Hobbies for Huckabee

I started a new blog about sewing and hobbies and Mike Huckabee. It will be focused on creativity and Mike Huckabee's support of arts and music. I have already posted an introduction over at Hobbies for Huckabee. Take time to read it and if you want to participate I would like to make this a community blog.

Huckabee, Gingrich and McCain-Feingold (and Romney)

There is a Michigan blogger that I like to read on occasion, American Princess. Today I found this post, talking about McCain being behind why Newt can't run for president, and most importantly why Mike Huckabee could not fly to Mac Isle. I will include just the things about Mike, but I encourage you to check out the post, along with reading her whole blog.
The Real Reason Behind McCain-Feingold

• On Mackinac, there's a strip of runway where people can land their private planes. When Mike Huckabee missed his hopper to the island, he was going to have to charter a jet, and with Mitt Romney unwilling to share, was going to have to foot the $15,000 bill himself. Why? Well, because according to McCain-Feingold, he'd blown his one, well-crafted shot at travel expenses and now he was wholly depended on the cash in his pocked to make his lunchdate.
  Just today, Newt Gingrich found out that McCain's campaign finance reform was standing in the way of his finding solutions and actually implementing them as the leader of the free world
• So, first Huckabee and now Newt...is the Republican's lagging candidate subversively destroying everyone who dares to challenge him for the nod through a carefully crafted decades long initiative to replace existing campaign finance laws with ones he could foresee as being destructive?

In case you missed what I put in bold, here it is again, Mitt Romney unwilling to share

Oh, you missed it? OK, here it is again, larger. Mitt Romney unwilling to share

In case your tired, larger yet. Mitt Romney unwilling to share

Better? Well of course Mitt was unwilling to share. He knew that Mike Huckabee would be at the Dollar-a-Day reception to be able to mingle with Michigan's monied Republicans. He knew that Mike Huckabee was expected to speak at the same lunch as him. He knows Mike is a better speaker than him. He knew that even though most of the people who had meal tickets to said lunch were going to see him, Mike would steal the show. The fence sitters, the ones who wanted to hear everyone at every meal to be able to make up their minds, including some Mitt fans would go to Huckabee like bees to honey.

I tell you what, even if Mike Huckabee talked about nothing more than his hunting trips with his dog and how his dog chases it's tail, for the allotted fifteen minutes Mike would have had a better speech than Mitt's droning on for thirty minutes. Any of you who were at that luncheon, we have both John Boy and Mitty-poo to thank for having to listen to Mitt speak for half and hour instead of fifteen minutes. How about a big hearty smart alack THANK YOU!

I feel much better knowing more of the details about Mike not making it. I am working on a post about my visit to the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference. It is very wordy, with quite a few pics, so it is taking a while. But I thought I would drop in to let ya know about this. Again, check out the full post from American Princess.

God Bless from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan!

Disclaimer: While my post ripped on Mitt, that is not what her post was doing. She is ripping on McCain.

Huckabee Notes of Interest

Here is some video of Mike Huckabee talking about where the GOP has been, where it's at, where it could be going in regards to Civil Rights, fifty years after Little Rock Nine.



Watch the video of last night's debate, here. Mike Huckabee had a great performance. But what's new?

Mike Huckabee on Foriegn Policy.

• Mike Huckabee on Foriegn Policy;
• September 28, 2007
  NEWS RELEASE:
  MIKE HUCKABEE DELIVERS MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY SPEECH IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
  Washington, D.C. – Former AR Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee delivered the following speech, “Paths and Priorities in the War on Terror,” at a foreign policy forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. this morning.
  The following text is a copy of his prepared remarks as written:
  “Saying American foreign policy needs a change in tone and attitude, or an opening up and a reaching out, is as obvious as saying O. J. Simpson might be having a bad month. This Administration’s bunker mentality has been counter-productive both at home and abroad. They have done as poor a job of communicating and consulting with other countries as they have with the American people.
  “A more successful foreign policy begins at home with better communication to the American people about Islamic terror. Six years after 9/11, it is still difficult for us, with our religious tolerance, our separation of church and state, to grasp how these people think. After we attend different churches on Sunday, or no church, Americans share meals or movies -- we don’t slaughter each other. We have thrived on our diversity – religious, ethnic, racial -- to become the world’s only superpower. We don’t merely tolerate diversity, we embrace and celebrate it. To Islamic extremists, the concept of a melting pot is as alien as the concept of a theocracy is to us. It takes an enormous leap of imagination to understand what these people are about, that they really do want to kill every last one of us and destroy civilization as we know it.
  “The Administration has never done an adequate job explaining the theology and ideology behind Islamic terror, never done an adequate job of convincing us of their ruthless fanaticism. The first rule of war is “Know your enemy,” and most Americans don’t. To grasp the magnitude of the threat, we first have to understand what makes Islamic terrorists – and their suicide bombs – tick, and the Administration has not explained it well. Very few Americans are familiar with the writings of Sayyid Qutb, the Egyptian radical executed in 1966, and the Muslim Brotherhood, whose call to active jihad, influenced bin Laden and the rise of Al Qaeda. Qutb is to bin Laden as Karl Marx is to Lenin. Qutb raged against the decadence and sin he saw around him and sought to restore what he considered the “pure” Islam of the seventh century. Besides opposing non-Muslims, besides opposing Shiites, he was a Sunni who opposed Sunni governments because he believed they required their citizens to worship them like “gods,” and so were guilty of a polytheism forbidden by Islam. To him, the only answer was a return to a theocratic caliphate without national borders, and he saw nothing decadent or sinful in murder to achieve that end. Americans, who go to extreme lengths to save lives, can’t comprehend human beings who delight in taking lives, it just doesn’t compute. In our culture, the death of a child is about the worst trial a person can endure, while parents of suicide bombers feel joy, not grief. We believe that every individual has intrinsic worth and value. This culture of life is a cornerstone of our society, illuminated by the conflict with the Islamic jihadists and their culture of death.
  “It is also difficult for us, with our culture of assimilation, to understand that life for European Muslims is different from life for American Muslims. Muslims in Britain or the Netherlands or Germany are second-class citizens because those countries have more homogenous populations that don’t readily integrate outsiders. Instead of melting pots, Europe has separate pots boiling over with alienation and despair. In some countries, like France, it is more a lack of economic integration, while in others, like Britain, it is more a lack of cultural integration, but whatever the reason, Europe is a much more fertile breeding ground for terror than the United States. Unintentionally, some of our closest allies are producing some of our clearest threats. Because of our special relationship with Britain and all our similarities with them, most Americans don’t realize that it is very different to be a Muslim citizen of Britain than a Muslim citizen of the United States, so we have trouble accepting that doctors in Britain become terrorists. We have to understand that while educated Muslims in Europe may not be materially deprived, many of them feel socially and emotionally deprived by a lack of acceptance. Earlier this month we saw the arrest of German citizens plotting a terror attack against American targets there. Also this month we saw Danish citizens arrested for plotting an imminent bombing. Both plots had links to Al Qaeda.

Read the rest here.

Michigan Shutdown?

To get all the skinny on what's up with the talk of the Michigan shutdown go to RightMichigan.com. Nick and his gang are working tirelessly to keep all us taxpayers of Michigan up to date and up to the minute on what's going on in Lansing. Everyone at Right Michigan deserves a big hearty thank you!

Fair Tax at Mac Isle

I found this report from FairTax.org about their visit to the Mackinac Leadership Conference.

