Illinois Organize4Palin Speaks with Tammy Bruce

by Whitney Pitcher

I was blessed with the opportunity to speak with Tammy Bruce, as part of her weekly “Palin Report”, about things that we are doing with Organize4Palin in Illinois, the showing of The Undefeated at the Smart Girl Politics Summit in St.Louis, and Governor Palin’s upcoming Tea Party speech in Iowa . Audio courtesy of PalinTV:

Thank you so much to Tammy Bruce  for the opportunity to discuss Organize4Palin’s efforts in Illinois. If you have not done so, please join Organize4Palin to become part of the “tundraroots” movement in your state  in support of Governor Palin. You can follow Organize4Palin on Twitter here  and can follow Illinois Organize4Palin on Twitter here.

Crossposted at Organize4Palin.com

Profile In Courage Mitt Romney FINALLY Weighs In On Boehner’s Bill AFTER IT PASSES!

By Gary P Jackson

For days Mitt Romney has ducked and dodged the question of where he stands on Speaker of the House John Boehner’s plan to do something to reign in the Obama regime and democrat spending that has run wild.

Well, praise Gaia, Romney FINALLY issues this …. well …. limp, lame, and rather embarrassing statement, via Facebook:

Despite President Obama’s failure of leadership, House GOP took a strong stance to hold the line on spending & reject Obama’s tax hikes

Man that’s some leadership right there! Can’t you just feel the passion! Reminds me our the time our courageous boy wonder endorsed New Mexico’s Governor Susana Martinez AFTER she won her election.

Remember, our betters in the Ruling Class tell us this jackwagon is the best and brightest they have to offer. According to them, Romney is the smartest guy in the room when it comes to all things economic.

This, dear readers, is why our nation is so messed up. Too many just like this clown already in Washington.

Thankfully someone is leading the debate and has been for about three years now. Been very consistent with her message.

Hey Mitt, maybe you should read our latest: Round-up: Sarah Palin On The Debt Ceiling Debate and learn what real leadership is all about.

Oh, by the way, Sarah Palin endorsed Susana Martinez well before her election, when it actually mattered!

Just for Mitt:

Liberals Turn On Each Other: Huntsman Wants To Know Where Romney Stands On Boehner’s Plan

If you took Obama’s plan and Romney’s plan, and just met in the middle, you’d be in the middle of nowhere

By Gary P Jackson

Blue on Blue violence!!!!!11!!!!!

Normally I couldn’t care less about former Obama regime employee turned GOP presidential candidate, Jon Huntsman, but this is delicious.

As we noted earlier, Mitt Romney has refused to take a position in the debt debate. Evidently the human windsock can’t figure out which way the prevailing winds are blowing, so this Profile in Courage is remaining silent. On a positive note, it’ll save him the trouble of flip-flopping later.

Now Hunstsman, a liberal from Utah is calling out Romney, the liberal from Massachusetts.

From Jim Geraghty:

Two days ago, Jon Huntsman appeared on CBS’s “The Early Show” and mentioned his support for Speaker John Boehner’s debt limit plan. His campaign notes, “Jon was the first Republican presidential candidate to support the plan and is the only Republican candidate standing in support of Speaker Boehner’s plan.”

This morning, Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller is taking some jabs at Mitt Romney. Romney’s communicators adviser, Eric Fehrnstrom, Tweeted this morning, “Romney is a social media leader.”

Miller responded, “Too bad he’s not willing to be a leader on debt ceiling debate.“

Read more here.

Neither one of these two cats have a chance in hell at being the Republican nominee, let alone President, but it’s entertaining to see Huntsman, who is wrong on his stance, call out his fellow traveler who won’t even take a real stance at all!

This also underscores how this debate is separating the leaders from the followers, as well as those who show up, and those who hide out.

Thank You Obama: Cuba About To Drill Off Florida Coast, Put Coastline In Danger

By Gary P Jackson

We’ve reported before that Cuba and China are teaming up to steal our oil. They look to “slant-drill [drill sideways] in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and tap into oil and natural gas reserves that belong to the United States. Thanks to Obama’s war on energy production, these two communist nations are doing this unchecked and unchallenged.

