Leadership that Delivers

By Craig Foster (Davis County)

A recent letter to the editor of The Salt Lake Tribune titled, “Romney Rejected” reads as follows:

Mormon historian Craig Foster attributes Mitt Romney’s political failure to religious bigotry (”New book says anti-LDS bias led to Romney’s downfall,” Tribune, Sept. 6). Yep. But it’s not generalized bigotry. Religious Americans in general didn’t reject Romney; Republican evangelicals did. And they control their party, and appear likely to do so until the Second Coming.

Despite this fact, Utah’s Mormon majority votes the Republican Party line as if the political right were its friend, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though avowedly neutral, continues in practice to allow itself to be identified with the right.

It isn’t exactly front-page news that Utah’s moral majority inhabit a world in which belief holds reality at the border. What is surprising is that, having seen their own favorite son sabotaged by the likes of Mike Huckabee, and having just witnessed John McCain pass on Romney again in favor of a PTA president-turned-governor, Utah’s conservative majority isn’t running the Republican Party out of town.

There’s only one party with the courage to elect a Mormon. It’s the one that welcomes other minorities. The party whose convention delegates are 93 percent WASP never will.

Ed Firmage Jr.

Given the fact that Ed Firmage made reference to an article about my recently published book, A Different God? Mitt Romney, The Religious Right and The Mormon Question (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2008), I feel I necessary to respond.

In his eagerness to attack the Republican Party and grandstand for the Democrats, Mr. Firmage has successfully demonstrated his own ignorance and biases. For example, he announced that evangelicals control he Republican Party. If he had actually read my book he would have noticed that I explain how the Christian Right does not control the party. In spite of their being a powerful and influential voting bloc (as demonstrated during this presidential election cycle), the Christian Right (made up mostly of evangelicals) does not control the Republican party and many have expressed their frustration that they do not.

Mr. Firmage also announces that rather than religious Americans in general, it was the Republican evangelicals that rejected Mitt Romney. Well, yes, of course it was the Republicans that rejected Romney, given the fact he was defeated during the primaries. If, however, Romney had won the Republican nomination, he most certainly would have experienced bigotry from more than some of the Democrats. There are more than enough examples of anti-Mormon bigotry from the liberal left, most of whom I would expect tend to vote Democrat as opposed to Republican.

For example, Christopher Hitchens, in a Slate article titled, “Mitt the Mormon,” described Romney’s family being a part of the “dynastic leadership of the mad cult invented by the convicted fraud Joseph Smith.” Utah’s own Robert Redford demonstrated his own embarrassing ignorance by announcing that “every single male who’s a Mormon goes on a mission for two years when they’re 19 or 20.” He went on to explain that’s how Romney and other Mormons learn to deflect blows and stay on message, “but it’s plastic.” Not to be undone in the area of anti-Mormon animus was Lawrence O’Donnell who practically burst a blood vessel during his on-camera during MSNBC’s show, “The McLaughlin Hour.” He accused Romney and his church of being a racist church. He then brought up Mitt Romney’s great-grandfather having five wives and practically screamed that Joseph Smith was “a lying, fraudulent criminal … who was a racist, who was pro-slavery.” Near the end of the show, he called Joseph Smith a rapist.

If Ed Firmage had bothered to look at the book before writing his letter, he would have seen a whole chapter discussing attacks from the left. There was obvious evangelical anti-Mormon bigotry displayed by many but not all during Romney’s presidential campaign. Nevertheless, if Mitt Romney had won the Republican nomination, I have no doubt he would have experienced as much or even more anti-Mormon bigotry from the liberal side of the political spectrum.

Firmage, like other Democrats, wondered why Utah’s Mormon majority continues to vote the Republican Party line. That is because American politics are, happily enough, like a free market economy. Each party has a product, so to speak, and Americans are free to chose which appeals to them the most. It should be obvious by now that while the Utah Democratic Party has tailored its product to appear similar to the Republican Party, the national Democratic Party continues to the same old big-government, class-envious liberal product it has for decades. Thus, while the majority of Utah Mormons used to vote Democrat, they now fell more at home shopping the Republican ticket.

Mr. Firmage’s attempt to use my book as a campaign tool for the Democratic Party was not only incorrect but wrong and anyone who reads the book will certainly realize that was not the message intended.

By Joel Wright

As you may recall, on Thursday, the Salt Lake Tribune had an interesting article where Senator Bennett predicted that John McCain would choose Mitt Romney as his VP, see:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10333257

Key quotes:

“Republican Sen. Bob Bennett predicts John McCain will pick Mitt
Romney as his running mate because the former Massachusetts governor
“fills all the holes in McCain’s résumé.”

Romney brings knowledge of economic issues, the Utah senator said
Thursday, he has been fully vetted by the primary process and “if
you’re afraid McCain is going to drop dead, he’s got a vice president
who is fully up to speed and can step in.”
“It makes sense to put the two of them together.”

McCain can focus on his foreign-policy experience and reputation,
and Romney can say, ‘I’ll help you out with domestic policy,’ ”
Bennett said.”

Senator Bennett did hedge his bets in the article, saying McCain might choose a woman.

Well, as we all know now, Senator Bennett got that one wrong, and graciously admitted it on Friday:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10335774

“Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett’s prediction yesterday that John
McCain would pick Mitt Romney as his running mate was dead wrong. But
he lost no time in talking up the attributes of McCain’s choice -
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

“While her appointment comes as a surprise, I am sure Governor
Palin will make a positive contribution to the McCain campaign,”
Bennett said in a statement issued this morning.

“Palin brings administrative experience, energy and gender
diversity to the ticket. She also has firsthand knowledge of the
importance of energy development, which will help keep the focus on
this important domestic issue during the campaign.”"

SOOOOOOOO, who did predict that McCain would choose Palin as his VP?

Wikipedia.

Yep, insiders apparently saw that Palin’s Wikipedia page was being rapidly edited in the 24 hours before the announcement, with lots of corrections made to her page. Corrections were NOT being made to the Wikipedia pages of other candidates for VP. In other words, someone within the McCain camp apparently knew that Governor Palin was going to be McCain’s VP choice, and knew the Wikipedia would be the
first source many people would go to in order to learn more about Governor Palin, so they wanted to make sure it was as accurate as possible.

Check it out here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082902691.html

“Just hours before McCain declared his veep choice of Alaska Gov.
Sarah Palin, her Wiki page saw a flurry of activity, with editors
adding details about her approval rating and husband’s employment.
Perhaps more tellingly, some of the same users editing her page were
almost simultaneously updating McCain’s Wiki entry, adding information
dealing with accuracy, sources and footnotes to each.

