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Home Archives for General

2/7/2026 By Ben 2 Comments

Blog Talk Radio Links

The following are links to odds and ends I mentioned this evening as co-host of the Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio show: Neal Gabler's ironic Los Angeles Times column on Joe McCarthy and the American conservative movement: a true "triumph of the American imagination" Historian Arthur Herman's sage insights into lessons America should take from the grim Islamist terrorist attacks last week in India Chicago Tribune editorial from 2006 justifying jeers for U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's attempt to secure a pardon for corrupt former Republican Gov. George Ryan - in particular, the tragic but inspiring story of the Willis family - featured in the Tribune editorial - is worth a read And, of course, thanks to guest Todd Bensman - check … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, General, National Politics, World Events Tagged With: American conservative movement, Arthur Herman, Blog Talk Radio, Chicago Tribune, corrupt, Dick Durbin, editorial, episode, Face the State, George Ryan, historian, Illinois, India, insights, inspiring, Islamist, jeers, Joe McCarthy, kinks, lessons, Los Angeles Times, National Review, Neal Gabler, podcast, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Ryan Frazier, senator, special guest, terrorist attacks, Todd Bensman, tragic, triumph of the American imagination, Willis family

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Complete Colorado: Mayors Asking for $2.25 Billion in Federal Pork Handouts

Complete Colorado is breaking a story about 10 different Colorado mayors requesting a total of $2.25 billion in federal pork. The biggest ask (go for the gusto, right?) comes from Colorado Springs at $1.25 billion. But the most interesting request hails from the People's Republic:The city of Boulder asked for $6 million to "...[p]rovide funding to convert 60 hybrid electric vehicles to Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles with Vehicle to Grid technology. The cars are part of the City of Boulder, Boulder County, and the University of Colorado fleets." The retrofit of each vehicle, therefore, would cost $100-thousand dollars a piece. I haven't seen a cost-benefit analysis, but how much is really gained by switching to the Plug-In Hybrid Electric … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, transportation Tagged With: Arvada, Boulder County, breaking story, bridge repair, Colorado Springs, Complete Colorado, federal pork, funding streams, hybrid electric vehicles, investigation, mayors, People's Republic of Boulder, Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, projects, relatively modest, retrofit, street, University of Colorado

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Finding the Common Ties that Bind the Conservative Movement

The Next Right has posted a thoughtful essay that seeks to put the current intra-conservative debates into perspective. The whole thing is a worthwhile read, but the conclusion especially is interesting:Conservatives, thankfully, are nowhere near as afflicted by tunnel-vision, as the current debates on the Right show. However, it is essential that, being conservative, we remember that these debates were not settled in 1964 or 1980 and are not going to be settled in 2008, 2012 or any other year. These debates are timeless elements of the American conservative tradition, and will probably never be resolved completely. However, another timeless element which we must also be careful not to forget is the fact that these debates have always ended … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cultural Conservatism, General, My Life Tagged With: academic, affirmation, belittle, brass figures, co-exist, common, common interests, conservative, dark corners, debates, educate, essay, fiscal conservatism, futile effort, Hillsdale College, humility, icons, intra-conservative, Leo Strauss, libertarian, limited government, listen, Ludwig von Mises, movement, neoconservative, paleoconservative, personal responsibility, poli sci geek, political coalition, purge, renewed commitment, ridicule, Right, Russell Kirk, social conservatives, statues, tent, The Next Right, timeless, tradition, unlikelihood

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

In Memory of Jim Cannon: Celebrating a Blogger’s Life and His Savior

Earlier this week brought the sad news that my friend Jim Cannon, one of the founding members of the Rocky Mountain Alliance, had passed into eternity. Many tributes have been written. Yesterday was Jim's memorial service. The family asked me to share a few words about Jim on behalf of the bloggers. Here it is (with links added, where appropriate): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: active outreach, alarm, bloggers, camaraderie, charitable groups, compassion, complaints, concern, courage, danger, distress, encouragement, eternity, eulogy, Family, friend, grateful, hospital, indomitable spirit, inspired, Jim Cannon, laugh, letter-writing campaigns, memorial service, men in uniform, military, on duty, overseas, Rocky Mountain Alliance, sad news, sailors, sense of humor, serious heart, servicemen, smile, soldiers, Soldiers' Angels, special bond, tributes, trite things, tsunami

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Public Service Message for Colorado Education Association Members

