Katy's Conservative Corner

Hello From Birmingham--NC State Football Headquarters

This weekend, your blogger is not thinking about politics.  She's thinking about sports. Specifically, North Carolina State Wolfpack Football.  She and her husband are here in Birmingham for the PapaJohns Bowl, which will be played on Monday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. 

We drove down from Emerald Isle on Friday, and after 11 hours, at 1:30 a.m. (Eastern time), we pulled in to the team and Wolfpack hotel. 

As exhausted as we were, the hotel was full of student athletes, student managers, and others affiliated with the team, who seemed to be having a lot of good clean, albeit noisy, fun.  Most of our fellow Wolfpack clubbers will be flying in today on the charter jet, but we chose to drive as your blogger has family here she wants to visit and wanted a little extra flexibility.

This afternoon our entertainment activities start in downtown Birmingham, and (try not to be too impressed), we will be entertained by Ruben Studdard, the American Idol winner who lives here.

There is a huge inflatable Mr. Wuf mascot in the atrium of the hotel surrounded by tables set up by the Wolfpack club management, where your blogger hopes, we will be feted appropriately.  She can rest assured, knowing that this activity is not being paid for on the state's dime, as often are other activities at NC State and other universities.

We express our dismay and sadness for our fellow ACC fans wearing the Carolina blue as the Tar Heels lost a heart breaker to West Virginia at the Meineke Bowl in Charlotte.  We passed many of them on our way through Charlotte Friday, and our hearts go out to them.

We are also rooting for another in-state rival, East Carolina, as they face off in the Liberty Bowl later this week.  Your blogger, like most North Carolinians, has family and friends that attended the school and are part of "Pirate Nation".    We wish them the best. 

If any readers are here in Birmingham for the game,  please shoot us an email.  Until later...Go Pack! 

 

KCC Celebrates Christmas, Honors Friends who Celebrate Chanukah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Your blogger appreciates all the support her loyal readers have given this site during the last year.  There are a few readers and contributors, in particular, that  we wish we could thank individually, but you certainly know who you are.  God bless you all as we celebrate the birth our our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

We'll be taking a break but we will be back soon, just as hard hitting as ever.    Keep sending in your news tips, and remember the best reader mail will be published.  If you wish to remain anonymous, please state that in your letter. 

Meanwhile, we do not wish to forget the sacrifices of our conservative Jewish friends, who are celebrating Hanukkah.  We Christians owe our Jewish friends so much, and we've worked together to accomplish many goals to achieve our conservative agenda in modern times.  Let us not forget our friendship by honoring them while they celebrate their special days, as well.

 


















May God bless you all!

Most Sincerely,

 

More Twitter Tips

So, you followed your blogger's previous suggestions and you signed up for a free account on the micro-blog,  Twitter.   Twitter is a simple program where you have 140 characters or less to communicate thoughts, links, photos, etc. 

The next thing you should do is download a program called Tweetdeck if you use a PC.  (I can't speak for Mac users, sorry.)  TweetDeck is  the easiest Twitter program to use and it's a simple way to keep up with messages you've written and those writter for you. It's also a handy spot for your incoming Direct Messages (DM). 

Tweetdeck is still in beta, and is shareware, but it's extremely stable and KCC highly recommends it.  If you like it, show the developer some love and leave him a donation.

Next, you want to carry Twitter around with you.  Your blogger is an iPhone addict and loves an app called Twitterific.  Log into ITunes and search through the free productivity apps until you find it. You don't need the pay version unless you can't stomach the ads.  I only see about 1 ad per 50 tweets, so it is a small price to pay for a freebie.

My Blackberry-using friends use something called TwitterBerry.  Check with your service provider or Google and see what you come up with.

Finally, there are simple rules of Twitter etiquette.  Remember, Twitter is NOT a one-way street. It's not a place to blast your news, or just to state what you are doing.  It's a place to talk with like-minded individuals in 140 characters or less. 

If your organization is using it to just post news, Twitter isn't the place for you.  Most of the state political parties are on Twitter and they use it to see what people accross the nation are thinking about. 

More on this valuable resource to come in a future post.  Your blogger is on twitter. You can follow her at http://www.twitter.com/katys and click on "follow". 

Good luck.

