Michelle Malkin: Not Afraid to Speak Her Mind

In recent years, Michelle Malkin's popularity has soared as a conservative blogger and pundit. She has become a strong voice for the right who is not afraid to speak her mind. Whether she's blogging at www.michellemalkin.com or appearing on any number of news programs, Michelle Malkin stands up for conservative values like no one else.

Michele Maglalang Malkin was born in Philadelphia to Filipino parents who were in the United States on a student visa. She grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Oberlin college before marrying Jesse Malkin, a Rhodes Scholar and economist for the RAND Corporation. They have two children. Malkin's career began at the Los Angeles Daily News, where she worked as a columnist from 1992-1994. She eventually moved to Seattle to write for the Seattle Times and in 1999, she became a nationally syndicated columnist. Since then, she has made quite the name for herself.

In 2006, Malkin created the website Hot Air, which has become one of the most popular conservative sites on the internet. Her on blog (launched in 2004) is ranked as one of the top five conservative blogs. In 2007, she was recognized by the National Republican Senatorial Committee as one of the "best-read national conservative bloggers." In addition to daily blogging, Malkin has written three books: Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores In (2002), Defense of Interment: The Case for 'Racial Profiling' in World War II and the War on Terror (2004), and Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild (2005). But she doesn't stop at writing. Malkin has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, C-SPAN, and a number of national radio programs, including serving as a guest-host for Bill O'Reilly's "The Factor." She is currently a Fox News contributor.

As with anyone who is outspoken in the world of politics, Malkin's stances have not been with controversy. Whether she's speaking out against illegal immigration or for tougher national defense, Malkin always manages to get under the skin of the left and even some on the right who stray from the core principles of conservatism and the Republican Party.

In recent months, Malkin has taken her internet presence to the social networking site, Twitter, allowing her even more contact with her fans. There, she posts messages about everything from her blog updates and TV appearances to her thoughts on Sonic Cherry Limeade and the show "Jon and Kate Plus 8." You can "follow" her at @michellemalkin.

Barbara Bush: The Bush Family Matriarch

As Americans, the Bush family has been a part of lives for the better part of three decades. While male members of the family have served as governors, vice presidents, and presidents, the women behind them served their country and became just as recognizable as their famous husbands. Today, we'll take a look back at the life of former First Lady Barbara Bush.

Much like her daughter-in-law, Barbara Pierce Bush has been one of the most well-received first ladies in American history. Her warm manner, her witty charm, and her love for others has even earned her the nickname "everybody's grandmother." Mrs. Bush was born in 1925 in Rye, New York, to Pauline and Marvin Pierce. Some of her fondest memories include swimming, tennis, and bike-riding, and it was at an early age that she developed a love for reading, which would later inspire to take on a great cause. She attended boarding school in South Carolina and it was there, at the age of sixteen, that she met George Herbert Walker Bush. The two would be engaged a year and a half later, just before he went off to war as a member of the United States Navy. Barbara Bush went on to attend Smith College but dropped out when her fiance came home from war. Two weeks later the two were married on January 6, 1945.

When the future President graduated from Yale, the two moved to Texas to begin life together. While he built a business in the oil industry and started a career in politics, Mrs. Bush took care of the couple's six children: George, Robin, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. Unfortunately, life took a turn for the worse when the couple's daughter, Robin, was just three years old; she died from a battle with leukemia. But Mrs. Bush insists the experience helped "love every living human more."

During President Bush's political career, Mrs. Bush was always at his side. Her friendly, likable manner helped win over both the voters and the press. When Bush became Vice President under President Ronald Reagan, Mrs. Bush decided to take on literacy as her special cause, calling it "the most important issues we have" as Americans. Mrs. Bush donated much of her time to the cause and eventually became the Honorary Chairman of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. She has also been involved with various other issues including AIDS, homeless, work with the elderly, and school volunteer programs. During her time as First Lady, Mrs. Bush was also known for being seen with Millie, her English Springer Spaniel, and even wrote a children's book about the dog.

Since leaving the White House in 1993, Mrs. Bush has remained a public figure. She openly supported her son's bid for President and has been present at many of his events. She has been inducted several women's fraternities, and has had at least five elementary and middle schools named for her. She currently serves on the boards for the Mayo Clinic and AmeriCares and heads the Barbara Bush Foundation for Literacy.

