Mount Vernon Statement Unveiled

From CBS News on Wednesday:

Conservatives officially unveiled the Mount Vernon Statement today, a document aimed at reviving "constitutional conservatism."

The document has been endorsed by a number of conservative leaders such as Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. According to the Mount Vernon Statement Web site, more than 5,000 have signed on in show of support.

Sn. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) announced on the micro-blogging site Twitter that he signed the statement. He also tweeted, "If our leaders cannot agree to the Mount Vernon Statement, they are part of the problem and should be replaced."

The statement was put together by a delegation led by Edwin Meese III, attorney general during the Reagan administration. Meese said today that by signing the statement, conservatives "recommit ourselves to the ideal and principals that have made America a just, prosperous and free nation, like no other nation in the world.

"If he were here, I'm confident President Reagan would be among the first to sign the Mount Vernon Statement," he said.

The full text of the statement is below:

The Mount Vernon Statement Constitutional Conservatism: A Statement for the 21st Century

We recommit ourselves to the ideas of the American Founding. Through the Constitution, the Founders created an enduring framework of limited government based on the rule of law. They sought to secure national independence, provide for economic opportunity, establish true religious liberty and maintain a flourishing society of republican self-government.

These principles define us as a country and inspire us as a people. They are responsible for a prosperous, just nation unlike any other in the world. They are our highest achievements, serving not only as powerful beacons to all who strive for freedom and seek self-government, but as warnings to tyrants and despots everywhere.

Each one of these founding ideas is presently under sustained attack. In recent decades, America's principles have been undermined and redefined in our culture, our universities and our politics. The selfevident truths of 1776 have been supplanted by the notion that no such truths exist. The federal government today ignore the limits of the Constitution, which is increasingly dismissed as obsolete and irrelevant.

Some insist that America must change, cast off the old and put on the new. But where would this lead -- forward or backward, up or down? Isn't this idea of change an empty promise or even a dangerous deception?

The change we urgently need, a change consistent with the American ideal, is not movement away from but toward our founding principles. At this important time, we need a restatement of Constitutional conservatism grounded in the priceless principle of ordered liberty articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The conservatism of the Declaration asserts self-evident truths based on the laws of nature and nature's God. It defends life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It traces authority to the consent of the governed. It recognizes man's self-interest but also his capacity for virtue.

The conservatism of the Constitution limits government's powers but ensures that government performs its proper job effectively. It refines popular will through the filter of representation. It provides checks and balances through the several branches of government and a federal republic.

A Constitutional conservatism unites all conservatives through the natural fusion provided by American principles. It reminds economic conservatives that morality is essential to limited government, social conservatives that unlimited government is a threat to moral self-government, and national security conservatives that energetic but responsible government is the key to America's safety and leadership role in the world.

A Constitutional conservatism based on first principles provides the framework for a consistent and meaningful policy agenda.

• It applies the principle of limited government based on the rule of law to every proposal.
• It honors the central place of individual liberty in American politics and life.
• It encourages free enterprise, the individual entrepreneur, and economic reforms grounded in market solutions.
• It supports America's national interest in advancing freedom and opposing tyranny in the world and prudently considers what we can and should do to that end.
• It informs conservatism's firm defense of family, neighborhood, community, and faith.

If we are to succeed in the critical political and policy battles ahead, we must be certain of our purpose.

We must begin by retaking and resolutely defending the high ground of America's founding principles.

Icicles, Inside and Out

From an op-ed in The New York Times by Maureen Dowd:

WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama knew that the snow clogging the capital would melt a lot sooner than Dick Cheney's heart.

But when he saw that Cheney was going on ABC's Saturday morning show with Jonathan Karl, he braved the ultimate lion's den. He took Jonathan Alter's advice in Newsweek and called the former vice president to set up a private meeting in the Oval Office, hoping to use any combination of diplomacy and tongue-lashing that would make Cheney quit calling him weak.

Obama invited Bob Gates to the Saturday summit. Gates, after all, had originally been brought in as defense secretary as W. to be a common-sense counterbalance to the batty Cheney.

