With the 2008 election only a few months away, we want to get as many young activists ready for the fall as we can. It is important that College Republicans stay active and continue to recruit over the summer. Invite new friends to STORM and update contact information for existing STORM members, so that when the semester starts we are ready to hit the ground running.

To help you get moving, we are offering a great incentive to the top 40 STORM activists. The “STORM Top 40” will each win free housing in Minneapolis-St. Paul during the week of the Republican National Convention! The winners will have the exciting opportunity to participate in the Convention without the hassle and cost of finding and paying for a hotel room.

The winners will be determined by the number of points earned over the contest period. The contest will run from Thursday, July 3rd, from 9:00 AM EDT through Thursday, July 31st at Midnight EDT.

Log in now and get started!

Interesting model to turn online opinions into tangible data for politicians, what do you guys think?  E Voice

Well, by now we have all heard that Obama has broken his “pledge” (his word) to accept public financing for the general election if his Republican opponent does the same. John McCain has kept his end of the bargain, but Obama sees a more politically expedient approach and is going to opt out of the public financing system, becoming the first presidential candidate since Nixon to do so.

Of course, this starts raise issues about his trustworthiness. Obama has made a great many promises to his supporters throughout this campaign, some of which are on a much grander scale than committing to public financing. Already we see his supporters having to call him to task over his recent pandering to the political center on the FISA bill, which he now says he supports even after promising to never compromise his values on such legislation only months ago. MoveOn.org has been sending their millions of liberal members emails asking them to make sure Barack doesn’t continue to break promises.

But, I never really thought he would lose support over breaking his pledge to accept public finanicing. While it is certainly a window into his character, it’s sorta a inside-baseball kind of issue. Not many people in the public carry public financing as their #1 issue.

I stand corrected:

Wrapped up this weekends state chair training this morning. People for the most part seemed enthusiastic and energized afterwards.  A lot of people are ready to get to work, and its really awesome to see. Thanks to everyone who came, and thanks for all you’re doing. 

Obama is holding a “Change That Works for You” event today with students in Taylor, Michigan. Sigh…

I feel like I’m beating a drum here, but when does Obama start to feel bad about all this hypocritical pandering? Look, just because we’re youth voters doesn’t mean that we will fall for anything and everything you tell us. Sometimes we do our own research, and it seems like Barack Obama is continuing to live in two separate worlds. There’s the one world where he has been a bi-partisan reformer, taking stands on unpopular issues for the greater good of the country…and then there’s reality where he simply toed the partisan line, or ducked an issue and cast his vote the way everyone else seemed to be voting. Meanwhile, John McCain has demonstrated his ability to bring about dramatic change in our government on issues of great importance to youth voters such as energy policy and the environment.

Listen, I get it. Having only one year of experience in the US Senate before you start running for president puts him at a little bit of a disadvantage in that he doens’t have much of a record to run on. But seriously, just making stuff up isn’t the way to run a campaign either.

Here’s one of my new favorites from his speech last night in Detroit:

“When Bush assigned Cheney to create energy policy, he met with the environmental groups once, the renewable energy groups once, he met with the oil and gas companies 40 times. Washington has become so dominated by the powerful, by the well-connected, that the voices of the American people are no longer heard.”

Ah yes, that horrible, evil energy bill that has led our country into this oppressive energy crisis…er, what? Oh? Oh, Barack Obama voted for the 2005 Energy Bill that he just referred to as the root of the problem in the energy crisis America is now facing. Well, I mean everybody was voting for it! It certainly wasn’t an issue anyone would want to take a stand on - do you know how risky those types of things are? Oh. You say John McCain voted against the 2005 Energy Bill…because

“This bill does little to address the immediate energy crisis we face in this country…I cannot in good conscience, vote to pass legislation that does not adequately address issues related to energy efficiency, security, and energy independence.” Sen. McCain 6/28/05

Obama has again tried to fool students on his record today in Michigan as he continues to live in two worlds. The first where The other world is full of the real results and actual voting record of John McCain as he’s fought for over 24 years in the Senate to enact dramatic change and real reform in our government.

Obama keeps telling students how “Washington has become so dominated by the powerful, by the well-connected, that the voices of the American people are no longer heard,”and yet he voted against the interest of the “American people” he cites in 2005.

His hypocrisy knows no bounds.

If Barack Obama really believes the stuff he says on the campaign trail about how our energy policy was formed, he should apologize for his vote for the 2005 Energy Bill. He won’t though because Barack Obama doesn’t represent anything new in Washington - just more of the same liberal games being played on a new generation of voters.

