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Mount Virtus?

Every day is seeking to rise to the challenge, 'neath the shadow of the mighty Rockies.

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Sometimes the choices are daunting or confusing, sometimes they're as clear as a Mile High view.

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If I had five more writers just like him, I think my job would be the easiest in journalism....

7/7/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

120 Days of Barack Obama Pandering Until Election Day 2008

Today marks 120 days until the November 4 general election - 120 days of obnoxious pandering by Presidential candidates, 120 days of campaign television and radio ads, 120 days for lovers of the Republic to hold their collective breath. Sigh. Speaking of candidate pandering, Barack Obama's recent whiplash-inducing rush away from his Leftist voting record and positions should give cause for concern. As one noted for his aptitude at quoting Scripture out of context, though, Barack Obama does have a ready-made passage he can abuse to justify his major switcheroos:I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. Of course, it goes without saying that I Corinthians 9:22 doesn't say anything of the sort … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Bible passages, election, pandering, presidential candidates, Scripture, summertime, switcheroo, whiplash

7/4/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to all fine Americans - who shouldn't be reading this blog, but should be enjoying the time with family and friends - picnics, fireworks, outdoor fun, the whole bit. And hopefully celebrating the "true reason" for the holiday. In that spirit, here are some suggestions. You could listen to Jon Caldara reading the full text of the Declaration of Independence, or read a fine brief essay published last year by the Independence Institute from Don Beezley. If you only have less than 2 minutes, here's a new YouTube from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation commemorating the Fourth of July: Happy Independence Day! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

7/3/2008 By Ben 9 Comments

1861 Was Not 1776: An Essay

Update: An astute observer has corrected a factual mistake. James Madison wrote "much of" - not "most of" - the Federalist. Alexander Hamilton wrote more, though Madison wrote many of the key essays that frame the meaning of Union. My faux pas. The following is adapted and expanded from an email listserv essay I wrote recently, inspired initially in response to the following phrase someone had written: "The American Republic created by the founding fathers was destroyed by the civil war...." Here is my argument why libertarians should think long and hard before embracing a defense of the Confederate cause: Quite simply, the noble libertarian impulse to champion resistance to government encroachment on people's freedoms has led many … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, History, My Life Tagged With: "cornerstone" principle, "Peculiar Institution", 13th Amendment, 14th Amendment, Abraham Lincoln, Alabama, Allen Guelzo, American Burke, analogy, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, antebellum, antislavery, antislavery cause, civil libertarian, civil liberties, Claremont Review of Books, Confederacy, Confederate Constitution, conscription, Daniel Webster, Declaration of Independence, Deep South, Democrat Party, dictatorship, Dred Scott decision, economic nationalization, Emancipation Proclamation, federal government power, Fire-Eaters, Fort Pickens, Fort Sumter, Founders, Fugitive Slave Act, global holocaust, Great Britain, Henry Clay, historian, House Divided Speech, income tax, James Madison, Jefferson Davis, Jeffrey Hummel, John Calhoun, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Leviathan state, libertarians, Maryland State Legislature, neo-Confederates, nuclear bombs, Nullification Crisis, party platform, personal liberty laws, plantation slavery, popular sovereignty, pro-Southern, Progressives, racism, radical abolitionists, Republican Party, republican principles, right of revolution, Robert E. Lee, secession, Second Inaugural Address, slaveholders, slavery, South Carolina, states rights, statist, tariffs, Tennessee, Thomas DiLorenzo, Tim Sandefur, U.S. Congress, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court, Unionists, Virginia, Western territories, Whig, Woodrow Wilson, World War II, writ of habeas corpus, Yankees

7/2/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bill Ritter Leaving a Trail of Legal Defense Fund Victims in His Wake

Greg Kolomitz, once upon a time the campaign manager for Gov. Bill Ritter, is now embroiled in a bitter legal showdown with his former boss over campaign violations totaling $300,000 (or more). Interestingly, Kolomitz's laptop computer (containing relevant, important records) disappeared under mysterious circumstances just as the story went public. Now the Denver Post reports that Greg Kolomitz now is raising money to defend himself legally against alleged "false accusations," apparently made by Bill Ritter:The e-mail plea never mentions Ritter by name, but leaves no doubt about who the family thinks is responsible for the "false" accusations that led to an ongoing investigation of Kolomitz. "We have found ourselves in a legal battle … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: Bill Ritter, campaign violations, Carla Kolomitz, Cory Voorhis, Denver Post, Greg Kolomitz, laptop computer, Legal defense fund

