Uncle Ruslan's American Dream

A friend sent me a Washington Post op-ed by Asra Nomani regarding "Uncle Ruslan," that I highly recommend you read. Seriously, just go read the whole thing and then come back here.

Ruslan Tsarni, as you probably know, is the uncle of the Boston marathon bombers (and no, I'm not saying "alleged bombers." Dzhokhar can sue me. Bring it.) and I was struck by the huge difference between his attitude about America and the views that his nephews apparently held. 

"Uncle Ruslan's" heartfelt press conference last week captured America's attention, partly because of the sharp contrast between the brutality of the bombings and Tsarni's humble attitude and unequivocal condemnation of his nephews' actions:

...And it's only Wednesday

These past few days have been pretty rough.

"Patriots’ Day is a day for Boston."

I only lived in Massachusetts for less than a year and experienced Patriot's Day 2012 as an outsider and a newcomer, having moved up there less than a month before. As a native Floridian, I was mainly glad to see the weather getting warmer and thinking the parties and festivities were fun, but not really getting it. I mean, I hadn't even been to Fenway at that point (later remedied), which I'm pretty sure is a mandatory requirement before making any comments about Boston culture.

Anyway, someone emailed this blog post to me, written by a Boston resident I've never met, but who sums up perfectly how all my Massachusetts friends describe Patriot's Day. It's definitely worth reading in its entirety, but I'll share a few excerpts here:

"Look for the helpers." #PrayForBoston

I spent less than a year in Boston but still have friends there and my heart is heavy and sad seeing the news and photos from the explosions at the Boston Marathon today.

I remembered this quote from Fred Rogers, and found it very comforting:

Arizona Under Fire: What you need to know about the Sheriff Joe Recall Effort

[Editor's note: Hey, look, it's a guest post! I've been a busy bee lately and haven't had as much time as I'd like to blog about all the intriguing things happening, so I've invited a few friends to do a little guest blogging here from time to time. So here's Amy Miller...enjoy! Also don't forget to follow my random mumblings on Twitter.]

I don't normally stick my nose into local or district races, mostly because it conflicts with my philosophy of letting the people choose their own. damn. representatives. That being said, I do believe that the people have a right to know who they're signing petitions against and voting for--especially when the Big Progressive Steamroller of Doom© is calling the shots.

I Smite Thee, in the Name of Andrew!

We miss you, happy warrior.

We lost Andrew Breitbart just over a year ago. 

Since then, there have been endless discussions about how best to honor his memory, pondering over whether anyone could possibly fill his shoes.

As I look back over the past year, I'm sad to admit that I think we as a conservative movement are doing a very poor job of carrying on Andrew's legacy.

Quit being Eeyores. If there's hope in MA, there's hope everywhere.

Since last November's losses at the ballot box, it's become somewhat of a contest on the right to see who can issue the most depressing predictions about the death of the Republican party. Changing demographics! The messaging is awful! Our technology is outdated! 

Everybody panic! DOOM! DOOOOOOOOOM!!!

It's frustrating to watch. People who I know are positive in most other areas of their lives, become so negative when talking about the state of conservatism that they make Eeyore look like an optimist.  

Well, here's a little glimmer of hope: Republicans are finding ways to win in Massachusetts.

CNN Fail: Where's the #filibuster news?

It's now 12:30 am ET after over twelve hours of Senator Rand Paul's historic filibuster, and this is the front page of CNN:

Speaker Weatherford's Opening Day remarks reaffirm his opposition to Medicaid expansion

Speaker of the Florida House Will Weatherford delivered his opening day remarks earlier this morning as the 2013 Legislative Session began, and they're worth reading.

Weatherford outlines the ambitious agenda he has set for the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida, including reform of the state's campaign finance and election laws, pension system, and schools. 

Notably, Weatherford also continues his strong opposition to Medicaid expansion:

Next time someone says "That's impossible"...

...show them this.

Someone did a mashup of "Head Like A Hole" by Nine Inch Nails, and "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.

