BREAKING NEWS BULLETIN

Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy Passes At Age 77.

Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a Democratic Party leader and one of the longest serving members of the U.S. Senate has passed away after a battle with brain cancer. The legislator, probably most known as the last living brother of the generation that produced President John F. Kennedy and Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, passed at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts at age 77.

Known as "Ted", he was born on February 22, 1932 in Boston. He was raised Catholic, and attended Catholic schools. For his higher education, he attended Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law. He served in the United States Army from 1951-53. In 1958, he managed his brother John's re-election bid to the U.S. Senate. His work on that campaign boosted John to a large victory which brought credibility to his Presidential aspirations in 1960. Afterward, Ted graduated from law school in 1959. In 1960, John made his bid for the White House, and Ted managed the campaign in the Western states. John went on to win his bid, and Ted became interested in seeking the Senate seat John had vacated.

In 1962, a special election was held to serve out the remainder of the Senate seat. Ted ran in the Democratic primary against the state attorney general, Edward J McCormack, Jr. Ted went on to win that race by a 2-1 margin, then won the seat by beating Republican George C. Lodge. Kennedy had 55 percent of the vote. He continued to win re-election every term following.

He was often mentioned as a Presidential contender in numerous elections from 1968 on. In 1980, he finally made a bid for the office, in an effort against incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter. This was viewed as unusual, as it was a rare, strong bid against a President from one's own party. However, several issues regarding Kennedy dominated his run. Issues such as the 1969 Chappaquiddick Incident regarding Kennedy's auto crash which took the life of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne stalled the earlier strength he had prior to his announcement. Also, a rambling interview to CBS News on why he wanted to be President hampered his efforts. Not helping was a disorganized staff. Kennedy struggled in the primaries and limped to the Democratic National Convention, where he withdrew.

Kennedy continued to serve in the Senate, and was a leading leftist voice there. He became known for leading the defeat of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, and pressed now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas particularly hard. Two issues he took up strongly throughout much of his career, and especially into the 1990s were the minimum wage and health care reform. He faced the closest margin of election of his career when he went up against Republican Mitt Romney in 1994. Kennedy went on to win that race 58 percent to 41 percent, and continued on as a leftist leader through the 1990s and 2000s. In 2008, he received much attention for his endorsement of Barack Obama for the Presidency, as Kennedy's support was one of the most valuable a Democrat could expect to get. On May 20, 2009, Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer, three days after suffering a pair of seizures. He continued to struggle with illness and seizures throughout the following 15 months. He would appear for Senate business at various times, but was not able to attend Senate sessions during his final five months.

At the time of passing, Kennedy was the second-longest serving U.S. Senator after Democrat Robert Byrd of West Virginia. He is also the third-longest in history, after Byrd and Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.

He leaves behind sister Jean Kennedy Smith as the last remaining Kennedy from their generation. He also leaves wife Victoria, daughter Kara, and sons Edward, Jr. and Patrick, the latter of whom is currently a Democratic congressman from Rhode Island.

THIS "MOBSTER" IS THRILLED TO SEE AMERICA SPEAK OUT!

For the first time in a while, I genuinely feel good about the likelihood that the God-fearing patriotic people of this great country in taking their country back. For too long, those citizens who believe in the ideals and principles this nation was founded, the ones we call conservatives, have stayed silent.

Now, the silent majority is once again standing up. Common citizens, tired of government breathing down their backs more...and more.....and MORE, are finally standing, and making their voices known.

In return, the Democrats have resorted to name calling. Not just any name calling, but viscous personal attacks. Their words for the opponents to this bloating of government and choosing who lives and who dies are terms like "Nazis", "brown-shirts", "political terrorists", and the like. Hmm...interesting that the party that supposedly stands for the little guy is now bashing working class American citizens as un-American. I don't know about you, but I find that pretty doggone hypocritical.



I am standing with the millions of Americans, whether they are in rallies or unable to attend because of busy lives, who are speaking out and standing for our great nation's founding principles. These are the true Americans, and some of our greatest true patriots today!



And now to honor the voices of these fine people, I will compile a collection of some of the town hall meetings and put up a place where some more of these voices can be heard!



Here are some videos, courtesy of YouTube.



Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-PA) Town Hall Meeting in Lebanon, Pa. Aug. 11, 2009

Part 1




Part 2




Part 3

Atlanta, Ga. Protest August 15, 2009

Rep. Barney Frank's (D-MA) Insults On Constituents In Dartmouth, Mass.
August 19, 2009




Sen. Specter with Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in Philadelphia
August 2, 2009. Specter makes mistake by urging action on the bill to be done quickly.
Town hall crowd erupts in anger.





Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) heckled at town hall in July 2009.




Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) meeting in Orlando, Fla. August 17, 2009




Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) refused to hold a town hall. Protesters responded at his
Springfield, Ill. office on August 14, 2009

Walter Cronkite 1916-2009

Walter Cronkite at the CBS News desk, covering the 1980 election, which was his last as the network's news anchor.

America's News Broadcasting Pioneer Passes Away

Former CBS Evening News Anchor Walter Cronkite dead at 92.

Not many still walk the Earth that can rightly hold a claim to the prestigious title of being a television pioneer, let alone a television news pioneer. Tonight, the world loses one more of that class.

Walter Cronkite passed on Friday evening at his home in New York City. He succumbed in battling a long illness, believed to be cerebral vascular disease. After 92 years in life, and a long colorful career, he reached the sunset of his days on Earth.

Cronkite was well known as "the most trusted man in America", especially after a poll taken in the 1970s showed this to be so. He was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri on November 4, 1916. His middle-America roots are likely a key to his ability to connect well with the American people. He moved with his family to Houston at age 10. He showed an interest in journalism from a young age, as he edited his school paper while in high school.

For college, he chose the University of Texas-Austin, and worked on the Daily Texan newspaper. However, he did not graduate. Cronkite started several reporting jobs for newspapers, covering both general news and sports. Because of this, he dropped out in his junior year, which was in 1935. He went on to dabble in broadcasting some. He went into radio for WKY in Oklahoma City and became the sports announcer at KCMO-AM in Kansas City. By 1937, he joined United Press in Kansas City. This led him to become a noted World War II reporter. Cronkite covered numerous battles in Europe and North Africa.

This led to the new world of television. After the war, noted CBS Newsman Edward R. Murrow encouraged Cronkite to join CBS in its new television department, and he accepted. Murrow had tried to encourage him to CBS during the war, but those earlier attempts failed. Cronkite started at CBS affiliate WTOP in Washington.

The term "anchor" as it applies to newsmen is often thought to have gotten its start in 1952, and refers to Cronkite's work in the Republican and Democratic conventions that year. This was the first time a major political convention was shown on television.

He first became the anchorman for the CBS Evening News on April 16, 1962, when Douglas Edwards stepped away. This role cemented his position as the leading face of television journalism in his time, and made him an American icon. In September 1963, the program expanded from 15 to 30 minutes, and became America's first half-hour nightly news program. He would go on to be the anchor in some major life-changing events, from being the first to report the breaking news of President John F. Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963 to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon to coverage of the war in Vietnam. He would end each broadcast with his trademark phrase, "...And that's the way it is", followed by the day's date. Another one of his famous lines came during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Now well-known protests were erupting outside of the convention hall, and colleague Dan Rather was beaten to the ground by security staff on camera. Upon seeing this, Cronkite said on camera, "I think we've got a bunch of thugs here, Dan." Cronkite was also known for his editorial on the war in Vietnam. After Cronkite gave his opinion that the war could not be won, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated,"If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America."

Cronkite retired from the program on March 6, 1981, and was replaced by CBS's face throughout the rest of the 20th Century and the early years of the 21st, Dan Rather. Cronkite would go on to live another 28 years, in which he still stayed active with voice-overs for various programs and attractions, appearances and interviews. His name was also put on the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

As one who has a strong interest in journalism, I myself will miss his incredible talent for broadcasting and for connecting with the American people. We have lost another broadcasting news pioneer.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Happy Independence Day from your Conservative Statesman! I hope all of you have a safe and great time today, but please DO NOT FORGET what this day really represents and celebrates. The cookouts and the parades and the ballgames and the fireworks all all exciting, and we have a great time with our families. All of that is great, but let's not forget that this day is set apart because it represents liberty, and the founding of our great nation. We remember all of the patriots, in the armed forces and everyday citizens, who have given blood, sweat and tears to ensure the success of this nation and to the cause of freedom.

I want to personally thank God, the Lord of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, for this great country and all the blessings and opportunities He has given me through her. May He continue to bless this great nation, and our crucial work to preserve her and the work for liberty.

HAPPY 233rd BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Alaska Governor Shows Statesman-Like Quality In Announcement

Written by Jordan M. Iwanyszyn

The announcement today that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin not only will not seek re-election in 2010, but that she will also resign effective July 26th, stunned the nation and sent shockwaves through the American political world Friday. My take on it is that the nation has witnessed the best evidence yet that Palin is a true modern statesman, or woman if you prefer.

While leftist opponents and critics are already positioning their firepower against her, which is nothing new, by stating that she "continues a pattern of bizarre behavior", I say that she decided to put others first, rather than herself.