If that don't beat all: Reader Mail

I know we need all the help we can get in finding a new Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party.  I am here by officially offering my help and support. 
 
I am the drummer and official booking agent for "Bearded Betty and the Back Porch Boys".  Songs from the heart.  We are offering our services.  Betty's looking better these days, her beard has grown back, it caught on fire and looked a little scraggly, for a while but it is back now.  We may need some help with crowd control, Betty does this sexual thing with her glass eye.  We got her to quit selling advertising on her wooden leg, it now just looks like a tree stump.  Mudd Boy Larkins has almost finished a new song and we will be doing it on the new tour.  We had to drop the Truck Stop America Tour, Betty had a thing for this long haul trucker, and well that's for a later up-date.  We had a sit down and all decided to dedicate our talents to helping elect the best candidate possible for the North Carolina Republican Chairman.  Remember we can be bribed. 
 
Yours Truly
 
Choo

Editor's Note: Your blogger has nothing to add to this colorful note.

Local Reporter Supports Illegals, Drubs Police

Raleigh News and Observer  colunmist Ruth Sheehan, long a proponent of everything leftist, has again, shown her unreasonable side.  In her Monday column, she wrote of an illegal immigrant who was driving without a license, and with an expired license tag.  On top of that, the Mexican driver, who'd been in North Carolina for years, had failed to appear in court on a previous traffic charge. 

The illegal immigrant driver, Santos "Omar" Perez, was pulled over at 10:00 p.m. on November 7 while taking his step kids to his sister-in-laws' house.   Sheehan complained in her column, that the police weren't nice enough to Perez and to his wife, American citizen, Cecelia Millan. 

While he was being detained, Perez made a phone call to his wife who told him that she was on the way, with lawyer in tow.  She asked to be put on speaker phone.  With the phone left in the car, Sheehan reported that Millan spoke to the five and six year olds to help calm them. Next, according to Sheehan, one of the members of the Raleigh PD allegedly told the children that "...you're never going to see you're daddy again".

Sheehan didn't tell her readers how the situation ended. Instead, we have to wait for her next column.  We'll be back to keep you updated.

In the meantime, basic questions must be raised.

First, why would Millan, the mother, place her two children in a car with her illegal husband, a man with an obviously poor driving record?  

Additionally, because he's an illegal, he cannot get insurance nor can he obtain a valid license plate under North Carolina law.  North Carolina recently toughened its laws after legislators discovered our state had one of the weakest statutes in the country.  Illegals were flooding into the state, getting North Carolina driver licenses, and leaving, taking advantage of our weak laws.  Thankfully, they were strengthened last year.

Additionally, what were five and six-year-old children doing out at 10 p.m.?  Granted, November 7 was a Friday night, but I'd want my kids in bed. 

Further, why would she go to the scene with her attorney?  Shouldn't she instead be worried about the welfare of her children rather than that of her lawbreaking husband?

Finally, why is Sheehan so worried about the rights of Illegals in this country?  Perez is a lawbreaker merely by being here.  His wife should be a lawbreaker by aiding and abetting him.  

Sheehan should get down on her knees and thank God she lives in a nation as free and wonderful as ours.  We are so blessed to be born here. 

She needs to be a lot more thankful of the Raleigh Police Department, who were just doing their job.  But, that's just it.  The liberals will never understand and thus we conservatives will continue to have much fun mocking and shaming them.

Until next time... 

What We Need In Our Next NC GOP Chairman

2008 was a critical election year, and while things didn't turn out as well for Republicans in North Carolina as we wanted, it has given us pause to rethink what we need in our next Republican Party Chairman.

We've been lucky to have the services of Chaiman Linda Daves and her capable staff. Daves and company worked hard throughout this last cycle, and kept what could have been a fractured party, together. 

Instead of two factions in the North Carolina, three have emerged, and Daves had her hands full.  With the emergence of a new group calling themselves Liberty Republicans,  largely the followers of Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the party was forced to look at itself in a new way.  That introspection was not necessarily a bad thing. 

Rather than the typical feuding of the East vs. West/Conservatives vs. Moderates, these Liberty Republicans came in and demanded to be taken seriously.  They offered new ideas and participated at all levels of State party politics.  Your blogger looks for them to be an even bigger force in the coming election cycles.

