Katy's Conservative Corner

Glenn Beck Closes Out CPAC by Rob Benningfield (Video)

Was there a preacher in the house?  There had to be, but that voice, it was unmistakably that of TV personality Glenn Beck.

The popular Fox News host started by saying how Rush Limbaugh and Ronald Reagan are his personal heroes.  

He admired Reagan's optimism.  Like Reagan, Beck believes "it's still morning in America", though, he said, we may have to wake up with a hangover puking in the toilet first.  

He warned that progressivism "is the cancer eating up America, and that it unfortunately not only infects the Democrat Party, but many Republicans as well."  

Beck even condemned President Theodore Roosevelt (who I admire) as an early progressive.  Beck argued:

 "it's not enough for Republicans to just suck less than the other side.  The GOP must admit its mistakes (an addiction to spending and big government) and reform itself".

He compared the GOP's failings to those of golfer Tiger Woods.  Beck asserted that, like Woods, all addicts will continue their behavior as long as they do not get caught.  

 He then asked the same question everyone has been asking Woods, to the GOP: "You got caught!  Are you sorry?" 

Beck says he'd be more than happy to support the Republican Party if they only admitted their mistakes and showed genuine contrition.  He wants them to do honest soul searching.

Then Beck noted that progressives are a political minority in this country, yet they keep advancing their agenda.  How?  Because they know how to package and sell their ideas.  They've got Hollywood's help, too.

Beck stated that we have a right to fail. 

Without failure, how do we learn and grow and improve?  Why should a company be "to big to fail", so that it gets a taxpayer-funded bailout?  

Beck cited his own battle to overcome alcoholism and the long way back. .  He asserted conservatives believe everybody has the right to *pursue* happiness or success, not to be given happiness or success by the government.  He insisted you don't have a right to free food, free housing, free higher education, or free medical care.  You have to work for it and earn it.

Beck noted he couldn't afford to attend college, so he educated himself.  He said there's no shame in being a self-made man, in showing ambition and working hard to become successful, so government shouldn't punish small businesses for working hard to be successful.  Beck reminded the Marriott Ballroom crowd  that business creates jobs, not the government.  

Beck ended his sermon by promising that the future is not cast in stone.  Our best days are not behind us.  Our grandchildren do not have to have a lower standard of living than we have.  

Watch Glenn's speech, as he delivered it on Saturday evening:

Editor's Note: This post, like all others at CPAC, was brought to you by our sponsor, RedState.   RedState provided the Blogger's room and gave KCC the ability to cover the conference in a unique way. Not every blogger who applied received credentials, yet there were over 100 different conservative blogs represented, with a few liberals amongst us, as well.  We all had a great time, and many thanks go to our fearless leader, Erick.  

Read RedState's take on Glenn Beck's speech.

Palin, Huddleston, Breazeale, & Ellmers win Cumberland Co. Straw Poll

 The winners in the straw poll held February 6th, at the Cumberland County GOP Ronald Reagan Republican Roundup, were 8th congressional district candidate Lou Huddleston, 7th district candidate Will Breazeale, 2nd congressional district candidate Renee Ellmers and Governor and former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Huddleston, Breazeale and Ellmers won their district vote and Palin was the choice of attendees for the 2012 presidential race.

 Other congressional candidates attending the event which drew over 300 people and included speeches by former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and Senator Richard Burr,  were newly announced 2nd district congressional candidate Todd Gailas; newly announced 7th congressional district candidates Tim Wilkes and Ilario Pantano; and 8th congressional district candidates Tim D'Annunzio, Harold Johnson and Hal Jordan.

 Local and General Assembly GOP candidates also were in attendance, to include N.C. Senate 22 candidate Wesley Meredith, N.C. Senate 21 candidate Wade Fowler, N.C. State House 44 candidates Brian Kent and Johnny Dawkins, N.C. State House 22 candidate John Szoka,  N.C. State House 45 candidate Jackie Warner and County commissioner At-Large candidates Diane Wheatley and Linda Devore.

Happy 99th Birthday, Ronald Reagan (Video)

Happy 99th Birthday, Mr. President!    

Born in 1966, your blogger is a proud member of the Reagan generation.  KCC was 14 when Ronald W. Reagan was elected President and 22 when he left office.  

