Some Things Never Change...

President George Bush has often been the subject of jokes for his "creative" use (or misuse) of the English language. Apparently this is one thing that will not change with an Obama Presidency. Here's an item from the James Taranto's "Best of the Web Today" column on the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal website:

As we noted Friday, one of Barack Obama's selling points, among a certain class of educated Americans, is that he talks good, unlike President Bush. Yet less than a week after Obama's election, the evidence is accumulating that he and those around him are not living up to the promise:

The Belfast Telegraph reports that last month Obama told TV hostess Ellen Degeneres: "Michelle may be a better dancer than me, but I'm convinced I'm a better dancer than John McCain." It should have been, "Michelle may be a better dancer than I." Mr. Obama was using than as a contraction; the implication was "than I am" or "than I may be."

In his press conference Friday, the president-elect declared, "President Bush graciously invited Michelle and I to meet with him and First Lady Laura Bush." No, he invited "Michelle and me." You wouldn't say, "President Bush has invited I," now would you? One of the Kos Kidz saw a teachable moment here.

In the same press conference, Obama said that in choosing his cabinet, "I want to move with all deliberate haste, but I want to emphasize deliberate as well as haste." That is an oxymoron. Haste by definition is precipitate, not deliberate. Probably he meant "all deliberate speed," a phrase made famous by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. It was actually a problematic term; as Clarence Page argues, the emphasis on "deliberate" provided an excuse to slow down school desegregation. But let's save the history lesson for another day.

London's Daily Telegraph reports: "Mr Obama is to meet Mr Bush at the White House on Monday. The visit will include a tour of the residence for his wife Michelle conducted by First Lady Laura Bush, and forms part of what Obama aides described as a 'collegiate' transition of power." This is the White House, not "Animal House." The word is collegial.

Yesterday on "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Obama's White House Chief of Staff said: "We have postponed dealing with an energy crisis since 1974. We had a crisis; we kicked it down the can. . . . We had a health care crisis. . . . These are, just taking those two examples, these are crises you can no longer afford to kick down the can. The crisis we have here, the American people know we have one. . . . You cannot afford now to kick those down the can any longer." You can kick a can down the road, and you can flush something down the can, but "kick down the can"--a phrase Emanuel repeated three times--simply makes no sense.

Jake Weisberg of Slate had a long-running feature called "Bushism of the Day." So eager has he been to find verbal miscues by Obama's predecessor that he has even, as we noted in 2002, mistakenly attributed foreign leaders' misstatements to Bush. We suppose there's no chance of Slate reprising this feature for Obama. But the real question is, are children learning?

Fun With Debates

Here's a clever little editing job on the first debate between McCain and Obama...enjoy...


The Not So Presidential Debate from aaron sedlak on Vimeo.

Interesting video...

Statements from the past few years from both Republicans and Democrats about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...you be the judge about who was in denial...

http://boortz.com/more/video/dems_fannie_freddie.html

I sure wish I could post this under "humor" !!!

Monty Python for President

A funny little sketch promoting Michael Palin - from Monty Python fame - for President...we're not a big fan of the silly little jokes about Palin, but the sketch is funny and should have some familiar moments for any Monty Python fan.

...warning, video is not obscene or anything but probably not really safe for work...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf1y9s73Nos

Poll Watchers

Hi everyone,

I'm a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association and we are recruiting attorneys and other volunteers to assist with poll watching and election day activities.

There's a training session on Sept. 29th from 12 - 2 pm at the Rumberger firm. Lunch will be provided, and for the attorneys, 2 hours of CLE credit, including 0.5 ethics credits.

Please email us at NextGenerationFL@gmail.com if you are interested.

Thanks!

- Sarah

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL

Definitely the best skit of the night...Tina Fey as Sarah Palin with Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton.

Our VP is tougher than your VP

see Sarah Palin pictures

Thank You to Our Heroes

Every time I see "September 11th" on a calendar, it stands out, and makes me pause. It's a date that will never be the same for any American who remembers that day.

I'd just like to take a moment today to thank all of our wonderful men and women serving in our military. You are brave in ways I can only imagine and strong in ways I deeply admire. Thank you too to the families across America who have a relative serving overseas.

I'd like to encourage all of you to honor this day by doing something to support our troops. There are a lot of wonderful charities and programs that support our military and their families.

One excellent program is the USO (United Service Organizations, Inc.), which donates care packages and phone cards to the troops, operates mobile canteens and USO Centers in airports and battle zones, and sponsors the celebrity entertainment tours. You can make a tax-deductible donation to the USO here.

A fun and free way to send a message of support is the "Let's Say Thanks" website that Xerox is sponsoring. You can select a postcard design and add your own personal message and Xerox will deliver it to a member of our military serving overseas. Design your postcard here.

The Heart of Freedom, Inc. is a local organization founded by several local Young Republicans that raises money for a variety of efforts to support our troops and their families. The group is run entirely by volunteers, so 100% of all proceeds go to their cause. Each year they select a specific charity to support, and this year, they are raising funds for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, which benefits the children of our fallen soldiers. You can find information about donating to The Heart of Freedom, Inc. here (includes a PayPal link).

Thank you everyone. God Bless America and God Bless Our Troops.

