Greer vs. Thurman on PowerPlay

Chairman Greer and Florida Democrat Party Chairman Karen Thurman appear on an episode of Sayfie TV’s “PowerPlay” today at www.sayfiereview.com. Please take a moment to cast your vote for Chairman Greer in the online poll to the right of the video, show your support and tell Florida’s power players that Chairman Greer won the debate!

Update 9-15: With 3 days of voting complete, the Sayfie Review readers have spoken:

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer - 51%
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman - 49%

McCain position on abortion

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.

Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.

However, the reversal of Roe v. Wade represents only one step in the long path toward ending abortion. Once the question is returned to the states, the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby. The pro-life movement has done tremendous work in building and reinforcing the infrastructure of civil society by strengthening faith-based, community, and neighborhood organizations that provide critical services to pregnant mothers in need. This work must continue and government must find new ways to empower and strengthen these armies of compassion. These important groups can help build the consensus necessary to end abortion at the state level. As John McCain has publicly noted, "At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level."

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) introduces "Middle Class Bill of Rights"

Two days ago, Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA 7th District) spoke to the Conservative Bloggers' Briefing at the Heritage Foundation, introducing a "Middle Class Bill of Rights." They include:

• Energy: As everybody knows by now, the rational approach is to have an "all of the above" strategy which includes production of non-renewable and renewable resources (including nuclear), as well as initiatives that increase conservation and efficiency. Cantor mentioned that the selection of Palin gives the GOP in the expertise edge of energy solutions.
• Health Care: Cantor explained that individuals worry more today than a generation ago about losing their jobs because of the subsequent loss in health care coverage. Consumer-based health care programs and the expansion of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are the way to proceed.
• Making Paychecks Go Further: Another way of saying "tax cuts." But Cantor also mentioned that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is proposing making overtime wages tax-exempt to fuel more productivity at the micro-level.
• Job Creation: Cantor correctly points out that the best stimulus for any economy is job creation. This means Congress has to start being concerned about competitiveness and corporate taxes. Back in January, Cantor introduced the "Middle Class Job Protection Act," which would, among other things, cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%. While it is speculative to link corporate taxes to job loss/creation, the ultimate burden of corporate taxes does fall on individuals through lower wages, higher costs at goods and services, etc. (The Tax Foundation has started a campaign called CompeteUSA, showing that corporate taxes in America are increasingly out-of-line with the rest of the world.) http://www.thenextright.com/
  

McCain on Immigration and Border Security

"As you know, I and many other colleagues twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to fix our broken borders; ensure respect for the laws of this country; recognize the important economic contribution of immigrant laborers; apprehend those who came here illegally to commit crimes; and deal practically and humanely with those who came here, as my distant ancestors did, to build a better, safer life for their families, without excusing the fact they came here illegally or granting them privileges before those who have been waiting their turn outside the country. Many Americans did not believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts. I don't want to fail again to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. We must prove we have the resources to secure our borders and use them, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States. When we have achieved our border security goal, we must enact and implement the other parts of practical, fair and necessary immigration policy. We have economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well, and they require no less dedication from us in meeting them."

- John McCain

John McCain believes America's immigration system is broken. He is committed to a two-step process to reform. More...

Super Saturday September 13

Fellow Republicans,

Thanks so much for your overwhelming energy this past week! Several hundred people have visited the Republican Headquarters, and about as many have called. Of course, all are looking for McCain/Palin stuff. Yes, the stuff IS coming, if ever so slowly. We’ll have McCain/Palin bumper stickers tomorrow (after lunch), and yard signs will arrive late next week. In the meantime, keep dropping by HQ, because a few individuals are buying McCain/Palin tshirts and buttons and making them available to our HQ visitors. Donations are always welcome.

This Saturday, September 13, is Super Saturday, speared-headed by the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF). Republican headquarters across Florida will be teeming with volunteers ready to make phone calls, walk neighborhoods and wave signs for the Republican Party’s presidential ticket. Bay County’s HQ will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We have cell phones at HQ and lists of friendly voters waiting to hear from us. If phone banking isn’t your cup of tea, we’ll be putting together groups to do door-to-door campaigning in nearby neighborhoods.