God bless the United States of America.  We pray that the conservative movement will once again find its way and that we can restore our nation to its former greatness. Please enjoy the video, below, of Mr. Reagan's first Inaugural address.  It still inspires us today:

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Why Not Sarah?

This morning, your blogger was discussing with a friend, how amazed we are why those on both the right and left get so negatively emotional when they discuss former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin?  "Why are her naysayers so afraid", we wondered.

Palin has it all and is a politician out of central casting. She is smart, no-nonsense, and practical.  She's devoutly conservative and is an adoring mother.  Currently on her book tour, she's traveling with her young son Trig and her show-stealing daughter, Piper.  Monday, she made a stop in North Carolina, meeting with troops and their families at Fort Bragg.

Everywhere she goes, the crowds are  huge.  Palin is not allowed to even personalize copies of the books she's signing.  She just says "hello" to the purchaser and moves to the next person in line.  This devotion on the level of rock star status.

During the 2008 Presidental campaign, Vice Presidential candidate Palin drew larger crowds than did the Republican nominee, Senator John McCain.  Many conservatives told the press that they turned out only to vote for Palin, not to vote for McCain.  Clearly, people see something in her that they like and they appreciate her home spun conservative values.  

Your blogger has grown tired of hearing the same old line: Sarah Palin is not "smart enough to be President."  Gov. Palin is extremely bright and history has shown that it doesn't take a member of Mensa to occupy the White House.  

Ronald Reagan was an intelligent man, but he made sure to surround himself with the people he felt were the best in their areas of expertise and then he let them do their jobs.  He didn't micro-manage as President James Earl Carter had done in the previous administration.  

Carter's management style proved to be his undoing, especially with his  botched rescue attempt of the American Hostages in Iran in April of 1980.

Today, KCC is saddened to see so many (liberal) women feel threatened by Gov. Palin's success.  It seems that there is some sort of female jealousy about. They feel if you oppose abortion, support the death penalty, and act like a lady, liberal women run, not walk away.  

 Even Oprah got into the act last week on her show, when she interviewed the former Governor.  She tried every way she could to imply that Palin was in some way, a poor mother.  Yet, Palin handled Winfrey's intrusive and tacky questions deftly, with class and dignity.

Let's hope this doesn't extend to our fellow Republicans.  It's certainly okay to support the candidate of one's choice, but to run down opposition in one's own party is simply not acceptable.  

Palin may not have handled the infamous Katie Couric interview  the very best she could have, and she clearly received some very bad advice during it, but she's easy on her feet when talking about her book, Levi Johnson, and her passions about her husband and family.  Additionally, she enjoys discussing her world views and her ideals, and even becomes a little preachy to a liberal interviewer.  

The very fear she insights in liberals is exactly what the Republican party needs in 2012.  The GOP is above affirmative action for women or blacks.  We want the most qualified individual and Sarah Palin is clearly in the bunch of contenders for 2012.   

Right now, Palin says she is focusing on getting conservatives elected in 2010 and will worry about 2012 later.  But when that time comes, anyone would be foolish to count Governor Sarah Palin out.

NOTE: Your blogger purchased Palin's book online via Amazon for $14.00 and received it in less than seven hours.  She didn't pay extra for shipping!  Talk about service!

If you read this blog post some place other than at Katysconservativecorner.com, please go online to make your comments.  A lively discussion is encouraged, but name calling will be removed.

COPYRIGHT 2009 KATY'S CONSERVATIVE CORNER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Reagan Re-elected This Day 1984

President Ronald Reagan was re-elected this day (11/6) in 1984.

Your blogger did not turn 18 until November 17, 1984 and therefore missed voting for him by a mere 11 days.

KCC knew she was missing out on history at the time but later made up for it by meeting him twice.

Your blogger was not quite 14 when he was first elected and was a Junior in college when he left office.

He shaped this blogger's political views and KCC feels lucky to have gone to high school and college during his presidency. In short, KCC is a proud member of the "Reagan Generation".

If young adults today only had it like we did, the Republican Party would be more conservative, and right and wrong would be much less subjective.

Reporting from her iPhone. . .

Friday: Fifth Year Anniversary of Reagan's Death (Video)

Friday was the fifth anniversary of the death of President Ronald Reagan  (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004).  In recognition of all he did for our great nation, we all should find some time this weekend to reflect on the leadership he provided this nation. 