The president prides himself on winning over hostile audiences, but this challenge would give a peacock pause.

The three men sat before the fire in the Oval.

OBAMA: Look, Dick, you've called me out on various particulars. And I have no problem with that. That's politics. You thought Khalid Shaikh Mohammed should not be tried in New York City, and that's fine.

And we both know that any blowhard can call me weak. But you're not just any blowhard, Dick. You were the architect of America's defense against terrorism. And when those folks sitting in a cave in Waziristan hear you chest-thumping, saying our guard is down, they think, "Hey, this might be a good time to attack."

You believe in the unitary executive. You believe that if the president says something is in the national security interest of the U.S., then it is. So I am the president now, and I'm telling you that you need to put a sock in it.

CHENEY: What are you going to do about it, Hussein? Mirandize me?

GATES: Dick, the president's right. When a former vice president calls a new president weak, it emboldens terrorists.

CHENEY (contemptuously looking at Gates with his one-sided smile): If you take the king's coins, you sing the king's song.

OBAMA: You keep saying there were no terror attacks after 9/11, Dick. That's like saying that blimps were safe after the Hindenburg. I wouldn't have been caught flat-footed reading "The Pet Goat" to second graders.

CHENEY: No, you'd have been teaching a graduate seminar on "The Pet Goat." Don't you Muslims eat pet goats?

OBAMA (shaking head in disgust): You have the audacity to say I'm "pretending" we're not at war. You let the Taliban regroup. I sent 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. I've quadrupled the number of drone attacks in Pakistan. The prisoners who returned to terrorism after being released from Gitmo did so under your watch. You released one of the terrorists behind the foiled Christmas Day plot into an art therapy program in Saudi Arabia. Nice work, Dr. Phil.

CHENEY: You're such a Nervous Nellie you can't even use the words "war," "win," "terrorism," "enemy combatant," "Bomb Iran," "Fire Eric Holder" or "Fire John Brennan."

OBAMA: You and W. like Brennan well enough to put him in charge of the National Counterterrorism Center. And I didn't want an attorney general who was a rubber stamp on torture.

CHENEY: The tea partiers agree with me about torture, and that's why you're already over, Mr. Charisma. First you lost Teddy Kennedy's sea. Now you've lost his kid. Scott Brown will wipe the floor with you in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

GATES: Speaking of Scott, the new 41, why can't you be classy in retirement like the original 41, Dick?

CHENEY: Scott's an All-American winner -- Sarah Palin with better legs and less sarcasm. And the hair extensions make her seem even more phony.

OBAMA: Consensus, at last.

CHENEY: You, on the other hand, have about as much hair on your chest as a hairless Chihuahua. Michelle has the biceps in this family.

OBAMA: Michelle is campaigning against obesity. You might listen up on that, Dick. At least the women in my family aren't Mini-Me's trash-talking about the commander in chief.

CHENEY (growling): Liz and I are right! You're on the terrorist team!

GATES: Calm down, Dick. You don't want to end up in the hospital like poor Bill Clinton.

CHENEY: Joe Biden's going to end up in the hospital if he brags again that Iraq will "be one of the greatest achievements" of your administration.

OBAMA: If I don't get re-elected, it will be because you ruined the country beyond even my ability to rescue it. Remember when you said deficits don't matter, Dick?

CHENEY: Stop whining, Mr. Radical Chic. You won't get a second term because you're letting America fall into second place. Put that in your teleprompter.

OBAMA: Why don't you go help W. with Haiti instead of spewing paranoia?

CHENEY (stomping out): Is that your Indonesian birth certificate in the Oval vault?

GATES: So, that went well.

Anyone else catch Dowd's opening error?

"Capitol," not "capital."

The Real Polichick 1, NYT 0.

South Carolina charges terrorists $5 registration fee

According to the Digital Journal:

South Carolina's Subversive Registration Act goes into effect

Terrorists who endeavor to overthrow the US government have to register with South Carolina's office of the Secretary of State declaring their intentions, the name of any organization they work for, and all the members of that organization. Should they fail to do so, they could face a $25,000 fine, and up to 10 years in prison.