Marc Ambinder just posted the below email from a GW College Dem

To the George Washington University College Republicans Chairman, Brand Kroeger

 

Greetings,

 

My name is Daniel Boehmer and I am a member of the College Democrats here at George Washington University. I additionally served as a member of Nicole Capp’s cabinet as Assistant VPJLA to Andrew Salzman and on the Joint Elections Committee (JEC) this past year. A long time supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton these past 16 months of her campaign, the selection of Sen. Obama has placed me, like many other Democrats, in an odd position. For me however, the debate between ‘loyalty’ to my party and voting based on my conscience was quickly settled. I determined that my support would, in lieu of Sen. Clinton’s nomination to the Democratic Party, be given to Sen. John McCain. In light of this development, I believe that the GW College Republicans community finds itself with a certain measure of responsibility with regards to the members of the Democratic Party who wish to support John McCain in the Fall. Providing these individuals with some form of organizational support, in my opinion, is a valuable step towards weakening the sway of Sen. Obama’s supporters on campus and would ultimately lead to John McCain seeing more support on campus and in the Washington community at large.

First, let me say that I regret to admit that I myself will be unable to actively participate in such a venture as much as I would like, as a result of the fact that I will be studying abroad in the Middle East this summer and this coming fall semester. With this in mind, these words come more as a suggestion than a pledge of an ability to participate at GW in this effort, though I certainly know of individuals more able to help coordinate this effort.

I suggest that either 1) under the auspices of the CRs or 2) by means of the formation of a separate student organization “GW Democrats for McCain” or 3) under the auspices of the organization “GW Students for McCain” the CRs orchestrate the creation of a Democrats for McCain chapter at GWU. Such an action, I believe, is perfectly justified this year because of the large number of supporters of Hillary Clinton who should be compelled to vote for John McCain over her underqualified former opponent, Sen. Obama. It is of course up to the discretion of the CRs which action they might want to take on this matter; however, I highly recommend providing a means for Democrats at GW to support John McCain as a candidate in the Fall. I myself would certainly encourage many of my fellow Hillary Clinton supporters to do the same.

Although I do not have the ability myself to be fully responsible for such an organization, I still felt the need to put forward my recommendation that it be created. Whatever course of action you may take in further John McCain’s candidacy this fall, I wish you success.

Good Luck in November,

 

Daniel A. Boehmer

 Lets see what Brand makes of it, but telling either way. 

COLUMBUS - Ohio Republican Party Spokesman John McClelland today issued the following response to Gov. Ted Strickland‘s endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama:   ”Four months ago Gov. Ted Strickland said Senator Obama‘s lack of experience and judgment made him better suited for ‘American Idol‘ than the presidency. The governor‘s recent endorsement proves that he is now more interested in weak, empty rhetoric than a real, bipartisan record on change, but one question remains: did he text or phone-in his vote?”

Strickland Suggested Obama Was More Suited For American Idol. ”…Ohioans should vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton because the March 4 primary is not about selecting the‘next American idol,‘ Strickland told reporters in Washington today, where he is attending the National Governors Association winter meeting.” (Jonathan Riskind, “Strickland: Pick a President, Not an American Idol,” Columbus Dispatch, 2/25/08)

Beyond some friends who know Louisiana politics intimately, a year ago not many people I came across knew much about the man from Baton Rouge.  Today his name seems to be on the tongue of every young conservative I meet.  It’s been a fascinating phenomenon to watch unfold.

He represents a new breed of conservative.  A new commitment to the values we envision when we hope for America’s future, and the personal qualities to reassure a weary public about the ability to deliver.

Jindall represents the beating heart of a movement quieted by 2 decades of being buried in its own success.  The need for reform, a hunger for free markets across the spectrum of american society, the desire to shine a light on the inner workings of government, to rebuild in the image of transparent self-government a system that so many feel has abandoned them.

Many will jump to the conclusion that I am shilling for Jindall as a VP pick for Sen. McCain.  I am not.  While I certainly consider Gov. Jindall capable and qualified, I do not pretend to know what Sen. McCain needs in a running mate, but I have every confidence that he does.  I know that the person he picks will represent our party well, and will fight diligently beside the Senator to protect us from all enemies, foreign and domestic. 

I write about Gov. Jindall because many within the party and pundits from all corners talk about us being lost, about “the fall of conservatism”.  If conservatism has faltered it is only because at our core we are a movement of change, and we have become entrenched.  We are guarding the castle, not storming it.  Over the past decade we have not been as introspective as we should have, we have not been as active in creating new solutions as we were in the early ’90s.  Today, we have a unique opportunity to renew that search within ourselves, and recommit to the perpetual challenge of making America better, stronger, freer and more prosperous.  It is an opportunity we should not neglect.

When I look for conservatives moving down that path, seizing this opportunity I see Bobby Jindall.  And every day I find more people my age who seem to be looking that direction.

 This story has legs, watch it run.  

Sounds like Obama needs to get Axelrod back on message….