Thanks to you: FairTax now getting National Media Coverage!!!

You have done it. You have put the FairTax onto the National stage. There is now not one politician that does not know what the FairTax is, and if they say they do not know what it is they are either lieing or are not paying attention.

Here are some stories that have popped up since the rally in Columbia S.C.

Here is a nice editorial in the Augusta Chronicle about the FairTax: "A New American Revolution?" ...Hey that was my line...maybe the author has been reading My Two Cents Worth....The writer says: "The rally and march also stood out because the mainstream media hasn't really sensed how serious this movement is." Well ... that's changing, isn't it?

CNN video from outside the debate. First there are some war protesters, but then at least the last half of the video is all FairTax supporters.

FairTax Rally Gallery from Neal Boortz nationally syndicated radio talk show host and co-author of the FairTax book who was also at the rally.

Now here's one article that showed up this morning. John Boyanoski was more than fair in his coverage of the rally, but take a look at his final paragraph:

The fair tax would do away with individual taxes, but ultimately raise taxes for basic everyday goods. Critics of the tax feel that it would hinder the working poor and be more of a benefit to people with larger paychecks.

In fairness to Mr. Boyanoski I don't think he was trying to be critical of the plan .. it's probably that he hasn't studied it. He either hasn't read the book or hasn't visited FairTax.org to see what is really going on here. As those of you who have taken the time to become informed know, the price for everyday goods will not go up, and the FairTax does a lot more than just "do away with individual taxes."

Neal Boortz is actually working on the second book "Ansering the Critics of the FairTax."

Republicans Agree on Lower Taxes (AP STORY)Forbes, NY- May 15, 2007... outside the building, and 4000 people were taking part in a rally organized by FairTax.org to promote a national sales tax to replace income taxes. ...

Fair Tax Crowd Shuts Down Columbia StreetsCampaigns & Elections (press release)- Jim Arab snapped pictures and shouted for anyone and everyone to hear as he looked at the rows and rows of white-shirted supporters of the fair tax lining ...

Around the city, a sense of 'something big' (THE STATE) Supporters of replacing the federal income tax with a sales tax flowed into the Carolina Coliseum, with a few thousand people attending a rally and debate-watching event. http://www.thestate.com/169/story/65277.html

GOP's Silver Elephant Dinner kicks off big week for Republicans. Hannity was also scheduled to speak at pre-debate event Tuesday at the Carolina Coliseum where FairTax.org expected 7,000 to rally and watch the debate, said Ken Hoagland, a spokesman for the group pushing a plans for national sales tax to replace income taxes.http://www.thestate.com/312/story/64028.html

MSNBC- May 15, 2007 Thousands of of people -- the anti-tax group Fair Tax say they have 7000 alone -- are chanting for their favorite candidate, hollering, and banging cowbells ... 30 minutes away

Video of Neal Boortz on Fox New with Cavuto and picture of march on FoxNewshttp://msunderestimated.com/2007/05/15/the-fair-tax-rally-pre-debate-in-sc-video/

Video of Huckabee in debate talking about the FairTaxhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm1ARFKWdow

Fair Tax RallyWCSC,SC- May 16, 2007 A crowd of about 7000 came together to spread the message behind www.fairtax.org. The group wants to get rid of the federal income tax system and replaces ...

Thousands gather for tax reform rallyhttp://www.thestate.com/169/

Thousands who support replacing the federal income tax with a national sales tax have begun gathering at the Carolina Coliseum. .CNN video of outside the Koger Centerhttp://www.cnn.

Debate site draws diverse groups Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Protesters against war, taxes vie for candidates' attentionCharleston Post and CourierCOLUMBIA — If the Republicans presidential hopefuls were listening, there was plenty to hear around South Carolina's capital Tuesday as groups gathered to protest taxes, rally against the war and call for the Confederate flag to keep flying on Statehouse grounds. While only 2,000 were... Read story.

An Eyeful Of South CarolinaCampaigns & Elections (press release)- May 16, 2007Thousands of fair tax supporters, hundreds of campaign supporters, men in Confederate flag shirts, Condoleezza Rice for President stickers and a man in a ...

Republican rivals turn up heatSpartanburg Herald Journal (subscription),SC- May 16, 2007Huckabee highlighted his support for a so-called "Fair Tax." Earlier in the night, thousands of Fair Tax supporters marched around the Koger Center, ...

Hunter struggles to be noticed on GOP debate stageSan Diego Union Tribune,CA- 35 minutes ago"That was the first time I've heard him," Reynolds said at Tuesday's Fair Tax event. "Obviously he supports the fair tax. That's the only thing I know. ...

Huckabee Has Second Presidential Candidate DebateToday's THV,AR-"Fair tax, that's the first thing I'd want to do as president--put a going out of business sign on the IRS, just for them to operate. If we had a fair tax,

Spending Like John Edwards at a Beauty ShopGOPUSA,TX- Huckabee scored points by stressing the need for a fair tax. Rather than talking about a tax cut here or a tax cut there, Huckabee noted: ...

Huckabee's Edwards Zinger Sends Chris Matthews' Spittle SpewingRushLimbaugh.com (subscription),CA- HUCKABEE: If we had a Fair Tax, it would eliminate not just the Alternative Minimum Tax, personal income tax, corporate tax, it would eliminate all the ...

The Debate and Taxes 16 May 2007 by Ron Nehring Taxes were on the minds of those who attended the South Carolina debate last night -- one could hardly miss the impressive pro-tax reform rally put on by the group FairTax.org across the street -- about 8000 people. ...California Republican Blog: Updated Daily... - http://www.cagop.org/blog/

Hot and Fast!!! What? I was talking about the cars...3 woman drivers will start for Indy 500

Mika Dunno makes it 3 wide racing for the woman anyways for the 91st running of the Indy 500.

The rookie driver from Venezuela turned some of her fastest laps all month to tentatively qualify 29th for the May 27 Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average of 219.228 mph.

Dunno will join Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher, both veterans at Indy, on the 33-car grid.

It will be the first time 3 woman have started at the Indy 500.

Only 5 woman have made the field in the races 91 year history. Janet Guthrie became the first woman to compete in the 1977 Indy 500 but finished 29th with engine troubles. She would compete in two more Indy 500s, finishing as high as ninth in the 1978 race.

Women making the event has caused a real firestorm in the past among some male fans who do not like the idea of female drivers. Although the controversy has become less severe it still exists among some fans.

Some feel there may be some extra caution flags come Sunday.

I say what is the big deal. They got in a car and drove it fast enough to qualify, let them race. If you don't like it get your own car and drive faster, but good luck with that...219 mph...now that is fast!

In fact...I don't understand what the big story is about women making the field anymore. It is not like this is somekind of new phenomenom.

13 out of the last 15 indy 500s has had a woman in the field. So why does the media keep beating this story year after year.

The only difference between this year and years past it that a woman is actually being consideres as a contender before the green flag is dropped on Sunday.

Danica Patrick will start eighth in a top-flight Andretti Green Racing Dallara-Honda, and is one of 10-12 drivers that is being given real consideration as a contender by the experts. So perhaps that should be the story, not that women are making the field.

Anyways Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher and Milka Duno have been mobbed by reporters in the days leading up to the Indy 500, and the questions are the same ones they've been answering since they reached the top levels of motorsports:

Do you feel like you're making history?

Can women compete against men?

Is this a significant statement for women?

What will it mean if a woman wins the Indy 500?

And, of course, each year a bungled question to a female driver comes out as this: How does it feel to be a woman?

For the most part, their male counterparts don't begrudge the women their place on the racetrack. Women on a racetrack is not that uncommon of a thing anymore, most of the men in the field at Indy have raced against women since their karting days.

Driver Sarah Fisher, who will also being racing on Sunday seems to agree with me.

"Just because there are other women out there doesn't make me want to go any harder or faster," Fisher says. "Everybody is the same in my mind. I think it's great what this has done for the league and the sport. We've drawn a lot of attention to it. It's made the league more popular. People are tuning in. That's awesome. As an open-wheel fan, I couldn't want any more for the series, so that's great. But to me on track, they're just two more cars."

In this day an age woman are competing on the track just the same as men and have been for a while. The old I am woman here me roar stories of the past is no longer news. If the media wants a female angle in Indy the real story is that this is all old news unless a female wins on Sunday and Danica Patrick very well could.

I am not a big indy race fan. I prefer NASCAR, but if the field keeps growing like this... Hot and Fast, it could get my attention. What? I was talking about the cars...

MTCW Pic of the Day

It is Memorial Day Weekend.