The "Subversive Activities Registration Act," which was passed a year ago, and has now actually gone into effect, orders that "every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States ... shall register with the Secretary of State."

Luckily, the filing fee is low, just $5 per organization.

In defining "subversive organization," South Carolina now claims that "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing, or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State" can be regarded as a terrorist organization.

While this is clearly a redundant law, it's hardly the first time the state has doubled down on certain crimes. South Carolina also has a law on the books that requires that drug dealers declare their illegal earnings, or face stiff fines, and additional jail time.

However, at least one South Carolina blog finds this new law beyond the pale. FITSNews calls the law bureaucracy for terrorists" and pulls no punches in criticizing it.

"In the long and stories history of utterly retarded legislation in South Carolina, we may have finally found the legal statute that takes the cake for sheer stupidity, which we think you'll agree is saying something."

A copy of the registration form can be found here.

Politics and iconography

PJTV offers an interesting analysis of iconography in politics, particularly President Barack Obama's famous symbol:

I like this comment by one YouTube viewer:

All of us who are in the marketing and graphic design fields know that what this man says is true. What he fails to say is that it is not the first time and ALL POLITICIANS do it . Obama just has a better Marketing team behind him. The US did it during WWII, FDR did it, Castro, Kennedy, Nixon, Hitler, a graphic designer, used design for propaganda, hence his brand the Swastika. Branding and marketing are not the problem. The problem is what is being "sold" and bought by the unsuspecting

Money bomb for Marco Rubio

I received an e-mail today from Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Conservatives Fund, titled "No More Stimulus Hugs" (as in this hug). DeMint has jumped on the bandwagon of support for Marco Rubio, bringing national attention to the Florida race for governor. Borrowing a tactic used in the recent Massachusetts Senate race, DeMint is holding today a "money bomb" for Rubio:

Dear Friend:

I'm writing to call your attention to a very important race for the U.S. Senate and to ask for your help.

As you know, Marcio Rubio, the former state Speaker of the House, is running against Governor Charlie Crist for the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida. Marco Rubio is a principled conservative but his opponent is an Arlen Spector Republican.

As chairman of the Senate Conservatives Fund, I'm organizing a "money bomb" to raise support for Marco Rubio's campaign. This fundraising sprint will conclude this Wednesday, February 10 so please join me by making a contribution today at RubioMoneyBomb.com.

The outcome of this race in Florida is critical. It's a choice between a candidate who will consistently stand up and fight for limited government and more freedom, and one who has been too quick to compromise for political gain.

On February 10, 2009, Governor Crist cleared his schedule to stand on a stage with President Obama in Ft. Meyers, Florida. Governor Crist used the opportunity to embrace the President and campaign for the $787 billion stimulus bill.

One year later, we have a mountain of new debt and millions of lost jobs. This is not the kind of record voters should reward with a seat in the United States Senate.

This is why we have chosen February 10 as the date for the money bomb for Marco Rubio. We have a set goal of raising $100,000, which will begin to provide him with the resources he needs to fight in the false and misleading attacks Governor Cirst is making against him.

Thousands of Americans recently supported a money bomb for Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts, which raised $1.3 million for his campaign in just 24 hours. If we can raise just a fraction of that amount for Marco Rubio's campaign, it will give him the funds he needs to win.

If the Massachusetts Senate race taught us anything, it's that voters want leaders who will stand up for common-sense, conservative principles. Marco Rubio is that kind of leader. He will fight to stop the massive spending, bailouts, and takeovers that are being forced on us by politicians in Washington.

Marco Rubio believes in constitutional limits, a balanced budget, and individual liberty. These are not radical ideas. They are the principles of freedom that have made America great, and we desperately need new leaders in teh Senate like Marco Rubio who will fight to defend them.

Please join me and the thousands of freedom-loving Americans across the country who are supporting Marco Rubio.

