Barbara Bush, R.I.P.

A much beloved First Lady, a tireless advocate for getting
children to begin reading good and early, and a loving
wife and mother of presidents (and a governor who also,
albeit briefly, was a presidential candidate), Barbara Bush
led an extraordinary life, in terms of longevity, experience,
and accomplishment. The matriarch to an almost-politically
dynastic family, Barbara Bush was known for her sharp wit,
her outspokenness on important issues, and her love for and
loyalty to her family.

The 92-year-old wife of President George H.W. Bush and mother
of President George W. Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush
was a combination of the loving, white-haired grandmother
who dotes on her grandchildren and bakes cookies for them
(and for the entire family) and an advocate for things that she
thought important for American society to have. Mrs. Bush also
accomplished something that only one other woman in American
history had been able to accomplish; being the wife of a president
and the mother of another. She would have been the first, and only
woman in our country's history to have been the mother of two
presidents if Jeb had won the 2016 Republican presidential
nomination and the general election (both of which, of course,
had been won by Donald J. Trump). But Barbara Bush was
not the least bit bothered by missing out on this distinction;
she was reported to have remarked that there had been enough
Bushes in the White House already. The lady had no dynastic
dreams or intentions, but wanted instead to have her family be
happy and successful in their endeavors, be they politics,
business, the military, or whatever else would raise interest.

After spending much of the last few years of her life in and out
of hospitals for various ailments, Barbara Bush chose to spend
her final days at home with her family, having comfort care
rather than medical care, so as not to prolong her suffering the
effects of her illness unnecessarily. She went to her Creator
just two days ago, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter,
care, and joy for her family and for us all. Rest in Peace,
Mrs. Bush. Yours was a life well lived.



MEM

A Major Washington Figure Steps Down

Your frazzled Peasant is grabbing some precious time
to return to comment on an seismic event which took
place just yesterday, causing reverberations throughout
the country's political scene. House Speaker Paul Ryan
announced his resignation from both his position and his
seat in the House of Representatives, effective in January
2019. Ryan will not seek re-election, opting to call and end
to a long and successful political career which began when
he was in his twenties.

During his time as Speaker, Ryan conducted himself honorably
but seemed to have some trouble grasping some of the necessary
functions of the office of the third most powerful government
official in the land. First, he was never temperamentally suited
for the job. And he didn't even want it. Ryan had to be persuaded
into accepting the position when his predecessor, John Boehner,
resigned after a disastrous performance fomented dissent in
the Republican ranks in the House. The most successful speakers
have been master salesmen (and manipulators), or have had
dynamic, charismatic personalities, or were hard-nosed enpough
to bully their agendas through their chamber. Ryan had none of
this; he simply brought a love for the law and a desire to serve
the people of his Janesville, Wisconsin district and the American
people as a whole to his jobs as a U.S. representative and House
Speaker.

Ryan was also not able to keep a wave of pork and waste out of
the recently passed Omnibus Budget Bill, and voted for its
passage in order to ensure that some better provisions would
go through, namely seeing to it that the military would get the
funding for the wherewithal to do its job in Afghanistan, where
we are still at war, as well as to train and equip  new recruits.
this did not please the GOP base; in fact, they called him a RINO
and wanted him removed from the Speaker's post. Moreover,
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell led his caucus to vote
against measures that Ryan and his caucus passed which would
have reduced both spending and the deficit. Ryan's forte was
being a detail man, a policy wonk; he is not a gut-fighter who
would battle for every policy, every idea, every dollar to save,
spend, or redirect with people on both sides of the aisle ---
and sometimes his counterpart in the Senate and even the
president himself.

Finally, Ryan wants to spend more time with his family. He had
commented that he gets to see them only on weekends, and he
doesn't want his children to think of and remember him as hust
someone who was there only on weekends and the rest of the
time see their dad on TV and that's all. A decent and caring
family man, as well as a fine public servant, who is losing the
balance he wanted so much to maintain between his duty to
his family and that to his constituents. Never an easy thing to
do for anyone in government, especially Congress.

A few gremlins in his speakership, to be sure. But Paul Ryan
was always loyal to the people who entrusted him with the
House seat they elected and re-elected him to. A misunderstood,
hard-working, dedicated member of Congress, and a devoted
husband and father. At the end of the day, these are the things
that most count. Thank you, Rep. Paul Ryan, for your service,
and God bless you and your future endeavors.


MEM

A Breather is Called For

Friends, your favorite Peasant has to take a few days
to get caught up on some personal chores and also get
some rest. But not to worry, I'll be back with you very
soon!

Meantime, enjoy this fine online conservative publication:

National Review Online  www.nationalreview.com


Thank you for your understanding and indulgence!



MEM

Bright Easter Tidings!

Your faithful Peasant wishes all of you, my fantastic readers,
a most beautiful, joyful, happy Easter! I am certainly looking
forward to this beautiful holiday to not only recharge my
batteries, but to commemorate and give thanks and praise
to the One whom Easter is all about. He gave us a gift far
bigger, more grand, and more beautiful gift than the
Easter Bunny ever could!

Your beloved Peasant is a proud American, but is absolutely
God and Country, in that order. I give thanks to God for our
beautiful country and to have been born and raised in it, as well
as to his Son Jesus Christ for his gift to us all for which He
paid a terrible cost. May we be worthy of His gift, and do so
by helping our dear country always live up to its lofty
standards by living up to the standards which we as her
citizens are charged with keeping.


