Your hard work is paying off...

Since launching our campaign's online phone bank, McCain-Palin supporters have made hundreds of thousands of calls to voters across the country in support of our ticket.

Your hard work is paying off. The latest polls show we are closing the gap with Senator Obama and as we head into the final two weeks of the campaign, every voter you contact on behalf of the campaign will bring us one step closer to victory on Election Day.

Last week, I emailed you about our weekly "Virtual Super Saturdays" and I want to remind you again to take a few moments out of your day today to make 20 calls for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Volunteers have always been the backbone of our campaign's efforts and in the final days of the race, we need you to pitch in and reach out to voters through our online phone bank.

Our online phone bank is easy to use; simply follow this link and choose the state where you would like to make calls. We'll provide the names, phone numbers and call scripts. Once you've completed your call, record the results and submit them.

It takes 20 minutes to make 20 calls, and by completing these calls, you'll be helping our campaign make a personal connection with voters across the country.

So, I encourage you to find 20 minutes today to take part in our "Virtual Super Saturday."

And remember to mark your calendar for next Saturday, October 25th. We're holding our final national event day,"McCain Nation Super Saturday" with a special conference call with John McCain. Senator McCain will give us an exclusive update from the campaign trail and take caller questions. If you haven't yet signed up to host or attend a "McCain Nation Super Saturday" event.

Thanks for your time and support and good luck with your calls today

Sign-waving 10-18 at 15th St. and Lisenby

Saturday's sign waving was the biggest so far! We had at least 50 people participate. All of our people were filled with enthusiasm as they waved signs, distributed hundreds of bumper stickers, and dozens of lawn signs. We were lucky enough to have in attendance Max the Cowboy (our Mavericks for McCain chairman) as well as Elvis (we have the pictures to prove it). Once again, our group included everyone from small children to the elderly. We were also joined by representatives from Mark Mulligan's campaign who added lots of energy to the wave. I want to thank everyone who joined us Saturday for all their efforts. It would be great if all of our local candidates would send people to join us. Next Saturday, October 25th, we will be in Lynn Haven at the corner of RT 390 and RT 77. Everyone is invited. This is an easy, fun, and effective way to campaign. Please come and help us get John McCain elected President!

Richard Plantec

Bailout Protests at Allen Boyd's office in Tallahassee

Republican Liberty Caucus meetup member from Tallahassee, Nick Providakis, has created a radio ad to fire our Democratic representative, Allen Boyd, for voting TWICE for the bailout despite our overwhelming voice against it. Eric Wall also played a significant role in the planning of this event.

I think the best part is that the disclosure, stating that the ad is not paid for by a political party or candidate, but by concerned citizens.
If you like it, please Chipin $5 - $10 or more to help us run it more often.You can do that on this page....
We've got enough money already to run it several times, but more is better! Perhaps you can use this for your own Representative?
Here's the text, but the audio is much more impactful!

"Hey--remember the bailout?

You know--when Congress voted to give 700 billion dollars to Wall Street bankers to bail them out when their investments went sour. That means you and I and every other taxpayer handed Wall Street about $5000 each.
How'd your Congressman vote? Do you know?

Congressman Allen Boyd voted YES on the bailout. TWICE.

We, the people, told him not to do it, but Boyd voted for the bailout anyway. He's supposed to represent us, right? Clearly, Allen Boyd doesn't know how to do his job.

So let's fire him. On November 4th, vote for anyone but Boyd(Republican candidate Mark Mulligan-ed.).

This ad was not paid for by any political party or candidate. It has been brought to you by concerned residents of Leon County, your friends and neighbors, people who are sick and tired of so-called leaders in Washington like "Bailout" Boyd mortgaging our future and our childrens' future.

If you feel the same way, then join us today, at 1 PM, in front of the Old Capitol Building, to protest the bailout and to serve Allen Boyd his 2 week notice. "

Republican Volunteer News 10-16

Republican Volunteers,

What a great job Senator McCain did in last night’s final Presidential Debate! He inspired us to keep our eyes on the prize in the home stretch. The momentum in Bay County for our presidential ticket has gained steamed with every passing day, and we’re looking forward to rolling over the finish line to victory!

