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Home Archives for National Politics

5/15/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Cast Vote for Best Slogan to Describe Government Borrow-and-Spend Habits

The Americans for Prosperity Foundation is concluding its Stop Spending Our Future "Give It a Name" contest with the chance for you to vote on which of the five finalists best conveys "the threat of government over-spending and/or excessive debt using 10 words or less". While you're there casting your vote, you can also sign the petition to tell Washington the common-sense truth that we can't borrow and spend our way to prosperity. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Americans for Prosperity Foundation, borrow, contest, excessive debt, finalists, Give It a Name, government, over-spending, petition, prosperity, sign, spend, Stop Spending Our Future, vote, Washington

5/14/2009 By Ben 5 Comments

Colorado Democrats, Journalists Duped by Fraudulent Vet “Rick Duncan”

From 9News:Sure, he stuttered on occasion. He said strange things from time to time. But Rick Duncan was passionate about veterans in the state of Colorado. He told anyone who wanted to listen that he had served in Iraq on three occasions. That gave him an unofficial license to talk to journalists, politicians, and civilians about the war. So, many people simply ate it all up. The only problem was that Duncan wasn't actually a Marine, a Naval Academy graduate, or a wounded Iraq War Veteran, according to those who have looked into his background. His name, according to the Denver Sheriff's Department, isn't even Rick Duncan. It's Rick Strandlof, and as of Thursday afternoon, Strandlof remained inside a Denver County Jail cell. He … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, Journalism, media bias, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 9News, background, believing, bias, bond, candidates, civilians, Colorado, complete fraud, Congressman, curious, damage, Democrats, Denver County Jail, Denver Sheriff's Department, destructive, disavowing, doctor, duped, expose, fact-check, filming, filters, gay marriage, Hal Bidlack, homosexual, Iraq, Jared Polis, journalists, lesson, lie, life, Marine, Mark Udall, Michelle Malkin, missed, Naval Academy, news media, passionate, people, person, play-acting, politicians, recovering, Republican, Rick Duncan, Rick Strandlof, senator, served, shoulders, shrug, slander, traffic warrant, truth, TV ads, uncovering, uniform, veteran, veterans, videos, war

5/14/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

“Principled”, “Solutions-Driven” US Senate Candidate Ryan Frazier Speaks Out

(Co-authored by El Presidente and Ben DeGrow) We were privileged with the opportunity last Saturday to sit down and conduct an exclusive half-hour two-on-one interview with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ryan Frazier (Frazier's two GOP primary contenders are Weld County district attorney Ken Buck and businessman Cleve Tidwell). The conversation was wide-ranging and informative. We left with a clearer picture of the candidate's vision and the campaign's direction. We began by bringing up a recent article in The Hill that portrayed Frazier as part of a "band of centrists", and asked him what he thought of the characterization. He responded: "I'm Ryan Frazier, and I do what I believe to be right. I've never been much for labels.... … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, My Life, National Politics

5/13/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Walker Stapleton Preaches Fiscal Conservatism on National Cable TV

On national cable television, Colorado Republican state treasurer candidate Walker Stapleton takes on government involvement in the auto industry and Congressional hypocrisy in this one-minute clip (H/T Rocky Mountain Right): "Congress needs to live within the same means and guidelines as these companies they're preaching at." … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics Tagged With: auto industry, cable television, candidate, Colorado, Congressional hypocrisy, government, one-minute clip, Republican, state treasurer, video, Walker Stapleton, YouTube

5/11/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

The Evidence Mounts Against EFCA, and Michael Bennet Still Can’t Decide

James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation (and a proud fellow Hillsdale College alumnus) breaks down the evidence to debunk the "Employer Advantage" myth at the heart of Big Labor's argument for the card-check bill before Congress:The law stacks the deck against employers in union drives. And – contrary to union assertions – the overwhelming majority of employers obey the law. Which is why unions rack up that impressive 2-1 win rate. The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is right to say that the government should not tilt the playing field even more heavily in union organizer’s favor. That would hurt workers ability to make a free choice. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: alumnus, American jobs, argument, assertions, Big Labor, bill, binding arbitration, card-check, Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, Colorado, Congress, debunk, economic, EFCA, effective, Employee Free Choice Act, Employer Advantage, evidence, explained, free choice, George McGovern, harmful, Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, icon, imposition, impressive, influence, James Sherk, liberal, Michael Bennet, myth, newly-selected, opinion, playing field, political money, poorly-named, removal, represent, research, secret ballot, thousands, tilt, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, union organizers

5/11/2009 By Ryan Leave a Comment

The Power of the Purse and the Fed

A significant part of the struggle for government that is both limited and run by the people was waged on our behalf by our English forerunners.  The most significant aspect of this battle was English citizens gaining the power of the purse over the Monarchy in a struggle that lasted hundreds of years.  As the monarchy lost the power of the purse, the king became a servant of the People. In our day, we are risking not giving the government the power of its own purse, but the power of the purse over the people.  This would naturally make the people servants of the government. Indeed, we have already taken long strides in the direction of government financing of peoples' lives through Social Security, Medicare, various Federal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC, property rights

5/8/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Is George McGovern Michael Bennet’s Way Out of Card-Check Indecision?