As a 9 year old, in the summer of 1976, your blogger followed the Ford-Reagan primaries across our nation.  KCC's own parents, and Grandparents were Democrats and didn't pay much attention to it.  

However, your blogger's father loved Reagan and his conservative thinking and sent Reagan contributions.  He told KCC that summer,  that his very first vote, was for Barry Goldwater, then a staunch conservative, in 1964.  

At the 1976 Republican National Convention, President Gerald Ford beckoned Reagan to come to the stage and "say a few words".  President Ford has no idea what he was getting into. Reagan, extemporaneously gave one of the most famous "few words" of his career.  Republicans everywhere suddenly realized that they had nominated the wrong man and KCC became a conservative and Republican  that moment. 

Years earlier, Sen. Goldwater's campaign had launched Reagan from a B-List actor to an A-List speaker amongst conservative circles.  Reagan became famous for a speech he made for Goldwater at the Republican National Convention, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.  Your blogger has read much of this, and only wishes she could have been a fly on the wall.  However, she wasn't to enter this world until two years later, in November of 1966.

Reagan was elected President only days before your blogger turned 14 and was re-elected 11 days before she turned 18, meaning she never got to vote for him.

However, during his 8 years as President, your blogger, and many others her age, were shaped and molded by his ideas.  KCC joined College Republicans (CRs)in the waning years of the Reagan presidency and they were heady times.  It was a fantastic time to be a young conservative.    

Today's young people can only read about Reagan in books, but we got to meet him, several times.  He even hosted the CRs on the White House lawn during our CR National Convention, which is ongoing this weekend.

In recognition of one of our finest Presidents, and the finest of this blogger's lifetime, KCC salutes Ronald Reagan and all he stood for.  God Bless America and Rest In Peace, Mr. President.

We offer these videos.  The first is the impromptu speech, completely off-the-cuff in 1976, and the other, the long version of the 1964 speech, now known as "A Time for Choosing":

RED China Blocks Twitter on 20th Anniversary of Tinanmen Murders (video)

According to news sites world wide, on Tuesday, blocked Twitter access from within its borders ahead of today's 20th anniversary of the Tinanmen Square massacre.  Twitter is a "microblogging" site  where one gets "followers" (readers) and sends tweets (microblog posts).  It's extremely popular as anyone can send a tweet from a cell phone via a text message, a laptop computer, and via a number of other ways.

The Massacre was horrible.  Your blogger was in summer school that summer, finishing up the last of her college coursework.   Every night, Ted Koppell was on ABC's Nightline talking about the subject and the tension built.  Many of we young conservatives at the time were inspired to fight communism and to work towards freedom and democracy for everyone, and for every nation.  KCC became more dedicated to freedom than ever.  

Then it was over and blood covered the streets of the Chinese capital city.  The freedom-seeking university students were dead and we could do nothing about it.  

According to Janet Watson (photo courtesy, left), writing for the Ottawa Citizen,  and a student backpacking through Southeast Asia at the time,

"On May 13, thousands of pro-democracy students had occupied Tiananmen Square beginning a hunger strike to press for political reform. At the same time, international media had descended upon Beijing in anticipation of a state visit by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the first summit in 30 years between the two countries.

At the conclusion of Gorbachev’s visit, the government declared martial law, but it was half-hearted. Protesters blocked the army from entering Beijing and it retreated.

As we made our way north toward Beijing by train, boat and bus, we watched the growing democratic movement flourish, in villages and cities. With universities and colleges closed, students and workers, protesting corruption and inflation, marched through the streets chanting democratic slogans and carrying red and white banners to display their solidarity with the Beijing protesters.

Businessmen, shopkeepers and even the elderly cheered them on. I spoke with a retired professor in Chengdu, Sichuan, who said there had never been so much spirit in China. He said he wished he could be a student again.

We watched students climb aboard trains and buses headed for Beijing to join their comrades. Everywhere we went it seemed people were swept up in the students’ fervour for democracy.

We arrived in Beijing on May 30. Every day, after visiting tourist sites, we stopped at Tiananmen Square to speak with the protesters in their scattered village of tents.

The atmosphere was festive as the protesting students barbecued, sang along to rock music piped from loud speakers and huddled around guitars, strumming quietly in the hot afternoon sun.