- Sarah

McCain Blogette

If you haven't checked out www.McCainBlogette.com yet, you're missing out. The site is run by John McCain's daughter Meghan, who has been following him on the campaign trail the entire way...from when he was carrying his own bags through the airport up to the current surge in the polls and excitement over Sarah Palin.

Meghan posts a lot of behind-the-scenes pictures and videos. Here's a great one with her reaction to Sarah Palin being nominated for VP...and a really cute scene with Piper and Meghan at the end.

Greatest Movie Line EVER...

...courtesy of the legendary Bob Hope...Enjoy!

Sarah Palin's Speech ... A Must See

If anyone missed Sarah Palin's knockout punch of a speech at the GOP Convention last week, here it is, in its entirety...Enjoy!



Full text of speech available here.

A Soldier's Message for Obama

This is a message for Obama from one of our veterans from the Iraq War. Very powerful, and very moving.

John McCain's Acceptance Speech

If you missed John McCain's acceptance speech, please check this out. It's about an hour long, but honestly one of the best speeches I've ever heard him give.

Obama may have a talent for public speaking (not unlike Bill Clinton), but he can't even come close to McCain for pure sincerity. John McCain is a man who truly and deeply loves his country, and I honestly was inspired by him last night. I will be proud to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin in November.

- Sarah



Full text of the speech available here.

Sarah Palin: No Coattails needed

Found this funny picture at cafepress.com

Sarah Palin's Greatest Hits

Here's a two minute video with some of the best zingers from Governor Sarah Palin's Thursday night speech...plus a sweet and funny little scene of Piper Palin fixing her baby brother's hair...

Bill Clinton Gets Denied...

Here's a funny short video of Bill Clinton leaning in to kiss Hillary...as she denies him and immediately turns to kiss Obama...


Bill Clinton Gets Denied A Kiss - Watch more free videos

Clean Sweep for Next Generation Florida candidates!

Maybe we're psychic...or maybe we just know how to pick great candidates. Either way, we are just thrilled that ALL of our Next Generation Florida endorsed candidates have successfully gotten past the primaries...our candidates who had contested primaries won by 2 to 1 margins or greater!

Congratulations to Chris Dorworth, Eric Eisnaugle, Andy Gardiner, Miker Horner, Bryan Nelson, Scott Plakon, and Steve Precourt! We look forward to celebrating victory with you again on November 4th!

Dan Webster Endorses Eric Eisnaugle!

BREAKING NEWS...

State Senator (District 9) Dan Webster has just announced today that he is endorsing Eric Eisnaugle for the District 40 House seat currently held by Andy Gardiner. Andy Gardiner, who is term-limited out of the District 40 seat and is running for State Senate, has endorsed Eric's candidacy as well.

These endorsements are in addition to earlier statements of support that Eric received from State Representatives David Simmons, Chris Dorworth, Bryan Nelson, Steve Precourt, and Frank Attkisson. Eric's widespread support among respected House leaders further illustrates that he is the true conservative candidate in this race and a worthwhile successor to follow Andy Gardiner's fine example in representing the people of District 40.

We here at Next Generation Florida have admired Dan Webster and Andy Gardiner for their dedication to conservative principles while avoiding the acrimonious bitterness that can infect partisian politics, and we've always thought that Eric Eisnaugle was definitely "from the same mold." Congratulations Eric on these latest endorsements. We are proud of the dedicated and ethical campaign that you and your wife Carrie have run, and we look forward to seeing you represent Central Florida in Tallahassee next year.

Andy Gardiner Endorses Eric Eisnaugle!

We are THRILLED to announce that today, State Representative Andy Gardiner has publicly announced that he is endorsing Eric Eisnaugle for State House District 40, the seat Gardiner currently represents.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to publicly endorse Eric Eisnaugle for State House District 40. He has proven to me that he has the right values, the right work ethic, the right experience and is running for all the right reasons. District 40 would be well served by Eric," said Gardiner.

"I am honored to have earned Andy Gardiner's support and endorsement. He has been an effective legislator for both District 40 and for the Central Florida region. He leaves some big shoes to fill, but I am confident I am up to the task," stated Eisnaugle.

Congratulations Eric on this well-earned endorsement! We've always known you were the right guy to follow in Andy's footsteps!

Thanks for all the support!

All of our Next Generation Florida candidates have been receiving so much great support from the community. Thanks to everyone who has volunteered their time...successful campaigns require grassroots organization, and your help is just priceless. Thought it would be fun to share some photos from recent precinct walks.

The first picture is a great group who came out on a very rainy Saturday on August 16th to walk for Eric Eisnaugle. A lot of the volunteers came from the area Young Republican and College Republican groups. Despite the weather, we all had a lot of fun and were thrilled to see firsthand just how much support Eric has in the local community. Many of the voters whose doors we knocked on had already met Eric or Carrie!

The second picture is from a "Megawalk" that the Scott Plakon campaign organized earlier this month. Scott reports that he had over 60 volunteers who helped him knock on over 2,000 doors! Way to go, Team Plakon!

That's Hot.

Never thought I'd say this...but I have a new respect for Paris Hilton. Seriously, I'm not kidding.