She and the former President split their time between their home in Houston, Texas and Kennebunkport, Maine.

History of the National Federation of Republican Women

The National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) is one of the largest and most influential women's political organizations in the United States. A grassroots organization, the NFRW recruits, trains, and elects candidates, advocates the GOP's philosophy and initiatives, and empowers women of all ages, ethnicity, and backgrounds in the political process. But how and when did the NFRW begin?

Believe it or not, Republican women began forming clubs before women were even allowed to vote and were inspired by the 1872 Republican Platform which stated,

"The Republican Party is mindful of its obligation to the loyal women of America for their noble devotion to the cause of Freedom ..."

The oldest Republican women's club on record was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah in the late 1800's, leading the way for hundreds of such clubs to form throughout the new few decades. By the late 1930's, the state of Indiana, alone, had over 140 clubs created by and for Republican women. But in 1938, Marion Martin, the assistant chairman of the Republican National Committee, decided it was time to organize the groups and clubs into a large national organization. Martin called a meeting at the Palmer House in Chicago and in attendance were delegates from every state that had at least 60% of their counties associated with a Republican women's club. The group adopted rules, elected Joyce Arneill of Denver as the first President, and established the NFRW to

"...foster and encourage loyalty to the Republican Party and the ideals for which it stands - to promote education along political lines - to encourage closer cooperation between independent groups and the regular party organization, which are working for the same objectives, namely sound government - to promote an interchange of ideas and experiences of various clubs to the end that the policies which have proven particularly effective in one state may be adopted in another - and to encourage a national attitude and national approach to the problems facing the Republican Party."

At the time of its founding, Maryland, Virginia, and Alabama had not yet granted women the right to vote. Franklin D. Roosevelt has been elected with only two states voting Republican. There were only six Republican governors 89 Congressmen, and 16 GOP Senators. Even so, the NFRW grew and gained momentum amongst women who were concerned with an ever growing government. By 1940, 34 states along with Washington D. C. were represented by NFRW.

The group took on the role as a lobbyist group in its earliest days, staying on top of important issues such as the Wagner Labor Relations Act, national debt, and foreign matters. Arneill urged all members of the club to contact their representatives about these matters and let them know that the women of the GOP were concerned about these issues.

Today, there are thousands of local NFRW clubs and members across the United States and even in some U.S. territories and their goals are all the same as the women who met to form the group over 70 years ago: to put Republicans in office, and to encourage women's involvement in politics, and to be sure the nation is aware of what is going on in our country. Members are ages 19-90 and include everyone from housewives to celebrities, first ladies to potential Presidential candidates, and they hold national conventions across the country, each year. Members not only help get the GOP in office, but they also benefit the communities with prorams such as the NFRW's Caring for American and literacy programs.

The current President of the NFRW is Shirley Sadler of Ohio and their newly renovated headquarters (pictured above) is located at 124 N. ALfred Street in Alexandria, VA.

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Lynne Cheney's American History

Lynne Cheney may be best known for being the wife of Vice President, Dick Cheney, but there is so much more to her than that! Lynne Ann Vincent Cheney was born on August 14, 1941 in Casper, Wyoming to Wayne Vincent, an engineer, and Edna Lybyer, a deputy sheriff. Few know that Mrs. Cheney is very educated. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College, her Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Ph.D in British Literature from the University of Wisconsin. She has also received a number of awards and honorary degrees from numerous other colleges and universities.

Cheney married the Vice President in 1964. Two years later, they had a daughter, Elizabeth, and three years after that, another daughter, Mary was born. The Cheney's have six grandchildren, Samuel, Kate, Elizabeth, Grace, Philip, and Richard.

Mrs. Cheney's love of history has been a strong force that has guided her career. From 1986-1993, Cheney served as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. During that time she published a report that warned about the failure of schools to teach history. The report stated that,

"A system of education that fails to nurture memory of the past denies its students a great deal: the satisfactions of mature thought, an attachment to abiding concerns, a perspective on human existence."

She also served as a member of the Commission of the Bicentennial of the Constitution and served on George W. Bush's education team when he was the Governor of Texas, revising Texas standards for studying history. She also founded the American Council of Trustees and Alumni in an effort to reform higher education in America.