Lefties are worried about the environment, but support Obama’s moratorium on drilling. As the National Journal points out, this has dire consequences. No one has a better safety record than American drilling companies, and they are forbidden to do business with Cuba, so chances of a BP type oil spill, with disastrous results are almost a given. And unlike BP, the U.S., short of going to war, won’t be able to hold Cuba, or China, responsible.

Castro wins

From National Journal:

Sometime over the next three months, if all goes according to plan, Cuban workers on a Chinese-built, Spanish-owned rig will start drilling for oil in the mile-deep waters just off the north coast of Cuba, 70 miles from the Florida Keys.

If the drill hits a major oil deposit—and all geologic signs indicate it will—the discovery will unleash a cascade of developments with profound political, environmental, and economic consequences.

The Cuban government has long wanted to extract the rich reserves of oil and natural gas believed to lie off its shores. Estimates for oil range from 5 billion to 20 billion barrels, while the estimate for natural gas is 8.6 billion cubic feet. Unlocking that oil could jump-start a nascent Cuban offshore-oil industry—and free the island nation from its energy and political dependence on Venezuela, from which it imports 60 percent of its oil today. A newfound independence from its socialist neighbor and its mercurial president, Hugo Chavez—coming at a time when the Cuban leadership is facing change with the eventual demise of Fidel Castro—is an appealing prospect to the United States.

But the potential of a closer relationship with Cuba comes with a terrifying specter: An oil blowout in Cuban waters could reprise the nightmare that was last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and send crude spewing to the beaches of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. And the likelihood for such a disaster is very real, say oil industry experts, thanks in part to Washington’s 49-year-old embargo on Cuba.

Because of the embargo, U.S. companies cannot drill in Cuba, supply equipment to Cuba, have any say over safety regulations in Cuba, or even take part in helping control a blowout and spill in Cuba. As the island prepares to begin offshore drilling, it has signed contracts with oil companies from Brazil, India, Italy, Russia, and Spain—and is in talks to lease major portions of its coastal water to Chinese companies (continuing China’s pattern of pursuing oil exploration in countries where U.S. drillers aren’t welcome).

Under the embargo’s terms, the oil drilling and safety equipment used by those companies must be less than 10 percent U.S.-made. But all of the most technologically advanced equipment for drilling and preventing or stopping oil spills is made in the United States or by U.S. companies.

Read more here.

It’s incredible to me that we, as a sovereign nation, would allow this to happen, but it underscores why Barrack Obama and every democrat up for re-election must be defeat soundly in 2012. Though a lot of what they stand for harms America and her people, the left’s hard line stance against energy development is evil, and immoral.

We’ve mentioned this numerous times, but it bears repeating: We have over 300 years worth of recoverable oil and natural gas right here in this country. Chad Stafko wrote The President’s Oil Reserves Lie for the American Thinker and spells it all out. Read it here.

If all of the areas were opened up, a million jobs would be created in very short order and gasoline prices would drop significantly. Most importantly though, our national security would be enhanced. Being energy secure means we would never again be held hostage by international affairs that threaten supply or production.

There is only one person with the will to make this happen, and that’s Sarah Palin. There are many reasons why it is essential that she become our next President, but energy security and national security is the most important. With Sarah Palin leading the charge from the Oval Office, the United States can become the most prosperous and secure nation in history. That would be her lasting legacy, as well as America’s.

Meanwhile, we all have to stand by as foreign governments steal our resources and our feckless president and the losers in Congress allow it to happen, without the slightest word of protest. This is the Obama legacy, and the legacy of the Ruling Class.

Thanks to the Obama regime’s drilling ban:

Profile In Courage: Mitt Romney Refuses To Engage In Debt Ceiling Debate

By Gary P Jackson

It seems human windsock Mitt Romney can’t figure out which way the political winds are blowing in the heated debate over what to do regarding our unsustainable debt, so rather than take a stand, he does what he always does when the going gets tough, he hides out.

Emphasis mine:

Romney still hasn’t taken a position on Boehner’s bill: NBC’s Garrett Haake reported that Mitt Romney told reporters in Ohio yesterday that he would not comment on the debt negotiations in Washington. And so far, he has refused to either endorse Boehner’s legislation (as Huntsman has done) or oppose it (as Pawlenty and Bachman have done).