After the McCain campaign used her image in a recent TV spot, the celebutante put together a response. Watch and enjoy...and let me know what you think...she may have something with her energy policy idea!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

UPDATE: on Hannity & Colmes tonight, they quoted McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds as saying, "It sounds like Paris Hilton supports John McCain's all of the above approach to America's energy crisis - including both alternatives and drilling. In reality, Paris Hilton may have a more substantive energy policy than Barack Obama."

Police Benevolent Association Endorses Mike Horner

Both the Central Florida and statewide chapters of the Police Benevolent Association have announced their endorsement of Mike Horner for the Florida House District 79 seat.

PBA Executive Director David Murrell was quoted saying, "Mike will bring a no-nonsense tough on crime approach to state government."

Mike Horner is well-qualified to take over the District 79 seat from Frank Attkisson, who is leaving due to term limits. In addition to receiving Attkisson's personal blessing to run for the seat, Mike currently serves as the President of the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce. More information about Mike and his qualifications can be found at www.gohorner.com.

Next Generation Florida is proud to support Mike Horner and congratulates him on this latest endorsement. Keep up the good work!

Endorsements keep piling up for Eisnaugle!

In the "Well, That Sounds Familiar" department, Eric Eisnaugle, candidate for Florida State Representative District 40, just received some more great endorsements.

Both the Florida and Orange County Professional Fire Fighters announced this week that they were joining the long list of prominent organizations to endorse Eric's candidacy.

In a letter to Eric formalizing the endorsement, Florida Professional Firefighters President Bob Carver wrote, "We believe that you will honorably serve the citizens of Florida, and the interests of the men and women employed in the Fire and Emergency Medical Services, who have made the protection of life and property their life's work."

“Eric is the best candidate to tackle the public safety issues facing Central Florida today. He has the right quali­fications and is the type of advocate Orlando needs,” said Lieutenant Bob Saunders.

"These brave men and women risk their lives for us every day, and I am honored to have their sup­port”, said Eric. "I look forward to working with our fire fighters and emergency medical ser­vices personnel to make sure they have all that they need as they continue to keep our homes and fami­lies safe.”

Next Generation Florida is proud to endorse Eric Eisnaugle and congratulates him on this latest endorsement. We believe it is a testament to his strong leadership and ethics that so many diverse organizations and other leaders are supporting him.

If you are in District 40, please remember to support Eric in the primary election on August 26th. In the meantime, the campaign is walking the precinct every Saturday and many weekday evenings as well. Please contact Eric at Eric@ElectEric.org or 407-694-3554 if you have any time. Thanks!

New OCYR Blog

The Orange County Young Republicans have just started a blog, which you can check out at http://ocyr.blogspot.com.

They have invited local Republicans to submit news releases, commentaries, editorials, etc. to ocyr.president@gmail.com.

(FYI, the Seminole County YRs have had a blog for awhile too, at http://blog.scypr.org)

McCain = Cool and Hip

Hmmm, someone should tell Senator McCain that popped collars don't look good on anyone. Or maybe he's trying to be ironic? Either way, we appreciate the laugh. :)

More fun with Obama

Newt Gingrich talks about energy

Interesting YouTube video of Newt Gingrich talking about three ways to reduce the cost of oil...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOpcPfAarjY

Busted!

Mama always said, if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything...

...so we won't say anything about Joe Mantilla here, and just link to this from the Orlando Sentinel.

Friends, the moral of the story here is that the Florida Statutes require candidate endorsements to be in writing for a reason.

Next Generation Florida would like to congratulate Eric Eisnaugle on the principled and ethical campaign he has run. Of course, when you rack up as many endorsements as Eric has, you never have to make them up!

NY Times Magazine article about Gov. Crist

NY Times Magazine has given Charlie Crist the GQ treatment (seriously, check out the picture), and runs through a series of somewhat-humorous Q-and-As.

Check it out here.

Some highlights:

Where were you during the Florida recount of 2000? I was on the ballot in 2000. I ran for education commissioner that year. And won. No recount!

The novelist Carl Hiaasen has publicly asked that you excuse yourself from the vice-presidential sweepstakes, since you have been governor for only 17 months and haven’t accomplished much, in his estimation. I appreciate his counsel.

If you became vice president, he wrote in The Miami Herald, you would be better remembered for your tan than for your leadership. I hear that too. And that’s also very flattering.

I trust you use self-tanning lotion and stay out of the sun. No. It’s the sun. And it’s my heritage. I’m of Greek descent.

Crazy Dictator Obama Fan Club

Well, looks like Obama now has the trifecta of crazy dictator endorsements...

Kim Jong Il, the nutty tyrant of North Korea perhaps most fondly remembered for his role as a singing puppet in that movie by the South Park guys, has apparently allowed his government to make an official statement announcing a preference for Obama over McCain.

This announcement follows just weeks after Castro and Quaddafi also expressed their support for the junior senator from Illinois.

File this one under "Things that make you go hmmm..."

See more at Michelle Malkin's blog...including this very funny picture submitted by one of her readers...

BusinessForce Endorses ALL SEVEN Next Generation Florida Candidates

BusinessForce announced its slate of endorsed candidates on Monday, and Next Generation Florida is very proud to announce that all seven of our endorsed candidates also received the BusinessForce endorsement!