Via IndependentTeachers.org, here's a 2-minute video with a local teacher friend of mine explaining how members of the Colorado Education Association can get a refund of their political money before December 15: CEA has given hundreds of thousands in political contributions to Democrat candidates and Left-leaning causes. The teachers who think that's okay have nothing to worry about. The teachers who disagree may be interested in the refund process. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Colorado Education Association, deadline, December 15, Independent Teachers, members, teacher, video, YouTube

2/7/2026 By Ben 2 Comments

GOP Leader Mark Hillman Speaks Reason to the Conservative Coalition

Former Republican legislative leader Mark Hillman once again shows why he deserves a leading position in Colorado's GOP, by speaking reason to the conservative coalition. It's a must-read from beginning to end, but here's the key thought:If the goal is winning elections, rather than purging membership rolls at the country club, throwing social conservatives under the bus is a catastrophically bad idea. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, bedroom, belittle, Colorado, conservative coalition, crouthouse, debates, divide, government, Harry Reid, involved, key thought, legislative leader, liberal activists, Mark Hillman, must-read, Nancy Pelosi, principles, purge, Reason, Rebuild the Party, recommend, Republican, right spirit, social conservatives, social moderates, taxpayer funding, unite

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Obama Voters, CNN and Network TV Viewers More Poorly Informed

John Ziegler is to be commended for his post-election polling work. At first we learned how ridiculously ill-informed Obama voters were, leading us to some conclusions about how Obama got elected. Ziegler took upon himself a challenge that the misguided critics on the Left - who (all too predictably) attacked the questioners rather than deal with the substance of the findings - would not do. He commissioned a second poll with even more telling results (H/T Granite Grok): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Bill Ayers, challenge, CNN, commended, commissioned, conclusions, critics, education reform, elected, findings, FoxNews, Granite Grok, ill-informed, John McCain, John Ziegler, Left, media, misguided response, MSNBC, national newspapers, network news, Obama voters, polling, questioners, real factor, Republicans, results, Sarah Palin, talk radio

2/7/2026 By Ben 5 Comments

Finding “Salvation” from Government Debt and Hope for GOP Brand

A good decade ago, in a college political science class, we read this essay penned by Harry Jaffa, with a key memorable passage:The end of the Cold War has also brought an end to the remission of the disease of moral relativism that is corroding the life of western civilization. It would certainly seem that the salvation of the West must come, if it is to come, from the United States. The salvation of the United States, if it is to come, must come from the Republican Party. And the salvation of the Republican Party, if it is to come, must come from the conservative movement within it. And the salvation of the conservative movement, if it is to come, must come from the renewal and reaffirmation of the principles of the American Founding, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, academic debates, alternative, American Founding, Claremont, Cold War, college, Colorado, conservative movement, constrained vision, cost-saving, Declaration of Independence, deficits, economic, environment, fiscal responsibility, fiscally conservative reforms, GOP, government debt, governments, Harry Jaffa, laboratories, mantle, moral relativism, New York Times, opportunities, party leaders, political, political science, Republican brand, Republican Party, Republicans, salvation, services, Soren Dayton, state governments, state level, statehouse, Straussian, The Next Right, tongue-in-cheek, United States, West, Western Civilization

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Please Accept My Apologies for the Detroit Lions…Who Make Me Laugh

When people learn that I grew up in Michigan, occasionally I hear the question of whether my sports fan loyalties still lie in the land of my childhood. "That depends," I say. "Detroit Tigers? Detroit Red Wings? Yes." "What about the Lions?" "Uh, check please...." I'm pretty sure I've been cured of that disease. How do I know? Well, reading through DJ Gallo's ESPN Page 2 column this evening, I found myself laughing out loud at this segment: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: 0-16, Barry Sanders, childhood, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, DJ Gallo, ESPN, fast track, futility, holidays, Humor, Michigan, NFL Championship, playoff victory, sports, Thanksgiving Day

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

3rd Edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 9 PM

Tune in at 9 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the third edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Confirmed hosts are Joshua Sharf and yours truly, with the guest tentatively scheduled as Todd Bensman of the San Antonio Express-News, author of the well-acclaimed series "Breaching America: Examining Illegal Immigration from the Muslim World". Bensman's observations on the recent vicious Islamist terrorist attacks in India should be very interesting to hear. Tune in tonight for the introduction of some new segments, to hear Todd Bensman, and to find out if any other Rocky Mountain Alliance blogger joins us as co-host. And don't forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s show, you can go back and download … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, General, My Life, World Events Tagged With: Blog Talk Radio, blogger, Breaching America, download, guest, hosts, India, Islamist terrorist attacks, Joshua Sharf, live broadcast, Mount Virtus, observations, podcast, Rocky Mountain Alliance, San Antonio Express-News, segments, Todd Bensman

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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

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