Make Way for Hurricane Sarah

Photo: Courtesy of AP

She’s Back!

Friday April 15^th- Sarah Palin (R-AK) reclaimed her perch on top of the conservative movement as she began what can only be deemed as her reintroduction to the Lower 48. After her long break from the public eye after the tragic shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Palin came storming back without missing a beat. Speaking in Madison Wisconsin at a Tax Day Tea Party Rally, former Governor Sarah Palin called out the G.O.P., bashed the mainstream media, and trounced President Obama in a fiery speech reminiscent of her Republican Convention Speech from 2008.

In Review: Do The Right Thing by Mike Huckabee

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Goosebumps

Warning! Those brave enough to venture past this sentence take notice of two tings: my heart felt apology and heed this warning. In the book we are about to explore, we will encounter none other, than the ramblings of a madman. For those who dare to continue, you will face: extreme ignorance, glaring hypocrisy, and atrocious writing. In his memoir, Do the Right Thing, Mike Huckabee (R-AR) illustrates his concept for America with by using his brainchild of "Hucktown" a place where Huckabee is the model citizen and where everyone else in town is made to emulate him... Like R.L. Stine always says, "Reader beware, your in for a scare!

My Letter of Resignation

To the Executive Board and the Members of Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate:

My name is Cody Reynolds and I had the distinct pleasure of meeting many of you at the January 22^nd meeting in Sharpsville Indiana. Most of you may remember me as the young man who stepped up to the microphone and asked the standing Board Members to run for reelection in order to insure that all of our group’s leaders had stood in a fair and formal selection process. In my mind, if we as a group are to truly embody the morals and values of the conservative movement that is sweeping across our great nation, then we should apply them also to our own group. I cannot thank you all enough for the warm words and spirited conversations that each of you shared with me on Saturday. Your patriotism and love for our great nation was palpable and truly warmed my heart.

The Fast Track to Sainthood

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A Modern Day Saint

On May 1st, the late Pope John Paul II will have come one step closer to becoming a saint. The Vatican has agreed that he is to be beatified after evidence of miracle has debated and finally confirmed as real. This momentous occasion is perhaps even more relevant today because it is on course to be accomplished in record time. Ironically, the current record holder, Mother Theresa, obtained this honor in record time partially due to the urging of John  Paul II. In fact, the late pope will only break the record by a matter of days. And yet, it is even more personal than that. The Venerable Pope John Paul II was a beacon of light in a world where all else was dark or dimming. Through the power of the papacy, Pope John Paul II became one of the world's greatest communicators, helped end communism, and most importantly, he brought the spirit of love back to religion.

In Review: America By Heart by Sarah Palin

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Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag

With a busy speaking schedule, doling out endorsements across the nation, and starring in her own reality television show; who would have thought that Sarah Palin would find time to write a second book? Well keeping with her tradition of defying expectations, Sarah Palin's second book America By Heart hit shelves on November 23, 2010. Coming out just over a year after her record breaking memoir, Going Rogue, flooded bookstores across the nation, Palin's second book had high expectations waiting for it. Most political observers and astute citizens believe that Palin will probably run for president in 2012 and some considered this a good way for Palin to recast herself in the eyes of most Americans. I personally hoped for a policy book, something reminiscent of Mitt Romney's No Apology. Instead she carved her own vision of America, from the very moral fabric that that our society is woven of, to our far reaching international policy. Palin uses excerpts from some of her favorite readings, prayers, and speeches to justify her worldview. Although the book allows for an interesting glimpse into the morals that guide this gifted woman, it falls far short of doing her the amount of good a policy book would have. Still it is a good read with some very powerful moments throughout.

In Review: Decision Points by George W. Bush

Photo: Courtesy of Crown Pub.

14 Decisions that Changed America

For the last ten years, everyone political pundit, politician, and every day American has had there say about the Bush Administration. But finally former President George W. Bush has broken his long held silence and has delivered a weighty tome highlighting the fourteen most important decisions he made throughout his life. From quitting drinking to the 2008-2009 economic crisis and everything in between, his new memoir, Decision Points, provides an intimate and shockingly honest account of the last eight years from the very man who sat behind the resolute desk. Decision Points by George W. Bush landed on shelves everywhere on November 9th, 2010 but with class and the actual length of the book, its taken quite a while to read through it. But I am happy to finally provide Center Write Nation's In Review of this long awaited book.

Playing Politics, A Wiiventure

Photo: Courtesy of The Game Play Book

Politcos Got Game

With today's instant news media, politics is everywhere. Its on every TV station, on every book shelf, and now it has even entered into video games. With the release of the NBA Jams, politicians may have found another medium to increase their face time, and possibly there own popularity. As a bonus feature, the designers of the new NBA Jams game created both a Democratic Team and its Republican counterpart. While incorporating real life political basketball players like former Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) and President Barrack Obama (D-IL), other famous (or infamous) politicians also made their way into the spotlight. With a full playable political cast including: Bill (D-AR) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Al Gore (D-TN), Joe Biden (D-DE), John McCain (R-AZ), former President George W. Bush (R-TX), and former Vice President Dick Cheney (R-WY); politics has again found a new (albeit fun) way to capture the public conscience. Even more interesting, it may in fact prove an invaluable tool for reaching the most finicky voting block of all, college students.

On Taking Oath

Photo: Courtesy of Suzy Barnhart

Inauguration Day

On Thursday January 6th, 2010 Indiana's three constitutional officers, State Treasurer, Auditor, and Secretary of State, were inaugurated in State House. I was honored to be invited to attend this prestigious event in support of Indiana's State Treasurer. A true conservative, and true person, Richard Mourdock criss-crossed the state this past year, shaking more Hoosier hands than any other candidate. And as always, Mr. Mourdock's genuine and compassionate nature showed as he was sworn in, not by his wife who was ill, but by two young children with whom he had maintained correspondence with well after the campaign ended. Even more touching was his emotional and heart felt speech which capture the heart and mind of all who heard. It is my honor to bring this fantastic acceptance speech to the online world.

The American Decline?

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The Idea of East v. West 

Since the birth of our great nation, the naysayers and pundits have always claimed that the fall of the United States is just around the corner. The media and social elite have always identified an opponent and defined the world with an ‘us versus them’ mentality. Black vs. White, Democracy vs. Communism, East vs. West, Good vs. Evil; sound familiar? Throughout American history there has always been someone that was supposed to have toppled us, an ideology that was destined to one day replace our own. And historians and scholars have provided countless zombie theories speculating about the fall of the United States, always pointing for evidence to the great Empires of old like Rome and Han China. Yet with the rise of each new boogieman, America has always also arisen to meet the challenge. And just like waking from a bad dream, when Americans blink the sleep from their eyes and set to the task at hand, the great threat that once seemed to linger just beyond the horizon dissolves into nothing more than a faint, distant memory. Recently the website The Daily Beast published a review of the book, Why the West Rules – For Now. The author concludes that it is impossible to reverse the trend of America’s decline and the eventual rise of China as the world's super power. His reasoning, in a word is geography. Yet his concept of geography seems to lack a modern vantage point, thoroughly under appreciating the interconnectedness of the entire world. While It is true that the era of the singular super power has ended, it is also true that the age of coalitions and transgovernmentalism has only just begun. America may no longer be the sole super power, but it still has the strongest international coalition through which it will still take the lead in world governance.

The Cast and Crew of the Chicago Coup

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No Longer A 'Daley' Routine

With the shocking announcement that Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley will not run for reelection this year, the political scene in Chicago erupted into chaos after being dominated by the Daley machine since 1989. A man of nearly unlimited power in Chicago, Daley has not had a serious opponent in years. With this changing of the guards, the 'Daley' routine has ended and Chicago is wide open for a new power to lay siege to it. Soon after his announcement, a field of eighteen candidates flooded the election office with their forms and signatures in order to be on the ballot come election day. Some have already fallen to the way side like former Illinois Senator Roland Burris (D-IL) and US Representative Danny Davis, but the race is far from over. Chicago earned its nick name as the Windy City, not because of the Winds that blow across Lake Michigan, but because in Chicago politics, nothing is ever as it seems.

Midterm Election Results Spotlight

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Just Do the Wave

Election Day has come and gone and still some races have been left uncalled. In this historic election, truly every vote matters and being such, I wanted to wait until all of the races had been decided. Yet, now over two weeks after election day, we finally have concrete numbers for some of the last races. In the midterm election, that saw the turn over of the United States House of Representatives by a sixty-one seat swing, was truly a wave election that rippled around the entire country. This post will highlight the most important and interesting races that Center Right Nation has followed throughout the summer and fall.

Spotlight on the Otherside: Marcy Kaptur

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Why I Deeply Respect Marcy Kaptur

Marcy Kaptur (OH-D) is by far, my favorite Democrat in the United States House of Representatives. As the longest serving woman in the House, and the fourth longest serving woman in the entire congress, Marcy Kaptur has written the playbook on straddling party lines and being a champion of the people. As a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Kaptur has surprisingly been a moderate voice in within the nations largest Congressional Democratic Caucus. With moderate conservative votes on abortion, stem cell research, fiscal, and military policy, Kaptur has truly created a unique niche for herself in the direct middle of the American political spectrum and by doing so has allowed her to always be a reliable voice for the people in a city that seems to routinely forget they are beholden to anyone.

Let Freedom Ring

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Meet Aung San Suu Kyi

Today the world is celebrating the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, an icon of democracy in Southeast Asia, she has been under house arrest for much of the past 21 years. She has led the fight for democracy against the ruling junta in the country known as Burma (or Myanmar). The daughter of the general who led the county to its independence, Aung San Suu Kyi picked up the mantle of freedom and democracy after her mother's death. In 1989 she led her party, the National League of Democracy (NLD) to a landslide victory over the military junta, winning eighty-two percent of the seats in parliament all but insuring democratization of a country long denied self rule. Instead the elections were annulled by the junta and Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the last 21 years under house arrest. Her release marks a huge victory for democracy but must also remind everyone of how much is left to be done.

In Review: Give Us Liberty

Photo Credit: Official Picture

A Tea Party Manifesto

In 2008, grassroots networks across America thrust Barack Obama ahead in the polls and secured his election as the first black president in American history. In 2009 the American grassroot network cam alive again, but this time they railed against the very democratic agenda they had previously propelled into power. With massive protests such as the 9/12 March in Washington D.C. and the media frenzy that escalated the healthcare town hall debacles, America ha awoken from its long slumber, and America was fighting back. In the book Give us Liberty by Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe attempt to capture the history and energy of the Tea Party Movement and try to illustrate for the readers the necessity of this movement and the true power that we as voters and citizens truly hold.

In Review: Dirty Sexy Politics

(Photo Credit: Hyperion)

A Daughter's Prospective

The highly anticipated and much talked about book, Dirty Sexy Politics by Meghan McCain, the daughter of former Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain (R-AZ), has finally arrived. I was able to pick it up just a few days after its release and I am sorry It has taken me this long to write the review, but well I have had more pressing issues as of late, most notable helping Republicans take back America. Anyway, this book is written in a fun, yet emotional style that enthusiastically covers many of the biggest issues in the 2008 election, including: Sarah Palin (R-AK), the use of social media in a presidential election, and the state current state of Republican politics. Let's dive into the crazy, hectic world of this boisterous and funny 'daughter of', and relive one of the most historic elections our country has ever had.

The Countdown to Election Day Tour

And We're Off

At 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday night I was doing Spanish homework and checking my email. By 5:30 I was going on an adventure. A friend of mine, Diane Hubbard, had emailed me asking if I would like to join Richard Mourdock (R-IN), the Indiana State Treasurer, and herself on a two day van tour of northern Indiana. I had previously had the privilege to work with Mr. Mourdock on multiple occasions before hand so I immediately accepted. This one email set off a chain reaction that has since whisked me out of Bloomington, Indiana; through central and northeastern Indiana finally landing me in a beautiful bed-and-breakfast called the Oliver Inn, located in South Bend, Indiana. But I am getting ahead of myself, the end of Day 1 is not important; rather what is important is the journey we all took to get here.

A Lesson in Leadership

Hope on the Horizon

What does it mean to be a leader? A leader is someone who stands up for others, who takes responsibility on his or herself in order to help others, and who is ready to take the blame and share the credit for his or her policies. In Porter County, Indiana, incumbent Democrat Bob Harper is looking to retake his seat as a county commissioner; however, before one can go any further, one important question begs to be answered: Is Bob Harper a real leader? Is a leader someone who costs his county over $600,000 in fines for late taxes? Would a real leader idly sit by and watch as his constituents face financial hardships, all the while sitting upon $8.9 million dollars of unallocated funds earned from the interest of the sale of the hospital? The answer is simple: Bob Harper is not a leader. His policies have impeded the growth of Porter County as a whole and have led to increased financial burdens on its citizens when all along he had the ability (never mind the obligation and responsibility) to help. Porter County deserves a real leader, and fortunately it has one in the form of the Republican nominee for county commissioner, Nancy Adams.

Let's Go International, September 2010

Revelations and Relevance

The international world has been set on fire this past month with announcements of leadership changes, attempted coups, and bizarre acknowledgments by world leaders. In North Korea, Kim Jong Il promotes his heir apparent; in Ecuador the President is attacked during a coup; and Fidel Castro admits communism has failed. Let's dig deeper into these game changing and bizarre developments.

To Cut or Not to Cut, That is the Question

He's Found his way back Again

It seems that Republicans and Democrats alike may not agree with President Obama's plan to cut the Bush Tax Cuts. In the past months, former advisers, and current members of his administration have spoken out and asked the President to leave the ta cuts alone. Even more recent, The Heritage Foundation has released the results of a study they conducted that implemented all of Obama's planned tax increases and their effect on the economy. This report is truly astounding and truly terrifying.

Lower and Lower

A Downward Spiral

As if things couldn't get worse for the one of the most popularly elected presidents in recent memory. His Chief-of-Staff is leaving, he's losing his party's majority in the House, and possibly in the senate. Unemployment filings have risen once again and the unemployment rate continues to stubbornly hover near ten percent. Except that now, a recent POLITICO George Washington University Battleground poll indicates that forty-four percent of the nation currently will vote to replace Obama while thirteen percent are considering voting for someone else. Only thirty-eight percent of those questioned said that he deserves to be reelected. With his own approval ratings tumbling and his own party distancing themselves from him, what is a president to do.