In the final weeks of 2010, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, the outgoing Congress accomplishes. Supporters on both sides of the aisle tend to forget at this point in the year that the newly-elected officials have yet to take office. It is possible that current officeholders, many with nothing to lose as they leave Washington behind in the wake of a lost midterm election, could attempt to pass extreme measures through both chambers for the president’s signature prior to the transition of power. It seems more likely, however, that the congressmen and senators will resolve one or two main issues and leave the remainder for the 112th Congress to sort out.

Discussion in the next several weeks will probably center around the Bush-era tax cuts, set to sunset at the end of the year. We will probably also be looking at a proposed temporary budget bill to fund the government (the budget year began October 1, for those of you keeping track–apparently some folks were a little too concerned about campaigning and maintaining their own positions to put together or pass bills to fund the government programs they have insisted are necessary). The president has also placed recent emphasis on the START treaty, dealing with the reduction of strategic arms, particularly nuclear weapons, and there is a rumor that an immigration bill may be in the works as well.

Remember that as bills are debated and/or passed, the new guys aren’t in yet. If your issue isn’t being addressed or if you think it’s being addressed the wrong way, don’t give up hope. Thanks to the hard work engaged in by many in 2010, there’s always next year.

“There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home…Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” –O. Henry

There is something to be said for Thanksgiving being one of the few uniquely American holidays. Although originally initiated by the Pilgrims as a religious observance to give thanks to God for surviving the first harsh winter in Plymouth Colony, the holiday has become one of the few that is celebrated across the religious and cultural landscape in this country. You might observe by spending time with family members you don’t often see, watching football or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, by going to a church service, or by freaking out about how quickly Christmas and the end of the year are approaching, but you will likely do something.

It is somewhat cliche to ask what one is thankful for at this time of year, but it is as good a time as any to be mindful of how fortunate we all are to be Americans. We might not always agree with the policy choices that our elected officials are making, but we have the power to control our own destiny in local, state, and national government. We are free to publicly criticize positions with which we do not agree and to endorse others without fear of government reprisal. We are guaranteed certain rights that before the formation of our republic were unheard of for ordinary citizens, and as a result we are (generally) free to live our lives as we see fit. These are truly things to be thankful for on any day of the year.

CYP Happy Hour @ ZenDen

Come Celebrate Big Election Wins!

Wednesday, November 17th

Zen Den in the InterContinental Hotel

(139 E. Kilbourn Ave)

5:30-8:00

CYP will be at the swanky Zen Den in the InterContinental Hotel on Wednesday, November 17th for our post-Election Happy Hour.  Please join us as we celebrate winning big in November and stopping the big-government agenda in its tracks.

Special Guest:  Now that Scott Walker is moving on from Milwaukee County to the governor’s mansion, we’ll have a short presentation from the Greater Milwaukee Committee about a new plan for Milwaukee County.  You’ll hear much more about it, so come and decide for yourself.

Special thanks to Shannon O’Connell for the special location.

When Jake Curtis and I started CYP over two years ago, an Election Night like last Tuesday was almost unthinkable.  After the 2008 election, everyone thought that the Republican Party and conservatives would be in the wilderness for a long while and that beating back the Obama Machine would take many years of toil. 

But, happily, we were wrong.  And for that, we have Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi to thank.  His massive overreaching for healthcare and cap and tax in the midst of a terrible economic recession and the backlash it started is a tribute to our democracy–in our country, the government simply cannot be out-of-touch with the people for very long.

Thankfully, voters gave Republicans another chance to see if they can stick to their fiscal conservative  principles this time around.  Election 2010 is a reminder that this country is a center-right country and if the Republican Party does not follow through with its promises, the election results will switch right back.

This past weekend, much media coverage was devoted to the so-called “rally for sanity” put on by Comedy Central comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, reportedly attended by thousands of Americans from across the country in Washington, D.C. With all due respect to two very funny comedians, the real rally for sanity occurred today at the polls in Wisconsin.

It wasn’t about Hollywood celebrities, trendy catch phrases, or mudslinging campaign advertisements. It was the simple result of fiscally irresponsible policies and empty promises. In short, Wisconsinites were downright angry about what has occurred in the last two years and were motivated enough to go to the polls in a midterm election to prevent further damage to the state and national economy. The message, clear enough to vote out a formerly popular eighteen-year Senate incumbent, was simple: the people of this state do not agree that we can tax and spend our way to prosperity. We don’t believe that a government-run health care system, with as-yet undefined costs, will solve our woes. We don’t believe that burdening the next generation with debt is an acceptable plan for short or long-term economic growth.

Wisconsin voters made their voices heard today in a loud and clear repudiation of the fiscally disastrous policies of the past two years. We have taken an important step toward putting our state and federal government back on the right track, but now is not the time to rest on our laurels. It will be important to support our newly-elected officials as they pursue a new legislative agenda. Watch for future CYP events where you can meet elected officials and other influential figures in our political community and learn about further ways to help.

1. Get out and vote! (Click here to find your polling place)
2. Check back here to see what all the Milwaukee candidates are tweeting about in real time.
3. Attend one of the victory parties!

