Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance. What will your contribution be? How will history remember you?

So, I am sitting here listening to Obama and I have got to tell you the fiery angry Obama has arrived! I new it was just a matter of time. He had some good lines about the straight talk express' wheels coming off. But then he went into this anti-Bush tirade and then started going into POLICY?? Of course all I got out of it was that we are giving students money (40k) to "learn a foreign language?" I also learned that we could have invested in our schools instead of Iraq, my wife correctly pointed out that he should ask Oprah about investing in our schools since even she didn't see fit to do so. I also learned that we need to forget about 9-11, rape Exxon-Mobil, and we have to raise taxes because that is the right thing to do. The good news for all of us is that his politics of hope can only go so far before he has to start opening up his mind to go along with his "heart." The McCain campaign needs to constantly start talking about where is the beef? Where are the policies? A good script might go something like this.

"In his years in the Senate, we have know through John McCain's proven leadership where he stands on X-issue. He stands for X. He voted X times for X. But where does Obama stand...will he stand for X, will he save our Nation, do we know where he stands? Do you?"

He has to run these for a solid two months until Obama starts talking...then...then his liberalism will start to show. This has to be about a contrast of issues, if it becomes about age or hope, McCain is done.

I was at CPAC and because of security, everyone who wanted to wait for Mitt to speak had been crammed in there early. NOBODY knew what we were about to hear. We were standing and cheering...BUT then he said I know that you WOULD all fight with me to the convention! Stunned...like when Nebraska fough Florida State for the national championship and we came soooo close but wide left...like when I was eleven on a paper route with my dad when they called the election for a little known governor from Arkansas...they faces of everyone as we stood there in disbelief was amazing...blindsided...what now? Where do we go? I will write more later...until then...tired of watching history? Be a part of it.

The modern conservative movement has been struggling along for sometime, but I am pleased to announce the creation of the Cincinnatus Coalition. It is a group of concerned grassroots activists who demand values and leadership within the modern conservative movement. The coalition does not aim to replace any established organizations, its goal is a synergy group that connects citizen leaders, the conservative base, conservative organizations, and conservative consultants. If you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to email us at [cincinnatus25 at gmail dot com]. Below are the different segments of the coalition and what they do.

The Cincinnatus Project is designed to organize Cincinnatus leaders in every precinct in all fifty states.

Cincinnatus Statesmen is a group of elected representatives and conservative leaders who are nominated by members of the coalition as individuals who are worth working for, donating to, and voting for on election day.

Cincinnatus Allies is a list of conservative organizations, nominated by members, who are actively working to spread the conservative message.

Cincinnatus Professionals is a list of conservative consultants who are known for honestly working for and pushing conservative candidates. A list of people that aspirants to become Cincinnatus Statesmen can turn to and trust to help them get elected to truly effect conservative change.

The Cincinnatus Think Tank is a paid forum where conservative grassroots activists can gather and talk and work towards REAL solutions towards our nation's problems. The solutions that are devised are published on a quarterly or yearly basis in the Cincinnatus Solutions Book.

Cincinnatus Blogs is a list of links to the most influential of the modern conservative movement's blogs.

    Ronald Reagan famously stated that he didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left him. Let this be a stearn warning to the establishment regarding the conservative block. I would never leave the Republican Party, so please...please don't leave me.

Before I get some nasty comments about how I am not supporting a war hero, may I remind those reading that I myself am an Iraqi War Veteran. I have never been a big fan of McCains and I always thought I would have to eventually write this, but I always thought I would have to put in the usual niceties of "while he is a man of honor" "while he is a man of unquestionable integrity" unfortunately, I don't feel compelled to write that. That said, nominating McCain would be akin to the elephant commiting suicide. While this may be a stretch, why doesn't the Democratic Party entertain nominating Robert Byrd for President? Because the black caucus is an overwhelming constituency for the Democrat Party. Why then, is it so outrageous to sit here and condemn 72 year old liberal who happens to be the reason we have the term RINO in the first place. I don't get a vote until March 4th, when Ohio votes, but I will say that I am tired of the elitist Republican Washington establishment trying to decide for us what denotes a conservative or not. For those Congressmen or Senators who are deciding to sit this one out and "not get their hands dirty," if you truly value conservative thought or your conservative base, jump in the game. If you endores McCain, explain to us why he really is a conservative and why we are wrong, don't just give us some platitudes about his war service. If you don't endorse Romney, why don't you think he is the one to be a standard bearer for the next generation. If you don't have answers, then your political expedience is as bad as McCain's dishonesty about Romney.

Speaking of which, for someone who talked about "I want the President in the best way, not the worst way" in 2000, a lot has changed in 8 years. Ann Coulter does a good job taking him to task on this so I won't go into it. Also, the great one Mark Levin offers this.     Of course Hugh Hewitt offers this, all respected conservatives, great arguments, all saying the same thing...

We are nearing a precipice for the modern conservative movement. Will we jump? And if we don't, will the Republican party still be standing there next to us? Only time will tell.

At work, I was doing some work, when I got a question about when Roe v. Wade passed. I try to get on the National Right to Life website because they are my main source for pro-life information. At work we are allowed to look up various issues on our computer, let me be clear on that. What I got, surprised me...I got a "site not allowed due to political opinion/gruesome images" message.Alright, I thought, they must not want any abortion topics discussed. So, I did the most logical thing and when to NARAL's site. Came right up. Hmmm...now, I am not suggesting that there is a disconnect in policy that would prevent me from signing up for the pro-life movement but permit me to sign up for the other side...but it kind of makes you think.

Ok...first I will give deference to a good friend from New Hampshire-> I was wrong.

I have two good friends in Iowa. One is a Evangelical Christian from the Rural west. One is a reformed Catholic who gives more deference to fiscal issues than "pesky" social ones. I knew that the western friend would most likely be in Huckabee's camp. A call at six yesterday evening confirmed this. By my reasoning if my other friend was for Romney, the count would be tight. I called and to my surprise, he was swinging for Huck. At that point, I knew what the Nation would find out a few hours later. I turned to my wife and said..."Huckabee is going to rock..." It is with this in mind, that I am certain that the only way that Romney can overcome this...is to stop going negative. As a consultant, I don't mind contrast ads. BUT when one person's positivity is on the verge of surreal (read Huckabee and Obama). Constantly barraging them with negatives over and over is depressing. Will it stop? Romney has said no! and judging by his front man at Townhall Hugh Hewitt the chances of that tone dwindling isn't coming anytime soon. Seriously...after reading Hugh's hodgepodge, I am giving the "Huckster" another look just out of being pissed off by the negativity myself. What is the point of being negative? If you really have something to sell...if you have a message of betterment of lives...then why do you need to constantly "contrast" your efforts with your opponents?

Let's not forget, the betterment of people's lives is why we are all in this business of conservatism in the first place. Too often we come across as people who don't care about people and their lives. This is a dangerous line of thinking. We do care, in fact we care more than liberals. Just as a parent who does not spoil their children really loves them more than the parent who lets their children run the house. However, we embrace the negativity and the cruelty of our positions instead of the optimism and the hope that we bring. Handouts from the government are horrid and entitlements need trimmed...but where is the emphasis on the fact that conservatives give more to charity than their liberal counterparts and that non-governmental charities are more efficient and cheaper investments in helping the impoverished and effecting real change in those soul's lives. There isn't. Now...I am not a huge fan of "compassionate" conservatism or big government conservatism because it really doesn't help people and it really doesn't show care for anyone they are trying to help. In fact it is just a veiled attempt to spoil voters and buy votes. BUT we still must show compassion and care. Yes, we don't just give out the monies because it is being screamed for, but when they do get the money from the private source it was more effective and care was better given. That has to be our message and can't be lost. Because if that isn't our message, whoever the Republican nominee will be will lose. Because nobody wants to vote for a scrooge.

Romney better start speaking about how he can better lives or else a historical footnote he quickly will become.

This story was sent to me by the Family Research Council...

Heisman Winner Makes Forward Progress on Life

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According to his mom, football sensation Tim Tebow came very close to missing his run at the Heisman Trophy. Pam Tebow says it wasn't because of his performance, but because her doctors had advised the couple to abort him.

Back in the '80s, when she and her husband Bob were in the mission field, Pam was diagnosed with a medical condition that could only be treated with drugs that risked harming her unborn child. To avoid "irreparable damage" to her baby, doctors suggested that she abort the future Heisman winner. She refused. Today, Pam, Bob, and the entire University of Florida football team are glad she didn't. Despite the doctor's prediction, Tim was born completely healthy--and remains so. In his acceptance speech for the Heisman, Tim said, "I just (want) to first start off by thanking my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave me the ability to play football, gave me a great family and support group..." Sadly, not every unborn child is as fortunate as Tim. For every baby like him, whose parents embrace the gift of life, there are countless others whose lives are ended before they begin, all in the name of "choice." Of the 49 million who never lived to realize their potential, imagine the number of future leaders, inventors, doctors--and, yes, even Heisman trophy winners--among them. We are grateful to the Tebow family for sharing their testimony and pray that it helps persuade other women of the inherent value of their unborn children and the great promise that lies within.