PHONE CALLS FOR MCCAIN-PALIN

Phone banking continues at the Republican Headquarters, 1607 Lisenby Ave. We are working two lists. One list contains names of Republicans who responded during earlier calls that they planned to vote by absentee ballot. We’re calling them now to remind them to do that. The other list contains names of Republicans, Democrats and Independents who responded during earlier calls that they were undecided. We’re calling them now to see if they’re still undecided and to help them understand that Senator John McCain is the right choice for America.

If you would like to make some phone calls for the McCain-Palin ticket, please drop by the Republican Headquarters at your convenience. Scheduling a time to make phone calls is not necessary. There are plenty of phones at HQ, and we want you to feel free to volunteer at a time that’s easiest for you work into your schedule. HQ is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

SIGN WAVES

This Saturday’s sign wave for McCain-Palin will take place at the intersection of 15th St. and Lisenby Ave. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The number of sign wavers has grown steadily as the weeks have gone by. If we have an expected large turnout of sign wavers this Saturday, half of us will go to the intersection of 23rd and Lisenby. That way we’ll be stationed on two major thoroughfares in Panama City during the lunch hours. Lunch for Republican volunteers will be served at HQ following the wave. Please plan to join us—sign waving is great fun!

A mega sign wave is being planned for Nov. 1, the last Saturday before the election, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We plan to have sign wavers for McCain-Palin at every intersection on 23rd St. from the mall to GCCC. According to Mega Sign Wave Chair Melissa Thompson , we’ll meet at the Walmart on 23rd St. in the corner of the parking lot close to SunTrust Bank. Participants are encouraged to make their own signs, such as Students for McCain-Palin, Educators for McCain-Palin, Doctors/Nurses for McCain-Palin, Small Business for McCain-Palin, Taxpayers for McCain-Palin, African Americans for McCain-Palin, Veterans, Sportsmen, Gun Owners, Catholics, etc. If you’re interested in being part of this mega event, drop by or call HQ to put your name on the sign-up sheet. Tell your friends and neighbors about the Mega Wave and invite them to join us in this show of mega support!

YARD SIGNS/BUMPER STICKERS/BUTTONS/SHIRTS/CAPS

The last shipments of yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons have been arriving this week. We’re asking McCain-Palin supporters to limit themselves to one sign per yard and one bumper sticker per auto, so that as many people as possible can show their support for our great presidential ticket. The yard signs and bumper stickers are free, and $2.00 donations are being accepted for the buttons. T-shirts and caps are ordered about every two days. $10 donations are being accepted for the shirts and $12 donations for the caps. IMPORTANT NOTE: If your yard sign is stolen, please report the theft to law enforcement.

RIBBON CUTTING

The Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at the Republican Headquarters on Friday, October 24, at 4:00 p.m. Former FL House Speaker Allan Bense , State Representatives Jimmy Patronis and Marti Coley, and Bay County Commissioners and the media have been invited to attend. Refreshments will be provided by long-time Republican activist and supporter Patrick del Valle. Please plan to attend and support this important event!

MULLIGAN LANDS OPINION PIECE IN TALLAHASSEE NEWSPAPER

Mark Mulligan, Republican challenger for the U.S. House seat now held by Democrat Alan Boyd, recently landed an opinion piece in the Tally newspaper. Here is the link to his article.


LINKS OF INTEREST

You may recently have heard about an audio played on the Howard Stern radio show in which some Harlem voters were interviewed about their presidential choices. Here’s the link:

You also may have heard about a lawsuit that questions Obama’s constitutional qualifications to be President. Here’s a link with info on that matter:

Karl Rove has written a column for today’s Wall Street Journal titled “Obama Hasn’t Closed the Sale .” Here’s that link:

If you’re desperate for some comic relief, a couple of Brit comedians offer some subprime humor in a 9-minute video. The link.

