Opinion: The New Republican

By Steven Lee

I became the first President of the Law Republicans at the University of Georgia this Fall. My story is unlikely. I was born in Connecticut and raised in New York but now I am a proud Southerner. My parents left South Korea to become Americans almost 30 years ago. My family grew up in a rent-controlled tiny one-bedroom apartment, while my parents took on three jobs at a time to make ends meet.

When I was younger, my parents imposed a strict curfew, clamping down on my whereabouts due to the lack of safety in our crime-ridden neighborhood. The neighborhood we grew up in bustled with immigrant families of different cultures, sending children to school from tiny apartments, trying to live the American Dream. After an exhausting day of work each day, my parents worried and checked up on my schoolwork late in the evenings.

If you have watched those liquid dish soap commercials where a single drop of soap instantly makes the grease scurry to the edges of the sink, you would have found a discomforting similarity to my bathroom wall when it turned from black to white as roaches scurried for places to hide from the light. When I was a child and I went to the bathroom at night, I turned on the bathroom light, quickly turned around and ran into my bed in horror.

More than two years ago, my parents finally scrounged enough money together to buy a home in sunny Georgia. They were fortunate enough to save, buy a small home, and then were lifted out of New York during the housing boom, the way a river floods and lifts the broken in its current.
I believe, one day, I will tell a story about an amazing journey that started in a small humble apartment in New York. In my destitution, I learned the importance of building character, working hard, and being thankful for what I have.

After Election Day, I started writing a blog (http://thenewrepublicans.net) about how the Republican party should “reinvent” itself while staying true to its core convictions. People of all different creeds – Democrat, Independent, Republican and Libertarian – have joined in a thoughtful and engaging discussion on the modern day challenges that America faces now. The forum is connecting people nationally.

From education reform to the economy, each entry invites readers to discuss important issues that will shape our country for generations. If as Americans we start becoming more involved at the grassroots level, we can begin to influence the public debate.

In my forum called New Republican, I recently discussed how the future of America rests on education reform. Only 53% of high school graduates in the US enter college and 35% graduate from college, according to the American Youth Policy Forum. The majority of children around the world are outperforming American children in Math and Science (Center for Public Education). Of all the industrialized countries, only children in the United States are less likely to graduate from high school than their parents were. 17 of the 50 largest cities have graduation rates under 50 percent, with 1.2 million American students dropping out each year.

I respectfully invite you to join in this open-minded discussion. I have been humbled by the interest of so many. The forum received nearly 3,000 hits in the first week, and hundreds of visits per day. With the worst economy since the Great Depression and other challenges that America must deal with now, Martin Luther King Jr.’s words were never truer, “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.” If we join together, we will confront the modern-day challenges and begin to influence the public debate.

Steele Announces Candidacy for RNC Chairman

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele today announced his candidacy for the position of Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Steele was clear in his reason for running by saying, “the Republican Party must present a vision for the future of America that relies on our conservative values and core principles. It is wrong to believe the voters have suddenly become liberal. They have just lost any sense of confidence that the Republican Party holds the answers to their problems. We must face the fact that our party has failed in recent years to live up to our own principles -- we have failed to be ‘solutions oriented’ in addressing the concerns of all Americans.”

Steele made his decision to run last weekend but delayed his public announcement until today so that he could call as many RNC members as possible to personally discuss the future of the Republican Party and to seek their support. “I have been working the phones for days now in an attempt to reach the leadership of our Party as quickly as possible,” Steele stated. He believes the future of the Party lies with the states and wanted to set the tone from the outset that he will place an emphasis on the members of the Committee to begin rebuilding.

“Having been a member of the RNC, as state chairman of the MD Republican Party from 2000 to 2002, as a County Chairman from 1994 to 2000; I know first-hand the RNC must truly be run as a federation of state parties in order to be effective.”

“I believe the leadership of our party must come from its grassroots because the members of the RNC are the best representation of what direction our party needs to take. The state chairmen, national committeewomen, and national committeemen are the party leaders who are closest to the voters – they know what the voters want – they talk to them everyday. I have walked a mile in their shoes; without them you become out of touch with the issues that are important to Main Street Americans.”

“I want Republicans to get back to winning elections, not just for the sake of winning, but for the sake of our Country’s future. Most Americans today see a Republican Party that defines itself by what it is against rather than what it is for. We can tell you why public schools aren’t working, but not articulate a compelling vision for how we’ll better educate children. We’re well equipped to rail against tax increases; but can’t begin to explain how we’ll help the poor. The success of our Party’s resurgence will come from the states -- from our local leaders and from our Governors.”

