/* ************************************************************** */ /* Friendly Welcome to all conservatives, Tea Party, Constitution, Libertarian, Talk Radio and Conservative News listeners.*/ /* I assure you, Look at our platform and standing resolutions, our heart is in the right place, and we agree much more than*/ /* we disagree. (I would say on 99 % of the issues.) Part of our platform is the requirement of loyalty to the conservative */ /* ideals and beliefs we hold dear – and we have pledged to drop our support for candidates who do not follow those beliefs */ /* and ideals. On March 20, 1854 in Ripon, Wisconsin, a small group of people got together, forming the cradle of what we */ /* have today, The Republican Party. That Cradle of Conservatism is still here in Wisconsin, in all of us */ /* this added for google analytics BY WEBMASTER */ /* end WEBMASTER edit */ /** ************************************************* */

Welcome!

Friendly Welcome to all conservatives, Tea Party, Constitution, Libertarian, Glen Beck listeners, KTLK/ Former Jason Lewis Listeners, AM880/1500 -Garage Logicians, Rush Limbaugh, Hannity and Fox News listeners. I assure you, Look at our platform and standing resolutions, our heart is in the right place, and we agree much more than we disagree. (I would say on 99 % of the issues.) Part of our platform is the requirement of loyalty to the conservative ideals and beliefs we hold dear – and we have pledged to drop our support for candidates who do not follow those beliefs and ideals. On March 20, 1854 in Ripon, Wisconsin, a small group of people got together, forming the cradle of what we have today, The Republican Party. That Cradle of Conservatism is still here in Wisconsin, in all of us.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

CALL SENATOR VINEHOUT TODAY!

Please call State Senator Vinehout - 877-763-6636 - before 11AM and ask her to vote NO on the BadgerCare Basic Plus.

This bill will create a public option in WI people can tap into into even with pre-existing conditions. Medical providers will be paid at the medicare rates which will shift costs to the private insurers/insured. It will bring out of state people into the state to sign up for these benefits. The Democrats believe a premium of $130 will cover costs but we know it won't and the tax payer will pick these costs up.

Please send this on and please call to keep the public option out of Wisconsin.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Pepin County Lincoln Day Dinner

The Republican Party of Pepin County is pleased to announce our Lincoln Day Dinner and Caucus!


What: Republican Party of Pepin County Lincoln Day Dinner and Caucus
Where: Club 10 Entertainment Center W4570 US Highway 10, Durand, WI, 54736
Who: Any conservatives who'd like to come!
Price: $25 per person or $35 for a couple - $15 with ID for enrolled students or kids under 18..

When: Saturday, February 27th
12:00 meet/greet Social hour from 12-1, come speak with the candidates!
1pm start, Caucus to immediately follow dinner program.

Invited to attend:
- WI Attorney General JB Van Hollen
- Scott Walker - Candidate for Governor
- Mayor Dave Ross - Candidate for Lt. Governor
- Ben Collins - Candidate for Lt. Governor
- Brett Davis - Candidate for Lt. Governor
- Rebecca Kleefisch - Candidate for Lt. Governor
- David King - Candidate for WI Secretary of State
- Terrence Wall - Candidate for US Senate (challenging Fiengold)
- David Westlake - Candidate for US Senate (challenging Fiengold)
- Dan Kapanke - Candidate for US Congress (challenging Kind))
- Ed Thompson - Candidate for State Senate (challenging Vinehout in the 31st district)
- Issac Weix - Candidate for State Assembly (challenging Smith in the 93d district)
- Mike Conlin - Candidate for State Assembly (challenging Smith in the 93rd district)

So, please plan to attend what promises to be an awesome event. You can register by sending a message to pepin gop (at) gmail (dot) com  (here). (type it in without any spaces, using the correct symbols.)

PLEASE PASS THIS EMAIL ON TO EVERYONE IN YOUR CONTACTS LIST THAT YOU THINK MAY LIKE TO JOIN US!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Urgent Alert! TODAY! 2-18 1pm: State bill AB751 would disenfranchise voters!

Read All about it!
http://www.wifamilyaction.org/aggregator/sources/3

Also check out my summary of Wikipedia's "Arguments in Favor of the Electoral College System"
from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College_%28United_States%29



Following the message from Wisconsin Family Action, I placed a quick outline of the benefits of the Electoral college system , followed by the same in greater detail.


Please Call your local legislator, pass this on to your friendly contacts, and spread the message about our blog pages and social networking sites Facebook, twitter and google.

WFA Action Alert  

Please Forward to Friends and Family

We just received notice of a bill, Assembly Bill 751, that would create a national popular vote for the U.S. presidency, essentially undermining the Electoral College.  The bill was introduced late yesterday and the Assembly Elections Committee scheduled a public hearing for tomorrow at 1 p.m.  The legislature is pushing this dangerous bill through at breakneck speed.  AB 751 is part of a national effort to disenfranchise voters that is gaining ground at an alarming rate (with a troubling connection to the notorious liberal money-bags, George Soros).  >>click here to scroll down to see what you can do.

Note: If you have Microsoft Outlook and you're having troubling accessing the links in this email, click on the yellow bar at the top of your email that says "Click here to turn on links."

Brief Explanation
The Electoral College, an election process created by the Founding Fathers and established in the U.S. Constitution, was a brilliant compromise between states with large populations and those with small populations.  Each state is awarded a number of electoral votes for president based on state population and state sovereignty.  The state popular vote for president determines which presidential candidates wins that state's electoral votes.   

This bill would authorize the State of Wisconsin to take part in an interstate compact with other states, pledging that our state's electoral votes will go to the presidential candidate who wins, not the popular vote of Wisconsin, but the national popular vote.  If you think your vote is just one of many in the state right now, imagine what little impact your vote would have if it was only one of millions and millions of votes! With the Electoral College, your vote is a higher percentage of the total votes from the state and has a greater impact on the presidential election.  With a national popular vote, the states with the highest populations determine the president, and then Wisconsin is forced to ratify their vote, regardless of whether that candidate was the choice of the majority of Wisconsin voters.

What You Can Do to Protect the Efficacy of Your Vote
  1. Sign our petition urging State Legislators to kill this bill.  WFA will testify against this bill tomorrow at 1 p.m.  It is extremely important that you sign this petition (and forward it to friends and family) so that we can take the signatures to committee and present them as part of our testimony.  If possible, please sign the petition before 12 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, February 17.  If you read this email after 1 p.m., please sign the petition!  The Democrats are pushing this through at lightning speed and we need to show them how the public feels about AB 751. >> click here to sign the petition
  2. Contact the members of the Assembly Elections Committee.  They need to hear from you on this bill! Please call or email the eight members of the committee.  >>click here to send an email to the committee members (Note: if you see a "+" sign in front of the email addresses in your "Send to" box, remove the plus sign before sending the message.>>click here for phone numbers to call committee members.
  3. Contact your State Representative and let them know you are opposed to AB 751.  >> click here to send a prepared email, that you can edit as you like, to your State Representative
  4. Attend the hearing tomorrow at 1 p.m.!  If you've never attended a public hearing before, this is the time to do it.  The hearing begins at 1 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday February 17 in the North Hearing Room (2nd floor of the State Capitol).  Even if you do not give testimony, you can register against the bill.
It is very clear that the Democratic Majority in the State Legislature is going to attempt to push this bill through before the end of the current legislative session in April.  We need your help to fight the progress of AB 751 and the disenfranchising impact it would have on Wisconsin presidential votes.

For Families,





Julaine Appling, President
Wisconsin Family Action
www.wifamilyaction.org
866-849-2536


You have received this message because you have subscribed to a mailing list of Wisconsin Family Council. If you do not wish to receive periodic emails from this source, please click below to unsubscribe.

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College_%28United_States%29

Arguments in favor of the Electoral College

(fast outline, detail follows the outline)
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Prevents an urban-centric victory

Prevents a candidate from winning the Presidency by simply winning in heavily populated urban areas.

Maintains the federal character of the nation

Forces candidates to pay attention to lightly populated states and their rules and reinforces the role of the state in federalism.

Enhances status of minority groups

Candidates must court a wide variety of people including minorities and interest groups.

Encourages stability through the two-party system

(Politicians must "...moderate their views to win broad, long-term support from across the entire nation.")

Death, Legally Defined Disability To Execute the Office or Legal Disqualification From Office of a candidate

(What happens when a Presidential / Vice Presidential Candidate dies shortly before the election.)

Isolation of election problems

(problems are limited to the state where it occurs.)

Encapsulation of election system

Each state chooses its methods (i.e. voting system, vote-recording technology) without affecting other states.

Neutralizes turnout disparities between states

Factors that affect the turnout (extreme Weather, hotly contested races, etc) are neutralized

Maintains separation of powers

(Read Full Paragraph below for detailed explanation)
----------------------
-----------------------
Detailed Version:

Arguments in favor of the Electoral College (From Wikipedia)

Prevents an urban-centric victory

Proponents of the Electoral College claim the Electoral College prevents a candidate from winning the Presidency by simply winning in heavily populated urban areas. This means that candidates must make a much wider appeal than they would if they simply had to win the national popular vote.[56]

Maintains the federal character of the nation

The United States of America is a federal coalition which consists of component states. Proponents of the current system argue that the collective opinion of even a small state merits attention at the federal level greater than that given to a small, though numerically-equivalent, portion of a very populous state. The system also allows each state the freedom, within constitutional bounds, to design its own laws on voting and enfranchisement without an undue incentive to maximize the number of votes cast.
For many years early in the nation's history, up until the Jacksonian Era, many states appointed their electors by a vote of the state legislature, and proponents argue that, in the end, the election of the President must still come down to the decisions of each state, or the federal nature of the United States will give way to a single massive, centralized government.[57]
In his book A More Perfect Constitution, Professor Larry Sabato elaborated on this advantage of the Electoral College, arguing to "mend it, don't end it," in part because of its usefulness in forcing candidates to pay attention to lightly populated states and reinforcing the role of the state in federalism.[58]

Enhances status of minority groups

Far from decreasing the power of minority groups by depressing voter turnout, proponents argue that, by making the votes of a given state an all-or-nothing affair, minority groups can provide the critical edge that allows a candidate to win. This encourages candidates to court a wide variety of such minorities and interest groups.[57]

Encourages stability through the two-party system

Many proponents of the Electoral College see its negative effect on third parties as a good thing. They argue that the two party system has provided stability through its ability to change during times of rapid political and cultural change. They believe it protects the most powerful office in the country from control by what these proponents view as regional minorities until they can moderate their views to win broad, long-term support from across the entire nation.

Death, Legally Defined Disability To Execute the Office or Legal Disqualification From Office of a candidate

The Constitution grants each state the right to appoint electors in a manner chosen by that state. While it is common to think of the electoral votes impersonally, as mere numbers, the Electoral College is in fact made up of real people (usually party regulars of the party whose candidate wins each state) with the capacity to adapt to unusual situations. That capacity might be particularly important if, for example, a candidate were to die or become in some other way legally disabled or disqualified to serve as President or Vice President. Advocates of the current system argue that these electors could then choose a suitable replacement (who would most likely come from the same party of the candidate who won the election) more competently than could the general voting public. Furthermore, the time period during which such a death or the onset of such a legal disability or disqualification might call for such an adaptation extends, under the Electoral College system, from before Election Day (many states cannot change ballots at a late stage) until the day the electors vote (the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December). Thus, until the electors cast their votes, it is not a federal issue, per se, but a state's rights issue and state laws (should) regulate the situation. In Virginia, for instance, the law clearly states that the electors must vote for the name of the candidate whom they represent on the ballot, and therefore these electors are not able to adapt to unusual situations, unless they are willing to violate the law, and suffer the penalties for so doing.
In the election of 1872, Democratic candidate Horace Greeley did in fact die before the meeting of the Electoral College, resulting in Democratic disarray; the electors who were to have voted for Greeley split their votes across several candidates, including three votes cast for the deceased Greeley. However, President Ulysses S. Grant, the Republican incumbent, had already won an absolute majority of electors. Because it was the death of a losing candidate, there was no pressure to agree on a replacement candidate. There has never been a case of a candidate of the winning party dying.
In the election of 1912, after the Republicans had renominated President Taft and Vice President Sherman, Sherman died shortly before the election, too late to change the names on the ballot, thus causing Sherman to be listed posthumously. That ticket finished third behind the Democrats (Woodrow Wilson) and the Progressives (Theodore Roosevelt), and the 8 electoral votes that Sherman would have received were cast for Nicholas Murray Butler.

Isolation of election problems

Some supporters of the Electoral College note that it isolates the impact of any election fraud, or other such problems, to the state where it occurs. It prevents instances where a party dominant in one state may dishonestly inflate the votes for a candidate and thereby affect the election outcome. For instance, recounts occur only on a state-by-state basis, not nationwide.[59]

Encapsulation of election system

The Electoral College allows for each state to conduct elections using whatever methods it chooses (i.e. voting system, vote-recording technology) without affecting other states. A national popular vote, by definition, requires all states to use plurality voting and would likely lead to national election rules and standards.

Neutralizes turnout disparities between states

There are factors that affect the turnout around the country. Weather can vary greatly across a large nation, rain or winter storms can impact voter participation in affected states. In addition, when a state has another high profile contest, such as a hotly contested Senate or gubernatorial race, turnout in that state can be affected. Because the allocation of electoral votes is independent of each state's turnout, the Electoral College neutralizes the effect of all such turnout disparities between states.

Maintains separation of powers

The Constitution separated government into three branches that check each other to minimize threats to liberty and encourage deliberation of governmental acts. Under the original framework, only members of the House of Representatives were directly elected by the people, with members of the Senate chosen by state legislatures, the President by the Electoral College, and the judiciary by the President and the Senate. The President was not directly elected in part due to fears that he could assert a national popular mandate that would undermine the legitimacy of the other branches, and potentially result in tyranny.

Wikipedia content is property of Wikipedia.  Wisconsin Family Action content is property of Wisconsin Family Action. 

Thank you for your time.



Republican Party of Pepin County