MEM

Thoughts on the U.S. Senate Race in Wisconsin

Two Republican candidates have emerged to vie for the GOP
nomination to challenge incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator
Tammy Baldwin for the seat she was elected to six years ago.
One time Democrat activist (now a newcomer to the Republican
Party), former Marine, and current businessman Kevin Nicholson
is challenging State Senator Leah Vukmir, who previously served
in the state assembly. Both candidates are strong conservatives;
Nicholson having previously been a Democrat and has stated
that he became a Republican during his time in the Marine Corps
in which he saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. As he explained
his leaving the Democrats and their liberalism for the Republicans
and conservatism, "I used to do nothing and know everything.
But since then we've had three kids, I fought in two wars, and I
worked in businesses around the world ... after you've been hit in
the face with that mush reality, you cannot help but become a
strong conservative." Indeed.

But in the meantime, State Sen. Vukmir has built a reputation as
a strong, principled, consistent conservative voice in both chambers
of the Wisconsin Legislature, earning the confidence and with it the
votes of her constituents and the praise of conservatives in the party
and throughout the state. She has been a key figure in crafting and
passing Gov. Scott Walker's conservative reform initiatives, including
the historic Act 10, which clamped down on the heavy influence of
the public sector workers' unions resulting in making more leeway
for school districts as well as municipalities and counties to create
budgets granting more money to, among other things, school programs
as well as providing income and property tax relief. During the
"Occupation" of the State Capitol by the public employee union
members along with sundry far-left wing sympathizers promoting
their own extremist agendae, where some of the occupiers threatened
some Republican legislators, in an effort to intimidate them into
backing down from helping Gov. Walker, Sen. Vukmir unflinchingly
cast her vote for each and every initiative, every bill designed
to assist Gov. Walker's reform efforts in making Wisconsin affordable
and livable for people, their families, and stable for their jobs and
their businesses. While Kevin Nicholson is to be thanked and honored
for his military service and sacrifice, he does not have the experience
and savvy that Leah Vukmir has; besides, Sen. Vukmir would take
away a very big rhetorical weapon from U.S. Sen. Baldwin: the
incumbent cannot play the Gender Card, and say things like "Well,
that's typical of my (male) opponent to say that. But he does not have
the woman's perspective on this issue ..." and then try to frame the
debate so as to make the Democrats (and with them the Left) more
in synch with female voters. The incumbent would have to fight
Sen. Vukmir on equal ground and footing, and would therefore have
a more difficult task.Leah could demonstrate that not all, or even
most, female voters in Wisconsin share Sen. Baldwin's views on
many of the political issues Wisconsin and the country faces, and in
fact prefer legislation which reflects a reliance on less statist ideas for
meeting these challenges.

Then there is the ad in support of the Club for Growth, a conservative
advocacy group which supports a less expansive and costly approach
to government, especially concerning taxation and business regulation.
In November 2017, they e-mailed a fundraising appeal to their backers
urging them to donate to Nicholson's campaign rather than Vukmir's,
because they claim that Sen. Vukmir is a RINO (Republican in Name
Only). Given her record in Madison, which your diligent Peasant has
illustrated in the last paragraph of this post, this is not only patently
dishonest, it is scurrilous, dirty, and rotten! When conservative radio
talker Dan O'Donnell asked Nicholson on his show if he would dis-
avow the ad, Nicholson did a little verbal soft shoe, resulting in neither
disavowing nor supporting the e-mail and the slur on Sen. Vukmir's
good name and reputation. Not very reassuring.

And what would be the fallout from the Republicans' senate primary?
Regardless of who would win, there would be hard feelings and
overspent campaign advertising monies. We cannot afford a repeat
of the fiasco that occurred six years ago, which gave us Sen.
Baldwin in the first place. This radical left-winger has truly been an
accidental senator, someone who does not truly represent Wisconsin
values and concerns.

So, your faithful Peasant stands by his endorsement of Leah Vukmir
for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. She has without
question been a tried and true, tested by fire, stalwart conservative and
a champion for the principles of limited government. Nicholson,
meanwhile, is coming off as a fly-by-night candidate, which could
result in a painful backlash when Wisconsin Republicans go to the
polls to decide on a nominee to send to the general election.
We'll wait and see what happens.


MEM

Wishing Everyone Saint Patrick's Day Cheer!

Your part-Irish but totally proud to be so Peasant wishes you,
my grand readers, a beautiful, enjoyable, and fantastic Saint
Patrick's Day! Tomorrow enjoy all the corned beef you can eat,
all the Guinness and other Irish ales you can drink, dancing until
you can't stand let alone dance some more, and the company and
love of family and friends! I shall be doing likewise at three
great Irish pubs here in Beertown with mine.

See you all back here next week Thursday!


MEM

The President Goes to Bat for Conscience and Religious Freedom

Recently, President Trump and his administration has
announced the creation of a Conscience and Religious
Freedom Division within the Health and Human Services
(HHS) Department's Office for Civil Rights.

The new division's functions will include accepting reports
from citizens about potential violations of their rights
regarding conscience and religious freedom. This means
that doctors and other medical personnel will no longer be
forced to perform or assist in the performing of abortions,
sterilizations, and assisted suicides. In other words, this
division will work to protect and safeguard the First
Amendment rights of all Americans, regardless of their
faiths, beliefs or philosophies. And it is sure to drive
the lefties even further round the twist than they already are.
Bravo to President Trump for taking this huge but rightful
and constitutional step in protecting essential rights which
should never have even been questioned, let alone
disrespected and disregarded.


MEM