While Palin was among the least well-known of the potential GOP vice
presidential picks - and therefore perhaps the candidate whose
Wikipedia page was most in need of updating - her entry saw far more
activity than that of Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty, probably the next most
obscure potential choice.

On August 28, Palin’s entry was updated at least 68 times, with at
least an additional 54 changes made to her entry over the preceding
five days. In contrast, Pawlenty’s entry received 54 alterations on
the 28th, and just 12 changes during the prior five days.”

I dare you. I triple dog dare you. (So if you don’t accept, you’re a real chicken.

Take just 25 minutes, and learn all about Governor Sarah Palin directly. Not from the newspaper. Not from “political analysts” on cable news. Not even from NPR.

Take 5 minutes, and read about Governor Palin from the best objective source on the Internet (Wikipedia) here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

Then take another 20 minutes, and watch her introductory speech with John McCain in Ohio on YouTube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg0darQB7r4

Then, you’ll be smarter than half the talking heads on CNN! And you’ll have a strong basis to make your own opinion. Maybe you could even become a political analyst?!?

Cheers,

Joel Wright

P.S. And if you really want to be a political analyst, learn how to pronounce Governor Palin’s last name. It is PAY’-lin.

For the past 6 years Ben has worked in communications and political strategy. He has a degree in Public Relations with course work in political science. Currently, he serves as Deputy District Director for Congressman Bishop of Utah and also as the Davis County Republican Party Chairman. He hopes to continue in political consulting and grassroots organization in a professional role or in a government relations position.

Current

• Graduate Student at Brigham Young University
• Chairman at The Davis County Republican Party
• Deputy District Directory at U.S. House of Representatives

By Stan Lockhart

On to some of the other media that picked up the story today in a local way… Jeff Robinson with KCPW called today.

People ask me a lot why I spend time with a more liberal radio station. Jeff has always been thoroughly professional and he’s treated me fairly.

http://www.kcpw.org/article/6605

Also, Jennifer Napier-Pierce at KUER has been talking to me lately.

I can’t find my interviews with her on the web site, but I’ll keep looking and maybe next update I can have it handy.

And my favorite of the day was the headline teaser for the 5:40 pm drive home on KSL radio. Scott Seeger and I spoke for at least 2 minutes yesterday live and on air.

Okay I admit it. I was nervous. Maybe even more nervous afterwards as I reviewed what I said. Did I sound alright? Make any big mistakes? Particularly after my 18 year old daughter called to inform me that one of her friends had just heard me on the radio. Unfortunately, I can’t find the audio clip on www.ksl.com <file://www.ksl.com> . If you didn’t hear it, you’ll have to trust me that it was very good.

So here is the last of the Saturday morning media commentary. If I were to be the reporter and wrote a story on the Sarah Palin VP pick, it would go something like this:

WHO IS SARAH PALIN AND DOES SHE SHARE OUR UTAH VALUES?

“When I look at who Sarah Palin is, all I can think of is that she is just like a lot of Utah women,” said five term state legislator Becky Lockhart. She is a self described “hockey” mom of five children. Born in Idaho. One of her children serves in the military. Her youngest has Down Syndrome. She spends a great deal of time caring for them. She also spends a lot of time dealing with the issues of state government and by many accounts has done a great job. She is a maverick of sorts with a record of taking on the entrenched system and reforming government. She is tough. She is smart. She is fair. Today, she went out of her way in her speech to recognize her husband to make sure we knew that he was her “better half” (even though we all know the woman is the better half). She sounds just like our proverbial Utah “supermom”.

By Stan Lockhart

Then there is Jeremiah Stettler at the Salt Lake Tribune.

I don’t know Jeremiah very well. I think we’ve spoken once or twice. I spent more time with him than anyone today and he didn’t even use my quotes, although in fairness he didn’t get much room and Joe Hatch’s and Wayne Holland’s comments were much more entertaining - just less accurate.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10338786
His focus is on Democrats breathing a sigh of relief that the VP pick isn’t Romney. I think this is probably true. However, there is a small detail that has been overlooked: Romney will be speaking regularly as a McCain surrogate and Utahns will look to him to point out the differences on the issues between McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden. As Utahns look for those who share their values, I am confident they will turn to McCain/Palin.

The daggers come out from the Democrats in this article (memo to Lisa Riley Roche: call Joe Hatch or Wayne Holland when you really want a mean quote). I actually get a kick out of Wayne saying, “The way they treated Romney, the way religious intolerance has reared its ugly head, gives us a chance to talk to” Mormon voters, who vote overwhelmingly Republican.” Just two weeks ago, Wayne was quoted in the newspaper bashing Mitt along with the DNC as being unfit to be Vice-President. Even to the point that the Utah County Democrats issued a rebuttal to the State Democrats and to Wayne, calling on them to give Mitt more respect. Looks like that respect comes in the form of religion-baiting.

Some of this media fixation on Mitt is justified. He did get 90% of the vote in the Utah Presidential Primary. He did a superb job running the Olympics. What can I say, Utah likes Mitt. Yesterday, the most asked question: Are you disappointed that Mitt wasn’t selected? My answer: Its about shared values with voters, not about personality. Mitt will keep making the case that he’s made the last 3 months or so, McCain is much better for America than Obama.

One small beef with the articles this morning, Lisa says that Mitt has raised $6 million in Utah. Jeremiah says its $5.5 million. If you include the money he’s raised for John McCain in Utah, its more than $7 million. Whatever the number, its several times what any other Presidential candidate has ever raised in Utah, but I am looking for a fact checked answer that I can use with 100% confidence.

The major differences in the two stories are the slant of the articles and the placement of the Democrat propaganda (although Donald’s was too diplomatic to be called propaganda).

41st Republican Precinct
August 29, 2008
Mary Mostert, Vice-Chairman

A quiet movement to urge John McCain to chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his Vice-President has succeeded.  Below is an article that appeared in June about Gov. Palin - who is the mother of five, pro-choice and pro-drilling. In fact, she just signed a bill to increase oil production in Alaska: John McCain has just introduced her in Dayton, Ohio. Below are her comments and position on issues:

See: http://www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.htm

Stranded Gas Development Act no longer applies

My Administration will pursue the gasline plan that is best for ALL Alaskans. How do we get there? Through a two-step process. First, we acknowledge that the Stranded Gas Development Act (SGDA), under which the previous Administration negotiated with the “Big Three” producers (ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and BP), no longer applies. The Legislature’s own experts have testified that the gas can no longer be deemed “stranded”
due to long-term economic conditions.
Source: Campaign website, www.palinforgovernor.com, “Issues” Nov 7, 2006

Get ANWR open
I believe in protecting Alaska’s environment through fair enforcement of our environmental laws. Having a clean record on environmental regulation is critical to getting ANWR open and maintaining our fisheries mining, timber, and tourism industries. I would also revisit the change in regulations on the Alaska Coastal Zone Management program in which the past administration by eliminating the rights of local districts to write specific local enforceable policies on important issues like subsistence.
Source: Campaign website, www.palinforgovernor.com, “Issues” Nov 7, 2006

Sunday, August 24, 2008

How to beat Joe Biden
<http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-beat-joe-biden.html>

John McCain picks Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his V-P Running mate. John McCain’s surprise pick for his Vice-President is Alaska’s Republican Governor Sarah Palin.  She is the mother of 5 children, younger than
Barack Obama,  pro-Life and pro-drilling for Oil in Anwar.  In fact, she has just signed a bill authorizing the state to award Calgary-based TransCanada </apps/quote?ticker=TRP%3ACN>  a license to build the 1,715- mile (2,744-kilometer) link from Prudhoe Bay to the Alberta Hub in Canada, according to a statement <http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1433> . The license will be granted in 90 days. There has been an effort in Alaska to urge McCain to picke Gov. Palin. There is a “Palin for Vice President” website which noted, in June of 2008 -”At 44, Sarah Louise Heath Palin is both the youngest and the first
female governor in Alaska’s relatively brief history as a state. She’s also the most popular governor in America, with an approval rating that has bounced around 90 percent. This is due partly to her personal qualities. When she was leading her underdog Wasilla high school basketball team to the state championship in 1982, her teammates called her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her fierce
competitiveness. Two years later, when she won the “Miss Wasilla” beauty pageant, she was also voted “Miss Congeniality” by the other contestants.

Sarah Barracuda. Miss Congeniality. Fire and nice. A happily married mother of five who is still drop dead gorgeous. And smart to boot. But it’s mostly because she’s been a crackerjack governor, a strong fiscal conservative and a ferocious fighter of corruption, especially in her own party. Ms. Palin touches other conservative bases, some of which Sen. McCain has been accused of rounding. Track, her eldest son, enlisted in the Army last Sept. 11. She’s a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association who
hunts, fishes and runs marathons. A regular churchgoer, she’s staunchly pro-life. Kimberley Strassel of the Wall Street Journal said Sen. McCain should run against a corrupt, do-nothing Congress, a la Harry Truman. If he should choose to do so, Gov. Palin would make an excellent partner “The landscape is littered with the bodies of those who have crossed Sarah,” pollster Dave Dittman told the Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes.
Sen. Barack Obama’s support has plunged recently among white women. Many Hillary Clinton supporters accuse him — I think unfairly — of being sexist. Having Sarah Palin on the ticket could help Sen. McCain appeal to these disgruntled Democrats. Running mates usually aren’t named until the convention. But if Sen. McCain should name Gov. Palin earlier, it would give America more time to get to know this extraordinary woman. And because she’s at least a dozen feature stories waiting to be written, she could help him dominate the news between now and the conventions.

See: Well, Barack Obama has made his VP selection, taking Washington’s most vicious attack dog, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. So, the question has now become how to combat the fast-talking Biden and his decades of foreign policy experience. Unfortunately, most of the Republican punditry is running scared from Biden and, in my opinion, suggesting that McCain adopt a disastrous strategy with his own pick. So, here are my thoughts on how to beat Biden, and they are probably different from what you’ve been hearing on
the news:

Biden is a fast-talker who pulls no punches. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of foreign policy, and will try to bludgeon any debate opponent with all of the minutia of different situations. He is also a hothead who is overly fond of personal attacks. The best way to beat him is to make him look like a mean-spirited jerk (which is not hard), but unfortunately the punditry seems to think that McCain should now be forced to pick an aggressive VP who can crawl into Biden’s gutter and beat him at his own game. I think that that’s a horrible idea, and I’m not just saying that because I’m promoting Palin.

Biden is without doubt the best attack dog in the country, period. We aren’t going to find someone who can beat him on that front. Furthermore, sinking to Biden’s level would make the ticket look sleazy. Instead, we should note that Biden totally undermines Obama’s “change” mantra, which McCain can now seize for himself by taking a reform minded VP from outside Washington. We can also show up Biden in the debates by selecting a calm, collected candidate who will show Biden for the hothead he is. Sarah Palin fits both bills.

For one, Palin has actually produced the sort of change that Obama and Biden can only talk about. Secondly, she will refuse to play in Biden’s mudpit, which makes him look even worse. Third, she knows how to debate
hotheaded opponents. Biden compares very well to John Binkley, another fast-talking attack dog who ran against Palin in the 2006 primary. Palin filleted Binkley (and incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski) by sitting back while they ranted and then delivering crushing one liners that made them look like bratty kids
(”Alaskans deserve better than this.”). Finally, Biden will do everything he can to attack his opponent on personal terms, which is very dangerous when you are running against a woman or a military parent. Biden WILL say something stupid in the debates, probably belittling Sarah for having been a housewife or mentioning that Track Palin is in the Army, and Gov. Palinwill be ready with with a “you’re no Jack Kennedy”-style response.

Biden must not be allowed to interrupt the McCain game plan, which likely calls for a young, reformist VP. And when it comes to the debates, the secret will be to allow a cooler head to prevail over the fire-breathing
Joe Biden. Gov. Palin is that cool head, and a reformer to boot. If she plays the debate right, she could reduce Biden from “distinguished senator” to “schoolyard bully” and nullify any gravitas that he brings to the Obama
ticket.

By Todd Weiler

As I listened to Barack promise everything to his mindless supporters, I couldn’t help but think of Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite. He stands up and tells the crowd that if they vote for him, all their dreams will come true.

Obama basically plagerized Pedro’s speech. Here are Obama’s edits:

-I will raise teacher pay, and provide a better education to your kids

-I will raise military pay (and better arm them)

-I will give everyone the same health care that I get as a Senator (and lower your monthly premium)

-I will end America’s dependence on foreign oil within 10 years (with no mention of new drilling)

Sorry, but I am not buying what he is selling. I think he is lying and he knows he is lying. He has NO PLAN for ending our dependence on foreign oil other than “investing” in alternative energy. I guess wind power could run my car if I install a really big sail on the roof.