• Every other year, the Michigan Republican Party holds a Republican leadership conference on beautiful Mackinac Island. The Island is located in Lake Michigan and is situated in full view of the Mackinac Bridge that connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. Because the presidential primaries are approaching, the candidates identified this as a desirable event to attend to win favor with Michigan Republican leaders and activists. Our objective at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference was to be visible everywhere all the time. We wanted the presidential candidates, their staffs, Republican leaders, activists, and the media to understand the amount of support there is in Michigan for the FairTax. We wanted to be at every conference meeting and hospitality event with our FairTax signs, T-shirts, hats, lapel stick-on labels, bumper stickers, literature, etc. We also wanted to engage attendees in conversation about the FairTax in our effort to educate them, answer questions, and obtain their active support. We especially wanted to inform attendees about the two workshops, "Perspectives on Tax Policy," in which we directly participated. Pat Toomey from the Club for Growth, John Berthoud from the National Taxpayers Union, Grover Norquist from Americans for Tax Reform, Michigan Representative Fulton Sheen, and I served as panelists, and all but Grover Norquist are FairTaxers. I had worked with the Michigan Republican Party to invite most of the panelists. It was an unqualified success! We had the Island and every event covered with FairTax activists identified with signs, T-shirts, hats, lapel stick-on labels, and our tax perspectives workshop was attended by approximately 400 Republican activists (second only in attendance to the Newt Gingrich workshop). At our workshop, the FairTax emerged as the best solution for Michigan and America. Grover was selling his flat income tax and expressed concerns about a national sales tax. I appreciated the opportunity to answer his predictable concerns. It was almost like I had asked him to express his concerns so that I and the other panelists could hit his concerns out of the ballpark -- which we did. Michigan FairTaxers drove great distances and spent their own money and time to participate in this premier political event. All but two presidential candidates attended, and they couldn't miss our organized FairTaxers. I was delighted to have Marilyn Rickert, Rich Johns, and a couple of their volunteers (Beryl Nichols and Barbara Wilson from Illinois and Ohio, respectively) attend to help, as we had to man the vendor tables while covering many simultaneous events. We had about 250 people working with us, and it took every one of them to cover every event in such a way as to have it appear that the FairTax was dominant at every event at the conference.
  Many presidential candidates' staff members attended our workshops, and the candidates saw us every time they turned their heads. Jeri Thompson (wife of Fred Thompson) told our state internal communications director that she was impressed by the organization by us at the conference and how polite and nice the FairTax volunteers were. We educated a lot of influential people in Michigan, and many top political leaders now want to meet with us to discuss the FairTax. The supplies provided by AFFT were essential to our visibility and success, and we look forward to continuing to push the FairTax “primary strategy” in Michigan!
• Roger Buchholtz
• MI FairTax Director (volunteer)

To read more about the Fair Tax reports click here.

Mike Huckabee Embarassed for the GOP and Cndidates who Didn't Show Up

Here is some coverage of last night's debate.

• BALTIMORE — Republican presidential candidates discussed the importance of reaching out to people of color during a minority issues debate Thursday night and criticized the leading four Republican contenders for skipping it.
  "I think this is a disgrace that they are not here," said Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. "I think it's a disgrace to our country. I think it's bad for our party, and I don't think it's good for our future."
  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said he was "embarrassed for our party, and I'm embarrassed for those who didn't come."
  The four no-shows — former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — cited scheduling conflicts in saying they could not attend the debate at historically black Morgan State University.
  "Fortunately, there are those in the Republican Party who do understand the importance of reaching out to people of color," said talk show host Tavis Smiley, the debate moderator, thanking the six other candidates for participating.
  Besides Brownback and Huckabee, the other candidates who participated in the debate were: Reps. Duncan Hunter of California, Ron Paul of Texas and Tom Tancredo of Colorado, and conservative activist Alan L. Keyes.
  The forum, which had black and Hispanic journalists questioning the candidates, was broadcast live on the Public Broadcasting Service.
  The candidates answered questions ranging from what they would do to help minorities, their views on illegal immigration, the war in Iraq, minority unemployment rates and their position on capital punishment.
  Huckabee said he would want his legacy in helping minorities to be more equal treatment for them in the criminal justice system. Brownback said he would continue to push for the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington. Keyes spoke of bringing more religious values into schools.

Read the rest here.

Funny Picture of Ted Kennedy

I thought I would share this funny picture of Ted Kennedy included in a transcript for Glenn Beck's radio program about popcorn lung.

• GLENN: Popcorn lung is something that Ted Kennedy is fighting, and me personally, I love this. Exposure to microwave popcorn additive linked to a deadly lung disease that has been swiftly regulated under a bill passed on Wednesday, defined the White House veto threat. So I just want to make sure that I understand this. The house has passed a bill on popcorn lung, something that I've never heard of until about a week ago. Have you heard of this, Stu, popcorn lung?STU: I heard -- no, I don't think so.GLENN: It was about a week ago that we fist heard, well, maybe a couple of weeks.
  Popcorn lung is something that Ted Kennedy is fighting... well that and obesity.
  STU: It's a great name. Let me be honest. It's a fantastic name. It's a horrible disease perhaps but a fantastic name. GLENN: And if I'm not mistaken, the Bush administration is being criticized by the Democrats because of their insistence on not pushing OSHA for stiffer regulations on popcorn lung, and this had been identified several years ago in popcorn workers in Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey and Illinois, and scientists say that popcorn lung is -- I'm quoting -- astonishingly grotesque and it's all from popcorn.

Click on the link above to read the rest.

Mike Huckabee's Speech from the Forthieth Anniversary of the Little Rock Nine

Hearing and watching this is way more moving than reading it.

Mike Huckabee Clears the Record

From Mike Huckabee's blog page, post regarding misinformation.

• Little Rock, AR -- Former AR Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee today issued the following statement in response to a news story stating that he is "open to state-sponsored civil unions that would bestow the legal rights of marriage on gay and lesbian couples":
• "This report is simply inaccurate. I do not support legal recognition of alternative unions. I strongly, firmly and unequivocally believe that the traditional definition of marriage is for 'one man, one woman, for life.' That is why I worked hard in Arkansas to enact legislation at the state level to protect traditional marriage, and why I have vowed to work hard for federal language as President.
• "While I believe that people have a right to decide how they live their personal lives, they have to respect not changing the definition of marriage."

While I believe in the sanctity of marriage and I wholeheartedly believe Mike Huckabee believes in the sanctity of marriage, I have never really talked about this aspect of Mike Huckabee. I am too poor to really care about who's fooling with who. I believe marriage should be limited to one man and one woman. But when someone spreads such a lie about Mike Huckabee I wanted to post Mike Huckabee setting the record straight.

In fact when I was in Iowa, some lady came up to the booth and said "I heard Mike Huckabee is for civil unions." I told her this was untrue and to check out what Mike truly believes in regards to the sanctity of marriage on his website. I also asked where she heard that and she said she got something in the mail. I asked her who sent it. She said she didn't know. I had heard that just before the straw poll rivals were sending negative info about the candidates. So I am guessing this is coming from a scared rival of Mike Huckabee's.

Newt Speaks Up

Well, my local PBS affiliate has "Outdoor Michigan" on, not the debate. Anyhoo, I am channel surfing. I came across Hannity and Colmes. I caught the end of Newt Gingrich being interviewed. Hannity went off saying to Newt, "You have said nice stuff about Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Fred Thompson." Newt says, "Oh, I have also talked about Mike Huckabee." Sean didn't want to hear it. But Newt was saying that Mike Huckabee has great ideas and he is a formidable candidate. I guess maybe Newt gave him a head slap during the break. After the next guest came on they were talking about Hillary Clinton. Sean mentioned the comment Mike Huckabee made about Hillary "kissing George Soros' backside." That was the first time I have heard Sean mention anything positive about Mike. Come on Sean, that was nice but start talking about more meatier issues regarding Mike Huckabee. I guess I will keep the channel on Glenn Beck.

Details for September 27 Debate

OneMom has details about the All American Presidential Forums Debate; time, channel who will be there/who won't. Check out her post here. Remember I will be keeping you up to date about the upcoming Michigan Debate.

