Late last night the U.S. House passed a comprehensive health care reform bill that was so broad and complex that it was 1,500+ pages long. The amount of bureaucracy involved in this bill is so massive that it is no wonder why the bill is so large, but the size of the bill is just a symbol of the massive expansion in government that will occur if this health care bill passes the Senate. The real test for the bill is going to be the Senate, because there are more ‘Blue Dog’ Democrats who have their head on straight in the Senate then there is in the House. It was a close vote in the House, 220-215, but it will be an even closer vote in the Senate.

There are two problem prevalent here. The first is that the bill is so large it makes you wonder how many Congressmen and women can honestly say they read the bill. We have congressional leaders, a Democratically controlled House that is willing to pass bills without reading them. These pieces of legislation have a huge impact on our country, and our nation’s future, and it will affect every single American citizen and our leaders on Capitol Hill are not even reading the bills they are passing. I am sure the minds behind the health care bill were well aware that not very many of the representatives were going to read it, and it was this ‘too big to fail’ mentality. Nancy Pelosi was ecstatic yesterday, because in the end she got her way regardless of what is best for the American people. The radical left in Washington are doing things their own way and are not looking after the needs of the taxpayer.

The second problem is that the majority of Americans’ chief concern is not health care. Health care is not at the bottom of the list of concerns, but it is not at the top. The people of this country are discontent over the state of the economy. They want solutions to the rising unemployment rate that Democrats promised would go down when the stimulus package was passed earlier this year. They assured Americans that millions of jobs would be saved or created every month, and instead of that happening the amount of jobs saved and/or created was no where near what they promised, and millions of people have lost their jobs. The stimulus package did nothing to resurrect the declining job market. The only thing the stimulus package has accomplished is adding more to our national deficit and debt, and the American people see this and they are angry.

Both Republicans and Democrats produce polls showing the majority of Americans either support or don’t support a public option plan, Rasmussen comes out with a poll that shows the majority of American people do not agree with the Democrats’ position on health care at the same time a Washington Post/ABC poll shows the majority of Americans want a public option. I am more inclined to trust Rasmussen over WaPo, because the Post has always had its own agenda, and is the biggest example of yellow journalism in the country. However, I would be willing to bet that regardless of the fact that the majority of Americans don’t support a public option plan most Americans are tired of the health care reform debate, because congressional Democrats are not focused on the needs and concerns of the American people.

The American people are frustrated, and are tired of being ignored. That is why Democrats lost big on Tuesday, and that is why the Republican comeback is starting now. Republicans addressed the needs of the American people more than Democratic leaders have, and constituents all over the United States are starting to see that we were better off with Republican leadership, but more so than that we would be better of with economically conservative leaders. The majority of the people in this country want limited government and responsible spending, not the excess spending going on in Washington that does nothing to benefit taxpayers.

In the evening hours of Thursday it was reported that Maj. Nidal Hasan, the man responsible for the Ft. Hood shooting yesterday afternoon that has claimed the lives of about a dozen people, and wounding over thirty, was a desperate man at the end of his rope because he did not want to be deployed and he was constantly harassed on the military base by other soldiers. This was at least what Hasan’s cousin, Nadal, told reporters. However, the abhorrent act of violence that took place yesterday may have been more than the work of a mentally imbalanced soldier fearing deployment, but the work of a military jihadist.

This conclusion was not made solely on the fact that Hasan publicly identified himself as a devout Muslim, but from the events that took place yesterday. According to reports, witnesses reported hearing Hasan yell “Allahu Akbar!” before opening fire, which translates to “Allah is great”. It is hard to believe that someone who was just extremely depressed would yell this unless there was an alternative motive to his actions. It has also been reported that Nidal Hasan was calm, and took a ‘measured approach’ before opening fire. Hasan was shot a number of times during the events of yesterday, and he was originally reported dead, but it was later announced that the Hasan had not been killed and was still alive and in custody.

There can never be a justified reason for a horrific mass shooting like the tragedy that occurred yesterday. It was despicable, and Nidal Hasan is a coward. Whether it was because he didn’t want to be deployed or an act of domestic terrorism Hasan is a coward. He opened fire on an unsuspecting crowd with an M-16 assault rifle, the standard issued rifle to army personnel. Many of the soldiers who lost their lives at Ft. Hood were getting ready to serve our country overseas. They were willing to sacrifice their time, their energy, and their lives for the service of our country. These men and women should be honored as they always should for this.

All the victims from yesterday’s shooting should be in our thoughts and prayers. If you would like to give blood to help injured victims and you live in the Central Texas area please visit The Blood Center of Central Texas. If you do not live in central Texas then please visit www.carterbloodcare.org or call 1-800-DONATE-4. Donated blood is still needed.

Cross post from Under The Lone Star Sky.

Earlier this afternoon a mass shooting occurred on the Ft. Hood army base in Killeen, TX. It has been confirmed that at least seven have been killed. How many of those are soldiers and how many are civilians is unclear, but is also reported that up to thirty additional people were injured. The number has grown since the initial report so this is not a confirmed number.