Liberal former U.S. Senator George McGovern smacks down Congressional Democrats again. Last year he spoke out against the so-called Employee "Free Choice" Act for depriving workers of the secret ballot. Yesterday McGovern explains in a Wall Street Journal op-ed why the binding arbitration provisions in the bill is equally bad:Currently, labor law maintains a careful balance between the rights of businesses, unions and individual employees. While bargaining power differs depending on individual circumstances, the rights of the parties are well balanced. When a union and a business enter negotiations, current law requires that both sides bargain "in good faith." … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: angry, arbitrator, Arlen Specter, bargaining power, benefit costs, better graces, binding arbitration, business, business dispute, card-check, Colorado, compelling reasons, Congressional, contract, Democrats, dodge, EFCA, Employee Free Choice Act, fading prospects, George McGovern, good faith, government-appointed lawyers, harmful, hold my breath, indecisive, issue, junior, labor law, Lefty, legislation, liberal icon, local union goons, Michael Bennet, negotiations, nuances, off the table, op-ed, party switch, Pennsylvania, plethora, politician, promotions, provisions, relief, rules, secret ballot, so-called, strike, turncoat, U.S. Senator, unique, unnecessary, unprofitable, unwanted attention, wages, Wall Street Journal, workers

5/7/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Peter Groff Departs Denver with Nonpartisan Education Reform Gesture

A month ago I asked which party will miss Democrat Senate President Peter Groff more under Colorado's Golden Dome. Several days ago Senator Nancy Spence told me that Groff's parting gesture as Senate President before heading off to work for the Obama administration in Washington D.C. would be to appoint her -- a Republican -- to an interim committee on school finance. It didn't really surprise me, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise for everyone else either. Then today we learn: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: administration, Arne Duncan, Barack Obama, Bob Bacon, Chris Romer, Colorado, Democrat, education reform, golden dome, icing on the cake, interim committee, Josh Penry, kids, missed, Nancy Spence, opportunity, participate, parting gesture, Party, Peter Groff, Republican, school finance, Senate Education Committee, Senate President, successful, surprise, voucher program, Washington DC

5/7/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

U.S. Senate Candidate Ken Buck Responds to Campaign Rumors

This morning a post appeared on Rocky Mountain Right about the first announced Republican candidate in Colorado's U.S. Senate race:Reports are trickling out that [Ken] Buck has split with Phase Line Strategies, a Republican consulting firm made up of GOP veterans who would have probably been fulfilling most of Buck's fundraising and communications needs, and that his campaign manager may have departed as well. Details are sketchy at this point, but the reports are coming from enough directions that it appears very likely to be true. Earlier this afternoon I called Ken Buck and recorded our conversation, to get a clearer picture of the story directly from the source. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: asset, campaign, campaign manager, candidate, clearer, Colorado, Colorado Pols, Colorado Statesman, communications, consulting firm, conversation, Democratic, Douglas County, Face the State, formal relationship, fundraising, general consultant, GOP veterans, Greeley Tribune, half-right, half-wrong, Jack Stansbery, Ken Buck, Lincoln Day dinner, Michael Bennet, misunderstanding, morning, online polls, opponent, Phase Line Strategies, Picture, polls, Public Policy Polling, quote, race, reporter, Republican, Rocky Mountain Right, Ryan Frazier, Sean Tonner, source, story, straw poll, title, U.S. Senate, unaffiliated, valuable, voters, Walt Klein

5/6/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Senator Jim DeMint Sets Up a Great Framework for Rebuilding the GOP

If there is anyone currently in the U.S. Senate of whom I would consider myself a fan, Jim DeMint of South Carolina would be on that short list. I understood where he was coming from but found it a little disconcerting when he said: "I would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who really believe in principles of limited government, free markets, free people, than to have 60 that don't have a set of beliefs." What a great relief then to see Senator DeMint's excellent column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal -- what I consider an opportunity to revise and extend his remark. His rhetoric is blunt, and his analysis is clear: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: abortion, analysis, beliefs, big tent, blunt, bolded statements, candidates, center-right coalition, centralized government, clear, coalition, column, Congress, conservative, Constitution, constructively, debate, democratic process, different, disconcerting, diverse, elected officials, electoral defeats, excellent, exceptional nation, extend, faithful few, fan, federal Leviathan, federalism, first impression, fiscal issues, flavor, focus, force for good, Free Markets, government, History, inalienable, individual liberty, isolation, Jim DeMint, limited government, measured disagreement, mind, national party, national security, people, perfect, politician, President, principles, problems, regions, rein in, remark, Republican, respectful, revise, rhetoric, same-sex marriage, short list, social issues, social policies, solved, South Carolina, states, strong poles, U.S. Senate, unelected judges, walk the walk, Wall Street Journal

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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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