Visit The Tancredo For President! Blog

If you are not keeping up with the Tancredo For President! blog, or if you have not even visited it once, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! The blog is a rich station of Tancredo news and commentary on the Congressman from Colorado who is seeking the Presidency next year. The blogmasters of the site have put up two great postings today. The first gives the reader "ten easy" ways to help Mr. Tancredo in his candidacy. The second posting is a video that shows Mr. Tancredo's announcement on Fox News last week. Be sure to go and visit the blog here. Also, please visit http://www.teamtancredo.com/ to help Mr. Tancredo's candidacy along. LET'S GET THE BALL ROLLING AND ELECT A STATESMAN INTO THE WHITE HOUSE IN '08! LET'S DRIVE THIS TANC TO 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE! LET'S ELECT TOM TANCREDO!

BREAKING NEWS - Kerry Reportedly Will Not Seek The Presidency In 2008

Fox News is just reporting that Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic nominee for U.S. President in 2004, will not seek that office again next year. The Boston Globe is reporting that he will announce the decision today, and that he intends to seek re-election to his Senate seat again. Jerome Corsi, an author and a writer for WorldNetDaily, is also intending to run for that Senate seat, likely as a Republican. I guess you can chalk off another name of a former potential candidate for next year's Presidential election.

The "Conservative Statesman" Endorses Tancredo In 2008!

This picture is from the "Tancredo For President" blog

I'm sure this isn't necessary, for if you have been reading this blog, you know who we support in 2008. Nevertheless, the "Conservative Statesman" is formally announcing the endorsement of Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) for U.S. President in 2008! Stay tuned to this blog as we continue to follow Mr. Tancredo on the road to the White House. Please give the Congressman your support by going to teamtancredo.org and signing his petition so he can formally declare his run. Also, if you can, please donate to his campaign as he will need every bit of monetary support he can get to compete with the "big money guns" in the GOP primary.

Please take the time at look at what Fox News's Neil Cavuto said about Mr. Tancredo several months ago. It can be found here at WorldNetDaily.

A Busy Week For 2008 Shake-Ups Ends Busy

Today ended a busy week for the 2008 Presidential horserace. Former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating pulled his name out when he announced that he would not run for the GOP nomination. Meanwhile, Tom Tancredo filed an exploratory committee for the GOP nomination while Barack Obama filed a exploratory committee for the Democratic nomination. Today was just about as busy as the total week. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, who already had an exploratory committee set up, made it official and said he would seek the GOP nomination next year for President. Hillary Clinton set up an exploratory committee today, and said she's "in it to win". Also, we're expecting New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to put a committee together at any time.

With that, it would be a good time to do a recap on our 2008 Presidential standings now. We'll look at who is running, who has a committee set up, and who is still rumored to be considering a race. Just for fun, we'll also look at who was thought to be considering a run, but has pulled their name from the race.



REPUBLICANS

RUNNING-NO COMMITTEE
Kansas Senator Sam Brownback
John Cox of Illinois
25 other minor candidates

FILED FOR EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE
Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
California Congressman Duncan Hunter
Arizona Senator John McCain
Texas Congressman Ron Paul
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo
Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson

CANDIDATES EXPRESSING INTEREST-POSSIBLE CANDIDATES
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia
Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
Former New York Governor George Pataki

NOT EXPECTED TO RUN-DISCLAIMED INTEREST
Former Virginia Senator George Allen
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush
Vice President Dick Cheney
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford
Former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum


DEMOCRATS

RUNNING-NO COMMITTEE
Delaware Senator Joe Biden
Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd
Former North Carolina Senator and 2004 VP nominee John Edwards
Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel
Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack
22 other minor candidates

FILED FOR EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE
New York Senator Hillary Clinton
Illinois Senator Barack Obama

CANDIDATES EXPRESSING INTEREST-POSSIBLE CANDIDATES
Former General Wesley Clark of Arkansas
Former Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
Al Sharpton of New York