Barack says he will pay for his promises by “closing corporate loopholes” (which ones?) and by cutting excess from the federal budget (which cuts?).

I am still waiting for the dance after the speech. Guess that’s what the debates are for.

By Todd Weiler

I will readily admit that I was very disappointed this morning to learn that McCain had passed over Mitt Romney. But that feeling soon passed as I listened to our next vice president speak in Ohio on Friday morning. I was bedezzaled. She is awesome, and is more experienced than Obama. She has been a mayor and a governor — two executive roles. Obama has ZERO executive experience, unless you want to count his year as editor-in-chief of the law review.

I think Palin was a brilliant choice. The more I learn about Gov. Palin, the more impressed I become. I think she will hold up just fine about Obiden, er, Biden in the debates. But only time will tell.

Todd Weiler

Wow, what a day. Trying to get everything off my desk at work since I will be in Minnesota all of next week. So much for a holiday weekend. I worked until past 7:00 p.m., and will have to go back tomorrow.

I have to get emissions and saftey inspection on BOTH of my cars before I leave as both of the registrations expire on Sunday.

My flight leaves at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday. I don’t have a darn thing packed, and will will spend about 7 hours travelling to and attending the BYU football game. I have been so involved with politics, I haven’t even had time to get excited about my real passion in life, BYU football! But I still can’t wait to get to the convention.

Joel Wright, on preparing to leave for the convention

I’m a Republican.  I don’t have time to “prepare” for leisure activities like a National Convention.  I just work.  And work.  And work.  And blog.  And work.  And read a book with my children.  And coach a soccer team.  And work.  OK, and mountain bike once in a while also.  And work.  And check my Facebook page.   But I like working, which might be why I’m a Republican.

By Joel Wright

Look, give me a couple days, maybe even a couple of weeks, to respond
thoughtfully on McCain picking Palin.  I was REALLY hoping McCain
would choose Romney.  And when the SL Trib ran an article yesterday
with Senator Bennett predicting McCain would choose Romney, I was
naive enough to think it was a done deal, and my prayers had been
answered.  Bottom Line:  Palin is either going to be a brilliant
choice, or an unmitigated disaster.  She has a lot of upside, and a
lot of down side.  Did McCain really only meet her once before he
choose her?  Still, there is no doubt she is likable, and she sort of
has this beautiful outdoorsy style to her that is going to go over
well here in Utah.  And those adorable 5 kids.  And the fact that she
believed in her right to CHOOSE to keep her down syndrome baby to
term.   She will be tested intensely in the next few weeks.  We’ll
find out what she is made of.

By Joel Wright

Wow. Quite a scene. And that was one heckuva crowd. If that rally
got thousands of volunteers to work for Obama in Colorado, then that
State is going to be in play. But I wanted more. How is Obama going
to get Osama? He implied McCain wouldn’t hunt him down to his cave,
while Obama would. Nonsense. Also, how do we get off foreign oil in
10 years? What sacrifices will have to be made? I didn’t feel
challenged by the speech. I didn’t know what sacrifices I was going
to make. Maybe only the top 5% will be sacrificing — those making
over $250,000. But sacrificing for what? OK, maybe I should go read
Obama’s web site, or watch CSPAN. Still, the prayers for rain from
Pastor Dobson didn’t work. The gamble of holding the speech outdoors
worked.

By Stan Lockhart, Party Chair

Tomorrow is a big day for conventioneers. It’s the day that state delegations settle into their assigned Hotels. Until now, we’ve all been housed at the downtown Hyatt Regency for ease of access to the convention center where all the committees are meeting to complete their assignments. Beginning tomorrow, we will move to the Sofitel which is located closer to the Mall of America than the Xcel Center. We are sharing our Hotel with the California delegation which is also staying at the Sheraton across the street.

The Platform Committee’s work is done. Both the Rules Committee and Credentials Committee work is coming to a close. Yesterday we had a full day of RNC meetings as well. We brought our A team for these committees. Some of our committee members include Enid Greene Mickelsen, Bruce Hough and Curt Bramble. One RNC revelation yesterday was that if the Gustav Hurricane hits with Katrina like force in the Southeast US on Monday, our convention activities might be postponed. I don’t know what that means, but evidently there is a contingency plan.

I was shocked to find yesterday that Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was going in for additional surgery on his leg. He’s been on my mind and in my prayers since then. Speaking of Mark, here is something you may not know about him. Mark owns a “team” in my fantasy basketball league. This game for NBA basketball fans allows each team owner to draft their own team made up of the best NBA players possible. Then the actual statistics by those players are compared with statistics from players on other teams. Mark got into his motorcycle accident last year just a few weeks before our draft. He was still bedridden and on medication but still participated in the draft by phone. As the rounds went on, you could tell from Mark’s tone of voice that the pain was increasing. Finally, after one pick he indicated he couldn’t continue. The rest of the team owners chose his last few draft picks for him. The kicker: Mark won the regular season title and had an incredible team. Memo to the Utah Jazz, if GM Kevin O’Conner ever leaves (BTW, I think Kevin does a tremendous job), I recommend Mark Shurtleff to take his place.

Dan Harrie poked some fun at me in a blog today because I went to bed early last night and didn’t take his call for a comment on the Barack Obama speech. Just so you know, I was up at 3:30 am Thursday to get Becky to the airport and it was a long day of meeting after meeting. However, Dan’s comments had a thread of truth to them. Democrats probably do have better cocktail parties than Republicans and our events are over a lot earlier in the evening. We have a lot of fun. We just do it earlier in the evening and without alcohol.

Today I had my first celebrity sighting. No it wasn’t Morton Blackwell, a long time Virginia RNC member and owner of much of our Party institutional memory. I see him at every RNC meeting. At dinner tonight at a seafood restaurant, I saw Bob Schieffer, host of CBS Face the Nation and political correspondent. Now, in order to manage expectations you should know I won’t be able to match the Democrats for Hollywood celebrities during the convention. After all, much of what Republicans stand for is the opposite of what Hollywood and popular culture promotes. But never fear I’ll still do the best I can to deliver celebrity sightings.

I almost forgot, Senator Norm Coleman from Minnesota was our RNC lunch keynote speaker yesterday. So much for the impact on me of “star power”. He was actually very engaging with a sense of humor. He’d have to have a sense of humor with Al Franken running against him. Yes that is the same Al Franken who claims to be a comedian.