Get the flag out and fly it proud.

If you don't have a flag get one.

Thank a vet and remember those

of us serving far away. There are no barbeques

or picnics or beer for us this weekend.

remember those who have died for your

freedoms.

War spending bill passes house and Senate: Clinton, Obama vote NO to fund troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I take back the respect I had for Obama, and Clinton well I never had much respect for her to begin with.

The U.S. Senate passed the war-spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with no timetables for withdrawal 80-14 Thursday night, but the top two front-runners, Clinton and Obama in the Democrat Primary voted No.

Their votes Thursday night continued a shift in position for the two presidential hopefuls, both of whom began the year shunning a deadline for a troop withdrawal.

''I fully support our troops'' but the measure ''fails to compel the president to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq,'' said Clinton.

Yeah, new strategy, I guess she doesn’t know about the new Gen. in charge and the troop surge, which by the way is showing signs of improvement.

''Enough is enough,'' Obama, an Illinois senator, declared, adding that President Bush should not get ''a blank check to continue down this same, disastrous path.''

Right, and the troops shouldn’t get the money for the equipment that helps keep them alive. I guess if Obama or Clinton got there way we would start fighting al-Qaeda with a bag of rocks instead of bullets.

If this is the kind of support the troops the democrats want to give, they can keep it.

After the last democrat primary debate I stated that I do not agree with Obama’s position on Iraq, but I have the most respect for his position than any of the other candidates

“I opposed this war from the start because I thought it would lead to the disastrous conditions that we have seen,” he said, but he said he could not vote to cut off funding for troops once they were in the field.

Yeah well so much for that pledge…and Clinton well her position is even less respectable.

Clinton actually voted to authorize to send troops to Iraq, now she wants to abandon them and not give them the money they so desperately need.

This debate is not over either folks. The most critical votes on the war are likely to be cast in September when the House and Senate debate war funding for 2008. The September votes likely will come after Iraq war commander Gen. David Petraeus tells Congress whether Bush's troop buildup plan is working. Also due by September is an independent assessment of progress made by the Iraqi government.

You can guarantee the defeat-rats…I mean democrats will do everything they can to continue to embolden our enemies and make sure Iraq continues to be portrayed as a failure by September. It truly must be a proud moment in the history of the Democrat Party to realize that the success of your party is invested in the defeat of your country.

Poor Gen. Petaueus… he has lost before he even started.

New Poll: 25% Young Muslims in U.S. support suicide bombing. 60% Muslims in U.S. worried about growing Islamic Extremism in U.S.

A Pew Research Centerpoll released this week reveals that one in four young Muslims living in America supports the use of suicide bombings to defend their religion are just fine. So, how's that for a religion of peace?


On the brighter side of things three out of four younger Muslims, and about 80 percent of Muslims altogether, say that suicide bombings are not appropriate.


Well, that is good but still not comforting. 25% is a pretty significant number of young muslims living in the United States and what exactly would they consider defending there religion?


Is the idea of defending their religion include the act of killing people who draw cartoons of Mohammed or utter any negative comment of any nature whatsoever about Islam as we have seen in the past.


Here is another thing to ponder, these are Muslims living in the United States, most of them were born here. This would mean that they must have been taught the idea of suicide bombings from somewhere. Could it be that they have been taught to think this way in their Mosques an in their associations with other Muslims?


This is where homegrown terrorism comes from, the type of homegrown terrorism that has been showing up in England and Spain in recent years.

Here are some other numbers in the Pew poll worthy of note:

5 percent of U.S. Muslims have favorable views of Al Qaeda. Another 4 percent just wouldn't say. That's not a small number folks when you realize there are approximately 2.35 million muslims in the U.S.

Sixty percent say they are concerned about a rise in Islamic extremism in the U.S. Wow!!! that should set an alarm off. 60% of Muslims I remind you....concerned of a rise of Islamic extremism in the U.S. Unfortunately, most of the U.S. doesn't seem to concerned.

Now get this one --- only 25 percent of U.S. Muslims actually believe that the attacks of 9/11 were carried out by Arab men. They're either lying or they are brainwashed.

The poll also says about one-third of U.S. Muslims who have flown in the past year say they had to endure some extra security screening because they are Muslims.


Well, good profiling is a good defensive technique against Muslim violence.

MTCW Pic of the Day...

Here is a photo from Iraq that probably never made your morning paper.

Comming Memorial Day: MTCW Tribute to Veterans Special

Comming Memorial Day: My Ten Days with the 1/508th PIR, 82nd Airborne Div.

I am finishing up writing my first hand account of my time spent and what I witnessed while with the elite group of Paratroopers from the 1/508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.

I have decided to post it on Memorial Day with the MTCW Tribute to Veterans Special. It will consist of no news or politics, nothing but tributes to Veterans of the present and past.

I thought it would make a nice tribute to the Paratroopers of the present and those of the past.

The current Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division continue to make the Paratroopers of the past proud by living up to their "All The Way" motto in the Taliban strongholds of southern Afghanistan.

I will take you there with there remarkable story of courage, honor, bravery and duty.

Photo Information: A Paratrooper from 3rd plt. Co. A, 1/508th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division on patrol as the sunrises in the Sangin Valley of Southern Afghanistan. The Sangin Valley is one of the heaviest poppy producing regions in the world and has a reputation as a drug lord, Taliban and al Qaeda stronghold making it one of the most dangerous places for U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Tony J. Spain, 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

How I would have answered the questions from the debate in Columbia S.C.

I am definitely not running for president and probably never will, but I thought it might be fun to answer some of the same questions from the Republican Primary Debate held in Columbia S.C. from last week.

So…a buddy of mine and I got a stopwatch and a voice recorder. He asked me the questions and gave me the same amount of time the candidates got to answer. Here are my answers, let me know how I did…

Let's start with the war in Iraq.

Q: You say that you are willing to be the last man standing for U.S. involvement in Iraq. But the Iraqi government has failed to meet one political benchmark after another for political reform. Why should Americans continue to fight and die while Iraqi politicians continue to do so little?

COUNTRY BOY: Thank you for the question…Look I know the American people are frustrated with the war in Iraq. I understand your frustration, because I am frustrated with the war in Iraq as well…but just because things are not going well and frustration has set in does not mean you cut and run.

Have there been mistakes made…absolutely. Policy failures you bet…

But we must look at the consequence of leaving… losing the war does not mean we hang our heads, bring the troops home and go on and move on, like post Vietnam. The stakes are much higher.If we leave Iraq attacks from Islamic terrorists will not stop or decrease, but rather will steadily increase.

Prior to 9-11 there were more than 7,500 terrorists attacks throughout the world. Many on U.S. interests…1993 bombing World Trade Center…1996 Khobar Towers…1998 US Embassies in Africa…2000 USS Cole in Yemen. Since the war on terror began there has not been one successful terrorist attack on U.S. interests…If we leave Iraq the terrorists will no doubt follow us to the homeland…

Times up…

We either fight them there or fight them here at home….

Q: In the last debate, Governor Thompson said that you would, quote, "Require the Maliki government to vote on whether or not they want us to continue to stay in Iraq." He said that he would, quote, "Require the 18 provinces to elect governments and that he would split oil revenues." Is this the right approach to Iraq?

COUNTRY BOY: First off, I would not let the Iraqi government decide if we should stay in Iraq or leave. If I was president I would never outsource decisions on national security to the Iraqi government, the U.N. or anyone. That would be a decision left to the Oval Office.

I do agree, that the Iraqi government definitely needs to be held more accountable and needs to take a larger roll in the security of Iraq. Let’s be clear about something though…In the 5 years we have been in Iraq the people of Iraq and Iraqi government has made great strides. They have held free elections…they have built schools…and universities…and infrastructure.

There is no doubt a long way to go…and I am definitely not trying to grow you a rose garden in a pile of manure. Iraq still has many problems…

As far as the 18 provinces and oil reserves….that is up to the Iraqi people and their government…

Q: Can you foresee any circumstances under which you would pull out of Iraq without leaving behind a stable political and security situation?

COUNTRY BOY: Absolutely not…your question would imply that we lose in Iraq…I refuse to accept that premises…We are not going to lose in Iraq…we can not afford to lose in Iraq.

We have to understand that Iraq is a small part of the overall picture. What happens in Iraq has enormous impact on what's going to happen in this global struggle that we face. It will be crucial to what happens with Iran…by pulling out of Iraq before Iraq is stable and able to stand on its own would create a huge power vacuum in the region…Iran would quickly take over the Shi'a south, and set their sights on the rest of the region…giving them control of majority of the Worlds oil supply…and perhaps most frightening, you could have al Qaeda play a dominant role among the Sunnis and then have a setting where you'd have something far far worse than what Afghanistan ever was.