Fall for Mike Huckabee

The Fall Season is upon us, and I would like to suggest that you "Fall(believe in) for Mike Huckabee," or get others to fall for Mike. Like many of you out there, I live in a small town. This time of year many small towns have Fall festivals, whether they be parades, town picnics, sidewalk sales, apple bobbing contests, largest pumpkin, etc. There is usually something going on with large crowds gathering. If you are fortunate enough to live in a tourist town you will see many people from far away towns and even states just to see your town's festivities. I live in such a town.
Now here's where "Fall for Mike Huckabee" comes in. Go to this link and print out as many push cards as you think you will need. Hand them out at your town's Fall events. I will be doing this at the Apple Days and Great Pumpkin Roll on Oct. 6. The Pumpkin Roll is fun and it is just what it says, ya roll a pumpkin down a hill. Many people and families will be there for all the festivities. The Apple Days has activities for mom, dad, big bro/sis, little bro/sis, baby bro/sis and even fun for grandma and grandpa!
This is perfect timing for Mike Huckabee's exposure. This is the Saturday before the Republican Michigan Debate. Most of the people who show up to this event don't usually go onto the computer to research political candidates. The Michigan tourists who will be there will find out about Mike Huckabee, get interested and when they watch him on the debate they will realize that he's the man. Also the out of state tourists will learn about Mike too. If you are thinking about planning a trip to the UP, come up that weekend and help hand out flyers. Probably not on the top of your list of vacation activities. Or ya can just do something in your town. Ask your friends, family or people in your church to help out.

BD Bopper's Donation Challenge

Check out this link to BDBopper's post on Oh Baby that's What I Like. He has a post for sports fans, but anyone can participate. Basically he is challenging all Huckabee supporters, regardless of what sports team you root for, to be a cheerleader and untite for Mike Huckabee. As a huge Rockabilly fan, I love both his nickname and blog name. That reminds me, I need to do another music post, possibly about JP "Big Bopper" Richardson.

Why I Still Like Ike

No that is not a misspelling. I Like Mike, but I thought I would bring this to the attention of anyone who is concerned with border security. I found this interesting article from the Christian Science Monitor. It is about how and why Dwight D. Eisenhower took care of the border issue in 1954. I am including the entire article.

Some people may think that what happened 53 years ago isn't important, but as you will see Ike did all this with less than one-tenth the amount of border agents. Dwight Eisenhower ardently stood up against corruption. That's how his words became actions. This country needs another Ike. This country needs someone who is honest, someone who is willing to ruffle feathers to do what is right and buck the "business as usual" system.

• from the July 06, 2006 edition
  How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico
  By John Dillin WASHINGTON – George W. Bush isn't the first Republican president to face a full-blown immigration crisis on the US-Mexican border.
  Fifty-three years ago, when newly elected Dwight Eisenhower moved into the White House, America's southern frontier was as porous as a spaghetti sieve. As many as 3 million illegal migrants had walked and waded northward over a period of several years for jobs in California, Arizona, Texas, and points beyond.
  
  President Eisenhower cut off this illegal traffic. He did it quickly and decisively with only 1,075 United States Border Patrol agents - less than one-tenth of today's force. The operation is still highly praised among veterans of the Border Patrol.
  Although there is little to no record of this operation in Ike's official papers, one piece of historic evidence indicates how he felt. In 1951, Ike wrote a letter to Sen. William Fulbright (D) of Arkansas. The senator had just proposed that a special commission be created by Congress to examine unethical conduct by government officials who accepted gifts and favors in exchange for special treatment of private individuals.
  General Eisenhower, who was gearing up for his run for the presidency, said "Amen" to Senator Fulbright's proposal. He then quoted a report in The New York Times, highlighting one paragraph that said: "The rise in illegal border-crossing by Mexican 'wetbacks' to a current rate of more than 1,000,000 cases a year has been accompanied by a curious relaxation in ethical standards extending all the way from the farmer-exploiters of this contraband labor to the highest levels of the Federal Government."
  Years later, the late Herbert Brownell Jr., Eisenhower's first attorney general, said in an interview with this writer that the president had a sense of urgency about illegal immigration when he took office.
  America "was faced with a breakdown in law enforcement on a very large scale," Mr. Brownell said. "When I say large scale, I mean hundreds of thousands were coming in from Mexico [every year] without restraint."
  Although an on-and-off guest-worker program for Mexicans was operating at the time, farmers and ranchers in the Southwest had become dependent on an additional low-cost, docile, illegal labor force of up to 3 million, mostly Mexican, laborers.
  According to the Handbook of Texas Online, published by the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association, this illegal workforce had a severe impact on the wages of ordinary working Americans. The Handbook Online reports that a study by the President's Commission on Migratory Labor in Texas in 1950 found that cotton growers in the Rio Grande Valley, where most illegal aliens in Texas worked, paid wages that were "approximately half" the farm wages paid elsewhere in the state.
  Profits from illegal labor led to the kind of corruption that apparently worried Eisenhower. Joseph White, a retired 21-year veteran of the Border Patrol, says that in the early 1950s, some senior US officials overseeing immigration enforcement "had friends among the ranchers," and agents "did not dare" arrest their illegal workers.
  Walt Edwards, who joined the Border Patrol in 1951, tells a similar story. He says: "When we caught illegal aliens on farms and ranches, the farmer or rancher would often call and complain [to officials in El Paso]. And depending on how politically connected they were, there would be political intervention. That is how we got into this mess we are in now."
  Bill Chambers, who worked for a combined 33 years for the Border Patrol and the then-called US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), says politically powerful people are still fueling the flow of illegals.
  During the 1950s, however, this "Good Old Boy" system changed under Eisenhower - if only for about 10 years.
  In 1954, Ike appointed retired Gen. Joseph "Jumpin' Joe" Swing, a former West Point classmate and veteran of the 101st Airborne, as the new INS commissioner.
  Influential politicians, including Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson (D) of Texas and Sen. Pat McCarran (D) of Nevada, favored open borders, and were dead set against strong border enforcement, Brownell said. But General Swing's close connections to the president shielded him - and the Border Patrol - from meddling by powerful political and corporate interests.
  One of Swing's first decisive acts was to transfer certain entrenched immigration officials out of the border area to other regions of the country where their political connections with people such as Senator Johnson would have no effect.
  Then on June 17, 1954, what was called "Operation Wetback" began. Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country.
  By mid-July, the crackdown extended northward into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, and eastward to Texas.
  By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left the Lone Star State voluntarily.
  Unlike today, Mexicans caught in the roundup were not simply released at the border, where they could easily reenter the US. To discourage their return, Swing arranged for buses and trains to take many aliens deep within Mexico before being set free.
  Tens of thousands more were put aboard two hired ships, the Emancipation and the Mercurio. The ships ferried the aliens from Port Isabel, Texas, to Vera Cruz, Mexico, more than 500 miles south.
  The sea voyage was "a rough trip, and they did not like it," says Don Coppock, who worked his way up from Border Patrolman in 1941 to eventually head the Border Patrol from 1960 to 1973.
  Mr. Coppock says he "cannot understand why [President] Bush let [today's] problem get away from him as it has. I guess it was his compassionate conservatism, and trying to please [Mexican President] Vincente Fox."
  There are now said to be 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the US. Of the Mexicans who live here, an estimated 85 percent are here illegally.

Also, check this out.

• Border Patrol vets offer tips on curbing illegal immigration
  One day in 1954, Border Patrol agent Walt Edwards picked up a newspaper in Big Spring, Texas, and saw some startling news. The government was launching an all-out drive to oust illegal aliens from the United States.
  The orders came straight from the top, where the new president, Dwight Eisenhower, had put a former West Point classmate, Gen. Joseph Swing, in charge of immigration enforcement.
  General Swing's fast-moving campaign soon secured America's borders - an accomplishment no other president has since equaled. Illegal migration had dropped 95 percent by the late 1950s.
  Several retired Border Patrol agents who took part in the 1950s effort, including Mr. Edwards, say much of what Swing did could be repeated today.
  "Some say we cannot send 12 million illegals now in the United States back where they came from. Of course we can!" Edwards says.
  Donald Coppock, who headed the Patrol from 1960 to 1973, says that if Swing and Ike were still running immigration enforcement, "they'd be on top of this in a minute."
  William Chambers, another '50s veteran, agrees. "They could do a pretty good job" sealing the border.
  Edwards says: "When we start enforcing the law, these various businesses are, on their own, going to replace their [illegal] workforce with a legal workforce."
  While Congress debates building a fence on the border, these veterans say other actions should have higher priority.
  1. End the current practice of taking captured Mexican aliens to the border and releasing them. Instead, deport them deep into Mexico, where return to the US would be more costly.
  2. Crack down hard on employers who hire illegals. Without jobs, the aliens won't come.
  3. End "catch and release" for non-Mexican aliens. It is common for illegal migrants not from Mexico to be set free after their arrest if they promise to appear later before a judge. Few show up.
  The Patrol veterans say enforcement could also be aided by a legalized guest- worker program that permits Mexicans to register in their country for temporary jobs in the US. Eisenhower's team ran such a program. It permitted up to 400,000 Mexicans a year to enter the US for various agriculture jobs that lasted for 12 to 52 weeks.

