From Europe, hope for conservatism

The left in this country has made much of the big electoral victories that the Democrats won in 2006 and 2008 -- and for good reason.  Not since 1977, when Jimmy Carter swept to victory along with huge Democrat majorities in the House and Senate, has there been such lopsided partisan rule in this country. With Al Franken seemingly a lock to win the Minnesota Senate seat, the Democrats are on the verge of a 60 vote "supra majority" that is virtually filibuster proof. The immediate future seems to all be swinging the left's way, and all the things that come with it are now a foregone conclusion: major health care reform, tax increases, deficit spending and a spate of intensive, restrictive environmental regulation. But will it last? As we know, Jimmy Carter's 1977 victory gave way in just four years to the Reagan Revolution -- and though Barack Obama is much more politically sophisticated than was Carter, a former Georgia peanut farmer who was poorly schooled in the ways of Washington, there are many similarities thus far between the two presidencies. Carter took over after a period of eight years of Republican rule and in the wake of an unpopular war and scandal; his campaign was based on a promise to "change" Washington -- to clean up government and restore the nation's image in the world. The economy he inherited was suffering from high unemployment and high inflation -- and Carter's typical "tax and spend" policies made both worse. He oversaw the expansion of government with the creation of the Departments of Energy and Education, instituted price controls and rationing on energy, oversaw the bailout of a Detroit automaker (Chrysler) and pursued Middle East Peace by promoting the cause of the Arab states over those of Israel.

Sound familiar?

But it is not a lost cause, for as Carter gave way to Reagan, Obama's left-wing policies and programs may lead to a new conservative revolution.  In fact, there are now signs from Europe that the purported "death of conservatism" has been greatly exaggerated. As the BBC reports tonight, in European Parliament elections this weekend it appears that Center-right parties have made major gains: "Centre-right parties have done well in elections to the European Parliament at the expense of the left. Far-right and anti-immigrant parties also made gains, as turnout figures plunged to between 43 and 44%.

The UK Labour Party, Germany's Social Democrats and France's Socialist Party were heading for historic defeats.

• French President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP trounced socialist opponents, while greens from the Europe-Ecologie party also made gains
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing centre-right grouping lost ground but finished ahead of its rivals. The Social Democrats, Ms Merkel's partners in the grand coalition, saw their worst election showing since World War II
• In Italy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition is ahead of the socialist opposition, with 36% of the vote
• In the UK, the governing Labour Party is expecting a serious defeat, gaining its lower share of the vote for a century
• Spain's governing Socialists were slightly behind the opposition Popular Party, according to partial results
• Poland's governing centre-right Civic Platform has gained ground at the expense of the Eurosceptic Law and Justice Party
• Early results show Portugal's ruling Socialists dropped a massive 18 percentage points, losing out mainly to Greens and far-left parties

It is no surprise, of course, that the UK Labour party under the inept leadership of Gordon Browne is in trouble, but the general performance of Center-right parties elsewhere shows that the leftward swing of Europe is now at a low-ebb. The victories in recent years of Sarkozy in France, Berlusconi in Italy and Merkel in Germany has put Center-right leadership in power in the three largest European states; should David Cameron of the Conservative party in the UK sweep to power in the next general election sometime in 2010, it will be a clean sweep. Granted, conservatism in Europe is of a different sort than that in the U.S., operating as it does within an extensive social democratic framework. But the fact remains that Europe is showing a fatigue with the kind of leftist socialism that has been in vogue there over the past decade.

Will the same thing happen here? Will America reject the big government policies of Obama, Pelosi and Reid in 2010 and 2012? Or will it take longer for the fatigue associated with big government, over-reguation and high taxation to set in?

My guess is that it will. Whatever Obama's personal popularity, the fact remains that America is essentially still a center-right country that generally dislikes both big government and high taxes. It won't be long until the honeymoon associated with the economic crisis of 2008-09 to run its course; Obama will soon own the deficit spending we are embarking on, and when Americans get a taste of Canada-style health care (and taxes), it won't be pretty.

It took Carter to give us Reagan. Obama will give us another historic opportunity to move the nation back toward individual liberty and economic freedom.

Coalition opposes Sotomayor

(Denver, June 5) A coalition of Colorado groups and concerned citizens joined forces today in opposition to President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. Organized as the Colorado Judicial Network, they are urging the US Senate confirm only highly qualified individuals who put the rule of law ahead of personal political agendas. As former State Sen. John Andrews put it: “Barack Obama said he wanted to remake the Supreme Court with his judicial nominees. Yet we are told by the administration that this is a 'middle of the road' judge who sides with conservatives more often than liberals. The White House is attempting to confuse the American people, who deserve an honest airing of the differences between the Obama-Sotomayor view of the law and the Roberts-Alito-Scalia-Thomas approach to the Constitution and the role of the Court.” “Sonia Sotomayor's statement that a 'wise Latina woman' would generally make better decisions because of 'the richness of her experiences' than a white male reveals the extent to which political and personal agendas have supplanted the rule of law in selecting nominees.” said former State Treasurer Mark Hillman. “Rule of law requires that laws be written, accessible, understandable and uniformly applied. Obama understands his nominee has little interest in impartially applying the law. He also understands that this undermines the rule of law. He just doesn’t want the American people to understand. “

“We reject the notion that Sonia Sotomayor is a 'racist,'” said Jim Pfaff who heads the Judicial Confirmation Network's efforts in Colorado. “What motivates her to say a 'Latina woman' would make a better decision than a white male—as with her statement in 2004 that the courts make law—is a belief that the Rule of Law can be ignored whenever she wants to accomplish a favored political end.”