There are still a lot of things that remain unclear about the shooting as details from the base have been limited. It is believed that there were three shooters involved. One of those shooters has been injured and is now in custody, and there are possibly two other shooters on the run. The identity of the men responsible has not been released by Ft. Hood officials. It is clear that the shooters could have been anyone, and not necessarily disgruntled members of our military.

According to military officials it is not that hard to get on the base. All you need to enter Ft. Hood is a driver’s license, and not every car entering the base is searched. The only time every vehicle would be searched is if the base was on alert, and vehicles that are searched are searched because of reasonable suspicion. This could have very well been a terrorist attack. More details will come as they are released. Our thoughts and prayers should go out to Ft. Hood and the citizens of Killeen.

UPDATE: 9 now reported dead, 27 reported injured.

One of the shooters was shot and killed. He was a soldier stationed at the base. There are two other soldiers in custody as suspects.

UPDATE: 12 confirmed dead, 31 reported injured.

The man behind the shooting has been identified as Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan, a military psychiatrist, who was injured during the shooting. Hasan’s cousin came out and said that he feared deployment.

Maj. Hasan wanted to be released before he was deployed overseas after the stories he heard of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and according to his cousin he was freqeuntly harassed on the military base.

Three years of Democratic leadership on Capital Hill, and only one year of a Democratic administration in the White House is convincing people all over the country that we were much better off under Republican leadership, but the People are calling for a change in the GOP. Americans are looking for conservative leaders, true conservative leadership that promotes limited government and responsible spending. There is no greater evidence of this than the remarkable turn of events in Virginia and New Jersey last night.

The GOP has been losing big over the last few years, and it has been said that it is because the Republican Party has been listening to conservative voices like Rush Limbaugh. In reality, if Republicans in Washington had been listening to their conservative base, and stuck by the principles they preached on the campaign trail we would still probably have a Republican majority in Congress and a Republican President. The problem is that the Republican Party has become more moderate over the years. Republican leaders on Capital Hill did whatever they thought would win them votes instead of sticking by conservative values. As a result, the radical Left has a grip on Washington, but for how long?

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell won by a large margin in a state that only a year ago Barack Obama rode on a giant blue wave. Not only did McDonnell win, he won by a landslide. It did not even take a year in office for the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia to realize that they made a mistake voting for Democratic leadership. President Obama’s economic policies have failed. The stimulus package didn’t create or save as many jobs has he promised it would (not even close). In the last ten months Obama has failed to deliver on many of the promises that he made on the campaign trail for his first year in office, and somewhere in the middle of it all he won a Nobel Peace Prize for doing absolutely nothing. President Obama and the radical left in Washington had to be worried when they saw the election results last night. The American people are beginning to wake up and take notice of the irresponsible policies these elitists promote.

Bob McDonnell won in Virginia, Republicans swept statewide elections in Virginia, and GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie won in New Jersey turning both states a nice shade of red. If this is not a sign of the conservative revolution taking hold in our country once again I don’t know what is. Both of these elections will have an impact on the mid-term elections next year and the 2012 election. The majority of Americans are tired of big government policies and the excess spending going on in Washington with our money. Every conservative and Republican in the nation has reason to be excited because the GOP comeback started last night, and our time is now. It is not “Yes we can”, it is “Yes we will!” We will take back this country and put it on a path in the right direction.

With 67% of the vote and 32% of the precincts reporting Fox News projects Republican Bob McDonnell the winner of the gubernatorial election in Virginia!

Congratulations Bob on the huge victory!

If anyone needs concrete evidence that the majority of American people disapprove with the direction the radical Left has steered out country then they should be watching the Election results tonight. There are several people who think that because this is not a mid-term election year or a Presidential election year it is not important. There are two governor’s seats up for grabs. The direction that a state like Virginia goes will shape elections in 2010 and 2012. President Obama took Virginia last year without any trouble, and twelve months later Republicans look to sweep the Democrats right off their feet. Latest polls showed Republicans leading by double digits. Do you need any more proof that Americans are dissatisfied with the Democratic leadership in Washington and all over the country?

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell led opponent Creigh Deeds by twelve points before Election Day. That is such a large margin that no one is giving Deeds a chance, not even John Stewart. The White House even threw Deeds under the bus, because they did not believe he was going to win. President Obama is watching these races very closely, and he should be worried. Bob McDonnell stayed focused on the campaign trail. He stayed focused on the issues. He showed that in a time of economic woes he will be the jobs governor, that he will be lead Virginia in the right direction economically. McDonnell will win this election based on his policy proposals, proposals that his opponent was unwilling and unable to provide.

Watch a live stream of the McDonnell for Governor Election Night Party here.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell is finishing up a final statewide tour across the Commonwealth of Virginia today that has been titled the“New Jobs, More Opportunities: It Starts Now!” tour. He has a busy day today meeting with supporters and encouraging constituents to get out and vote on Election Day, tomorrow November 3, 2009. The tour began Thursday morning and will last until Bob makes his final stop today in Virginia Beach. You can check out photos and additional information from the campaign trail at www.bobmcdonnell.com

This governor’s race is important if Republicans and conservatives hope to take back Washington in the next three years. Turning Virginia red again will have an impact on turning the entire country back in the right direction.