BusinessForce is the region’s largest political action committee, representing over 10,000 businesses and tens of thousands of employees who are interested in the election of pro-business candidates who are interested in promoting fair and responsible legislation, and who support the free enterprise system and sound, responsible business practices in government. The BusinessForce endorsements are taken very seriously by the Central Florida business community, and it's a testament to the quality of our candidates that they all received this honor.

Congratulations to Andy Gardiner, Chris Dorworth, Eric Eisnaugle, Mike Horner, Bryan Nelson, Scott Plakon, and Steve Precourt on these endorsements!

Attkisson Endorses Horner

District 79's State Representative Frank Attkisson has endorsed Mike Horner to replace him when he leaves office this November due to term limits.

"Mike is a conservative leader who understands the needs of the citizens of this district," said Attkisson.

Next Generation Florida is proud to endorse Mike Horner and congratulates him on this important endorsement.

For more information about Mike Horner and his campaign, see his website at www.gohorner.com.

Obama's "Friends"

Click here for a short and funny you tube video about Obama's "Friends" ... familar theme song, hmm?

Great Endorsement for Scott Plakon

Scott Plakon, who is running for the District 37 State House seat, has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business. (View the press release here).

The NFIB is the nation's leading small-business advocacy association. Founded in 1943, the NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their businesses. This is an endorsement that is particularly important to Scott because he has been a small business owner for most of his career and has seen firsthand many of the opportunities and challenges that small business owners face on a daily basis.

As we approach the August 26th Republican Primary, the Plakon team is refocusing their fundraising efforts now that Scott has a Republican opponent. Please help if you can - donations in any amount will be greatly appreciated (maximum allowed by Florida law is $500 per person or business entity). To contribute, please go to www.scottplakon.com/contribute or call 407-792-8190.

Next Generation Florida is proud to endorse Scott Plakon for the District 37 seat and congratulates him on this excellent endorsement.

Edgewood Loves Eric Eisnaugle

We are thrilled to announce that Eric Eisnaugle has been endorsed by the City of Edgewood Mayor, Michael Teague, and every member of the Edgewood City Council, Judy Beardslee, Jim Bozeman, Dr. Malcolm Henley, Dr. Neil Powell, and David Willis in his campaign for State Representative for District 40.

“I have been impressed with Eric Eisnaugle. He understands the issues facing Edgewood and the rest of District 40, and is the kind of guy who will get things done. The City of Edgewood and the Orlando community need a leader like Eric in Tallahassee,” said Mayor Teague.

Judy Beardslee, Edgewood City Council President, stated “Eric Eisnaugle is the right person to protect our community’s conservative values. Eric is honest, principled, and running for the right reasons. We can all trust Eric to be a passionate advocate for us and Central Florida.”

“Eric has the right values, the right work ethic, and the qualifications to represent the Citizens of Edgewood and the rest of District 40. That’s why I am voting for Eric and asking my friends and neighbors to do the same,” said Councilman Bozeman.

“I am honored to have the support of Mayor Teague and the City of Edgewood Council Members, and look forward to working with them to make our community an even better place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Eric.

Next Generation Florida congratulates Eric on this latest endorsement. We are proud to endorse a candidate who has such widespread and enthusiastic support of his community.

The Democrats aren't ALL nuts...

…and here’s the proof that they haven’t completely lost their marbles.  The following is from an article by Senator Joseph Lieberman in today’s Wall Street Journal (which I highly recommend you read in its entirety).

 

Democrats and Our Enemies

…Sen. Obama stands in stark contrast to John McCain, who has shown the political courage throughout his career to do what he thinks is right – regardless of its popularity in his party or outside it.  John also understands something else that too many Democrats seem to have become confused about lately – the difference between America's friends and America's enemies.

There are of course times when it makes sense to engage in tough diplomacy with hostile governments.  Yet what Mr. Obama has proposed is not selective engagement, but a blanket policy of meeting personally as president, without preconditions, in his first year in office, with the leaders of the most vicious, anti-American regimes on the planet.

Mr. Obama has said that in proposing this, he is following in the footsteps of Reagan and JFK.  But Kennedy never met with Castro, and Reagan never met with Khomeini. And can anyone imagine Presidents Kennedy or Reagan sitting down unconditionally with Ahmadinejad or Chavez?  I certainly cannot.

If a president ever embraced our worst enemies in this way, he would strengthen them and undermine our most steadfast allies.

A great Democratic secretary of state, Dean Acheson, once warned “no people in history have ever survived, who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies.”  This is a lesson that today's Democratic Party leaders need to relearn.

Explaining the U.S. Income Tax System...With Beer

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

“Because you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beers by $20. Drinks for all ten of you now cost just $80.”

The group still wanted to pay their bill the same way, so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.

But what about the other six men – the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his “fair share?” They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before and the first four continued to drink for free, but once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got TEN times more than I did!”

“That's true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something very important…they didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, is how our tax system works.

The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Yet ANOTHER great endorsement for Eric Eisnaugle!

We are proud to announce yet another great endorsement for Eric Eisnaugle, further cementing his status as the front-runner in the House District 40 race.

The National Federation of Independent Business, Florida’s leading small-business advocacy association, issued a press release on April 30^th announcing its endorsement of Eric Eis­naugle.

NFIB is the nation’s leading small-business advocacy association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943, NFIB’s mission is to promote and pro­tect the right of their members to own, operate and grow their businesses, and the organization directs a powerful network of grassroots activists.

“As a business attorney, Eisnaugle spends his days defending business in Florida and under­stands the trials and tribulations of operating a small business here,” NFIB/Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle said. “Eisnaugle believes in lower taxes, less government and fiscal re­straint, many of the same principles that guide NFIB and our members, so he’d be a strong ally for us in the Legislature.”

Eric’s message of meaningful tax relief and reform and reducing property insur­ance rates clearly struck a chord with NFIB’s mission of supporting small businesses, just as it did with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Eric in March, and other important advocacy groups in Florida.

“I am honored to have earned the endorsement of NFIB because small businesses are the back­bone of our economy and an important source of jobs in Florida,” Eric said. “Creating a business-friendly climate in order to attract higher paying jobs is a top priority of my cam­paign.”

"Lemm"-ocrats?

(click to enlarge)

From: http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/demmings.jpg

Snow White

The Seven Dwarfs always left to go work in the mine early each morning.   Snow White would stay home and take care of the house, and each day, as lunchtime approached, she would prepare their lunch and carry it to the mine.

One day as she arrived at the mine with the lunch, she saw that there had been a terrible cave-in.   Tearfully, and fearing the worst, Snow White began calling out, hoping against hope that the dwarfs had somehow survived.

“Hello, hello!” she shouted.  “Can anyone hear me? Hello!”  For a long while, there was no answer.  Losing hope, Snow White again shouted,  “Hello! Is anyone down there?”

Just as she was about to give up all hope, there came a faint voice from deep within the mine.  “Vote for Hillary, Vote for Hillary.”

 Snow White fell to her knees, crossed herself and prayed,  “Oh, thank you, God! At least Dopey is still alive!”

 

Peeps!

http://www.townhall.com/video/HamNation/1450_042508Peeps

Another fantastic video from Mary Katherine Ham at TownHall ... "Week in Peeps IV"

What's your favorite part?

America = Spiderman?

Interesting analogy in an article by Josh Hawkins today on Townhall.com…comparing America to Spiderman:

 

We've saved the free world from tyranny in the 20th century not once (WWI), not twice (WWII), but three times (the Cold War). We've done more to promote capitalism and democracy than any other 20 nations combined.  We've gone to the moon, we've fed the world, and we've fought more tyrants, terrorists, and thugs than any comic book super-hero. Speaking of comic book super heroes, American gets the same sort of "Daily Bugle" treatment that Spider-Man did in the comics and the movies. We shed our blood and treasure by the bucket load to do good and the headlines in the paper read, "Out-of-Control Menace Terrorizes Populace!"

 

Complete article here: Stop Apologizing For Being An American

Funny item about Governor Crist

From Scott Maxwell’s Taking Names Blog…

 

Charlie Crist Hitting on Morgan Fairchild?

 

 

Hooray for the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Indiana’s law requiring photo ID to cast a ballot was not unconstitutional but rather a valid method to prevent fraud.

Some excerpts from some of the online commentary today:

Photo Finish - Wall Street Journal Review & Outlook

…As Justice Antonin Scalia says in his concurring opinion, the Supreme Court is better off deferring to lawmakers and not getting wrapped up in the election law cases, which would only encourage more litigation. "It is for state legislatures to weigh the costs and benefits of possible changes to their election codes, and their judgment must prevail unless it imposes a severe and unjustified overall burden upon the right to vote, or is intended to disadvantage a particular class," writes Justice Scalia.

Voter ID laws don't discourage voting, but they do discourage fraud and increase voter confidence in the system. The Court's common sense ruling protects the public's belief that elections will be fair and honest.

A Victory Against Voter Fraud - John Fund

In ruling on the constitutionality of Indiana's voter ID law – the toughest in the nation – the Supreme Court had to deal with the claim that such laws demanded the strictest of scrutiny by courts, because they could disenfranchise voters. All nine Justices rejected that argument.

Even Justice Stephen Breyer, one of the three dissenters who would have overturned the Indiana law, wrote approvingly of the less severe ID laws of Georgia and Florida. The result is that state voter ID laws are now highly likely to pass constitutional muster.

But this case, Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, also revealed a fundamental philosophical conflict between two perspectives rooted in the machine politics of Chicago. Justice John Paul Stevens, who wrote the decision, grew up in Hyde Park, the city neighborhood where Sen. Barack Obama – the most vociferous Congressional critic of such laws – lives now. Both men have seen how the Daley machine has governed the city for so many years, with a mix of patronage, contract favoritism and, where necessary, voter fraud.

…[Senator Obama’s position in opposition to voter ID laws] is far removed from Mr. Obama's call for transcending the partisan divide. Then again, Mr. Obama's relationship to reform has always been tenuous. Jay Stewart, the executive director of the Chicago Better Government Association, notes that, while Mr. Obama supported ethics reforms as a state senator, he has "been noticeably silent on the issue of corruption here in his home state, including at this point, mostly Democratic."

So we have the irony of two liberal icons in sharp disagreement over yesterday's Supreme Court decision. Justice Stevens, the real reformer, believes voter ID laws are justified to prevent fraud. Barack Obama, the faux reformer, hauls out discredited rhetoric that they disenfranchise voters.

Michelle Malkin

The Supreme Court gives us more good news this morning: Indiana’s voter ID law has been upheld.

Half of the states have passed similar laws.

The race-mongers and open borders lobby will be in an uproar.

You may recall that the woman who challenged the voter ID law in Indiana was, um, fraudulently registered to vote in two states.

D’oh.

La Shawn Barber

…I’m pleased the court understands that no matter who you are, what color, or how old, you’re expected to be a responsible, law-abiding citizen reasonably intelligent enough to get yourself down to the local DMV and obtain a driver’s license or non-driver’s license ID before you can vote.

"Meetup" Group started by Seminole County Young Professional Republicans

Hi everyone - just wanted to let you know that the Seminole County Young Professional Republicans have started a group on Meetup.com.

For information on how to join, click here.

"Friend-Raiser" for Mike Horner

Mike Horner, who is endorsed by Next Generation Florida in the District 79 State Representative race, is having a "Friend-Raiser" event in St. Cloud.

St. Cloud "Friend-Raiser" for Mike Horner

Tuesday, May 20th, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Silver Lining Cafe

1031 New York Ave., St. Cloud

For more info, you can call Mike at 407-709-3087 or check out his campaign website at www.GoHorner.com.

Next Generation Florida is very proud to endorse Mike's candidacy and join a very long list of his enthusiastic supporters. We encourage everyone to come by Mike's Friend-Raiser event and get to know this great Republican leader.

More Successes for Eisnaugle

Eric Eisnaugle, who is endorsed by Next Generation Florida for the District 40 State Representative seat to replace term-limited State Representative Andy Gardiner, made two exciting announcements today.

First of all, Eric has earned his position on the ballot in the race by petition. Eric and his wife Carrie have been collecting petitions while walking door-to-door to meet voters, and over 40 volunteers helped them gather petitions at precincts during the Presidential Preference Primary on January 29th.

“I decided to qualify by petition for two reasons, to meet and to earn the support of the voters and to conserve the hard earned dollars of my supporters. We could have paid the filing fee instead, but I think it’s important to run a fiscally conservative campaign. As a legislator, I will be just as careful with the taxpayers’ dollars. Just because we have the money doesn’t mean we have to spend it,” said Eric.

“Qualifying by petition is hard work, but the effort was well worth it. We certainly could not have com­pleted the petition gathering process this early without the help of so many committed volunteers. Car­rie and I are both looking forward to working with this group of supporters throughout the rest of the campaign,” added Eric.

Second, Eric continues to hold a signifi­cant fundraising advantage, recently announcing that he has raised over $103,000 in the race so far. Eric said, “I am both encouraged and humbled by the amount of support that my campaign has received so far. I know that a great deal of responsibility goes with the faith and trust that so many have put in me, and I am excited about the opportunity to serve our community in the Florida House.”

We here at Next Generation Florida congratulate Eric Eisnaugle on these latest achievements. Eric has done a great job running a grassroots campaign, as shown by the strong support he has in our community. We are proud of the principled and ethical campaign that he has conducted, and look forward to seeing him elected in November. Eric is definitely a worthy successor to Andy Gardiner’s seat. We encourage all of you to support his candidacy in any way you can – whether that’s through a campaign donation, putting up a yard sign, helping Eric walk his district, or just telling your family, friends, and colleagues to vote for Eric.

Happy Earth Day...Hooray for Capitalism

As we celebrate Earth Day today, I thought it would be nice to consider the Republican perspective on environmentalism.  Michelle Malkin linked to an excellent article from the Heartland Institute on her website today, available at http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=19737.  (Michelle Malkin’s comments on Earth Day available at http://michellemalkin.com/2008/04/21/celebrate-earth-day-destroy-capitalism/).  

 

Some excerpts below:

…Contrary to the slogans of demonstrators throughout the world, the nations that have the best track records on environmental protection and improvement are those with the highest amount of free-market capitalism.

…Nations with the freest economic systems are the ones whose citizens can afford the luxury of protecting their environments. Conversely, persons living in command-and-control economies barely surviving on life's necessities of food, clothing, and shelter use their natural resources to the absolute limit. They have no other choice in providing for themselves and their families.

As family incomes rise, the improving quality of life allows people to devote more resources to solving environmental problems. Thus, with expanding societal wealth under free-market economies, environmental degradation is first arrested and then reversed. Society goes through a form of "environmental transition." After the transition, greater wealth and technology improve environmental quality instead of worsening it.

We are lucky in Central Florida because this is the time of year that we get some of our nicest weather, and today is no exception.  Why not celebrate Earth Day by getting outside and enjoying our beautiful natural Florida environment?  Have a great day, everyone.

 

- Sarah

Democrats Easily Seduced (Politically Speaking, of course)

Great article in the WSJ today that helps bring some optimism about the GOP’s chances in November.

 

John Fund, in an article titled “Obama’s Flaws Multiply,” summarizes Mr. Obama’s recent “miscues,” “misstatements,” and other “mistakes,” and points out a crucial difference in the Republican and Democrat philosophies towards selecting a nominee. 

All of this makes Democrats wonder if Mr. Obama is ready for prime time.

But they have themselves to blame for letting him get this far largely unexamined. While Republicans tend to nominate their best-known candidate from previous nomination battles (Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and now John McCain), Democrats often fall in love during a first date. They are then surprised when all the relatives don't think he's splendid.

Michael Dukakis had a healthy lead in 1988 against the elder Bush at this time and right through the political conventions. Then came the GOP's dissection of his Massachusetts record and his tank ride. Bill Clinton was able to win with only 43% of the vote in 1992, thanks in part to Ross Perot's presence as a spoiler. John Kerry had a six-point lead in the May 2004 Gallup poll over President Bush, then the wind-surfer crashed. All of those candidates had never run for national office before. Democrats paid a price for running a rookie.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120821921853714665.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Petitions for Andy Gardiner

Hi everyone...please take a moment to check if you are in Andy Gardiner's State Senate District. He still needs about 1,000 petitions to get on the ballot. The phone numbers for the Supervisors of Elections and the petition form are available here.

Also, if you're in town this Saturday, Andy and his wife Camille have asked for volunteers to help walk the precinct to collect more signatures. See below.

Thanks everyone for your continued support of Andy Gardiner's campaign!

Help needed Saturday

Andy Gardiner has been working hard to collect petitions to qualify for State Senate District 9.  He still needs about 1,000 petitions and could really use some volunteers to help him walk door-to-door in the precinct this Saturday.  If you are free, please come help Andy:

Saturday, April 5th

Panera Bread

296 E. Michigan Street

Meet at 9:30 a.m.

 

The walk will start around 10:00 a.m. and should wrap up around noon.  If you would like to participate, please e-mail Andy at electgardiner@aol.com.  (If you live in the district, they will make a map just for your neighborhood for you to walk)

 

We here at Next Generation Florida are proud to endorse Andy Gardiner for Senate District 9.  Thank you for your support of Andy’s campaign. 

 

 

Eisnaugle fundraiser TODAY

Hi everyone! Just wanted to remind you about the fundraiser for Eric Eisnaugle today at GrayRobinson. All the details are posted below here.

The last few weeks have been really great for Eric's campaign, as he's racked up some fantastic endorsements (Florida Chamber of Commerce, our local legislative delegation, etc. etc. etc.). Please join us today to congratulate Eric on the success of his campaign, and help him reach his fundraising goals.

The current reporting period ends on March 31st, and if you are able to provide some financial support, your donation will have a much greater impact this month than next month. Contributions in any amount are greatly appreciated (up to the $500 maximum per person or business entity).

Thank you everyone for your continued support of Eric Eisnaugle!

Central Florida Representatives Endorse Eisnaugle

Today, five members of the Central Florida Republican Delegation to the Florida House, Representatives Frank Attkisson, Chris Dorworth, Bryan Nel­son, Steve Precourt, and David Simmons, announced their endorsement of Eric Eisnaugle for State Representative, District 40.

 

Representative Steve Precourt stated, “I know both Andy Gardiner and Eric Eisnaugle well.  Eric shares Andy Gardiner’s conservative values and will continue to fight for the things that Andy has championed over the last eight years.  I am sure that the entire Central Florida Republican delegation looks forward to Eric joining us in our efforts to improve the quality of life in our great State.”

 

Representative Nelson said, “I have known Eric and his wife Carrie for the last several years and have been impressed with their core values.  Eric is an exceptional leader who understands the need to address the increase in juvenile and gang-related crime and has the qualifications to get the job done.”

 

Representative Frank Attkisson stated, “I know that Eric Eisnaugle is a true, principled conser­vative.  We need Eric’s leadership in the Florida House.”

 

 “Eric is a pro-business conservative and one of the hardest working people I know.  I intend to help him get elected because he’s the right guy for the job.  He will serve the voters of District 40 well,” added Representative Dorworth.  Representative Simmons noted, “Eric Eisnaugle is an excellent candidate and will represent us well in the Florida House.”

 

“I am honored to have the support of these Central Florida Representatives, and look forward to working with them to tackle challenges like reducing crime, reforming our property tax and in­surance systems, improving education, and stimulating Florida’s economy” said Eric Eisnaugle.

 

Next Generation Florida congratulates Eric on these significant endorsements.  Part of the reason we are so enthusiastically supporting Eric’s campaign is because we know he will work well with the other members of the Central Florida Republican Delegation and be a great representative for our area.  These endorsements are proof of that. 

 

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Eric Eisnaugle, Republican, for State Representative District 40.

 

Republican Party Unity Rally

We just received an invite to a “2008 Republican Unity Rally” next week at Baker & Hostetler.  They are inviting all the local Republican candidates and the flyer promises “Music, Food, Drinks and Fun!”  Sounds good to us!  The event is sponsored by the Orange County Republican Executive Committee (www.orangegop.org) and admission is free.

 

2008 Republican Unity Rally

Monday, March 31, 2008

5:30 – 7:30 pm

 

Baker & Hostetler

200 S. Orange Ave.

SunTrust Center, Suite 2300

Orlando, Florida

Fundraiser for Eric Eisnaugle

Eric Eisnaugle, who is proudly endorsed by Next Generation Florida (and now the Florida Chamber of Commerce, see below), is having a fundraiser at the GrayRobinson law firm in downtown Orlando:

March 27, 2008
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

GrayRobinson
301 E. Pine St., Suite 1400
Orlando, FL 32801

An RSVP to Eric@ElectEric.org is appreciated but not required.

If you haven’t yet had the privilege of meeting Eric, we encourage you to come by this event and get to know a candidate who we are confident has a long and successful political career ahead of him. The reason Eric has the enthusiastic support of so many community leaders and organizations is because he embodies the common sense, pro-family, fiscally responsible ideals of good Republican government.

Finally, we are approaching the end of this fundraising period (First Quarter 2008 ends on March 31, 2008). Your contribution will have a much greater impact now than it would next month. We would really appreciate your support of Eric’s campaign during these next few crucial weeks. If you have any questions about the campaign finance rules, or would like to support Eric but can’t attend this event, please contact us at NextGenerationFL@gmail.com and we will get you the information you need.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Eric Eisnaugle, Republican, for State Representative District 40. The purchase of a ticket for, or a contribution to, the campaign fund raiser is a contribution to the campaign of Eric Eisnaugle. The maximum contribution is $500.00 per individual or company. Contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Florida Chamber of Commerce endorses Eric Eisnaugle

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has officially announced its endorsement of Eric Eisnaugle for Florida House District 40. 

 

In an e-mail to Chamber members today, President and CEO Mark Wilson wrote that Eric “fully understands the challenges currently faced by Florida’s business community and will fight to defend Florida’s economic best interests….I am confident that Eric will be a strong voice for Florida businesses when he reaches Tallahassee. I urge you to personally support Eric Eisnaugle and to do whatever you can to assist him with his campaign.”

 

Next Generation Florida is proud to endorse Eric’s candidacy and enthusiastically congratulates him on this latest endorsement.  The Florida Chamber’s endorsement provides important credibility for a candidate and is taken very seriously by many Florida companies and pro-business groups as they decide which candidate to support.  

 

Please join us in congratulating Eric on this wonderful endorsement! 

Scott Plakon news - a fundraiser and new endorsements

Scott Plakon is having a “Parents for Plakon” fundraiser on Monday, March 31^st from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.  Kathy Halldin and Kim Tarver will be hosting the event at the Halldin’s home on 915 Old England Ave. in Winter Park. 

In Scott’s words, “we have an obligation to make sure that we leave Florida better than we found it for the benefit of our children,” and he looks forward to a great evening with his friends and supporters and other parents who are concerned about our state’s future. 

 

Please RSVP if you can attend to fundraiser@scottplakon.com.

 

In other news, Scott has been racking up the endorsements lately.  We here at Next Generation Florida are very proud to endorse his candidacy, and congratulate him on getting the support of the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Dental Association, the Seminole County Professional Firefighters, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, as well as current members of the Florida House Dean Cannon, Chris Dorworth, and David Simmons. 

 

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Scott Plakon, Republican, for Florida House, District 37.

 

 

The Hillary Clinton horror movie: Zombie Bats From Ohio!

Check out this hysterical article by Andrew Sullivan, published in a British paper, The Sunday Times, about the Clintons never-say-die campaign…

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article3510778.ece

 

In one short article, he manages to describe the junior Senator from New York as like Glenn Close’s psycho character in Fatal Attraction, the “melting metal” Terminator from the 2^nd movie, and in one particularly funny passage, zombie bats from Ohio…

 

The Clintons have always had a touch of the zombies about them: unkillable, they move relentlessly forward, propelled by a bloodlust for Republicans or uppity Democrats who dare to question their supremacy. You can’t escape; you can’t hide; and you can’t win. And these days, in the kinetic pace of the YouTube campaign, they are like the new 28 Days Later zombies. They come at you really quickly, like bats out of hell. Or Ohio, anyway.

- Sarah

Fun times

I have to admit I am enjoying the continuing nuclear meltdown that the national Democratic party is experiencing as they attempt to pick a Presidential nominee.  The two Senators are exchanging the lead in the crucial “who has momentum” battle on a seemingly-hourly basis and may be unable to resolve this mess until their convention in August.  Awesome. 

 

Just wanted to remind everyone of some words from Ronald Reagan, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20 percent traitor.” 

 

We have our Republican nominee.  Now is the time to come together.

 

- Sarah

 

Rhymes

From http://www.townhall.com/, by Mike Lester:

Webster endorsement for Gardiner

Next Generation Florida’s endorsed candidate for Florida Senate District 9, Andy Gardiner, who currently represents District 40 in the Florida House, received an important endorsement yesterday. 

 

Daniel Webster, the current Senate Majority Leader and State Senator for District 9, is leaving the seat because of term limits and has enthusiastically endorsed Mr. Gardiner to be his replacement.  “Andy is a principled conservative with the experience and commitment to serve Central Florida well,” said Webster.

 

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2008/02/webster-gives-n.html

 

Next Generation Florida is proud to endorse Andy Gardiner and congratulates him on this latest endorsement.