I salute the Republicans of the 112th Congress for their initiative to restore the U.S. Constitution to its legitimate place of prominence in our public discourse. Reading it aloud at Congress’s opening session and requiring members to cite constitutional authority when introducing new legislation are great ideas. It will help highlight that the real debate is about the underlying defining principles of our nation that the constitution exists to protect.

We shouldn’t be surprised to hear liberals want to play even more games with marriage and what we call attempts to counterfeit it. After all, if you or I wanted to deceive people into going along with a really bad idea, we’d want to frame the debate in terms that would keep them from thinking about what it was really about and the implications, wouldn’t we?

House Republicans will have two opportunities this year to extract spending cuts from the Senate and White House: the debt ceiling increase and the continuing resolution that expires on March 4th. Both votes should have cuts attached to them large enough to at least cut the $1.3 trillion deficit in half as a starting point. That would leave Harry Reid and Barack Obama with a choice: To accept the increase in the debt ceiling accompanied with the cuts, or to refuse. The blame would be on them should they fail to raise the debt limit, because the House will have done its job.

Thomas Paine would have a heart attack if he saw today what America has turned into. A huge government, overspending to buy votes, astronomical deficits, and entrenched incumbents that often couldn’t care less when it comes to the will of the people. Without a change of culture, the sound economy that comes with balancing the budget is a pipe dream. It will never happened – and America is at risk.

The patriotic Americans who make up the Tea Party movement were instrumental in helping elect a historic number of Republicans in 2010. While some Tea Party-backed candidates did not get elected, most did. Does the incoming freshman class of congressmen and women understand and appreciate the Tea Party concerns of limited government and adherence to the Constitution? This interview indicates they certainly seem to.

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is a real card, isn’t he? He says Republicans who insist that members of congress obey their oath of office to support and defend the U.S. Constitution, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same, are just playing games. The American people don’t want congress to obey the Constitution or its limits on power which protect their freedom. The American people love government!

Republicans are killing the global warming committee–probably the most useless, anti-American anti-freedom committee in the U.S. House. The article says Republicans thought about keeping it around to mock global warming enthusiasts, and that definitely would have been fun, but there is too much work to be done for such frivolities.

I just caught bits and pieces of the change of hands between former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and new Speaker of the House John Boehner yesterday, but a check later of their remarks matched my initial impressions at the time: Pelosi was having a tough time letting go and stepping out of the the limelight.

On Tuesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals filed their 50-page decision in the case of the Jewish War Veterans versus the City of San Diego, the United States and Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Of course, the anti-American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) represented the leftist Jewish group who claimed to be offended by the 57-year-old Mount Soledad war memorial cross at La Jolla in San Diego, California. The court “found” that the giant cross, which sits on public land, is unconstitutional.

Despite billions of dollars of aid that Americans have given through the years poverty continues to exist, and perhaps even being on the increase in parts of the world. Aid raised by a loving people who desperately want to help seldom finds its way to those who need it most. A much better alternative is one that far too many of a certain political persuasion find disgusting: “CAPITALISM.”

The Daily Caller reports Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) attempted to strengthen the GOP House rule requiring constitutional authority to be cited on all submitted bills, but the effort failed in a conference meeting. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill openly mock the U.S. Constitution and the American freedoms is was designed to safeguard. It’s time to strengthen the knees of Republicans and expose Democrats for what they are.

South Dakota’s Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has her congressional website online now. The website includes information on how to contact her in Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Washington D.C.

Watching Leftists rag on the U.S. Constitution (the highest law in our nation, the document which established how our government is to be crafted, how our laws are to be made, and which protects the God-given liberties of all Americans) and turn their nose up at it, is always a mixed proposition. On one hand, it’s disgusting to watch Americans deride the foundation of all their blessings, but on the other hand, it’s refreshing to see them come out in the open and really tell us what they truly think of this most precious of American documents.

Don’t you just love it when reality smacks liberals in the face? Like when a talk show caller enlightens ultra-liberal Rosie O’Donnell about the true nature of government health care, i.e. waiting seven years on a waiting list for gastric bypass surgery. Those of us who have lived under socialist health care tried to warn our fellow Americans, but liberals insisted on passing ObamaCare anyway.

With the possibility of $5.00 a gallon gasoline looming, I’m reminded of Fred Flintstone. Remember his preferred method of transport? That’s right, stinky, calloused feet. A rousing, “YabadabaDOOO!” and away the Flintstone™ family flew. Maybe Fred was onto something. Was he “going green” or just going?

Obamacare is causing rising insurance costs across our state and stressing local governments and schools, thus pressuring our already overtaxed properties to the breaking point. Medicare costs are already about to explode our state budget. ObamaCare calls for a legion of enforcement agents with broad new powers. Repeal is uncertain and lawsuits could take years, but there is a remedy we can employ at the state level right now.

TV Guide and other news outlets are reporting that musician Gerry Rafferty has died at age 63. Rafferty was the 1970s musician known for hits like Baker Street, Right Down the Line and Get It Right Next Time.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) gave us one final nutty statement to cap off the end of her time as Speaker of the House, claiming it was “necessary” to spend trillions of dollars we don’t have in order to reduce the debt and deficit. She also claims repealing this unconstitutional monstrosity would “do serious violence” to fiscal responsibility. It seems to me that she’s doing serious violence to reality.

Word came today that the U.S. Navy has decided to relieve Capt. Owen Honors of his command of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear aircraft carrier and internationally recognized symbol of United States power. Capt. Honors is the first of many sacrifices to come which will be made on the altar of political correctness in the wake of the repeal of our military’s 234-year ban on homosexual behavior.

The U.S. House Republicans has posted a draft of their bill to repeal the unconstitutional ObamaCare scheme online. The bill has not yet been assigned a number but is described thusly: To repeal the job-killing health care law and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. It’s time we rolled back our dabbling with socialism and brought back the freedom and free-market solutions that are proven to work.

Since the end of last year the markets are up about 13%. Putting the last two years together the markets are up about 44%. Those are huge gains for two years. You may not have been on two years ago, but now you should reevaluate again. The wave has propelled you miles toward your goal, and at least once a year you should measure your progress.

The Rapid City Chamber of Commerce has scheduled four legislative crackerbarrel meetings over the course of the next couple of months. The purpose of the legislative crackerbarrel meetings are to inform the public on legislation being considered in the South Dakota Legislature. A few legislatures will be featured speakers at each meeting, and there will be a Q&A time for members of the public to ask questions of the legislators.

The 2011 South Dakota Legislative Session begins in Pierre on Tuesday, January 11. On this same day Believers from across our great state will be gathering in the city of Pierre for the expressed purpose of praying for God to intervene on our behalf and bring RESTORATION to our land. Yes, this will be our first annual ‘Restoration Rally’ and you and yours are invited to join us. Complete Rally details may be found herein.

Our elected leaders in Pierre seem incapable of serious cost-cutting when it comes to state employees, the Board of Regents, many long-standing exclusive vendors’, no-bid contractors, and various social service providers. Generous political donations and lobbyists have turned their ongoing money needs into sacred cows we can no longer afford. But there are several concrete cost-saving ideas we should implement before we explore “temporary” sales tax increases.

The EPA must be stopped. The Republican Congress must take swift action to cut the legs off of the EPA and reverse their maniacal power grab. We must never stop clamoring to our congressmen and senators, while we still can, and demanding a return to a constitutionally restrained government. The fate of our nation depends on it.