One of the things that has already been overwhelming, particularly today, is the amount of contact I’m receiving from the news media. A lot of it today was a result of VP pick Sarah Palin. However, 10 reporters/newscasters will be here with us in Minneapolis during the convention. Then there are media outlets back home in Utah that want stories as well. Todd Weiler, our Party Vice-Chair, is in charge of much of our media relations. We plan to have several people blogging during the week. Todd and I will handle media questions and if this convention is like others I’ve been to, the media members will spend time interacting with delegates looking for good stories.

I am really looking forward to my family’s arrival tomorrow. They arrive late in the evening. It will be a challenge to get up early Sunday to attend church before preconvention activities, but I’m optimistic we can do it.

The Most Popular Governor
Alaska’s Sarah Palin is the GOP’s newest star.
by Fred Barnes
07/16/2007, Volume 012, Issue 41

Juneau
The wipeout in the 2006 election left Republicans in such a state of dejection that they’ve overlooked the one shining victory in which a Republican star was born. The triumph came in Alaska where Sarah Palin, a politician of eye-popping integrity, was elected governor. She is now the most popular governor in America, with an approval rating in the 90s, and probably the most popular public official in any state.

Her rise is a great (and rare) story of how adherence to principle–especially to transparency and accountability in government–can produce political success. And by the way, Palin is a conservative who only last month vetoed 13 percent of the state’s proposed budget for capital projects. The cuts, the Anchorage Daily News said, “may be the biggest single-year line-item veto total in state history.”

As recently as last year, Palin (pronounced pale-in) was a political outcast. She resigned in January 2004 as head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission after complaining to the office of Governor Frank Murkowski and to state Attorney General Gregg Renkes about ethical violations by another commissioner, Randy Ruedrich, who was also Republican state chairman.

State law barred Palin from speaking out publicly about ethical violations and corruption. But she was vindicated later in 2004 when Ruedrich, who’d been reconfirmed as state chairman, agreed to pay a $12,000 fine for breaking state ethics laws. She became a hero in the eyes of the public and the press, and the bane of Republican leaders.

In 2005, she continued to take on     
the Republican establishment by joining Eric Croft, a Democrat, in lodging an ethics complaint against Renkes, who was not only attorney general but also a long-time adviser and campaign manager for Murkowski. The governor reprimanded Renkes and said the case was closed. It wasn’t. Renkes resigned a few weeks later, and Palin was again hailed as a hero.

Palin, 43, the mother of four, passed up a chance to challenge Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, the then-governor’s daughter, in 2004. She endorsed another candidate in the primary, but Murkowski won and was reelected. Palin said then that her 14-year-old son talked her out of running, though it’s doubtful that was the sole reason.

In 2006, she didn’t hesitate. She ran against Gov. Murkowski, who was seeking a second term despite sagging poll ratings, in the Republican primary. In a three-way race, Palin captured 51 percent and won in a landslide. She defeated former Democratic governor Tony Knowles in the general election, 49 percent to 41 percent. She was one of the few Republicans anywhere in the country to perform above expectations in 2006, an overwhelmingly Democratic year. Palin is unabashedly pro life.

With her emphasis on ethics and openness in government, “it turned out Palin caught the temper of the times perfectly,” wrote Tom Kizzia of the Anchorage Daily News. She was also lucky. News broke of an FBI investigation of corruption by legislators between the primary and general elections. So far, three legislators have been indicted.

In the roughly three years since she quit as the state’s chief regulator of the oil industry, Palin has crushed the Republican hierarchy (virtually all male) and nearly every other foe or critic. Political analysts in Alaska refer to the “body count” of Palin’s rivals. “The landscape is littered with the bodies of those who crossed Sarah,” says pollster Dave Dittman, who worked for her gubernatorial campaign. It includes Ruedrich, Renkes, Murkowski, gubernatorial contenders John Binkley and Andrew Halcro, the three big oil companies in Alaska, and a section of the Daily News called “Voice of the Times,” which was highly critical of Palin and is now defunct.

One of her first acts as governor was to fire the Alaska Board of Agriculture. Her ultimate target was the state Creamery Board, which has been marketing the products of Alaska dairy farmers for 71 years and wanted to close down after receiving $600,000 from the state. “You don’t just close your doors and walk away,” Palin told me. She discovered she lacked the power to fire the Creamery Board. Only the board of agriculture had that authority. So Palin replaced the agriculture board, which appointed a new creamery board, which has rescinded the plan to shut down.

In preserving support for dairy farmers, Palin exhibited a kind of Alaskan chauvinism. She came to the state as an infant, making her practically a native. And she is eager to keep Alaska free from domination by oil companies or from reliance on cruise lines whose ships bring thousands of tourists to the state.

“She’s as Alaskan as you can get,” says Dan Fagan, an Anchorage radio talk show host. “She’s a hockey mom, she lives on a lake, she ice fishes, she snowmobiles, she hunts, she’s an NRA member, she has a float plane, and her husband works for BP on the North Slope,” Fagan says. Todd Palin, her high school sweetheart, is a three-time winner of the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race from Wasilla to Nome to Fairbanks. It’s the world’s longest snowmobile race.

Gov. Palin grew up in Wasilla, where as star of her high school basketball team she got the nickname “Sarah Barracuda” for her fierce competitiveness. She led her underdog team to the state basketball championship. Palin also won the Miss Wasilla beauty contest, in which she was named Miss Congeniality, and went on to compete in the Miss Alaska pageant.

At 32, she was elected mayor of Wasilla, a burgeoning bedroom community outside Anchorage. Though Alaskans tend to be ferociously anti-tax, she persuaded Wasilla voters to increase the local sales tax to pay for an indoor arena and convention center. The tax referendum won by 20 votes.

In 2002, Palin entered statewide politics, running for lieutenant governor. She finished a strong second in the Republican primary. That fall, she dutifully campaigned for Murkowski, who’d given up his Senate seat to run for governor. Afterwards, she turned down several job offers from Murkowski, finally accepting the oil and gas post. When she quit 11 months later, “that was her defining moment” in politics, says Fagan.

Her campaign for governor was bumpy. She missed enough campaign appearances to be tagged “No Show Sarah” by her opponents. She was criticized for being vague on issues. But she sold voters on the one product that mattered: herself.