BILLY GRAHAM’S PRAYER FOR THE NATION, shared by volunteer Julie Buckner:

Our Father and our God, we praise You for Your goodness to our nation, giving us blessings far beyond what we deserve. Yet we know all is not right with America . We deeply need a moral and spiritual renewal to help us meet the many problems we face. Convict us of sin. Help us to turn to You in repentance and faith. Set our feet on the path of Your righteousness and peace. We pray today for our nation’s leaders. Give them the wisdom to know what is right, and the courage to do it. You have said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” May this be a new era for America , as we humble ourselves and acknowledge You alone as our Savior and Lord. This we pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.

Finally, a Headquarters volunteer and friend recently laid these scripture verses on my heart. I hope they bring you the peace they have brought to me.

Zechariah 4:6-7 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
God bless you all, and thank you for everything you’re doing to get John McCain and Sarah Palin elected our great nation’s next President and Vice President.

Teresa Eaton

McCain wins 3rd and final debate over "Senator Government"

John McCain talked to the American people tonight with honesty and candor. He was inspirational and bold, talking about the policies that affect you and me and our families every day with common sense and compassion. While Obama seemed stuck in the past, John McCain talked about our future: about rewarding good teachers, refusing to throw money at government programs, and shaking up Washington, D.C. This isn’t about winning or losing a debate, it is about taking the country in a new direction

Erin VanSickle, Communications Director for the Republican Party of Florida

Michelle Malkin added..."No, there weren’t any knockout punches.
But John McCain was still standing at the end of the night — doubts about his fortitude adequately quelled — and Barack Obama ought to be wiping the smirk he borrowed from Joe Biden off his face.

Joe Wurzelbacher the Plumber was a heaven-sent gift for the McCain campaign, and for once, McCain didn’t flub the opportunity to rub the infamous “spread the wealth around” line in Obama’s smug face. Obama’s tin-ear response? Citing his billionaire “friend” Warren Buffett!

Alas, Ayers and ACORN receded into the background. But McCain brought the education debate to the present and spotlighted Obama’s anti-school choice policies that render him woefully out of touch with increasing numbers of minority families.
The best line of the night may have been unplanned (or maybe not)? In jabbing Obama’s spend-spend-spend plans, McCain called him “Senator Government.”

“Senator Government.”
It’s a fitting moniker for the Democrat candidate who spent the whole night talking about “investing” other people’s money. Perfect.
McCain ought to call him that from now until Nov. 4.
And someone from the McCain camp better have Joe’s phone number and arrange a joint appearance pronto.
Joe made Senator Government squirm.
Let’s see more. Better late than never."

From the RPOF blog...John McCain won tonight's debate by vowing to fight for "Joe the Plumber" everyday he is President.

John McCain was a spokesperson for millions of Americans who do not want their taxes raised and their health care socialized.
John McCain won with strong, clear straight talk about setting a new direction for our country and fighting for working families.
On issue after issue, Barack Obama showed that his words do not match his record. Whether it was his tax plan, his spending plans or his record, Barack Obama was full of half-truths.
John McCain outlined his specific, bold plan for creating jobs, helping those near retirement, keeping people in their homes, curbing spending by a hatchet and scalpel, lowering health care costs and achieving energy independence.

Host a Super Saturday Event

Since launching the McCain Nation House Party feature on our website, thousands of events have been held in every state in the country for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Our final national event day, McCain Nation Super Saturday, will be held October 25th.

I'm asking you to take a few minutes today and visit us here to sign up to host or attend one of these events in your neighborhood.

As a host or attendee of a Super Saturday event, you'll gather with friends and neighbors to make calls or go door-to-door for the McCain-Palin campaign. These are critical get-out-the-vote efforts that will make a difference in electing John McCain and Sarah Palin as our next president and vice president.

As a special kick-off to the event, you'll have the unique opportunity to participate in a conference call hosted by John McCain. Senator McCain will give an exclusive campaign update and take caller questions.

Event hosts who register their events online through McCain Nation will also have access to event planning resources and materials for you and your guests.

Please sign up for McCain Nation's Super Saturday on October 25th. It's an event you don't want to miss.

Debate party 10-15 at Calypso's

There will be a Republican Party debate-watching event at Calypso's on Panama City Beach tonight.Calypso's is located at 15812 Front Beach Road. You can call 850.763.8656 for details.


In other news, our Republican nominee for President of the United States, Senator John McCain, will join the Florida Ticket for Road to Victory Rallies on October 17th in Miami and Melbourne.

Florida Dem. Congressman denies paying Hush Money, faces strong competition from Tom Rooney

Fla. Dem. Congressman Denies Paying Hush Money

Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) on Tuesday denied paying hush money to a former aide to silence her about an affair.

Mahoney did not directly comment on the purported affair, but said in a statement that he took "full responsibility for my actions and the pain I have caused my wife, Terry, and my daughter, Bailey."

The statement came a day after ABC News reported on its Web site that Mahoney had an affair with an aide and then paid her $121,000 to keep her quiet and prevent her from filing a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Mahoney won the race after former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley resigned when it was revealed he sent lurid Internet messages to male teenage pages who had worked on Capitol Hill. Foley was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by state and federal authorities.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mahoney have called for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Mahoney said he has not misused campaign funds and will be cleared of wrongdoing.

"I have not violated my oath of office, nor have I violated any laws, and I consider this to be a private matter."

Mahoney faces stiff competition for his House seat this fall...from NPR

His Republican opponent is Tom Rooney

REC Board Meeting tonight at 6 pm

The regular Board meeting will be held tonight at 6:00 at HQ. We’ll be setting the agenda for the REC meeting of October 27, the last meeting prior to the election. If you have something that you’d like to add to the agenda, please call or email me or any other officer.

At the risk of overwhelming you with info or getting you further frustrated with the election, there are two websites that you should visit. The first is found here. This site shows the ACORN connections that the media has hinted at, but largely ignored. The second one is here. This one has a couple of videos dealing with the Ayers-Obama connection that shows Obama himself embellishing his qualifications for the Senate by touting many of the connections that he now refutes.

You can help by forwarding these messages to your friends who aren’t directly involved with the REC.

On the issue of Taxes:

Now the Obama campaign is backing away from the notion of tax cuts for 95% of all Americans, to 95% of tax-paying citizens. What difference does that make? Read the attached article. As Obama says repeatedly in one of his famous speeches, “Words, just words!”. Unfortunately, it’s all just words when it comes to defining his “change”, and the reality would be a socialist change overseen by George Soros and his type. They won’t be satisfied until the United States is reduced in prosperity and power, and free enterprise is under government control.

Ted Haney
Bay County GOP Chairman


"I know what fear feels like. It's a thief in the night who robs your strength. I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will," he said. "I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again." Sen. John McCain

Republican Liberty Caucus officially endorses Mark Mulligan

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida has officially endorsed
Republican Mark Mulligan of Panama City in his race for the US
Congressional District 2 of Florida. The National RLC organization has endorsed him as well.

Mark, a 6th-generation Floridian and son of two Bay County educators,
is a 1979 graduate of Bay High School in Panama City, where he was Captain of the Wrestling Team for 2 years and a former Florida state champion in his weight class. After receiving an Associates Degree
from Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, he has received 3 degrees from Florida State University, a Bachelors of Science degree in Professional Communications, a Masters degree in Public
Communications and a Doctorate in Mass Communication in 2008.

He has been married to his wife Tawn Mulligan since 1995 and has two
children, Olivia, age 13 and Lillian, age 11. After the events of
September 11, 2001 he wanted to become more involved in helping our
nation and to create a better future for the American people, so he
decided to run as a candidate for the United States Congress.

This is Mark's official statement regarding his endorsement by the
Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida. "I am deeply honored to learn
that the RLC of Florida has officially endorsed my candidacy for
seeking the office of U.S. Representative for Florida's Second
Congressional District for the 2008 election.

"I pursued the endorsement of the RLC when discovering that the
statement of principles and positions of the RLC were directly in line
with my political philosophy on individual rights, limited government,
free enterprise, and most of all, upholding the true integrity of the
U.S. Constitution.