Our question: How does someone who wants to be the leader of the Republican Party not have a position on one of the biggest issues facing Washington, especially after the dueling primetime speeches by Obama and Boehner? It’s actually quite surprising; this isn’t just another Washington fight. Is the lack of a position proof of how fragile Team Romney believes its front-runner status is right now?

Leaders lead and Romney is no leader. For years we have been told that Romney is the “money guy.” The one that understands business and the economy. This situation is the one Romney supporters would have you believe is tailor made for their boy, and yet, when asked about his position, he punts. A real Profile in Courage this Mitt Romney is.

This is the time for leaders to stand up and be heard. Romney’s silence is deafening.

Round-up: Sarah Palin On The Debt Ceiling Debate

By Gary P Jackson

The on-going debate in Washington over the debit, is the fight of our lifetime. Though a few of the GOP presidential candidates have weighed in, no one has been more consistent and spoken more forcefully about all of this than Sarah Palin. Sarah is a fiscal hawk. Has been since her earliest days in politics.

Though she’s been consistently talking about the economy, debt, and how to get our nation back on track, as things heat up, I thought it was a good time to do a little round-up of recent interviews and notes from Sarah, regarding the debate, as a handy reference.

She’s been the one consistent voice of reason in all of this.

Below are links to her most recent, dating back to June:

On Fox News Sunday

“Sugar Daddy Has Run Out of Sugar”

On Hannity

“Lame Duck President”

On Fox Business’ Follow the Money

With Greta:

Oh, and let’s not forget this little reminder to Congress that sent a shockwave through Washington on Thursday:

Congressional Freshmen – For Such A Time As This

Since you’re in the mood, you should also read this from Whitney Pitcher about Sarah Palin’s performance as a job creator.

Governor Palin’s Record on Jobs Beats the GOP Field

Video courtesy of our friends at SarahNet

Sarah Palin: “I’m very excited to join grassroots Iowans at the ‘Restoring America’ event”

I’m very excited to join grassroots Iowans at the ‘Restoring America’ event over Labor Day Weekend. Gatherings like this of independent liberty-loving Americans from every walk of life exemplify our commitment to come together to seek solutions to the problems confronting our nation. As I’ve said many times, including at Pella during my last visit to Iowa: We don’t need a ‘fundamental transformation’ of America. We need a restoration of all that is good and strong and free.

The 2012 election will be a great debate between those two conflicting visions for our country.

~ Sarah Palin

By Gary P Jackson

Below is the official press release from Tea Party of America. As we reported on Wednesday, Sarah Palin is keynoting the Tea Party rally Labor Day weekend. We are already hearing that Organize4Palin groups from Texas, and other states, are planning to attend this historic event. If you’re not already a member of O4P, join up here to get involved.

The 2012 election is the most critical in our nation’s history. It will determine whether we allow a little group of radicals to “fundamentally change America” or if We, The People regain control, and Fundamentally Restore our Republic to it’s greatness. In other words 2012 determines whether our nation collapses or survives and thrives.

TEA PARTY OF AMERICA

Contacts:

Ken Crow -Founder FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Charlie Gruschow – Co-Founder

515-229-9924

Susan Geddes – Event Coordinator

515-202-3733

07-26-2011. Des Moines, Iowa. – Tea Party of America is pleased to announce that Governor Sarah Palin will be the Keynote Speaker at our upcoming “Restoring America” event on Saturday, September 3, 2011.

The “Restoring America” event will focus on what’s at stake at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history and how concerned “grassroots” – We the People – can have a dramatic effect on our nation’s future. The event will also include various speakers on patriotic subjects and honorable recognition of our men and women in the military.

“I’m very excited to join grassroots Iowans at the ‘Restoring America’ event over Labor Day Weekend,” Governor Palin said. “Gatherings like this of independent liberty-loving Americans from every walk of life exemplify our commitment to come together to seek solutions to the problems confronting our nation. As I’ve said many times, including at Pella during my last visit to Iowa: We don’t need a ‘fundamental transformation’ of America. We need a restoration of all that is good and strong and free. The 2012 election will be a great debate between those two conflicting visions for our country.”

“Governor Palin embodies the spirit of public service that our founders believed was essential to the survival of our liberties and our republic itself,” said Charlie Gruschow, Co-Founder of Tea Party of America. “We couldn’t be more delighted to have this citizen leader who represents the values that Iowans and Americans hold so dear headline our event on September 3.”