There will be more Ike articles to come soon. Please read and ask yourself if we need someone like Ike again.

Gotta Love this quote!

Huckabee slams Clinton on Petraeus vote

• WASHINGTON, 25 (UPI) -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican presidential hopeful, said Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., will be the Democratic Party candidate for 2008.
• However, in an interview with The Washington Times, Huckabee slammed Clinton for not voting for a Senate resolution last week condemning an ad in The New York Times by the Moveon.org political group that criticized U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus' performance as top commander in Iraq.
• Clinton wasn't among the 22 Democrats who voted in favor of condemning the attack, although on Sunday television interviews, she condemned it.Referring to billionaire philanthropist and political activist George Soros, one of Moveon.org's benefactors, Huckabee lashed out Clinton in the interview.
• "If you can't get your lips off the backside of George Soros long enough to use those lips to say it's wrong to declare a sitting general ... guilty of treason, how would you ever expect to have the support of the very military you might have to send into deadly battle?" Huckabee told the Times.

Don't ya just love that quote? It is so dead on correct.

Newt's Terrific Video from Mackinac Island

Since I believe in giving credit where credit is due, this was uploaded to Google by Nick from RightMichigan.com. In this video Newt Gingrich is speaking to attendees at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference.

Newt Gingrich Talks about Michigan and Iranian President Mahmoud "IdiotJob"

I recieved this email from Joel Westrom, 1St District Chairman. It is Newt Gingrich talking about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at Columbia and Michigan along with other important issues.

• Iranian Free Speech: Only in America ; and Learning From the World That Fails by Newt Gingrich (more by this author) Posted 09/25/2007 ET
  I don't know if you saw it, but the decision of Columbia University to invite Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak in their "distinguished" lecturer series took a truly bizarre turn last week. Seeking to justify the soapbox Columbia has given to a man who is actively engaged in killing American troops in Iraq , Columbia Dean of International and Public Affairs John Coatsworth told Fox News that even Adolph Hitler would have been invited to speak at Columbia .
  Well, across town from Columbia in New York City is the New School , another institution of higher learning. I was with the New School 's President, former U.S. Democratic Senator from Nebraska Bob Kerrey, yesterday morning. As the protests over Ahmadinejad's speech raged, he had some powerful things to say about what the New School could teach Columbia about history, about the real meaning of free speech and about common decency.
  Could Hitler Come to the New School? 'Yes, If He Was Dead.'
  By way of history, you should know that the New School is a university that from its very founding has been dedicated to academic freedom and democracy.
  During the 1930s, the New School was a haven for intellectuals and artists who had been banished by the dictatorships of Hitler and Mussolini.
  And after World War II, the New School was the first academic institution to establish a program designed specifically for returning soldiers to complete their education. For those who had sacrificed to serve their country, the New School offered the opportunity to get ahead in civilian life tuition-free. It remains today an all scholarship college.
  And so it came as no surprise that when I asked New School President Kerrey if he would have allowed Adolph Hitler to come on his campus, his reply was powerfully blunt:
  "Yes, if he was dead."
  It's a standard that I agree with wholeheartedly. It's too bad that the leadership of Columbia University hasn't learned the lesson of the New School : America honors freedom of expression by being a refuge for the oppressed, not by giving a soapbox to the oppressors. This is not about free speech, the Iranian dictator can stand on any
  New York City streetcorner and say what he wishes, but we do not need to legitimize his hate-filled holocaust-denying diatribes by giving him a platform at a "distinguished" lecturer series at Columbia .
  Learning From the World That Fails
  If the Iranian dictator's speech at Columbia is an example of one institution's failure to learn, there is an opportunity coming up later this week for all of us to learn how to change our country.
  You've heard me talk before about Solutions Day, coming up this Thursday and Saturday, and how we're going to focus on moving our government from the world that fails to the world that works.
  Last weekend, I went to a state that illustrates better than any other state in the union the consequences for real people -- real families, real jobs, real lives -- when government is mired in the world that fails.
  Will the Last One to Leave Michigan Please Turn Out the Lights?
  In 1950, Michigan was one of the most prosperous states in America . There were 1,800,000 people in Detroit , and Detroiters enjoyed the highest per capita income of any large city in the country.
  Today, Michigan is an economic basket case. Its unemployment rate is a crushing 7.2 percent -- the highest in the nation. And to make matters worse, Michigan taxes are higher than the national average.
  So with no jobs and high taxes, it's no surprise that Michiganders are going elsewhere to live and work. Its population is declining so much that the wry joke in Michigan is that the last one to leave please turn out the lights.
  Michigan and the Virtual Circle of the World That Works
  But there is a way forward for Michigan . It's not complicated, and it's not theoretical. It's a simple story, taken from Michigan 's recent history, of government in the world that works.
  When former Gov. John Engler (R.) was leading Michigan , its economic outlook was much different. Gov. Engler brought Michigan to 3.2 percent unemployment, the lowest unemployment rate in the state's history. And he did so while cutting taxes and controlling spending.
  And Gov. Engler did something else that was critical to Michigan 's prosperity: During his time as governor, Michigan regained its AAA bond rating. The reason this is critical is because a state's bond rating determines how much its taxpayers pay on the state's debt. The better the rating, the less taxpayers pay. The less taxpayers pay, the more money is available for tax cuts or other priorities.
  It's the virtual circle of prosperity of the world that works: Lower taxes means more jobs means higher revenue from a bigger economy means controlled spending means a better bond rating. And a better bond rating means a lower cost of debt which means more money available for lower taxes which means the creation of even more jobs.
  'Like a Teenager Getting a Credit Card and Not Realizing He Has to Pay'
  That's the world that works. Now we get to the world that fails.
  In 11 short months after gaining power, Democrats in Michigan managed to lose the AAA bond rating. As I told my audience of Michigan Republicans gathered on Mackinac Island last weekend, it was like a teenager getting a credit card and not realizing that he has to pay. (You can view the entire speech here.)
  So, today, Michigan is in the virtual circle of the world that fails: It's losing jobs, losing people and losing money, and now it has to pay even more to service its debt.
  And, predictably in the world that fails, the solution that Democrats in Lansing are proposing is a huge tax increase to close the gap between the state's higher costs and declining revenues.
  Higher taxes are precisely what Michigan does not need right now. So far, the battle over the tax increase has been a fairly partisan one -- with a Democratic majority in the legislature and a Democratic governor pushing for the taxes, and Republicans, under the leadership of state party Chairman Saul Anuzis and others, pushing for lower spending.
  But this doesn't have to be a partisan battle. The guiding principles of the world that works aren't red versus blue. They're red, white and blue. Michigan simply needs to do what we know works and have the courage to carry it out.
  Solutions Day Begins This Thursday
  The same problems that effect government in Lansing today effect government, to a greater or lesser degree, virtually everywhere in America .
  Solutions Day, which begins this Thursday, will be a genuinely bipartisan opportunity for Americans to move government -- from the level of school boards and city councils all the way up to Congress and the White House -- from the world that fails to the world that works.
  These events get underway in just two days, including:
  
  
  Roy Romer, a Democrat who is the former governor of Colorado and superintendent of schools in Los Angeles , will be giving a workshop on reforming public schools.
  Elaine Kamarck, the head of President Bill Clinton's reinventing government initiative, will give a workshop on reducing the bureaucracy.
  Former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan will lead a discussion on creating a 21st-Century intelligent health system.
  Congressman Brian Bilbray (R.) of California will broadcast from the border on enforcement first in the illegal immigration debate.
  Solutions Day will be this and much, much more. For more information and to sign up, just visit AmericanSolutions.com or call 866-580-6398 (866-580-NEWT).
  
