Can we keep America exceptional?

President Obama insists that America is not exceptional. Yet for his flawed economic policies to work, he must rely on an amazing degree of exceptionalness. Like any nation, we are not exempt from the consequences of ill-considered choices. We have the advantage of observing the outcome that decades of overspending and social profligacy have caused in Europe -- welfare dependency, oppressive taxation and insurmountable debt. And riots.

America is indeed exceptional in many important ways: freedom, innovation, opportunity, honor. But bloated government outlays and intrusive, business-thwarting regulations bring economic collapse, even here.

Ready for Some Watershed Thinking?

By John Andrews As conservatives, the only question is not how should we vote. How should we live? How should we treat people? How should we view America and its future? I've long believed that many of the answers are hiding in plain sight, up near the Continental Divide in my imaginary hometown of the heart, Backbone, Colorado. It was the dateline for over a hundred of my Denver Post columns in the past decade, and they're now collected in a new book, Backbone Colorado USA: Dispatches from the Divide.

You can nibble these brief, practical essays like popcorn, but get ready for a healthy jolt -- this is power food for hungry citizens. Or to change the metaphor: it's watershed thinking to help readers draw the line between the postmodern laziness that will sink America and the aroused civic courage we must summon up to save our country. Order your copy today, plus a couple of extras to give as gifts. And please let me know what you think of it.

Jerry Brown slurs Whitman -- earns NOW's endorsement

The timing couldn't be more profound: just one day after California gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown is caught on tape as a campaign aide calls Meg Whitman a "whore", the National Organization for Women announces -- you guessed it -- that it is supporting Jerry Brown for Governor. Proving that liberal orthodoxy trumps gender every time, NOW not only is endorsing a man over a woman in California, but it is apparently not concerned with Brown's acceptance of sexist, demeaning language being used against his opponent. In NOW's view, Whitman -- who is pro-life -- apparently doesn't warrant the kind of protection from mysogynist attacks that the group's charter is supposed to provide all women. But as it has proven time and time again, female conservatives are the wrong kind of women. Not that NOW can't be enraged by a politician's words -- just not those of Democrat politicians. Posted prominently on the NOW website, the group is vehemently denouncing Senator Jim DeMint's "dangerous comments" on gays and sexually active single women "being unfit to teach". According to NOW, DeMint's comments to a "conservative church group" make him a "sexist bigot" who is "ignorant, homophobic" and unfit to serve in the U.S. Congress. DeMint actually made these comments six years ago, and was only recently reflecting on the impact they had in the media in a speech he gave last week to the Greater Freedom Rally in Spartanburg, South Carolina. And he actually said that "gays and unmarried pregnant women" should not be public school teachers -- a statement that NOW extrapolated to mean "sexually active single women" -- as if every sexually active single woman gets pregnant. Leaving aside the wisdom of DeMint's views on these issues, is putting forward a value statement on public education really worse than calling a woman a "whore"?

For NOW -- which has never met a conservative woman it can support, a man who uses a sexist slur is still better than a self-made woman who embodies the very feminist values of hard work and female mobility that the group is supposed to stand for.

Shameful.

America is Calling: Support Ken Buck

ProgressNowColorado.com has Ken Buck in their crosshairs.  The Independent, the left wing newspaper out of Colorado Springs is ridiculing Rasmussen so readers will discredit his polling data. Ken Buck's victory on Tuesday night set off a firestorm that quickly spread beyond Colorado.  As typically occurs, once election results are known, the losing camp sulks off to lick their wounds and pout for a bit.  Buck people would have done the same had Norton won.  It's normal and allowed and with the amount of passion and intensity that went into these campaigns, anything less that heartbreak would be abnormal.

It's Friday now and the sun has continued to rise each morning since Ken Buck was handed the banner of victory.  While Norton supporters have sulked, the progressive Democrats have been busy concocting a game plan to defeat Ken Buck.  Can Ken win in November?  Of course, he can.  He defied all odds by winning the primary.  He habitually ran behind in polling, fundraising, name recognition and high-profile endorsements.  The results should have been different on Tuesday night if all the typical political markers had held strong.

The enormously powerful and well-funded 527, "Grow Our Party" hand-picked Mrs. Norton and funneled millions into Colorado in the way of TV ads and mailers.  Some of their effort worked.  There were voters that changed their mind from Ken to Jane based on the ad campaign from "G.O.P."   It's time for G.O.P. to realize their efforts worked to some degree, so this is no time to pull out of Colorado. They need to mount an attack against the forces that would defeat Ken Buck.

Ken Buck has what it takes to defeat Michael Bennet.  He will be excellent in debates and he does not waiver in his positions.  He is extremely personable and likable and time and again, people he met on the stump would comment that if people actually heard him in person, shook his hand and looked him in the eye, they couldn't help but see his sincerity, integrity and deep commitment to fight for his country.  He has a very appealing demeanor; there is nothing elite or pretentious about him which is why he immediately lead the pack among the grassroots voters that are tired and frustrated with establishment Republicans.  Another common thought that echoed throughout the primary campaign was the fact that many Republicans no longer trust their county chairs and people in higher authority in the party.  After all, it was on their watch that the Republicans suffered defeats in '06 and '08.  Why keep following a game plan that is proven to fail?

Jane Norton needs to come out in a bold way and call upon all her supporters to not just stand with Ken Buck with their vote, but to donate.  This race is going to be all about money.  Ken Buck needs a war chest to strike back when lies are told and attacks are levied toward him. 