The Tea Party of America’s “Restoring America” event will be held at Hawkeye Antique Acres in Waukee, Iowa from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Parking for the event is $3.00, entrance fee-free. Please bring your lawn chairs. Food/drink will be available to purchase. Visit our website at www.teapartyofamerica.org for more information.

Sarah Palin: Congressional Freshmen – For Such A Time As This. “P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries”

P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries

~ Sarah Palin

A little bit of encouragement and a little friendly reminder from Sarah Palin that 2012 is coming and no one is safe from a primary challenge:

Out here in proverbial politico flyover country, we little folk are watching the debt ceiling debate with great interest and concern. Today I re-read the open letter I wrote to Republican Freshman Members of Congress in November 2010, just days after they were ushered into office in an historic landslide victory due in large part to the activism of commonsense patriots who are considered part of the Tea Party movement. I respectfully ask these GOP Freshman to re-read this letter and remember us “little people” who believed in them, donated to their campaigns, spent hours tirelessly volunteering for them, and trusted them with our votes. This new wave of public servants may recall that they were sent to D.C. for such a time as this.

The original letter is pasted below, with added emphasis to certain passages that I feel are especially relevant to the current discussion.

All my best to you, GOP Freshmen, from up here in the Last Frontier.

Sincerely,

Sarah Palin

P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries.

******

November 13, 2010

Welcome to all Republican Freshmen and congratulations!

Congratulations to all of you for your contribution to this historic election, and for the contributions I am certain you will make to our country in the next two years. Your victory was hard fought, and the success belongs entirely to you and the staff and volunteers who spent countless hours working for this chance to put government back on the side of the people. Now you will come to Washington to serve your nation and leave your mark on history by reining in government spending, preserving our freedoms at home, and restoring America’s leadership abroad. Some of you have asked for my thoughts on how best to proceed in the weeks and months ahead and how best to advance an agenda that can move our country forward. I have a simple answer: stick to the principles that propelled your campaigns. When you take your oath to support and defend our Constitution and to faithfully discharge the duties of your office, remember that present and future generations of “We the People” are counting on you to stand by that oath. Never forget the people who sent you to Washington. Never forget the trust they placed in you to do the right thing.

The task before you is daunting because so much damage has been done in the last two years, but I believe you have the chance to achieve great things.

Republicans campaigned on a promise to rein in out-of-control government spending and to repeal and replace the massive, burdensome, and unwanted health care law President Obama and the Democrat Congress passed earlier this year in defiance of the will of the majority of the American people. These are promises that you must keep. Obamacare is a job-killer, a regulatory nightmare, and an enormous unfunded mandate. The American people don’t want it and we can’t afford it. We ask, with all due respect, that you remember your job will be to work to replace this legislation with real reform that relies on free market principles and patient-centered policies. The first step is, of course, to defund Obamacare.

You’ve also got to be deadly serious about cutting the deficit. Despite what some would like us to believe, tax cuts didn’t get us into the mess we’re in. Government spending did. Tough decisions need to be made about reducing government spending. The longer we put them off, the worse it will get. We need to start by cutting non-essential spending. That includes stopping earmarks (because abuse of the earmark process created the “gateway-drug” that allowed backroom deals and bloated budgets), canceling all further spending on the failed Stimulus program, and rolling back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels. You can do more, but this would be a good start.

In order to avert a fiscal disaster, we will also need to check the growth of spending on our entitlement programs. That will be a huge challenge, but it must be confronted head on. We must do it in a humane way that honors the government’s current commitments to our fellow Americans while also keeping faith with future generations. We cannot rob from our children and grandchildren’s tomorrow to pay for our unchecked spending today. Beyond that, we need to reform the way Congress conducts business in order to make it procedurally easier to cut spending than to increase it. We need to encourage zero-based budgeting practices in D.C. like the kind fiscally conservative mayors and governors utilize to balance their budgets and reduce unnecessary spending.

There in the insulated and isolated Beltway you will be far removed from the economic pain felt by so many Americans who are out of work. Please remember that if we want real job growth, we must create a stable investment climate by ending the tidal wave of overly burdensome regulations coming out of Washington. Businesses need certainty – and freedom that incentivizes competition – to grow and expand our workforce.