It's one of the more bizarre things I've heard in awhile, but the songs actually fit together shockingly well.

Seriously. Listen for yourself:

The Man in the Arena: Remembering Andrew Breitbart

Today marks one year since I was awakened by a phone call from a friend calling to tell me that Andrew Breitbart had died at 43, far too young. 

Not only had I been lucky enough to get to know Andrew over the last year of his life, he was a huge influence for so many of my friends. In this wonderful world of bloggers, tea party movement organizers, investigative journalists, and other conservative activists in which I have traveled in these past few years, Andrew was our coach, our troop leader, our favorite troublemaker...but most of all, he was our friend. 

And so today, like it was last year, is tough because I am saddened by so many of the beautiful and poignant memories of Andrew shared by so many people I know (his face is a constant presence in my Facebook and Twitter feeds once again this week), but at the same time there is comfort in seeing so many people sharing a deep affection for this great man.

Marco Rubio vs. Lil Wayne

When he's not busy being a champion of free market principles or a water bottle entrepreneur, Florida Senator Marco Rubio is helping all of us decipher the complicated hierarchy of the rap world.

In this fun interview with TMZ as he walked through Reagan airport, Rubio rejects a recent boast by rapper Lil Wayne ("I ain't 2Pac, I'm the new 'Pac"), saying that "There's only one Tupac":

Huh? Senate Prez Don Gaetz compares opposition to Medicaid expansion to segregation

This is one of those "Did I just read what I think I read? No way. Seriously, there must be something wrong with my eyes" type of articles. 

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz has compared those opposed to Medicaid expansion to segregationists. Yes, really.

From the Tampa Bay Times:

Weatherford raises national profile as distance grows between Gov. Scott and conservative grassroots

After a number of articles late last year describing Florida Speaker of the House Will Weatherford as a "rising star" who was following in Marco Rubio's footsteps, he officially took the reins as one of Florida's youngest Speakers with the beginning of the 2013 legislative session and has embarked on an ambitious agenda, including campaign finance and education reform.

This week included two important moments for Weatherford as he continues to raise his national profile.

Sean Bielat not running for MA Senate, launching PAC & supporting conservative candidates instead

Sean Bielat announced this afternoon that he had decided not to enter the race for the special election for the Massachusetts Senate.

Sean is continuing his work with OneClickPolitics.com, as well as "[l]aunching a Political Action Committee (PAC) focused on vetting and supporting New England candidates who can do the most to revitalize the GOP and begin to give voters real choices at the polls."

He had formed an exploratory committee but ultimately decided that this year's election was "simply not the right time for our family:"

New Americans for Prosperity Congressional Scorecard released today

Just got an email from Americans for Prosperity announcing that they have launched their own Congressional scorecard, to evaluate "how focused your legislators are on promoting economic freedom."

Burger King Twitter meltdown

This is why companies need to take their social media seriously, both in terms of having professionals handle their online presence and making sure they take steps to protect the security of the accounts.

Burger King's official Twitter account (@BurgerKing) right now:

OK, @BuzzFeed. Fair's fair. This made me laugh.

I pick on BuzzFeed a bit (and it's well-earned...see here and here, for example), but even I'll admit that the site has its entertainment value, and sometimes they just nail it.

If he's a Republican, then I'm the Queen of England

Spotted by David Guenthner on CNBC this morning:

What Sean Bielat is Doing [UPDATED]

The exciting roller coaster of Massachusetts politics continues...

Ever since Scott Brown shocked the heck out of everyone by declining to run for this year's special election for the Massachusetts Senate race to fill John Kerry's seat (despite all indications that he was in a strong position for that race), there has been a lot of speculation about who would run for the seat, and whether any of the Republicans had a chance.

Today, my phone and email blew up with reporters wanting to know if Sean Bielat, for whose Congressional campaign for MA-4 I had worked on last year, was indeed running for the seat.

A number of media outlets reported today that Sean is running; however, that is not quite accurate.