  A Radical View: American States Shouldn't Fail
  As you know, I have a very radical view of our government: Levies shouldn't fail, bridges shouldn't fall and states shouldn't lose their citizens.
  The effort that my organization, American Solutions, is putting forward this week draws on my experience working with Gov. Reagan, candidate Reagan and President Reagan -- developing over a 16-year period a plan to create a Republican majority in the House of Representatives and ultimately creating the Contract with America and being speaker of the House.
  Experience has taught me that if we care about future generations, it is the duty of this generation -- now -- to be committed to real change.
  Thursday is an historic opportunity to begin that change. It's our chance to give our children and grandchildren a country that is as safe, prosperous, innovative and free as the country our parents and grandparents worked and fought to give us.
  I hope you'll join us.
  Newt Gingrich
• P.S. -- You may have noticed that the media has been persistent in asking if I will run for President in 2008. I have consistently said I will not even begin thinking about such a race until after the American Solutions workshops this week.
  As I detailed above, American Solutions is developing a broad set of nonpartisan solutions for all 513,000 elected officials across America . Its polls are available with equal access for Democrats, Republicans and independents. And American Solutions workshops are available for free to all citizens without regard to party affiliation. Democrats, Republicans and libertarians are giving workshops on September 29.
  In short, American Solutions is not a campaign but a movement.
  Because there has been so much speculation about a possible candidacy, I have asked my friend and adviser Randy Evans to consult with people after the workshops, but not before.
  My most likely course of action will be to focus on creating a series of state solution programs (we had great response to the idea of a nonpartisan solutions in Michigan last weekend) and to begin preparing both for a series of bold new initiatives in developing training, education and collaborative tools on the Internet and beginning to develop a vastly larger and more comprehensive second annual American Solutions Day for September 2009.
  If Randy Evans reports such overwhelming interest in a candidacy that we have to think about a different future, I will report to you promptly.
  Until then, you can rest assured that I am focused on solutions and not campaigns.

Arkansas Republican Assemblies Has a Post about the Little Rock Nine Fiftieth Anniversary

Commemorating 50th Anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High School
by U.S. Rep. John Boozman (R-AR): On Sept. 25th, our state – and our nation – recognized nine brave men and women who, when they were teenagers, came forward to claim their Constitutional right to an equal education despite protests, threats of violence and even the Arkansas National Guard. This date is not only a red-letter date in our state’s history, but a seminal event in the movement to unite our country as truly one people, indivisible.Fifty years ago, Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls, climbed the steps of Central High School. Few other moments in our history can compare to the ascent made by the Little Rock Nine. It was an ascent to a new plateau in the relations of Americans to their fellow citizens and a new plateau on the path to the American we now know. On Sept. 25, 1957, when the Nine made it to the top of those Central High School steps, they stood in a place where, up till that point, others said they could not go. Then, they did what was, in fact, the most important thing that day: They went inside to learn. While Central High School will always be the event at the forefront of our memories when it comes to the history of desegregation, it is my hope that, as we remember the Nine, we can also remember the other schools in our state which preceded them, including Fayetteville, Hoxie, and the community of Charleston – who first broke down the barrier in Arkansas on Aug. 23, 1954. As we spend this day reflecting on our past, we should remember all the brave children, families, and educators across the state that – by their courage – set in motion a chain of events which created the Arkansas of the present and will resonate in the Arkansas of the future. [Source

40TH Anniversary Transcript

I found the transcript, on the campaign website, from when Mike Huckabee spoke at the 40Th Anniversary of the Little Rock Nine, in 1997. This is a must read! Honest words from an honest man! I have embolden some of the important words.

• The following is Governor Huckabee's speech from the 40Th Anniversary of the Central High School Integration Crisis back in 1997.
  Thank you very much, mayor, Mr. President, Mrs. Clinton.
  We welcome the world to Arkansas today because 40 years ago the world watched as a most unfortunate event happened on this very campus. Forty years ago there was a lot of tension that filled the air in Little Rock, Ark., and on the campus of Central High School. And today we come back exactly 40 years later and we recognize that there is still some tension.
  There were those who perhaps hoped this event wouldn't take place because it only might open up old wounds. But we come today because it is important to have tension every now and then. After all, it is tension that builds our muscles and gives us strength. And if it is necessary for us to have some tension in order that we can change things, then tension can be a very necessary and positive thing for us.
  In the Proverbs it says that "he who conceals his sins does not prosper. But whoever professes and renounces them will find mercy." Today, we come to confront the pain of the past, to celebrate the perseverance of some very courageous people and to continue the path to prosperity.
  It is important that we confront the pain of the past because, frankly, there are some times when as we look back on our history we are disturbed, and we ought to be disturbed. The children of Israel wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, and in many ways Arkansas and the rest of the nation has wandered for 40 years in the wilderness as it relates to race relations.
  Essentially, it's not just a skin problem, it's a sin problem. Because we in Arkansas have wandered around in ambiguity, all kinds of explanations and justifications. And I think today we come to say once and for all that what happened here 40 years ago was simply wrong. It was evil, and we renounce it.
  What the people did who tried to hold those nine from entering the doors of this high school may be forgivable, but it is not excusable. I remember those photos, and they will always haunt me as I look back and see the faces of those teenagers -- the same age as my own children -- and realize those teenagers were simply reflecting the values and the teachings they got at home. And what is really tragic that we today come to renounce is the fact that in many parts of the South it was the white churches that helped not only ignore the problems of racism, but in many cases actually fostered those feelings and sentiments. And today, we call upon every church, every pulpit, every synagogue, every mosque in every part of Arkansas and the rest of the world to say never, never, never, never again will we be silent when people's rights are at stake.
  We come today to celebrate the perseverance of some extraordinary people. The nine who have been introduced today had the courage to risk their very lives for an opportunity that the white students in Little Rock took for granted in 1957. And we celebrate them today.
  But I'm so glad the mayor made mention of some heroes we often forget, and that's the parents of the Little Rock Nine. As a parent of a high school student here in this school, I will tell you that I often have anxiety about my daughter going to school, or my son, and the reason is very simple: I'm wondering if they are going to get into trouble, make bad grades, and that happens.
  But I cannot even begin to imagine the anxiety on the part of the parents of the Little Rock Nine whose greatest fear was not that their son would come home having had an argument with a fellow student or a teacher, not the fear of coming home with an F, but the fear of never coming home because of a mob. That, my friends, is something that I cannot even begin to comprehend. But these brave parents not only had to comprehend it, they had to live with it. And they had to live with the deprivation -- economically and physically -- that they often faced because many of their lives were forever changed by those who haunted them and taunted them through levels of racism that we read about and see the photos of. Photos that we will never forget, and we shouldn't. We come today also to continue the path to prosperity. I say "the path" because we haven't arrived. And let's be very honest and very clear and very certain about it. We've come a long way in 40 years -- a long way. But we're not home yet. We're a long way from the time when we can say all things are as they should be. But we can also say that all things aren't as they once were, and that should give us hope and that should give us courage and that should give the commitment to continue on today.
  I know that when Mayor Dailey and I sat down a little more than a year ago and first talked about what we hoped might be some way to commemorate the events of 40 years ago -- and I use the word commemorate, not celebrate -- we celebrate progress, but we don't celebrate what happened 40 years ago, but we mark it, and hopefully we move from it. But when we sat down, we had a great anxiety and fear that we would end up with little more than simple ceremonies and testimonies of those of us who are politicians coming to congratulate ourselves for all the things that we had done.
  And I will tell you today what I believe is in the heart of every person on this platform, and I think I can say with genuine sincerity that none of us here would for one moment claim that we are the ones who have moved this generation in the 40 years so much as it is the courage of individual citizens like these parents, the Little Rock Nine and those who came after them. And for those white students at Little Rock Central who understood it was the right thing to do to welcome those classmates and to accept them and to receive them. And for every one of them who had to put up with the jeers and with the insults, a heartfelt thanks.
  We celebrate the progress, but now we must navigate the future. Some have asked: how long are we going to deal with this Central crisis situation? Are we going to have to relive it every few years? And I know there were some who were frankly made to feel very uncomfortable about all of these activities because some felt that it would just resurrect feelings and anxieties. Well, let me tell you how long we will deal with it -- until justice is the same for every human being whether he or she is black or white, we will deal with it. Until the same rules apply to get a bank loan for every person regardless of who he or she is, we will deal with it. As long as there are whites who turn around and see a black person coming and bring fear to their hearts, we will deal with it. And as long as there are blacks who look and see and have resentment toward a white person, we will deal with it. We will deal with it until the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King lives in all of our hearts, and that is that we will judge people by the character of their hearts and not by the color of their skin.
  Let me remind us: Government can do some things, but only God can change people's hearts. Government can put us in the same classrooms, but government can't make classmates go home and be friends when school is out. Government can make sure that the doors of every public building are open to everyone. Government can ensure that we share schools and streets and lunch counters and buses and elevators and theaters. But let us never forget that only God can give us the power to love each other and respect each other and share life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with every American, regardless of who he or she is.
  Today, as we dedicate the Little Rock Central Visitor Center, I will tell you that last Friday my daughter and I went there. We walked through that exhibit and it brought memories to me of the time when Sarah was 11 and we went through Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to visit that incredible place that is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust -- another one of our history's horrors. And as we went through Yad Vashem, she saw the pictures of the horrible treatment and of the extraordinary injustices of the evil that was marked by that time. I never will forget when we came to the end of that exhibit and there at the guest book, she stood and took my pen and started writing her name and address. And underneath there was a space for comments.
  As long as I live I will remember as my daughter paused and then wrote words that will forever be in my mind. She wrote simple words. I wondered as we went through it, did she understand the message of it, did she get it? If there was any doubt, it was erased as I looked as those words. Because those words simply said, "Why didn't somebody do something? Why didn't somebody do something?"
  In silence, we left and I knew she got it. Today, as the world once again revisits Little Rock and the great state of Arkansas and its great people, I hope that never, ever, ever does someone have to ask why didn't someone do something. As for those who go through that visitor center and may ask why didn't someone do something, I hope they will take a good, long look and realize that today we celebrate nine people who did do something.
  God bless you, and God bless America.

Some people may think this is old news. Yes, it did happen 50 years ago. If we forget the bad that happens in history, history can repeat itself. We need to remember the good, the bad and the ugly of history so that the good can be repeated and the bad can never be repeated.

I really like what he has to say about government making the physical rules change, but only God can change hearts to make people see what is right. In summary, this is proof of two things about Mike Huckabee. One, God guides him in his life. Two, there is no possible way this was a scripted speech by a speech writer. This entire speech was Mike's own words, directly from his own heart. If you are new to the Huckabee wagon and/or you have not been sure if Mike Huckabee is "presidential", this speech should make everyone out there realize that Mike Huckabee is "presidential."

God Bless from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan!

RHatch's post about Dr. Land

Go over to read Buck for Huck and read his recent post about Dr. Land's views on Fred Thompson.

It's Official!

• Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee Makes it Official
  
  On the computer screen Republican candidate Mike Huckabee explained, “Somehow it escaped us to ever actually officially change the name of the committee over from 'exploratory' to 'election'.”
• And with that, Mike Huckabee announced that his presidential exploratory committee is now officially an election committee. He made the announcement over an internet webcast from his headquarters in Little Rock.
• Later Huckabee explained why he announced online, “We wanted to do something different. No candidate has ever done a 24-hour launch of a major campaign effort that was solely based on the internet using a whole variety of sources. And we thought it would also help us to drive a lot of traffic to the website and bring interest up.”

Read the full article here.

Huckabee: Bush wanted to be in Arkansas for Central celebration

Here is the first article I found for Mike Huckabee's attendance at the Little Rock Nine Fiftieth Anniversary.

• LITTLE ROCK - Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee says President Bush likely would have attended ceremonies commemorating of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High School if he had not needed to be before the United Nations today.
  The former Arkansas governor told reporters this morning in Little Rock, "he can only be in one place at one time." Huckabee also said that had Bush failed to travel to the U.N., he would have been criticized for that decision.Huckabee said "all eyes are on Little Rock" with the anniversary.
• He also noted that his daughter Sarah attended Central while he was governor.

I will try to find more, meatier, articles tonight.

Tickets for the Michigan Debate

The new website adress for the October 9 Republican Debate in Dearborn, Michigan is www.migopdebate.org. I was checking it out and found out that people can fill out the online request form for tickets. Once you submit your info someone will let you know if a ticket will be available for you, by Oct 5. The webpage for the tickets is www.migopdebate.org/tickets.asp. Perhaps if enough Huckabee supporters obtain tickets we can all meet up to show our support.

What I Want to Wear to President Mike Huckabee's Innaugaration

I am taking a break from my sewing, again. Sometimes when I get bored I like to look at patterns and material online. I found this gorgeous vintage pattern for a formal dress. This is the dress I have had in my mind to wear to the Inaugural Ball. Yeah, I know it's a bit soon to start thinking about a dress, but formals take much longer than average dresses. Plus I have total confidence that Mike huckabee will be our next president. Here it is.

or...

Which do y'all like the best? For a limited time I can get one free pattern if I buy another. So I want to pick an everyday pattern and then get one of these free. Must get back to pajammies!

Check Out this Great Post!

The Vertical Day is Still going on at www.mikehauckabee.com. There is an artcile from Dr. Laurence White.

• After months of coy flirting and media maneuvering former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson has finally admitted that he is running for president. He made it official - in a manner completely consistent with his style over substance approach to date - on the Jay Leno Show rather than the New Hampshire Presidential Candidate Debate held the same night. CNN reports today that on his first official day of campaigning in Iowa the core of his pitch was electability - he’s the man who can beat Hillary Clinton. (CNN “Thompson: I Can Stop Hillary Clinton” Thursday, September 6th, 2007) My response, as a Christian conservative who is deeply concerned about the future of this country, is “So wha t?” Beating Hillary Clinton is not good enough at this critical moment in America’s history. Thirty-four years into an abortion holocaust that has produced the slaughter of nearly fifty million defenseless infants we need more than an election victory. We need to transform American culture and put an end to abortion.
  For years we have foolishly heeded the counsel of pragmatists who have advised us to be realistic and settle for Republican establishment candidates who promised us by and large pro-life judiciary appointments in return for our support. These guys don’t see abortion as a crucial factor in America’s future. They say as much about being “Pro-Life” as they have to pacify us during the primaries. But once they have been nominated they promptly head for the safety of the Center. After they are elected the same pattern prevails as abortion and the other controversial “social issues” are relegated to the back burner. That’s the way “politics as usual” works in this country. In the meantime the little ones continue to die and with them the soul of America is dying. The establishments of both of our political parties are complacent and corrupt. They care only for the continuation and expansion of their own power. There is no possibility of ending abortion as long as Christians are content to continue to play “politics as usual.” ite about the election not being about "electability."

Read the rest here.

Anyways, continue checking out the Vertical Day until 11am. I have been trying to finish some pajamas bottoms since 2:00am Monday. I should have been done by now, it's been more than 24 hours. I want to get started on the top today. I will check back in soon.

Important Presidential Survey

Today I got this letter from the Michigan Republican Party about a Presidential Survey. It asks two questions. One is "who will be the toughest Democrat to beat in Michigan?". The second question asks "Which Republican candidate for President has the best chance of winning Michigan's 17 Electoral Votes?". If you get this in the mail fill it out and send in by Oct. 13. Let the Michigan Republican Party know that you think Mike Huckabee can beat Hillary Clinton. If you are not from Michigan or are from Michigan but not on the mailing list you can go onto this webpage and you can vote there. I already checked it out. You do need to pay $5 dollars and of course give them your address and contact info. On the fill in for states all fifty states are represented for click on choices, plus armed forces. So I am asuming this means anyone can vote.

