American Glob

Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for George W. Bush in 2004 and former chair of the RNC has come out as gay. You know what? Good for him…

Ken Mehlman, President Bush’s campaign manager in 2004 and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has told family and associates that he is gay.

Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently, he said in an interview. He agreed to answer a reporter’s questions, he said, because, now in private life, he wants to become an advocate for gay marriage and anticipated that questions would arise about his participation in a late-September fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the group that supported the legal challenge to California’s ballot initiative against gay marriage, Proposition 8.

“It’s taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life,” said Mehlman, now an executive vice-president with the New York City-based private equity firm, KKR. “Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they’ve been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that’s made me a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.”

Maybe he was listening to what Paul Ryan said about the future of the Republican party in April of 2009…

Ryan is promoting, not bending, conservative principles to expand the party.

“If you believe in freedom, liberty, self-determination, free enterprise, I don’t care if you’re a Muslim, Jewish, Agnostic, Christian, gay, straight, Latino, black, white, Irish, whatever. Join us.”

I’ve been saying since July of 2009 that the Republican Party was going more Libertarian and that it was a good thing. I stand by my prediction.

UPDATE: According to Allahpundit of Hot Air, this is old news. Who knew? Not me, apparently.

Read a lot more on this at Memeorandum.

Yesterday, Weekly Standard Editor Fred Barnes, wrote in the Washington Examiner:

For Republicans, the road map authored by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is the most important proposal in domestic policy since Ronald Reagan embraced supply-side economics in the 1980 presidential campaign. It’s not only the freshest, boldest, and most comprehensive Republican thinking, it’s also the most relevant. If Republicans adopt the road map as their basic ideological blueprint, it offers them the prospect of a landslide in the midterm election this year, followed by victory in the presidential election in 2012.

A little over a year ago, the Heritage Foundation urged the very same thing…

He’s young, charismatic and conservative.

The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank in Washington, has anointed this rising GOP star “the leader of the future of the conservative movement.”

No, it’s not Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty or House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.

The man supposedly tasked with carrying the hopes and ambitions of an entire political party is Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

At 39, Ryan has become the go-to-guy on policy. SNIP

Ryan is promoting, not bending, conservative principles to expand the party.

“If you believe in freedom, liberty, self-determination, free enterprise, I don’t care if you’re a Muslim, Jewish, Agnostic, Christian, gay, straight, Latino, black, white, Irish, whatever. Join us.”

Take a deep breath, Don.

The Michael Steele controversy has me siding with Republican Congressman Dr. Ron Paul.

President Obama campaigned on Afghanistan being the “real war.”

It’s his.

Congressman Paul agrees.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Now which one of us is the clock?

One difference of course is that I would not pull out now. But Obama did not “inherit” this war; he sought it out. Steele called him out on that.

I think I know how to solve this problem but I confess I didn’t invent the solution.

This guy did.

He was right.

Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin delivers the GOP weekly address.

I think this falls into the category of what Glenn Beck calls “common sense porn.”

HT to Smitty at The Other McCain who adds “cuts are fine, but we need to amputate the system that buries liberty in reams of legislation to support un-Federal tasking.”

Guess.

Captain Priorities strikes again! Mary Katherine Ham at the Weekly Standard has the scoop…

Total Speech: 5,433 words

Oil spill: 193 words

GOP: 676 words

Miscellaneous sporting events: 96 words

Read MKH’s entire post, it’s quite good.

Of course Obama wants to complain about the GOP. The more he talks about that the less he has to play defense.

It is, to use one of The One’s favorite words…. a distraction.

Many people are noticing a Libertarian shift in the GOP, especially since CPAC this past weekend. I seem to remember a certain blogger predicting a Libertarian shift in the GOP as far back as July, 2009. Let me see, who was that again? Oh yeah…

IT WAS ME.

Mike Huckabee doesn’t like this shift and went so far as to criticize CPAC this year for being too Libertarian but as Allahpundit points out at Hot Air, this just makes the Huckster look a bit out of touch…

What political benefit is there, in this year of all years, to knock CPAC for being “more libertarian” and “less Republican”? Libertarianism has never had more cachet within the GOP than it has right now; it’s not perfectly synonymous with the tea-party movement (of which Huckabee is predictably complimentary) but it’s close enough, especially with Beck in the role of TPers’ patron saint.

