My first explicit posting on the program was on July 7, michael-steele-and-ten-buck-fridays.
The idea thread connects to the paragraphs toward the end of my April 6 posting, thoughts-on-reaping-and-sowing, in which I discuss fundraising will be less important than usual in the 2010 cycle, more distributed than usual in the 2010 cycle, and the RNC representing a fundraising model that is becoming obsolete.
Week 3 generated some intramural squabbling over the week 3 winners' conservative credentials.
I sent an email to the candidate to explicitly check it out:
[begin: my inquiry to Dr. Wargotz]
Dr. Wargotz, I am a conservative citizen participating in the Ten Buck Fridays bloggers program. You must of course know you won the week three voting. In the aftermath of the voting, the claim was raised that you had once said in an interview (paraphrasing) "you hoped President Obama would extend health care benefits to illegal aliens."
If this in fact means you are in favor of blanket amnesty for illegal aliens, I would be unable to send you my Ten Buck Fridays donation.
But, if you can clarify your stand for me, by answering the following simple questions, I will ensure all the other bloggers in the Ten Buck Fridays Program are apprised of your clarification (and I will of course follow through with the donation at that point.)
1. Will you support the conservative position that the border must be secured before any other "reform" is undertaken?
2. Will you support the conservative position that (only after securing the border) any "path to citizenship" in any "reform" must ensure illegal aliens are NOT granted citizenship ahead of anyone presently standing in line under the legal immigration system.
Thank you in advance for your thoughtful reply.
[end: my inquiry to Dr. Wargotz]
Dr. Wargotz's reply was prompt, thoughtful, and courteous. Providing a tremendous contrast to the canned crap I always get from my two Democrat Senators - Warner and Webb of Virginia.
[begin: Dr. Wargotz's reply]
I appreciate you bringing this matter to my attention. I am aware I was honored to be selected to participate as a nominee in last weeks TBF poll but was not aware of any questions raised. I think it unfortunate and divisive that one of the other 10 primary candidates in my race has chosen to "shoot in the tent" (for six weeks now!) rather than focus on beating Mikulski. I will not participate in attempts at character assasination and distortions of the facts. Frankly, my campaign is surprised that the gentleman (lady?) in charge of Right Klik would so easily be drawn in to such a situation. I am a proven Conservative as an elected official.
Thank you for asking your questions:
1. I categorically deny that I have ever stated verbally or in writing that I favor extending health care to illegal aliens. I have stated that it is ashame that the president and congress chose not to address illegal aliens when debating the health care issue since the illegals have such an adverse effect on our health care system.
2. I have always stated that the borders must be secured first and our laws must be enforced.
3. I have always stated that citizenship / amnesty is not an option for illegals. We must not reward people who break our laws.
I hope this clarifies my position. I would also note that :
Did you know that in my 3.5 years as County Commissioner Queen Anne's County has become a member of the Federal Secure Communities program (google it) in April of this year, has deported the most illegals out of all the counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and has adopted a resolution pertaining to vendors in the county against hiring illegal immigrants? All initiated under my watch ( I was the functional Chair of the Commission for my first 2 years.)
[end: Dr. Wargotz's reply]
I think he said his position on path to citizenship is tougher than mine. That's good enough for me to link arms with him in a mission to send the contemptible progressive Babs Mikulski into political retirement.
2010-07-16
LibertyAtStake has developed feelings frighteningly close to a "man crush" toward week 4 winner Van Irion. Clearly a principled conservative. I love how he identifies himself as a "Constitutionalist" in the very first sentence on his campaign site. When the idea of a third party was being discussed, before we started taking over the GOP from the ground up, I thought "Constitutionalist" was the best name for any new party. And, digging deeper into the biography, I discovered he carries a pitchfork everywhere he goes. And I'm not sure, but he looks like he just might be that guy carrying the plastic pitchfork on Capitol Hill, with whom I shook hands, during one of the anti-ObamaCare rallies in DC. Frightening.
2010-07-23
Ten Buck Fridays is no doubt able to identify deserving and solidly conservative candidates. However, after reading the Health Care issues position on week 5 winner Chip Cravaak's web site, I decided the stakes for the 112th Congress are so high I cannot in good conscience send any dollars to any candidate who will not explicitly sign up for repealing ObamaCare. And it shouldn't be a very hard political promise to make, as evidenced by the (as of today) 153 signers of the discharge petition. So, I sent him an email asking the question. Let's see what happens.
2010-07-30
No reply from Chip Cravaak to my direct email, so no donation from LibertyAtStake for Chip Cravaak. Week 6 winner Patricia Sullivan is another matter altogether. The Home page on her site has a big, fat 'Y' in every single row on her "TEA Party Solutions Report Card," including my 2010 "litmus test" for seriousness; Will you fight to repeal Obamacare? Maybe I'll give her Cravaak's donation share, in addition to her own, when I get back from my trip this weekend. Plus, it doesn't hurt her cause that she's running to unseat the batshit crazy Progressive Alan Grayson.