In case you haven’t been awake, conservatives are going to win big tomorrow.  Polls are open from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.  You can find your polling place here:  https://vpa.wi.gov/

You ought to vote tomorrow because margin is going to matter.  You may not read the New York Times, but there will be articles about the numbers of votes cast against the President’s agenda and against Obamacare.  Decisionmakers will use those margins to decide how to act in the upcoming year.   In that sense, votes matter even for conservatives who are running unopposed.

We cancelled the CYP Happy Hour tomorrow night so that you can attend a campaign party.  These will be fun.  You should stop by and congratulate the candidates on a job well done.

Scott Walker for Governor
Country Springs (2810 Golf Road, Pewaukee)
 
Ron Johnson for Senate
Sorry–the party is in Oshkosh.
 
Jess Ripp for State Senate
Blackthorne Pub & Grill
 
Leah Vukmir for State Senate
Alioto’s (3041 N Mayfair Rd.)
 
Sheriff David Clarke
Wicked Hop

November 2nd is Coming:
Lets raise our steins together!
CYP Happy Hour
Thursday, October 28th
Old German Beer Hall
5:30-8:00

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 28th, we’ll have a little pre-campaign rally.  Hope you can make it.  There are a ton of events going on now, and you should be checking out campaign websites to find out more:

www.scottwalker.org

www.leahvukmir.com

http://ronjohnsonforsenate.com/home/

And always, our friends at Americans for Prosperity:  www.fightbackwisconsin.com

Yesterday, I attended the Ben Stein event at UW-Milwaukee.  Ben is funny, but tremendously knowledgeable.  Beyond attending a political event that I didn’t have to host and getting to talk with my friends in attendence, I was struck by how reasonable and moderate Ben Stein is.  Ben was distraught that the government did not bail out Lehman Brothers and in so doing, may have made the financial crisis worse.   That is not the sentiment you will hear at may Tea Parties–that TARP didn’t go far enough.  I’m not certain its right (I’m not certain that we wouldn’t be in the same mess that we are currently in, except that people who take risks wouldn’t be more emboldened, but since we can’t run the experiment again, who knows?).  In any case, my point is that Ben Stein is not an absolutist by any stretch of the imagination.  But my second observation is that, despite his moderateness, he does not like Barack Obama and what he has done during his time as President.  Stein supports universal healthcare, but he pilloried the President and the Democrats for the socialistic way that they felt they had to smash the healthcare system and how Obama failed to realize and understand that it was the economy that was the most important piece of this election. 

People like me are always mad at whatever an incumbent Democratic president does–I just don’t like their agenda, whether by small bits and pieces (Clinton) or by huge change (Obama).  But, as Clinton was a relatively popular president, I understand the country does not share my sentiments.  But the country has seen Obama, and moderates and independents just do not like the job that he has done.  They are mad at the place that this country has been brought to by its leadership.  Large-scale liberalism is heading towards a massive, historic defeat on next Tuesday; we have only to understand the particulars.  The reason is that even people who would allow government intervention more than I would prefer (Stein adores Nixon, a president who was not afraid to create new government bureaucracy) have now seen real large-scale liberalism in action, and they are not happy with the result. 

We all need to get out and work while we have the hours this weekend.  I’ll be poll-watching, and if you want something to do this weekend, please stop by any of the campaign headquarters from the candidates on this email.  Next Tuesday looks to be historic.

It’s a busy week for CYP. Our monthly happy hour was a great success yesterday. Many thanks to Leah Vukmir for speaking to us and to the Great Lakes Distillery for the venue and appetizers.

If you couldn’t make it to a recent event, or if you simply want to get more involved as the election approaches, the following opportunities are available in the next few days alone:

TODAY, September 23, WPRI is holding its Refocus Wisconsin presentation. Go to the Grain Exchange at noon to learn about the latest polling, including trends on issues and individual candidates. If you’ve not been to one of WPRI’s presentations before, they are real eye-openers and incredibly interesting.

TOMORROW, September 24, the Ron Johnson campaign is holding a Brewers  tailgate before a 7:00 start against the Florida Marlins. CYP members are invited. Tailgate will be in the Brewers 1 parking lot; call Jason if you get lost.

SATURDAY, September 25, take a few hours to help children in need in other countries by packing meals at Concordia University from 2:30 to 4:30. If interested, please email cypmilwaukee[at]gmail.com

SUNDAY, September 26, several CYP members who have decided to help out last night’s guest, Leah Vukmir, will be doing lit drops in the fifth senate district. If you want to join us, meet at 1484 South 84th Street in West Allis. We plan to start at 2, drop literature until 5, then go to the bar. Before you cry “sacrilege,” please note that the Packers play Monday night. If you can’t participate at that time but would still like to help, please email Josh at Josh[at]LeahVukmir.com
CYP does not endorse indvidual candidates. We encourage our members to attend our events, meet candidates, and decide on the issues for themselves.

Look for more events to come as November 2 draws ever closer. If you have suggestions for an event or a speaker, email cypmilwaukee[at]gmail.com