NOT EXPECTED TO RUN-DISCLAIMED INTEREST
Indiana Senator Evan Bayh
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota
Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean
Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold
Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner


CONSTITUTION PARTY

RUNNING
No candidates yet

POSSIBLE CANDIDATES
Jim Clymer of Pennsylvania
Jerome Corsi of Massachusetts
Jim Gilchrist of California
Montana State Representative Rick Jore
Michael Peroutka of Maryland


LIBERTARIANS

RUNNING*
Lance Brown of California
Jim Burns
Gene Chapman
David Hollist
Steve Kubby of California
Kip Lee
Kent McManigal
Robert Milnes of New Jersey
George Phillies of Massachusetts
Christine Smith of Colorado
Doug Stanhope of Arizona

NOT RUNNING
2004 nominee Michael Badnarik of Texas


GREEN PARTY

RUNNING*
Nan Garrett of Georgia
Robert Milnes
Kat Swift of Texas

POSSIBLE CANDIDATES
Medea Benjamin
Elaine Brown
Matt Gonzalez
Winona LaDuke
Pat LaMarche
Rebecca Rotzler
Rich Whitney

NOT RUNNING
Peter Camejo of California
David Cobb of Texas


*These candidates mentioned in the running may not have officially announced. They may be
taking major steps to run.

Hmm...So America Wanted A Change

Save The GOP is reporting news that bloggers should be concerned with. Apparently, the U.S. Senate's ethics bill had language that required all bloggers with 500 readers to register or face a
criminal offense. Thank God, though, that the majority of U.S. Senators did not agree with the
action to oppress the grassroots movement of America. That is the good news! The vote was
55-43 to strip the language out that would have oppressed bloggers, as well as any other person active in grassroots politics. Below is how the senators voted. The list comes from the U.S. Senate webpage on floor votes.



Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs ---55
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME)Conrad (D-ND) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC)Domenici (R-NM) Dorgan (D-ND) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) Landrieu (D-LA) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK)Nelson (D-NE) Roberts (R-KS) Salazar (D-CO) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME)Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thomas (R-WY) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---43
Akaka (D-HI) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA)Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Dodd (D-CT) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI)Feinstein (D-CA) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT)Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)
Not Voting - 2
Brownback (R-KS)
Johnson (D-SD)


Look again at the nays. There seems to be six of the new senators who took seats away from Republicans in there. You could expect this out of Rhode Island. But to Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia I give a sarcastic thanks. I am certain that former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, as well as former Virginia Senator George Allen would of voted opposite of their replacements on this one. These states had Iraq on the brain so much that they put in these poor examples of leadership in the U.S. Senate. Not that Iraq is not important, but there are many issues here at home that are very crucial as well. This Senate Bill 1 is a very important piece of legislation. Not only was it originally supposed to restrict bloggers, but also keep legislative activities from the American people. The bill would also keep legislative activities under wrap from groups like the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, institutions that do a good job in informing America of legislation that affects our moral and constitutional standards that have served us well for nearly 200 years. So, America seems to have wanted a change, but my sense would tell me that it looks to be a change toward the old Great Britain before we won our independence. Worse yet, this looks like it could have been a bill that would have been put into effect in the U.S.S.R. several decades ago, rather than our country which was founded on freedom. The next time America looks for change, I hope the voters seriously think about who they vote for and what the consequences will be.

Although the Republicans still have a long way to go to find their roots, notice that none of them voted with the likes of Durbin, Schumer, Clinton and Obama. Hopefully, the GOP is on the right track again!

WHY SHOULD WE SUPPORT TANCREDO?

Picture From http://www.usbordersecurity.org/


In the light of Congressman Tom Tancredo's announcement this week that he is taking steps to run for the Presidency, we should consider why he should get our support. Below I give some reasons why I think Mr. Tancredo should be the next President of the United States. The Congressman is known for his strong stand on securing the borders, but HE IS NOT A ONE-ISSUE MAN! Some of the reasons are inspired by "Tennesseans For Tancredo" at http://www.tennesseansfortancredo.com/.



1. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Since this is Mr. Tancredo's "signature issue", let's start with it. (However, by no means get caught up in just this one issue!) Mr. Tancredo has become so concerned with where America is headed on this one that he has started the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, an organization of congressman concerned about this serious issue facing us. The caucus had 105 members before this new Congress was put into power. Illegal immigration and runaway legal immigration is costing America dearly, especially in the fields of healthcare, the economy,the environment and education. The huge culture clash of so many newcomers that are refusing to become Americans has, also, made a huge contribution to the serious problems our great country is facing right now. Mr. Tancredo has proposed several great bills to the floor of Congress which would help solve the situation. An example would be H.R. 946, which would cut legal immigration to 300,000 a year. For more details on these kinds of bills, click the above link to the "Tennesseans For Tancredo" website. Also, please read Mr. Tancredo'sbook, "In Mortal Danger", where he goes in depth about how grave the situation is. Believe me, if you read the book, you will get very angry about how far our country has gone down this path of grave danger. You'll get angry if you actually care about America, at least. You can buy the book at Amazon.com or order it through your local bookstore, if they don't have it on the shelves already. Mr. Tancredo is certainly on the forefront of getting the job done on this problem and saving America from a worse crisis than we are already in.


2. SOCIAL ISSUES
On his new "campaign site" teamtancredo.org, his issues page describes the Congressman as a "devout Christian, father and grandfather". Therefore, his stand on the life issue is Pro-Life. The National Right To Life Committee has given him an A rating. The Family Research Council has given him an A rating as well. Also, he says he believes marriage is between a man and a woman. If he was President, he says he would appoint only strict constructionists as judges, which is exactly what we need right now. He, also, says he would support constitutional amendments that respect marriage and life. He looks to be correct on many of the social issues that the so-called "Christian Right" voters, who are a key bloc in the GOP primaries, take priority in.


3. NORTH AMERICAN UNION
Some may be seeing this issue for the first time and saying, "huh"! The NAU is a proposed European Union-style combination of Canada, Mexico and our United States. It is so serious an issue, that a minor party has been started in Canada to combat the union. A group in the United States is being formed that wants to make an issue out of this in the 2008 elections. George W. Bush, former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and former Mexico President Vicente Fox agreed to the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" in Waco, Texas on March 23, 2005. This agreement is widely expected to be a major stepping stone toward the NAU. WorldNetDaily has been doing a great job in keeping people informed about the situation. For more on the situation, do a Google search on the word "North American Union", and you'll find plenty to keep you up to speed on what is going on here. Some may say, "big deal", but there would be serious problems coming out of such a merger. Two of the biggest would be virtually a total loss of sovereignty and a loss of freedoms given by our Bill Of Rights. The U.S. Dollar would likely become the "Amero". All our freedoms would go through a combined
"Canmexican" government, who would decide whether the people should have the freedoms or not. Mr. Tancredo is opposed to such a combination. He has co-authored House Resolution 487 last fall which opposes any NAFTA Superhighway and the entry into the NAU. Mr.
Tancredo has, also, come forward and has asked the Bush Administration to release the documents related to the situation. Many documents have been released, and the Minuteman Project has picked them up and is trying to post them online. Anyone who opposes the NAU would find a great candidate in Mr. Tancredo.


4. EDUCATION
Mr. Tancredo is a former school teacher, so he knows quite a bit about problems facing education. He is not one who believes the public school system is the only way. He supports policies that would allow children to go to private schools and the ability of parents to home-school their children, as well. He has opposed the "No Child Left Behind Act", which terribly holds back students that can be highly successful. Mr. Tancredo is a good choice for voters who want to see their children educated in the way they (the parents) see fit.


5. TAXES, SMALL BUSINESS
Mr. Tancredo is a strong supporter of tax relief. He believes that Americans can save and spend on health costs, education and other items better than the Government can. He would like to see the income tax system scrapped and replaced with a national sales tax or a flat tax. For small business, he got an A+ rating from the National Federation of Independent Business.


6. SECOND AMENDMENT
Mr. Tancredo knows that the people have the right to bear arms. Himself, one of his favorite pastimes he mentions in a biography is clay pigeon shooting. The National Rifle Association has given him an A rating.


Mr. Tancredo also works to protect the First Amendment right to free speech.


The preceding are just some of the issues that Mr. Tancredo has taken a stand on. For more, visit the links on my "Tancredo Announcement Post". We need Mr. Tancredo's leadership in
times like these. Mr. Tancredo needs our support. Please go to his website at teamtancredo.org
and donate and sign his petition to let him know that you back him. The press will not be willing to help us out. It will take a dedicated grassroots movement to get Mr. Tancredo anywhere near to competing for the Presidency. Please join our effort and help as soon and as much as you can!

TANCREDO THROWS HIS HAT IN!

A spokesman for Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo announced late Monday that he would form an exploratory committee to seek the Republican nomination of President in 2008. A website is now up for the committee at teamtancredo.org Mr. Tancredo is known for his strong stand on securing our borders, but he is against abortion and same-sex marriage, supportive of tax relief, supportive of the right of parents to home-school their children, and pro-small business. For more visit the below links. Please join us in helping Mr. Tancredo to the Presidency in 2008. America needs his leadership right now!

ON ANOTHER NOTE, BE SURE TO BUY "IN MORTAL DANGER", WRITTEN BY MR. TANCREDO. IT IS FOUND ON AMAZON.COM, AS WELL AS MANY BOOKSTORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I ORDERED MY COPY FROM A LOCAL INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE. I RECENTLY FINISHED READING IT, AND IT IS A FANTASTIC READ! IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AMERICA'S ROAD TOWARDS RUIN, READ THIS BOOK AND YOU'RE ALMOST CERTAIN TO SUPPORT MR. TANCREDO.

Tancredo's Congressional Office

Tancredo's House Re-election Site

Tancredo's Exploratory Committee Site

Tom Tancredo For President! (Michigan Blog)

Tancredo For President (Indiana Blog)

Tennesseans For Tancredo

Tancredo Store

Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus (Founded By Tancredo)

Team America PAC

Birds' Run Is Over

The New Orleans Saints are now the undisputed "feel good story" of the 2006 NFL season. Tonight's matchup pitted the two teams with that distinction, the Saints and my Philadelphia
Eagles. It was the game it was hyped up to be, and definitely worth watching. New Orleans drew first blood, the Birds came back, and the Saints took the final lead. I am certainly proud of the effort the Eagles put on under the conditions, especially the noise from the crowd. In Philadelphia, the comment for our sports teams is "there's always next season". That comment certainly is in order tonight. As any good achiever would say, this game is ancient history. You have to look forward to next season, and until then we have the Fightin' Phils in baseball. Also for me, I have the Tennessee Tech basketball season which will take us to March. Other than sports, I have plenty of tasks to keep me busy, so it is of now use to concentrate on "ancient history". Now with Baltimore finished as well, I will probably cheer on the Saints the rest of the way, although I will likely not follow the rest of the NFL playoffs nearly as much now. When your team is done, and you have responsibilities to tend to, the rest of the NFL becomes much less important.

2008 GOP Presidential Update: Rep. Paul Tests Waters, Development Expected In Iowa This Weekend From Tancredo

In an unexpected move, Texas Congressman Ron Paul announced today that he has formed an exploratory committee to run as a Republican for the U.S. Presidency in 2008. Paul was the 1988 Libertarian nominee for the Presidency. Paul is someone who looks capable of uniting various conservatives, whether they are social, fiscal or both. He may fill the gap among people disgruntled by the way Washington works today. This is a development worth watching.

