Our 2011 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner will be on Wednesday, February 23 beginning at 5:30 p.m. (cocktails) and dinner at 6:30 p.m. at the Duke Energy Center, 525 Elm St., in downtown Cincinnati. Our keynote speaker will be Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. For more information and to purchase tickets online, click here.And...
Gov. Daniels is a highly impressive person. He has done a terrific job in Indiana. To read more about "My Man Mitch" (his campaign slogan!), click on this story.
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The latest news in the Williams/Hunter contest is slightly good news. Only 24 hours after the Sixth Circuit Court was petitioned to hear the case en banc, the court immediately requested a response from Ms. Hunter's legal counsel. This is slightly good news because they could have rejected the petition without hearing from Ms. Hunter. Requesting a response from the other side tells us that someone is, at least, considering this further. Does this mean they'll take it en banc? No. But, it means they're at least considering it. Waiting is the hardest part.
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Interesting how so many in the media and elsewhere seem so happy the military now rules Egypt. I know the future will likely bring elections, but will those elections work to stabilize Egypt or make it more anti-U.S.? We've propped up that country for a long time. Democracy is a good thing. But, so is having a place where terrorists are not training to kill innocent Americans. The months ahead should be interesting. Mubarak was not the right answer. But, will we rue this day? Hope not.
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With Jeff Berding's departure from city council and the rumored possible departure of Chris Bortz, we may have the most competitive city council elections we've had in years. Let's hope the voters get it right. Although not Republican, Berding's intellect will be missed on the council. His vote for the streetcar--not so much.
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Our GOP-family is growing! Leslie Ghiz and her husband Steve have a new son, Andrew Alexander. Longtime GOP supporter and campaign manager for Steve Chabot, Jamie Schwartz and his wife Kristie welcomed their son, Connor, into the world, too. All seem to be healthy, happy, and sleep-deprived. Children are God's greatest gift.
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ArtsWave Sampler weekend starts today. Yes, Republicans can appreciate the arts just like liberals do. In fact, giving to the arts is popular for most Republican donors. The arts enrich our culture and grow our minds. Click here to learn more about Artswave (formerly the Fine Art Fund).
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I read George W. Bush's book, Decision Points. A good read. Being the POTUS is hard. Leading is not easy. Leaders take arrows and those arrows can sometimes hurt. The President of the United States is rarely presented with easy decisions. The easy ones are made by subordinates. By time the President gets involved, the calls are complicated. The book is worth reading for anyone in leadership anywhere. Getting to see the difficulty of that job from this book makes me less critical of President Obama. Ok, not really.
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Our Republican HQ re-construction continues. We hope to have it concluded within a week. The place will shrink, but it will also be spruced up quite a bit. I'm pleased with this decision. Our grand re-opening should come in early March.
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I need to get to one of these CPAC conventions. I'm jealous of those who are there.
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No Reds. No Bengals. Bearcats mildly interesting. The progr'm on Victory Parkway is not interesting to me. I might find my way to a Cyclones game.
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Are Republicans ever going to talk about cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the defense budget? They better. Tea Party pressure should be on them to do so or face the wrath of voters. Real, painful cuts are needed--and needed now. If we show the country that we're willing to make the tough calls and the President is only trimming-around-the-edges, then we can make a case for honest change in government in 2012. But, if voters get scared and politicians begin arousing the emotions of voters on these cuts to their advantage, shame on us as voters.
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Continuing my diatribe on spending, I would say this: We have government we simply can't afford. For too long, government looked for ways to give people things. We must enter an era where government takes things away. That is difficult for any politician. If the voters punish politicians who take things away, then the voters are as guilty as those politicians.
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I will never bash the Greeks or the Greek economy. For obvious reasons.
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Speaking of politicians making tough calls, have you seen the roll-out of the new Collective Bargaining bill proposed by Sen. Shannon Jones? That, friends, is real change to how our state does business. Sen. Jones is showing courageous leadership and she will need our full support.
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We also need election reform in Ohio. Rep. Bob Mecklenborg will lead the charge in the Ohio House. I look forward to working with Bob and Secretary Husted to get that done.
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I miss blogging. I'll try to keep it up for the entertainment of my two readers.
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Have a great weekend.
