Fred on Iran and the UN

From Fred08.com

Thompson: We Won't Ask UN's Permission to Defend Self-Interest

McLean, VA - Senator Fred Thompson issued the following statement today:

"During last night's debate in New Hampshire, I was appalled that none of the leading Democrats would stand up for Israel's right to defend itself against Iran--a country intent on acquiring nuclear weapons and whose leader has vowed to wipe Israel off the map. A Thompson Administration would stand by Israel and all of our friends in the region. We would not wait for U.N. permission to support an ally or defend our interests abroad. The U.N. has not shown sufficient resolve toward stopping Iran's nuclear ambitions."

Congress' war against working West Virginians

Democrat John Dingell, Queen Nancy's chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, unveiled a proposal that would devastate our state's economy in the name of global warming.

What exactly does he propose?

An additional 50 cents per gallon tax on gasoline and jet fuel, phased in over 5 years. As a rural state with an already disproportionately high gas tax, our working men and women are more likely to DRIVE to work as our JOBS are spread too thin along rural/suburban areas to use carpooling and we do not have the population to support mass transit. In the private sector, a large portion of our jobs are in the coal mines, natural gas wells, and forests. It is impractical for a lumberjack to telecommute from his kitchen table at a laptop in his pajamas; I don't think you can mine coal in your home office, either.

A $50 a ton tax on CO2 admissions, from burning coal, petroleum or natural gas.
I don't think I need to tell you what mining jobs mean to West Virginia. If you can't understand this, you are beyond help.

Gradual phase-out of the interest tax deduction on mortgages for homes over 3,000 sq.ft., including an entire elimination for homes of at least 4,200 sq.ft. This too, would disproportionately affect West Virginia. Obviously, we want more people to build and move in bigger homes to support our timber, steel, construction, limestone, and utility industries. Just how small can a 4,200 single story home be? (64 x 64, or a 32 x 32 two story home) I don't think this affects just the "wealthy".

Any of these the three proposals would devastate West Virginia's resource industries. All three proposals becoming law would be unthinkable.

Even by his own admission, if Dingell's proposal became law, misery would follow…

"This is going to cause pain," he said, adding that he wants to make certain "the pain is shared in a way that is fair, proper, acceptable and accomplishes the basic purpose" of reducing greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.

Simply put, the Democrats do not want coal burned to produce electricity, and they do not want more natural gas heating your home. They do not want more our coal used to make steel in the Northern Panhandle, and they do not want our natural gas used in what remains of the already devastated chemical industries in Kanawha and Ohio River valleys.

West Virginia cannot escape the bottom of the heap economically if the Washington Democrats are victorious in their war against coal, timber, and natural gas. Apparently Democrat leaders are not about unleashing capitalism, they are unleashing ON capitalism.

If Byrd, Rockefeller, Manchin, Rahall, Mollohan, and Chairman Casey cannot rebuke their national party leaders over THIS insanity...

Finally Coming Clean

After a couple of weeks of denials, the New York Times finally came clean yesterday and admitted that it was inappropriate to offer MoveOn.Org a discount to run their disgusting attack on American Hero, General David Petraeus.

He [Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt] quoted Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis as saying the advertising representative who sold the ad failed to make it clear that for the standby rate of $65,000, The Times could not guarantee it would run it on the day of Petraeus' testimony.
That standby rate is offered to political and advocacy groups willing to be flexible about the day their ads run.

"We made a mistake," Mathis was quoted as saying.

And if that wasn't enough, Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt says that the ad violated its own acceptability standards - as if it had any for its leftist allies.

"The ad appears to fly in the face of an internal advertising acceptability manual that says, 'We do not accept opinion advertisements that are attacks of a personal nature,"' he wrote, adding that the phrase "Betray Us" was "a particularly low blow when aimed at a soldier."

He quoted Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis as saying the advertising representative who sold the ad failed to make it clear that for the standby rate of $65,000, The Times could not guarantee it would run it on the day of Petraeus' testimony.

That standby rate is offered to political and advocacy groups willing to be flexible about the day their ads run.