As foreigners, we enjoyed celebrity status. The students often approached us, wondering what the world was hearing about their demonstration. They showed off their Goddess of Democracy statue, asked us to sign T-shirts and wanted to practice speaking English. A few said they were anxious to get back to their studies.

But on June 2, Deng Xiaoping and other Communist party leaders, humiliated by the international attention, ordered a military crackdown to end the crisis. On the afternoon of June 3, returning from an outing to the Great Wall, we dropped in at Tiananmen Square which was surrounded by army vehicles and tanks.

If you haven't heard much, if anything about this in the "lamestream media", don't be surprised.  They want you to pretend that Communism is dead.  It's not and your blogger can tell you this FIRST HAND.  

Read an interesting history of the events leading up to the massacre, here.  Also, watch the video, produced by the BBC on June 4th, 1989.   If you are too young to remember this event, please educate yourself on this.  Do not think for one moment that China is not our enemy.  

Even President Reagan disappointed me when he dealt with Communist China.  He continued to allow trade with this nation and assisted our efforts to trade with them, allowing this enemy to grow into the huge economic and military threat it is to us today. 

In the opinion of this blogger, the opening of trade with China, not Watergate, is the terrible legacy of the Richard M. Nixon presidency.

Obama Signs Reagan Tribute with frail Nancy Looking on

President B. H. Obama did something right...or left.  Since the current "President" and the late President Ronald Reagan were both left-handed, it seemed fitting that Obama signed the bill creating a Reagan tribute with his left hand. (photo: copyright 2009 Reuters)

Nancy Reagan, the late President's widow, looked on during the signing.  Your blogger asks for prayers for the former first lady, as she looked weak and frail.  As much as our former President was loved, no one loved him more than she did.

The bill creates a panel to plan and carry out events to honor Reagan’s 100th birthday in 2011. He died in 2004.

According to Reuters:

Obama slowly escorted the 87-year-old Reagan into the White House Diplomatic Room for the ceremony, as she clutched onto his arm and walked with a cane.

His remarks were almost Reaganesque.

“President Reagan helped as much as any president to restore a sense of optimism in our country, a spirit that transcended politics — that transcended even the most heated arguments of the day,” Obama said.

WATCH CPAC 2009 LIVE (Video Stream)

Please enjoy this live feed, when available, of CPAC 2009, compliments of UStream and Katy's Conservative Corner. 

CPAC 2009 runs from Thursday until Saturday of this week and the streams will be made available during actual conference times.    The conference agenda is also available.  (If you are receiving this blog post via e-mail or RSS feed, you must go to the blog post to see the actual live feed.)

Live TV : Ustream

2009 -- Deja Bill?

Check out this little video that is making the rounds on the conservative circuit.  This man is exactly right and funny.  That's the thing about we conservatives:  we are right and we have fun, simultaneously! 

Hat Tip: GOFA

Contact NC Senators; Hagan is Reid's Lap Puppy, Burr Could Consider Voting For "Stimulus" Plan

The US Senate took advantage of three RINO (turncoat) Republicans Monday to cut off debate, setting up a big vote on Tuesday over Obama's so-called "Stimulus" (spending) bill.  A smack of the wet noodle to RINO Senators Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine.These Republican-in-name-only Senators should be ashamed!

Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) says on his own website that he is against the bill as is, but would accept it if changes are made. 

Please contact Senator Burr and tell him to not accept any changes and to vote NO, NO MATTER WHAT!

Meanwhile, newly elected Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) is doing as she is told, and voting the party line. (We'll see if she can ever stand on her own and stop being Harry Reid's Lap Puppy. ) 

Please urge her to vote NO.  If she receives enough calls, faxes, and emails, perhaps she could change her mind. 

Both Senators' contact information is below.  If you get through on the telephone, be brief, leave a message with the person that answers, and above all, be polite. 

Please note that e-mails are never as effective so keep trying to call. 

Senator Kay Hagan: DC Phone: 202-224-6342, Raleigh Senate Office: 919-856-4630
E-mail: [email protected]
*Please note underscore (_) between Senator and Hagan

Senator Richard Burr: Contact Form
Office Locations with phone and fax numbers

Please note that Senator Burr (left at the 2008 GOP Convention) is up for re-election in 2010.  He's been threatened with a more conservative primary opponent, so your blogger would assume he would make a hard turn to the right, these next two years. 

Your blogger plans to work on Burr's re-election campaign and will support him in his re-election effort.

However, the Senator needs to reel in the conservative base that is so strong in North Carolina.  In fact, a little suite of offices in North Raleigh, saw the re-birth of the modern conservative movement in the early 1970s.  These offices were the site of the Congressional Club and they gave birth to the careers of many conservative politicians, most notably, the late Senator Jesse Helms.  (The club also saved Ronald Reagan's political career in 1976.)

North Carolina has a strong tradition of conservatism and Sen. Burr would do well to recognize that. He simply cannot afford to have this voting bloc "sit home" on election day, 2010. 

Conservatives will, unfortunately, sit home, if they are not excited about a Republican candidate.  That has happened a number of times in this blogger's recent memory, resulting in sour losses for  Republicans.  

Though your blogger never approves of anyone sitting home on election day for any reason, Burr needs to stir up the conservatives, as well as his traditional moderate base in the central part of the state.

He is expected to be challenged by Congressman Heath Shuler (D-11th District) and we'll have plenty more on that race. 

Meanwhile, please do not give up and keep making those calls.  Thank you!

Catching Up - Odds and Ends

Your blogger has been sick with a sinus infection and bronchitis for the past seven days but is hopefully on the mend with the help of a rescue inhaler.   

She has many stories to post and appreciates the submissions.  We promise to get them all posted as they are excellent!  Sorry that we are so behind.     After a week of rest, it's time to move forward.

Happy Birthday President Ronald Reagan.  Your blogger's favorite President was born this day in 1911.  Learn more about Reagan's beloved ranch ,here, at the Young America's Foundation website.

Many North Carolina Republicans are celebrating their Lincoln and Reagan day dinners during these next few weeks.   Please  support your county  Republican party.   For a list of North Carolina county parties with websites, click here and look under "NC County GOP Links".

Today, Friday, we are departing the beach and heading to the Winter Board meeting of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women.  We'll have the full report.  These ladies are on top of the North Carolina General Assembly, so we'll find out what legislation they are most interested in and why that affects YOU.

Additionally, we hear that NC Senator Eddie Goodall (R-Joint Caucus Leader) is ready to put his Senate seat on eBay to score coveted Duke vs. Carolina basketball tickets.  Let's see how that works out, hum Senator?

You can read the news in the papers and then read what really happened here.  Back soon.

Keep Your Dates Straight With 2009 Palin Calendar

If you are a Sarah Palin fan, like this blogger, you may want to spend a few bucks for her 2009 Calendar.  The cover features her posing with a firearm, over her shoulder (left).  Check it out here and get yours.

Editor's Note:  KCC is a member of Team Sarah, an online group of supporters begun around the time Palin was added to the Republican Ticket, last summer. 

She continues to support Sarah Palin and feels the Alaska governor got a bad deal in the "lame stream" media, last Fall.  KCC isn't sure of the Governor's next move, but she is glad to see her staying active on the national scene. According to a writer on the Team Sarah site, Gov. Palin is working to "win back America for conservatives", which your blogger strongly supports.

Both your blogger and Palin are the same age, and were both in High School and College during Reagan's Presidency.  We were both strongly influenced by his ideals and KCC is proud to see her take up the Reagan mantle and carry it forward. 

KCC noticed, during last year's campaign, how many young people were excited by Palin, just as Palin  KCC, and so many others, were excited by Reagan. 

Could Palin be the "next Reagan"?  Of course not, there will never be another. She'll definitely be the first Sarah Palin, and that's exciting.

Sarah Palin Came of Age During Reagan Revolution

Many North Carolina conservatives have told your blogger that though John McCain doesn't excite them, his running mate, Sarah Palin (left) most certainly does. Your blogger has repeatedly heard that Palin could be the next Ronald Reagan. 

There will never be another Reagan.  He was one of a kind. However, Governor Palin is special in her own right, and she, like your blogger, was greatly influenced by our 40th President. 

She deftly handles tough questions.  Recently, she handled a heckler with grace, by saying "Bless your heart.  My son is in Iraq fighting so you have the freedom to say these things." 