On another front, Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo is expected to be in Iowa this weekend. A big development is expected there in the next few days. More to come, so keep it tuned here through the weekend!

TENNESSEE TECH HOOPS UPDATE: Eagles Work To Get Back In OVC Race

Junior Marissa Hensley (left), and senior Kendall Cavin

(11) in action against Jacksonville State on the evening of

Thursday, January 11, 2007 at the Eblen Center in

Cookeville, Tennessee.

Pictures from TTU Sports at http://www.ttusports.com/

I am overdue on a Tennessee Tech Basketball update, so here is the latest. Coming into Thursday's game against Jacksonville State, the women were 3-12 overall, with a 2-4 record in Ohio Valley Conference play. The men were 6-9, 2-4 in OVC play. Both teams were 1-1 in the last week. The men have faced some tough teams such as Bradley and the Tennessee Volunteers. We won the Bradley game at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, but lost the Tennessee game in Knoxville. The women have had some seriously tough competition against strong teams such as Virginia Tech, Pepperdine, MTSU, and the topper was North Carolina , who was ranked No. 2 in the country when we faced them in late December. Sadly, we lost all four of those games. However, the positive thing about those games was that they seem to have prepared the women for the all-important interconference play, which we are in the thick of now.

On Thusday night, the Jacksonville State Camecocks came to the Eblen Center. The women's game, as usual, was played first. The 'Cocks came into the game in the OVC cellar, while the Tech Lady Golden Eagles came in 8th out of the 11 OVC teams. The Golden Eagles started off strong, and led by as much as 20 during the first half. The home team went into the halftime break with a 16 point advantage, up 44-28. The 'Cocks came back with a 12-4 run to start the second half, and would cut Tech's lead to seven with 8:23 to go. Tech would then have a 9-2 run would give the Eagles a double-digit lead, which they never gave up. When the final buzzer sounded, Tech came away with the 85-73 victory. Our Eagles are now 3-4 in the OVC and 4-12 overall. Tech was lead Thursday by senior Kendall Cavin who had 20 points. Sophomores Megan Lyons and Blair Bowens had 15 (Lyons) and 14 (Bowens) points, and Junior Marissa Hensley had 11 points to round up Tech's double-digit scorers. Junior Cara Reed had a career-high 12 rebounds, and Cavin posted four boards to help pace the Eagles. Next up is Samford at the Eblen Center Sunday night in a game which is scheduled to be televised on ESPNU.

The men did not start of as strong as the women, however. The Golden Eagles started off with a lead, but soon began to struggle as the game wore on. Tech struggled midway through the game on three-point shots and free throws. Tech led 31-18 with 5:26 left in the first half before the struggles began. During the second half there was 11 lead changes, and no one lead by over three points until 3:04 was left in regulation. Tech warmed up in time though, and finally scored their last 10 points from the line. The Eagles were 12-of-14 during a late run which put us up by eight points with less than a minute left. When the final buzzer sounded on this one, Tech survived with a 75-71 victory. The win put our Eagles at 3-4 in the OVC, and 7-9 overall. Tech will next play as the first of a doubleheader on Sunday against the before-mentioned Samford, who leads in OVC play and was defeated for the first time this season Thursday night against Tennessee State. It is a switch to see the men play first. As I mentioned earlier, the women usually start off our doubleheaders. As we continue our OVC action, things are bound to get more exciting.

VOTE TANCREDO HERE!

The Michigan Republican Party has a blog which is running a poll of GOP Presidential contenders in 2008. Please use the link here, and vote your man in 2008.

PSST.....PLEASE VOTE TANCREDO AND GIVE HIM SUPPORT AS HE CONSIDERS A RUN HIMSELF!

NFL Playoff Predictions: After New Yorks Go Down In The Same Day, Mannings Go Down In Back-To-Back Weeks

I have long enjoyed making NFL predictions. However, I have gotten off track this season. I used to make predictions for the season and postseason at the beginning of the year, and then update those predictions at mid-season. I have failed to do that this season, and I have missed written predictions for "Wild-Card Weekend". I did, however, consider who I thought would win, and everyone who I thought would be the realistic winners did win their games. I would have rather seen Kansas City and the New York Jets win their games, though. The NFC's two games both turned out how I hoped they would. (GO IGGLES! Again, not a type-up, but the legendary way Philadelphia pronounces and occasionally spells our Birds.)

Now, I will make my predictions on the Divisional Round. I would like to make predictions for the whole playoffs, but let's take it one step at a time.


COLTS @ RAVENS
Poor Peyton tries, but just can't get it done against that tough Baltimore defense. The Ravens find a good running game against that lackluster Indy defense. SOMEBODY GET THAT FAMILY SOME HELP! Mannings go down in back-to-back weeks and Archie's sons remain futile in the NFL Playoffs.

BALTIMORE 24 INDIANAPOLIS 10


EAGLES @ SAINTS
Everyone seems to be on the "Big Easy" bandwagon and getting high on it. Most people are forgetting the team that NBC's Mike Celizic calls the "feel-good story of 2006". He didn't mean New Orleans when he said it. NBC contributor Bill Williamson says Philadelphia is the "lone NFC team without issues." N.O. and Philadelphia both have had 10-6 records through the regular season. The Saints won on a last-second field goal in a game during the regular season that they dominated early but witnessed the Birds come storming back late. The 2001 Philadelphia Eagles had a No. 3 seed heading into the playoffs and faced up against a No. 2 Chicago Bears team in the Windy City. The "Iggles" won 33-19. The Birds have a good defense and a great defensive coordinator in Jim Johnson. You'll see them use that defense to slow Reggie Bush and Drew Brees. Jeff Garcia may not be the best QB, but he gets the job done, and he knows the West Coast Offense, which makes him a good fit in Philadelphia. Brian Westbrook is an explosive running back, and will be the best offensive weapon for the Birds. New Orleans is a good team, but too many are expecting them to roll to the NFC title. The "Big Easy" will find that it is not so easy in the playoffs, and Philadelphia knows that it is not easy. They are battle-tested. This one could come down to a field goal again, but I expect it to be none other than our trusty David Akers to nail in the necessary points and make the Saints the Ain'ts again this year.
"GO BIRDS!"

PHILADELPHIA 20 NEW ORLEANS 17


SEAHAWKS @ BEARS
This is a game pitting two teams with serious issues. Seattle is a fair team. However, so is Chicago. Rex Grossman is not a great QB, while Matt Hasselbeck can get the job done...uh...
most times. Somehow, I think that both top seeds in the NFC will fall apart this week. If these predictions hold up, watch for a "Battle of the Birds" in The City Of Brotherly Love.

SEATTLE 27 CHICAGO 20


PATRIOTS @ CHARGERS
I have to admit, New England is impressive. Somehow, they just find a way to win. Take away a fantastic kicker and a successful wide receiver and they still win. This time they face San Diego, though. The Chargers have a great running back (as if we haven't heard that enough).
Put in enough Chargers defense and that running back, and I think there is your recipe for the Patriots' second-straight fall in the divisional round.

SAN DIEGO 24 NEW ENGLAND 17



Now we'll just sit back and wait for this weekend to unfold. It sure promises to be a thriller!

Watch The Birdie!

Some bizarre things are happening with birds in Texas, but particularly in Australia. WorldNetDaily is reporting that thousands of birds have dropped dead from the sky about 450 miles southeast of Perth. Even after autopsies, the deaths are a mystery but it does not seem weather related. Wildlife officials are calling it "catastrophic". Some of the birds were witnessed to be convulsing while dying.

Closer to home, about 60 birds fell out of the sky in Austin, Texas, in a similar mystery.

Avian flu and dangerous substances seem unlikely as the cause, as no trace of these could be found.

