Welcome to "From Patricia's Desk", where Patricia will from time to time post columns and commentaries here on items in the news and experiences from the campaign trail. Check back frequently!
Last week, Ramesh Ponnuru wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled “The Year of the (Pro-Life) Woman”. As his wonderful editorial pointed out, despite the fact there are millions of pro-life women throughout the United States, only a handful are elected to federal office – just 13 in the House and a sad zero in the Senate.
The good news is that is changing. From coast to coast, from conservatives states such as South Carolina to liberal states like California , pro-life women are stepping forward and are not only running, but winning.
For nearly a year, from Virginia to Massachusetts to New Jersey , Americans coast-to-coast have said “stop” to the Democrats and ObamaCare – yet, in one of the most arrogant displays of power in our nation’s history, the Democrats in Congress are hell-bent on imposing their will – via the Senate health care bill – on the American people. Now, it appears they may even try to pass it without having a vote on the bill through a procedure called “deem and pass.”
Yesterday, I was honored to attend Governor Sarah Palin’s speech to the Salina Chamber of Commerce. Her visit inspired Kansans from all directions to drive many miles to see her speak. This wonderful Kansas welcome is a testament to the inspirational figure she is – for her courage, her strength, her leadership, and her willingness to stand tall for the values we should embrace as Americans.
Those in the mainstream media, in the opposite party, and many in the establishment of our own party don’t like Sarah Palin. She is everything they aren’t -- she has class, clear convictions, and she is not in politics for a title, but for the conservative principles she believes in – energy independence, limited government, free markets, and life.
They say the more things change, the more they stay the same.
In the past year since President Obama was inaugurated, we’ve seen millions of Americans join the conservative movement -- rallying at tea parties, speaking up at town halls, starting grassroots organizations, and when elections approach, getting involved on behalf of genuinely conservative candidates who, just two years ago, were told they had no chance of winning.
From Virginia to New Jersey to New York to Massachusetts, this collective effort of like-minded, liberty-loving, freedom-embracing Americans has redefined the word grassroots, setting aside establishment candidates and conventional wisdom in the matter of weeks, not months. This is why our opponents – in both parties – are confounded on just how to handle us.
For the rest of Patricia's column about the race, click here.
The State of the Union, no matter who is President, is always an impressive spectacle to watch. It provides our nation - specifically, our leaders - a chance to refocus on solutions for our nation.
There were elements of the President's speech I applaud - such as the proposal for clean, safe, nuclear energy and continuing down the path for earmark reform, particularly putting earmark requests online. I also applaud the President's strong statements in regard to consequences for Iran should they continue to head down the dangerous path they are heading.
However, too often, the President's speech took on a tone of lecturing the American people - particularly those who have a different outlook on the proper role of government than he does. He criticized the permanent campaigning of politics, even while he has been the entire time he's been office. He went after the Supreme Court for protecting free speech. When it comes to national health care, he asked the American people to take another look at what he's proposed - ignorant of the fact that they have, and they have soundly rejected it.
Read the rest of Patricia's column by clicking here.
Today, I will be attending the Kansas Rally for Life in Topeka, marking the 37th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade – joining hundreds of thousands of Americans who will be attending marches and rallies across the country, including in our nation’s capital.
As we stand and observe this day for a 37th time, let us always remember the lives of 50 million babies that this ruling has cost. We must never be afraid to give a voice to the voiceless, upholding the dignity and value of every innocent life.
Read the rest of Patricia's column by clicking here.
Americans are horrified at the recent attempted airline bombing by an al-Qaeda trained man on Christmas Day near Detroit. While we are fortunate that this attack on American soil was not successful, I am extremely concerned about the systems in place at our airports, the leadership and competence of those in this Administration, and the conduct of the War on Terror in general. Americans justifiably demand accountability from those in charge.
Read the rest of Patricia's column by clicking here.
Ronald Reagan once said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
That, my friends, is what the 2010 election is all about. With our economic freedom and individual liberty under constant threat, I believe people both in and out of office must be willing to step forward and speak the truth -- particularly in the face of great challenges our nation faces and the consequences we face if we don’t courageously advocate for what we know is right.
Read the rest of Patricia's column by clicking here.
There’s out of touch, and then there’s Dennis Moore.
I just heard an interview that Dennis Moore gave to EJ of “Kansas City’s Morning News with EJ and Ellen” on KMBZ, minutes after his vote on the Pelosi bill on Saturday night.
Never before have had I heard a sitting member of Congress so completely in the clouds regarding what he had just voted on just a few moments before his interview. Here is a rundown of what he said:
Read the rest of Patricia's column by clicking here.
The House of Representatives, on a late Saturday night, when most Americans were driving home from college football games or spending their weekends wth family and friends, passed the Pelosi Health Care Bill 220-215.
Last night, I watched the several hours of debate on C-Span, and was extremely disappointed, saddened, and yes, angered with the final results. Dennis Moore, notably, voted YES, despite 39 Democrats voting no, He has now put himself squarely on the side of socialized medicine, turning aside the very principles which have made our country great. He not only supports a massive federal government, high taxes, and draconian penalties for those who refuse to comply, he is marching right alongside Obama and Pelosi in the march towards socialism, and has made it clear he no longer believes in the free market, states' rights, or protecting the liberty of the people he represents.
Read the rest of Patricia's column by clicking here.
Last night, I appeared on Darla Jaye’s show and one of the questions Darla asked was about how I would go about cutting spending as a member of Congress. It’s a great question, because from my experience in the legislature, I can testify to the fact that the pressure to spend money is always much more intense than the pressure to cut it. With interest groups and industries all looking for their slice of the pie, it is often all-too-easy for elected officials to lose focus on who they represent – the people.
Read the rest of Patricia's column by clicking here.
When my 11-year-old daughter asked me about 9-11 yesterday, I was reminded again about how the vivid memories of that horrific attack remain so etched in our minds.
As I relayed to her the heart-wrenching stories - such as of husbands calling wives and wives calling husbands one last time as well as the many of the heroic efforts of those in law enforcement and rescue - I emphasized that we never should never forget that day and always hold close to our hearts the lives who were lost 8 years ago. We must never take our freedom and liberty lightly and always take time to thank all those whom bravely serve to keep our country safe, both home and abroad.
As the nation engages in the ongoing debate about health care, this morning I was quite troubled to read this article -- "Pentagon worried about Obama's commitment to Afghanistan". The article describes how the Obama Administration is reacting with caution to an expected request for 21,000 to 42,000 troops to fight the war in Afghanistan, prompting some within the Pentagon to question our commitment there.
I believe we must commit to winning the war against terror, and we all agree the primary battlefield in that war is in Afghanistan. Nothing is more essential for the protection of liberty, both here and around the world, than to fully support our efforts against those who would stop at nothing to destroy us. We must remain vigilant in fighting the war on terror and that means listening to the requests of the Generals with whom we've given the task of winning that war.
Most importantly, we must provide the support and backup our brave men and women in the battlefield need to accomplish their mission. I believe Americans are committed to victory in Afghanistan, and I believe it is the job of the President to rally the nation around the necessary steps needed to ensure that victory.
Just last week, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts made his position clear on the issue of Guantanamo Bay detainees coming to Leavenworth. As he put it, "not in my back yard".
Dennis Moore, on the other hand, doesn't see a problem with Gitmo detainees coming to Kansas.
Whose philosophy do you support -- Pat Roberts or Dennis Moore?
