States Rights

As a former resident of a border state, I could go on all day about the issue. Instead, I'm going to give you a brief overview on what I think about the Arizona law specifically and link up a few great articles to check out.

For those of you unfamiliar with my opinions and particular style of "punditry", there's really only one thing you need to know. PRIMARY SOURCES. Before engaging in any political discourse (especially when the end product is published online) I believe it is vital to go to the source. Yes, in this case that means a carefully worded Google search to find the Arizona Legislature's website and read the bill. Its long, and like most legislature, it isn't riveting. However, if you only expose yourself to information through the media, its impossible to wade through the bias if you haven't looked at the law yourself. Check out the link here.

I have a few criticisms of the law. While I think that it has some good points, in some respects it lacks an enforceability. Very similar to what an appeal of Los Angeles' "Special Order 40" would likely resemble, officers can inquire into a person's legal status during an investigation.

B. For any legitimate contact made by an official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made to determine the immigration status of the person. The person's immigration status shall be verified with the federal government pursuant to 8 United States code section 1373(c).

E. A law enforcement officer, without a warrant, may arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States.

If interpreted correctly, this would mean an officer would need probable cause in order to inquire into an individual's legal status. That seems pretty straightforward to me. If someone is here illegally and committing crimes, they should be deported. Now, from a practical standpoint, I don't think this is enforceable as it does not grant Arizona law enforcement officers the power to perform a deportation of a person deemed here illegally. That power still resides with ICE. Practically this means that once an individual is detained and their legal status is questioned, the next step for law enforcement officers is to call the Feds. Judging the response on this issue from Washington, this bill may be rendered impotent. Its difficult to imagine Governor Brewer overlooking this possibility. That leads me to believe that the Governor signed this bill so she could check her "Tough on Immigration" box. Its all truly ridiculous.

For more interesting articles on the subject, check out the articles below. And, as always, I appreciate any feedback!

"A Carefully Crafted Immigration Law in Arizona" Byron York

"Arizona Takes Off its Rainbow Shades" Cal Thomas

New Job in the District

I started my new job last week at America's Health Insurance Plans (ahip.org). I'm a Client Relations Associate in their Insurance Education and Professional Development Division. I created a short video of my walk from the metro on my first day (about 5 blocks), but I need to get it loaded onto Youtube as the file is too large. Here are some photos of the area around my building!

Lt. Colonel Allen B. West

This is from last October, but I just stumbled upon it now. Check it out...

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2p91dvm6M

ChachachachaCHANGES Part Two

My first year in the District was definitely a tumultuous one. I knew when I embarked on this journey I knew I was sacrificing a lot of things. You can itemize them. Take out a piece a paper and write down the things you would lose if you packed a 1996 Suburban and drove 3000 miles. Now, once you have that paper, just toss it. Its completely useless. There is a difference between itemizing your treasures (tangible or not) and actually living without them. Sure, I knew I wouldn't be able to hop on the 405 and go home whenever I wanted. But I have a cell phone, email and Skype! It's just a good, right? I learned that Facebook can make you feel like you are closer than you actually are, and spending your vacation time on your family isn't so bad, but when you hit hard patches, that distance feels twice as far. Lets continue...

July and August 2009 was when my life finally felt like it was gaining momentum. After almost nine months, I finally had a job that I was excited about AND... most importantly... what I was ACTUALLY missing this whole time...

All summer I had bumbled around the online dating world. Right when I was ready to give up and wait for "the one" to bump into me on the metro or some other equally ridiculous place, I received an email. For a variety of reasons, I almost didn't respond. But, as I am a highly curious individual, I threw caution to the wind and it was the best gamble I ever made. After a few months (or weeks rather) of dating, Daniel and I decided that we were it for each other.

After the December snow storm that dropped two feet in the middle of my move to Arlington, we were happy to trade our snow boots for sunny weather. My Midwest boy was excited to see Los Angeles for the first time, but I think he got more than he bargained for! After a surprise trip to the Rosebowl on January 1st, he was "initiated" into the family courtesy of Austin and Tyler Cripps. We attended my brother's wedding and Daniel had a little conversation with my parents...

On January 9th, 2010 at about 4:30 in the afternoon, Daniel surprised me on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He dropped down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I know its my story, so I am highly biased, but I think its the best love story I've ever heard.

ChachachachaCHANGES Part One

I began this blog with the intention of providing friends and family a window into my life from 3,000 miles away. I must confess I've been a terrible blogger. Its been almost a year and a half since my last post. You could say that a few things have changed! Lets begin where I left off...

November 2008 we saw the first election of an African American. I personally voted for the other guy, but I can't ignore the historic moment that took place. We have witnessed a multitude of bailouts, government takeovers and tea party-esque revolts. Its been a wild ride. I'm happy to have seen it from my comfy spot over the Potomac in NoVA. This month I also adopted a precocious kitten named Connor.



December 2008 and January 2009 were interesting months for me personally. I moved from a disgusting townhouse in Vienna (which I had only occupied for three months) and into a cute apartment in McLean (pronounced Maclaine), just a few miles away from Langley (CIA Headquarters). Promptly after this move, which only took about 24 hours, I hopped on a plane to Hawaii (with a short layover in LA). I spent a week in paradise to celebrate the marriage of my cousin Jordan and new cousin Rusty. Oh, and my little brother proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes, of course.