The Colorado Judicial Network is an organization of citizens joined together to support the confirmation of highly qualified individuals to the Supreme Court of the United States. They seek judicial nominees who stand for the Rule of Law and are committed to uphold the principles of judicial restraint and fidelity to the original meaning of the United States Constitution

The Colorado Judicial Netowrk Steering Committee includes:

** John Andrews, Chairman, Backbone America Citizens Alliance and former Colorado Senate President.

** Jon Caldara, President, Independence Institute.

** Mark Hillman, former State Treasurer.

** Jeff Crank, State Director, Americans for Prosperity.

** Jim Pfaff, former State Director, Americans for Prosperity and President/CEO, Colorado Family Institute.

Pfaff serves as press contact for the coalition and can be reached at jim@iresearchanddata.com or 303.957.8600

Centennial

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Teacher's Desk: Proving Up

Talk big and you'd better prove up. After blogging recently about year-round school, I lamented to my principal that we help our students make major strides in literacy all year long, then summer comes and it all goes out the window. So my own summer then got a little more complicated, but why not? What happened was, she told me she still had library grant money, why don’t we identify students who could benefit the most and begin a summer reading program helping them earn credit for each book read. We decided to provide the books ourselves so that a variety of reading levels and interests could be matched. We ordered the books, but they weren’t in by the last day of school, so students were invited to come back to school on June 17th, join me for pizza, and select a book. I was surprised how many of the students were excited by this! When we meet, students will receive a reading log and instructions for a short book report.

Then, we’ll meet again on July 8th to either exchange books that the student began but didn’t finish or finished and is ready for another! We are hoping that their benchmark reading scores will be no lower than their ending score this past May.

Nor am I just going to hang out this summer, no sir. I’m also giving a former student cooking lessons, am visiting Taos and Kansas City, as well as, taking Mandarin Chinese lessons. Why? When I take a foreign language, I place myself in an uncomfortable, illiterate position: the same position many of my students find themselves. I use the best practices I learn from the instructor, and I hope I improve my empathy.

It will be a busy summer with the aforementioned activities and my effort at urban gardening which I’ve been doing for nearly forty years. I began my first urban vegetable garden in 1972, Queens, New York. My neighbors laughed when I planted kernels of corn in my tiny back yard. They weren’t laughing two and a half months later when I harvested the sweetest corn in New York City!

For this particular August, an educational harvest is also in prospect, benefiting both my students and their teacher.

Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator at Colorado High School Charter with an M.A. in educational leadership and is a former candidate to the State Board of Education.

Words for the Class of 2009

(Denver Post, June 7) Colorado high school graduates of 2009, how exciting to see you gathered by the tens of thousands at Invesco Field. Following up your commencement ceremonies in May, here we are in June for the young citizens’ Responsibility Rally. As your keynoter, I’ll be brief. (Applause.) Even from last month, you’ve likely forgotten your graduation speaker’s message. Mine from 1962 is long gone. I do remember a Bible verse from our principal about listening, and a fireside talk by our camp director about duty. Maybe you’ll remember this day when a 20th-century American offered two words for the 21st century: personal responsibility. If you do, our rally can be as historic as Barack Obama’s appearance at Invesco. Why? Because in his first days as President, Mr. Obama not only called for “a new era of responsibility.” He also said a hallmark of the new era should be everyone in your generation completing high school. But no politician can impose that from the top. It takes individuals from the bottom up.

It takes you. (Thunderous applause.) It takes unstoppable achievers like the seniors from Lincoln High School in Denver, there in the front row, double the size of Lincoln’s 2006 class – and not by a path of roses, either, since most of you come from tough economic and family situations. You did it with things like learning contracts, credit-recovery courses, and uniforms. You rose to Principal Antonio Esquibel’s challenge.

Are you encouraged that a Kenyan’s son is in the White House and a Puerto Rican’s daughter is up for the Supreme Court? Sure. Are you glad that $700 million in stimulus money is headed for Colorado schools? Sure. But those big names and big dollars didn’t earn your diplomas. Your hard work and determination and discipline did.

Are you bothered that the CEO of Cesar Chavez charter schools makes more than Sen. Ken Salazar? Why not; he certainly produces more in terms of dropouts prevented and lives turned around. Are you surprised that home-schooling has doubled in this decade? Why not; state academic honors so often go to home-schoolers, some in this audience included.

With the BS detector of every teenager, you know that good teaching has little to do with an adult’s degree or union card. And that character lessons are golden coin compared with academic small change, as the sickout by Boulder teachers sadly illustrated. For contrast, join me in saluting five non-classroom educators whom I call Colorado’s personal responsibility all-stars.

They’re seated up here with the Mayor and Governor: Luis Villareal of Save Our Youth, Mike Painter of Colorado UpLift, Glenna Norvelle of Denver Kids, Don Reeverts of Whiz Kids, and Tom Tillapaugh of the Street School Network. “Yes you can” was a watchword for these inner-city rescuers, long before it became anyone’s campaign slogan. Countless ’09 grads wouldn’t be here without them.

Many good groups do mentoring and alternative education, but none outdo these five. They exemplify the responsibility movement which I and Barack, an odd couple indeed, urgently believe America needs. “Just love a kid” is the Nike-style dare from Reeverts. “Serve unconditionally.” Grads, that includes you. Adults, us too.

“Everybody’s gotta be involved,” Villareal explains. “Then it’s the community caring for the community.” “Relationships are key,” say Painter and Tillapaugh. “Show them responsibility is freedom,” says Norvelle.

The all-stars’ wisdom sums up the victory your graduation represents and the obligation it carries. My forgettable words fade before the liberating truth of their testimony. In King Solomon’s time it was told that one brave man, poor but wise, saved a city under siege because he cared enough and got involved. Our city today is no different.

Much has been given you, fortunate young Coloradans. How will you give back?