Officials believe poisoning or near-freezing weather is more likely the culprit for the Texas birds.

A Victory For The GOP In Tennessee

Republicans have been successful in smashing the century-and-a-half Democratic dynasty in Tennessee in recent years. In 2004, the State Senate was elected Republican for the first time in 140 years. The GOP maintained the lead in the 2006 elections. Republicans also picked up another seat in the State House Of Representatives in 2006. The makeup of the two chambers are as follows: STATE SENATE 104th (2005-2007) 18 R - 15 D
105th (2007-2009) 17 R - 16D
STATE HOUSE 104th 54 D - 45 R
105th 53 D - 46 R

On Tuesday, the GOP picked up another victory in the battle to end Democratic domination of state politics. Senator John Wilder from Mason was voted out of his position of Speaker of the Senate, a title he had held for 36 years. The Speaker also holds the title of Lieutenant Governor in this state, a position that welds significant power in its own right. The new Speaker is Senator Ron Ramsey from Blountville, who has served in the Senate since 1997. Politics watchers across Tennessee were watching this event, because Mr. Wilder's days as Speaker were now questionable. Mr. Wilder could have been voted out in 2005, but Senator Mike Williams of Maynardville, an "independent Republican", decided to vote with Democrats to continue the "Wilder Era".

Although Mr. Wilder's days as Speaker were recently uncertain again, it took an unexpected turn of events to bring down 140 years of Democratic grip on the Speaker's chair. Democratic Senator Rosalind Kurita from Clarksville broke ranks with her party and, as she put it, "voted my conscience" as she voted for Mr. Ramsey. After it was clear that Mr. Wilder's days were over in that position, Mr. Williams put his vote to Ramsey as well. Mr. Williams sat on the fence throughout these last couple of months, and seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting by being the deciding vote at the time. He even bragged about how he has been "independent" since his young days. The final vote was 18-15 in favor of Ramsey.

This is a big deal for the GOP here in Tennessee. Governor Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, attracted national attention when he came down with symptoms that eventually led him to a Mayo clinic in Minnesota. Back here, the state constitution was brought up, and it was being strongly considered whether Mr. Bredesen could continue to govern out of state for so long.
Now, if a situation happens if Mr. Bredesen can't govern, God forbid, a Republican would have the opportunity to take his place for a time.

Even more important, this is a step in the right direction when it comes to redistricting. As we prepare for the 2010 Census, and the U.S. Congressional redistricting it will bring, a GOP-led state legislature is critical. Now that the Senate has been elected for the GOP in two straight elections and the Speaker is now Republican, we only have to hold the Senate and get to work on the House. Only four House seats have to go GOP to change control for the first time in 140 years. If we pick up maybe two Senate seats, and about seven or eight House seats by redistricting time, we could see U.S. House seats in Tennessee become more Republican.

Currently, Tennessee has five Democratic congressman and four Republican ones. Redistricting could put U.S. House districts Four and Six in play. District Four straddles the line between East and Middle Tennessee and expands to much of southern Middle Tennessee. Important cities in this district include Crossville, McMinnville, Tullahoma and Columbia. District Six stretches from the eastern Nashville suburbs to the Upper Cumberland region, all in Middle Tennessee. Important cities here include Cookeville (home to my Tennessee Tech University),
Murfreesboro and Gallatin.

Both districts were in play during the 1990s. District Four was represented by Mr. Van Hilleary, a Republican, until he stepped away in 2002 and ran for Governor. He lost to the before-mentioned Phil Bredesen. Mr. Lincoln Davis, a Democrat, now represents the district, and he won by a large margin, 66%-34% in 2006. However, his first two elections, in 2002 and 2004, were by close margins in an area that was already redistricted. District Six included the heavily Republican Williamson County in the 1990s, an area dominated by the suburbs south of Nashville. The seat was in play in 1994, when Republicans had a banner year. Former University of Tennessee basketball standout and popular talk radio host Steve Gill was the Republican against career politician Bart Gordon, a Democrat. Mr. Gordon has represented the Sixth District since 1985, and faced a stiff challenge from Mr. Gill. In the end Gordon received a close victory. The 1996 Gordon-Gill rematch was close as well, but Gordon still won again. Ever since, Mr. Gordon has won the district handily, but Williamson County was lost in the redistricting of 2000.

The eastern part of the district has been strongly Democratic for decades, but the hold seems to be loosening. Putnam County (Cookeville) has been reliably GOP for Presidential and U.S. Senate races. The surrounding counties remain reliably Democratic, but the entire area (known as the Upper Cumberland) is experiencing the rise of a Republican grassroots movement. The reason the area is turning GOP is simply a matter of morals. The U.C. area is deeply Christian, has concerns about illegal immigration, and is concerned about the recent loss of manufacturing jobs. The GOP is known for its stand against abortion and homosexuality, and is more concerned with stopping illegal immigration (for the most part) than the Democrats. I worked with the Putnam County GOP during the 2006 election cycle, and comments like, "I can't vote for baby killers" or "Those Democrats will raise my taxes" were heard. A formerly reliable Democratic stronghold is finally waking up to the fact that national Democrats are not looking out for Christian morals. However, I am getting a bit off subject. The point is that a GOP majority is needed in Tennessee legislature to redistrict some now-Democratic seats into play.
If redistricting is done in that manner, the Fourth and Sixth districts could go into play. If they would turn GOP, the party would hold a 6-3 advantage over the Dems in the Tennessee congressional seats.

Having Trouble Connecting to the "Tom Tancredo For President" site?

If you are having trouble connecting to the "Tom Tancredo For President" blog from the link I provided on the previous post, I may have typed the wrong link. You can go on there by clicking http://www.tancredo4prez.blogspot.com/. Again, please visit this site, as it is probably the best one-stop source of information on the Colorado Congressman, that Mr. Tancredo is not involved with himself.

Tancredo Campaign Near?

The blog "Tom Tancredo For President" is hinting at something big happening in the next several weeks in the movement to elect the Congressman to the U.S. Presidency in 2008.

In the post written on December 28, the writer says, "Tancredo Campaign To Come Soon." At the end of the post, he says more is to come in January.

On Monday, that same writer said the campaign is preparing to "move into the next phase". That same post says that this will happen "within these next few weeks". The writer, "Paleoconservative", calls for the readers to "donate your time and treasure to the true American cause".

This has excited me over these last few weeks. I take it as news that a strong serious effort to elect the Colorado Congressman is about to get under way. I have been working to spread the word about Mr. Tancredo for well over a year now, and a strong, unified effort on the part of the citizens of this great land is needed to push Mr. Tancredo past RINOs like McCain, Giuliani and Romney. (By the way, RINO stands for Republican In Name Only, if any readers did not know that.) I am hoping that this "next phase" could well be Mr. Tancredo's announcement that he will run. The word I have been hearing seems to point to a Tancredo Presidential bid.

I urge readers to get involved in our campaign to elect Tancredo in 2008. If you do not have a state campaign in your state, please start one. The only way we will elect Tom to the Presidency is by the grassroots way! We need to get on the ball on this quickly to be able to help Mr. Tancredo to the White House.

The before-mentioned blog is on my "Links" list. You can click on the link on this post above to get there, or just go to my "Links" below the "About Me" section on this page. Please visit the "Tom Tancredo For President" blog for a wealth of news and information about our President in 2008, Congressman Tom Tancredo.

Update On Democrat List

I mentioned Randy Crow as a runaway conservative with a 5 rating. New information coming to me tonight tells me that is not the case. I read on the Conservative President 2008 blog that Crow is liberal on social issues. That alone is enough to drop him to a 2 rating, although he says that he is a fiscal conservative. Sorry for the misinformation.