Her Christian faith–Palin grew up attending nondenominational Bible churches–was a minor issue in the race. She told me her faith affects her politics this way: “I believe everything happens for a purpose. In my own personal life, if I dedicated back to my Creator what I’m trying to create for the good . . . everything will turn out fine.” That same concept applies to her political career, she suggested.

The biggest issue in the campaign was the proposed natural gas pipeline from the North Slope that’s crucial to the state’s economy. Murkowski had made a deal with the three big oil companies–Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips–which own the gas reserves to build the pipeline. But the legislature turned it down and Palin promised to create competition for the pipeline contract.

She made three other promises: to end corruption in state government, cut spending, and provide accountability. She’s now redeeming those promises.

Palin describes herself as “pro-business and pro-development.” She doesn’t want the oil companies to sit on their energy reserves or environmental groups to block development of the state’s resources. “I get frustrated with folks from outside Alaska who come up and say you shouldn’t develop your resources,” she says. Alaska needs to be self-sufficient, she says, instead of relying heavily on “federal dollars,” as the state does today.

Her first major achievement as governor was lopsided passage by the legislature of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, which is designed to attract pipeline proposals this summer. The state is offering $500 million in incentives, but the developer must meet strict requirements. The oil companies have said they won’t join the competition.

Palin’s tough spending cuts drew criticism from Republican legislators whose pet projects were vetoed. But her popularity doesn’t appear threatened. “It’s not just that she’s pretty and young,” says Dittman. “She’s really smart. And there’s no guile. She says her favorite meal is moose stew or mooseburgers. It wouldn’t shock people if that were true.”

Fred Barnes is executive editor of THE WEEKLY STANDARD.

McCain taps Alaska governor for VP
By LIZ SIDOTI and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers Fri Aug 29, 7:54 PM
DAYTON, Ohio - Republican John McCain introduced first-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate Friday, a stunning selection of a little-known conservative newcomer who relishes fighting the establishment.

“She’s exactly who I need. She’s exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of ‘Me first and country second,’ ” McCain declared as the pair stood together for the first time at a boisterous rally in Ohio just days before the opening of the party’s national convention.

Palin, the first Republican woman on a presidential ticket, promised: “I’m going to take our campaign to every part of our country and our message of reform to every voter of every background in every political party, or no party at all.”

“… Politics isn’t just a game of competing interests and clashing parties,” added the Palin, 44, who has built her career in large measure by challenging fellow Republicans.

In the increasingly intensive presidential campaign, McCain made his selection six days after his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, named Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, as his No. 2 on the ticket.

The contrast between the two announcements was remarkable — Obama, 47, picked a 65-year-old running mate with long experience in government and a man whom he said was qualified to be president. The timing of McCain’s selection appeared designed to limit any political gain Obama derives from his own convention, which ended Thursday night with his nominating acceptance speech before an estimated 84,000 in Invesco Field in Colorado.

Public opinion polls show a close race between Obama and McCain, and with scarcely two months remaining until the election, neither contender can allow the other to jump out to a big post-convention lead.

On his 72nd birthday, McCain chose Palin, a woman younger than two of the Arizonan’s seven children and a person who until recently was the mayor of small-town Wasilla, Alaska and has been governor less than two years. He settled on her six months after first meeting the governor and following only one phone call between them last Sunday and a single face-to-face meeting Thursday, according to a timeline provided by his campaign.

The Obama campaign immediately questioned whether she would be prepared to step in and be president if necessary.
“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency,” Adrianne Marsh, a spokeswoman for Obama, said in a written statement. A statement was put out on Obama’s plane with the candidate merely welcoming her to the campaign.

President Bush complimented McCain for “an exciting decision.”
“Governor Palin is a proven reformer who is a wise steward of taxpayer dollars and champion for accountability in government,” a presidential statement said. “By selecting a working mother with a track record of getting things done, Senator McCain has once again demonstrated his commitment to reforming Washington.”

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who came so close to being the first major party woman presidential candidate, said in a statement: “We should all be proud of Gov. Sarah Palin’s historic nomination, and I congratulate her and Sen. McCain. While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Gov. Palin will add an important new voice to the debate.”

“It’s an absolutely brilliant choice,” said Mathew Staver, dean of Liberty University School of Law. “This will absolutely energize McCain’s campaign and energize conservatives,” he predicted.

Palin’s name had not been on the short list of people heavily reported upon by the news media in recent days, and McCain’s decision was a well-kept secret until just a couple hours before Friday’s rally.

McCain’s campaign said that Palin and a top aide met with senior McCain advisers in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday night. The next morning, the campaign said McCain formally invited Palin to join the ticket on the deck of McCain’s home near Sedona, Ariz., and later Thursday the governor flew to Middletown, Ohio, with staff to await Friday’s event in Dayton.

Describing the process that led to her selection, Palin told reporters she’d received word that she was McCain’s choice on Thursday and had met privately with him that day to discuss it. She spoke briefly as the two running mates surprised shoppers at the Buckeye Corner in Columbus, Ohio, where they purchased Ohio State University sports memorabilia. McCain and Palin started a bus tour across Ohio and to Pittsburgh, where they will hold a campaign rally Saturday. Ohio and Pennsylvania are two states that figure prominently in who wins the election this fall.

Asked why McCain chose her, his campaign manager Rick Davis said, “Part of it is personal fit.”
“He sees Sarah, Governor Palin, as the future of the party,” he added. “These are people he’d like to elevate in that regard. reformers.”

Sharyl Odenweller, a retired teacher from Delphos, Ohio who was visiting the store, said she was pleased that McCain had chosen a woman and someone “very pro life.” But, Odenweller also said, “I’d like to know more about her experience. If something happened to him, would she be qualified to step into the presidency?”

With his pick, McCain passed over more prominent contenders like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, as well as others such as former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, whose support for abortion rights might have sparked unrest at the convention that opens Monday in St. Paul, Minn.

A self-styled hockey mom and political reformer, Palin became governor after ousting a state chief executive of her own party in a primary.

More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the dismissal of Alaska’s public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.

Palin has a long history of run-ins with the Alaska GOP hierarchy, giving her genuine maverick status and reformer credentials that could complement McCain’s image.

Her husband, Todd Palin, is part Yup’ik Eskimo, and is a blue-collar North Slope oil worker who competes in the Iron Dog, a 1,900-mile snowmobile race. The couple lives in Wasilla. They have five children, the youngest of whom was born in April with Down syndrome.

___
Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti reported for this story from Denver.

Palin’s Child Diagnosed with Down Syndrome (April 22, 2008)
Anchorage Daily News ^ | 4-22-2008 | Lisa Demer

“When we first heard, it was kind of confusing,” Palin, 44, said. She called the revelation “very, very challenging” and said she initially felt sad.

But the family has worked through that. Palin said she and Todd feel blessed and chosen by God. With a big family including four older kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles, Palin said, they will have lots of support for what’s ahead. In their eyes, she said, “he’s absolutely perfect.”

—

In a letter she e-mailed to relatives and close friends Friday after giving birth, Palin wrote, “Many people will express sympathy, but you don’t want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this.” She wrote it in the voice of and signed it as “Trig’s Creator, Your Heavenly Father.”

“Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome,” Palin wrote.

As for people who think a baby like Trig shouldn’t even be born, look around, the governor wrote. Who is perfect or even normal?

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison talks about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Hat tip: Gen X GOP

The National Platform committee consists of 2 representatives from each state (one man, one woman) as well as representatives from the territories. They meet for two and a half days to write the Platform for the Party for the next four years. State Senator Mark Madsen and I were elected by the other State Delegates to represent Utah on this committee. I was honored to be able to represent the Party. The vast majority of the issues had broad consensus, with little to no controversy on the substance. Of course, there were a few issues that resulted in discussion and posturing. But by the end of the process, the Republican Party has a Platform of which we can be proud. We address the core principles and values Republicans, and I believe the majority of Utahns, hold dear.

Becky Lockhart

Their website v. our website.

This just in . . .

For Immediate Release
Friday, August 29, 2008

JOHN MCCAIN SELECTS ALASKA GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN AS VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.

Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.

Governor Palin has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us — Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.

In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

As the head of Alaska’s National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.

Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.

###

For the last few months, I’ve been getting progressively more excited about Romney’s possibilities as VP. Until this morning that is when Sarah Palin was chosen.

One of the things I’ve discovered as Party Chair is that you get lots of input on politics. Rumors, rumor of rumors and speculation galore are all in a days work for the Chairman. And I’ve discovered that once you show a preference for someone, in this case Mitt, everyone tells you how great he is and why he will be the VP. Its a part of getting people excited about the political process. Its a part of becoming a part of the team - in this case the McCain team. I figured all this is early on, so I was skeptical that Mitt would be the choice.

In February, I felt there was no chance. Even with my skepticism, by June I was up to 25%. On the merits and qualifications, nobody was better than Mitt. Senator McCain needed to find a way to raise a lot of money, energize the base and win some battleground states. Mitt was the guy. And if it had been a guy, I really think it would have been Mitt. Sarah Palin has the potential to do all of the above, but not in the obvious way that Mitt could.

By July, I thought the chances were 1 in 3. Keep in mind, I was a skeptic. My heart said Mitt. My head said it will be someone else. Over and over, as people were vetted in the media, none of them could keep up with Mitt.

By the time we reached the convention earlier this week, I really thought that Mitt’s chances were at 50% and at times this week I’ve thought he was the pick. I was wrong. Sarah Palin is a good pick.

One thing is for sure. No matter what happens this November, Mitt Romney will be prominent in the American political discourse. Over and over, commentators talk about his experience, expertise and competence. He has been fearless in making the case that John McCain is a better choice for President than Barack Obama. Mitt has taken up the conservative cause and has articulated why advocating for family values in government policies are important in a way that the average American can understand. He will be a player on the national scene for a long time to come and we’ll be helping him along the way.

Stan

I don’t know Sarah Palin. I only know what is in the news like you; she’s conservative, she’s a typical mom with five children and she’s competent. She’s pro-life and believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

What I like right off the bat is that this pick highlights the important role of women in the Republican Party. Republican policies have always been friendly to women and we have always been a Party of inclusion towards women.

This pick clearly targets Hillary’s supporters and has the potential to energize the base of the Republican Party that has been somewhat skeptical about McCain. I am thinking about our Republican Women and the excitement they will have about a woman who shares their values on the ticket.

I think that Utah voters will be reassured by this pick that Republicans will continue to share their values.

Stan Lockhart
Utah State GOP Chair

The last three days since Tuesday have been a whirlwind of activity as I arrived in Minneapolis for the national convention. My wife Becky flew in on Monday to participate on the platform committee. Then after the platform committee hearings were over Wednesday, Becky returned to Provo to make sure the kids were surviving and they will all return on Saturday. I know some will think it odd that this trip is the Lockhart summer vacation. It certainly doesn’t measure up to family reunions and Disneyland, but it is what it is.

During our first national convention in 2000 in Philadelphia, Becky and I kept thinking that there would be a valuable learning experience for our children to attend. So in 2004 we took the children to New York City. From the very beginning it was unlike anything our family had done together. The very first event, a Broadway play, protesters lined the streets shouting words at us that were brand new vocabulary words for our kids. Many protesters kept giving the delegates the finger (showing us of course that we were #1), we saw delegates spit on and protesters arrested. One time, we looked down from our Hotel room and saw almost a block of protesters in handcuffs.

We saw and heard small groups of protesters planning how to disrupt things as we wandered from event to event. We had a very positive experience serving food in a soup kitchen to the homeless and helped stock shelves at the adjoining grocery store for those with little to no money. We also saw some tourist sites in New York as well like Ellis Island and the Empire State Building. We went to church together. It was similar to any other Lockhart vacation, except there was a powerful lesson. Politics is a battle for the heart and soul of America. Do we continue with traditional values or do we change? America’s founders said that our form of government can only survive with a moral people. “It is wholly inadequate for any other.” Going to the New York City convention allowed all in my family to see this battle close and up front.

For all of that however, the highlight for my kids took place the last night of the 2004 convention. The convention sessions had been kind of boring for them. They all wanted to get on the floor the last night of the session when President Bush was nominated. Security was tight and we could only get our youngest down with the parents. Hannah was 14 and Emily was 12. They weren’t happy. Then they got a surprise. As they were walking into the concourse, they were approached by someone who asked if they would like to go on-stage with a performer, LeAnn Womack. A few cell phone calls later with parents and they were in. They were within 10 feet of President Bush that night and were onstage as the balloons and confetti rained down on the crowd.

So beginning Saturday, Becky and the kids will come to Minneapolis. Hannah is an alternate delegate this year and won’t have to sit in the upper bowl. Stephen and Emily are excited to be here too. With school in session this year already, we’ve had to coordinate with schools and teachers. Hannah has contacted her professors since this is the first week of school at BYU. We think we have things organized, except that I am in charge of our delegation having a good experience here so the family will be on their own a bit more.