And if that isn’t your cup of tea, there’s always sign waving for McCain/Palin, my personal favorite campaign activity. If you’ve never sign-waved, trust me: you’ll fall in love with the sight of thumbs-up hanging out car windows and the sound of car horns tooting approval of your presidential ticket. We have some McCain signs at HQ for waving, but if you feel inspired to make your own sign, express yourself. Poster board and magic markers are available at HQ if you have a last-minute brainstorm.

Thanks to all of you who attended the volunteer orientation at HQ last Sunday. What a thrill it was to be in a crowded room full of energized and rarin’-to-go McCain/Palin fans! Many of you have already started working your precincts on behalf of the Republican ticket. 480 phone calls for McCain/Palin have been made by Bay County ’s volunteers during the last four days. Way to go, team! We couldn’t do it without you!

Teresa Eaton

The McCain Economic Plan

• Entrepreneurs are at the heart of American innovation, growth and prosperity. John McCain believes that entrepreneurs should not be taxed into submission.

• He will preserve low taxes for small business and create more jobs. On the other hand, Senator Obama's proposal is to lift the payroll tax income cap, which would result in the largest Tax increase in American history. Senator Obama will raise taxes on three million small business owners.

• John McCain's economic plan will help small businesses grow by providing investment incentives. His proposal would allow businesses to immediately deduct the cost of equipment investment, providing a valuable pro-growth investment incentive. Meanwhile, Senator Obama will impose across the board tax increases which will leave small business owners with fewer resources to invest in their businesses.

• The bottom line is that across this country, millions of American families are hurting. They are concerned about the prospect of losing a job or a home and need help from our nation's leaders. As President, John McCain will act quickly and decisively to meet today's economy challenges. He will implement the reforms needed to promote the country's economic growth. Senator Obama's plan for the economy is about raising taxes, increasing government spending and isolating America from the benefits of the global economy.

Welcome to our blog!!

This is the official blog of the Bay County, Florida REC. It represents a new effort by GOP leadership in Bay County to reach out to prospective voters and keep them informed on the issues that matter to them. We will be talking to local members of the McCain-Palin 2008 campaign as well as rank-and-file Republicans, asking them to comment on the issues facing our area and the nation. This is intended to be an open forum, but please be respectful when commenting.

Polite comments are always welcome.

I promise to only edit for punctuation and spelling if you are published. We are looking for how you feel about the candidates and the issues, how you came to support McCain/Palin, and any personal "human interest stories" such as if you happened to have lived in Alaska or have met a candidate or even why you are a Republican. We will have a need for a lot of content so most articles submitted will most likely be published. If they are not please do not take it personally.

We also have a Yahoo! group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baycoflgop/ as a place to share articles of interest and links, so if you are interested in that please join. If you are on Myspace, Facebook, or Purple Florida send me your address and I will add you when the new profiles and groups are ready. If you are under 40 and are interested in the Young Republicans please contact chrisopher.woods@comcast.net for more information.

Thank you once again for your interest in helping with this new project.

Since today is September 11, we pause to reflect on the tragic events of that day and to honor the memory of those we have lost...

Today, John McCain and Barack Obama issued the following statement on coming together to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks:

"All of us came together on 9/11-- not as Democrats or Republicans-- but as Americans. In smoke-filled corridors and on the steps of the Capitol; at blood banks and at vigils-- we were united as one American family. On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones. We will also give thanks for the firefighters, police, and emergency responders who set a heroic example of selfless service, and for the men and women who serve today in defense of the freedom and security that came under attack in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania."

“Today, as Americans join together to remember the victims and the heroic men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives during one of the most horrendous event in our nation’s history, our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of those who were lost,” stated RPOF Chairman Jim Greer. “We honor the selfless men and women of our Armed Forces who risk their lives every day to protect our country, secure our liberty, and work to prevent future attacks.”

http://oldbluejacket.com/9_11_2001.htm