Going Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

As we all know there is the Vertical Day going on at http://www.mikehuckabee.com/. But I want to put a spotlight on some of those behind the scenes. Earlier this afternoon I had posted the photo of Mike Huckabee speaking at the Fortieth Anniversary of the Little Rock Nine. I want to post it again. I was cleaning out my inbox and clicked on the forwarded email from Chris Maiorana again. In the forwarding conversation the picture can be traced back to a jpeg from video media from one of the local TV stations in Little Rock. When I asked if there was an available pic from this event, I just assumed that if I would receive anything it would be somewhere along the lines of a still photo that was in Mike Huckabee's archives or in Arkansas Government Archives. I never expected anyone to go to such lengths. All of you out there reading this please give a huge hand clap to all the people who went above and beyond what would be expected of them. THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Imagine seeing Mike Huckabee behind that Presidential Podium again. Next time it won't be because another guy is president. It will be because Mike will be president.

After the Vertical Day is done I might start a reader interactive Michigan Project.

Mike Huckabee's Former Classmate Talks about Mike's Character and Personality

Have you been checking the Huckabee website today about the Vertical Day? If not, start now. On the blog page I found a really cool post by Dr. Larry Sitzes. He talks about what type of kid Mike was growing up and about Mike's character.

• What can I say about Michael Dale Huckabee that you don't know?
• Depends on how well you know him. I don't find any unbiased person whoknows Mike saying anything negative about him. Mike is truly the sametoday as he was yesterday, last year, 40 years ago.
• Mike doesn't have a preacher face, a politician face, a hunter andfisherman face or a marathon runner face. He is just Mike all of the time.
• Does he like to have fun? Oh, we had lots of that in grade school,junior high, high school and college. Having Mike in your classroommade the time pass faster. He and his friends were famous for doing original and witty things. I don't remember ever doing anything to hurt anyone's feelings purposely. We did have some fun at ourteacher's and school administrator's expense though. Mike is very good at impressions!
• We had so much fun radio broadcasting high school football andbasketball games. Mike found ways to make it entertaining for thelisteners even if the game was a little dull.
• Looking back to high school I really don't remember our fellow students being considered as rich, poor or whatever. With Mike we werejust all the same. Mike encouraged that attitude by his actions,setting the example for everyone.
• What have I seen him NEVER do? Lie. Never, ever, ever. Even when it would have been easy to tell a"white lie". I'm sure this characteristic came from his family's influence. I still dare anyoneto prove that Mike has told a lie. There's been no takers, anywhere,anytime.
• Do you know Mike Huckabee? I hope you do. If not, I hope you cansomeday. He is the real deal, every day.
• Dr. Lester Sitzes III
• Best Friend then, now and later.
• Hope, AR

Newt is Awesome!

Two things, Newt Gingrich has a guest post on Mike Huckabee's Vertical Day and over at RightMichigan.com is the posting and video of his Mackinac Island Speech. First I will give a part of his guest post.

How You Can Help Achieve “Real Change”

• I’d like to thank Governor Huckabee for having me here as a guest today. Over the past few months I’ve been very impressed with the Governor’s openness to new ideas and solutions for improving our country. He showed genuine leadership a few weeks ago by being the first candidate to sign the Nine Nineties in Nine debate pledge. By committing to a much more in-depth, solution-oriented political dialogue in our country, Governor Huckabee showed that he’s truly interested in real change.
  But it’s not just candidates for President that have the ability to bring about real change. Real Change is powered by citizen movements and you have the opportunity to take part. More on that below, but let’s focus first on that phrase – real change. In Washington, we hear a lot of talk about change but too often we see too few results. That’s because even as elections are won and lost by different candidates of different parties, the underlying idea framework and lexicon of our politics and government changes at a much slower pace. Control over Congress and the White House may change parties, leading to new laws and programs influenced by different governing philosophies, but it is still the same cadre of permanent government officials and Washington lobbyists controlling the machinery of government. The result is that even if the American people vote for real change, we end up with change at the margins.

Read the rest of Newt's great words here.

To watch Newts speech from the island click here. As I have said, I am unable to watch video on my computer, but hey, it's Newt. It's gotta be good. Everyone I talked to on the island said his speech was the best. So i will take their word for it. I have no reason to doubt them.

Check This Out!

Y'all gotta check out this blog by Mike Huckabee, for real!

• Our political parties in America have become too predictable. One of the reasons that our political system has become so divided is because the people who support those parties are predictable as well.
• One of the ways my candidacy is unique is that I am not a Republican from Wall Street , nor am I tied to the lobbyists on K Street in Washington . At my heart, I'm a main street Republican. As the prophet Isaiah said in the Old Testament, “Look to the rock from which you were hewn and the quarry from which you were dug.” I know where I have come from. I was raised in a small town in the middle of America in a working-class family that didn't have much of an education. We didn't have much money, and nobody ever cared what yard sign we put out in front of our house.

For the rest of "A Different Kind of Message" click here.

Commited to Michigan on October 9

Mike Huckabee will be participating in the October 9th Republican Debates in Michigan.

• LANSING, Mich. -- Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has agreed to participate in an Oct. 9 Republican presidential debate in Dearborn.
  Candidates Mitt Romney, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback and Ron Paul already have said they will attend.
  The debate will be held at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center and is being sponsored by CNBC, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, the city of Dearborn, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the state Republican Party.
  At this point, it's unlikely a similar debate will be held with the Democratic candidates.
  They're continuing to honor a pledge not to campaign in Michigan or Florida because the two states broke Democratic party rules by moving up their primaries ahead of next Feb. 5.

Info from Channel 5 in Saginaw, Michigan.

Wouldn't that be awesome if Mike Huckabee came out on top of this debate, beating out Mitt Romney in his homestate? Some people may underestimate Michigan's significance in this election cycle. Michigan is very important due to the early primary, plus the Democrats snubbing Michigan. I have said here over and over again that if any Republican can sway Michigan Democrats to the right side it is Mike Huckabee. Who knows what Mike's standing will be after the Michigan Primary, I think if he gets enough exposure here he can win Michigan, primary and general. What is really needed is for Mike to win the Primary.

Fiftieth Anniversary of Little Rock Nine/Pic of Mike Huckabee at the Fortieth Anniversary

Here is a post about the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Little Rock Nine from an email from Micheal Zak at Grand Old Partisan.

• On this day in 1957, Republican President Dwight Eisenhower ordered federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas.
  In September of that year, a few days after passage of the Republican Party's 1957 Civil Rights Act, Orval Faubus, the Democrat Governor of Arkansas, ordered the state National Guard to prevent the court-ordered segregation of a Little Rock public school. At first, Republican President Dwight Eisenhower tried to negotiate with Faubus, but after several fruitless weeks the President lost patience with his Democrat foe. Eisenhower had not been afraid to take on the Nazis, and he certainly was not going to be fazed by Faubus or any other Democrat challenging the Constitution.
  On the advice of his Attorney General, Herbert Brownell, Eisenhower placed the Governor's soldiers under federal government control and ordered the 101st Airborne to Arkansas. Senators Lyndon Johnson and John Kennedy publicly criticized the President for enforcing a federal court order. Many Democrats actually compared the President's act to the Soviet invasion of Hungary the year before.
  Today is the fiftieth anniversary of this great Republican achievement to protect African-Americans from their Democrat oppressors.
  Your contacts may appreciate this link to the story -- http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=7sil9ecab.0.exsh8ecab.gszhqvbab.15422&ts=S0280&p=http%3A%2F%2Fgrandoldpartisan.typepad.com%2Fblog%2F2007%2F09%2Fpost -- on Grand Old Partisan, each day celebrating 153 years of Republican heroes and heroics. The article is adapted from Back to Basics for the Republican Party.

Tomorrow the festivities about the event will happen tomorrow in Little Rock Arkansas at the Central High School. Mike Huckabee will be in attendance. Unfortunately he will not be making a speech. I will post about the event. If Mike does any interviews afterward and makes a comment I will let ya know.

I want to share a photo I recieved from the campaign. This is when Mike Huckabee spoke at the Fortieth Anniversary of the Little Rock Nine. I had made a post about Mike Huckabee planning on attending the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Little Rock Nine and so I emailed Chris Maiorana and asked if there was an available picture of Mike speaking at the event. He went above and beyond the call of duty and contacted those in the communications department for me. So I want to give a special thanks to Chris and those in the communications department. A PERFECT example of what happens when everyone "Organize and Win/Vote Republican."