My commitment to the RLC plans to be longstanding, and if elected to
office, I will promote the principles of the RLC. I plan to keep my
communications lines open at all times to the RLC when proposing,
drafting, debating, and voting on congressional legislation.
My commitment, compassion, and absolute patriotism towards the United
States of America is paramount, and my determination to uphold the
basic platform of the U.S. Constitution is considered vital for our
country's successful future..."

After winning a decisive victory in the August 26 Republican primary,
Mark continues to show the determination, courage and drive it takes
to successfully represent a Congressional District that spans from
Walton County in the western Panhandle, including Panama City and
Tallahassee all the way to Dixie, Lafayette and Suwannee counties in
the eastern end of the district.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida only endorses Republican candidates and Mark Mulligan strongly supports the McCain-Palin 2008 campaign.

Stop the Dysfunction in Congress

by Mark Mulligan

website

Many of us are not economic experts, however, many of us over the past several weeks have become information seekers concerning the economic crisis.

Currently, our national debt is over 10 trillion dollars, and government spending is out of control with almost a half trillion-dollar budget deficit for the last several years.

The 850 billion dollar Emergency Economic Stabilization Act that Congress passed on October 3 was to restore the confidence and stability to our crippling economy.

Instead, quite the opposite has occurred. Since the "bailout" bill passed, our country has realized three quarters of a trillion dollars in wealth destruction.

The "bailout" package has also triggered a cascading global panic in the financial markets across Europe and Asia.

The bailout was never intended to put credit back into our economy. The bailout is to buy toxic debt from mismanaged companies and to provide relief to foreign financial entities such as those located in London and China.

AIG received their 85 billion dollar bailout and then threw a $400 thousand dollar bailout party. Remember, the bailout dollars come from the taxpayers.

When will the bailouts stop? In an article in the Wall Street Journal is titled, The Next Bailout: Your Adult Children?

In the U.S. we don't have a money problem. There is over 3.5 trillion dollars hoarded away in U.S. banks.

The money is hoarded away because the cash holders don't trust the market players.

One root of the problem is that investors cannot trust the balance sheets of many financial companies due to off-balance-sheet vehicles that were supposed to be banned after the ENRON scandal. The regulations concerning transparency have not been upheld.

When the Secretary of the Treasury came to Congress with the proposal to buy toxic debt from failing companies, Congress should have turned him around and sent him back.

Congress did not need to throw money at the problem, they needed to respond by enforcing existing regulations.

Members in Congress should have immediately contacted the executives in many of the financial regulatory agencies and prompted an investigation on why they haven't been doing their jobs.

Nevertheless, the claim by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and the Secretary of the Treasury, is that the toxic debt is actually undervalued and if U.S. Government buys the debt, then over time the value will bounce back and the U.S. Government will make a profit. Highly speculative on their part.

Eventually. the market will correct itself, however it may take several years, realize significant loses, and experience many pains along the way.

In situations like this, we don't need bigger government, we need better government, and I am able to contribute.

Hopefully in the future, Congress will not rush legislation based on fear and panic, at any time, or for any reason.

I can provide the leadership to resolve the issues using better research skills, better analytical skills and better strategic planning skills.

When Florida's Second Congressional District cried out and pleaded for its leadership, all we got form our representative were complaints about how other representatives in Congress were drafting poorly written legislation, and then voted "yes" twice. I can and will make more sound decisions.

What the Second Congressional District needs is a representative in Congress that is willing to stand strong with a backbone, fight to draft solutions to solve the problems, and stand for what is the right thing to do.

We are living in a turbulent time. This is an era when the United States is in the process of redefining itself. At the congressional level, the major national issues that were once talked about a few years ago are now at our doorstep. With certainty, Congress will face many more challenges in the upcoming months.

I am not a professional politician and I don't intend to be. I am a scholar and have not received one penny from lobbyists, political action committees, or special interests groups. I come to the table with a fresh slate and eager to work on the tough issues.

It is time to pass the torch to a new representative. As a candidate for Congress, I am ready to grab the torch and represent our district in Washington with common sense and conservatism.

Sincerely,

Mark Mulligan, PhD

Here is Boyd's view, in case you didn't read the terrible News Herald editorial last week.