The last thing our small businesses need is tax hikes. It falls to the current Democrat-controlled Congress to decide on the future of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. If it does not permanently renew all of them, you should move quickly to do so in the new Congress. It would remove from households and businesses the threat of a possible $3.8 trillion tax hike hitting all Americans at the worst possible moment, with our economy struggling to recover from a deep recession! You must continue to remind Democrats that the people they are dismissing as “rich” are the small business owners who create up to 70% of all jobs in this country!

Another issue of vital importance is border security. Americans expect our leadership in Washington to act now to secure our borders. Don’t fall for the claims of those who suggest that we can’t secure our borders until we simultaneously deal with the illegal immigrants already here. Let’s deal with securing the border first. That alone is a huge challenge that has been ignored for far too long.

On foreign policy and national security, I urge you to stick to our principles: strong defense, free trade, nurturing allies, and steadfast opposition to America’s enemies. We are the most powerful country on earth and the world is better off because of it. Our president does not seem to understand this. If we withdraw from the world, the world will become a much more dangerous place. You must push President Obama to finish the job right in Iraq and get the job done in Afghanistan, otherwise we who are war-weary will forever question why America’s finest are sent overseas to make the ultimate sacrifice with no clear commitment to victory from those who send them. You should be prepared to stand with the President against Iran’s nuclear aspirations using whatever means necessary to ensure the mullahs in Tehran do not get their hands on nuclear weapons. And you can stand with the Iranian people who oppose the tyrannical rule of the clerics and concretely support their efforts to win their freedom – even if the President does not.

You need to say no to cutting the necessities in our defense budget when we are engaged in two wars and face so many threats – from Islamic extremists to a nuclear Iran to a rising China. As Ronald Reagan said, “We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.” You will also have the opportunity to push job-creating free trade agreements with allies like Colombia and South Korea. You can stand with allies like Israel, not criticize them. You can let the President know what you believe – Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, not a settlement. And for those of you joining the United States Senate, don’t listen to desperate politically-motivated arguments about the need for hasty consideration of the “New START” treaty. Insist on your right to patient and careful deliberation of New START to address very real concerns about verification, missile defense, and modernization of our nuclear infrastructure. No New START in the lame duck!

You can stand against misguided proposals to try dangerous, evil terrorists in the US; precipitously close the Guantanamo prison; and a return to the failed policies of the past in treating the war on terror as a law enforcement problem. Finally, you have a platform to express the support of the American people for all those around the world seeking their freedom that God has bestowed within all mankind’s being – from Burma and Egypt to Russia and Venezuela – because the spread of liberty increases our own security. You, freshmen lawmakers, can and will be powerful voices in support of foreign policies that protect our interests and promote our values! Thank you for being willing to fight for our values and our freedom!

In all this, you should extend a hand to President Obama and Democrats in Congress. After this election, they may finally be prepared to work with Republicans on some of these issues for the good of the country. And if not, we will all be looking forward to 2012.

Remember that some in the media will love you when you stray from the time-tested truths that built America into the most exceptional nation on earth. When the Left in the media pat you on the back, quickly reassess where you are and readjust, for the liberals’ praise is a warning bell you must heed. Trust me on that.

I and most Americans are so excited for you. Working together, we have every right to be optimistic about our future. We can be hopeful because real hope lies in the ingenuity, generosity, and boundless courage of the everyday Americans who make our country exceptional. These are the men and women who sent you to Washington. May your work and leadership honor their faith in you.

With sincere congratulations and a big Alaskan heart,

~ Sarah Palin

Breaking: Attack On Ft Hood By Radical Muslims Averted

By Gary P Jackson

Radical Islam never sleeps. The Killeen, Texas Police Department has apprehended an AWOL soldier from Ft Campbell, Kentucky. Three soldiers in all have been caught. From the Killeen Daily Herald:

Federal charges are expected to be filed against an AWOL Fort Campbell soldier today in connection with possession of bomb-making material following his arrest in Killeen Wednesday.

Pfc. Nassar Jason Abdo, 21, was apprehended by the Killeen Police Department, according to federal investigators, who became involved after his arrest.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Erik Vasys said he anticipates Abdo will be charged with possession of bomb-making materials later today.

Vasys said gunpowder was one of the components found in Abdo’s possession.

Abdo went AWOL on July 4 from Fort Campbell, Ky. after facing trial by general court-martial on child pornography charges.