We must and we will provide the stability to allow a central government to survive and thrive in Iraq.

Q: When President Bush announced the troop surge, Sen. Brownback opposed it and said that instead he favored the Iraq Study Group, which has a goal of getting all U.S. combat forces out by March of next year. He said that he wanted to find a way for Republicans and Democrats to work together. Is that any way to fight and win a war, to look for a consensus among the politicians in Washington?

COUNTRY BOY: I completely disagree with just about every aspect of this question. I support Bush’s troop surge and thought it should have been done much earlier. I never felt we had enough troops on the ground in Iraq to begin with it.

If you are going to have an Iraq Study Group wouldn’t it make sense to have at least one military analyst, perhaps a general or someone who has actually partaken in the fight on the ground?

I mean this panel was about as bright as hiring a plumber to do electrical work. If you are going to fight a war let the military fight the war.

If the Generals on the ground ask for something to accomplish their mission then it should be given to them. We need to take a policy where we listen to the commanders and the troops fighting this war. This war will be won by them not in the halls of Congress…however the war could be lost in the halls of Congress if we allow it to be.

Q: Mayor Giuliani said in an interview the other day that congressional Republicans who say they must see progress by September are, quote, "fundamentally irresponsible," and that in effect they are giving a timetable for retreat to our enemies. What do you think?

COUNTRY BOY: No matter how you do it a timetable for withdrawal is the wrong answer in Iraq. The only time table for withdrawal is when the mission has been accomplished…and that will be when Iraq can stand on its own. The Democrats and many Republicans have got this issue fundamentally wrong.

Never in the history of warfare can I recall someone giving a date for withdrawal…before the war was lost…and the war in Iraq has not been lost.

The troop surge is working…We have a new General, General Paterus, with a new policy that is showing signs of success…If anyone can turn Iraq around it is General Paterus, but we must support him by giving him the funds for the equipment that he needs without ridiculous time tables for withdrawal. If you are going to make a time table for withdrawal why wait for a future date…why not just bring all the troops home today….the effect would be the same…

Q: A recent poll found that 77 percent of Republicans disapprove of the idea of setting a timetable for withdrawal. However another poll suggests that less than 50% approve of the way the Bush Administration has handled the war and yet another poll says 45% of Republicans say we should not have invaded Iraq. Was the invasion a mistake and if so why should we stay?

COUNTRY BOY: I am not going to sit here and say that invading Iraq was right or that it was wrong…whether going in to Iraq was the right thing to do or not is no longer up for debate…the fact is that we are there…and the consequences of leaving are to high. Iraq has become the center stage in the fight against al-Qaeda…more so than Afghanistan… We have to fix Iraq…accomplishing the mission is the only choice we have there…bottom line…we either fight them there or fight them here…either way we will be fighting them.

Q: You have talked about standing up the Iraqi military in the past and that at some point they will be able to replace some American troops. Now the Bush administration has been saying this, the same thing for basically four -- more than four years, and we now have as many troops in Iraq, U.S. troops in Iraq, as we did when we invaded the country. Why should we believe that this replacement is going to start happening any time soon?

COUNTRY BOY: …Thank you for the tough question…I appreciate you asking me that…It has been a tough time training the Iraqi forces…no doubt…just as it has been a tough time training the Afghan National Army….the main reason is because of the language barrier…but we are getting better at doing it…

Iraqi forces are getting better…a couple years ago we were having a tough time getting Iraqi forces to actually fight in places like Ar Ramadi and Fallujah…today they are better…with combat experience and continuous training they are now starting to stand up and fight alongside American forces. We must continue to train and rotate these forces into military operations…once they can stand on their own we can begin to rotate our forces out…The Iraqi forces will be one of the major keys to our success in Iraq…

Q: In the last debate Governor Huckabee said that President Bush made a mistake listening too much to civilians in suits and silk ties and not enough to the generals with mud and blood on their boots, especially when it came to how many troops were needed to stabilize the situation in Iraq...a point I know you agree with.

If the generals were to come to you as president and say, we don't have enough troops there; we need, let's say, 300,000, would you be open to significantly increasing our presence in Iraq?

COUNTRY BOY: We need to listen to the commanders and noncomissioned officers on the battlefield and pay attention to what they ask for, plain and simple…they are the ones leading troops in to battle…Yes, the President is the Commander in Chief and has the final decision…which are always tough decisions…but you better get the best advice you can get before making that decision…and the best advice doesn’t come from Washington, it doesn’t come from diplomats…it comes from the people fighting the war… It comes from the generals you have ordered to send his men into battle and if he says we need 300,000 more troops then that’s what we need….

This war will not be won in the halls of congress, but it can very well be lost there…It is time we stop worrying about the budget and how much the war costs…and just get it done right the first time…because right now…where we thought we could cut corners and save money is costing us more…because now we have to do it over again…We should have listened to the boots on the ground and done it right the first time…

Q: We have an internet question for you from Harry from Boston, who says, we should look ahead to the threat from Iran. He asked, quote, "What would you do to resolve this nuclear issue? And will you launch a pre-emptive strike if they were close to achieving a weapon?"

COUNTRY BOY: Well, I appreciate the question about Iran, because I think it is one of the real emerging problems that is facing not only this nation, but the entire world.

Iran is a very dangerous situation that really cannot be explained in a minute…We can not allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon…We must use every option on the table and yes to include military force…Let’s be real clear about something in reference to Iran… Iran has already declared acts of war against us and our allies…

They attack our troops who are trying to provide security for the reconstruction in Iraq…they sell insurgents weapons and bomb making materials to be used against coalition forces… they fund Hezbollah in a proxy war against Israel…

They kidnapped British Sailors in Iraqi waters who were performing a U.N. mission…
After all of this the only response anyone in the world can muster is we are greatly concerned….I believe we are beyond

TIME

concerned…it is time for action against Iran.


This question was directed toward Mitt Romney but focused on taxes so Country Boy will take it…
Q: Your critics have called you "flip-flop Mitt" for, among other things, your decision to take the "no new taxes" pledge this year after refusing to do so in 2002. Tell me why your decision to take the pledge shouldn't be seen as a blatant appeal to the party base, sir?

COUNTRY BOY: This question does not apply to me…I have always held my convictions and stood by them…even when they are not the most popular of ideas, of course changing your mind for the right reasons is not what I would consider flip flopping…but let’s talk about taxes…

My whole life I have held the belief that raising taxes… no matter if you raise them on the rich or across the board…hurts working families, reduces growth, and eliminates jobs.

When you raise taxes on the rich…the rich will just figure out away to pass the cost of taxes off to the consumer and the poor. Either through price hikes on goods or cutting jobs….tax hikes just don’t work…never have.

Since the introduction of the 16th amendment it has been rewritten and reformed by politicians and lawyers to many times to count. We have now reached a point where the current tax system is broken… It is time that we eliminate the IRS and start over with the FairTax. We…

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…We need a national sales tax and eliminate the IRS…

You supported President Bush’s 2001 tax cuts that are scheduled to expire. How can you convince Republican voters you will push a Democratic Congress hard enough to make those tax cuts permanent, sir?

COUNTRY BOY: There is no doubt that the Bush tax cuts have sparked the economy. Unemployment is the lowest it has been in 20 years…the stock market is the highest it has ever been and continues to rise.

The Bush tax cuts has increased revenue to the federal reserves as well…so there is no doubt that making the Bush tax cuts permanent would be good…but what would be even better is if we past the FairTax.

It costs the federal government 10 million dollars a year to run the IRS. The FairTax would eliminate the IRS…Estimates claim that it costs businesses up to 450 billion dollars a year just to comply to the tax laws in this country. The FairTax would eliminate that cost.

The FairTax is also good for working families and completely lifts the burden of taxes off of the poor…no more taxes withheld from your paycheck…what you make is what you take home…and a monthly allowance from the government up to the poverty level to guarantee…

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To guarantee that the necessities of life are never tasked.

Q: Gasoline prices headed north again. Should Americans resign themselves to living with $3.50, $4, $5 a gallon gasoline?

