Sarah Palin's Tea Party Convention Speech February 6, 2010

If you missed the speech Sarah Palin delivered to the Tea Party Convention on February 6, 2010, here it is in its entirety, including a Q&A sessions afterwards:

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Patricia Sullivan, a Mom on a Mission in Florida's 8th

It's no secret Sarah Palin has inspired thousands of Americans since becoming a part of the national political stage in 2008, but this year, it's becoming more apparent, as Conservative women across the nation are stepping up to the plate and speaking up for their values and political beliefs. Some are even taking things to the next level and running for political office. One such candidate is Patricia Sullivan, a self-described "Domestic Engineer," who is running for Congress in Florida 8th Congressional District.

In a November interview with Fox News' Gretchen Carlson, Sullivan said she is running for Congress because her children's futures have already been "mortgaged away" and because the current person representing Florida's 8th District, Congressman Alan Grayson, is not representing the people like he should. Sullivan, who had the opportunity to meet Governor Palin at a book signing before the interview, told Carlson that Palin is an inspiration because, "she's a real person, a mom who has a family, but she works hard for effective change."

According to Sullivan's website, she is campaigning on four main principal issues: fiscal responsibility, limited government, strong national defense, and free markets, but there are a number of other issues close to the Conservative's heart. She is a strong proponent of the 10th Amendment and states' rights and she believes that the current "spend the country into prosperity" politicians need to be replaced with a more responsible group of legislators. She believes energy solutions should be dictated by free markets and that regulatory policy that is meant to help the environment should be based only on proven sciences and even then should be monitored so that it does not burden people. In addition, Sullivan is pro-gun and Second Amendment, pro-life, pro-stronger border security and pro-educational choice.

Sullivan may not have a resume full of fancy positions or an extensive political background, but what she does have is passion and common sense. She calls herself a patriot, not a politician, and says she has a passion for people, not programs. Sullivan wants to take the government back and put it in the hands of the people and took her first step towards that goal last year on April 15th. Inspired by the passing of the Stimulus bill, Sullivan organized the North Lake Tea Party. She hoped at least 50 people would show up and was shocked when over 1,000 attended. Her second North Lake Tea Party, on July 4th, saw a similar turnout. Sullivan currently maintains the website for the North Lake Tea Party and continues in the movement with a leadership role.

In addition to being a longtime homeschooler, Sullivan is an active member in her church. She is a Precept Bible study leader, a 4-H leader at both the local and state level, and was named "Volunteer of the Year" in 2007 by the Florida State 4-H Youth Development Program. She even founded the Lake County 4-H Foundation and currently serves as President.

On a personal note, Sullivan was born in Alabama but her family moved to Seminole County, Florida in 1973. She received an Associate of Arts degree from Seminole Community College and has been married to her husband, Scott for eighteen years. They have four children, Jennifer, Danny, Ben and Emily, and currently reside in Lake County.

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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:

Women of the GOP "In the News" Round-Up

Lots of great Conservative and Republican women in the news this week, here is your weekly round-up!

- Condoleezza Rice's name has been in the headlines this week. What exactly has she been up to? Is she running for office? Returning to academia? Not exactly. Looks like she is writing about the Masters over at The Daily Beast. Not exactly what the world expected! (Stick around - tomorrow, "Women of the GOP" will have a profile on Secretary Rice, including everything else Rice is up to these days!)

- Did you attend your local Tax Day Tea Party on Wednesday? Thousands of Americans gathered in large cities and small towns to protest the government's misuse of our tax dollars! GOP Women from all walks of life were out in full force! Actress, Janine Turner, attended the San Antonio Tea Party. Georgia Secretary of State and candidate for Governor Karen Handel told a crowd at the Peachtree City Tea Party the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress are "in the midst of a full-on assault on the freedoms that this country was founded upon."

- Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has been making a name for herself and getting under the skin of many liberals, lately. Bachmann isn't hesitant to criticize current Democrats in office or their policies and this week, she has been making headlines for daring to speak out and warn against Americorp.

- Alaska Governor Sarah Palin told a "Right to Life" crowd in Indiana, this week, that she briefly considered having an abortion when she found out her youngest son, Trig, would be born with Down syndrome. She followed that idea by saying, "The moment he was born, I knew that moment my prayers had been answered." Despite the way the mainstream media has handled the story, those who attended the event say the speech made them love and respect the Governor even more. You can watch part of Palin's speech here: