The chatter amongst the Inside-the-Beltway C&CCS* set is the recent flare up in the barely simmering ideological flame war between the Establishment “Main Street Republican” Decepticons and grassroots Tea Party activists leading into the 2014 election cycle for the very soul and future direction of “Conservatism” in America.
In addition to not-so-subtle chats with martial industry lobbyists, at a fundraiser held in early November McConnell personally demanded Defense contractors pony up to stop the Tea Party assault or face a defense contract spending drought in the next Congress.

Sources close to the discussions state McConnell is looking for deep pockets to fund his “one issue” campaign to “teach” those who seek to primary “approved” Establishment Republicans a “lesson” as some type of ill conceived anodynic salve that will simultaneously heal the internecine rupture and rally the troops while affirmatively castigating the wayward “wild eyed” Tea Party patriots and extinguishing any lingering questions about his impoverished ability to lead fence sitting middle America into rallying behind a resurgent majority Republican Congress. Overall support from the defense industries has tapered significantly since the 2008 cycle, and McConnell is demanding they open the spigot – wide.

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 (Via Allahpundit)  Here’s Matheson’s announcement. He’s only 53 years old. Either there’s some as-yet-unknown bad news that’s forced him out or, as a Democrat from Utah, he’s tired of fighting for his political life every two years.
In 2002 he won his race by fewer than 1,700 votes. Last year, against tea-party favorite Mia Love (pictured) and with Mitt Romney at the top of the ballot, he won by fewer than 800 — despite having trailed in one poll by 12 points heading into election day.
Love already declared in May that she’d challenge him again next year; maybe he looked at the political landscape, especially with what’s in store for ObamaCare, and figured he might as well retire before the voters eventually retire him.  (link)

Looks like there’s another congressional seat who doesn’t want to Run on the new Pelosi/Wasserman-Schultz campaign message pictured here in this logo.   

The Denver Post re-edited their initial story removing the reference to the shooter being a socialist. When challenged about why that decision was reached the editor of the DP began a series of obfuscations and ridiculous explanations:

@Whatwesettlefor We decided not to have another student apply a label to the shooter — a label the student likely didn't even understand ..

— Lee Ann Colacioppo (@LAColacioppo) December 14, 2013

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So Speaker John Boehner doesn’t LIKE US ?

In 2009 we had a decision to make.   Either assemble our rapidly growing force under a new structure, a new political party; or align and take over an existing structure, and existing political party.     A prudent decision was made in 2010 to just take over an existing structure – Conservatives became insurgents within the Republican Party.
Initially the GOP saw benefit to our association.   Through us they could gain back the House of Representatives, and we did.   We handed them the gavel as a stop-gap measure to slow the growth of the infection, big government, that was killing our freedom.
But the GOP doesn’t like us.   We are not *their* type of people.  We are surly, deliberate, loud and, according to them, unrefined extremists, jihobbits and terrorists and such.   They consider us a rowdy bunch more comfy with a beer straight from the bottle and incapable of appreciating the aroma of their preferred vintages.
In short, they don’t like us.  We represent a risk to their influence, careers and livelihoods built upon retention of power.
Screw em’. (more…)

Allow me to establish from the outset that what Rand Paul is trying is valiant, admirable, and needed.   However, simultaneously he is up against a massive institutional complex which has designed the architecture of dependency and need it to remain.

“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system.
For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones.”  (link)

Some may dismiss what Rand Paul is actually trying to promote, I do not.
Beyond policy is something more important – engagement.
The greatest consideration a person or enterprise can give is the gift of understanding. As much as Rand Paul is offering policy suggestions to improve inner cities, he is engaged and listening.
However, one of the unfortunate realities he faces, which actually establishes the slope of the climb he is attempting, is the reality of dependency.
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I post this today in honor of WaltzingMtilda – In the history of our Republic there has never been a concept of a small voice.

So long as one little member of the wolverine rebel alliance is able to escape the constraints of oppression; to voice righteous, albeit perhaps minority, dissent, and choose to live free, the infection of liberty will remain alive.

Brilliant parody ad for GOP Candidate Mike Collins (GA-10).   This commercial reflects a vibrancy, an ‘out of box’ new thinking, that can be infectious.  It is brilliant.

If the GOP is going to break the crusty dopey branding they are insufferably famous for –  this kind of enthusiastic risk taking is what sends an effective message.
I don’t know anything about Mike Collins per se’ but I do hold a remarkable level of appreciation for the 2010 freshman Tea-Party class of conservatives who have stood steadfast in the face of adversity from all sides.   That coalition can’t be bought and it’s driving the Dems, the media, and the establishment GOP nuts.    This Mike Collins type of approach is reinforcement for that group of reps who have patriotically held the line.

All we want for Christmas is a solid semblance of Hope.

Hope that Senator Mitch McConnell will be defeated in the Kentucky primary next May. Beyond that, who knows?….

But Marc Thiessen makes a good case for Scott Walker 2016. Read it HERE
Actually, if you begin with the end in mind, it will take a McConnell defeat to even make the consideration of a Walker nomination possible.
What do you think ?

This Thanksgiving Day powerful TV ads air across the state of Texas “thanking” Senator Ted Cruz for leading the fight against Barack Obama’s failed ObamaCare healthcare scheme. The ads are running during the highly-rated NFL Thanksgiving Day football games and during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on one-dozen (12) TV stations across Texas.

Breitbart has a great interview and outline available where they interview Mitch McConnell’s primary challenger, Matt Bevin. Here are some excerpts:
[…] There is a tug of war going on between ‘We the People’ who still believe at the ballot box that this is a government by and for us. And it’s a battle between us and those who think it’s by and for a handful and that that handful gets to self-select and self-profligate and self-choose who’s next in line.”
[…] We are as a nation, and I don’t care what side of the aisle people are on, seventy-plus percent of Americans strongly believe that we’re on the wrong path financially and I couldn’t agree more,” he stated. “The path we’re on financially is unsustainable. And I look at my children and I think I can leave money to them, I can try to leave businesses to them, but to have in what type of America? What type of a world?” (more…)