Becky and I were up at 3:30 am to get her to the airport on time yesterday. I don’t know if I’ll catch up on sleep until we return home next week.

Stan Lockhart

Tomorrow is a big day for conventioneers. It’s the day that state delegations settle into their assigned Hotels. Until now, we’ve all been housed at the downtown Hyatt Regency for ease of access to the convention center where all the committees are meeting to complete their assignments. Beginning tomorrow, we will move to the Sofitel which is located closer to the Mall of America than the Xcel Center. We are sharing our Hotel with the California delegation which is also staying at the Sheraton across the street.

The Platform Committee’s work is done. Both the Rules Committee and Credentials Committee work is coming to a close. Yesterday we had a full day of RNC meetings as well. We brought our A team for these committees. Some of our committee members include Enid Greene Mickelsen, Bruce Hough and Curt Bramble. One RNC revelation yesterday was that if the Gustav Hurricane hits with Katrina like force in the Southeast US on Monday, our convention activities might be postponed. I don’t know what that means, but evidently there is a contingency plan.

I was shocked to find yesterday that Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was going in for additional surgery on his leg. He’s been on my mind and in my prayers since then. Speaking of Mark, here is something you may not know about him. Mark owns a “team” in my fantasy basketball league. This game for NBA basketball fans allows each team owner to draft their own team made up of the best NBA players possible. Then the actual statistics by those players are compared with statistics from players on other teams. Mark got into his motorcycle accident last year just a few weeks before our draft. He was still bedridden and on medication but still participated in the draft by phone. As the rounds went on, you could tell from Mark’s tone of voice that the pain was increasing. Finally, after one pick he indicated he couldn’t continue. The rest of the team owners chose his last few draft picks for him. The kicker: Mark won the regular season title and had an incredible team. Memo to the Utah Jazz, if GM Kevin O’Conner ever leaves (BTW, I think Kevin does a tremendous job), I recommend Mark Shurtleff to take his place.

Dan Harrie poked some fun at me in a blog today because I went to bed early last night and didn’t take his call for a comment on the Barack Obama speech. Just so you know, I was up at 3:30 am Thursday to get Becky to the airport and it was a long day of meeting after meeting. However, Dan’s comments had a thread of truth to them. Democrats probably do have better cocktail parties than Republicans and our events are over a lot earlier in the evening. We have a lot of fun. We just do it earlier in the evening and without alcohol.

Today I had my first celebrity sighting. No it wasn’t Morton Blackwell, a long time Virginia RNC member and owner of much of our Party institutional memory. I see him at every RNC meeting. At dinner tonight at a seafood restaurant, I saw Bob Schieffer, host of CBS Face the Nation and political correspondent. Now, in order to manage expectations you should know I won’t be able to match the Democrats for Hollywood celebrities during the convention. After all, much of what Republicans stand for is the opposite of what Hollywood and popular culture promotes. But never fear I’ll still do the best I can to deliver celebrity sightings.

I almost forgot, Senator Norm Coleman from Minnesota was our RNC lunch keynote speaker yesterday. So much for the impact on me of “star power”. He was actually very engaging with a sense of humor. He’d have to have a sense of humor with Al Franken running against him. Yes that is the same Al Franken who claims to be a comedian.

One of the things that has already been overwhelming, particularly today, is the amount of contact I’m receiving from the news media. A lot of it today was a result of VP pick Sarah Palin. However, 10 reporters/newscasters will be here with us in Minneapolis during the convention. Then there are media outlets back home in Utah that want stories as well. Todd Weiler, our Party Vice-Chair, is in charge of much of our media relations. We plan to have several people blogging during the week. Todd and I will handle media questions and if this convention is like others I’ve been to, the media members will spend time interacting with delegates looking for good stories.

I am really looking forward to my family’s arrival tomorrow. They arrive late in the evening. It will be a challenge to get up early Sunday to attend church before preconvention activities, but I’m optimistic we can do it.

By Todd Weiler
State GOP Vice-Chair

I have been skeptical of Obama’s promise to bring change to Washington, to transcend the divisive politics of the past two decades, and to end the partisan wars by building a new majority. The man who has promised “a new kind of politics” where “old labels don’t apply” has voted with his own party 96 percent of the time accordingly to Congressional Quarterly’s website.

To effect change, Obama has enlisted a running mate whose tenure in Washington pre-dates Watergate. In fact, when Joe Biden was taking his senatorial oath of office, Obama was still taking his bus to grade school.

Joe Biden? This is the guy who orchestrated the Clearance Thomas/Anita Hill fiasco. And before that, he “borked” Robert Bork. (More recently, Biden voted against the confirmations of both Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Alito.)

Obama/Biden is the most liberal ticket ever offered by the Democrats. And that is saying a lot considering the McGovern/Shriver ticket in ‘72. The National Journal recently scored Obama as the most liberal senator and Joe Biden as the third most liberal senator in Washington. (National Journal, 7/18/08). By comparison, Hillary Clinton ranked a meager 16th. Obama and Biden don’t just talk the talk when it comes to liberal issues like government-controlled health care, they actually walk the walk.

Biden does not come to the ticket without controversy. He has previously apologized for plagiarizing a political speech and misrepresenting his academic record. In law school, he was caught submitting a word-for-word copy of five pages of a published law review article as his own work.

Biden also says a lot of stupid things. Last year, he described Obama to the New York Observer as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Come again? While campaigning in New Hampshire in July 2006, Mr. Biden said that “you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.”

Biden also doesn’t match up with Obama on important issues like Iraq. Biden voted in favor of the Iraq war resolution in October 2002. (Obama, of course, didn’t vote on the resolution because he was busy casting “present” votes in the Illinois legislature at the time.) Also, one of Obama’s most stinging criticisms of McCain has been for his support of a bankruptcy reform bill authored by Biden.

Speaking of Biden and McCain, they happen to like each other a lot. In 2005, Biden told Jon Stewart that: “John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off.” (The Daily Show, 8/2/05).

In fact, until last Saturday, Biden seemed to have more confidence in McCain than he did with his running mate: “I think [Obama] can be ready [to be president], but right now, I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.” (ABC’s, “This Week,” 8/19/07).

Rebuilding.

Revamping.

Rewording . . . .

This was a decent little convention news site, but the next incarnation could be even more fun. Check back soon.