Weekly Wrap-Up

Here are some of the stories we’ll be talking about at our 43rd Annual Conservative Party Political Action Conference (CPPAC), which starts Sunday at noon in Albany.

The Conservative Party has been leading the push to keep terrorist trials out of New York, and it seems our work might be paying off. Word is that President Obama is now looking for other venues. This is another example of how we can make a difference when we speak out for what’s right.

That’s good news, but the more we learn about the Obama Administration’s handling of the Christmas Day bombing attempt, the more we realize that this President is dangerously off-course when it comes to America’s security. Charles Krauthammer has a good take on this.

More reaction to President Obama’s State of the Union Address...

George Will looks at what the President did NOT say...Rich Lowry reacts with a resounding “not true”...Mona Charen describes the spectacle as “Carteresque.”

What do you think? Cast your vote today in our new weekly poll.

Also be sure to check out these recent works and appearances by some of our CPPAC speakers...

Conservative activist David Bossie brought the case that resulted in last week’s Supreme Court ruling for political speech and the First Amendment. He’s getting plenty of coverage – everywhere from National Review and Fox News to the Washington Post and The New York Times.

Here’s our featured luncheon speaker, Judge Andrew Napolitano, discussing President Obama’s false claims about the Citizens United ruling.

We’ll also be hearing from a number of conservative activists, strategists and political leaders. We’re looking forward to a great weekend. I hope you are too!

Well no pivot or pirouette, just the same President Obama. A short fact check of his State of the Union. The WSJ thought it was the same agenda in more humble clothes. (I must have missed the humble clothes.) The NY Post thinks he is sensing public frustration but wants to know why he isn't doing anything to address it. (The President thinks he is, he fells our pain, sound familar?)

No lesson learned as today they raised the debt limit AGAIN.

Now this would be an interesting race.

Well tonight is the night. Will President Obama pivot and pirouette or will he just say the words he believes Americans want to hear? Sounds to me that he will be in campaign mode, selling the same goods that worked last November. Hope lies in the fact that we are a much wiser nation after his first year in office.

"What was that Mr. President, you didn't sign off on what?"

AG Eric Holder did this on his own? If so, he should be fired immediately.

Senator Schumer, STOP wasting our money! New Yorkers, isn't it time for a real change?

Governor Paterson, Senators and State Assemblymen, here is $55 million for you to collect and if they paid the other cigarette taxes they owe, you would have even more to close the deficit.

Sorry about being a day late posting Thomas Sowell.

We will need your help on this. It is a very dangerous proposal and should be stopped. Just look at the problems in California since they legalized "medical" marihuana. We will issue an "Memo in Opposition" early next week.

Steve Malanga sheds some light on NYC's high unemployment rate.

Michael Goodwin writes what many are thinking. Most would not vote for him again.

Apparently the President is hard of hearing and is stuck in the past, proven by his rehiring old friends.

The V-P's son says "no" to US Senate race.

Pete DuPont writes of an "economic time bomb"

Will southern California's water problem become all of ours?

Weekly Wrap-Up

Let’s end this week with a look at some numbers...

52% – Scott Brown’s share of the vote in his upset victory over Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts special election to replace Ted Kennedy.

0 – the number of future conservative victories guaranteed by the Scott Brown win in Massachusetts. We won that battle, and it was a huge battle – but the fight continues, and conservatives have to work even harder to make sure people are informed on the issues and energized to take a stand for America.

Will our Philosopher-King President actually listen to the people?

$1.9 trillion – the increase in the U.S. debt limit being sought by the Democrats in Washington. That would allow our nation’s debt to hit $14 trillion. Seems like the big spenders in Congress still don’t get that most Americans are fed up with all this spending.

$1 billion – that’s the cost of the tax increases packed into Gov. Paterson’s new budget.

In “Grading the Gov’s Budget,” E.J. McMahon of the Manhattan Institute gives the Paterson plan a solid C, describing it as “not nearly as tough as his rhetoric (or the headlines) would imply...[but] relatively restrained and almost fiscally conservative -- by Albany's low standards, that is.” What’s your grade for the Paterson budget? Give your opinion in this week’s poll.

5 – the number of Supreme Court justices who voted to expand free speech by repealing campaign finance restrictions.

Terrified of free speech and open debate? Don’t worry, New York’s very own philosopher-king Chuck Schumer is looking out for you! (Oh, and you’re un-American, too, according to the Democrats.)

Not enough – the number of votes Speaker Nancy Pelosi has for the Senate version of ObamaCare... meaning that the President’s hostile takeover of our health care has almost zero chance of actually being enacted this year.

Have a great weekend!

Congratulations to Citizens United! Thank you for standing up for the First Amendment. You can thank David N. Bossie in person at our 43rd Annual Conference at the end of this month.

More good news here, sorry Madam Speaker. The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing when they wrote the U.S. Constitution and gave the power to the people.

While health care reform is in serious trouble, obviously, it is not the only lesson Congress has to learn, they must stop the spending, and absolutely stop increasing the debt limit!

Where is the money coming from for this?

To Fred Barnes and Michael Barone: As much as this country needs him to change, it is not his personality. Juan Williams was right on Tuesday night when he said he would "double-down".

Mr. President, if you are serious about helping the economy, this is not the way to do it. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd also joined Mr. Obama at Thursday's White House event and if we look back they were all part of the collapse!

The right message at the right time by the right person. Congratulations, Scott Brown. As long as you remember who voted you in, you will be continue to be a Senator from Massachusetts in the People's Seat.

Time will tell if the President is being honest or just telling us what we need to hear. We sincerely hope that he is being honest.

However, there are some lingering doubts. We won't know for sure for quite some time as his adviser's may not agree with him. Southers makes right choice. Nina Easton writes of "A limit to Compassion."

Legislators declare the Governor's budget "dead" for all the wrong reasons. "Medical" marijuana in the news again after New Jersey's outgoing Governor signs bill into law. See Chairman Long's quote in article.

Part two of Thomas Sowell's article "Are Republicans Due" here.