COUNTRY BOY: Thanks for asking this question…first off it is not really the governments responsibility to fix gas prices…so I would never support a price cap or price controls…or any type of windfall profit tax on gas companies… We live in a free market based on capitalism…that is based on supply and demand…right now the demand for oil is extremely high on the world market and the supply is having a hard time keeping up…making prices extremely high for oil from places like the Middle East…

There are things the government could do to help increase the supply and decrease our dependency on foreign oil…and that is get out of the way… Open the ANWR, explore off shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico…get rid of the government red tape and expenses to build new oil refineries…

This would greatly help us to become less dependent on unfriendly dictators like Chavez in Venezuela or Ahmadinejad in Iran. Until then…we will be forced to pay whatever they feel like charging for a barrel of oil…

Q: Brian from Fort Wayne asks this question via the internet, a question about controlling government spending. Tell me three federal programs you consider wasteful and would eliminate.

COUNTRY BOY: Oh my…this is like a dream for me…Where do I start??? Let’s start big… the Department of Homeland Security…that is right eliminate the whole shebang!!!…and put the agencies that existed before the department was created back where they where…If there was anything that we learned after Hurricane Katrina it was how useless this new department was…yes, FEMA gets the blunt of the blame…but FEMA was much more of an efficient program when it was its own independent agency before it fell under Homeland Security…

Next I would eliminate the Immigration and Naturalization Service and make them a division of the Border Patrol Agency and place them under the Department of Defense like the Coast Guard. This would destroy the Bureaucracy between the two and ensure that they share information easier and work better together.

Next I would give education back to the individual states and eliminate the Department of Education…how can politicians in Washington determine…

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determine what schools 1,000's miles away needs…

Q: You would eliminate the Department of Homeland Security in the midst of a war, sir?

COUNTRY BOY: Absolutely, we are not any safer after the creation of the department than what we were before…If anything I would say we are less safe because of the creation of the department… You do not have to look any farther than Hurricane Katrina to see that.

We were spending more than 40 billion on security before 9-11, and they had all the information they needed….but the way they handled the information was inefficient because of the bureaucracy and red tape between the different agencies…

Then we create an even bigger bureaucracy and we are spending at least 3 times as much…and we can not even manage a hurricane…

More bureaucracy is the last thing we need.

Q: In the next president's term, baby boomers will retire, the costs of Social Security and Medicare will soar...

COUNTRY BOY: Yeah..

Q: Tell me whether you'd be willing to reduce benefits even for wealthy Americans in order to avoid raising payroll taxes?

COUNTTRY BOY: Real good question… Social Security is a problem that is not going to fix itself…That is why I supported the Presidents efforts in privatizing social security. I believe things work better when you…the people are in charge of your own future and destiny not the federal government.. Did you know that if a private company tried to set up and offer you a retirement plan equivalent to Social Security they would be put in jail? However the government can get away with it….

There is another solution to Social Security and it does not involve cutting benefits or raising pay roll taxes on anyone…It is the FairTax plan that I keep mentioning…

The FairTax would actually increase revenue to the Federal Government, because it creates more taxpayers…it makes taxpayers out of the multi-billions of dollars underground economy from organized crime and others who escape the current income tax system…There are so many problems that th….

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That the FairTax will fix…

Q: Virtually all U.S. exporters want access to China's huge markets. You have said that you would deal with the enormous trade deficit this country has with that country. Tell me how you'd do it and how fast?

COUNTRY BOY: Yeah, China is not and has not been playing fair on trade. They devalue their currency by 40 percent which undercuts the American markets, wipes American products off the shelf not only here but around the world.

As a result we have lost close to 2 million jobs in the United States to china, mostly high-paying manufacturing jobs. A lot of those jobs were lost in South Carolina...more than 20,000 I think… I would make sure China plays by the trade rules and enforce the law...

The next thing I would propose a no tax on manufacturing for American manufacturers while working on getting the FairTax passed. This would make America the safest tax haven in the world for manufacturing and the FairTax would do it for all sectors of business. Let’s bring outsourced jobs back to America…

There's a lot of talk about the budget deficit and reducing that. But interest on the national debt is $400 billion. That's almost as much as the Defense budget. Do you consider that a problem? Would you reduce it, and how fast?

COUNTRY BOY: Yeah, it's a huge problem…If the average business conducted their business like the Federal Government they would be out of business in approximately 5 days…

We spend to much…and my party is part of the problem…It use to be the democrats that were known for big spending and they still are…but the republicans are not far behind…In fact the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress spent more money than any other administration and Congress in history…and that is after you take the money away spent on the war!!!

We have got to cut spending…got to…Republicans, we have to have some fiscal responsibility.

It amazes me that republicans can say we need to cut spending, but who voted for the No Child Left Behind bill, and the Medicare/prescription drug bill, that is going to cost trillions by the time it is said and done…

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Q: You have stated many times that the front runners in the Party are not conservative and they know they are not conservative. Would you tell us specifically why Mayor Giuliani, Senator McCain and Governor Romney are not conservatives?

COUNTRY BOY: Yeah…let me correct myself…I don’t know if they are not conservative…I know positions they have taken that are different from my own, but many of them were trying to survive in blue states…and sometimes you may have to compromise I suppose…

Here are the positions we do not see eye to eye on…Giuliani says he thinks it is up to the states to decide gun control, but it is the constitution that gives us the right to bear arms not the states…

Mitt Romney and I actually seem to agree on a lot…but he supported a weapons band that I would not have…and he does not support the FairTax…which is my most important issue other than the war and immigration

John McCain and I disagree on a lot…there is the McCain / Feingold act…that I do not even believe to be constitutional…and now he is working on this illegal immigration bill that will basically award those who broke the law with amnesty…

McCain says he is the candidate that will work across the aisle with democrats…I say we have been working across the aisle with democrats for too long now. It is time we bring conservatives to Washington that will stand up for conservative beliefs not compromise them…

Q: You say that you're a full-scale Ronald Reagan Republican, and yet, you support the troop surge and you support comprehensive immigration reform. Are those the stands that Ronald Reagan would take?

COUNTRY BOY: Well, unfortunately Ronald Reagan is not here today to tell us what he would or would not do…I do consider myself a full-scale Ronald Reagan Republican and conservative. I think Ronald Reagan would have a lot of problems with what is going on in the Republican Party today I know I do…

I consider myself a Reagan conservative because I would fight to reduce the size and influence of government while expanding economic freedoms. There is nothing that would promote economic freedom better than the FairTax…

I also believe Reagan would have viewed our Islamic Fascist Terrorist enemies as the greatest threat of our time and would have supported a troop surge because that is what the commanders on the ground asked for…

Would we agree on everything…probably not…no one agrees on everything.

Q: Gentlemen, the right-to-life has been a part of the Republican party platform for more than 20 years, so I want to ask several of you questions about abortion and stem cell research. Some researchers say the lines of embryonic stem cells that President Bush has approved federal funding for are inadequate. Tell me why they're wrong. And more importantly, tell me how you would convince them that they have -- these researchers have all the tools they need.

COUNTRY BOY: Well…first off this question is more about the roll government should take in science research and what kind of government we want as a country… I do not believe it is governments roll to fund scientific research…and here is why…If you are a scientist and you know the majority of your money is going to come from the government then you will come up with research that supports the position of who ever is in power that is funding you…basically scientist become employees of the federal government.

A lot of this research involves serious hypothesis that could have a major impact on our health and lives. I do not care to entrust the federal government with our health and lives…

As far as embryonic stem cell research…I do not support any procedure that destroys embryos.
There are some research I have seen that says there are possibilities adult stem cells, could have the same characteristics as embryonic stem cells…and if this is the case that is good new, but I…

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But I still don’t think government should be involved with the funding.

Q: You have said that you personally hate abortion but support a woman's right to choose. Governor Huckabee says that's like saying, "I hate slavery, but people can go ahead and practice it." Tell me why he's wrong.

COUNTRY BOY: Well…first of all slavery is illegal for good reasons and perhaps abortion should be as well but it is not…and I can’t change it…

This is the only question I will answer on abortion, because one abortion is not a political issue but rather a personal moral issue that government should have no say in either way…and it should not be an issue in this debate…two there are far more serious issues facing this nation…three none of the candidates have the power to change the laws on abortion anyway.

My personal views is that abortion is wrong…I would never condone it or recommend it to anyone in my personal life…

As I said abortion is not and should not be a political issue, however when you take taxpayer money and use it to support abortion then it becomes a political issue…

That is why if I were president I would never sign any piece of paper that came across my desk that would fund abortion in anyway shape or form…

Q: Gentlemen, I have a series of questions on immigration
You have made your positions against illegal immigration well known. Do you think that Senator McCain and Mayor Giuliani and Governor Romney are soft on immigration, and if so, why?