"We made a mistake," Mathis was quoted as saying.

Finally, it appears that MoveOn.Org will have to pay the full and fair price for their abomination.

Moveon.org said that it would wire the difference between the standby rate and the full rate of $142,083 to The Times.

"Now that the Times has revealed this mistake for the first time, and while we believe that the $142,083 figure is above the market rate paid by most organizations, out of an abundance of caution we have decided to pay that rate for this ad," it said in statement.

They appear to not to be sweating too much about the money, thanks to the deep pockets of George Soros, the chief financier of virtually every national Democrat party organization. (MoveOn.org, Media Matters, ACT, pro-union Campaign for America's Future, Center for American Progress, etc.)

Quite simply, the National Democrat Party is owned by George Soros and his armies of lefty loons.

You can read the Times' Clark Hoyt's editorial here.

WV now officially has a Fred'08 Director

From Fred's campaign HQ...

McLean, VA - The Fred Thompson campaign announced today that Gary Abernathy would lead the campaign's efforts in West Virginia as its State Director.

Gary Abernathy, a consultant at Abernathy Strategies, is the former Executive Director of the West Virginia Republican Party.

Abernathy is a veteran of campaigns on the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Abernathy served as Communications Director for the Ohio Republican Party and Deputy District Director for Ohio Congressman Frank Cremeans.

As a political professional, he has directed the growth of party organizations, helped elect numerous candidates, and has worked with companies and industry groups around the country on successful grassroots campaigns. Abernathy, a journalist from 1984 until 1996, served as newspaper editor, columnist, reporter, and has been the recipient of a number of distinguished awards.

"Gary Abernathy brings a wealth of grassroots and communications experience to our organization in West Virginia," said Thompson's National Political Director Randy Enwright.

"His political and communications experience, along with his knowledge of issues specific to West Virginia, will be a great asset to our campaign."

Fred on HillaryCare

Almost as loopy as those "Open for Business" signs

President Hugo Chavez wants Venezuelan clocks turned back half an hour and he wants it done in record time -- next Monday.

"I don't care if they call me crazy, the new time will go ahead, let them call me whatever they want," Chavez said on his weekly TV show. "I'm not to blame. I received a recommendation and said I liked the idea."

The few dozen IT remaining professionals in Venezuela will likely be joining whatever passes for a resistance in that new "worker's paradise" after Hugo's latest declaration.

The change will put Venezuela on its own time zone, shared by no other country. Several countries have adopted times that put them half an hour ahead or behind neighbours, and Nepal's official time is just 15 minutes ahead of that of India.

Venezuelan businesses are now scrambling to call in technicians to reprogram their computers for the time change.


Most countries advertise in the media any planned changes in clock times for months before the implementation date.


But Chavez's government has only aired slots promoting the idea in principle without educating people on how to do it. (Sounds kinda like the way our minuscule reduction on the sales tax on food was implemented doesn't it?)

Hugo must be smoking the same stuff Governor Manchin was that same fateful day he came up with an idea equally ludicrous:

"Owning" the issue, no matter how much it hurts

"I was for Wild, Wonderful All Along, Right Hill-err Gayle!"


From Today's Charleston Daily Mail:

Manchin added his two cents worth to a statewide telephone and online poll that seeks to determine whether the state should adopt a permanent greeting. If that's what state residents want, the governor said, he favors going back to an old phrase first adopted in 1975: "Wild Wonderful West Virginia."



"He's always been a supporter of that phrase and thinks if we're going to have a permanent slogan that should be it,'' Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg said Monday.



Hmm.. If that's the case,

then why was this petition necessary?!



Instead of trying to "Clinton" this controversy away, perhaps Joe Manchin should present WVU Student D. Logan Wheatcraft some sort of token of appreciation on behalf of all West Virginians. Leading the fight to get rid of those stupid signs definitely counts as a good deed.

I am not sure if Joe would have ever taken down his stupid signs if this certain college student hadn't decided to exercise his right to petition his government. He was certainly much more effective than any elected official or editorial writer in getting our collective points across.

Maybe we can learn a lesson in all of this: Joe Manchin is not infallible after all.