The desire to teach children more about history is perhaps what led Mrs. Cheney to write six best-selling books about American history for children including America: A Patriotic Primer (2002), A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women (2003), When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots (2004), A Time for Freedom: What Happened When in America (2005), Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America (2006), and We the People: The Story of Our Constitution (2008). Mrs. Cheney donated some of the proceeds from the books to charity but also established the James Madison Book Award in an effort to encourage historical knowledge. The award is given each year to an author who "represents excellence in bringing knowledge and understanding of American history to young people."

But Mrs. Cheney writes more than children's books. Throughout her life, she has written numerous articles on topics such as woman suffrage in the West to the way Americans celebrated the country's centennial for several popular publications. She has also written and co-written several other books including both fiction and non-fiction on the subjects of politics and history, and a memoir.

Mrs. Cheney's expansive career hasn't just center on writing. She served as co-host of the CNN program "Cross-fire" from 1995 to 1998. From 1994-2001, she served on Lockheed Corporation's Board of Directors. In 2000, her name was tossed around as potential running mate for President George W. Bush, losing the honor to her husband. Cheney has talked about running for the Senate in her home state of Wyoming but has yet to do so. She currently serves as a senior fellow in education and culture at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

Senator Elizabeth Dole: A Life of Public Service

Mary Elizabeth Hanford Dole was born in Salisbury, North Carolina on July 29, 1936. She went on to attend Duke University, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She did her post-graduate work at Oxford and upon leaving Oxford, took a job as a high school teacher in Massachusetts while pursuing her Master's Degree in education at Harvard. While there, she also graduated from Harvard Law School. In 1972, she was introduced to Senator Bob Dole, who would become her husband three and a half years later.

Dole began working in Washington DC during the last years of the Lyndon Johnson administration and stayed on to work for President Richard Nixon. Under Nixon, she served as Deputy Assistant for Consumer Affairs and was later appointed to the Federal Trade Commission. In 1975, Dole made the decision to become a Republican and campaigned for her husband who ran as Vice President with Gerald Ford on the Republican ticket in 1976. In 1980, she left the White House to support her husband's run for President.

During the Reagan years, Dole served as director of the White House Office of Public Liaison before becoming the first woman to be appointed as Secretary of Transportation. During her time as Secretary center high-mounted stop lamps became mandatory on all new cars She worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to withhold federal highway funds from any state with a drink age below 21 and privatized the national freight railroad.

When President George Bush was elected to office in 1989, Dole served as the Secretary of Labor. Two years later, she became president of the American Red Cross where she served for eight years. During that time, she once again campaigned for her husband's bid for the presidency in 1996. In 2000, Dole, herself, ran for President but dropped out of the race before the primaries began. She was later believed to be among the choices of potential Vice Presidential candidates before President George W. Bush finally chose Dick Cheney.

This led Dole to set her sights on her home state of North Carolina. Even though she had not actually lived in the state in over 40 years, Dole won the Senate race by a large margin. In 2004 she became the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. During her time in the Senate, she served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services where she was able to prevent any North Carolina military bases from being closed. She also served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Dole ran for Senator again in 2008, but lost to Democrat Kay Hagan.

Elizabeth Dole has written two books: Hearts Touched by Fire: My 500 Most Inspirational Quotations in 2004 and along with her husband, Unlimited Partners: Our American Story in 1988 (though it was re-released in 1996). Recently, the Dole's spoke at the University of Kansas. Elizabeth Dole told the crowd she began getting involved in politics when she was in high school and served the student government. She went on to become the class president during her senior year at Duke. "The whole world of public policy and politics was like a magnet to me," she said as she reflected on her many years of public service.

Laura Bush delivers SMU Commencement Speech

Former First Lady Laura Bush addressed Southern Methodist University students on Saturday, May 16th, when she delivered the keynote commencement speech. Mrs. Bush graduated from the university in 1968, over forty years ago, with a Bachelor of Science degree in education.

The former First Lady, dressed in a blue and red graduation gown, spoke of her days at SMU and told graduates that those experiences will be "influential for the rest of your life." She also told the almost 2,000 students in SMU's packed Moody Coliseum that "you won’t waste your talent and education if you use them in service to others." She went on to mention several world issues and how students shouldn't ignore them when looking for their "calling,"

"Between cellphones and the Internet, you have a world of information literally at your fingertips. And because our world is so small, you can’t ignore the genocide in Darfur or the recent brutal treatment of democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma. You know the plight of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa. Today begins a period of incredible liberty and adventure, a time to find your calling and to demand the most of life before life makes specific demands on you."