President Barack Obama promised open door negotiations. He promised transparency in Washington, health care negotiations aired lived on national news syndicates for the whole country to see. Congressional Democrats promised bipartisanship and compromise, and yet Nancy Pelosi, and other Democratic House leaders sit behind closed doors, shutting out Republicans and the American people. What do they have to hide from the American taxpayer?

Cross post from “Under The Lone Star Sky”

Texans for Tier-1 released an ad about the importance of Proposition 4, about how it will benefit the surrounding communities, and create jobs, and would not raise taxes. This organization that has developed to promote only Prop 4, which will be up for a vote along with ten other proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution on November 3, seeks to mislead Texas voters. Early voting began today so if you do not think you will be able to make it out to the polls on Election Day take advantage of early voting.

Lies, Lies, and more Lies!

The one thing I notice about the argument for Prop 4 is that it never includes what Prop 4 would do to the quality of higher education or what it would do the price of tuition for many public school. Texas only has three tier-1 schools, and Texans for Tier-1 say that we should be more like California and New York who have more tier-1 schools. California has nine tier-one schools, and one of the biggest arguments is that tier-1 schools will help our state’s economy. Well, if that were true then my feelings for Prop 4 might be a little different, it is ultimately a waste of money and will inevitably hurts the quality of public higher education while expanding tuition costs across the state.

Middle income families have enough trouble these days with being able to afford to send their kids to college, and this is mostly due to tuition deregulation. Public universities are able to raise tuition prices for whatever reason whenever they want as long as they can get the approval of their school’s Board of Regents, which isn’t hard to do. Since tuition deregulation was instituted in the State of Texas tuition costs have gone up over 50% in many cases. There are several Texas families who are struggling to meet the demands of the ever expanding price tag on higher education in this state. Proposition 4 will only make this worse.

Institutions of Higher Education are losing sight of their purpose. Their purpose is not to expand their research so they can create jobs in the university, but to provide the best quality of education. There is absolutely no concrete evidence that links economic growth with state higher education spending. We have seen this before in Texas. You cannot solve a problem by just throwing more money at it. There are many institutions of higher education who have their priorities in the wrong place, because their students are customers, and they pay for good quality education. When you focus solely expanding the amount of money that comes into your university you lose sight of what should be the number one concern for all universities. Institutions of higher education should focus on preparing their students to become productive and effective members of the workforce and society.

Shouldn’t colleges and universities be focusing on lowering the undergrad drop out rate, and providing the tools students need to be able to complete a four year plan on time? The majority of undergraduate students are not taught by tenure professors. They are taught by non-tenure track faculty, graduate assistant professors, junior professors, or part-time adjuncts. The majority of tenure professors spend much of their time doing research, focusing more of their energy on that than their classes or students. This hurts the overall quality of education students receive in institutions of higher education.

With 87% of research and development in this country being conducted by the private sector it would be irresponsible for the government to subsidize research. More money goes into the private sector, which means further development and more companies coming into the state, which will create more jobs, and will help the economy of the state. Increasing the amount of money spent on higher education will not have a positive affect on our state’s economy.

For more information on why you should vote NO on Proposition 4 visit the Young Conservatives of Texas website: www.yct.org

Cross post from “Under The Texas Sky“

The language in Article 16, Section 40 of the Texas Constitution as it stands says that no civil servant can hold two offices or positions in the government. Technically, this would mean that a teacher, police officer, fire fighter or another individual whose job it is to provide civil service could not hold a position as a Texas legislator or any other state elected official, but the focus of Proposition 7, which will be up for a vote this November, is on the fact that the language in Article 16 would not allow say a police officer to serve in the Texas State Guard, Texas National Guard, Texas Air Guard, ect… An exception has always been made, and rightfully so, but in the spirit of keeping to our state constitution the language of Article 16, Section 40 needs to be cleaned up.

The Texas State Guard while not very well known among Texans is a very important group that acts as first responders to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, ect… Over the years this group has grown in size, and various state employees including police officers, firefighters, teachers, judges, and state politicians who want to serve on the Texas State Guard and other branches of Texas Military Forces have signed up to volunteer for these important services. These outstanding Texas citizens are committed to the State Guard’s motto Texans Serving Texans.

State Rep. Phil King (R-61), Rep. Dan Flynn (R-2), Aaron Pena (D-40), and Ryan Guillen (D-31) are officers in the Texas State Guard and are leading the effort in promoting this proposed revision to the Texas Constitution. They know that over the last few years the Texas State Guard has shown that they are a vital organization in times of natural disaster and provide many services including shelter management, medical support, evacuation assistance, and is capable of assisting small communities reestablish emergency services.

Proposition 7 needs to pass so that the language of our state’s constitution is cleaned up and allows any Texas citizen to volunteer their service for our state if they desire to do so. Each and every member of our state’s military forces are heroes, and we need to keep that in mind when we go to the polls next month.

Find out more information about the Texas State Guard at www.txsg.state.tx.us.