7/2/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

Remembering the Heroic Story of Little Round Top 145 Years Later

It was 145 years ago today that one of the more heroic and decisive - if also perhaps too well-known - actions in our nation's Civil War took place. If you've seen the movie Gettysburg, then you know just what I'm talking about: The daring and desperate charge by the 20th Maine volunteer infantry regiment from its position on the far left flank of the Union line. Led by Colonel (and future Governor) Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the 20th Maine swung down Little Round Top in the late afternoon of July 2 and captured numerous members of a Confederate raiding force that threatened a critical breakthrough in its own desperate Pennsylvania invasion. Chamberlain and the 20th Maine's successful counter-charge played a pivotal role in setting … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, General, History Tagged With: 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry, 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Battle of Gettysburg, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, July 2, Little Round Top, memorial, Pickett's Charge, U.S. Civil War

7/1/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Our Own Jefferson County Once Again a National Political Battleground

Fort Collins blogger Andrew Boucher caught my attention by reprinting this snippet of an observation from the learned political guru Michael Barone:Jefferson County, Colo. Suburbs west of Denver. The inner Denver suburbs have been trending Democratic in recent years, and I expect Jefferson County will trend more that way this year. It voted 63 percent to 36 percent for Obama over Hillary Clinton in the caucus this year, but only 14,000 participated—far fewer than the 271,000 that voted in the 2004 general election. My impression is that this county, like many inner suburbs, is becoming more downscale; the big population growth of young affluent families is to the south, in Douglas County. One problem for Barack Obama is that he may not do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

7/1/2008 By Ben 7 Comments

Baseball with Fred Barnes

It was my privilege to spend time with Fred Barnes - executive editor of Weekly Standard and co-host of Fox News Beltway Boys - at yesterday evening's Colorado Rockies game. Thanks to Tom Roche of Roche Constructors, Inc., for generously providing an extra seat in his guest suite (which included a nice spread of baseball-friendly food and fixings), and to my Independence Institute colleague Amy Oliver for inviting me along. It was the first time to Coors Field for Fred Barnes, an avid fan of baseball, most especially (and regrettably) of the Boston Red Sox. Fred Barnes has been a guest of the Independence Institute in the Denver area for the past several days - centered around his keynote speaking appearance at Saturday's ATF Party. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life, National Politics, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: Amy Oliver, ATF party, Baseball, Colorado Rockies, Coors Field, Fred Barnes, Greg Maddux, Hillsdale College, Independence Institute, politics, Roche Constructors, San Diego Padres, Tom Roche

7/1/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Barack Obama’s Colorado TV Ad Dressed Up with Clear Exaggerations

Barack Obama has a new television ad that's airing in 18 states, including here in Colorado. Marc Ambinder has the video and transcript:OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message. Announcer: He worked his way through college and Harvard Law. Turned down big money offers, and helped lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. Fought for workers’ rights. He passed a law to move people from welfare to work, slashed the rolls by eighty percent. Passed tax cuts for workers; health care for kids. As president, he’ll end tax breaks for companies that export jobs, reward those that create jobs in America. And never forget the dignity that comes from work. Very cleverly worded to exaggerate Barack Obama's role on each of the main points … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, exaggeration, fiscal irresponsibility, health insurance program, Illinois state legislator, Marc Ambinder, political TV ad, tax cuts, Washington Post, welfare reform

6/30/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Not in My Future

Monday morning, little time to write. As I get ready to head back for another week of work, I ironically find this posting for a job that probably isn't in my future. Given my credentials, I doubt I would even get a phone call for an interview. Oh, well. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, General, Labor, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous

6/29/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Good News for Amendment 46

If you're running a statewide ballot initiative campaign, these are the kind of numbers you want to see:A national survey conducted jointly by the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post.com, and Quinnipiac University released Thursday shows that the majority of Colorado voters — Democrat and Republican alike — overwhelmingly support Amendment 46, also known as the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative. The proposed constitutional amendment would prohibit government from considering race or gender in education, government employment, or public contracting. The poll, conducted last week, showed that 66 percent of all voters surveyed were supportive of the initiative's language, with just 15 percent saying they were opposed. Democrats were … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: Amendment 46, ballot initiative, Colorado Civil Rights initiative, Face the State, poll, Qunnipiac University, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post

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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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bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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