Make a secure, online contribution at RubioMoneyBomb.com to support Marco Rubio's Senate campaign right now. You can contribute any amount you like -- $25, $100, $500, or even $4,800. Then forward this email to your friends so they can add their contributions to the effort.

A number of Republican leaders in Washington endorsed Governor Crist last year and justified it by saying he was the most electable candidate. They were wrong. Polls now show that voters in Florida prefer Marco Rubio because of his principled leadership.

But Governor Crist has a sizable campaign war chest and he is using it against Rubio. We must fight back and this money bomb is a perfect way to do it.

Marco Rubio is fighting liberals, progressives, and establishment Republicans because he is a genuine conservative who wants to save freedom and restore the trust of the American people.

Marco Rubio has embraced the ideas and energy of the tea parties,town halls, and grassroots rallies, and that's why he is now leading in the polls. We need to push him over the top and send the Republican establishment a message.

Please make a contribution today to Marco Rubio's Senate campaign. Your support will help put a rock-solid conservative in the Senate so there are no more stimulus hugs.

Thank you for your consideration. With your help, I'm confident we will strengthen the Senate and take back our country.

Sincerely,

Klein's State of the Union (or State of Boca)

Nearly two weeks after President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address, Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, gave his own today.

Klein spoke about bills he helped pass in the past year, namely legislation that (his words, mine):

• Toughen restrictions on abusive practices by credit card companies. OK. We've all been hurt by unfair practices.
• Provide the largest expansion of student aid for college in history -- making over 4,000 students in the 22nd District eligible for Pell Grants. Largest expansion = more federal funding = more spending = higher taxes ...
• Open the door to innovative stem cell research to create jobs and cure disease at facilities like the Scripps Research Institute and Max Planck Institute in Jupiter. This was our original plan when I worked with the Governor bush to bring Scripps here to South Florida, and with the new law, we will see these high-tech facilities and their spin-offs make real strides. Scripps was an expensive project. Does "open the door ... to create jobs" mean more tax dollars went to Scripps? And why haven't these institutes made "real strides" already? What have they been doing? (And "the" Gov. Bush?)
• Create jobs with an economic stimulus package that gave tax cuts to 95 percent of working Americans. Many folks don't realize this, but 2/3 of the money spent by the stimulus went directly into the hands of the families in the form of tax cuts. And frankly, that's the way it should be; we need to be creating jobs in the short term and providing tangible benefits to our community in the long term. Frankly, you're damn right about creating jobs that have quick turnaround results and benefits. But why are spending money on the stimulus only to give families a tax break? Why not have the tax break without the stimulus? They seem to cancel each other out ...
• Will close the prescription drug "donut hole" and deliver a 50 percent credit on the cost of brand-name medications. I authored an amendment that said seniors who currently have a Medicare Advantage plan they like should be able to keep it. Well, thank you for letting senior citizens keep their own plans!
• Allows states to come together and pool their [environmental] risk in order to bring down costs. ... This is not a Democratic or Republican issue -- I am proud to say our bill is co-sponsored by over 50 Members of Congress, representing both political parties and more than 25 different states. So, what happens if five earthquakes happen in California, but Florida doesn't see any hurricanes? Do Floridians have to help pay for California's cleanup?

Yes, I'm a critic, but I hope Klein proves me wrong. I know he has good intentions. And I really hope I can believe him when he says this:

Like any family facing tough times, Washington has to be willing to tighten its belt. As a deficit hawk and fiscal conservative, I believe in this principle, and I believe we should review the federal budget line-by-line and squeeze out every possible penny of savings, including cutting programs that aren't working or that duplicate each other.

"Deficit hawk and fiscal conservative"? Come on, even Republicans have said that, and they fooled us all!

Click here to read Klein's speech.

Huckabee: Declare your independencefrom big government

From Mike Huckabee, as featured on Human Events:

Dear Concerned American,

Soon after Barack Obama was elected President in 2008, a town in Alabama voted to make November 4th an annual holiday in his honor.

If the Democrats in Congress ever get around to doing the same thing -- and don't be shocked if they do -- let me suggest a name for the new Federal holiday.

"Dependence Day."