We must articulate a positive vision for America’s future that speaks to Americans’ hopes, concerns and needs. It’s time to stop defining ourselves by what we are not, and tell voters what we believe, how we’ll lead, and where we’ll go … how we Republicans will make America better … how we’ll make their families more prosperous, their children better educated, their parents more secure, and all of us healthier, safer, and stronger. That means we must articulate our vision in the local public square, on TV, on Radio, in the local newspapers, on the internet. With God’s help and the guidance of the men and women who give strength to our Republican National Committee, I am prepared to do just that.”

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Great Campaign Ad!

Thanks to McCain-Palin 2008 blog for finding and sharing this video:

National Right to Life PAC Announces Endorsement of Saxby Chambliss for Re-election to the U.S. Senate

The political-action arm of the nation's largest right-to-life organization today announced its strong endorsement of the re-election of Saxby Chambliss to the U.S. Senate.

In a letter to Chambliss, the National Right to Life PAC (NRL-PAC) commended Senator Chambliss for his "exemplary 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your entire six-year term in the U.S. Senate."

NRL-PAC Political Director Karen Cross said, "Senator Chambliss has a perfect, 100 percent pro-life voting record for his entire six-year term, but Democrat Jim Martin favors continuation of the current policy of allowing abortion for any reason."

The entire text of the NRL-PAC letter to Chambliss appears below. For further information, contact National Right to Life PAC at 202-626-8825, or by e-mail to Legfederal@aol.com.

October 28, 2008

Senator Saxby Chambliss
Chambliss for Senate
Atlanta, Georgia 30355

Dear Senator Chambliss:

The National Right to Life Political Action Committee (NRL-PAC) is pleased to endorse you for re-election to the United States Senate.

NRL-PAC is the political arm of the nation’s major right-to-life organization, representing right-to-life affiliates throughout the nation.

We commend you for your exemplary 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your entire six-year term in the U.S. Senate. This record includes support for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (enacted in 2003) and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (enacted in 2004). It also includes your consistent votes against federal funding of abortion and of organizations that promote abortion.

We are also grateful for your cosponsorship of other important pro-life bills that have not yet been enacted, including parental notification legislation and a bill to ban the practice of human cloning.

In addition, we applaud your consistent support for the confirmation of federal judicial nominees who believe that the proper judicial role is to interpret and apply the written law, not to engage in legislating from the bench.

Your extraordinary pro-life record should earn you the support of every voter who is committed to preservation of the fundamental right to life and to the protection of the most vulnerable members of the human family.

Sincerely,

David N. O'Steen, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Karen Cross
Political Director

Douglas Johnson
Legislative Director

The National Right to Life Committee is the nation's largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
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Isakson, Chambliss Urge Treasury to Address Needs of Community Banks

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urging him to give community banks access to the Troubled Asset Relief Program authorized by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act... Click to read:
Isakson, Chambliss Urge Treasury to Address Needs of Community Banks

Senate Discusses Budgets and Programs of Criminal Justice

The joint Senate Appropriations subcommittee continued its meeting series today with the Criminal Justice subcommittee and the Best Value in Government Task Force joint workshop at the Capitol. The subcommittee discussed agency reports, efficiencies, and cost savings for the Department of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections (DOC). Senators Johnny Grant (R- Milledgeville) and Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) co-chaired the meeting.

“As we go through these budgets to eliminate non-essential spending, we must keep in mind the well-being of our state,” said Seabaugh. “We cannot cut budgets at the risk of citizen protection from violent offenders.”

Each agency presented an overview of programs, efficiencies, and cost savings that have been implemented. The current budgets were submitted and several agencies were asked to provide further detailed information on particular programs or services. Members of the committee focused on uncovering duplicated services and redundancies between agencies.

Several issues discussed today were the DOC’s ongoing facility upgrades intended to reduce their operating budget and the Department of Pardons and Paroles converting to an electronic filing system to manage their caseload more efficiently. During the meeting, the committee encouraged agencies to consider the cost benefit of outsourcing several of their essential functions, prisons becoming more self-sufficient through inmate labor, and combining resources with other state agencies to streamline expenditures.

Additional joint workshops are scheduled through mid-December. Topics for those meetings include natural resources and agriculture, health, education and fiscal management. The workshops are being held at the request of Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, who has charged the Senate to proactively identify non-essential government services and maximize efficiency and value in our state government.
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President Bush on Economy, Oct. 10th

Rose Garden

10:25 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Over the past few days, we have witnessed a startling drop in the stock market -- much of it driven by uncertainty and fear. This has been a deeply unsettling period for the American people. Many of our citizens have serious concerns about their retirement accounts, their investments, and their economic well-being.