COUNTRY BOY: Yeah…they are soft on immigration because they support amnesty…although they will never call it that themselves…

Since no one can seem to figure out this illegal immigration problem I came with my own plan. It is not rocket science, or revolutionary, just a 3 step common sense approach to what some would say a complex problem…although I will not be able to explain it in detail in 60 seconds here is a brief outline…

Now I know this may sound a little crazy but how about we figure out how to enforce the existing laws that we already have on the books? It is against the law to cross the border into the United States without the proper steps already…so how about enforcing the law.

First let’s take the proper action to secure the border by building up the border patrol and work on deporting illegal immigrants already here.

Second, Increase and strictly enforce the penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Third, stop rewarding illegal behavior and withhold all entitlements to illegal immigrants.

What we do not need is more worthless government legislation that awards the act of illegal immigration because they say it is the best we can do. Sorry I disagree, the laws are already in place to fight illegal immigration

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...lets enforce them.

Q: An Internet question. Royce from Philadelphia asks if South Carolina should be free to fly the Confederate flag from state buildings. (Groans from the audience.) That flag is still flying in front of the Statehouse. Should it come down?

COUNTRY BOY: Well thank you for asking the important questions facing the nation…I mean wow…how will the country ever survive if this issue is not resolved…

When this controversy arose in 2000 I stated that it should be up to the state of South Carolina what to do with the flag…I stand by that decision today.

Many perceive the flag as hatred because they believe the civil war was about slavery…but it was not…it was about economic freedom… Many do not know this but Lincoln even offered to let the South keep its slaves to avoid the South from leaving the Union…

I do not view the flag as a symbol of hate, but rather as a symbol of the confederate states…
however, the flag has been tainted as a symbol of hate by white power extremists.

So, it is really about perception and should be left to the state of South Carolina. I think this is an issue we should put behind us and solve the real problems facing the United States…

Q: The ambassador from the European Union says the United States and Europe bear a special responsibility for global warming because the greenhouse gasses causing the problem have been put there since the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s. We put most of the stuff up there. Do you agree? And what should we do to deal with the problem, sir?

COUNTRY BOY: I am not a scientist…I don’t play one on TV…and I definitely didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night…

Look…I don’t know if global warming is the cause of man or if it is a natural phenomenon… and you know what scientists do not seem to know either…This whole issue of global warming is really interesting when you actually begin to look for information on it and not just listen to what the media and Al Gore are saying about it…, for every single scientist that tells you it's happening and that it's our fault -- I can find just as many scientist that say just the opposite.

Isn’t it also interesting that in April of 1975 Newsweek ran a feature story on the effects of global cooling and it was going to be catastrophic…now we have global warming…

From the research I have done I conclude there are natural climate changes that take place on the Earth…the Earth cools the Earth warms…and it is not caused by us…

Q: The questions in this round will be premised on a fictional, but we think plausible scenario involving terrorism and the response to it. Here is the premise: Three shopping centers near major U.S. cities have been hit by suicide bombers. Hundreds are dead, thousands injured. A fourth attack has been averted when the attackers were captured off the Florida coast and taken to Guantanamo Bay, where they are being questioned. U.S. intelligence believes that another larger attack is planned and could come at any time.

First question How aggressively would you interrogate those being held at Guantanamo Bay for information about where the next attack might be?

the former director of Central Intelligence, George Tenet, the current head of the CIA have both said that the most valuable intelligence tool they have had has been the information gained from what are called enhanced interrogation techniques to include, presumably, water-boarding.
What is your view whether such techniques should be applied in a scenario like the one I described?

COUNTRY BOY: First off…let me start by saying we should be focusing on how to prevent an attack like this from happening in the first place…but it is what it is…

So in the situation at hand we know that there is going to be another attack and the ones captured knows information about it… This is clearly a no brainer…I tell the guys doing the interrogating use every method possible within the law and get the information and then let’s act accordingly to stop it…

Q: Water-boarding?

COUNTRY BOY: Whatever methods deemed necessary…yes I would use water boarding…I am trying to save American lives…at that point world opinion is not on the list as high priority…

Q: Let’s enrich the scenario just a little bit. Let's assume for the sake of discussion here that we now also have additional intelligence that indicates with high certainty that the attackers were trained in a West African country hostile to the United States, in camps openly run by the terrorist organization that sent them. What kind of response would you agree to for that and would you involve the U.N. at all?

COUNTRY BOY: First thing I would do is verify the intelligence, make sure it is right…If it is…then I would unleash the gods of war on the hostile country…Send a quick, response, clear strong method of strength…that the U.S. is not one to mess with any longer…and tell the rest of the world this is what happens if you allow terrorist to train in your country…

No…I would not go to the U.N. for authorization. The U.N. does not decide when America protects themselves. I will never allow world opinion threaten the security of the American people.

Q: This kind of attack would pose immediate and obvious problems for the U.S. economy -- they've hit shopping centers. What kind of measures would you take to assure that the U.S. economy continued to grow in the face of an attack of this kind?

COUNTRY BOY: Well…uh…that is tough…excellent question…I think…uh… I think we...uh... already have some of the measures in place to keep a strong economy. After 9-11 the Bush tax cuts softened the blow the attacks left on the economy…and the economy remained strong.

So, if we could pass the FairTax our economy would be even stronger and easier to bounce back from the effects on the attack.

I would also encourage Americans to go back to shopping centers just as President Bush encourage Americans to continue flying after 9-11. However, I would also make a strong reminder that it is not business as usual in America…innocent Americans have been murdered on our own soil. So let's make sure that we do more than simply bring justice to those who did it; but that we ask the American people to join together in a sacrifice, the same kind of sacrifice that we all pulled together and made after Pearl Harbor and during WWII. Let’s realize we are in a fight for our survival against

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against an ideological enemy that wants us dead.

Q: What does it say about the Republican Party? what does it say that there is no woman, no Hispanic, no African- American, no minority in this field of presidential candidates?

COUNTRY BOY: I do not think it really says anything at all about the Republican Party itself. I think it says there were not any woman, Hispanics, African Americans or minorities within the party that wanted to run for President… There are certainly members within the party that are qualified to run. I think Condi Rice would make an excellent candidate…and Mel Martinez from Florida definitely has the credentials to run…

Q: Does it bother you that we see the 10 candidates on the stage, there is not a single minority running for president in your party?

COUNTRY BOY: Why, should it bother me? It doesn’t bother me…just as it wouldn’t bother me if there were all minorities on the stage.

These are the people who have chose to step forward and run for president. They have chose to have their public and in some matters private lives examined…and judged…by the media and people…It’s a tough gig…and a tough decision to make.

I know folks like to make the Republican Party out to be the “rich white boy country club,” but it is just not the case. We are a party of ideas that support freedom and the rights to protect that freedom. A party that stands for a smaller less intrusive, limited government, economical freedom…I don’t believe these ideas to only appeal to a certain class or limited to race.

Although a lot of members have seemed to abandoned those ideas, but that is what the party platform still says and that is what I stand for.

Q: Can you point to an area in which your position is less popular with the Republican base?

COUNTRY BOY: Maybe not so much with the base of the party, but definitely with the majority of the political leaders of the party who have abandoned the base. They have raised spending to uncontrollable measures, increased the size of government to limits we have never seen before…basically the RINOS of the party…which stands for Republican In Name Only…have become borrow and spend liberals rather than their tax and spend democrat counterparts.

I here a whole lot of people saying the Republican Party lost the midterm election because of the handling of Iraq. Well, to a certain extent that may be right, but the real reason they lost the midterm election is because they abandoned the base of the party and the base of the party never voted in the midterm elections. That is the real reason we lost.

I am one of the members from the base of the Party who didn’t vote, because I was so fed up… and I know many, many more who stayed home and did the same last November.

Q: Many people feel that billions of dollars in American debt that China holds is a problem. If the Chinese decide to convert those dollars to euros, the value of the dollar drops. Do you see that as a security threat, and what would you do about it?

COUNTRY BOY: Yeah, this is an important issue that is nowhere on America’s radar at the moment…In fact this is one of those issues I was talking about when I said we should be looking at the real problems facing America…because this is a real problem that has the potential to be a huge security threat if nothing is done about it.

One of the things that had initially concerned me about China was their increased demand for oil…while exploring that I found an even greater concern which is they are buying ships and planes and military equipment with hundreds of billions of American trade dollars coming in.

They've bought missiles from the Russians that were designed during the “Cold War” to destroy American aircraft carriers. So there is already a security threat really… but as we allow China to continue to cheat on trade, they are arming themselves with American trade dollars, lending our own money back to us. Some have said that China has to much of an economical tie to the U.S. to ever be a threat, yeah but for...