Troy Roland, an Army spokesperson at the Pentagon, said Abdo submitted a conscientious objector packet but his discharge request had been put on hold.

An Article 32 hearing was held on June 15 and the investigating officers recommended Abdo face general court-martial.

Roland did not know when the court-martial was scheduled.

A tip from a Killeen dealer may have led to Abdo’s arrest. Greg Ebert, a Guns Galore clerk and retired sergeant with the Killeen Police Department, said Thursday he reported a suspicious customer to the department Tuesday evening.

A 21-year-old customer arrived at the shop in a taxi at 1 p.m. Tuesday and purchased an unusually large amount of smokeless gunpowder, Ebert said, which can be used as an explosive.

Ebert said the young man was rude to staff and through a series of questions led them to believe that he was largely unfamiliar with what he was buying.

“He randomly selected six canisters of smokeless powder, a mix of fast and slow,” Ebert said. Combined powders with different burning rates “can be highly volatile,” he said.

In addition to the six pounds of smokeless powder, Ebert said, the customer also purchased three boxes of shotgun shells and an extra magazine for a pistol.

Thursday morning, U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, released a statement commending Guns Galore for its assistance in apprehending the suspect.

“Thanks to quick action by a Texas gun dealer in alerting local police to a suspicious character, and a prompt and vigorous response by the Killeen Police Department, we may well have averted a repeat of the tragic 2009 radical Islamic terror attack on our nation’s largest military installation.”

Abdo enlisted in the Army in March 2009. He was an infantryman assigned in June to 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell.

Roland said Abdo is from Garland but was not aware of any ties to Fort Hood. He did not have information regarding previous disciplinary records for Abdo.

What is it with these jihadis and their sexual perversions?

CNN actually interviewed this terrorist in August of 2010 as a “conscientious objector” because he refused to deploy to Afghanistan. CNN also reports this little darling had all sorts of jihadi material in his back pack.

Read their reporting here.

Pamela Geller [Atlas Shrugs and the authority on all things jihadi] has even more details:

Three US soldiers were arrested for allegedly plotting a new attack on Fort Hood, the Texas base where a former Army psychiatrist went on a deadly rampage in 2009, a report said Thursday.

One of those arrested was Pvt. Nasser Abdo. Abdo had applied for conscientious objector status, and has refused to deploy to Afghanistan claiming that Islamic law prevented him from killing other Muslims. Authorities found explosives in the car of one of the US soldiers who was arrested for planning the attack on Ft. Hood.

According to FOX news, Muslim soldier Abdo had jihadi materials with him and had made a large purchase at Guns Galore in Killeen, Texas, the same ammunition store where Maj. Nidal Hasan purchased the weapons he allegedly used to gun down 13 people and wound 30 others on Nov. 5, 2009.

I anxiously await the same intense and extensive mainstream media coverage and obsession that we witnessed immediately after and in the ensuing days of the Norway massacre to determine the motivation behind this explosive plot at Fort Hood. I expect extremists Brian Williams, Anderson Cooper, the NY Times, LA Times, IHT, CNN, BBC, et al, to be just as rabidly obsessed and consumed with investigating what ideology incited this Muslim to recruit for jihad.

Was it Major Hasan’s devotion and adherence to Islam that inspired these servicemen to jihad? Or was it Islamic teachings and the jihadic doctrine? Were the violent teachings and command for jihad in the Quran to blame for this thwarted plot that could have slaughtered hundreds? Is the media all over this act of Muslim terrorism, pursuing blame as vigorously and as maniacally as they did in the Breivik act of barbarity?

Go read all of Pamela’s report here.

This was good work by the authorities and a very alert gun shop. Everyone was on their toes. I’m no Islamophobe, but it’s high time the military re-think it’s policy on Muslims serving in our armed forces. It’s disturbing that we are allowing guys like Abdo to join. Here is a guy who refuses to fight against fellow Muslims, who are at war with us. He puts them above our Republic. Maybe the first question asked by the recruiters should be: “Do you have a problem killing the enemy, no matter who they are?”

We train these people to be soldiers. Basically we are training our own assassins.

We are very lucky the gun shop people and the Killeen Police Department were wide awake, or this attack could have killed more of our brave servicemen and women.