Fred's WV team taking shape?

We are now learning from Chris Stirewalt's The Rail Blog that Fred may be hiring a familiar name to work on the campaign in West Virginia:

Fredly As He Goes
Posted: Monday, September 17, 2007 : 02:04PM
Word just into the Rail that the Fred Thompson campaign has retained former West Virginia Republican Party executive director Gary Abernathy and that, accordingly, Abernathy has stepped aside from his role as consultant to the state party. Developing...

On the heels of breaking the news of Beth Walker's flirtation with a Supreme Court run , we learn why Stirewalt is entrusted with the postion of political editor for West Virginia Media Corp.

West Virginia is Fred Thompson country, and it is exciting to see his campaign start to set up shop here. Feburary 5th will be here before we know it.

The Story of Owen Schmitt

By now, everyone knows the story of WVU's two Heisman candidates Pat White and Steve Slaton, but one must not overlook the third starter in that incredible backfield.

Today's Charleston Daily Mail features a Washington Post Article on WVU Fullback Owen Schmitt. Apparently, it was not an easy path from Division III to Division-1A

MORGANTOWN -- Owen Schmitt and his mother woke up before dawn in Fairfax on a January morning in 2003. They borrowed a car from a family friend, filled the gas tank and drove 215 miles through snow to West Virginia University. When they finally pulled into the parking lot behind Mountaineer Field, Schmitt suggested they turn around.

Already during his winter vacation, Schmitt had made a half-dozen similar trips to colleges within driving distance of Fairfax. He had peddled a tape of his football highlights to coaches at Maryland, James Madison and Virginia Military Institute -- only to be turned away each time. As Schmitt sat in the car, he watched West Virginia players walk to and from Mountaineer Field and felt convinced that failure loomed again.

It is a very compelling read and I strongly suggest you follow this link.

Here is my favorite quote:

"Whatever legend you've heard about Owen Schmitt, double it and you're getting close to the truth," said Bill Stewart, a West Virginia assistant coach. "The pro scouts come in here and leave drooling over him. This guy emulates everything you'd want in a football program. He's happy to do anything. And then he does everything well."

The "Four Horsemen" of Notre Dame were considered by many the finest offensive backfield of the 20th Century.

I think we are looking at the best backfield of the 21st Century right now in Morgantown.(And the second string is pretty good too!)

Not all protesters "support the troops"

From Michelle Malkin

Early returns are in

Less than a week after getting into the race, Fred Thompson is on the verge of unseating Rudy Giuliani as the front runner, and he has only begun to scratch the surface.

Just today, CNN has released a poll that shows Fred now stands just one point behind former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani - well within the margin of error.

Fred's rise in the polls has also been noticed by John McIntyre of the Time-Blog.com. Renowned pollster Scott Rassmussen reports that Fred is already the GOP frontrunner.

No other candidate in this Republican Primary field has managed this sort of momentum indicating that Fred is the first real alternative for conservatives. I predict that several weeks from now, we will see better "satisfaction" numbers among GOP voters in opinion the field in the internals of the major polls.

Another sign that Fred is not yet polling as well as he will be is that his name ID is not as high as we had thought. Everyone knows his face from Law&Order and his movies, but as a supporting actor, he did not get "top billing" and hence lacks the same face and name association as other actors, like Tom Cruise.

Now that he does have top billing as the candidate and co-frontrunner, people will remember his face when he is being interviewed or shown on the TV news, and people will associate his name with his face, which means his numbers are only starting their upward climb.

The poll's internals demonstrate his surprisingly low name ID (for now) compared to Rudy Giuliani. CNN's Bill Schneider offers an interesting insight:

"The main reason Giuliani does better than Thompson [in head-to-head matchups] is that he's better known. Forty-seven percent of the public say they have never heard of Fred Thompson or have an opinion of him. Only 14 percent have no opinion of Rudy Giuliani."

Meanwhile, Giuliani, who had been stuck in the mid-30's for much of the year, is starting to watch his lead erode as reported by the Washington Post this morning.