Despite the  differing factions, it is time for the party to look in a new, or quite possibly in an old, direction.  In years past, the North Carolina Republican Party has had full-time Chairmen who worked full-time and did not employ an executive director.  This allowed the chairman to be more hands on and to have more knowledge of what was going on.  This comment in no way reflects on the job our current E.D., Chris McClure, has done.  

Your blogger believes simply that we need to find a State Chairman who would be on-site and could strongly handle anything that might pop up.  In short, we don't need a "hired hand".  We need the person we elect as leader, to actually run the party.

We need an active, on-the-job state chairman to be tough and to counter all negative attacks that come from the Democratic Party and our liberal media.  This person needs to have a total commitment to win, and to put that commitment ahead of everything else.

Today, your blogger was speaking with Frank Rouse of Morehead City.  Rouse was Party chairman in the early-to-mid 1970s and he told us that he had buttons made that simply read "Commitment".  "It was our commitment to winning that made the difference," he said.

He told your blogger that "if we hadn't made the front page of the Raleigh paper by Thursday, then we knew we were doing something wrong." 

Our party needed that "junk yard dog" mentality and it seemed to resonate with his fellow Republicans.

As your blogger was coming up in the Party, in the 1980s, she was privileged to have the opportunity to work under State Chairman Jack Hawke.  Hawke had daily news conferences on everything.  Anything the Democrats tried to pull, Hawke let them know they were being watched.  He, like Rouse before him, provided a sense of accountability, that has not been seen since.

Your blogger hopes for a State Chairman like the former State Democrat Chairman, Jerry Meek.  Despite his surname, he went after our party tooth and nail and he never gave an inch.  He had daily e-mails that went out to anyone who wanted to subscribe, explaining the issues in an easy-to-understand format.  He also supported his candidates and backed them up, day after day.

Your blogger most admires how Meek used technology to organize his troops and get out the vote.  At many polling places, Democrats had volunteers and staff working the polls to see who had and hadn't voted.  They would relay this information back to a central location via SMS texting on their cell phones. 

Someone on the other end would place phone calls to those who hadn't voted and either get them rides, or make sure they came into the precinct.  One person reported that, at his precinct, these Democratic voters were even showing up and voting in alphabetical order.  They were that organized!  Republicans must learn from this bitter statewide defeat.

Thus, in 2008, North Carolina went from being a "ticket-splitter" state, where voters chose Republicans in US Senatorial and Presidental races, and Democrats in the State Legislative races, to completely blue.

Blue is not acceptable to this Republican.  Not only does your blogger want to see a chairman with a "guard dog" attitude, she also wants to see someone who understands technology.  Currently, there is a national movement, run in part by a group called Top Conservatives on Twitter (TCOT), that is trying to select a national chairman based, in part, on whether or not the he supports the use of technology. 

We aren't speaking of basic items like email, as that's already passe'. The technology we TCOTers support is using tools like Twitter.  Even those have a limited life span and the tools we'll need in 2012 and beyond haven't been created. 

The next NC GOP chairman doesn't have to understand all aspects of the latest technologies.  He or she just has to "get it" that the use of technology is vital and to understand that we were out-organized and soundly beaten by the use of it.

Lastly, the NC party doesn't need someone who will be considering a run for public office in the future.  We need our future chairman to focus everything on rebuilding our party and our brand in North Carolina. 

Right now, we look weak to those who aren't activists.  We can't be saddled with someone  who could be a candidate for future office, and that includes former GOP gubernatorial candidates Fred Smith and Pat McCrory.  While your blogger admires both men, she doesn't think either is right to lead our party into the next election cycle.

We've got a lot of work to do to return North Carolina to the color red.  It all starts with the captain of our ship.  We must think carefully about who that person should be.  

2009 Issues To Watch In NC General Assembly

With the North Carolina General Assembly returning to Raleigh just next month, there will be plenty of issues for conservatives to watch.  This year is the  bi-annual "long session", which begins January, as opposed to the even years "short sessions" which are supposed to run only during the summer months.

According to Tom Campbell, who blogs for NC Spin, and hosts the television show of the same name, 2009 could be a break out year for unions in North Carolina.  As unfriendly as our state has traditionally been to organized labor, this year, state employees are fighting for collective bargaining rights. North Carolina is one of only two states that has a law prohibiting collective bargaining by state government workers.

In May, the State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC), officially became a union when it joined with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Despite the fact that North Carolina is strongly in the blue corner, the Democrats in State leadership have, in years past, turned a deaf ear to union pleas.  North Carolina's citizens are generally center-right and their lawmakers have understood that.  However, with changes in the economy and with the election of a liberal President, Democrat leaders could begin to cave.

Another issue to watch pertains to coastal insurance. With more than 350 miles of beaches, North Carolina citizens treasure their coast.  But, what happens at the coast affects taxpayers in the mountains in the Western part of our state, too.
 
According to Eli Lehrer, writing for the John Locke Foundation, "the plan exists to write homeowners' and 'wind only' insurance coverage for coastal property owners who cannot find coverage in the private market." He added that the NC Beach Plan is under fire and says that "North Carolina could soon face a 'property insurance disaster'" unless the state shores up the plan.  This will cost taxpayers in all parts of North Carolina, not just those at the coast.

Your blogger wonders, should the state even be the insurance business?

Finally, Campbell, in his NC Spin column, writes:

 Ever since (2008) Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory advocated more vocational education in public schools there, have been many responding in agreement with him. Most of the emphasis on public education is for children to go to college but statistics prove fewer than 28 percent of our populous (sic) graduates from college, begging the question as to what we are doing to help those who don't get training and education to earn good wages. This might become an interesting subject for 2009 discussion.

Look for more issues to watch in this space, soon.  Your blogger will be covering it all, starting in January.

Raleigh Mayor Re-Builds Fayetteville Street - Ignores Rest of City

Liberal Raleigh Mayor, Charles Meeker, has pushed his one-track agenda on taxpayers since he was first elected in 2001.  After taking full control of city council four years ago, he and his band of tax and spenders have focused on rebuilding Fayetteville Street and virtually ignoring the rest of the North Carolina capital city.

The problem isn't that they merely wanted to re-open and fix up Raleigh's former "Main Street", it's that Meeker and company spent hundreds of millions of tax monies on turning a dilapidated area into the city's focal point, forcing it to become a destination spot.

Not only did the city re-open and fix up the street, but it also build an over budget convention center, a city plaza, and an expensive hotel.  While the rest of Raleigh had to wait its turn for repairs and basic services, Raleigh "invested" city tax dollars into a top drawer restaurant called The Mint.

The Mint describes itself as an "adult-themed dining and entertainment, catering to sophisticated and professional adults".  Raleigh simply cannot afford to be so picky about its downtown customer base, especially when the eatery was largely paid for on the backs of hard working taxpayers, most of whom cannot afford to dine there.  According to a recent article in the Triangle Business Journal, the Mint is now losing business.

Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, also in downtown, sits an eyesore you won't hear Mayor Meeker talk about.  Tarboro Street is the source of drugs, gambling, and prostitution.  It's near a local college, St. Augustine's, and the North Carolina Governor's Mansion.  According a Raleigh News and Observer editorial, "disturbing crime patterns on the street show that it's a world away from those historic landmarks."

Further, there have been three murders in the past three years on Tarboro Street alone.  A Raleigh City police officer owned a rental house that was the subject of numerous complaints by local residents regarding domestic violence, drugs, and prostitution.

On Fayetteville Street, Raleigh and its taxpayers most certainly will lose money on every one of these projects.  As for how much and when, it is too early to tell.  Your blogger will be discussing this issue for some time to come, so please watch this space for updates to this story.

Editor's Note: Joey Stansbury, a lifelong Raleigh resident and fellow conservative blogger, contributed to this report.
 

Conservative Calendar "Girls"

Gentlemen conservatives.  You'll want to check this out.  The Luce Policy Institute has produced "Pretty in Mink", a group of pretty Republican ladies for their 2009 calendar.  Pretty in Mink celebrates smart, conservative women role models with flair.

Calendars are $25 and can be ordered here.  KCC receives no royalties for the referrals but wanted to provide her gentlemen readers with a calendar that they won't want to pass up.  It's tasteful and naturally conservative, so your wife will approve and your daughters will admire it.  These ladies are photographed in old Hollywood, to add a special sparkle to your wall.