Let's face it: the day America voted for "change," what we got instead was something more like the complete demolition of self-reliance, one of our most revered American traditions, dating back to the Declaration of Independence itself.

"Change," as it has become evident, now means that Americans no longer need to rely on ourselves or our families, churches, businesses, or other private associations to meet our most pressing needs. All we need is one entity: the federal government.

Out of work? Don't worry -- it will "create" a make-work government job for you, by siphoning money from the private sector and destroying other people's jobs.

Need a car or a mortgage or a student loan? You've come to the right place -- the only place, actually, since it's taking over the auto and banking industries.

Need medical attention? This way to the Obamacare waiting room -- where the unionized nursing assistant will see you ... eventually.

That, my friend, is the future the Obamacrats are preparing for us. Will they succeed? Only if we don't fight back.

But don't think that we can wait until the 2010 and 2012 elections to do it. If we do, the burdens of higher taxes, soaring inflation, and widespread joblessness could well make the challenge of providing for ourselves and our families so extreme that we'll not only stop resisting the drive for an all-providing Big Government, but we'll start begging for it.

And that, frankly, is what the Obamacrats are hoping for.

That's why it's so important for each and every one of us [to] do what we can to throw off the yoke of Dependence Day. To reclaim our independence from Big Government here and now -- so that we can survive, even thrive, until that happy day when America tells the Obamacrats and their Dear Leader himself where to go (electorally speaking).

First Coast to celebrate birth of Tea Party

The First Coast Tea Party is hosting a birthday party in honor of the anniversary of the Tea Party movement.

When: Feb. 27, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: The grounds of the Zamar Center, 8493 Baymeadows Way, Jacksonville.

RSVP: firstcoastteaparty@gmail.com.

What can you expect?

• Tea Party information booths.
• A "Let Freedom Sing" concert (unclear who will perform).
• Carnival-like food, such as hot dogs and apple pie, as well as tea, of course.
• A showing of "TEA PARTY: The Documentary Film."

What should you bring?

• Family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.
• Lawn chairs or blankets for sitting on the ground.
• Warm, comfortable clothing and shoes.
• Donations are accepted.

Gainesville Tea Party rally draws more than 1,000

The Gainesville Tea Party held its first rally Saturday, which apparently was a success.

Karianne Williams, president of the group, told The Gainesville Sun that its "main objective is to educate our members about the Constitution, our Founding Fathers, liberty. Our other main objective ... is vetting candidates. We want to pull out information for our group and the community so they know more about who they are electing." The Gainesville chapter will not endorse candidates, she said.

The Sun reports about the rally below:

More than 1,000 people from across North Florida who are concerned about government spending, regulations and other issues converged in Gainesville for the first official rally held by the Gainesville Tea Party.

Politicians and political activists called for a decrease in the size of government and an increased focus on the U.S. Constitution, which some believe is being subverted by current lawmakers.

"As we face barbarism at the gate ... we need you, brothers and sisters, for this fight," said Tom Gaitens, field coordinator for FreedomWorks. "We need to spotlight members of both parties who care more about their 40 pieces of silver than the Constitution, more about their 40 pieces of silver than doing what is right. We know we were founded as a nation of Christian principles -- were we not? -- and we were gifted this great nation. As stewards of this great nation, we need to stand strong together."

Read more.

Born again American

I'm a born again American, conceived in liberty. My bible and the Bill of Rights, my creed's equality. I'm a born again American, my country 'tis of me, and everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea.

Those are the lyrics for the chorus of "Born Again American," a song written by a man named Keith Caradine and performed in the video below by Americans from across the country.

It's a cool video and worth watching with the sound up. I can't imagine the work put into coordinating this project.

The song is featured on the Web site Born Again American, which is "an initiative of Declare Yourself, a national non-partisan, non-profit (501(c)3) organization dedicated to increasing young voter participation and civic involvement."

Sounds like a good cause. There's also a pledge you can sign to recommit yourself to the Declaration of Independence.

State of the Union analyses

This is coming a little late, but here are a couple analyses of President Barack Obama's recent State of the Union address.