Yes, things are going quite well for Fred at this point in the game. I think any other candidate in the field would love to trade places with him, including Rudy, who now hangs on because the pro-life and pro-2nd amendment vote is split four or more ways - for now.

What do the Democrats want us to drive?

The other Daily Mail (across the pond) writes about Toyota's new prototype: "MiniMarvel" a car you can practically park on your front porch.

I think I'll pass. It can never replace this...

In Utah of all places

On this day, the Charleston Daily Mail opined about a story in the Salt Lake Tribune where many teachers in Utah will not commemorate the 9/11 attacks.

THE Salt Lake Tribune reported that teachers in Utah will not commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks on the United States.

Said East Layton Elementary School principal Beth Johnston: "We don't want our kids thinking about that. We want them to move on. "

"It might be age appropriate for older students to acknowledge and talk about it, but for our younger kids, we don't want them to dwell on violence."

Well, no. But the unpleasant truth is dangerous forces wish to destroy the United States.

If even Utah is not safe from such lefty lunacy, I can't think of anywhere that is anymore.

Six Years Later

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Republican and Democrat members of Congress marched to the steps of the Capitol and sang "God Bless America" as a demonstration of national unity.

Anyone who had been around the block in a political sense knew that sort bipartisanship would be fleeting, but even under a skeptical eye, the Democrat left's conduct has been flabbergasting in the first six years of the Global War On Terror.

In today's Opinion Journal, former leftist Norman Podhoretz details how closely the anti-war movement resembles the Vietnam War protesters 35 years earlier, and how it was inevitable that the bipartisanship would soon crumble.

Having broken ranks with the left in the late '60s precisely because I was repelled by the "negative faith in America the ugly" that had come to pervade it, I naturally welcomed this new patriotic mood with open arms. It seemed to me a sign of greater intellectual sanity and moral health, and I fervently hoped that it would last.

But I could not fully share the heady confidence of my younger political friends that the change was permanent, and that nothing in American politics and American culture would ever be the same again. As a veteran of the political and cultural wars of the '60s, I knew from my own scars that no matter how small and insignificant a group the anti-Americans of the left might for the moment look to the naked eye, they had it in them to rise and grow again.

Sadly, in the information age, politics no longer ends at our nation's borders. Certain liberal elected officials no longer even operate under the pretense that they are for America anymore.

Fred responds to MoveOn.org

From Fred08:

Thompson Slams MoveOn.org For Libelous Attack On General Petraeus

Columbia, SC - Fred Thompson released the following statement regarding MoveOn.org's recent advertisement in the New York Times about General David Petraeus:

"MoveOn.org has today, in effect, said that the General leading our brave troops in Iraq is betraying his country. This is the group that funds the Democratic Party. I call upon the Democratic Party and all of the Democratic candidates for President to repudiate the libel of this patriotic American."

WVGOP Chairman responds to MoveOn.org

WVGOP Chairman Doug McKinney has responded to the dispicable moveon.org ad that ran this morning.

From the West Virginia Republican Party's website (which you should be visiting every day):

West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Doug McKinney today issued the following statement calling on West Virginia Democrats to denounce the MoveOn.org attack ad in today’s New York Times assailing General David Petraeus and America’s military.

“MoveOn.org’s malicious attack on General Petraeus and our nation’s troops should be condemned by West Virginia Congressional Democrats immediately.

“After trying unsuccessfully to block funding for American soldiers and second guess our commanders on the ground, this radical left-wing organization has resorted to launching slanderous assaults on our nation’s brave men and women who are fighting the War on Terrorism. As the father of a United States Marine, I take personal offense at this attack.

“West Virginia Democrats, including Sen. Robert C. Byrd, have benefited from donations from MoveOn.org in the past. I hope these Democrats finally denounce this insult to America’s troops, and refuse to line up with the liberal extremists that have hijacked their party.

“Instead of condemning General Petraeus, I urge West Virginia’s elected officials to condemn this advertisement and resolve to listen to what General Petraeus has to say.”