Our country is calling.  We need to replace Michael Bennet with the people's choice, Ken Buck.  He won.  He can do the job but he needs the assistance of an entire nation that understands how crucial his conservative vote is in the U.S. Senate. 

Go to www.buckforcolorado.com to donate, volunteer and get involved.  There will be another election in 6 years.  If you aren't happy with Ken Buck at that point, you have another shot at putting someone in Washington that you'd prefer.  But for now, Ken Buck is our candidate.  We can support him 100% and do our best to turn the tide of this Administration, or we can sit it out because we didn't get the candidate we wanted.  If you choose the latter, you've already cast a vote for Michael Bennet and more of Obama's progressive agenda.

Let's Redistribute Los Sols' Wealth

A brilliant marketing campaign was undertaken yesterday in Arizona in response to the bravery of Gov. Jan Brewer and her State Legislators.It's probably prudent to acknowledge first of all that the rage over the Arizona illegal immigration law would not be nearly as boisterous if Gov. Jan Brewer were not a Republican.  This issue isn't about race for most Americans; it's about abiding by our existing laws.  Conversely, for most in the Democrat Party, the entertainment industry and professional sports teams, it's about their disdain for the Right Wing, hatred of Tea Party goers and a lust for making money off of a crisis. Rev. Al Sharpton supported capitalism yesterday by helping buy up newly printed game jerseys for the Arizona Suns.  Arms linked, Rev. Al and his collection of community agitators walked the streets of Phoenix to protest the opinion of most Americans that we need strict enforcement of our immigration laws; that we can no longer afford to provide expensive entitlements for millions of people not legally here, and we certainly can no longer tolerate the flow of dangerous criminals threatening our safety.  Never letting a crisis go to waste, Rev. Al and all the folks demanding equal rights for non-citizens probably did not offer their sympathy to the rancher recently murdered on his own property by illegals, and I haven't seen him marching in Denver offering solace to the families of Colorado residents murdered at the hands of persons here illegally.  This recent display of Rev. Al's compassion and demand for justice is the typical  one-way street, and yet he believes himself to be someone to be revered.  At least he got a really cool new basketball jersey for his effort.

MSNBC is gleeful this morning because the Suns' won their game last night over the Spurs and they weren't subtle in suggesting those "Los Suns" jerseys had something to do with it.  God is at work, even on the basketball court.  Surely, there was Divine Intervention sent to strike down the work of evil doers that wish to see law, order and justice maintained while blessings abound for those entrepreneurs making lots of money off the new jerseys and such.

The Chicago White Sox organization doesn't want to show up at play-off games in Phoenix, the Suns' have made their political statement, the Denver School District isn't going to confiscate tax dollars to send administrators to expensive retreats and seminars in Arizona and elected officials across the country ranging from the lowliest city council member to the man holding the highest office in the land all are linking arms in solidarity with Rev. Al.   Just last week the President stated he didn't think Congress has the stomach right now to tackle immigration reform, but this morning after that invigorating win by Los Sols', Mr. Obama has found his own stomach tonic and is ready to rumble, saying he's going to hope for some change in immigration policy before the end of this year. 

It would be nice for the Phoenix Suns' to lead by example.  Why not allow anyone to walk into a game without having a ticket?  If I showed up and said I didn't have a purchased ticket but I want to exercise my human right to enjoy the game and fruits of others' labor, shouldn't I be allowed to walk right in?  Wouldn't it be discrimination and profiling if I were denied admission simply because I didn't have the money to pay and I look suspiciously like a person that might go to a Tea Party?   Why continue to require persons to go through security clearance and make sure they aren't carrying a weapon?  Isn't that a violation of civil rights?  Why not  invite all to imbibe and eat as much as they wish at concession stands without having to pay and make sure all the high-priced souvenirs are free for the asking?  Last week the President asked how much money do people really need to make anyway, and it seems fitting and proper for the well paid basketball players in Phoenix to step up first with an answer.  Let their answer be that they make too much money, they should no longer collect royalties for the use of their names or faces and let's just all take what we need and want because as long as we have rich athletes and overpaid, ridiculously wealthy Hollywood stars willingly donating their fortunes, why should the common man work hard to save up for a ticket to a big game?  Why shouldn't tickets for professional sporting events and movies be free?  Why should hardworking, middle class families be expected to pay for beer and hot dogs at the ballgame and why should a child living in a low income housing project not have a closet full of pro team jerseys at no cost?

 The idea won't work because some wet blanket tea party-type will spoil the fun by pointing out that if everyone doesn't pay their way into a game or movie and support the people selling food and soveniors, eventually those industries will collapse and cease to exist.  Hollywood stars and music icons won't work hard to entertain us for very long if they aren't paid for their effort, and pro athletes won't amaze us with their God-given talent if they don't get a nice paycheck in return.  Darn.  It sounded like a really good plan there for awhile.

Whether its actor Russell Crowe that spoke out yesterday that he's all in favor of redistribution of wealth (his wealth  made off his new Robin Hood movie excluded, no doubt), the Phoenix Suns or Al Sharpton, they will make all the politically correct noise they can but as is always the case in the Land of Liberalism, its YOUR money and MINE they intend to redistribute.  They'll throw a few bucks here and there for charity while Entertainment Tonight camera's are rolling, but rest assured, they will hold onto the bulk of THEIR wealth.  The rules only apply to the average taxpayer trying to care for his own that is the target.