The first, the video below, comes from the Cato Institute. The second is from the Telegraph, a British daily newspaper.

State of the Union: Barack Obama gets

an F for world leadership

As expected, Barack Obama’s 70 minute State of the Union address focused heavily on the economy and the domestic political agenda. This was hardly surprising in the aftermath of last week’s catastrophic defeat for his party in the Massachusetts special Senate election, where the Republicans scored an historic victory. American voters are turning strongly against the president’s health care reform package as well as his big government vision for the economy, which has contributed to spiraling public debt and mounting unemployment, now standing at over 10 percent.

But the scant attention paid in the State of the Union speech to US leadership was pitiful and frankly rather pathetic. The war in Afghanistan, which will soon involve a hundred thousand American troops, merited barely a paragraph. There was no mention of victory over the enemy, just a reiteration of the president’s pledge to begin a withdrawal in July 2011. Needless to say there was nothing in the speech about the importance of international alliances, and no recognition whatsoever of the sacrifices made by Great Britain and other NATO allies alongside the United States on the battlefields of Afghanistan. For Barack Obama the Special Relationship means nothing, and tonight’s address further confirmed this.

Significantly, the global war against al-Qaeda was hardly mentioned, and there were no measures outlined to enhance US security at a time of mounting threats from Islamist terrorists. Terrorism is a top issue for American voters, but President Obama displayed what can only be described as a stunning indifference towards the defence of the homeland.

Read more.

Grade the government

How would you grade your representative?

At GradeGov.com, you can rate your representatives on an A-F grading scale and send them a comment telling them why they earned the grade they did.

Registration to the Web site is required to participate in the grading process, so I'm not sure whether this means you'll be on an e-mail list.

My local representative, Democrat Bill Nelson, has earned a failing grade and 107 pages of comments. Among them (the initials in parenthesis indicate the commenters' political affiliation):

Seahawk (IND), FL writes
I gave you a grade of F. I was a supporter of yours when you first went to Washington. That has changed over the past several years as you have drifted away from the principles of American Freedom in Health care, welfare,...

Savage170 (IND), FL writes
I gave you a grade of F. From the recent e-mail i have received from you you still don't get it and what the citzens of florida are telling you. Maybe you get it when your unemployed come 2012

Bdjam (REP), FL writes
I gave you a grade of F. Please hold town hall meetings to cover the health care, cap & tax and the deficit issues. We need to know where you stand and have our questions and concerns answered. I will give you no grade above...

Mollyc (DEM), FL writes
I GAVE YOU A GRADE OF F. WHY DID YOU VOTE TO RAISE THE DEBT OF EVERY AMERICAN ANOTHER $6,000 PER PERSON BY RAISING THE DEBT CEILING TO 14,300,000,000,000? YOU ARE PUTTING MORE AND MORE DEBT ON OUR GRANDKIDS.

Pack for CPAC!

Registration is now open to attend the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference, held Feb. 18-20 in Washington, D.C.

The annual event features three days of banquets, meet-and-greets and workshops geared toward conservative activism, such as "Saving Freedom from a Big Government Agenda: Liberate to Stimulate," "The Rise of Latino Conservatism" and "Blogging, Tweeting and Other Funny Words That Grow the Movement."

Always a big event for big conservative names, CPAC this year will feature guests such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, political commentator Ann Coulter, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio and FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey.

The highlight of the event, as always, will be the closing keynote speaker, political commentator Glenn Beck. Last year's keynote speaker was radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

Registration fees range from $25 for students to attend the three days of general sessions to $750 for a package that includes admission to the general sessions, exclusive banquets and CPAC events, a one-year membership to the American Conservative Union, the latest edition of the the ACU's Congressional Ratings Book and the right to use the "express bypass lanes" to enter the main ballroom and book signings.

Click here to register.

The price of a hug

Gov. Charlie Crist, R-Fla., has a special anniversary coming up.

No, it's not his wedding anniversary. It's his hugging anniversary.