Way Out of Bounds

As someone who has worn the uniform and served under commanders and NCO's who were around during Vietnam, I have a special sensitivity to those who would slander our men and women fighting for our nation in a time of war. I learned from them the damage that was inflicted on our nation by the mean spirited anti-war left over three decades ago.

It had seemed during the first Gulf-War and the first few years of this war that protesting the war was "okay" but attacking the troops and impugning their character was unacceptable. Poll after poll after poll indicates that the military is the among the most trusted institutions in this nation. "I support the troops, but I oppose their mission" became the anti-war's mantra.

But now, with Democrat leaders John Murtha, Dick Durbin, and Charles Schumer acting as trailblazers, the anti-war movement now has brought back 70's style hippie tactics that many of us cannot bear to witness.

This morning, MoveOn.Org took war protesting to a new low by running the following ad in the New York Times:

You can read the full size ad here.

For several years now, we have heard the MoveOn.org crowd cry about my party "questioning their patriotism" simply because we pointed out that their position of immediate withdrawal simply amounts to nothing more than surrendering Iraq to the terrorists.

The truth is that their judgement and logic was questioned and their only defense was to claim that we were attacking their "patriotism" and that "dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

These extremists no longer have the right to be offended if their patriotism were actually questioned. They alleviated all doubt this morning about their true loyalties.

MoveOn.org, and their sugar daddy George Soros, want America to lose the war, and any American who wants our troops to succeed in Iraq should know that.

I would hate to think that any elected Democrat would dare associate with this trash ever again. (But we know they will by the time the leaves are off the trees.)

State of the state - Chamber waiving the white flag

Governor Manchin's popularity is forcing the Chamber's leaders and supposedly pro-business Democrats to take a back seat on much needed reforms to protect his left flank from any future challengers in the Democrat Primary.

Not everyone is content to remain silent.

Today, Senator Vic Sprouse writes about WV Media's Bray Cary's most recent episode of Decision Makers in which Bray says what needs said, and said again and again.

How weak has the State Chamber become under Mojo's quest to end the Democrat business vs. trial lawyer-labor war? A recent Charleston Daily Mail article answers that question.

House Republican leader Tim Armstead made an appearance at the State Chamber's most recent meeting and said what our state's business leaders needed to hear.

From now on remember this important point:
When you hear "conservative" Democrats and Steve Roberts push Dr. Sobel's fine book "Unleashing Capitalism", they are only offering lip-service to the cause. They are unwilling to fight for the election of people who would actually implement its much-needed recommendations.

Is the quest for civil justice reform and tax reform dead in West Virginia?

WV coal miners need Fred Thompson

West Virginians should take note of which Presidential candidate would be most likely to stop anti-coal legislation dead in its tracks.

Aside from the Birkenstock wearing northeastern liberals who trek to the hills of Boone County to protest mining, the real threat to West Virginia jobs is posed by the Global Warming crowd. The Democrat party has surrendered to the same "science by consensus" that once deemed Galileo a heretic for opposing the conventional wisdom of a geocentric universe.

Recently, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid declared that there should be a global moratorium on the construction of new power plants. I can think of no other time at which the leadership of a political party has been a greater threat to West Virginia jobs.

Many natural resource industry leaders have been in a holding pattern most of this year, waiting to see which candidate best represents their views, and which candidate has the best chance of defeating Hillary.

Yesterday, Kevin Mooney of the Cybercast New Service wrote an article that should answer the first question very clearly in which he interviews the champion of the Counter-Global Warming movement in the U.S. Senate, James Inhofe of Oklahoma. Inhofe offers the following insight on which candidate is most likely to avoid caving in to the U.N.

"The Republicans will need a nominee for president who is willing to tell the truth, and so far the one out there with the most courage is Fred Thompson," said Inhofe. "He is aware of all the issues I've raised on global warming, and right now he's the only one I see who is willing to take this on."

Unlike many of his fellow Republicans, Thompson has demonstrated a willingness to confront elite opinion, Inhofe said. While Thompson is sure to antagonize the news media with his stand on global warming, Inhofe thinks he will find a receptive audience among average Americans.