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Additional Resources

<https://portal.frc.org/img/shim.gif> Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow Could Have Been a Victim of Abortion [LifeNews.com] <http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=LK07L26&f=WA07L20>

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Don was a 20 year old Soldier on duty at the Berlin Wall in 1962 prior to it really being the wall we came to know it as. He described it as a some strands of barbed wire in the area he was at. He told me the story of one winter it was snowing buckets over 10 inches on the ground and there on his nightwatch was a woman who was trying to escape Soviet rule trapped in the barbed wire. He volunteered to go and cut her out, but his superiors wouldn't let him. He was forced to watch as the lady eventually froze to death. After nights on watch for two weeks he explained that it would be a shame for her body to remain until spring and to have not gotten to where she was wanting to go. He snuck out and cut her out and dragged her body into West Berlin.

With less than thirty days left in his tour, he was rear-ended and broke his neck in a deuce and a half. He has been asked repeatedly, and I asked him as well, if he had to do it all over would he do things differently. That is when he told me the story of the woman at the wall. He said that if they needed him to fight today, he would gladly go. Why? Because he understood what that woman understood. That there is an embrace worth reaching out for, worth fighting for, worth risking everything for. Freedom's embrace is worth all those things and more. Too bad that our society takes that embrace for granted. Fortunately, there are people like Don who is the people greeter and works with me at Wal-Mart. Look around, even if you don't respect Freedom's Embrace, chances are there are great Americans around every corner who do.

In the news today, there is a story of a democratically elected President receiving a raging endorsement by his propped up legislature and they are giving him further powers and getting rid of his term limits. It is almost like I have read this somewhere in the history books. I get the feeling that we are at a distinct moment in history, the question that fate lays before us is will we learn from the past? The answer I suspect is that some of us will. America is a nation of many great patriots and in our Nation's past there have always been great souls that are willing to stand up to the tortures of tyranny to continue freedom.

The news story is of course about Hugo Chavez. The historical parallel is of course Hitler. This moment is of course the moment where the light of freedom's embrace is trying to be squelched by tyranny's spurn. The question is how do we react? This of course is why I consider Ron Paul's candidacy a dangerous one. He is a man of principle, but in the principles of isolationism that stoke tyranny like oxygen to a flame. He ignores the large threats that face our world. He is an embodiment of a bygone era that led to Hitler's rise, human fires, and dictatorial reign. Of course, where would we be without the strong courage of a few great patriots who we are forever indebted to for the rights and freedoms we now experience? Unfortunately, the fight between good and evil is never over. Tyranny may escape to the shadows for a time, but the parasite quickly finds the dark host who is the antithesis of our hopes and dreams, who's personal ambition reigns in his mind while tyranny consumes his heart. It is in those moments that freedom's embrace must find the shining knight who daily sacrifices his own intentions on the alter of humanity's freedom. As we look at the world stage around us, who is that knight? Who is that fearless soul who's mind's eye envisions the world as it freely needs to be and catipults the vision to make it so? We must resolve in our own souls to listen carefully to the whispers in the long dark night. If it is freedom who calls you to stand, will you stand? If freedom knocks on your door, will you open? Or will we simply let freedom wander off into the night and watch the hope in our children's eyes turn black, watch the laughter in our nation's soul turn damp, and look out upon the shores of humanity and tell them that it was not tyranny who won in the end but it was ourselves who shut the door on freedom's embrace! Not me, not me, dear God let that never be me.

I was with Vets for Freedom in Washington DC when we invaded the Hill to talk to our Reps and Sen. to share a side of Iraq that alot of them may not have seen. We had breakfast on the south lawn of the White House, we met with many elected officials, and had an amazing press conference in Senate Park. Of all we did, and what a time it was, one thing that was impressed upon me was the stark difference in how we handled ourselves and how the opposite side handled themselves. Even less favorable offices, like Sen. Kennedy and Kerry's commented on how respectful we were compared to the likes of Code Pink who "disrupt a lot of business." At the press conference when we were being baited into responding to an impromtu demonstration by them, our leadership took control and reinstated our purpose, not to make noise to make a difference. That is the fundamental difference. Some feel that the "silent majority" is silent as a result of apathy. That isn't it. They are silent because we don't want to jump on a stage, shout mean slogans, and enter a fray that, until our trip was dominated not by rational discourse but infantic tantrums. We changed that along with the multitude of pro-mission groups who countered the radical organized minority of the mission oppostion. We have some serious problems to tackle in this country. We can do so, only if stop screaming and start discussing the truth. It is in these troubled times that I am glad that I not just on the right side, I am on the side of class.

www.vetsforfreedom.org