The Conservative Reclamation of the Republican Party

The conservative reverberations from around the country are increasingly being felt
by the Republican Party at the state level in many states. The picks of the party
bigwigs are being contested in primaries and at conventions by grassroots activists
(yes, this indeed includes the Tea Party people!). It seems that there are still some Republican Party big shots that have yet to learn the lessons of the party's
fall from favor and power in 2006 through 2008, and have forgotten --- if ever they
even learned --- the lessons of Ronald Reagan's presidency; that the party and the
country does best when the party adopts and adheres to the principles of limited
government.

Take Indiana: former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats is the choice of that state's GOP heirarchy
for nomination to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Evan Bayh.
Problem is, Coats lost the seat that he held quite some time ago, and in recent
years has been living in a Virginia suburb of Washington D.C. working as a lobbyist,
not a very respected profession in the eyes of the public these days. State Sen.
Marlin Stutzman, a farmer and a stalwart conservative who has gained the backing
of U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-SC) Senate Conservatives Fund (contact the SCF
on the web: senateconservatives.com to join and/or contribute to a conservative
candidate), is likely to win the Republican nomination because of his adherence
to conservative ideas of governance as well as his high visibility in Indianapolis,
making himself known throughout Indiana.

Republicans in neighboring Kentucky will choose between Secretary of State Trey
Grayson, the state GOP suits' pick, and Rand Paul, a conservative with a libertar-
ian streak like his father U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX). Paul, by the way, also has
the enthusiastic support of the Tea Party activists in Kentucky, and leads Grayson
by 15 points in the latest polls.

Colorado conservatives are getting behind Ken Buck, a district attorney who is also
getting support from the SCF, as their choice for the GOP candidate for the U.S.
Senate. Buck is squaring off against former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, who is backed by
failed 2008 Republican presidential candidate and ideological wild card U.S. Sen.
John McCain. And Sen. McCain? He has a puny 5-point lead over his conservative
challenger for the GOP nomination, former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth in the latest
polls. Your favorite Peasant is enjoying a great big belly laugh!

California is the scene of a vigorous Republican contest to select a candidate to
run against vulnerable incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer. State Legislator
and Army Reserve officer Chuck DeVore is the choice of the SCF and the Tea Party
activists, and although he is prfesently running third behind moderate Carly Fiorina
and liberal Tom Campbell, he could get the GOP laurels thanks to contributions from
conservatives across the country as well as from the SCF. Don't count Chuck out!

In your beloved Peasant's home state of Wisconsin, we Tea Party members are finding
a lot to like in businessman Ron Johnson, who is vying for the Republican nomination
to run for the seat held by Democrat Sen. Russ Feingold. With the state GOP in a
state of confusion over whom to turn to, since popular former Gov. Tommy Thompson
announced that he won't run, Ron Johnson could prove to be a very attractive and
viable choice! Johnson is a staunch conservative on not just fiscal, but all issues
and will prove to be a handful for Sen. Feingold and the Democrats in the election,
with Sen. Feingold's approval numbers falling below 40%.

Finally, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a RINO (Republican in Name Only), has been
trying to masquerade as a conservative in his race with former Florida House Speaker
Marco Rubio for the state Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. However, the
conservative rank-and-filers in the party aren't buying it; Rubio currently leads
Crist by 20 points in recent polls in the Sunshine State. NEW DEVELOPMENT: Gov.
Crist has this week decalred himself an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate
seat from Florida, as he knows that he doesn't stand a chance of defeating Rubio
for the GOP nod. And get this: Crist is courting the state's teachers' union and
some other traditionally Democrat constituency groups for support! Crist already
vetoed education reform legislation favored by his predecessor, Jeb Bush and former
U.S. Sen. Connie Mack III. Mack, until Crist's veto, was the campaign manager for
Gov. Crist's senate run, but has resigned in disgust. As a strong conservative,
Mack should have known better than to give Crist so much as the time of day, let
alone manage a campaign for him. Ex-Sen. Mack can always join up with Marco Rubio
and help a TRUE conservative gain a seat in the U.S. Senate to take the Democrats'
majority there down even further.

Note to all recalcitrant Republican Party bosses and their chosen candidates: We
The People want a Republican Party which will work to reestablish limited,
responsible government and will fight to protect us from those who favor the
opposite. With you or without you we WILL have both! You can either work with us
for the achievement of these goals, or you can oppose us at your political peril.
The choice is yours.


MEM