Fred Thompson is the candidate most likely to draw a connection to the American people between drilling in ANWAR, drilling off the Continental Shelf, and allowing more refineries to be built as the way to lower gas prices.

Fred Thompson is the candidate most likely to push for tax reform and deregulation that could allow the steel industry to come back from the dead, increasing the demand for top dollar WV metallurgical grade coal which fetches far more revenue than steam coal for power.

As the second richest state in terms of natural resources (only Alaska has more), it only makes sense to support the candidate that would install the fewest impediments to getting those resources to market.

West Virginia NEEDS Fred Thompson.

McDonald's remains resolute

I would hate to go through life with a serious food allergy, and I would really hate it if I was allergic to something that has a pleasant taste. But a person should not be entitled to a free ride for the rest of their life because they trusted an overworked and likely swamped fast food cook to get their special order right.

Anyone who eats fast food on a regular basis knows that if I order my Spicy Chicken Sandwich with no tomato on my number five, I will get it with tomato at least 10% of the time. Most everyone agrees that if you have such a serious reaction to cheese that you must be rushed to the emergency room to save your life, then you darn better lift the bun and inspect the sandwich and not trust your life to a 17-year old earning their first paycheck. We expect fast food loaded with grease at a cheap price, the trade off is that we won't get the same level of service or detail that we would at say,Rocco's, Red Lobster, or the Back Bay.

Today the Charleston Daily Mail has an article stating that McDonald's will stand firm and not settle the infamous $10 million dollar quarter-pounder lawsuit filed against a Morgantown McDonald's.

Good for them. If this kid had to get treatment at the hospital, I could have been sympathetic to that, and as a juror I might have awarded him damages for the medical expenses, but punitive damages and emotional distress? NO! He should have accepted McDonald's generous offer and not tried to use this as a backdoor way to someone else paying his own way.

We need to break this post-New Deal and Great Society paradigm that whenever something bad happens to someone, someone else must be forced at the barrel of the gun wielded by a government bureaucrat or activist judge to take care of them.

BTW, who is the plaintiff's attorney? It's failed Democrat candidate for the House of Delegates Timothy Houston, son of former Democrat Delegate Nancy Houston.

Fred on Leno Transcript

For those of you folks in the dial-up world and unable to download streaming video easily, here is a link to a transcript of Fred on Jay Leno last night.

How to become a WVGOP Convention Delegate and vote 4 Fred!

WVGOP Presidential Convention, Inc. just issued the following press release detailing what to do how to become a delegate to the state convention.

WVGOP Presidential Convention, Inc.
For Immediate Release
September 6, 2007
Contact: Gary Abernathy 304-344-4671 or Lynn Staton 304-229-5890

Attn: Political Editors and Reporters
WVGOP Presidential Convention Announces Important Convention Details

Charleston, WV – The WVGOP Presidential Convention announced today the following information to inform West Virginia Republicans about the electronic voting and delegate selection process in advance of the 2008 Republican Presidential Convention.
“In June of this year, we announced the bold step that West Virginia is taking in 2008 to have a convention on February 5, 2008 to select a majority of our delegates to the Republican National Convention. This is the first time that West Virginia will hold such a convention, and it is certain to increase West Virginia’s impact on the 2008 presidential race,” said Bob Fish, CEO of the WVGOP Presidential Convention, Inc.

“In order to ensure that all West Virginians are aware of how they can be involved in the process, we are releasing today the information on how to register to vote electronically and how to be a delegate to the state convention,” Fish continued.

Electronic Voting
On-line voting and county convention voting will be held between January 1 and January 14. The results of the county convention and on-line voting will be combined to produce the result in each county and the winners will be certified as delegates to the State Convention on February 5, 2008 in Charleston.

All registered Republicans may participate in the election of delegates to the State Convention. Voting will be on-line. Additionally, a county may decide to hold a county convention.

On-line voting is very similar to regular absentee voting by mail. The voter will contact the State Party on-line, by phone, or by mail and request a voter ID and password. The dates for registration are October 1 – November 30, 2007.