The speech lasted about fifteen minutes and Mrs. Bush claimed that when she graduated, she never dreamed that one day, she'd be the one to deliver the commencement address or serve on the Board of Trustees.

SMU is where former President George W. Bush's Presidential Library is set to be built and the former First Lady mentioned that in her speech, as well, saying,

"The bonds formed at SMU are strong, and no matter how many years you’ve been away, I hope that you'll find, like I have, that coming back to SMU feels like coming home. That is why I am so happy that George and I will spend the rest of our lives working here on the SMU campus at the Bush Library and Institute."

You can watch Laura Bush's speech in its entirety here: SMU Video Library

Women of the GOP "In the News" Weekly Round-up

Lot of great Conservative and Republican Women in the news this week! Here is your weekly round-up:

- Fox News' Primetime Shows have been filled with Conservative and Republican women, this week. Last night, Cindy McCain, wife of Senator John McCain sat down with Greta Van Susteren to discuss everything from her work in Camboida and Congo to her Twitter habits. Tonight, Women of the GOP favorite Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, will be on "On the Record" to discuss the CIA vs. Nancy Pelosi and more on the CIA memo controversy. Meanwhile, "The View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck visited "Hannity" to discuss everything from President Obama to her new cookbook. Sean Hannity also interviewed Miss California Carrie Prejean about her big news-making week!

- Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has spoke out this week, calling on Congress to block ACORN's access to federal housing funds due to charges of voter registration fraud. Yesterday, Bachmann spoke outside the Capitol,

"ACORN, as you know, is no stranger to the spotlight. Yet no matter how many times prosecutors investigate and even indict ACORN and their employees, they emerge unblemished as far as the federal government is concerned from having access to federal tax dollars."

- Governor Sarah Palin has, once again, made news this week. Not only did she defend Miss California Carrie Prejean against "malicious attacks" but rumor has it, Palin has signed a book deal to publish her memoir sometime next spring. Palin tells the Associated Press,

"There’s been so much written about and spoken about in the mainstream media and in the anonymous blogosphere world, that this will be a wonderful, refreshing chance for me to get to tell my story, that a lot of people have asked about, unfiltered.”

- Finally, Georgia Secretary of State and Conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Karen Handel has a new message and a new website: Karen Handel for Governor - Bring it on! Handel gave a big speech today at the Georgia Republican Convention in Savannah, GA. In it, she presented a message of change, her personal story, and beating the odds in both life and politics!

Debra Medina: Dark Horse in Texas

As the 2010 Texas Governor's race heats up, you've probably heard of at least two big names vying for the position: current Governor Rick Perry, who is running for an unprecedented third term, and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. But you my not have heard of candidate Debra Medina, a favorite amongst conservatives and libertarians who are tired of the same old ways of doing things and looking for new leadership (and smaller government) in Texas.

Medina isn't your typical politician, running to further her own career. She is running to have an impact on the state of Texas and its people. Instead of a resume padded with fancy political titles that mean nothing, Medina brings to the table the determination, worth ethic, and the desire to return the role of government back to the "Constitutional Republic" the Founding Fathers meant it to be. At a recent Tea Party in Burleson, Texas, Medina spoke of just that,

"While many of the Tea Parties around Texas have focused on what's happening in Washington, DC, and that's easy to do, we see us as us and them as them...I've got to come on the heels of that and ask us to remember that government starts right here, first. It starts at the school boards and it starts at the city councils and it starts at the commissioner's courts. And we train our politicians as they serve us in those capacities how we want them to behave as elected officials. It's important for all of us to remember the proper role of government. Any of us that are students of history see that's what happening in Washington DC right now is not fixing the problem, it is making it worse...we need to remember what the proper role of government is and we need to start asking each other not just how we shift the tax burden from one place to another but what service is your local government providing that would be more appropriately provided by the family or the church or the community."

So who is Debra Medina? According to her website, Medina's hometown is Beeville, Texas and she is married with two children, ages 23 and 19. When she's not involved in politics, she enjoys cooking, gardening, horseback riding, and reading. Medina received a nursing degree from Baptist Memorial Hospital System in 1984 and a Bachelors degree in Business Management from Le Tourneau University in 1995. She is currently the President and CEP of Prudentia, Inc., a medical claims management and legal consulting firm. Medina serves as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Wharton County, Texas and is the State Coordinator for Ron Paul's "Campaign for Liberty." She is also a member of the Wharton Rotary Club.

Medina maintains a blog on her website where she stays in tough with her supporters by posting her thoughts on big issues - everything from taxes to the swine flu - and talks about her political ideology and other activities she is involved with. Recently, she has written about her displeasure with SB 855, a bill making its way through the Texas Senate. According to her blog, the bill

"allows local communities to call elections to raise taxes and fees to pay for light rail, roads, and hike & bike trails...the bill also establishes a progressive income funding structure, an income tax."

Medina asks her readers to keep this in mind when they go to the polls on the now passed May 9th election day and during future elections. You can watch the rest of her Tax Day Tea Party Speech here:

Where are the Republican Women?

Why are Republican women the minority in Washington? That is the question Erika Lovley of POLITICO.com explored this week. Women make up 51% of the United States population, but in Congress, the numbers are far from representative. Of 435 men and women in Congress, only seventeen of them are Republican women, and just four of 99 Senators are female members of the GOP. And if 2008 is any indication, things aren't getting much better. Despite having Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on the ticket as the Vice Presidential candidate in November, there were 96 women on the ballot for the Democrats, only 37 Republicans. Political science professor, Laurel Elder told Politico,

"Republican women are more reluctant to throw their hat in the ring because they don't see a lot of women like themselves in leadership or on the news. This idea that the GOP is just going to treat everyone fairly hasn't worked. If the GOP wants more women, they're going to have to do more than just recruit women. They need to urge them to run"

Several Republican members of Congress agree with Elder's statement. Representative Pete Sessions (R-Texas) claims the Republican party is focusing on "finding highly qualified female candidates who can effectively convey the Republican message," but former Representative Thelma Drake (R-Virginia) claims the negative press coverage and harsh accusations from opponents is enough to turn women away from politics. When news broke that Governor Palin's seventeen year old daughter was pregnant, the Palin family was often subject to negative and downright hateful treatment from the media and many liberal groups. Drake tells Politico she is still angry at the effect television ads had on her own grandchildren,

"For Republican women to say, ‘This is something I want to subject my family to’ — it’s a big role.' It’s difficult to find people to run for office, and it will be more difficult in the future because of the tones in campaigns."

Republican National Committee Co-Chairwoman Jan Larimer claims the RNC is taking notice and making a push to recruit and train women to run for office in 2010.

"Part of our goal is to dramatically increase the number of Republican women running for office. Chairman Steele and I agree that we must redouble our efforts to build a strong grass-roots organization that encourages participation by every Republican in every state and territory."

With this issue on the table, it will be interesting to see just what happens in 2010and 2012 regarding female Republicans. Will the national presence of Governor Palin influence more women to run for office or will the treatment of her family and other various other issues send a message that has women shying away from politics in general?

Candice Miller: A Voice for National Defense

When Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-Michigan) visited Guantanamo Bay in March, she came to one conclusion: Guantanamo Bay should not be closed and the detainees should not be released. "You're looking at pure evil," she said. Miller, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, toured the detention center with a bipartisan group of members of Congress. There, they talked to troops and received a classified briefing on the detainees. As to how the detainees were being treated Miller said,

"I think many Americans would be surprised at how humanely these people are being treated. For example, the medical facilities are second to none. All the modern apparatus of a U.S. hospital are offered there."

Milller also said she learned that the facility was modeled after two United States jails, including one from her home state of Michigan's Lenawee County, saying, "If it's good enough for state prisoners in Michigan, it should be good enough for terrorists." She has co-sponsored a bill that would prevent prevent the transport of detainees to American prisons.

Congresswoman Miller has served on the House Homeland Security Committee since March 2008. She represents Michigan's 10th District which is a border district and home to the Blue Water Bridge, the second busiest border crossing on the northern tier. Her district is also home to the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, three Coast Guard stations, and it borders Chemical Valley, one of the largest collections of petro-chemical operations in North America and the CN Rail Tunnel, the busiest rail artery in the U.S. Serving this location. Because of the 10th District's location, it's no surprise that Miller's top priorities include building homeland security presence, enhancing the security of our airways, roadways, railways and waterways, and securing our food and water supplies by enhancing Northern Border security.

Miller also serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. According to Miller, Michigan has never gotten its share of tax dollars returned for its infrastructure needs. The Committee allows her to offer oversight and influence to insure the Blue Water Bridge and other similar portals receive deserved federal attention. It also allows her to serve as a voice for protecting the Great Lakes, Michigan's most cherished natural resources.

Before being elected to Congress, Miller served as Michigan's Secretary of State for two terms. She is a lifelong resident of Macomb County, Michigan and before entering public service, she worked for her family's marina business on Clinton River. She and her husband, Donald Miller, a former Air National Guard Colonel and current Macomb County Circuit Court Judge have one daughter.

Lynn Jenkins Delivers GOP's Weekly Radio Address

Today, Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins of Kansas became the first freshman Republican in Congress to respond to President Obama's weekly radio address. Jenkins, a former CPA and the former Kansas State Treasurer spoke out on Democrats' "truly eye-opening" spending policies and focused on the wasteful use of taxpayer money to fund the stimulus bill,

"Well, in the last few weeks, we've heard about plenty of 'stimulus' waste Taxpayer dollars earmarked for a homeless program in a town with no homeless problem. Millions to extend an 'Artwalk' in New York. And more than a million dollars for sidewalks and trash cans outside a casino in Michigan...This bill was supposed to be about jobs, but it's gone off the rails in practically no time at all and millions of your tax dollars are being wasted. It's quickly turning into a symbol of everything wrong with Washington, D.C. - unchecked spending, no accountability and oversight, and more and more debt piled onto our children and grandchildren."

Jenkins went on to talk about how Obama's first 10 days have been full of "spending, taxing, and borrowing" and how Republicans want to fight for the middle class and small businesses. You can watch the address in its entirety here:

So who is Lynn Jenkins? Here's a little information about the Congresswoman from Kansas' Second District:

A sixth-generation Kansan, Lynn Jenkins was born and raised on dairy farm near Holton, Kansas. She attended Kansas State University and Weber State College and graduated with a degree in Accounting. After working as a Certified Public Accountant for many years, Jenkins served two years in the Kansas House of Representatives and one term as a Kansas State Senator. In 2002, she became the Kansas State Treasurer. During her tenure as Treasurer, she served as the president of the National Associating of State Treasurers. Jenkins was elected to Congress in 2008. She currently serves the Committee on Financial Services on both the subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, and the subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. Jenkins is also mom to two children, Hayley and Hayden.

A fiscal conservative, Jenkins would like to make President George W. Bush's tax cuts permanent, is often critical of many "wasteful" pork projects, and claims the rising price of oil is due to excess regulation. She also hold strong views on illegal immigration claiming that it "is wreaking havoc on our economic, legal, and national security interests." In January, Jenkins introduced a bill to prevent detainees from being moved from Guantanamo Bay to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Women of the GOP Weekly Round-Up

Many Conservative and Republican women are doing great things this week. Here is your weekly round-up!

- Governor Sarah Palin became the latest politician to jump on the Twitter bandwagon this week. To give you an idea of just how popular the Governor continues to be, less than 48 hours ago, she had around 600 Twitter "followers." Now, she has a little over 14,000.

- In other Palin news, the Governor appeared on the TLC show "American Chopper" this week. You can watch part of the interview here:

- In even more Palin news, Time Magazine listed its annual list of "100 Most Influential People." Not surprisingly, Governor Palin made the list.

- Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins of Kansas will deliver the GOP response to President Barack Obama's weekly radio address this Saturday. According to her website, she will "speak on Washington’s spending habits, the massive debt being piled on the backs of the next generation and the need for bipartisan cooperation going forward." Jenkins is the first freshman Republican ever asked to respond to a Presidential radio address.

- While most of Hollywood has had some not so nice things to say about Miss California Carrie Prejean's response to a question about gay marriage, actress Angie Harmon defended the beauty queen telling Us Magazine,

"If someone is standing up for how they feel and talking about their beliefs, why are we punishing her for that? I just don't understand how we've gotten to a place in America where, if someone doesn't agree with everyone, then they are punished for it."