Elizabeth Scott: A Voice for Education in Washington's 21st

According to her website, Elizabeth Scott is "an educator, a community leader and local budget watchdog, a school leader who helps students learn debate and speech skills and takes the time to deliver dictionaries to kids who need them. She is a loving wife and mother of three who says, 'Now is the time for the rest of us to step up and fix the mess in Olympia.'"

Perhaps this is why Scott has decided to run for office in Washington's 21st district. The aspiring State Representative has been endorsed by a number of influential people, including DiAnna Brannan, founder of the Christian Homeschool Network, radio host Kirby Wilbur, and Rob McKenna, Washington State's attorney general, as well as a number of Republican and Libertarian activists, local politicians, and Republican Women's groups.

Scott's professional background is heavy in education and her dedication to the issue is evident in her campaign. She has taught English as a Second Language to students in Illinois, South Carolina and Washington, as well as overseas in China and the United Arab Emirates. She taught at Edmonds Community College, North Seattle Community College, Lake Washington Technical College, and was a founding faculty member of Cascadia Community College. Scott also worked as a Reasearch and Policy Analyst at Evergreen Freedom Foundation in Olympia, Washington.

She attributes this experience to knowing the "critical role" schools and colleges play in "shaping the future," and claims she can be advocate for her district and the state's kids. Scott says education can be improved in a number of ways,

"...reward good teachers, give principals freedom and flexibility, and stop micromanaging from Olympia if we attach the money to the student and allow competition do its miraculous work from within the system. I will work to raise academic standards by returning to an emphasis on math and reading so our students will be able to meet basic federal requirements, and by allowing principals and teachers to take a creative approach in order to help their students reach these standards."

But she isn't a single-issue candidate. Scott is a big proponent of individual rights and liberty. As a member of the National Rifle Association, Scott says she will do what it takes to see to it that the Second Amendment is upheld. She will also be a strong defender of property rights, working to remove excess tax and regulation. She is for smaller government with less spending at both the state and federal levels, and has spoken at a number of Tea Parties over the last year.

So what other credentials does Scott bring to the table? She's been very active in her community over the years; she's been a member of the Edmonds Citizens' Levy Review Committee, where she worked to avoid tax increases. She's been a member of the Evergreen Republican Women's Club since 2004 and even served as the Outreach Chair from 2005-2006. She has also volunteered with local middle school and high school students in a number of capacities.

As mentioned above, Scott is a member of the N.R.A. and is currently learning marksmanship. A self-described "Midwest farm girl," she is also a member of the Washington State Farm Bureau, the Snohomish County Chapter of the Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights, and Evergreen Freedom Foundation.

Scott has a B.A. in Linguistics with a minor in Literature from Seattle Pacific University. She also holds a M.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois. She and her husband Paul are the parents of three children and are very active in their church.

One of the First Female Senators, Paula Hawkins, Dies at 82

Paula Hawkins, the first female to be elected to the United States Senate in her own right, died on Friday. She was 82 years old. Hawkins was also the first and only female elected to the Senate from Florida and according to the Orlando Sentinel, she fought hard to get through the "good ol' boys" club."

She was working as a Republican committeewoman when she decided to run for the Public Service Commission in 1972. She campaigned as a populist and a consumer advocate, and won a second term in 1976. In 1974 she ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate -the seat was won by Jack Eckerd- and in 1978, Eckerd ran unsuccessfully for governor, with Hawkins under him as Lieutenant Governor on the Republican ticket. In 1980, she beat out Democrat Bill Gunter with 52% of the vote, finally earning herself a spot in the United States Senate. She served only one term.

"Senator Paula Hawkins broke the glass ceiling for women like me to be able to pursue public service at the highest levels. She blazed a trail by winning statewide office at a time when being an elected Republican woman wasn't very common in the Sunshine State, needless to say in the United States Senate," Florida State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Paula Dockery told the Orlando Sentinel.

While Senator Hawkins didn't enjoy being called a feminist, she considered herself a champion of children's and women's rights. She backed legislation that would help homemakers get jobs upon becoming widowed or divorced and wanted to equalize pension benefits for women by considering the years they spent raising children. She fought for tax breaks on child care expenses and to get day care for children of Senate employees. She also fought hard against drugs and child abuse, disclosing that she had been molested as a child, while speaking at the Third National Conference on Sexual Victimization. This led to her penning a book in 1986, Children at Risk, My Fight Against Child Abuse: A Personal Story and a Public Plea.