My feeling is that Mike Huckabee is just angry about Ron Paul winning the CPAC straw poll this year. If you remember the Republican primaries leading up to the 2008 election, you’ll recall that there was no love between Huck and Paul as they both slugged it out to the end, even when it was apparent that McCain was the nominee.

But forget about the Ron Paul win in the straw poll. It’s very doubtful that Ron Paul would run in 2012 and even if he did, the chances of him getting the nomination are slim to none. The significance of Paul’s libertarian leanings are the only matter of relevance. His young supporters from the Campaign for Liberty were out in force at CPAC. Even Ann Coulter acknowledged the libertarian contingency in the room.

Even Ann Coulter, who drew a huge crowd herself, felt compelled to give a shout out to Paul-mania, saying she agreed with everything he stands for outside of foreign policy — a statement met with cheers.

The younger, Libertarian Republicans in the room were largely responsible for booing one speaker offstage when he singled out a gay Republican group which had co-sponsored the event. Whether the establishment GOP realizes it or not, this was a defining moment which wasn’t lost on the conservative gay blog, Gay Patriot…

Folks, I’m relegated to writing this from my iPhone. But it is big news and a huge topic tonight at CPAC.Earlier today, during a student activist session on the CPAC main stage, one brave young man thanked the group for including GOProud as a sponsor this year. A few minutes later, another student launched into an anti-gay tirade from the same podium. The CPAC attendees turned on him and booed him off-stage.

You see, when libertarians and conservatives can focus on fiscal conservatism, smaller government and increased personal liberty, amazing things can happen. It also scares the living hell out of rank and file Democrat voters. Even the liberal gay blog Americablog sat up and took notice…

When conservatives are standing up for gays, and Democrats treat us like we are an embarrassment, there’s a problem. And when the Republicans increasingly say the right things, like repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell now, and even supporting marriage, and all the Democrats show is political homophobia, gays get the message. To the White House, the DNC, and our leadership in Congress: You are messing with people’s lives, and we know it. And the day that an anti-gay bigot gets booed at CPAC, you all better start being very afraid.

If libertarians feel as welcome in the Republican Party as social conservatives, and they should, America’s independent voters will follow in even greater numbers.

If that alliance can hold together in 2010 and 2012, it will be an unstoppable force.

Young Libertarian style Republicans care about fiscal conservatism, defense, liberty, love of country, and many more of the same things that motivate conservatives. What they don’t care about is if their friends and neighbors are gay or straight, what people choose to eat drink and smoke, and which religion a person does or does not practice.

If the GOP really wants to attract more young voters, they will embrace this young Libertarian Republican faction. With their enthusiasm and activism the sky would be the limit.

Just remember, I said “if.”

Robert Stacy McCain, with whom I enjoy a blogger friendship, is on his way to Orlando, Florida to cover the arrival of the Tea Party Express on Thursday. I caught up with him on his cell phone tonight as he was driving through the lower Appalachian Mountains.

No major scoops but I asked Stacy if he minded me putting up a blog post about our conversation. He didn’t mind at all so I’m happy to share the yadda-yadda-yadda with you.

A portion of our chit chat was about the relationship between Libertarians and Republicans. I think we pretty much agreed that the GOP would be wise to welcome Libertarian minded Republicans to the tent. As a result, Eric Dondero came up in conversation and Stacy encouraged me to send Dondero a big shout out. Mr. Dondero, consider yourself shouted.

The focus of all this Libertarian Republican talk was really an offshoot of a bigger issue – the building of a coalition to oppose Pelosi & Obama’s agenda and this has entirely to do with the conservative grassroots. The point? No more infighting. The grassroots tent has to include social conservatives, libertarians, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and other Americans of all backgrounds.

As Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said in April 2009, “If you believe in freedom, liberty, self-determination, free enterprise, I don’t care if you’re a Muslim, Jewish, Agnostic, Christian, gay, straight, Latino, black, white, Irish, whatever. Join us.”

If together, we can stop ObamaCare, Cap & Trade and Card Check, American politics will be “a whole new ball game” to use Stacy’s words. I concur.

The libertarians need to stop bashing the neocons, the neocons need to stop trashing the Paulistas, the beltway pros need to stop trashing the grassroots and on and on…

Michael Steele, the head of the Republican National Committee, says he wants to build a big tent. Let’s give it to him.