One of the great things about Mike Huckabee is that he believes in Civil Rights, not because of pandering, but because it is part of God given human rights.

Also, check out what the campaign is doing in regards to Vertical Day. I know I came a little late to this. But better late than never. Go to the main site and the blog site. Maneuver around and point and click to your little heart's desire.

There is a link to the Demand Maps. Again, if you are from Michigan, it is very important that you demand Mike Huckabee to come to your town, especially if you are from north of Midland. Oops, sometimes I need to read things more careful. The map is a donation map. All ya need to do is go to the home page at http://www.mikehuckabee.com/ find the map on the front page, click. Donate, anywhere from $5-2300 or if you are a couple up to $4600. When you do this a little banner that says "I Like Mike" will show up above your hometown.

This Really Touched my Heart

As part of the Vertical Day that is going on at www.mikehuckabee.com there is a post by James Robison titled A strong Pro-Life Leader. Now, from the title, one might think this is simply about the Pro-Life movement to not end a pregnancy. Far from it. Of course Mike Huckabee is an ardent pro-lifer, but he is more than that. His pro-life stance is for people to have a pro(positive) life, from womb to grave. I know the usual phrase is "cradle to grave" but I wanted to include womb due to the fact that is life also and Mike believes that. Anyways, here is the parts that really touched my heart.

• Gov. Huckabee can stand with unshakable resolve to face any enemy and any challenge, yet he is willing to listen to the opposition and, when appropriate, reason together to seek consensus. He welcomes open, focused debate to find the best possible solutions.
• The times demand that our nation's leader be able to communicate clearly with the American people, our allies and the world at large. The next president must be comfortable dealing with the press whether hostile or friendly, yet be determined to reach the populace when media bias misrepresents the truth.
• This governor has been popular in his own state with both political parties and people of all ethnic backgrounds. He received overwhelming support from minorities. Given his less-than-privileged childhood, he relates to those who struggle in life. Texas Governor Rick Perry told me personally that no one responded as effectively to the Katrina crisis as Gov. Huckabee. He was the ultimate example of crisis management and assistance. He is a true conservative with a heart to assist the helpless.
• Gov. Huckabee is exactly who he appears to be. There is no pretense. He is a strong pro-life leader who understands the importance of inspiring people to see the value of the innocent, unborn life so our country will want to protect every child. He has also established programs to care for children born into difficult circumstances. As he has indicated many times, we must not only care for the unborn, but those who face challenges after they are born.

Please check out the ENTIRE post. It is a must read!

Awesome Blog Post from Mike Huckabee

Check out this post from Mike Huckabee on his websites blog page. It is titled Our Faith Makes. I think the title says it all about what kind of man he is. Nonetheless, I will still post it.

• Recently, out on the campaign trail, a voter asked if my personal faith informed my decisions. My answer was simple, just as it always has been: my faith is my life - it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. Real faith makes us humble and mindful, not of the faults of others, but of our own. Because of our faith, we become less judgmental in that we see others having the same frailties as ourselves. Faith gives us strength in the face of injustice and motivates us to do our best for "the least of us." Our forefathers birthed this great nation in a spirit of faith - not a mandate telling us what to believe, but an acknowledgement that divine providence pervades our world. I firmly believe the greatness of our nation then, does not come from our government or politicians, but lies in the hopeful, optimistic spirit of everyday Americans. Americans who acknowledge that providence has set us apart. At the beginning of our nation we were ill-equipped for revolution, yet we persevered and gained our independence. Our country was once divided by a costly Civil War, but we survived to heal and build a stronger union. Through the 20th century and into current times we have seen great conflicts and economic upheavals. However, the same spirit that guided the inception of our country continues to lead us out of times of trouble better than we went in. In spite of our trials we remain a people of hope, a people of faith, and we are stronger because of it.
  In July, I addressed this same topic in a sermon in Little Rock. The video from my sermon is below. If you are a blogger, I encourage you to blog about this. Then leave a link to your blog post and we will add it below the video as an update to this post. If you aren't a blogger, I encourage you to leave a comment to this blog post.

Click on the link I provided to see a video. Since my computer doesn't have sound and it's too slow to play videos I am unable to see it. But I can tell you one thing, if it is Mike Huckabee is speaking, it has got to be good.

Remember to keep going to the website and to the blog page and help the campaign to celebrate Vertical Day.

I Met Rudy Giuliani Twice

No, I have not switched over to the other side. I got to meet Rudy Giuliani first when I was on the porch of the Grand Hotel. I was talking to friends and he was walking by. I saw him and said to myself, "that's Rudy Giuliani." I wasn't sure at first. He looks much healthier and of average weight in person. He walked by and shook peoples hands, including mine.

My mom was unable to attend anywhere at the Grand, so she didn't get to meet him. She rode a bike around the island while I was at the Grand. After we met back in town we went shopping and ate dinner.

We didn't get back on the ferry until the 9pm boat. Almost everyone waiting for the boat was Ron Paul supporters. They were obnoxious. I will get back to that more in detail in another post. While we were waiting they got really loud, shouting "Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul....!!". There was some security, police and sheriff deputies. People were getting out cameras. My mom said that must be Ron Paul coming. I left my camera in my bag, thinking I didn't want to get a pic of Ron Paul. Then someone said it's Rudy Giuliani. So I rushed to get out my camera. By the time it was set I missed him. Once he got up to the boat entrance on the dock non Paul supporters went up to him and got pictures. My mom and I went to get pictures. He got on the ferry to go to Mackinaw City. I guess he had to catch a plane late tonight. My mom and I were going to take the St. Ignace Ferry back. We found out that the last ferry for St. Iggy was at 8pm. So we had to take the Mackinaw ferry back and grandma picked us up in Mac City.

Comment by Gov. Mike Huckabee on Michigan Visit

NEWS RELEASE
Comment by Gov. Mike Huckabee on Michigan Visit

Little Rock, AR - Former AR Governor Mike Huckabee made the following comment tonight regarding his previously-scheduled trip to Michigan:

“Thanks to a new law by Congress that went into effect Monday, we were prohibited from using the air transportation that was being provided that made getting there possible. Commercial airline schedules couldn’t get us there until after things were over Friday – and we would have to have left even before they started on Saturday. The new rules are fine if a candidate has unlimited money or its own plane, but for those of us who don't, it has really hampered our ability to get places.

“I was really looking forward to attending the Michigan event this weekend, but unfortunately the realities of my schedule overcame my ability to get there, on time to speak and meet with supporters. I called the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party to express my regret and the rationale for my decision, and I appreciate his understanding of this most unfortunate development. I know that this will be a tremendous event and I wish all participants a successful weekend in what is truly one of the most scenic parts of the country.”

Now comment from Kathy.

I understand why Mike Huckabee is unable to make it to Michigan. Although I feel like a big dork. I was the last person to know this. This is not Mike Huckabee's fault. I think my fellow bloggers and the Huckabee campaign were afraid to tell me. There was also a straw poll that I had no idea about. I definitely voted for Huckabee! Those of you out there who may be upset that Mike is not there, remember, it is not his fault. It is Congresses fault. You go right ahead and vote for Mike. You have until tomorrow. And do it with a big smile on your face!

I am kinda bummed though. I had talked to some of the bloggers about going in together to make a Michigan welcome basket for Mr. and Mrs. Huckabee. After all, Mac Isle is a resort area and not only that but after Mike's 2nd term a room at the Grand Hotel would be named after Mrs. Huckabee. Every first lady, Democrat or Republican, who has been to the Grand has a room named after her. Fortunately for them, they did not pay for any of it. Unfortunately for me, I did. So either Grand employees are getting a nice treat or all candidates are, no one gets a treat, I get the box back, I get my money back, or it gets sent to the Huckabee's in Arkansas. I have no problem with it getting sent to Arkansas, but it doesn't make sense. How would Michigan teas, honey, mugs and stuff make sense if it is being sent to Arkansas?

I know i said I would keep y'all up to date on the event. I just got home and was unable to get to a computer during my time there. My mom, who is visiting from Alaska, was with me and she couldn't go on Grand Hotel property so I wanted to spend time with her too on the island. Keep checking here tonight.

God Bless from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan!