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It’s unfortunate that I have neglected to really write about many current issues surrounding politics recently. This summer I had been busy with school, TDYs to Mississippi, other training, and drinking and partying with friends. I’ve kept up with news, but just haven’t had the time or the motivation to dedicate to blogging with everything going on.

School has started again for this term (about a week after the last one ended) and I’m actually going to class this time, versus going to class online. My schedule is packed with four political science classes, including two I’m extremely excited about - constitutional law and American political thought. I’m really hoping to add to the discussion in both those classes by contributing some constitution and history-based thinking and old school political liberalism (not to be confused with today’s democratic socialism) to the mix. Thus, I may not be writing on this blog that often. It’s ok though, I’m excited to actually start on the bulk of my degree.

Tonight I was touched by this video. Remember those who have died for our freedom and have defended our way of life around the world:

God bless those brave souls who gave their lives for something greater than themselves.

So here are a couple more pictures from Young America’s Foundation 2007 National Student Conference:

Below is the 2007 group picture taken at George Washington University:

Below is a picture of me and a man who could’ve become the next President of the United States, former Virginia Senator George Allen.

I can’t wait to go back next year! More pics to come…

So they New York Times is reporting that the federal deficit is down lower this year:

The Treasury Department reported on Friday that the government produced a deficit of $157.3 billion for the budget year that began last Oct. 1.

In the beginning of the article however, the Times reports this little fact:

The federal deficit so far this budget year is running sharply lower, driven by record revenues pouring into government coffers.

It’s no lie that many economists and political pundits credit the Bush tax cuts as the main reason why the United States is experiencing steady economic growth, especially on the heels of recent terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and political deadlock. Nobody denies (except for liberal Dems) that supply-side economic policies have helped to spur the economy, producing more incoming revenue for the federal treasury.

While record revenues are a good thing for a Congress and a president who want to throw our money away like drunken jailors, many conservatives are also hailing record revenues as an accomplishment for this president and the former GOP-controlled Congress. This I don’t understand.

The ultimate question is thus: Why are we celebrating the federal government taking more of our money than at any time in the history of our union?! This is something that doesn’t strike me as a good thing, yet many advocates of limited government and low taxes are excited by this. Since when was it a good thing that a nation’s goverment has taken more citizens’ money than any other government in the history of the world?! The founding fathers put their lives on the line against George III for many smaller outrages than this; they would be ashamed.

In my opinion, it is time for a renewed mindset about taxes, especially in conservative circles. We don’t just need to cut the spending, we need to realize that the more money government takes, the more freedom we risk giving away, including our freedom to spend, save, or otherwise invest. The free market works and government must keep its hands off the economy, including the money we give it.

Thought everyone would get a kick out of this:

This picture was taken after the Ronald Reagan Tribute Dinner at YAF’s ‘07 student conference. I even had the pleasure of him signing my book. He’s a great guy though and I was honored to meet this man. His father would be proud.

The Associated Press is reporting President Bush is having a “surge” of support in recent days:

After sliding to just 28 percent in June, within range of an all-time low, Bush’s job approval rating on handling Iraq rose slightly to 31 percent in July, according to AP-Ipsos polling. And a recent CBS/New York Times poll showed an increase in the percentage of Americans who think the U.S. did the right thing in going to war with Iraq, up to 42 percent from 35 percent in May.

While I don’t really believe polls all that much, the above example shows that the good news about Iraq is getting out there, slowly, but surely. Even something as small as this is encouraging to me, with some people finally giving the president the support he desperately needs in these trying times.

Since I went to the Young America’s Foundation conference and attended a White House briefing with Tony Snow, my respect for President Bush has dramatically changed for the better. I don’t agree with everything the president has done in his seven years as chief executive, but I respect him more because he stands on his principles, not on polls. Tonight I came across a recent interview with the president by Neil Cavuto of Fox News. I believe President Bush demonstrates his leadership and principle throughout the interview by standing up for what he believes is right in the face of massive partisan opposition:

As conservatives, we may not agree with everything the president does, but at least we know where he stands. Have you prayed for your president today?

Today I’m flying back into Colorado Springs after attending the 2007 Young America’s Foundation annual Conservative Student Conference. It was a great experience and I met many of our country’s conservative leaders including Newt Gingrich, G. Gordon Liddy, Michael Reagan, and former Senator George Allen. I will post pictures in an upcoming entry and a personal view on the Robert Spencer - CAIR controversy that I was witness to. It was simply amazing to be there in the midst of controversy, while Michelle Malkin live-blogged about Spencer’s speech to CAIR an aisle away from where I was sitting. At any rate, it was a great experience and can’t wait to return next year.

The week was filled with conservative speakers, authors, bloggers, talk-radio hosts, and topics ranging from the War on Terror, to constitutional theory, to the defense of privatized health care. I learned much from a great week and met some fantastic friends. I’ll post more about this amazing week a little later when I have access to my pictures and other resources.

This week I am attending the Young America’s Foundation Student Conference in Washington, D.C. It will be taking place starting Monday at George Washington University and through the week I will be listening to some true GOP greats - Newt Gingrich, Michael Reagan, George Allen, among many others. I will even be going to a White House briefing on Wednesday and having dinner banquets every night of the week. I don’t know if I’ll be able to blog about the conference during the week due to the fact I don’t know if I’ll have readily available internet access. The agenda is awesome - discussions will range from the War on Terror, the Constitution and natural law, to college activism, and even profiles on subjects like feminism. It’s going to be an exciting week…I’m stoked. More to come later.

William Kristol has a great article on the troop surge and its potential political impact over at The Weekly Standard. I agree with everything he says in the article, including the last paragraph:

Over the last few months, the United States (finally) surged in Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq has now surged against the surge. Iran is surging against the surge. We’re pushing them back. Now the Democrats in Congress, the mainstream media, and the foreign policy establishment have mounted their own surges against the surge. So far, Bush is beating them back. If Bush can hang tough, and General Petraeus can keep on surging, the Defeatists will fail. And the United States will have a good chance to succeed in Iraq.

If everything continues to go well with the surge and benchmarks continue to be met, the United States could see a great situation in Iraq leading to an eventual pullout of U.S. troops. However, I don’t think many people are thinking about what happens after the surge. Will we surge in Iraq again to protect the results of the former surge? Will there need to be another troop surge if violence that once was suppressed, re-emerges after U.S. troops leave? These are interesting thoughts that need to be discussed, but not in this post. What I’m concerned about is something that not many people are talking about - the need for stable democratic institutions.

I’m constantly online reading what other conservatives think about this war and most all agree that the United States can pull off a victory in Iraq with enough steadfast determination to succeed. But many aren’t talking about why political reconciliation is so hard for the Iraqi government. Ethnic tensions and the dynamics of tribal factions are now just being understood, but I think that people have lost focus of one of the most important ingredients of any representative, democratically elected government - the need for institutions and traditions supporting democratic governance.

There is a legitimate need for proper and stable democratic and executive institutions that will help to bring stability to a new government derived of the people. It’s easy to talk about representative goverment in countries with rich traditions of local control and self rule like the United States and most western European countries (even stemming back to colonial legislatures). But when you inject representative government into a society with little to no history of long term self-rule, conditioning and development of democratic institutions takes much more time, especially when pressured to influence societial governance as quickly as Iraq is being pressured right now.

In my opinion, the focus on development of democratic institutions is missing in the surge mindset of the president and many U.S. commanders in the region. This must be corrected if we are to be successful in helping Iraq develop a strong federal government that is truly capable of autonomous self rule.

This is why I will be keeping Ron Paul in mind when I vote in the primaries:

H/T to The Liberty Papers