She has an easy manner with the camera and has the ability to clearly explain her positions.  Conservatives everywhere are in love with Sarah.  She has looks, style, and most of all, substance. Just like Reagan.

Your blogger and Palin are about the same age.  We both came of age during the Reagan administration and KCC often refers to herself as a proud member of the Reagan generation.  He meant so much to people like us, that we were forever affected by his greatness.  That's why Katy's Conservative Corner is a "conservative blog" rather than just a "Republican blog".

It's only fitting that the person to take up his mantle is a fellow Gen Xer.  Your blogger was a youngster of 14 when Reagan was first elected.  It was a great awakening, politically.  To see Palin have the ability to articulately explain her positions and excite conservatives in a way not seen since the great communicator, swells the heart of this blogger and conservatives everywhere.  Reagan touched kids like us in a way that cannot be explained. 

Sure, the left is after her.  That's the way it goes when people love and admire you and look to you for leadership.  People like Gov. Palin will always have "little dogs" nipping at their heels, trying to pull them off their ladder of success. Even those in her own party have tried to tear her down. It happens in every profession. But Sarah Palin manages it with grace and ease. If these small-minded people bother her, it never shows.

Palin was invited to this weekend's Defending the American Dream summit, sponsored by Americans for Prosperity.  That, however, when she was JUST the Alaskan Governor.   Since then, the world now knows her as "Sarah Barracuda",she needs to be traveling the country, spreading the REAL message of hope and change.

Look for great things for Sarah Palin.  If she doesn't win the Vice Presidency, in '08, look for her to be THE front-runner in 2012 for President. 

By then, the nation will have learned the truth about Barrack Hussein Obama, and he will have run his brand of socialism into the ground.  Sure, he can talk a smooth game during a campaign, but he'll prove to be the worst President in American history, and Palin and her fellow conservatives will waltz into the White House, again.

It's not over yet, though, but we've all got our collective eyes on Sarah.  So far, she hasn't disappointed.

Editor's Note:: To learn more about Palin, check out her biography, now in paperback. It's reached #3 on the New York Times "Best Seller List". 

Read about her rise in politics, her populist message, and more in Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down.

Helms Dies on July 4th at age 86

Former Senator Jesse A. Helms died this morning in Raleigh.  He was 86 years old.  The News and Observer has an excellent write-up here.

God bless America.  Thank you for giving us Jesse Helms.  He stood up for this country when it wasn't fashionable and when no one else would. 

This blogger first heard of Helms from her father, a conservative Democrat who spoke lovingly of Ronald Reagan and Jesse Helms over the dinner table.

Though your blogger became a Republican in 1976 at the tender age of nine, it wasn't until 1984 that she became active in the North Carolina Republican Party.  That year, Helms and Democrat Governor Jim Hunt ran the most expensive race ever for the United States Senate, which Helms won.

Always a staunch anti-communist, Helms was like a ray of light for this blogger.  She still feels that most people are not aware of the threat that nations like Red China, North Korea, Vietnam, and others pose.  Helms opposed any aid to the Soviet Union and this blogger agreed, feeling that nation would have fallen much sooner, had we not aided that communist government. 

Insiders say, of his whole life, Helms regretted the racial practices he used in campaign tactics, most of all.  He had many detractors and was seen as anti-gay by many, though he employed many minorities and gays on his staff. 

He assumed the nickname "Senator No", since he often was a lonely "no" vote in the Senate. He was sharp and knew the Senate rules like no other, often becoming a pain in the side to liberals, such as the currently ailing Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Taxachusetts). 

We appreciate you, Senator Helms, and Godspeed to you.  It is appropriate that you pass on the birthday of our great nation.

May God bless your family, our state and the United States of America.   Helms joins fellow patriots John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe by passing away on this great holiday.

For a video summary of Helms' life, check out the WRAL TV website.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx released the following statement today on the death of former five-term Senator Jesse Helms.  Senator Helms passed away this morning at age 86.

"Senator Helms was the truest of patriots," Rep Foxx said.  "His passion for conservative principles and the vigor with which he pursued them was second to none.

"I consider Senator Helms to be a mentor and dear friend.  He dedicated his life to ensuring that the America he knew and loved would remain a strong beacon of freedom in a tumultuous world.  Senator Helms leaves behind a strong legacy of fighting for the freedoms that make America great, even in the face of the strongest of foes.   