Like Pamela, I am curious to see how the usual suspects spin all of this to hide the fact the soldiers caught are Radical Muslim terrorists.

Breaking: Sarah Palin to Keynote Tea Party Rally in Iowa

By Gary P Jackson

Scott Conroy at RealClearPolitics has the scoop:

In the latest indication that her sights are still set on a presidential run, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has accepted an invitation to keynote a Tea Party rally in Waukee, Iowa, on Sept. 3, RealClearPolitics has learned.

The Labor Day weekend visit to the nation’s first voting state comes after Palin indicated during an appearance on Fox News earlier this month that she would make her decision about whether to launch a campaign in August or September.

All signs now point to September as the month when Palin would throw her hat into the ring, as logistical concerns ranging from fundraising to getting her name on the ballot in various states would likely preclude further delay.

Many prominent political analysts and Republican operatives have expressed skepticism that Palin is seriously considering a presidential bid, since she has not taken many of the steps that candidates traditionally take before jumping into the race, such as signing early-state consultants, contacting key powerbrokers and boosting their travel schedules.

But Palin has a long history of shunning the Republican Party machinery and taking an unconventional approach to campaigns — a mind-set that appears to have been in play throughout the past several months.

Palin’s latest appearance in Iowa will come just two days after “The Undefeated,” a documentary film spotlighting her accomplishments in Alaska, will be released on Pay-Per-View and video-on-demand. In the film, Palin is portrayed as a continual thorn in the Republican establishment’s side. And it is the GOP, rather than the Democratic Party, that garners the better part of the movie’s scorn.

If Palin were to announce a White House run, the theme of her campaign would almost certainly focus on resisting the ingrained political culture and what she sees as being wrong with the status quo, and much of the Republican Party itself, in addition to continuing to offer one of the most strident contrasts to President Obama’s policies.

The outdoor rally on the first Saturday in September will take place at a field in Waukee, located just outside of Des Moines, and will be hosted by the Tea Party of America — an Iowa-based political action committee that was founded in May.

The midday affair will be the new group’s kickoff event and is sure to generate a large crowd and massive media attention.

One of the Tea Party of America’s co-founders, Charlie Gruschow, had previously founded the Des Moines Tea Party before splintering off to start a new group with some like-minded colleagues.

Gruschow praised the work of a highly motivated group of volunteers who have been setting the groundwork in Iowa for a Palin campaign, which almost all of them deem to be inevitable.

“I can only surmise that she’s very, very popular here,” Gruschow said of Palin’s level of support among Republican caucus-goers in Iowa. “And it didn’t hurt at all when she introduced her movie in Pella. The feedback I’ve gotten was it was an awesome movie, and there are more people becoming more endeared to her.”

Palin has been relatively quiet over the past month, as she has retreated to Alaska to immerse herself in policy and to strategize with her husband, Todd, and top advisers about how a potential campaign would work.

SarahPAC, Palin’s political action committee, has not hired a pollster or a media consultant, and Palin appears to have little interest in doing so, although the addition of a national press secretary may soon be on the horizon.

The 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee will not be on the ballot at next month’s Ames Straw Poll, which could winnow the GOP field just as Texas Gov. Rick Perry is expected to enter the race sometime in August.

We’ve been saying for some time that after Labor Day is the ideal time to get serious about this thing. That’s when the majority of the American people will start paying attention to presidential politics. Right now the only ones really paying attention are the political junkies and the media, who are desperate for anything to fill the 24 hour a day news cycle.

We know Organize4Palin has put together a ground game in Iowa that is miles ahead of anyone else. These volunteers have been in Iowa for almost a year now.

As Conroy points out, Sarah Palin has never run a conventional campaign. She is one of the best retail politicians she is, and loves taking her case directly to the people. She turned the Ruling Class on it’s head in Alaska by doing this.

We’re looking at new polls that show once Sarah Palin enters the race, she will be in a dead heat with Mitt Romney and Rick Perry for the nomination. The rest of the field becomes quite irrelevant. We are confident Sarah will be able to show that her record is superior to the rest, and that she has the right plan to get America back on track.

As director Stephen Bannon pointed out in an interview we covered here: “What Sarah Palin did as Governor in Alaska is a Harvard Business School case study in turnarounds”

The rest will have a hard time measuring up to this standard, that’s for certain.