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We must enforce trade rules with China, and level out the one way advantage.

Well folks there you have it...a little my two cents worth added to the Republican Primary debate...I wish the debate would have focused on illegal immigration a little more and less on non-important issues like abortion and flags...but overall it was not a bad debate...

MTCW Pic of the Day

What Would Ronnie Do???

As I was watching the debate last night Ronald Reagan's name must have been uttered at least a dozen times. Republican politicians really know how to play to the base of the party don't they.

We could really use another "Fresh Start" Not sure where it is going to come from. Mitt Romney seemed to have some Reagan flare, but I am not convinced that it is genuine. Duncan Hunter??? Mike Huckabee??? maybe...

Maybe I should just learn to accept the fact that "Reagan conservatism" is gone...and is not comming back anytime soon... Miss you Ronnie...

Mike Huckabee winner of debate...Mike who??? yeah my first thoughts too.

Up until this debate I really have not been to excited to vote for any of these candidates and have been pretty upset with the Republican Party. Which is sad because politics is my passion.

I am a life long republican, but in recent years have felt the party has left its principles.

I thought last nights debate was refreshing. Especially compared to the Democrats who seem to think they are running against President Bush..... The Republicans although they did spurred over some issues with each other seemed to want to talk about issues.

There was one moment last night that really drew me in and that was when Mike Huckabee embraced the FairTax....I literally about fell out of my chair with excitement and laughter about John Edward that was classic.

"We've had Congress that's spent money like Edwards at a beauty shop. And it's high time that we have a different kind of tax structure, and the FairTax would get us there."

I have found my candidate and have been energized to get out and campaign for him. Mike Huckabee for President... he is my winner from the debate....

Romney looked good. Romney got quite an applause when he criticized McCain-Feingold. Even though I'm opposed to no child left behind I thought Romney answered the last question very well. He was also able to explain some issues of why it may appear that he is not solid on.

"Look, I've been governor in a pretty tough state. You've heard of blue states. If you ever bought a suit and you look at it and you can't tell if it's blue or black, that's how blue Massachusetts is."

Overall Mitt Romney I think he will be the front runner Mike Huckabee is going to gain a lot of ground I think. Huckabee will find himself making the top 3 in polls real soon

I believe.McCain looked horrible...and proved a old dog can’t learn new tricks by telling the same jokes from years ago... He also struggled with questions and kept saying he is the candidate that works across the aisle with Democrats.

News flash John. Republicans have been working across the aisle for too long. That is why we are all upset. We want a candidate that is going to stand up to Democrats on conservative principles not meet them half way, but I digress.

Here is the old joke that he has used over and over again. Kind of like an old man I know that tells you the same story everytime you see him...

"In 2001, I proposed massive tax cuts, but I also proposed to rein in spending...We let spending go out of control. We spent money like a drunken sailor, although I never knew a sailor drunk or sober with the imagination of my colleagues. By the way, I received an e-mail not long ago from a fellow who said -- I repeat this story -- "As a former drunken sailor, I resent the way that Congress continues being compared to members of Congress."

Giuliani wasn't doing so hot in my opinion either, but was saved when he helped Ron Paul sink his ship... Ron Paul is finished.

Ron Paul set off a time bomb when he pretty much implied 9-11 was our fault!!! Bomb explodes in 3-2-1..“Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there; we've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the Middle East.”

Rudy Giuliani ignoring the rules and asking to go out of turn: “Wendell, may I comment on that? That's really an extraordinary statement. That's an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of September 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I've heard that before, and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th.” (Applause, cheers.)

And I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that. (Applause.)

Ron Paul did not withdraw the comment and went on to blame our foreign policy for the late 1970s Iran hostage crisis!!! Wow…blame America first, would you Ron. Highly entertaining moment.

Tommy Thompson blew my mind when he struggled to answer a question about what programs he would eliminate....how about No Child Left Behind for starters hell I would go as far as starting to eliminate departments. I also do not agree with him on Iraq.

Duncan Hunter had a good night as well and gets much praise on the terrorist scenario about interrogation and torture.

"Yeah, let me just say this would take a one-minute conversation with the secretary of Defense. (Laughter.) I would call him up or call him in. I would say to him, in terms of getting information that would save American lives, even if it involves very high-pressure techniques, one sentence: Get the information."

Tom Tancredo in response to the same hypothetical terrorist situation:
"Well, let me just say that it's almost unbelievable to listen to this in a way. We're talking about -- we're talking about it in such a theoretical fashion. You say that -- that nuclear devices have gone off in the United States, more are planned, and we're wondering about whether waterboarding would be a -- a bad thing to do? I'm looking for "Jack Bauer" at that time, let me tell you."

I kept a score card during the debate. and graded each candidate on their answers and then divided that number by the amount of questions they answered. Here is how I scored the grades.
A+=6
A=5.5
A-=5.0
B+=4.5
B=4.0
B-=3.5
C+=3.0
C=2.5
C-=2.0
D+=1.5
D-=.5
F=0Here are my overall scores from the debate.

Huckabee 4.7
Romney 4.5
Hunter 4.5
Tancredo 4.1
Giuliani 4.0
Brownback 3.3
McCain 3.1
Gilmore 3.0
Thompson 2.5
Paul 1.5

Not much of a surprise here. I tend to be a lot more conservative than the majority of the party so Giuliani and McCain have never scored well with me.Although I like McCain's they will follow us home and Giuliani is not scared to call them islamic terrorists.

Ron Paul usually scores a lot higher with me, but his comment on 9-11 sank him last night...his comment is not all that surprising.

The real surprise here is how well Romney scored on my sheet...and Huckabee, I didn't even know who he was until the debates started. I started to like him and he got my support last night after embracing the FairTax.

Where you at the FairTax rally and missed the debate? Here is a full transcript

One candidate embraces FairTax in debate! Thanks for making the FairTax rally absolute success!

Wow!!! You guys did it!!! The FairTax rally was a huge success in Columbia S.C. last night. News reports estimate the numbers between 7,000 to 9,000 people were there.

Not the 10,000 I wanted, but it got the job done! It drew lots of media attention and the attention of the Republican candidates.

Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter and Governor Mike Huckabee all 2008 presidential candidates who not only made an appearance at the rally, but unequivocally endorsed the FairTax.

Mike Huckabee actually embraced the FairTax during the debate. The others did not, so as of now Mike Huckabee has my vote.

McCain staffers questioned some FairTax supporters about how they got there, thinking that they had been bussed in. They seemed impressed that most of the people there had driven to Columbia on their own, some from more than a 1,000 miles away.

There is no doubt that this rally last night had an effect. The crowd was so large that it cannot be ignored. You have put the FairTax on the National stage.

When I first started promoting this FairTax I never thought it would make it as far as it has as quickly as it has and it is all because of people like you.

Just goes to show that grass roots efforts can still accomplish things in politics. The two big presences in Columbia last night were the presidential candidates and the FairTax.

Thanks so much for the sacrifice you made to get there.

One last comment on this. I mentioned it got lots of media attention. However some media outlets stated opinions from critics that are just flat out lies.

The link above ends the story with this lie, "Critics of the national sales tax say it puts a larger burden on the poor, who often need to spend all of their income on necessities."

Not true, the FairTax is the only tax reform plan that completely lifts the tax burden off the poor because nobody pays taxes on spending up to the poverty level.

That's right you actually get a check every month up to the poverty level with the FairTax so that the neccessities of life are not taxed.

MTCW Pic of the Day

FairTax rally tonight!!! Columbia S.C.

Last chance to get on board folks. I am not going to beat this drum that much again today. Those of you who have decided to make the effort to go are probably already on your way. If you live near Columbia SC and support the FairTax please...I urge you to get off the couch this evening and go. I view this as the most important moment in trying to make the FairTax a reality. A good crowd at the rally and the issue makes national media attention. A bad crowd and you can pretty much kiss the idea goodbye.

Excited??? you bet... I truly believe this is so important to our country, but don't take my word for it. Here are some e-mails and comments I have gotten over the last couple of days about the FairTax.

Mark writes.

Hell yeah I will be there...I did not even know what the FairTax was until I started reading your blog about a year ago.

Although we do not agree on a lot, and I am definately a moderate democrat. I do agree, whole heartedly about the FairTax.You know if one of these republicans ran on the issue of the FairTax I would vote republican for the first time in my life.

It should be reconized as the number one issue on the campaign because it is the underlying solution to so many of the countries problems.The FairTax is about a lot more than Taxation. It is about economical freedom.