Here are the calendar "girls":

Miss January — Kellyanne Conway
Miss February — Star Parker
Miss March – Susan Phalen
Miss April – Nonie Darwish
Miss May – Mary Katharine Ham
Miss June – Michelle Malkin
Miss July – Amanda Carpenter
Miss August – Sandy Liddy Bourne
Miss September – Ann Coulter
Miss October – Kate Obenshain
Miss November – Miriam Grossman, M.D.
Miss December – Clare Boothe Luce

Your blogger knows many gentlemen that will look especially forward to May! 
Merry Christmas.

Hat Tip: Russell D. James

From Land of Lincoln to Land of Obama?

We in North Carolina should probably count our blessings.  The State of Illinois is so corrupt and thus so poor that they will do anything to produce a revenue stream.  Thus, they are considering producing a "Land of Obama" license plate.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the State of Illinois has been getting 12-15 calls a day asking for a specialty license plate, commemorating the recent election of the Democrat "community organizer".

The Sun-Times article noted that "Specialty plates bring the state millions of dollars each year. An Obama plate -- priced higher than normal plates, of course -- might bring in money that could be used for any number of purposes."

The Illinois General Assembly must approve the initiative before any such plate can be approved.

Hat Tip: Emily Zanotti 

NCDOT Layoffs Only Include Temp Employees - Tippett Should Make Real Changes

 Your blogger was watching the TV news Saturday night and became ecstatic that the most bloated department in state government, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), was "laying off workers".   "The sky really is falling," KCC told her husband. 

However,  After reading a story in the Raleigh News and Observer, it all became clear.  These layoffs were only for TEMPORARY workers. 

KCC wishes DOT had more guts.  It's easy to fire temps.  That why a company or government hires them in the first place...so they can be let go easily. 

Your blogger worked her way through college as a temporary employee at NCDOT and upon graduation, became a full-time employee at the Department of Administration (DOA), and later back at DOT.  She saw the bloat and extreme waste and mismanagement that is DOT and felt then, as now, that the State could do better with only half the staff it employed. .

We propose that Secretary Lyndo Tippett first start with cutting the non-official political appointees.  Not necessarily the ones in the top jobs, but their minions.

Here's how the game is played: After an election, the new Governor will appoint his (or now her) top staff at each of the government agencies.  Those are the political appointments. 

Then, there will be the hangers on who worked in one of the campaigns who feel they are "owed" a job for their hard work.  They are not necessarily classified as patronage positions, but they get their office jobs via people who are.  For many, these job are the best they have ever had.

We urge Secretary Tippett to begin with mass cuts of people who got their non-management jobs via their political connections.   Many will claim conveniently to be civil service-type employees, but they should move on to the private sector, just the same. 

Let's get rid of the bloat in State Government, starting at the most overweight department.  Our nation is heading towards a recession and taxpayers do not need to support unnecessary positions just because someone worked hard in a political campaign. 

The rest of us either fight it out on the job market, or work hard in the real world, the private sector.  We propose that much of DOT should do the same.

UPDATE: The Winston-Salem Journal is calling on Governor-elect Beverly Perdue to professionalize  NCDOT.  Read all about it, here.

Funny Billy Graham Joke

Here's a cute Billy Graham joke that your blogger would like to share with her fellow Billy Graham fans:

Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement and when his plane arrived, there was a limousine there to transport him to his home.

As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver.

"You know" he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?"

The driver said "No problem. Have at it."

Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway.

A short distance away sat a rookie NC Trooper operating his first speed trap.

The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone.

The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo and he got out of his patrol car to begin the ticketing procedure.

The young trooper walked up to the driver's door and when the glass was rolled down, he was surprised to see who was driving.

He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor.

He told the supervisor, ‘I know we are supposed to enforce the law....

But I also know that important people are given certain courtesies.
I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person.'

The supervisor asked, "is it Gov. Beverly Perdue? After all, she is known for having fun with Troopers."

The young trooper said, "No, it’s a 'he' and he’s, more important than that."

The supervisor said, "Oh, so it's President Obama."

The young trooper said, "No, he's even more important than that."

The supervisor finally asked, "Well then, who is it?"

The young trooper said, ''I think its Jesus, because he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur!"

Your blogger wishes you a blessed Advent season and a Merry Christmas. 

Hat Tip: Vern Vonheeder III

Controversial Election to State House Post

According to Jordan Schrader of the Asheville Citizen-Times, old names and faces were re-elected while new ones were added as the Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly held their bi-annual leadership elections this weekend.

Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake) was re-elected to his post as House Minority Leader.

Senator Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) defeated challengers, Senators Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg) and Pete Brunstetter (R-Forsyth) to retain his post as Senate Minority Leader.

Senator Harry Brown (R-Onslow) is the newly elected Deputy Minority Leader.  The post was previously held by Senator Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson) who didn't run for re-election to the coveted post, citing family issues.

Senator Eddie Goodall (R-Union) will take over the Joint Caucus Leader position, while Senator Jerry Tillman (R-Randolph) continues on as Senate Whip.

Most troubling to conservatives is the election of the new House Minority Whip, Rep. Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg).  Tillis' election is controversial to many conservatives due to his affiliations.  

According to several sources, former Co-Speakers Jim Black (D-Mecklenburg) and Richard Morgan (R-Moore) "bought and paid for" Tillis' initial victory to the North Carolina General Assembly.  He defeated a solid, and much beloved conservative, Rep. John Rhodes in a Republican primary.

Rhodes (left) is best remembered as being the FIRST to call for the ouster of Jim Black. He once memorably noted in a speech on the House floor:

"One day Mr. Speaker, the people of North Carolina will take you by the collar of your shirt and the waistband of your trousers and throw you out over the seal of North Carolina."

Both Black and Morgan left office in disgrace and Black is now serving time in federal prison for, among other things, accepting bribes and obstruction of justice.  A John Rhodes Day was held in 2007, thanking him for uncovering corruption. 

Morgan eventually returned to politics and attempted an unsuccessful comeback, losing his bid for Superintendent of Public Instruction in November 2008.

The 2009-2010 session of the North Carolina General Assembly convenes at Noon on January 28, 2009, in Raleigh.   Katy's Conservative Corner will be there, covering the action.

National Parks OK Concealed Guns

According to the Raleigh News and Observer's Under the Dome, North Carolina residents with concealed Carry permits may now take them into national parks, such as the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Smokey Mountains National Park, as long as they follow all rules that go along with such permits. 

This is good news for this blogger, who has such a permit and has long desired to take her handgun with her on mountain biking trips for personal protection.  Often, while riding in the wilderness in the NC mountains, your blogger has encountered a variety of scary people and wild animals.  Shooting them would be the absolute last option, but at least it IS an option, now. 

Dome's writer stated, "U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican and a hunter, was among a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushing for change. He had co-sponsored legislation that would have allowed guns in parks."

Burr is up for re-election in 2010 and your blogger will be covering that election, as always.

Hat Tip: RTB, Under the Dome

1st Vietnamese-American in Congress: William "Cash in the Freezer" Jefferson Sent Packing

This was originally posted by a fellow conservative blogger at The Next Right.

Congratulations to Congressman-elect Joseph Cao, who sent Dollar Bill Jefferson packing tonight, in a D+28 seat. The GOP can win when it runs everywhere. -Patrick Ruffini

Louisiana's penchant for electing minority Republicans gains steam as Joseph Cao is projected to defeat Rep. William Jefferson in the New-Orleans based 2nd district.  With 391 out of 492 precincts reporting, Cao is comfortably ahead 53-43.  Cao will be the first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress.  He is the third Asian-American Republican elected to the House (Saiki-HI, Kim-CA preceeded him). 

http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms2&rqsdta=120608

For More Information: http://flapsblog.com/2008/12/06/representative-william-cash-in-the-freezer-jefferson-defeated-for-re-election-by-little-known-republican/

Fred Thompson on the Economy (Video)

Hat Tip: Frank Rouse, Morehead City (Former NCGOP State Chairman)

A Death In the Family

Today, I discovered, via some high school Facebook friends, that an old acquaintance, Andy Matthews, is being buried today in Lynchburg, Virginia.  He was only 41 and leaves behind a beautiful wife and two very young children. 

Andy and I first met as three-year-olds in pre-school and, at the tender age of five, vowed one day to marry.  Life went on and we went in other directions.  Andy had musical talent and he played in the high school band, and I was an athlete, who lettered in three varsity high school sports. We graduated together in the New Bern High School Class of 1985 but sadly, we lost touch after high school.

Andy and I were not really related, but I feel a special kinship to his parents, Howard and Helen Matthews, of New Bern.

I cannot imagine their grief, burying their son in Virginia, on this cold cloudy day.  Howard Matthews, a longtime teacher at my alma mater, then known as New Bern Senior High School, was my earliest political mentor, though neither of us realized it at the time. 

Matthews, known then to his students mostly as "Coach", (and affectionately as "Howie", behind his back),  was the school's Athletic Director, and as an athlete, I had a lot respect for him.  His track and field teams won state championships and he'd coached nearly every team NBSHS put on the field.  But, I most respect him for his teaching and that's why his son's death has affected me so deeply.

Coach Matthews taught Advanced United States History to High School Juniors and Advanced Government and Economics to High School Seniors.  I took his classes both years.

His classes were challenging and motivating and they were the only classes where this formerly shy blogger felt free to speak up.  He was a true conservative and he motivated me to take up my eventual life's work, sharing the positive message of conservatism.   

He took his classes on memorable field trips, such as to Wilmington, NC, Williamsburg, VA, and Washington, DC.  In his later years, he even added Philadelphia to the list.

Coach Matthews told us then, in 1984, that Ronald Reagan would go down as one of the greatest Presidents in our history, and he was right.  I was a senior in 1984 and missed voting for Reagan, and Jesse Helms, by a mere 11 days. 

Coach Matthews was one of the few public school teachers who stood up for what was right, and didn't follow the herd, as the others did in that undemocratic school system.  Yet, he did not push his personal politics on his students.  I never knew how he was registered to vote, though it was obvious he was a conservative. 

He encouraged frank, open discussion among his students and that's a rarity in public schools today.  He never put down anyone for their beliefs and he never taught that his beliefs were "right".

He warned me that by entering politics, I would be taking a huge personal risk.  He told me that not all people are in it for the right reasons. "Most people become corrupted by the greed and power and become paranoid," he added. 

It is for Coach Matthews, my first political mentor, that I grieve most, today. 

Coach Matthews,  I'm sorry your son passed away.  Thank you for what you did for me, and for all of your students.  Thank you so very much.  All of our prayers go out to you, and your entire family on this day.  We pray especially for your daughter-in-law and for your young grandchildren that have been left fatherless. 

May God bless you, Howard Matthews, of New Bern, NC.

For More Information:  The Obit for Andy Matthews can be found here.

NOTE: KCC rarely writes in first person, but Coach Matthews so touched her life, that she put aside her rules of style for this special post.

Have We Finally Seen the End of the "Helpless Woman"?

Just recently, your blogger was helping out a nice lady who is a young 75. She's active, and loves to be with her grandson, and son.  She's smart and once had a promising career as a pharmacist before marrying in the mid-1960s.  

She was telling KCC how hard things have been for her since her husband passed away, 1 1/2 years ago.  She had to learn what an inspection sticker was, that you had to renew the license tags on your cars, what bills had to be paid, etc. 

Her husband had always taken care of these things and he did her no favors by leaving her with no knowledge of how to take care of the basics after he was gone.  He suffered from a two-year illness and even still, did not teach her how to take care of basic household matters.   He took care of all that  was once referred to as "husband things".  This woman luckily has a son within two hours of her.  He set up her bills on auto pay, and he showed her how to do other things.

This lady reminded KCC of her own dear Grandmother Stuart, of Cleveland, Tennessee, who died in 1994.  Your blogger adored her grandmother, and never could figure out, why her she refused to drive. KCC's Grandfather refused to let her have a job outside the home, even after the kids were grown, saying "no wife of mine will ever work".  KCC is a stay-at-home mom and supports parents raising their own children, but saying she could never work, just because, was beyond comprehension for this generation. 

In contrast, your blogger's mother did everything.  She was one of those 1970s super moms.  Susanworked, raised two kids, one a conservative from childhood (your blogger) and one who grew into a conservative. 

Susan waited on her husband, hand and foot and she made sure her kids felt loved and adored.    She raised your blogger to think for herself, speak up for herself, and do almost anything for herself.  In fact, the "helpless women" out there are hard for this blogger to relate to. 

Thankfully, your blogger has never felt the pressures her mother had in the 1970s, when Lynda Carter (above, left) was on TV playing Wonder Woman and looked sexy and beautiful while saving the world.  KCC just wants to help make this world a better place than she found it, and raise a good son who respects women, and be a loving, devoted wife to her husband.

Luckily for this blogger, her father made sure that she wasn't helpless, especially when it came to dealing with automobiles.  He taught her how to change the tires, the oil, the belts and hoses, and how to be comfortable discussing such things with a mechanic.  It went on to save your blogger a lot of money.

KCC and her husband have a "nearly equal" partnership as nothing can ever be completely equal.  Since he goes out, slays the dragons, and earns the bulk of our income, he has final say on the finances.  In turn, you blogger has the call on all things related to child rearing.  Everything else is a consensus.

Your blogger hopes never to see the age-old helpless woman again, unless she is unable to help herself due to illness or handicap. 

Younger women are getting more educated.  But many assume that educated women are liberal women or feminists.  That's not always the case. There are many woman in the conservative movement and they are out there, leading the way. 

I often tease my male friends by saying, sure you guys give the money, but we women get the stuff done!

Don't be afraid to teach an interested young lady about conservatism.  Conservatives have a positive message and that's always a good thing. 

The Road to Hell: Good Intentions and All That (from Ladyblog)

Readers:

Your blogger has learned that today, certain cultures are celebrating something called World AIDS Day.

Meanwhile, we've  become a fan of a conservative blog called Ladyblog and today, author Wendy Sullivan is right on the money!  She writes about how World Aids Day is no longer needed, the NAACP isn't needed, and does it in a sly, witty tone. 

KCC highly recommends it.  Check them out!

The White List: NC Donors Supporting Prop 8 In California

We have all heard of the Hollywood "Blacklist" of the 1950s when people were denied employment because of suspected associations with the American Communist Party.  Liberals have especially spoken about the blacklist in disgust.

Fast forward sixty years.  On November 4th, a referendum known as Proposition 8 was on the ballot for California voters.  People all across the nation participated, despite it being a California-only measure.

It passed, despite the many leftists fighting it and some North Carolina citizens gave money to the cause in support of it.  This year, instead of a blacklist,  your blogger, along with others, proposes a white list, a group of donors with whom we SHOULD do business, thanks to their support of California's Prop 8. 

Thanks to the California Secretary of State's office, KCC discovered who donated in support of Proposition 8.   Though some are private citizens or retired, there is a movement nationally to get people in every state to support those who have businesses,  who donated supporting the measure protecting traditional marriage.

Out of 153 total donors from the Old North State, 13 brave citizens stood up and said, "we want to preserve traditional marriage."

Here we list, alphabetically, by first name, those who gave in Support of Prop 8.  Typepad isn't great at doing tables, but here goes:

Carolyn Schramm            $200        Charlotte                    N/A
Donald Luther                  $100        Hampstead                 N/A
Hal Abbott                       $250        Garner                       Access International
Holden Higgenbotham       $250        Chapel Hill                 UNC-CH
James Helvey                   $500        Winston-Salem          CMT Asset MGT
Jason Yedowitz, Sr           $50          Indian Trail                Self-employed
Judy H. Sherrill                 $1,000      Hickory                    N/A
Kenneth Purcell                $100        Mooresville                Hendrick Motorsports
Lai Chow Kok                   $100        Winston-Salem          Winston-Salem Cardiology
Patrick Donleycott            $100         Mebane                    N/A
Richard Rust                    $100         Chapel Hill                N/A
anon.                               $100         Raleigh                     requested removal
Stephen Scribner              $100         Pinehurst                  International Life Science

If you can, do business with their employers, and if you know them, show them some love this Christmas season.  Heck, show everyone some love!  But thank these folks for standing up for our traditional marriages.  It sadly seems that tradition is going out of fashion.

Hat Tip: Los Angeles Times, Mclouthier

Editor's Note:Your blogger is not opposed to gay people and supports legalized civil unions, but she staunchly opposes traditional church weddings where people of the same sex get married.

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