Here's what the American people need to know: that the United States government is acting; we will continue to act to resolve this crisis and restore stability to our markets. We are a prosperous nation with immense resources and a wide range of tools at our disposal. We're using these tools aggressively.

The fundamental problem is this: As the housing market has declined, banks holding assets related to home mortgages have suffered serious losses. As a result of these losses, many banks lack the capital or the confidence in each other to make new loans. In turn, our system of credit has frozen, which is keeping American businesses from financing their daily transactions -- and creating uncertainty throughout our economy.

This uncertainty has led to anxiety among our people. And that is understandable -- that anxiety can feed anxiety, and that can make it hard to see all that is being done to solve the problem. The federal government has a comprehensive strategy and the tools necessary to address the challenges in our economy. Fellow citizens: We can solve this crisis -- and we will.

Here are the problems we face and the steps we are taking:

First, key markets are not functioning because there's a lack of liquidity -- the grease necessary to keep the gears of our financial system turning. So the Federal Reserve has injected hundreds of billions of dollars into the system. The Fed has joined with central banks around the world to coordinate a cut in interest rates. This rate cut will allow banks to borrow money more affordably -- and it should help free up additional credit necessary to create jobs, and finance college educations, and help American families meet their daily needs. The Fed has also announced a new program to provide support for the commercial paper market, which is freezing up. As the new program kicks in over the next week or so, it will help revive a key source of short-term financing for American businesses and financial institutions.

Second, some Americans are concerned about whether their money is safe. So the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Credit Union Administration have significantly expanded the amount of money insured in savings accounts, and checking accounts, and certificates of deposit. That means that if you have up to $250,000 in one of these insured accounts, every penny of that money is safe. The Treasury Department has also acted to restore confidence in a key element of America's financial system by offering government insurance for money market mutual funds.

Thirdly, we are concerned that some investors could take advantage of the crisis to illegally manipulate the stock market. So the Securities and Exchange Commission has launched rigorous enforcement actions to detect fraud and manipulation in the market. The SEC is focused on preventing abusive practices, such as putting out false information to drive down particular stocks for personal gain. Anyone caught engaging in illegal financial activities will be prosecuted.

Fourth, the decline in the housing market has left many Americans struggling to meet their mortgages and are concerned about losing their homes. My administration has launched two initiatives to help responsible borrowers keep their homes. One is called HOPE NOW, and it brings together homeowners and lenders and mortgage servicers, and others to find ways to prevent foreclosure. The other initiative is aimed at making it easier for responsible homeowners to refinance into affordable mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration. So far, these programs have helped more than 2 million Americans stay in their home. And the point is this: If you are struggling to meet your mortgage, there are ways that you can get help.

With these actions to help to prevent foreclosures, we're addressing a key problem in the housing market: The supply of homes now exceeds demand. And as a result, home values have declined. Once supply and demand balance out, our housing market will be able to recover -- and that will help our broader economy begin to grow.

Fifth, we've seen that problems in the financial system are not isolated to the United States. They're also affecting other nations around the globe. So we're working closely with partners around the world to ensure that our actions are coordinated and effective. Tomorrow, I'll meet with the finance ministers from our partners in the G7 and the heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Secretary Paulson will also meet with finance ministers from the world's 20 leading economies. Through these efforts, the world is sending an unmistakable signal: We're in this together, and we'll come through this together.

And finally, American businesses and consumers are struggling to obtain credit, because banks do not have sufficient capital to make loans. So my administration worked with Congress to quickly pass a $700 billion financial rescue package. This new law authorizes the Treasury Department to use a variety of measures to help bank [sic] rebuild capital -- including buying or insuring troubled assets and purchasing equity of financial institutions. The Department will implement measures that have maximum impact as quickly as possible. Seven hundred billion dollars is a significant amount of money. And as we act, we will do it in a way that is effective.

The plan we are executing is aggressive. It is the right plan. It will take time to have its full impact. It is flexible enough to adapt as the situation changes. And it is big enough to work.

The federal government will continue to take the actions necessary to restore stability to our financial markets and growth to our economy. We have an outstanding economic team carrying out this effort, led by Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, SEC Chairman Chris Cox, and FDIC Chair Sheila Bair. I thank them and their dedicated teams for their service during this important moment in our country's history.

This is an anxious time, but the American people can be confident in our economic future. We know what the problems are, we have the tools we need to fix them, and we're working swiftly to do so. Our economy is innovative, industrious and resilient because the American people who make up our economy are innovative, industrious and resilient. We all share a determination to solve this problem -- and that is exactly what we're going to do. May God bless you.