A year ago, Crist revealed his RINO qualities when he touted President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan. He signed his seal of approval with an embrace, as he hugged Obama after introducing him at a rally in Fort Myers, Fla.

All together now: Aaawwwww!

I could have used a hug after we added another $787 billion to the deficit. (Apparently hugs don't come free these days.)

To celebrate the special anniversary of another hypocrite Republican leader quite literally embracing Democratic ideals of spend, spend, spend, FreedomWorks is hosting Feb. 10 "The Hug" Rally, a reenactment of The Hug at its original site a year to the day it was born.

The free event takes place at the Harborside Event Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and features speeches by Dick Army, chairman of FreedomWorks, and Marco Rubio, Crist's contender for governor. Additionally, representatives from "60 Minutes," "Anderson Cooper 360" and "Hardball with Chris Matthews" will be present.

Crist faces a tough battle to keep his position as support for Rubio continues to grow. A poll released this week from Rasmussen Reports shows Rubio holds a 12-point lead over Crist.

See below to relive The Hug, which plays at 3:45. I feel warm, fuzzy and backstabbed just watching it.


Increase the deficit? Sure! Let's hug on it!

Coulter: How to protect your money from the "Obamunists"

From Ann Coulter:

Dear Fellow Conservative,

Despite recent setbacks, the free-market revolution unleashed by Ronald Reagan continues to make strides in country after country.

Unfortunately, those countries don't include the United States.

Here, the trend is towards what has been dubbed "Obamunism," which, if coined by one of his czars, was surely meant as a compliment. This same economic philosophy used to be known as Carternomics, described by Reagan as: "If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it."

But back to the good news ...

Surprisingly, the latest country to show signs of new economic freedom is, of all places, Cuba -- where, according to the Washington Post, "The Cuban government, in its most dramatic reform since [Raul] Castro took over for his ailing older brother Fidel three years ago, is offering private farmers ... the use of fallow state lands to grow crops -- for a profit."

In fact, it's working so well, they're even thinking about renaming "The Bay of Pigs" to "The Bay of Capitalist Pigs" ... But I digress ...

Even more surprisingly, the Post didn't include some derogatory qualifier before the word "profits" in the sentence quoted above, perhaps having recently noticed the desirability of "profits" on account of the absence of such a concept from the Post's balance sheet. It's so bad over there, the Washington Post's Facebook account was recently de-friended by the IRS Fan Page.

Maybe U.S. pharmaceutical companies should think about relocating to Cuba. Just being awarded Fidel Castro's personal prescription benefit account would be worth a small fortune.

Of course, the Cubans don't call what they're doing "capitalism," just as Obama doesn't call what he's doing "socialism" -- and just as Ralph Nadar doesn't call his hair "Bird's Nestism," Joe Biden's doctor doesn't call his condition "Diarrhea of the Mouth-ism," Nancy Pelosi's plastic surgeon doesn't call her "his annuity," and Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't call it, well, I couldn't really understand what he said ...

Instead, Raul Castro is calling it "the new Socialist model." (If they were smart, they would focus on the newest Eastern European models -- but enough about Charlie Sheen.) Which is almost as Orwellian as Barack Obama calling his proposed government takeover of one-sixth of the American economy as an attempt to "foster competition."

And it's not just communist countries like Cuba, China, and Vietnam, noticing the benefits of the free market. Even godless, European social welfare states are throwing off the shackles of socialism. Despite incessant claims that the "rest of the world hates us," Germany just elected a center-right coalition that promised to slash taxes, entitlements, and regulatory burdens on businesses.

Every country in the world is becoming more like America, except America, which is becoming more like Finland.

But don't move to Cuba yet! At least wait until Nancy Pelosi's husband buys property there -- then you know it will prosper. As Ronald Reagan said: You can always trust the American people. Sure, they make stupid mistakes now and then, but, if history is a guide, the backlash to the high tax/low growth policies of a Democratic House, Democratic Senate, and Democratic President should be spectacular. It's currently scheduled for November 2012, with spring training beginning in November 2010 .

Then happy days will really be here again.