Conservative vs. Libertarian – Gregory Hilton Debates John Grigsby of the Northern Virginia Tea Party

Editorial Note: John W. Grigsby of Hillsboro, Virginia is a self-described “long time libertarian activist, formerly a ‘liberal’ one.” He is founder of the Northern Virginia Tea Party and says his mission is to “replace the GOP establishment .” He is a vigorous supporter of Ron Paul’s presidential campaign. Grigsby says the Texas Congressman “is imperfect, like all people, but Ron Paul and Gary Johnson are my two top choices, and I’m grateful for them.”

The GOP’s Big Decision: Government Shutdown or a Bipartisan Budget Deal by Gregory Hilton

The Republican Party faces a major decision in the coming weeks. Should they shutdown the government in an attempt to achieve budget reductions from the Obama administration, or should they attempt to strike a deal with renegade Democrats? Even if a bipartisan budget is vetoed by the President, it would outline the GOP’s deficit reduction vision for the 2012 campaign.

A Disappointing Result From The Tea Party Patriots by Gregory Hilton

The Tea Party Patriots convention has just ended. In their presidential straw poll, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) won 49% of the on-line vote, followed by 12% for Herman Cain and 9% for Sarah Palin. Among those in attendance at the convention, Cain had 22%, followed by Tim Pawlenty with 16%, Ron Paul 15%, Sarah Palin 10%, and Mitt Romney 6%. To explain how this happened just look at their mission statement and core values: http://www.teapartypatriots.org/mission.aspx There is no mention of foreign policy, defense or national security programs.
The Tea Party Patriots cheered Ron Paul yesterday when he denounced the U.S. missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the group is being vigorously promoted by “The American Conservative” magazine. The magazine also praises the extreme isolationism of radical liberals such as former Sen. George McGovern (D-SD).
They want McGovern’s 1972 slogan “Come Home America” to be the Tea Party motto. The Tea Party Patriots claim to be inspired by the founding fathers, but that was not reflected in the rhetoric of several convention speakers. They are praising the government which existed under the Articles of Confederation, before the Constitution existed. Bill Kaufmann of “The America Conservative” says our downfall began with the triumph of Hamilton and Madison.
Many so-called constitutional conservatives are against the constitution, and their foreign policy agenda has much in common with the left wing of the Democratic Party.

Round Two: Diane Olson of the Tea Party vs. Gregg Hilton

Editorial Note by Gregg Hilton: This second debate between Diane Olson and Gregg Hilton focuses on the relationship between the Tea Party movement and the Republican Party. Republicans appreciate and admire the activities of various Tea Party organizations, but a few Tea Party leaders, including Diane Olson, want to wage war on the GOP. The Tea Party and the Republican Party have been in complete cooperation since the election. There is no battle, and both groups are conservative and share the same agenda. Nevertheless, Diane believes Republicans should be harshly criticized. In the first debate I tried to ignore her personal attacks, but this time I did not.

Religious Intolerance on the Right by Gregory Hilton

This is Jimmy Hall of Douglasville, Georgia who today said I am going to hell. Jimmy believes “The Tea Party needs to ‘weed out’ non-Christians, pro-choicers and gays. Otherwise, you are just as bad as Democrats. If someone IS NOT Christian, they are NOT very Conservative. The whole point of being Conservative is to support Biblical Principles. . . YOU are NOT a Christian, Greg, You are 100% wrong, Biblically. Obviously, God and the Bible mean nothing to you. You deserve eternal damnation. Read the Bible, if you can even read.”

The New Congressional Emphasis on the U.S. Constitution by Gregory Hilton

Liberals are now complaining because they claim it cost $1.1 million to read the Constitution on the House floor yesterday. The $1.1 million figure comes from Peter Keating, the co-author of “The Cost of No” and Vanity Fair’s resident expert on Congressional wastefulness. Basically he computed the fixed cost of the House being in session on a minute by minute basis. What he also doesn’t mention is that in the 1,461 days Nancy Pelosi served as 52nd Speaker of the House, the national debt increased by a total of $5.343 trillion, or $3.66 billion per day, according to official debt numbers published by the U.S. Treasury. She amassed more debt than the first 49 Speakers combined.

The First Virginia Tea Party Convention: “Constitutional Conservatives” Claim George Allen is a Liberal by Gregory Hilton

This flier was distributed at the convention while George Allen was speaking on Saturday. Many members of "Virginians for Constitutional Government" are firm foes of the Bush Administration. Photo by Dave Weigel

Over 2,600 people attended the first Virginia Tea Party convention on Saturday. The theme of the two-day gathering at the Richmond Convention Center was “The Constitution Still Matters.” The convention was addressed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, Reps. Ron Paul (TX) and Steve King (IA), as well as former Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Rick Santorum (R-PA).

Ann Coulter is Wrong: The GOP Welcomes The Tea Party and The Campaign is About Economic Not Social Issues by Gregory Hilton

In her article yesterday (see below), conservative pundit Ann Coulter continues to claim Republicans and “Washington elites” are undermining the Tea Party movement. To bolster her case of alarm she quotes Morton Kondracke, David Gergen, and Gloria Borger, but not one of them is a Republican.

The Next Target is the Republican Party: Diane Olson of the Tea Party Debates Gregg Hilton

Diane Olson of Rochester, Minnesota is an activist in the Tea Party movement. She has visited many foreign nations and is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Diane graduated with honors from the University of Iowa. In addition to her political activities, she is a Chief Engineering Manager. For the last seven years she has been IBM\’s only female \”Master Inventor.\” In this role she has provided technical briefings for U.S. Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, both Minnesota Democrats.

Debate Introduction by Gregg Hilton

This debate focuses on the relationship between the Tea Party movement and the Republican Party, which has been a hot topic in recent weeks. Republicans appreciate and admire the activities of various Tea Party organizations, but several Tea Party leaders, including Diane Olson, want to wage war on the GOP. Diane is promising a major battle soon after the November election.

The Great Myth: The GOP Establishment vs. The Tea Party by Gregory Hilton

Tuesday’s night victory of social conservative Christine O’Donnell over moderate Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware Republican Senate primary is being portrayed as a great setback for the Republican establishment. The enthusiasm behind the O’Donnell crusade can not be denied, but her electability remains questionable. On Wednesday morning, O’Donnell was trailing liberal Democrat Chris Coons in cash on hand by $20,000 to $940,000. That was the beginning of an explosion of Internet support, and O’Donnell now has almost $2 million and is ahead of Coons in cash on hand.