The state party may be reached at:
West Virginia Republican Party
PO Box 2711
Charleston, WV 25330
Phone: 304-768-0493
Fax: 304-768-6083
Web: www.wvgopconvention.com or www.wvgop.org

After verification, the voter’s materials will be sent by mail to their home of record, and the voter can then go on-line and cast his or her ballot. On-line voting and county convention voting will be held between January 1 and January 14.

The on-line voting software is maintained on a secure server and is completely protected. The program will display the county’s candidates for delegate in random order, so each voter’s screen will display the same candidates but in varying order. Each candidate for delegate may designate a presidential candidate who he or she favors. That candidate, if designated, will also be displayed on the ballot.

It will not be necessary that the voter have e-mail or internet access in their home in order to vote. Public libraries have computers that can be used for this purpose. The voter would simply access the voting site, enter his or her voter ID and password, and vote. The results of the on-line voting will be combined with the results of the county convention, if held, to determine the winners in each county. The results of the on-line voting will not be released to county officials until after the county convention results are filed. The delegates for each county will be certified January 18th.

Delegates to the State Convention
Delegates to the Convention have been apportioned to each county. About 60% come from recognized Republican groups – County Committees, State Committee, and Republican Legislators. The remaining delegates come from county bonus delegates who will be selected by on-line voting and a county convention. While holding a county convention is not required, it is encouraged that every county hold a county convention as it maximizes the opportunity for participation in this process. Those interested in learning if a county convention is being held in their respective county should contact a Republican committee member in their county.

All delegates and delegate candidates will be required to register with the State Party and pay a registration fee of $25. The filing period to register is November 1 – 30, 2007. Delegate candidates may have the name of the presidential candidate they support listed along with their name on the county ballot. Each delegate may appoint an alternate, although proxy voting and “double voting” will not be allowed.

For those who wish to be a delegate to the state convention, please visit www.wvgopconvention.com and print the registration form found under the “How to be a Delegate” section. Once completed, please mail it with your registration fee to the WV Republican Party at the address listed above. He or she will then be a delegate candidate, and fellow Republicans in that respective county will select among the delegate candidates by voting. If successful in voting, that delegate candidate will be certified as a delegate to the state convention on February 5, 2008 in Charleston.

Should you have any questions about Electronic Voting or how to become a delegate please email wvgopconvention@gmail.com.

- ### -
PAID FOR BY WVGOP PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTION, INC.

Clarence Thomas coming to West Virginia

One thing has always irked me about the fine educational institution situated in Huntington.

Marshall University is named for the father of judicial activism on the U.S. Supreme Court, John Marshall. His grand contribution to unrestrained judicial power, of course, was Marbury vs. Madison. This decision has been the guiding star for which countless judges nulify the will of the people and their elected representatives for over two centuries.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, one of the great modern heroes of the originalist movement is Clarence Thomas. Next week, he is speaking at the university named for the fourth Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Charleston Daily Mail has more details.

Marshall University President Stephen Kopp said the school community is pleased to have Thomas speak.

"It is a tremendous honor to have a United States Supreme Court Justice visit Marshall University," he said in the press release. "Although our institution is named after Chief Justice John Marshall, this will be the first time a justice of our nation's highest court has visited one of our campuses. We look forward to learning more about Justice Thomas and hearing his presentation on Sept. 10."

Thomas joined the Supreme Court on Oct. 23, 1991, after being nominated by then-President George H. W. Bush.

Monday's event is open to the public, but seating will be limited. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and AARP members are asked to bring their local membership cards to receive priority seating.

Fred Is In!

Fred Thompson is now officially a candidate for President of the United States.

You can watch his appearance on Leno here or here .


And I am the first one on the block with a "Fred '08" sticker.

You can watch Fred's announcement video at: http://www.fred08.com/index.aspx

Here's Your Sign...

Yesterday, Governor Manchin finally reconsidered his firm stance regarding the hideous slogan "Open For Business" on our Welcome Signs and opened up the decision to you.

Please visit this site and express your opinion.

I suggested a classic for the permanent slogan: Wild, Wonderful West Virginia and I would ask you to consider doing the same.