2010-08-06
Week 7 brings us another solid TEA Party patriot, Dr. Donna Campbell, running in the TX-25 district to unseat Lloyd Doggett. The only thing I know about this hack is he has an 86% Pelosi Index. His two "liberty votes" on this index are too little, too late. TBF again shows it is far more capable of identifying principled conservatives than anything with an xNC acronym.
2010-08-13
Week 8 winner Joel Demos illustrates exactly how it is supposed to work, kiddies. A week ago, I had never heard of this Patriot (who, btw, bears an unfortunate resemblance to "Androgynous Pat" of SNL fame). While I was idly blogging my way through the right wing blogosphere last weekend, I stumbled upon his campaign video. Today he has earned the right to a patriotic money bomb that will strike fear into Progressive hearts everywhere - as it gives sustenance to a principled conservative in a deep, deep blue district. I suspect the Minneapolis entry on my Feedjit list is one of those fearful Progressives. Or maybe a Patriot who has been living behind enemy lines. Or maybe the local RNC guy, who will have a lot of 'splainin' to do on Monday. It's a good thing, regardless. I should mention this development at the next right wing conspiracy meeting to Demos' next door district Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann (MN-5).
2010-08-20
Week 9 winner Delia Lopez has a pretty good aggregate composition of positions. Definitely a lot better than her Democrat oppponent, or the average RINO for that matter. Not sure, though, what she means by "...when Pesident Bush suspended Habeus Corpus..." If she means the enemy combatant prisoners of war, they never had the right in the first place. But, overall, not bad for a Left Coaster. I also like the idea of giving sustenance to another patriot in another deep blue district.
2010-08-27
Renee Ellmers, RN is another real winner for TBF, as far as I'm concerned. I love the combative positioning on her website. And Bob Etheridge, the incumbent, is the perfect standard bearer for the sclerotic politburo that is today's Democratic Party. btw- I'm all in for Doug Hoffman NY-23 next week!
2010-09-03
Well, my man Doug Hoffman didn't do so well in the polling. I like Doug because he's a nerdy type from my state of birth, and I identify with that. Plus he was the first uprising candidate to shake up the establishment and he deserves his due.
However, no complaints at all about Week 11 winner Illario Pantaro. This guy is welcome in my foxhole anytime. I absolutely love the 21st Century Audie Murphy vibe he brings to the TBF table. And I think this cast of characters could use a military affairs expert. TBF is creating quite a team, indeed.
2010-09-10
TBF proves itself again to be tactically astute in addition to being principled. Stephen Broden is the first pastor and the first black person to be added to the TBF lineup. Beating the Progressives at their own silly game of "firsts." And taking on corrupt Progressive incumbents like Pastor Broden's Democrat opponent Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Dallas, Texas would be doing the rest of the country a tremendous favor by replacing their current nepotistic Representative with the Pastor Broden.
2010-09-17
Week 13 brings us another principled conservative from the medical profession - Dr. B.J. Lawson from North Carolina. This is fitting when the 2011 congressional agenda will be DE-FUND, RE-PEAL, IM-PEACH. Also in week 13, week 3 winner Dr. Eric Wargotz won his Republican primary in Maryland against no less than 10 other GOP hopefuls to replace the contemptible progressive Babs Mikulski.
2010-09-24
TBF's Week 14 winner comes from the soverign state the Obama Administration and the Holder DOJ seem the most determined to wage war upon - Arizona. Jesse Kelly is an Iraq War vet running in the AZ-8 district. He has the endorsement of the "Great One" himself, Mark Levin, which can only mean he's a rock-rib solid conservative.
2010-10-09
I think I've mentioned on the blog I'm not exactly the guy you want to maintain a process that is already running smoothly - hence I am characteristically late in paying attention to such a process. TBF's week 15 winner is Dale Glading from New Jersey's 1st Congressional District. I can't tell from his website whether or not he is officially ordained, but he joins Pastor Stephen Broden (week 12 winner from TX-30) in TBF's social con wing. Week 16 was apparently the 1st round of the TBF playoffs, as it included a lineup of all previous winners. Joel Demos (MN-5) narrowly edged Chip Cravaak (MN-8). This result got me interested in summarizing winners by state. Minnesota and North Carolina are the clear winners with 3 each. Not an even distribution. But, neither was the distribuiton of (famous) Founding Fathers. Perhaps Minnesota and North Carolina will go down as the Virginia and Massachusets of the Re-Founding. And possibly a demonstration of the fallacy of quotas, racial or otherwise.
2010-10-22
The October 15th winner, Ruth McClung, running in Arizona's 7th district, arrived just in time to support the theme of my main blog. Ms. McClung is literally a rocket scientist, providing the perfect counterpoint to Team Obama's idiotic campaign closing argument that we are all too stupid to get what BHO and the Progressive are trying to do to us.
2011-05-30
Editorial review ... And I mean TO.