In a time where most politicians try hard to hold on to political office as long as they can until they can take the next step for more power (think Senators Byrd and Kennedy and former Senator Stevens, who also hails from Alaska), Palin took the step of not only declining reelection, but also resigning. She has not yet brought forth the reason why, but I would speculate that the reason is because she wanted to get her family out of the mainstream media for the time being, where the leftists have made it their mission to destroy them. I also believe that she wanted to spare her state, and her family, the continuing costs of the pointless ethics accusations and investigations. I believe these are the top reasons, and should that be the case, that is why I say that this announcement today is the latest and greatest confirmation that Palin is truly a modern-day statesman. She is someone who has attained a position of great influence. Her decision to resign shows, I believe, a strong priority focus from the Alaska Governor. She is putting her family, her principles, and her state first. Why can't we have more of that from our leaders and office holders today?

It also would not surprise me that she made this move to prepare for a White House run in 2012. Race 4 2008 puts it well in this blogpost where it states that she would have had a hard time of it should she have stayed on as governor in 2010, while still making the rounds and supporting candidates in the races of the upcoming year.

If it is true that she is intending to seek the Presidency, her move to resign is also a very thoughtful one for the reason that her Lieutenant Governor, Sean Parnell, is now in position to govern Alaskans in a similar way that this Palin-Parnell team has been doing so since taking office in 2007. Parnell has already stated that he intends to run for a full term in 2010. Because she chose not to serve out her full term, Parnell will be able to get a jump start on the race next year, and become the early front-runner to keep the office. From a conservative's perspective, that is called looking out for your state.

On a sidenote, Parnell also confirmed my view that Palin's decision is a statesman-like one. "Rare, indeed, are such selfless acts seen in the public arena," said Parnell regarding Palin's decision in his statement after Palin's announcement today.

I will repeat myself. I believe this kind of selfless decision is what is needed more in our government today. I sure hope we can get more of this kind of character soon.

God bless you Governor Palin, and please keep up your fight for America's founding principles!

One Of America's Late 20th-Century's Great Conservative Leaders Passes On - Jack Kemp (1935-2009)

One of the leading footsoldiers of the conservative movement during the Reagan era passed away last month. Jack Kemp, former NFL star, congressman, and Vice Presidential candidate on the Republican ticket in 1996, passed away May 2nd after a battle with cancer at the age of 73.

Kemp contributed in a number of areas. He was a notable football player at Occidental College in Los Angeles, his native town, where he played at several positions. He took his football skills to the pros, where he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1957, then cut, and picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would play for a number of teams, both in the NFL and the then-operating AFL as a strong quarterback. His most successful play came under the Buffalo Bills, where he led the team to two-consecutive AFL titles, before the organization's merger with the NFL.

Kemp settled in Buffalo, and already had an active hand in politics through the 1960s. During his days in California, he was a volunteer for Barry Goldwater's 1964 bid for President, and Ronald Reagan's 1966 victorious campaign for governor there. He also worked on Governor Reagan's staff in 1967, and a special assistant to Republican National Committee Chairman Ray C. Bliss in 1969.

In 1970, Kemp was elected to a Democratic-leading district in Buffalo to be seated in the U.S. Congress, where he served until 1989. He became a leading conservative spokesman, particularly on economic issues. He was a "supply-sider", believing that economic growth is caused by providing incentives. He was also generally conservative on most issues, and quickly became a Republican leader. In 1974, Time Magazine nominated Kemp as one of their "Faces For The Future". He was mentioned as a possible challenger to beat Jimmy Carter for the Presidency in 1980, and was a Vice-Presidential front-runner that year, in which George H.W. Bush got the nomination. In 1981, he was chosen by the Republicans in Congress to be chairman of the House Republican Conference, and served in that position for seven years. Kemp was an author of the 1981 Kemp-Roth tax cut, also known as the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981. This was a keystone to the economic legacy of the Reagan years that lifted America out of the stagflation of the 1970s and paved the way for the roaring prosperity of the 1990s.

In 1988, Kemp decided not to return to the Congress, but to run for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Here he joined Kansas Senator Bob Dole, Teleevangelist Pat Robertson, Former Delaware Governor Pierre du Pont, Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, and Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, among others, to challenge Vice President George H.W. Bush for the nomination. He struggled to gain traction, and withdrew after the Super Tuesday primaries. However, his knowledge and experience on matters of poverty led Bush to nominate Kemp to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in which he served through most of the Bush Administration.

