It is a strange quiet.  Minor battles continue after the recent big one, the Presidential election of 2008, in Alaska, Minnesota and Georgia.  But here it is quiet, as we work hard to build up our conservative grassroots strength for the conflict we anticipate in the future.  Frequently, we look up to the horizon to see if the next big challenge has appeared.

     The contest in Alaska for the U.S. Senate seat is disturbing.  Senator Ted Stevens is the kind of corrupt Republican that has undermined the credibility of the Republican party.  His "Bridge to Nowhere" set the record for pork barrel spending, and the Republican party has been shamed that a Republican initiated it.  Regardless of how critical it is to maintain enough Republican Senators to uphold a veto, we cannot bring ourselves to hope for his re-election.  The fact that the election is so close in spite of the stakes, we think, indicates that the people of Alaska have the same problem we do with his being re-elected.  He would be one of only two active U.S. Senators to be re-elected in spite of a felony conviction.  If you're unaware of the other one, do a google search on "Ted Kennedy" and "Chappaquidick".  Some people think he could be pressured to resign and that Sarah Palin could fill the vacancy.  But what in his recent behavior gives any indication that he would do the right thing?  And why would Sarah Palin become a U.S. Senator.  Ronald Reagan didn't need that.  Theodore Roosevelt didn't neet that.  Even Franklin Roosevelt didn't need that.  FDR was elected President before completing his first term as Governor of New York.  Never mind Carter and Bush never having had "Senate" experience.

     In Minnesota we have another Florida brewing.  The votes are being recounted, and recounted, and recounted because the Democrats don't like the final numbers, with the apparent intent to continue recounting and "discovering" new ballots in automobile runks, under mattresses, and wherever else needed until they have the majority.  If recounting is stopped before they get a majority, they'll take it to court.  And if they lose in court they will appeal it.  Democrats just don't believe in the democratic process any more.  This is one for the lawyers, and for honest journalists (there are still some of those, mostly locals).  We can't help.

     In Georgia, Rep. Saxby Chambliss is in a runoff election with Democrat Jim Martin, scheduled for December 2.  We were involved in helping Paul Coverdell and John Linder win by less than 200 votes many years ago, throwing them both into runoff election.  Runoff elections are won by grassroots organizing, period.  Back the Democrats owned almost every federal elected office except President and the 6th Congressional District (Newt Gingrich), and were complacent.  They are definitely not complacent any more.  Moreover, Obama dollars and Obama volunteers are flooding into the state  If soneone wants to go out of state to be a volunteer somewhere, this is the place.  Focus on Gwinnett and Cobb County which usually determine state and national elections, or Fulton County which is ground zero of the battle between suburban Republicans and Atlanta Democrats.  Or send a check.

     In Ohio, we celebrate Bill Batchelder's election as House Republican caucus (minority) leader, and wish that the Republican party had been able to keept its majority in the House of Representatives so that he would have been Speaker of the House.  We elected him in Medina County, and need to help strengthen grassroots conservatism in other counties so that we regain the House, and Jim can become the Speaker.  Even more important is replacing Secretary of State Brunner with someone honest.  She was one of the successes of the far left's "Secretary of State Project" to get Democrats elected to this position in a number of states, with the expectation that they would do what Brunner has done in this state.  If she thinks that "homeless" people whose legal residence address is a park bench should be allowed to register and vote, then the voters in this state should vote to make her one of them in 2010.