Apologies

I'm sorry for the infrequency of posts lately. I have been very busy and with a new set of problems. I'm facing surgery to remove corrective hardware from an automobile accident 18 years ago. However, I'll endeavor to maintain some posting. ODBA members, please rest assured, I've been reading your blogs with baited breath every day. Also, please note the new link to the left of this post. The Victory Caucus is worthy of linkage, please visit their site and register and join.

I'll take this title...

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Flag-Waving Everyman, also known as a patriot. You believe in freedom, apple pie, rooting for America at all times, and that God gave us a two-day weekend so we could enjoy football and NASCAR.

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

And so it begins....

It's official. Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore is withdrawing his candidacy for the GOP nomination in 2008. Strictly speaking, I was wondering when the paring would begin. There are several candidates who are probably on the chopping block. I wish Mr. Gilmore the best as he will probably run for Governor again or perhaps for John Warner's seat should Mr. Warner decide to retire.

Governor Kaine Piles it on Virginians

According to a source in the know about this, it has recently come to my attention that Governor Kaine has restructured the "Abuser Fees" to apply only to residents of Virginia. Let me get this right. Is Governor Kaine under the impression that only Virginians travel Virginia's highways? I'd be curious to see recent statistics from the VSP regarding out of state traffic offenders. At any rate, to give the few readers of this blog a basis for comparison, I'll provide the links to the versions of the bill as structured by the Governor and his able staff, the House Conference version and the one ultimately passed by the House.

04/04/2007 – Governor’s Substitute – Applies only to Virginians

§ 46.2-206.1. Imposition of certain additional fees on certain drivers.

B. The civil remedial fees established by this section shall be assessed on any resident of Virginia operating a motor vehicle on the highways of Virginia, including persons to whom Virginia driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, or learner's permits have been issued pursuant to this title; and persons operating motor vehicles without licenses or whose license has been revoked or suspended.

02/24/2007 – General Assembly Conference Report – Applies to Residents and Non-Residents

§ 46.2-206.1. Imposition of certain additional fees on certain drivers.

B. The civil remedial fees established by this section shall be assessed on any resident of Virginia operating a motor vehicle on the highways of Virginia, including persons to whom Virginia driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, or learner's permits have been issued pursuant to this title; persons operating motor vehicles without licenses or whose license has been revoked or suspended; and persons operating motor vehicles with a license issued by a jurisdiction outside Virginia.

02/06/2007 – House Passed Version – Applies to Residents and Non-Residents

§ 46.2-206.1. Imposition of certain additional fees on certain drivers.

B. The civil remedial fees established by this section shall be assessed on any resident of Virginia operating a motor vehicle on the highways of Virginia, including persons to whom Virginia driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, or learner's permits have been issued pursuant to this title; persons operating motor vehicles without licenses or whose license has been revoked or suspended; and persons operating motor vehicles with a license issued by a jurisdiction outside Virginia.


Note the date on the Governor's substitute. Two months. This is nothing more than a premeditated highway robbery. Just for kicks, I'll include an article from a third political party that should be echoed throughout the Old Dominion.

Washington, DC – The newly instituted driving penalties in Virginia are an ironfisted approach to reducing bad driving, says the Libertarian Party of the United States. “The new Virginia driving fees are some of the most outrageous penalties in the United States for driving offenses,” says Shane Cory, Executive Director of the Libertarian National Committee headquartered in Washington D.C. “The state of Virginia has instituted a policy of tyranny on the roadways.”

There you have it my friends. Another triumph for the Kaine administration. This triumph is consistent with this Administration's goals of STICKING IT to citizens of the Commonwealth. Thanks Governor Timmy!!!

LNC on the new Iraq timetable

The Libertarian National Committee website has this article up on their website regarding the new timetable passed by the House this week. It is a strongly worded article and the Vice Admiral states it correctly when he says that playing political games is not the way to end the war in Iraq. I have general disagreements with the LP, but I must admit this is a great article.

Benny Goodman Orchestra Sing Sing Sing from Hollywood Hotel

I'm going a little old school with this one. Friends, enjoy the Benny Goodman Orchestra with "Sing, Sing, Sing".

Another Party's Take on Duncan Hunter

UPDATE: I've noticed that this post has received some attention elsewhere on the net. I want to clarify that the Constitution Party in NO WAY has endorsed Mr. Hunter. To the contrary, the author's view reflects an admiration for Ron Paul. The post below reflects a generally positive view of Mr. Hunter.


I mentioned in a previous post that an alternative to those who are fed up with the GOP leadership's somtimes wishy-washy, 'flavor of the month' policy agenda is the Constitution Party. On their website, they have a quick, passing review of each of the GOP candidates for the 2008 nomination. Here is what they had to say about Duncan Hunter. I'm including their negative reaction to his stance on the War in Iraq to give you a complete picture.


Duncan Hunter: The southern California Congressman is a strong supporter of secure borders. His efforts have resulted in over 59 miles of fencing in San Diego County. Hunter wrote the Secure Fence Act, extending the San Diego fence 854 miles across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Hunter holds a strong position on trade issues: ". . . China is cheating on trade and using billions of American trade dollars to build ships, planes and missiles at an alarming rate while, at the same time, taking millions of American jobs." Hunter’s positions on NAFTA, GATT and the WTO appeal to those concerned about the vanishing industrial base and loss of American jobs.

Hunter is solidly pro-life. He has said he would aggressively promote a Right to Life Amendment to the Constitution, defining "personhood" from the moment of conception.

About the Second Amendment Hunter said: "It seems every election year, some liberal politician dons an NRA cap and grabs a shotgun for a hunting photo-op, as if that means they support our right as Americans to keep and bear arms. But the second amendment is not about hunting. It is about the right of you and me to be secure in our homes."

On education, Hunter said: "I believe we can educate students more effectively by returning school curriculum prerogatives to the states, local communities and, most importantly, to the family. State agencies charged with conducting education policies do not need expensive and inefficient mandates from a federal agency."

A big disappointment however is Congressman Hunter’s position on the war in Iraq. Citing his experience on the House Armed Services Committee for 26 years he says he supports the mission wholeheartedly. Hunter’s son has served two tours of duty there.

The war in Iraq is the only major issue that I depart from the CP on. However, it is interesting to note that Duncan Hunter draws generally positive reviews from the author and evidently, some in the CP national committee. Consider Duncan Hunter when voting in your states primary.

Conservative? Check this guy out!!!

I'm talking about Duncan Hunter. The often overlooked candidate for the 2008 GOP nomination has made some allies in pretty considerable places. I've posted about this article before I believe, but will do so again because it bears repeating. Duncan Hunter is a true conservative and his record in Congress bear that out.

John Hawkins at Townhall.com posts an excellent piece about the conservative case for Duncan Hunter in 2008. I commend it to your attention.

Early Warning or Destructive Force?

That's the question Dean Barnett posed to Mort Kondracke last Friday in an interview for Hugh Hewitt's radio show. The points raised by Mr. Barnett are valid and warrant further attention from those of us blogging and those who pay attention to the most  widely read of us.

As an early warning system, I would suggest that Mr. Barnett overstates the case for blogs, but correctly mentions that talk radio has an immense grassroots audience.  Overall, I think Mr. Barnett raises good issues with the political \leadership. Again, using Trent Lott for an example, his issues stem from deeper problems than just the immigration bill. Mr. Lott has been burned by the fast paced era of news reporting.

Early warning? Sure, I'll buy that. Destructive force? The answer depends on your perspective. From Trent Lott's point of view, talk radio and the blogosphere is a destructive force.  In my opinion, any tool that can aid the grassroots activists in holding politicians to the fire is a good thing.

Third Party Politics

In a recent post, I mentioned that had the immigration bill passed the Senate, I would have resigned from the GOP. Well, it didn't pass, but it still left me with some things to think about. If not the GOP,what options are there?

1.) Not voting - This is simply not an option for me. I'm a lot like Hank Hill. If I didn't vote, I wouldn't get called for jury duty. That's a little extreme, but voting is the number one lesson taught (or should be) in civics.

2.) Vote Democrat - Again, this is not an option. All the Democrats save perhaps Bill Richardson, wouldn't even cross my radar as candidates go. All the candidates from Hillary on down to Mike Gravel all have socialist tendencies that would be unpalatable for a conservative voter like me. Richardson's biggest draw back is his call for revoking authorization for operations in Iraq. Simply put, this is an unconditional surrender to the jihadists. 

3.) Vote Libertarian - This presents some intriguing opportunities. In some ways, I'm closer to a libertarian than a conservative. However, government should play a very minimal role in the lives of its citizens beyond providing for the common welfare and defense. However, I disagree with the the stance on drug policies. This might be a viable alternative for me.

4.) Vote Constitution Party - I have had the opportunity to meet Howard Phillips at numerous functions when I lived in Washington, DC. I believe that the CP comes closest to matching my political views and general philosophy of government.  If pressed, I would say that the Constitution Party would be my first choice of alternatives to the GOP.

These are some of the questions that had crossed my mind in the wake of the shamnesty debate. For whatever it's worth, I'm not totally convinced by the results of ONE vote that the GOP or the Dems get it. Take this for what it's worth. The opinion of one man whose voice doesn't account for much.

Not in My Lifetime

Thanks to a revealing post from Virginia Virtucon, a reminder that when we think that the liberals have gone totally off their rocker, a tidbit like this comes up. As long as Charlie Fugate is breathing, there is going to be an American flag waving somewhere. As long as I'm around, there will be national pride in the United States. My friend Riley is generous in calling this 'tripe'. I could think of several different adjectives to describe this pablum.

Friends, this Independence Day, thank God we live in a nation that still allows diversity of opinion. Thank God we still live in the greatest nation that human mind has ever contrived. Thank God we live in the United States of America.

Face Time

Realizing the extremely limited viewship of Good Sense, I still believe this ad is worthy of repeated airplay. Here it is again, for your viewing pleasure.

For those undecideds, email me, I have some information that could sway your mind.