Danny writes...
Great blog...I have been reading for a while...first time comment..Anyways, just wanted to let you know we and 3 of our friends are packing up the SUV and headed to Columbia SC for the FairTax rally all the way from Watseka Illinois!!! It is about a 16-17 hour drive.We are going to make a summer vacation out of it and head on to Charleston SC after the rally.Thought you might like to know people are traveling from that far away.

Carla, Nashville TN said...
OK....you got me to go... I can't turn down your plea...I am taking the day off of work for this...

Dale writes...

We rented a van, got a group of six and are traveling all the way from LaCrosse, Wisconsin for this rally. We are going to put this issue on the national agenda whether the Republicans want it or not..

If these people can travel this far for a FairTax rally. All of you supporters that live within 4 or 5 hours of Columbia S.C. really have no excuse. There is no excuse for not having a crowd well over 10,000 people tonight. The power is in your hands.

Barrak Obama, raise taxes on the rich they don't "need" it.

Senator Barak Obama, otherwise known here as the mesiah of the Democrats, said in an interview over the weekend that, as president, he would support "rolling back the Bush tax cuts

on the top 1 percent of people who don’t need it.”

Who the hell gives Obama or the government the right to decide when I or anyone else does not need something?

Just who the hell does this anti-capitalist, liberal blow horn think he is to suggest that our government has the right to decide what people "need" of their own earnings, and then merrily set about seizing the remainder?

With his remarks Obama has shown that he has no respect for the idea of private property or the concept of individualism and hard work. He has shown his belief that we do not exist as individuals in this country, but as mere elements of a larger society which we are obligated to serve.

Shouldn't we have the oppurtunity to decide how much we need and gage it through how hard we want to work to achieve it?

Well not according to Obama. Obama believes that it is a proper role for the federal government to make some sort of a determination as to how much a specific person "needs." After the level of need is established, it is then perfectly OK in Obama's world to simply seize whatever is left over.

Barak's perfect government would seize property from those who have it, and redistribute it based on need.

In Barack's world politicians take a long, hard look at someone who, through hard work and diligence, has managed to amass wealth, and then determine just how much of that wealth that person needs. The remainder is then subject to confiscation. Why??? because liberals do not look at your income as yours. It is instead a collection of the whole that belongs to the government.

Now, in Country Boy Tony Spain's perfect world any politician who thinks that the government should play the role of deciding how much a person actually "needs" of their hard earned money, and then sets out to redistribute what is left over, is unqualified to serve in any level of government.

In Country Boy Tony Spain's perfect world you determine what you "need" and how hard you are willing to work to acquire it, and once you have earned it. It is yours to keep.

With this "money they don't need" comment Barack Obama has shown himself to be nothing more than a liberal leftist windbag that I always new he was.

Kind of think of it...Obama would make a good little Marxist.... Ever heard the comment "to each according to their need"

It is the basic principle of the communist philosophy. The full saying is actually "From each according to their ability, to each according to their need," and you thought communism died in the late 80's... think again.

Fort Dix terrorists were here illegally

It turns out that the three of the Muslims arrested in connection with the terrorist plot to attack Fort Dix are, in fact, illegal aliens. There is no documentation that they came into this country, which means that they were smuggled across the border. It was not the Canadian border either. It was the Mexican border...And not only that, but they have lived in the United States and enjoyed the benefits of being U.S. citizens for 23 years, since 1984.

No surprise here. I have been telling you for years that border secuirty is vital to our national security. It is not just mexicans comming accross the border looking for work. Although, that is a problem in itself.

What is it going to take to secure the borders? How long before a nuclear bomb is brought in across the border and detonated in a major city? Is that what it will take to close off the border?

It is amazing to me that we do not see border secuirity as part of the war we are fighting.

Republicans debate tonight in South Carolina.

Republicans debate tonight in South Carolina. Polls from South Carolina suggest that the war in Iraq and illegal immigration are the top issues of the voters there... It will be interesting to see what kind of questions will be asked tonight.

I decided to have a little fun and come up with the questions I would like to see asked...

Country Boy Tony Spain's questions for the Republican Presidential Canditates:

In the NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, just 22 percent believe this country is on the right track. how do we get back to Ronald Reagan's "morning in America"?

Explain how and why the Republican Party moved away from the ideals of Reagan?

What is your overall strategy to facing the threat of islamic terrorism?

What is your strategy to win the war in Iraq?

What is your strategy to win the war in Afghanistan?

Why has it been so hard to accomplish the mission in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Explain the costly effects of withdrawal from Iraq in dealing with the Iran?

Do you believe our military is as strong as it needs to be to fight the war? If not how do we make it stronger? If so, how do we maintain the strength and continue to make it stronger?

Only 1% of the population serves in the military. The rest of the nation, with few exceptions, seems to not even realize we are at war...If the war on terror is the largest idealogical threat of our lifetime shouldn't we be more involved as a nation? Shouldn't we be doing a better job at rallying the country into the war effort? and how would you do it? Would you agree support goes farther than a yellow ribbon on a car?

Iran has already committed acts of war. Do you agree? And secondly what's your last straw for a U.S. strike in Iran? How should we deal with the real threat of Iran?

You're president. You get a call from the prime minister of Israel, the prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, saying Israel's about to strike Iran's nuclear sites and he wants U.S. help. What do you say?

Do you believe illegal immigration is a national security issue? If so how do you plan to control the border?

Is global warming really an issue?

At what level should the United States keep its involvement with the United Nations?

The government of the country of Ganna has an official representative in Washington DC. The government of the State of North Carolina does not. Do you see this as a problem? Could this be a contributing factor in the immense shift of power we've seen from the local to the federal level?

Estimates claim that it costs bussinesses up to 450 billion dollars a year to comply to the tax laws in this country. Do you have any plans to reduce the burden our present tax system places on our economy?

Three part question: What percentage of all federal income taxes are paid by those in the top 1% of income earners? What percentage of the total income do the top 1% earn? Do you feel this is fair?

Are you familiar with the FairTax? If the FairTax were passed by the congress, would you sign the bill?

The competitive forces of the free marketplace have led to improvements and innovation in virtually every area of commerce. Do you support competition in our educational marketplace through school choice that would return the same rewards?

I'm not so interested in whether or not you know the difference between Shi's and Sunni Muslims as I am in whether or not you understand the difference between a democracy and a country based on the rule of law. Can you explain that difference?

There are some questions I would ask... some might get asked, but I bet the majority of them will not. Guess we will just have to see...

Good News from Afghanistan: Top Talliban Commander killed in U.S. led fight.

The killing of the top Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah, a one-legged fighter who orchestrated suicide attacks, beheadings and an ethnic massacre, marks a major victory for the U.S. in the southern part of Afghanistan.

Sure he will be replaced, but it should shake things up for a little bit.

MTCW Pic of the Day

Northern Redneck Spring Break!!!

sent in by Lance

Be a part of an American Revolution. Go to the FairTax rally.

It could be a reality, but you will have to make it happen.

Imagine on every payday you get your complete paycheck. There are no deductions. If you earn $2,000 per week, you get a check for $4,000 every two weeks.

You never have to save receipts or create any records pertaining to federal taxes.

You can invest money without paying any taxes on it.
You don't have to pay taxes on the money you earn through your investment portfolio.

You pay no taxes on any money you put in your savings account.

When you die you get to leave your entire estate, everything you own, to whomever you wish. The federal government will take no taxes from your estate. Your death is not a taxable event.

When you go to the store to buy an item, and the price tag says $19.99, you will had a $20 bill to the cashier and get one penny back. The price tag is the price.

There are four people in your household. You, your spouse and two children. At the beginning of every month you get a check in the amount of $506.00 to compensate you for the federal sales taxes that are included in the price of everything you buy; right up to the poverty level.

All in all .. not a bad deal. You keep all of the money you earn and you get five hundred bucks a month from the feds. Plus .. you only pay taxes when you spend money.

Their has never been a better chance for this to become a reality, but it is going to take effort from the people to make it happen. why??? because if the FairTax ever becomes a reality it will be the biggest transfer of power from politicians to the people since the revolutionary war. In case you have not figured it out yet, most politicians hate to give up power.

Why is this the best time??? Let's face it the Republican Party has absolutely nothing going for them right now other than the fact they are not Democrats and they know it. They have nothing to excite the base and get people to the polls.

The midterm elections proved that. Look I have been a Republican my whole life and sat out the midterm election. First time since I turned 18 that I did not vote in an election and there is nothing getting me to the polls from the Presidential candidates other than I do not want Hillary Clinton to be president.