We can start by working together. Let’s settle the small stuff after the 2010 elections.

Politico published an incredibly stupid piece today in which writers Meredith Shiner and Glenn Thrush ponder the GOP’s “women problem.”

The article suggests that Conservatives rejected NY-23 candidate Dede Scozzafava based on her gender.

“Conservatives say they pushed Dede Scozzafava out of the House race in New York’s 23rd District a week ago because of her left-of-Republican social views — and not because she is a woman.”

Robert Stacy McCain, in top form as usual, called out Politico’s laughable hypocrisy:

“Why is it that only pro-choice liberals count as “women”? It’s as if Phyllis Schlafly, Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham and Michelle Malkin were un-persons.”

Let me add to that list, Conservative women such as S.E. Cupp, Andrea Tantaros, Monique Stewart, Amanda Carpenter and Mary Katherine Hamm.

I would also like to point you to a Politico article from June of 2009 where writer Jonathan Martin said of Governor Sarah Palin:

“Going forward, does she offer a conservative and charismatic face for a demoralized and star-less party? Or is she a loose cannon who should be consigned to the tabloids where she can reside in perpetuity with other flash-in-the-pan sensations?”

It’s interesting to note  that at the time of this writing, a quick scan of Politico’s “About Us” page shows that male staff members outnumber females by 69 to 40.

Conservatives know all too well, the horrors of misogyny and none of us will ever forget the way the left treated Sarah Palin or for that matter Hillary Clinton who was vilified by many in her own party until she no longer presented a threat to The One.

To this day, Sarah Palin and her family are regularly attacked by noted gynocolegist/obstetrician blogger Andrew Sullivan who is grossly obsessed with Governor Palin’s infant son, Trig.

Sullivan announced today that he is releasing a coffee table book called “The View From Your Window.”

The only photo that didn’t make it into the book is the view from Andrew Sullivan’s window. In an American Glob exclusive, we have obtained that photo and can share it with you now:

Finally, here’s further proof that Allahpundit likes me.

Lest there be any question… I like Robert Stacy McCain.

I ask this question based on a legitimate concern.

Republican leaders continue to back the ACORN/Daily KOS endorsed Dede Scozzafava while fretting over Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman in the New York 23 congressional race.

Establishment Republicans, including Newt Gingrich, are puzzled by the excitement over Doug Hoffman and the endorsement of his campaign by figures like Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty.

Politico reports:

“A senior GOP strategist, granted anonymity in order to speak candidly, lamented that in endorsing Hoffman, the contenders had delivered to the White House an early victory in their efforts to brand the Republican Party as dominated by its conservative wing.”

Conservative wing? Conservative wing???

Hello???

Gallup reported today that Conservatives are the dominant ideological group in America.

Since when is the majority a “wing?”

“Changes among political independents appear to be the main reason the percentage of conservatives has increased nationally over the past year: the 35% of independents describing their views as conservative in 2009 is up from 29% in 2008.”

Did the GOP miss the last six months? Did the party leaders not see the Tea Parties, the town hall meetings or the national outrage over ACORN? Have you been sitting in a dark room with your ears plugged?

Here’s a newsflash for the GOP from a libertarian who wants to vote Republican.

1. You don’t need to re-brand the party.

2. If you run a candidate with ANY connection to ACORN, SEIU, or any corrupt affiliate thereof, he or she will LOSE.

3. Run genuine Conservative candidates and you’ll win.

In the mean time I have just one final suggestion.

Buy a computer and check out “the internet.”

This is not very surprising. Many of the independents who voted for Obama did so because they were led to believe he was a centrist. They’re beginning to notice that he is not the bill of goods they were sold.

“Since Barack Obama took office as president in January, the Democratic advantage in leaned party identification has shrunk each quarter, from 13 points in the first quarter (52% to 39%) to 9 points in the second quarter (49% to 40%) and 6 points in the most recent quarter (48% to 42%).”

Bonus poll: Rasmussen says 63% of voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction.

“Most voters (63%) continue to believe the nation is heading down the wrong track, up one point over the past week. That matches the result found the week Obama was inaugurated, but it is down nine points from the week of the presidential election.”

More at Memeorandum.