"Today my thoughts and prayers go out to those Senator Helms left behind.  I pray that God's comfort might be with all of his loved ones during this difficult time."

Video: US Hockey - The Anniversary of the Greatest Upset Ever

Twenty-eight years ago this week, a group of rag-tag college kids defeated the Soviet machine in the 1980 US Olympic Hockey semi-finals.  Two days later, they went on to defeat Finland in the Gold medal game. 

At the time, professionals were not officially allowed to participate in the Olympic games, but this Soviet team had spent years training and competing together, as did many teams from the Soviet bloc.  The American kids were basically an all-star team of Northeastern college hockey teams that came together just months before the 1980 Olympics began.

The win provided an uplift for Americans during the cold war. It was a terrible defeat for the professional Soviet team and was yet another example that we Americans can do anything, if we dedicate ourselves to it. 

The popular chant "U - S - A, U - S - A" was coined and is now heard where ever the US national teams compete.

That year, Ronald Reagan campaigned that it was "morning in America" and that our greatest days were yet to come.  He went on to win the Presidential election that November.  1980 was a great year for this blogger.

Enjoy the video below.

HT: The Stinging Nettle

(Your blogger was 13 years old and was already a hockey fan, thanks to the new cable network, ESPN.  In those early days, the fledging cable network had little else to show, so she would watch hockey games from the Northeast, the Midwest, and Canada while babysitting, after the kids went to bed. 

Little did she know that years later, she would be able to play on a all women's traveling hockey squad, and how later, our state would be able to support the championship, NHL Carolina Hurricanes.)

Public TV to Air Helms Documentary - January 15th

Tuesday, January 15, at 9 PM, UNC-TV premieres Senator No: Jesse Helms, a 90-minute biographical documentary from independent filmmaker John Wilson. The film chronicles Helms' life from his humble childhood in Monroe, to his two decades as an outspoken print and television editorialist, to his five contentious terms in the U.S. Senate and the fierce political battles that landed him there.

Your blogger hopes that Wilson and Public TV treat the ailing Helms with the respect he earned the hard way.  It would be a shame to see his often controversial name dragged through the mud, possibly upsetting the Helms' family in the process.   Helms, is an American Icon and deserves reverential treatment even by those with whom he did not agree.

From the 1950 Willis Smith/Frank Porter-Graham Senate primary to until his retirement, Helms always let folks know where he stood, no matter how "unpopular".  That is a freshness missing in politics today, where most candidates and political parties seem to test their ideas in the wind before going forth. 

Helms knew right from wrong, and stood up for his beliefs.  Though your blogger didn't agree with every single stance he held, she admires him for being forthright. 

This writer even lost "friends" after she placed Helms stickers on her cars during each election cycle in which he was involved.  People would cut her off in traffic, complete with the middle-finger salute.  Her homosexual friends stopped speaking to her, etc. Actually Helms employed several homosexuals on his staff over the years, based on your bloggers personal interactions with his staffers.  He was a fair and open man.

Your blogger will be watching with anticipation to see how Helms is depicted.  She hopes to learn more about North Carolina's interesting political history in the process.  Often ridiculed for his strong stands against communism, Helms taught your blogger that living in America was an experience in which to be thankful. 

Helms was instrumental in helping Ronald Reagan stay in the 1976 GOP Presidential primary, working to secure a win in North Carolina.  Reagan later went on to become the greatest President in history, being elected in 1980, when this blogger was 14 years old.

Happy Belated Birthday USMC

"Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference.  The Marines don't have that problem."

Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President

Happy Belated Birthday, United States Marine Corps!  Thank you for defending our freedoms that we so often take for granted.

Rotterman to DeLuca: He Paid for this Microphone

This evening, I had the pleasure of attending a terrorism conference, sponsored by the excellent Civitas Institute.  Towards the end of the event, vice president Francis DeLuca approached a side microphone.

Moderator Marc Rotterman, noticing DeLuca, commented that since "you paid for this microphone..." the mic is yours.

Naturally, your blogger clapped and cheered.  Regrettably, she was met with stares and silence.

Thus, in the interest of public education, here is the origination of the comment from the man himself:

Reagan's Quip to Sam Donaldson

This is worth the watch. I've seen it hundreds of times and I laugh out loud at each viewing. Enjoy.