Kemp was highly respected in the party for his role in the 1992 GOP convention. Just after the election that year, he was considered again a front-runner for the Presidency, this time for the 1996 campaign. However, he decided not to run, as he believed some of his views would not go over well with the Republican electorate. The other candidates sought after his endorsement highly. Steve Forbes got it just as eventual nominee Bob Dole was nearing the nomination. Former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett was asked by Dole to be his running-mate. Bennett said no, but reportedly suggested the name of Kemp. He was chosen by the GOP convention over other names that were discussed, including Ohio Governor George Voinovich, Michigan Governor John Engler, Florida Senator Connie Mack, Arizona Senator (and future GOP Presidential nominee) John McCain, and Texas Governor (and future President) George W. Bush. The Dole-Kemp ticket, however, went down to a solid defeat in the election that year.

One of his greatest legacies was the Roth-Kemp tax cut in 1981. This was the foundation for the supply-side economic theory now widely known as "Reaganomics". His loss is also a loss of one of the leading conservatives to reach out to minorities, people from urban areas, and those in poverty. These are issues that the Republican Party absolutely need to get a grasp on.


Wikipedia - Jack Kemp

TWO LEGENDARY VOICES SILENCED - Harold N. Kalas (1936-2009) & Paul Harvey (1918-2009)

Not every sports team can claim a voice that is so legendary, that he is well known outside of his team or sport. Harry Kalas was one of those voices. Not only was Kalas calling the games for MLB's Philadelphia Phillies for nearly four decades, but he was also the voice for numerous NFL games, and for ads for companies as various as General Motors and Campbell Soup.

Kalas, or known by Philadelphia fans as "Harry The K", was a native of Naperville, Illinois, where he was born on March 26, 1936. After a short stint calling minor league baseball games in Hawaii in 1962, he went to the majors with the Houston Astros in 1963, who were then known as the Colt .45s. In 1971, the Phils hired on Kalas, who was the master of ceremonies at the opening of Veterans Stadium that same year. He soon became the broadcasting partner of another legend, Richie Ashburn. Kalas and Ashburn worked together for 27 years, until Ashburn too suddenly passed away in New York after a Phils/Mets game on the evening of September 9, 1997.

Kalas began using his trademark "outta here" call for home runs in the mid-1970s, and is now known for pioneering the famous call. He was also well-known for his affinity for Frank Sinatra's classic song High Hopes, which he sung often, especially at rally events.

Kalas passed away suddenly on the job in Washington, where he was in the broadcast booth just a few hours before he was scheduled to call the Nationals' home opener against the Phils on April 13th. The Phils' president, David Montgomery, simply said, "we lost our voice." Especially for yours truly, the Conservative Statesman, this is a sad loss. Kalas has long been a role model of mine, especially since I have taken a liking into baseball and radio broadcasting in recent years.

Kalas may be outta here, but his legacy lives on.




Another legendary voice passed from this life just a few months ago. Paul Harvey was the voice of America. Millions of people, especially from working-class roots, grew up listening to him and trusting him as a source for news and storytelling. His audience in his later career is reported to have estimated 22 million.


Harvey, whose full name was Paul Harvey Aurandt, was born on September 4, 1918, and was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, right in the heartland, and amongst hard-working, rural folk. That is probably why he could so easily connect with Americans of industrious quality and roots in traditional, heartland values. A teacher noticed his voice in school, and encouraged him to go into radio, which is what he, of course, did. He started working for KVOO in Tulsa at the young age of 14.


Harvey eventually moved from station to station. He even went to Hawaii to cover the U.S. Navy during World War II. Finally, he found himself in Chicago in 1944, where he went to work at WENR, an ABC affiliate. The Rest of the Story was started here in 1946 as a tagline, and became a series in 1976. ABC Radio started Paul Harvey News And Comment for syndication on their network on April 1, 1951. The shows grew in popularity through the following decades, and Harvey became one of the most known and trusted voices in American history. He signed a 10-year, $100 million contract with ABC Radio in 2000. His health began to falter in recent years. His vocal cords were damaged in 2000, but he was back on the air in August 2001. He had many notable people fill in on the program in recent years, including Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Gil Gross, Tony Snow, and Scott Shannon. His son, Paul Harvey, Jr., often would fill in as well, training his voice to mimick his father's.


Harvey is another loss for me personally. I remeber traveling into town with my dad to go to college my first year at Tennessee Tech. I would listen to Paul Harvey on a regular basis on either the talk station in Nashville, 99.7 WWTN-FM, or in Cookeville, Tennessee, 780 WPTN-AM. I had also listened to him numerous times before then. I always enjoyed listening to him bring forth the news and the stories every day that I could listen. I always enjoyed a national radio personality who was mainstream, yet conservative.


The losses of these two men make the world sound a whole lot more empty.



Harry Kalas - Wikipedia
Paul Harvey - Wikipedia