Let one of these candidates embrace the FairTax and I will be sprinting to the polls to vote.

If we get at least 10,000 people to show up in Columbia S.C. for the FairTax rally it will send a clear message to the candidates that this is a winning issue. Anything less than that and I fear they will write the issue off as something they can ignore.

I'm truly hoping that I can say on Wed. morning that the Carolina Coliseum was jam packed last night with more than 10,000 FairTax supporters.

If the turnout is large it will bring a solid message to each of those candidates that the FairTax has support -- lots of support -- and is something they really need to think about. If the crowd is small each of those candidates will be free to dismiss the FairTax as nothing more than the pet project of a few. The difference between a capacity crowd and a small showing can make a huge difference in the future of the FairTax.

I can't go to this rally because I am deployed in Afghanistan, but trust me, If I was not deployed right now there is very little that would keep me from attending this rally. I believe in this proposal that much.

So here is my plea to all of you. I am making a sacrafice for you as a soldier and now ask all of you to make a sacrifice as a civilian. I'm asking you to go out of your way to come to Columbia, South Carolina for the rally Tuesday. Columbia is just a few hours away from great population centers like Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, Greenville-Spartanburg, Jacksonville, Savannah and others places.

A lot of people in those cities would have no problem driving that far for a NASCAR race. I know a race would definately be more exciting, but spending a Sunday at the races throwing beer cans at Jeff Gordon after he wins again isn't going to do much to change the country. Believe me, taking a half-day, nine hours .. or however much time it takes .. to come to Columbia to be a part of this event can truly have an impact on the future of this country.

How often do you get to be a part of something like that.

As I told you .. the FairTax has a record number of co-sponsors in the House right now. The movement is growing. The detractors are taking hits. Opponents are being turned into supporters. We can do this! "But it takes effort and sacrifice.

Please ... don't assume that someone else is going to fill your seat at the Carolina Coliseum next Tuesday night. It's up to you.

Several areas of the country are arranging busses to come to the rally, and they're looking for people to fill the seats. The Tampa Bay FairTax Advocates are arranging a bus. You can click on the link to reserve your seat. There's another bus coming from Virginia Beach. You can make your reservations on that bus by emailing the FairTax district director for that area. Here's your email link: and if you are driving yourself bring a friend. Here is a link for directions and parking.

Good news from Iraq...you will never hear it from the Dems.

Good news from Iraq...and from the New York Times? Say it ain't so! The Anbar province of Iraq, just west of Baghdad, is showing a homogeneous front against terrorism. Thousands have joined the police force, working with American troops. Office buildings for government workers are being renovated as well as hotels for visitors. While there is still a ways to go, the decrease in daily violent acts and a united police force is showing turns toward a better direction for stability and freedom for Iraqis.

Kirk Semple, points to the main reason as to why this turn has occurred: "While the anti-American sheiks in Anbar and Al Qaeda both opposed the Americans, their goals are different. The sheiks were part of a relatively moderate front that sought to drive the Americans out of Iraq; some were also fighting to restore Sunni Arab power. But Al Qaeda wanted to go even further and impose a fundamentalist Islamic state in Anbar, a plan that many of the sheiks did not share.... For all the sheiks' hostility toward the Americans, they realized that they had a bigger enemy, or at least one that needed to be fought first, as a matter of survival."

This makes sense and goes with something I have said before. You can't fight "terror" because terror is a tactic. You can't attempt to establish democracy and freedom when you are constantly worried about your basic need to just survive. Only once you have gotten rid of your threat to survival—Al Qaeda—can you finally work towards greater ideals and goals.

Moderate Muslims silenced over "alarmist" docuementary

MODERATE MUSLIMS SPEAK OUT --- AND ARE SILENCED.
There's a new documentary out called "Islam vs. Islamists: Voices from the Muslim Center." This documentary was produced for PBS by moderate Muslims who oppose the Islamist agenda ... and who are willing to actually put their safety on the line by speaking out. Only problem is PBS will not run the program.

The film was produced with taxpayer dollars --- about 600,000 of them -- and was supposed to be a part of a series on PBS. Now PBS isn't going to run it, because the film says that Islamists are working to build a parallel society and a parallel system of laws in the West.

The West, for those of you who do not know, would include Europe and the United States. The documentary says that the Islamic radicals are intent on enforcing a strict system of Islamic law that would be imposed in selected areas outside of the framework of the laws of that particular country.

Amazing, I have been trying to tell you this for years. Now we have actual Muslims stating the same thing. I am called a bigot and intolerant when I say it...Muslims are silenced when they try to say it.

So .. as I asked ... why has PBS decided not to run the film? Because, says PBS's Robert MacNeil, it is just too "one-sided." Besides that, it's "alarmist."

Alarmist? Damn right they are "alarmists" Just what is the problem with that? If this is the design of the Islamists why shouldn't we be sounding an alarm? And who would know better about the design than other Muslims.

Amazing, I have been trying to tell you that this is the goal Islamic fundamentalists for years. I am called a bigot and intolerant. Muslims try to warn the West of the goals of the jhad and they are silenced for being alarmists.

All of this sure makes us look mighty strong in the face of the Islamic jihad, doesn't it?

MTCW Pic of the Day

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

Don't forget to thank your Mother today for raising you right!!!

Mothers Day Brunch? Read this first.

Are you planning on taking mother out for brunch today? You may want to read this article first. It is humurous if anything, but also true.

Comming soon: My ten days with the 1/508th PIR, 82nd Airborne Div.

If you are a frequent reader to my blog then you know that I am a US Army photo/journalist in a Mobile Public Affairs Detachment deployed to Afghanistan.

For the last week and a half I have been on a mission with the 1/508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 82nd Airborne Division in the Helmand Province of Southern Afghanistan.

Which is why I have not been blogging. Hey some of you actually noticed I was gone... That means something to me...really.

Anyways, I am currently writing a first hand account of my expieriences and what I witnessed while with the elite group Paratroopers.

Exciting news for the FairTax...

Congressman John Linder, author of HR 25, The FairTax Bill, sent out a press release yesterday afternoon. H.R. 25 now has 60 co-sponsors. That's the highest ever. The FairTax now has more co-sponsors than any other piece of tax reform legislation in the House. The bill currently in the House for the flat tax only has four sponsors.

This is happening all because of YOU, bottom line. You, the people have demanded it, rallied for it, and now we are seeing results.

There isn't a politician holding office in the country that can escape questions about the FairTax during any given town hall meeting. Across the nation you will find FairTax training sessions underway, where advocates better educate others on the FairTax. When constituents send a clear message to their elected officials that they are informed and knowledgeable about the FairTax, and that they want action on H.R. 25, the elected officials have no choice but to address the issue.

With every training session there are more and more people out there who simply won't accept evasive answers from their congressmen and senators. The lies that the tax would have to be at least 60%" stuff won't work any more; nor will the claims that the FairTax would put an undue burden on the poor.

Informed citizens bring more co-sponsors and support to the FairTax. Once a congressman knows he can't rely on misinformation to put off constituents he has to make a decision as to whether or not he's going to support the fair tax, or oppose it. When the ability to obfuscate through misinformation is lost, its mighty hard to explain to the voters why you oppose the FairTax bill H.R. 25.

Can you spare a day to change this country?

The Columbia, South Carolina FairTax rally is already causing a bit of a buzz amongst the Republican presidential candidates. They're referring to it as "the other event."

This could be either good news, or bad news. It is completely up to you which way it goes. It all depends on the turnout Tuesday night at the FairTax Rally, which is right accross the street from the second Republican Presidential Primary Debate.

Since the candidates and their advisors are aware of the "other event," it means that they're going to be watching to see how things go.

If the rally is success ... and that is measured in the number of people who show up .... the candidates will know that the FairTax is something that deserves their attention. If the "other event" is a flop, they'll think that the FairTax is something they can safely ignore.

There is really no reason for this event to be a flop. Columbia SC is an excellent location for this event because it is so close to major cities in the South East.

You could travel to the rally from Atlanta, Ga. Charlotte, NC Charleston, SC Raleigh Durham NC Fayetteville, NC and other locations and make it back to your own bed right around midnight...

So I ask, Can you spare a day to change this country?

MTCW Pic of the Day.

Oh boy...looks like Christmas may be cancelled this year!!!!

Al Sharpton claims Santa made the comment 3 times from a sled followed by "Merry Christmas" There is nothing merry about calling these girls hos," Sharpton said and demanded Santa be fired...

Submitted by Chuck in Iowa....