No one wants free market capitalism more than I, but putting "open for business" does not reform our antiquated early 20th century tax code, nor does it ease the massive government control the state exercises on "economic development". The truth is that his slogan is nothing more than window dressing.

Once again, Manchin waited for several months or weeks after the firestorm dies down on an issue and takes the popular action when everyone forgot who raised the issue in the first place. Joe now wants credit for conducting the poll to take down the signs, to try to get credit for removing the eyesores he erected.

Just to remind you, as most of the media won't with any controversy involving Joe, the unpopularity of the signs became a news item when WVU Student D. Logan Wheatcraft created the online petition. More than anyone, Logan deserves credit for the Governor's action yesterday.

A quick check at the online petition this morning shows that close to 30,000 people ultimately expressed their displeasure with the Governor's Welcome Sign slogan.

When we are really "open for business", we won't need a stinking sign.

Thompson's First Ad

Fred is up with his first ad! Look for his announcement at imwithfred.com and Jay Leno!

Owning the issue - not just for politics anymore

Interesting quote from the normally level-headed Hoppy Kercheval, in which he demonstrates that his B.S. Detector is usually a little off when the topic is our esteemed Governor.

Now consider our current governor, who would have been the quarterback for WVU in the 60s if not for a blown-out knee.

I am sure some of the Governor's former teammates and contemporaries have repeatedly fed Hoppy this line, and some of them may actually believe it. But anyone who has seen the way Joe Manchin has handled Logan's Law, or the recent special session regarding the Mullins decision is well aware of the Governor's ability to warp reality.

Simply put, if Manchin is not hero of the day, the issue is not allowed to advance until enough time had lapsed that the media would give Joe credit, when he fact HE was the main impediment.

I guess that if he would have performed better on the vision test, he would have been the first man on the moon.

It's Official! Fred will be running in West Virginia!

The West Virginia Republican Presidential Convention, Inc announced that 10 candidates have filed to participate in our state's convention on "Super Duper Tuesday" (Feb 5th) I suggest that everyone check with http://www.wvmetronews.com/ throughout the day for latest news as it it released.

Landing all the big names for this convention is huge for West Virginia Republicans and the whole state. Props to Bob Fish, Chairman McKinney, and the countless other Republican leaders and activists for making this happen. Credit also goes to West Liberty President Robin Capehart, who set this in motion when he was Chairman of the WVGOP.

As predicted this past Thursday, Fred did indeed decide to participate, and I will now offer my next bold prediction, Fred will prevail on Feb. 5th and win the 18 delegates to the national convention.

Here is a copy of the release sent out by the WVRPC, Inc this morning....

WVGOP PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTION
For Immediate Release
September 4, 2007
Contact: Gary Abernathy 304-344-4671

Attn: Political Editors and Reporters

TEN GOP CANDIDATES REGISTER FOR WVGOP PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTION TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 5, 2008
Charleston, WV – The West Virginia Republican Presidential Convention, Inc. announced today that ten Republican presidential candidates have registered to participate in the state convention that will determine the majority of West Virginia’s delegates to the Republican National Convention in the summer of 2008. The deadline to register for the convention was September 1, 2007.

The following candidates have registered for the convention:
Sam Brownback
Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
Alan Keyes
John McCain
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson
Gene Zarwell

“I am extremely pleased with the number of Republican candidates who recognize the important role that West Virginia will play in the 2008 presidential race,” said Bob Fish, CEO of the WVGOP Presidential Convention, Inc. “It is clear that these candidates realize that West Virginia may indeed be the tipping point on ‘Tsunami Tuesday’ since we will report the results of our convention by late-afternoon, hours before the other states with primaries on February 5.”

The next step in the convention process is the filing and election of state convention delegates. Over 1400 delegates have been allocated to West Virginia’s 55 counties. The deadline for filing is November 30.

In addition, prior to being certified, the presidential candidates must designate the 18 national convention delegates to be certified should they win the state convention. This designation must be completed, along with their final certificate of candidacy, by December 31, 2007.

Convention CEO Bob Fish will be available for interviews today for interested media.

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PAID FOR BY WVGOP PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTION, INC.