07/07/2008 5:25 AM
10 Comment(s)
The grumbling. The head shaking. The anger. Congressional Republican leaders clearly have no idea what we, their fellow GOP members (and financial backers), say to one another when we get together, yet for years one refrain has been constant: our extreme discontent over how the former GOP majority blew it on spending.Budget earmarks, which jumped by 285% between 1994 and 2005 as their cost soared by 60%, stand as the perfect symbol of the GOP-led
07/07/2008 5:24 AM
0 Comment(s)
Today, I returned from a trip to Europe with a few of the brightest minds in political communications including, Dave Bossie, founder of Citizens United and former Speaker, Newt Gingrich. The trip allowed them to shoot the final footage for Rendezvous with Destiny, a documentary about the legacy of Ronald Reagan through interviews with world leaders, historians, and former associates. In France, we walked the shores of Normandy where the graves of 9,387 soldiers
07/07/2008 5:23 AM
0 Comment(s)
The first thing that struck me about Governor Bobby Jindal was his age. At 37, he is among the youngest governors to ever govern a state in our great country. The second thing that struck me about the governor was the reason why he has been voted to the governorship by the citizens of the great State of Louisiana. Governor Jindal is an extremely bright, straightforward, no-nonsense conservative with a very impressive track record
07/07/2008 5:22 AM
0 Comment(s)
The California Supreme Court Lays Down the New Law on Marriage, at Least Until November Conservatives often divide over what are called "social issues." This is because there is a strain of libertarian philosophy that believes the government should stay far away from any unnecessary intrusions into personal autonomy. Many libertarians thus support abortion rights and same sex marriage. These are distinctly minority positions within the Republican Party, but not insignificant numbers of Republicans hold to
07/07/2008 5:21 AM
0 Comment(s)
What constitutes the indestructible appeal of modern liberalism? It's a crucial question at a moment when voters seem more inclined to embrace a so-called "progressive" agenda than in any other election in a generation. With his maverick appeal, John McCain may still be able to compete successfully for the White House, but polling on issues and "generic" preferences shows heavy majorities preferring Democrats to Republicans. Conservatives will return to decisive victories only if we come
07/07/2008 5:20 AM
0 Comment(s)
You can understand why The Young love Obama. It's the life story that speaks to so many. Unlike boring normal people raised in the green gulags of suburbia whose experience is completely typical of American life, and therefore irrelevant, Obama was brought up in cool far-flung places. He may not connect with the eleven billion bitter gun-clinging God-bothering hill folk who clot the nation between the holy poles of New York and LA, but he
07/07/2008 5:19 AM
0 Comment(s)
The 21st century has begun, and few could argue that it has launched with a bang, not a whimper. Less than one decade into the third millennium and nearly all of the events, values, and patterns that dictated the direction of history over the last three centuries are being called into question. Francis Fukuyama has posited that we are living in the "end of history." Historians wonder if the age of Anglo-Saxon preeminence has come
07/07/2008 5:18 AM
1 Comment(s)
Most conservatives and even some liberals acknowledge that Senator McCain is an effective legislator and possesses the gravitas and leadership skills necessary to be president. As a bona fide American hero, he has valiantly defended American principles, and his resume contains sterling national security credentials. McCain is quite capable of leading this great republic into a challenging future, but the burning question remains. Who will he tap as a running mate at this summer's GOP
07/07/2008 5:17 AM
0 Comment(s)
Almost two years ago to the day, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), announced that she had a "commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices." With national gas prices hovering precariously close to $4 a gallon, I can't help but wonder whether this "commonsense plan" is ever going to show up. Despite the elaborate rhetoric Speaker Pelosi has fed to the American people, she doesn't really have a "commonsense plan" to bring
07/07/2008 5:16 AM
0 Comment(s)
It's easy to take for granted and impossible to live without, some agencies are resorting to new techniques to conserve water.With gas prices rising by the day, it seems that public concern about our most precious and life-sustaining resource has all but...evaporated.Kidding aside, water is vital to life and has no substitute. It may seem abundant, but is in limited supply and has been since the formation of the earth. The water cycle has bestowed
07/07/2008 5:15 AM
0 Comment(s)
In Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld an Indiana law, which requires--gasp--voters to show identification before voting. The newly 'oppressed,' losing team queued up their pre-written responses: "Voter suppression!" "Disenfranchisement!!" "Intimidation!" A dissenting Justice Souter even referenced a modern-day poll tax. The other side replied: "What's the big deal?"Well, what is the big deal? Have Indiana and the Supremes actually brought about the end of the Republic? Or, is
07/07/2008 5:14 AM
0 Comment(s)
In an era of exploding population, worsening traffic congestion and shrinking government transportation funds, the 241 south toll way expansion has stalled out at Oso Parkway. This reminds me of the 1985 song by the Talking Heads that goes like this; We're on a road to nowhere,Come on along. To Where? That great destination spot, Oso Parkway! Most of the 3,000,000 Orange County residents would have a hard time determining where Oso Parkway is, let
03/03/2008 3:25 AM
2 Comment(s)
By Matthew CunninghamWho are Orange County's most influential people? That's a good question, and we decided to take a stab at answering it. Since Red County's primary focus is politics, we confined our tabulation to the realm of public affairs: broadly speaking, that intersection between politics and government where public policy is influenced, decided and altered.We are calling our list the Red County Top 40. While it includes Orange County's top forty politicos, it is
03/03/2008 3:23 AM
0 Comment(s)
I join with everyone at Red County in welcoming Victor Davis Hanson as an editorial contributor (Click here for his latest piece, "America Abroad and the Elections at Home"). If this is your first time reading his work, you are in for a treat. Victor Davis Hanson, is actually Dr. Hanson, a classicist, prolific author on ancient wars and civilizations, and a long time resident farmer in the Golden State's central valley. He is also one
03/03/2008 3:21 AM
4 Comment(s)
The rhetoric of the Democratic candidates on foreign policy is by now predictable. George W. Bush squandered our good will abroad and the unity at home in the aftermath of September 11--sacrificing our constitutional freedoms for political expediency, and ignoring necessary multilateral consensus about military action. We are lectured that he took America's eye off Osama bin Laden and the Afghan occupation by unnecessarily waging a preemptive and unilateral war in Iraq--perhaps the "worst" blunder
03/03/2008 3:14 AM
0 Comment(s)
By James Lileks When you read that North Dakotans are angry about a National Geographic profile on their state, you might think: ya sure you betcha, rent them a phone booth, they can have a convention, doncha know. This is typical of the abuse the state regularly endures, and it's up to faithful loyalists to defend it. They're often like me: people who left at the earliest possible opportunity. The National Geographic story concerned the
03/03/2008 3:13 AM
0 Comment(s)
Facing the challenges of 2008, the American people feel pleased about their private lives, but report a sense of unease, even foreboding, concerning the nation at large. Though presidential elections theoretically inspire hope with the possibility of fresh leadership, the unique circumstances of this particular campaign cycle serve to intensify the gap between personal contentment and public pessimism. Just in time for the New Year, the Gallup Poll (with responses gathered between December 6 and
03/03/2008 3:12 AM
5 Comment(s)
Once again, the folks in Sacramento have shown their talent for recognizing a problem and then failing to create a solution. For the last 20 years California's influence in choosing presidential nominees has been limited to writing checks that end up being cashed in other states. According to our politicians, the solution was to move the state's presidential primary from June to February. But thinking that California's ability to attract a presidential candidate's attention hinges
03/03/2008 3:09 AM
3 Comment(s)
When the Editor-in-Chief of Red County magazine suggested I write this piece, I thought it would be simple. However, as I worked to distill my current ideology (and how I got there) to a pithy article, I found myself struggling to curb a Kaczynski-like desire to pen a manifesto. If I've failed dear reader, take comfort in knowing I'm far more boring in real life.I WAS BORN A POOR BROWN CHILDOK, so that's not really
03/03/2008 2:05 AM
0 Comment(s)
The wild gyrations of this presidential political season have taken Orange County politicos and financial big wigs through a series of unanticipated ups and downs like a Disneyland rollercoaster.Senator John McCain, the frontrunner a year ago landed money men Don Bren, George Argyros and General Bill Lyons to lead his fundraising effort. These financial big shots had a sure winner until McCain's surge politics, amnesty support and general dislike by the rank and file reduced
03/02/2008 6:42 PM
0 Comment(s)
Former Maryland Lieutenant Governor, Michael Steele, burst on to the national political scene as a Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 2006. He lost the race to then congressman Ben Cardin. Steele has since assumed the post of Chairman of GOPAC, a Republican political action committee focused on training the next generation of Republican candidates. Steele can be seen regularly as a guest commentator on Fox News.1. Is Chairman of GOPAC a full-time
03/02/2008 6:17 PM
1 Comment(s)
Over the past six months, we have all witnessed the downturn in the housing market in Orange County as well as throughout much of the United States. While roughly 95% of homeowners are paying their mortgages on time, there are millions of homeowners holding mortgages that have defaulted or may default in the near future. In 2008 alone, $350 billion worth of mortgages will adjust up to higher rates. These are sobering numbers which threaten
03/02/2008 6:13 PM
0 Comment(s)
By Jerry Slusiewicz Due to the recent Screen Writers strike, Hollywood has been accepting plots for almost anything. Scene One: Our protagonist Jim, a handsome college graduate from Cleveland Ohio and an OC resident for ten years, is seen sitting on a beach at sunset recalling just how he got into this mess. There are a lot of beautiful people around--so OC.Scene Two: Jim flashes back to one year ago when everything seemed so right at
03/02/2008 6:03 PM
1 Comment(s)
By Jennifer Bohler It's hard to imagine an incredible athlete like Tiger Woods, who has found extraordinary success on the green, would search outside his profession for something more satisfying in life, especially after wrapping up a banner year on the course by becoming the first golfer to win back-to-back titles last December at the Target World Challenge. But at the end of every World Challenge victory, he donates his million dollar winnings to a
03/02/2008 5:58 PM
0 Comment(s)
By Jennifer Bohler It's been called a critical part of US defense--a unique morale booster that delivers a piece of home to millions of US troops and since its establishment in 1941 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, its mission has remained the same: to provide morale, welfare, and recreational services to service members and their families. It is the United Services Organization, more commonly known as the USO. In the 2003 airing of War Stories with