She was pro-life and opposed abortion-on-demand, as well as the Equal Rights Amendment. She also refused to join the Congressional Woman's Caucus because she thought women's issues were "family issues" and concerned more than just women. She as quoted as saying, ""I did not like the Equal Rights Amendment. I predicted that it would bring about the downfall of the father's responsibility to support the family."

Hawkins also served as the Vice President of Air Florida from 1979-1980 and director of the Rural Telephone Bank Board from 1972-1978. In 1988, she was named the director of Philip Crosby Associates, a consulting company started by Winter Park businessman and author, Philip B. Crosby. In 1997, she joined the board of Nu Skin Enterprises. Nu Skin Enterprises is a direct selling company that sells cosmetics, nutritional supplements and technology services.

Hawkins was born on January 24, 1927 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and grew up in Utah and Georgia. She was married to Gene Hawkins and they had three children, Genean, Kevin, and Kelly Ann. She attended Utah State University and was a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints.

It is reported that Hawkins died in her home in Winter Park, Florida, after complications from a fall. She had also recently suffered a stroke. Florida Governor Charlie Crist ordered all flags lowered to half-staff and Dean Cannon, Florida House Speaker-designate, held a moment of silence on Friday.

Christina Jeffrey: A Conservative For South Carolina

With so much going wrong in Washington, DC these days, it seems as though Conservatives, Republicans, and Independents are already getting set to bring true change to government in 2010. One such person is Christina Jeffrey. Jeffrey is running for Congress in South Carolina's Fourth Congressional District on a platform of social and fiscal conservatism. According to her website, she is running because she is tired of "tyranny,"

"Like you, I hate tyranny in all its ugly forms. The founding fathers made sure that our system would enable us to resist tyrants. But for their system to work, each branch of government has to be checked by the other branches. That’s not happening, and it is also why we see the people rising up to protest an overactive Presidency and a flaccid Congress."

So who is Christina Jeffrey? According to her website, she is a college professor with a PhD in political science and a person who has "built her life upon Conservative Principles." She has worked in Germany and Turkey, experience that enhanced her knowledge of international problems our country is facing. She has worked as a tenured Associated Professor of Political Science at both Kennesaw State and the University of Georgia. She has also served as the Congressional Historian for the 104th United State Congress. Jeffrey is currently a professor at Wofford College, where she teaches Foundations of American Government.

Jeffrey claims her knowledge of international trade, public policy and economic issues are just what her district needs and says she understands the many challenges facing our country today. Of Congressman Bob Inglis, who currently serves South Carolina's Fourth District, she has said,

“We do not have real representation in Washington, he is symbolic of the path many Republicans have taken over the past few years as he has continued to compromise our conservative values. He is sadly out of touch with his constituents. What the SC 4th district needs is someone who adhere to the republican principles. Times have changed, but the principles that brought the Republican Party to power in 1980 are the principles held by the majority of the 4th congressional district. What we need is new leadership that will adhere to the republican principles.”

On her website, you can also find "Christina's Big Five," a set of five important topics that Jeffrey is basing her campaign on; they are: 1) Constitution, 2) Money, 3) Country, 4) Rights and 5) Values. Under "Our Constitution," she states that she believes The Constitution of the United States serves as the foundation of our laws and is not subject to judicial reinterpretation. Under "Our Money," Jeffrey talks about the decline of the United States dollar and what can be done to fix it such as limited federal spending.

For number three, "Our Country" Jeffrey mentions national security and takes a very pro-military stance on the issues. She also mentions that she is anti-illegal immigrant, but also pro-legal immigrant. She feels the country must maintain our sovereignty and strong national security to remain the "most free, most prosperous nation on earth." "Our Rights" is about fighting the nanny state. Jeffrey is a pro-gun candidate who supports the Second Amendment, and a strong proponent of free speech, property rights, and individual liberties.

Finally, Jeffrey believes our American values are those based on the Judeo-Christian ideals of the Founding Fathers. She believes "religious expressions of individuals should be accommodated in the public sphere." She also believe in protecting the innocent, making her a pro-life candidate. She is also in favor of traditional marriage and believes Affirmative Action is unconstitutional.

Christina Jeffrey is one of five Republican candidates who will be on the ballot for the primary held on June 10, 2010.

Palinmania Sweeps the Nation

Unless you live under a rock, you know Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue was released this week and you know the former Alaskan Governor and Republican Vice Presidential Candidate has been everywhere. Traveling the country, making stops to do interviews and sign books, Palinmania has swept the nation, attracting both positive and negative attention. Media personalities from Martha Stewart to Washington Post book reviewer Ana Marie Cox have bashed her and various media outlets continue to speak untruths and spread rumors about Palin. The Associated Press even assigned eleven reporters to fact-check her book (comepared to the two assigned to the health care reform bill), but the American people are still lining up to support her like never before.

