goes to the American taxpayer.
  I think this can all be summed up with one thought...HHHHUUUUHHHH?! In polite company, I believe the phrase is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, WTF.  When did it become OK to shortchange and hose the men and women who voluntarily leave homes and loved ones, to go to far off places that most public school children are unable to find on a map, endure all form of hardship and last but not least, put their lives on the lines 24/7 to protect freedom and liberty. As the daughter of an Army veteran, and a  former Navy SEAL I am so honored to call my friend it is the latest in a long line of slaps in the face by a Commander-In-Chief who views that highest of honors as nothing more than a necessary evil. It just happen to come with the job of being President.
 On the flip side of this, in order to keep terrorists happy, we are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars. These are people who have made no bones about their attitudes towards the United States. They have acquired their all expenses paid stints at "Club Gitmo" through their known associates and activities. But let's make damn sure they all have Korans, food that is in accordance with Islamic law, and oh yeah, let's build them a soccer field while we are at it.
We wouldn't want anyone to be offended you know.

 Welcome to the bizzarrro world of Obama. Terrorists good, Military bad... Huh?            

Debate Finale

The Republican Presidential Candidates squared off for the final time before "Super Tuesday" on Wednesday night and before the upcoming primaries in Arizona and Michigan on Feb. 28.
  It was at times a heated, and 2-man debate between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. Rick Santorum has enjoyed the lead of late , and is up by 8 points in Arizona, but in a dead heat with Romney in Romney's home state of Michigan. As is often the case when you are the front runner, everyone is gunning for you and Santorum is no exception.
  All four candidates have what we like to call here at The Conservative Cauldron, "unconservatisms", Santorum has been somewhat immune lately, even being dubbed "the non-Romney".  Well, the non-Romney Conservative voting record in the Senate includes voting to raise the debt ceiling without voting for compensating budget cuts. There was the vote on the No Child Left Behind education bill that Santorum said went against a lot of his principles but had to "take one for the team."
  While Rick Santorum is in the lead nationally with 33%, it was not the best of nights for him. There was an audible groan from the audience at his "take one for the team" remark. That's what Americans are tired of, the "team sports" in Washington D.C.
  Mitt Romney by all accounts had a decent night. He went after Santorum's record but also attacked Barack Obama.  Today, Gallup has Romney at 50% and Obama at 46% in a head to head match up.

Through all of the changes in the lead, Romney has maintained a consistent percentage of the vote in each primary and caucus. But questions still remain among Tea Party fiscal Conservative types about whether Romney is a "true" Conservative, mainly because of Romney Care in Massachusetts. Newt Gingrich had a good night and possibly had the answer of the night when he challenged moderator John King as to why the media never questioned then candidate Obama on some of his votes in the Illinois State Senate on the issue of abortion.
  At some point, this process must come to a conclusion and a nominee decided upon. All of these candidates will have to stop beating up on each other and keep their eyes on the prize which is sending Barack Obama back to private life. All are for less government, less spending, a strong foreign policy, and getting the American economy back to where it should be. It will be the task of Conservatives to decide which of these candidates has the fewest "unconservatisms"


And From The Campaign Trail....
   Don't forget to join Martin Baker, Republican Candidate for Missouri's 1st Congressional District for a screening of Maafa 21, a documentary that takes a look at Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger and it's history of attempting to reduce and eventually wipe out the Black population in America. Two screenings, this Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1:00 pm at:
    St. Louis Public Library- Buder Branch
     4401 Hampton Ave. St. Louis 63109
                           or
    St. Louis Public Library-Cabanne Branch
     1106 Union Blvd.  St. Louis 63113
      HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!                        

America Can't Afford Any More Obama Parties

On Tuesday night, the Obamas threw another in a long line of glitzy White House parties. On hand were people like Mick Jagger and BB King. Michelle took time out of her busy vacation schedule to fly back, at your expense of course, to Washington for the big soiree.
  But Americans are not in a party kind of mood. While the drinks were flowing at the White House, gas prices were on their way to six dollars a gallon in some places in Florida. Oil today is at 106 dollars a barrel, a nine month high and the highest price ever for this time of the year. While Mick was gargling to warm up, a new Gallup Poll put the unemployment rate at 9%, up from 8.3%, and the real unemployment rate, the underemployed, the people who are only working part-time because they can't find full time employment, and the people who have simply stopped looking for work. They are the people that the government just doesn't count anymore, and also the number that the mainstream media never mentions, is 19%, up from 18.7%. While BB was tuning up the latest incarnation of "Lucille", the number of Americans who pay no taxes whatsoever has reached 49.5%.

    With the rise of gas prices, the Obama Administration has tried hard to keep focus on such things as a speech given by Rick Santorum in 2008, where he stated that "Satan has his sights set on America" But if the price of oil remains high, especially during the summer driving season, in addition to rising food prices, globally up 1.9% in January, most people will have a hard time caring whether or not Rick Santorum went out drinking for Mardi Gras with Lucifer himself, much less a speech he gave four years ago.
  The Obamas have taken 16 vacations during their 3 years in the White House. Many Americans will not be taking vacations this year, and they are having a hard time buying food and filling up their gas tanks. Could it be that the Obama administration is trying to get in all the perks they possibly can before the American people pull the plug on party time? It is up to the Republicans to make that happen.                 

The Conservative Dilema

There are so many issues riding on the 2012 Presidential election for Conservatives. Right now, gas prices are at an all time high for this time of year, the chaos that is the middle-east not reaching a solution any time soon. And in a story by the AP's John Rogers, most baby-boomers who at one time could plan on retiring at some point, now have an "I guess I'll work 'til I drop" mentality about their economic outlook.
  But for a lot of Conservatives, social issues like abortion, Gay marriage, and immigration are what matters. So how do we decide which one will get us a win in 2012?
  Conventional wisdom says that if you take care of a lot of social ills, some of our economic woes disappear as well, and visa versa.  Would a decline in the illegitimacy rate translate into a decline in the need for many social programs that we just can't afford to expand right now?  Does a thriving economy and job market become a drop in the crime rate? The numbers do affect one another.

  Most pundits will tell you that the "divide" in the Republican Party is between the "establishment" Republicans and the "Tea Party" Republicans.  But maybe the social vs fiscal is the real story. The social Conservatives often times feel as if their votes are only valuable when it is crunch time and they are needed for an important vote. Those on the fiscal side of the fence feel that the country is at a crucial point and we must get our fiscal house in order before anything else can be addressed.
  Whether they know it or not, social and fiscal Conservatives need each other. The strength of the argument we present to the American people in November depends on the voices of us all. Because while we are debating which is better, social or fiscal Conservatism, Barack Obama is fundamentally transforming America.

Inroducing our new feature- From The Campaign Trail...
 Join Martin Baker, Republican Candidate for Missouri's 1st Congressional District for a screening of  the Documentary "Maafa 21". The story of the purpose and history of Planned Parenthood and founder Margaret Sanger as advocates for population reduction and eventual elimination of the Black population in America.
 Two showings on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1:00pm at two locations:
      The St. Louis Public Library- Buder Branch
       4401 Hampton Ave. St. Louis   63109
                              or
       The St. Louis Public Library Cabanne Branch
       1106 Union Blvd.   St. Louis  63113
   HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!           



        

The War On Fox and Conservatives

Well, those tolerant Liberals are at it again.  We never seem to run short of material describing the utter hatred and out of control behavior of the Left. All this week The Daily Caller has run an excellent expose into the activities of the Left Wing group Media Matters. Caller has uncovered some rather sketchy behavior that just might put the tax-exempt status of the group in jeopardy.
  Apparently, there are meetings with representatives of the White House staff on a weekly basis to give strategy and information. No one at either NBC or MSNBC seems to know how to do their own writing because anonymous sources have told Daily Caller that Media Matters basically writes their scripts for them. Just today, a memo from 2009 called for tracking and delving into the personal lives of Fox News Channels on-air staff, reporters, contributors, and executives via private investigators, and even batting around the idea of some sort of legal action against Newscorp, the parent company of Fox News.
  Where does one begin to analyze and grasp this kind of fascist over the top behavior? The first amendment of free speech is first for a reason. Because it is the most important. America exists because of people who demanded the right to disagree with their government, the press, or any other entity, and do it openly without fear of reprisals of any kind. Our nation was built on the free exchange of ideas. The idea that people of one ideaology cannot compete in the arena of debate and ideas, so they feel the need to shut down anyone who disagrees with them is profoundly chilling, and must not be tolerated. The fact that Media Matters was, or maybe still is, quite willing to interfere with the personal lives of Fox News and Newscorp employees is the most frightening part of this. The cherry on this whole poisonous cake is the fact that there would be ongoing weekly communication and strategizing with the administration of a sitting President. Is there any doubt in any Conservative minds, what kind of campaign this is going to be?
 The great William F. Buckley said it best, as he did with everything he said, "Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views."
  So, without further adue, let me introduce The Conservative Cauldron to Media Matters. We are here, we are not going away. We will speak the truth anywhere, anytime. Granted, we may be a small fish in a big pond right now, but we will not be silenced, we will not shut up. We will stand with every other Conservative that you think you can harass and intimidate. If war is what you want, you shall have it. So bring it.

To read the entire expose on Media Matters, go to www.DailyCaller.com                      

Convenient Christianity

At the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, host LL Cool J began the show with a very touching and heartfelt prayer for Whitney Houston and her family. At the end of the prayer after Cool J said "amen", an audible murmur of "amen" could be heard coming from the audience. It was interesting how that little splash of Christianity at just the right time seemed to be o.k.
  But aren't a lot of these people the first ones to stand up and bash religion, specifically Christianity any time they have a chance? It was at this same awards ceremony that singer Niki Manaj showed up on the arm of a man dressed as the Pope and later in the show performed a mock "exorcism" on stage.
  This is a similar crowd who is outraged when Tim Tebow bends down on one knee after a successful play or a win. Recently, Victoria's Secret model Kylie Bisutti decided that, as a born-again Christian that she no longer wanted to model lingerie. That she wanted to be a better role model for young girls, and "save my body for my husband." Is she also worth a snicker and a giggle from the likes of the Grammy crowd?
  There is a war on Christianity going on in just about every walk of life. From the political arena to popular culture.  Why is religion and being a believer such a threat to others who, either adhere to a different belief, or no belief at all?  Even if one is neither Judeo or Christian, it is fact that America was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. Is it that those who wage war feel intruded upon? Do they feel they are being judged for something? Is it that they just don't want a bunch of "bible-thumpers" telling them what to do?
 It is possible that it is all of the above. We have become such an "anything goes" society, when people feel that their way of life, whatever that might be, is being scrutinized, they become defensive. No one wants to be told they are "wrong". Everyone feels that they live a moral life. But how many really do? There was a time when Tim Tebow and Kylie Bisutti were the norm, now they are the oddballs.
  Whitney Houston's peers in the music business paying tribute to her with a prayer is a beautiful thing. But is praying only acceptable when they say it is? How is judging now?              

Obama Campaign Launches "Truth Teams"

  With the Primary season in full swing for the G.O.P., the Obama team is gearing up what are being called "Truth Teams".  The Obama Campaign is training at least 2 million people for it's "grassroots communications team" to counter attack ads by the Republican contenders.
  The teams are being launched in 13 swing states, including Iowa, Florida, and Ohio, plus the launching of 2 websites, "KeepingHisWord.com", "KeepingGOPHonest.com".  The Campaign issued a statement, saying that "every time Republicans attack the President's record that these grassroots supporters can take ownership of the campaign and give the facts to the undecided voters in their lives.

  So which record is the Obama camp "setting straight"?  Is it the 500 billion dollars in tax increases that would fund Obama care? Is it the almost 16 trillion dollar deficit that continues to mount?  Or is it the ongoing 8.3% unemployment rate?  Granted, it's all George W. Bush's fault, but it's no wonder the Obama people would like to do all they can to "set the record straight".  It's been said by a lot of different talking heads on a lot of different networks, and even by the President himself, that this election will be about two very different visions for America.  Republicans will need to articulate their vision in a better, stronger, and more powerful way, that leaves no doubt who the "truth team" really is.   

Whitney-We Will Miss You

The world of music lost one of it's most angelic voices on Saturday. Singer Whitney Houston was found in her Los Angeles hotel room dead late Saturday afternoon.  An autopsy was done on Sunday but no cause of death had been determined pending toxicology reports which could take 6-8 weeks.
  Houston, 48, had been in Los Angeles to attend the 2012 Grammy awards. She was also scheduled to attend a pre-Grammy party given by recording executive Clive Davis.
  Whitney Houston's tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, and her very public drug addiction had taken their toll on one of the most dynamic voices in music.  She had been through rehab several times and seemed to be getting things together including the release of an upcoming movie.
  It seems the world continues to lose incredibly talented people in the prime of their lives, at the height of their careers to drugs and alcohol. Is there an answer to it? Is there, for lack of a better word, a cure? No one has the answer. Do people like Whitney, Elvis, or Michael Jackson become prisoners of their own fame before they know what is happening to them?  Are the feelings of loneliness so great that numbing them is the only way out? Everyday people will never know the answers to these questions unless they themselves achieve fame.
  Everyone's thoughts and prayers are with the people that loved Whitney. Her Mother, her daughter, and others who are not as close to the spotlight. People's opinions of Bobby Brown are quite mixed at this time. Is he to blame or was this just another example of a toxic relationship. Everyone will make up their own minds.

  Maybe it is best and most comforting to people who did not know Whitney but loved her music to remember her as beautiful and vibrant, singing the songs we all loved to hear her sing. She is certainly teaching those angels a thing or two about singing. 
       

Romney Takes Maine In A Squeaker

Mitt Romney seemed to hang on to his front runner status for the Republican Presidential nomination on Saturday winning the Maine Caucus by just three percentage points over second place rival Ron Paul. Romney came in at 39%, Paul a close second with 36%, Rick Santorum took third place with 18% and Newt Gingrich at 6%.
  It was a pretty productive weekend for the former Massachusetts Governor. At CPAC, the annual gathering of Conservatives in Washington DC, Romney took the straw poll win with 38%, Rick Santorum with 31%, Gingrich at 15% and Ron Paul with 12%. CPAC in the last few years has not just drawn what a lot of people would categorize as "establishment" Republicans, but all sorts of new Conservative media including websites, blogs, and talk radio personalities. These "new media" types want to ensure that the GOP will represent a vast array of Conservative viewpoints and not just the entrenched "old guard" Republicans.
  A "Southern Strategy" of sorts is gearing up in the weeks ahead.  It is thought that Mitt Romney will have trouble in the South, and that Newt Gingrich, who was a Representative from Georgia in his Congressional years will do very well in Dixie.

  Meanwhile, Romney is concentrating efforts in Arizona and Michigan on Feb.28. He is expected to win Michigan, where his father was Governor."Super Tuesday" votes in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia may be kind to Newt Gingrich. Rick Santorum, having had a good week last week in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri means that the roller coaster could be far from over.                   

How Did We Get Here?

Hey Gang,
  Hope everyone is having a great Superbowl Sunday, don't eat too much!
  Well, here we are, beginning our celebration of Black History Month. We acknowledge the men and women whose courage, strength, knowledge, and contributions make America a better place.
  But I find myself with one question. How did we get here?  The reason I ask was prompted by a movie scene.  For those of you who have not seen "The Help", it is the story of a girl who, along with the maids who work for people she knows, write a book about the horrible treatment they endure in pre-civil rights era Mississippi.  When the two maids who are the major contributors to the book arrive for church one Sunday, they are greeted with a standing ovation from their fellow parishioners.
  My first thought was, how did the idea of demanding equality and dignity for fellow human beings become so perverted and twisted into feelings of entitlement, resentment, and often an attitude of superiority that seems to be the modern definition of "civil rights?
 Did it start with men like Malcolm X, who, in their frustration felt that violence was their only recourse? Did it start with the separatist, supremacist rantings of men like Louis Farrakhan? Did it start with men like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who seem to have discovered early on that if you kept people feeling victimized long enough you could turn it into a lifelong career opportunity? How did we get here?
  Why is it that very often when inner city kids dream of a college education they are taunted by their friends for "acting white"? Why are Black Conservatives, who dare to think for themselves, to look beyond what "Black Leaders" tell them to think about an idea, an issue, or a candidate called vile names like "Uncle Tom", "sell-out", or "Oreo"? How did we get here?
  I want an answer to these questions. But I don't know where to find it.  Thankfully, in 2012, the American dream is open to all who are willing to work hard, and play by the rules. America has come such a long way from those ugly days not so very long ago. America elected her first Black President in 2008, and once again, proved to the world that we are not just a place, but an idea. A vision. I don't think that Martin Luther King and Ronald Reagan would have agreed on much politically, but just maybe, they would have agreed on the notion that America is that "shining city on a hill", with her best days yet to come.  No American should ever be exempt from life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is not a political idea, it is a human idea.

  Americans like Justice Clarence Thomas, economist and author Thomas Sowell, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, or today's definition of "civil rights".  Which one do you think Dr. King had in mind?