Going Rogue sold a record-breaking 300,000 copies on the first day of its release and the day after, the former Governor began a thirteen-stop book signing tour that hits cities in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. Attendees are waiting in the streets to get an autograph and camping out overnight in the cold, just to get a glimpse. But most people have probably seen or heard Palin interviewed on a number of radio and television shows. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Levin, Bill O'Reilly, and others have had their chance to question Palin about everything from some nasty rumors to her plans for the future. Here's a look at some of the things she's had to say.

When asked about running for president in 2012, Palin told Fox News host Bill O'Reilly that she felt she was qualified but wouldn't confirm whether or not she planned to run. Oprah's audience snickered when Palin told the talk show host that she wouldn't confirm her plans with her, even if she were planning to run for office again. Of John McCain, she calls him a "patriot" and "friend" but doesn't have a lot of great things to say about his campaign staff and the way they treated her during the 2008 election. Of the now infamous Katie Couric interview, she insists she didn't answer the question about what publications she reads because Couric was treating her rudely.

When Rush Limbaugh asked the former Governor what her goal with the book is and who she's trying to reach, she responded,

Just everyday, hardworking Americans who want government back on their side and I want to help them have their voice be heard. And the book is all about that, and the book is about my record and my accomplishments as a mayor and as a governor that kind of lay the foundation for Americans to see where it was that I was and how I got to where I am. It was just a lot of hard work and it was a lot of very commonsense measures that I undertook politically and practically speaking, and the book is about that, and hopefully people will read it and enjoy it and learn something from it.

While those sort of topics are making the headlines, Governor Palin has also spoken out about a number of current issues the nation is facing and what needs to be done about them. From the economy, "Let's go back to what Reagan did" and "stay committed to those free market principles" to the topic she seems to know a lot about, energy, "What is complicated about tapping into abundant, safe domestic supplies that could provide stability for our country and security for our country?"

Love her or hate her, one thing's for certain, Sarah Palin causes a stir whenever her name is mentioned!

Lyn Bliss Elected VP of Southwest Ohio FRW

The Ohio Federation of Republican Women held their annual fall conference recently and officers for 2010 and 2011 were elected. Darke County Republican Women's Club member, Lyn Bliss, was elected Vice President of the Southwest District which includes Republican Women’s Clubs in Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Greene, Hamilton, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, Warren and Darke counties.

Bliss has served in a number of roles at the Darke County Republican Women's Club, including corresponding secretary, recording secretary, card party committee member, nominating committee member, picnic committee member, publicity chairlady, membership book editor, and representative to the OFRW and representative to the National Federation of Republican Women. She is also a member of the Ohio Republican Party and Republican National Committee.

She has also served on a number of non-political boards. Bliss is a League of Women Voters Board of Directors member, Junior Vice President of VFW Auxiliary 7262, Board Member and Secretary of the Darke County Metropolitan Housing Authority and webmaster for the Darke County Republican Party as well as a member of the Eagle’s Auxiliary, Women of the Moose, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, Greenville Area Women’s Connection, Core Committee for the Greenville Schools Levy, Darke County Historical Society (Garst Museum), Friends of the Greenville Library, Committee to Restore the Greenville Mausoleum, Citizens Against Carbon Sequestration, Senior Advocate Scholarship Fund, Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority Alumni, University of Iowa Alumni, University of Maryland Alumni, Wright Patterson Club and the Dayton Art Institute. She has served as a member on the following boards: Edison Community College Board of Trustees, the Darke County Republican Central and Executive Committees, Board of Directors for the Cancer Association of Darke County and was also the Political Education chair for the Ohio Federation of Republican Women.

Bliss is a former schoolteacher and a graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Iowa. She and her husband, Al, make their home in Greenville.

Other officers elected include: President Jean Turner of Gibsonburg, Vice President Carol Salmon of Canfield, Treasurer Karen McTague of Oak Harbor, and Secretary Pet Rettig of Clyde. In addition to Bliss, the six district Vice Presidents are: Kathy Wise of Newark for Central District, Jewette Toney of Wintersville for East District, Donna Thatcher of Freemont for Northwest District, Edwina Wolcott of Warren for Northeast District, and Shawn Priest of Leesburg for South District.

Sarah Palin Announces Book Tour

Former Alaska Governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's highly anticipated book Going Rogue: An American Life will officially be released in just two weeks. The book, which already reached the number one spot on a number of best-seller lists, is expected to be a personal and political chronicle of Palin's life and according to publisher HarperCollins, will be full of "fascinating details."

Today, the former governor took to her Facebook page to announce that she'll be visiting a number of places across the country, in the coming weeks, to promote her book. Palin said she will be announcing the exact locations for scheduled book signings in the next few days and that she looks forward to meeting as many people as possible, "I’ve decided to travel to cities outside of the typical book tour venues, and I hope to cover as much of the country as I can."

In addition to book signings, she will make be making a number of media stops, or so she hopes. Palin listed a number of media personalities she'd like to meet with and not surprisingly, most of them are big supporters of the former Governor. Her media wishlist includes: Bill O’Reilly, Barbara Walters, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller, Tammy Bruce, and others, including local Alaska personalities Bob & Mark and Eddie Burke.

Palin is already scheduled to appear on Oprah Winfrey's show on November 16, the day before the book is released. Winfrey, who openly backed Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election, came under fire for not inviting then Republican Vice Presidential candidate Palin to her show, considering Palin was and is easily one of the most influential people in the country.

Interview with S.E. Cupp

S.E. Cupp is a phenomenal author, columnist and political commentator, and it seems as though she's everywhere these days. She's written for a number of publications, everything from the Washington Post to Sports Illustrated, on topics ranging from Sarah Palin to NASCAR. She's appeared on a number of television programs and radio shows, including regular spots on "Hannity," "Fox and Friends," and "Red Eye." According to her website, she is working on her second book (her first, Why You're Wrong About the Right, was published in June 2008). We had a chance to talk with Cupp about everything from what the GOP can do to attract more young people to what she likes to do when when she needs a break from the world of politics and news. Here's what she had to say:

1. How did you become interested in politics?

SEC: I was interested in everything when I was young. Politics, history, art, science, culture...I was always a really curious kid. When I was 10 I wanted to be "Ambassador of France" when I grew up...but more because Shirley Temple had become an ambassador. Then it was an astronomer. Later I considered going to Annapolis. Then I wanted to be a foreign service officer. Eventually I settled on a writing career, but I always knew I'd continue to be curious about the world around me. And that included politics.

2. What makes you a conservative? What issues are most important to you right now?

SEC: I'm a conservative because I find a few central tenets really compelling: strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, limited government and lowering taxes. These are things that affect my daily life. I believe conservatism has come up with the best answers for those issues. And I'm incredibly uncomfortable with the malleability of liberal philosophy, its moral relativism, its reliance on the zeitgeist as cause creator, its antipathy toward religion, and its inherent elitism.

3. You are often mentioned as a voice for young conservatives and the future of conservatism. What do you think the right can do to get more young people interested and involved?

SEC: The GOP needs to embrace young, new messengers that can deliver our message in more interesting, relevant, and creative ways. Sometimes the party clings to the old guard and the party's anointed patriarchs at the exclusion of everyone else...it's turf war, and it is what will make conservatism staid and stale for the younger generation. We need our veteran leadership -- but we also need fresh voices.

4. What about women? How do you think conservatism relates to women's issues?

SEC: Conservatism is better for women because conservatism is better for everyone. Conservatism is better for minorities and the youth, as well as middle aged white guys. Conservatism fosters ingenuity, self-reliance, innovation, independence, strong family values, and a sense of purpose. It creates jobs, boosts capitalism, defends freedom, and spreads democratic values to the rest of the world. When you start to use identity politics as a way to appeal to certain demographics, you become a cheap pander. Conservatism's benefits are self-evident -- my uterus has nothing to do with it.

5. Are there any women in politics (in or out of office) whom you admire?

SEC: I admire plenty of women, but certainly not because they're women. I admire Condoleeza Rice's intellect. I admire Laura Bush's quiet dignity. I admire Judith Sheindlin's decisiveness. And I admire Sarah Palin's tenacity. But those are all qualities I've also found in many of the men I admire.

6. What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment to date?

SEC: Being someone my parents are proud of.

7. Do you plan to run for office in the future? If not, is there anyone you would like to see run for office?

SEC: Absolutely not. I enjoy my journalistic freedom to write and say what I want.

8. Finally, I know you're a big NASCAR fan - what else do you like to do when you need a break from the political world?

SEC: I love shooting. I own a .12 gauge shotgun, and am partial to skeet shooting. I enjoy fishing as well. I've recently taken up knitting, which is very relaxing. And I travel as much as I can. Day to day though, it's always a nice escape from news when I can squeeze in an hour of mindless television.

Thanks so much to S.E. Cupp for taking part in our interview. To learn more about her, you can visit her website: Red S.E. Cupp

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