February through April 2009 were fairly uneventful. My best friend from Middle School and High School, Justin, moved to DC to become a fireman. I attending CPAC for the second time with my good friend Chris and got to rub elbows with some interesting individuals. Immediately after that I experienced my first significant snowfall of 6-8 inches. Professionally I began applying for assistant manager positions within Enterprise as well as other positions outside the company. I had my first interview with Kaplan Inc. I also flew home to attend my Dad's retirement dinner. Surprise!




May and June came and went with little excitement.

July 2009 I was promoted to Assistant Manager at the Enterprise in Tysons Corner. Shortly after that I received my job offer with Kaplan Inc. Personally, I was doing the dating thing and getting nowhere fast.

More to come...

Why We Lost

Why We Lost

In 1976 we had a historical election. Incumbent and unelected Republican Gerald Ford was running against Democrat Jimmy Carter. We all know how that election turned out. Jimmy Carter took office and was arguably the worst President in modern history. For those of you who lived during the Carter years, you will recall sky-high inflation, gas shortages, and the introduction of Radical Islam as a dangerous an increasingly powerful movement in the Middle East. There are many parallels between this election and the one held in 1976.

In many ways I feel that this election may have been over before it even began. In the Ford – Carter race, the country had just come out of the Watergate scandal and the former president’s hand picked successor, a moderate leader in Congress, faced a hostile political climate. Acting in what he thought was in the best interests of the country, he pardoned Nixon for the Watergate cover-up. In doing so, he helping the country move on from the scandal and successfully committed political suicide. The Democratic Party could have put up Ted Kennedy, still drunk and soaking wet from his late night drive into Chappaquiddick and the Republicans still would have lost. Like 1976, we are coming out of a hard period of our history. Unfortunately this period we are currently in is perceived as much worse than I believe it is. That has led the public to turn on a President that has characteristically done what he regards as right regardless of popular opinion. With a difficult and unpopular war to fuel this fire, many wanted the country to take a different direction.

John McCain faced a tough, up-hill battle to the presidency. All Barack Obama had to do was make a loose tie between him and President Bush. As they are members of the same party that holds a minority in both the House and Senate and unfavorable approval for the Iraq war and pending recession, that was not a difficult connection to make. People tend to forget that the two faced each other eight years ago in a tough Primary for the 2000 election. Those who are members of the party see a very clear difference between the two men and the type of administration John McCain would have if given the opportunity to be President.

Although blunders have been made from the beginning, I firmly believe that we came out strong and overcame many obstacles along the way. We began this season with a wide field of Republican contenders. Many were good man with attractive resumes. But every one lacked what Conservatives really wanted. We can only hope that, like 1976, history will provide us with a new candidate who will bring us back from the fire. Take hope in knowing that many new leaders are emerging. Palin, Pawlenty and Jindal all have the potential for greatness in the future. Continue to watch and support them as they grow in their home states. They will be the future of this country.

Do not use this as an opportunity to take a card from the left and refuse to cooperate with this new President. We are different because we make informed, logical decisions that are not based on pure passion and emotion. We will not have success unless we continue to lead by putting out our ideas and pushing them into the national spotlight through the venues we have created. Continue to support the various Conservative organizations that have fought so hard against the media and the radicals in our schools. Donate to Heritage Foundation, Young America’s Foundation and all the other groups that work to provide free speech in our schools and keep our American values intact. Keep your Congressman accountable as well. Remember that they are your representative even if you do not come from the same party.

I conclude by extending an invitation to all of you. We have entered a new political climate that is hostile to many of our beliefs. It will be harder to keep our views mainstream but not impossible. In February, the American Conservative Union will hold the 36th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington DC. I attended last year’s event, and it was worth every penny. I mistakenly claimed that CPAC 2008 was the most important as it was held the day after Super Tuesday and on the eve of this Historical Election season. This coming CPAC is even more important to attend. Join me in helping take back the White House and the Congress. What makes America great is that anyone can change it. But it can not be done without your help.

When the Congress is away…

With Congress in recess until after the election, one must ask what goes on in Capitol Hill? Since we are inquiring into the daily activities of the legislative branch, what goes on in Capitol Hill when Congress is in session? I don’t think I can provide any valuable insight into the second question, as I have been in the city less then a month. The first however, may be more surprising than you might think.

A good friend of mine that lives on Capitol Hill (and who happens to be Laura Ingraham’s intern) extended an invitation to me for a Congressional Hall Party. It took place on a Thursday night. That being my day off for the week, I happily agreed. I saw this small get together as a great opportunity to get to know some people. With my ridiculous work schedule and preoccupation with setting up my house, I have had virtually no opportunities to meet people up until this point. I calculate that at any given moment, I know a grand total of 4 people in the DC metro area. Not counting coworkers of course. As someone who has never had trouble making new friends, those statistics are quite embarrassing.

Lindsay and I agreed to meet at the Capitol South Metro Stop at 5:00PM. We went and grabbed a quick bite to eat, then were off to the Rayburn Building. One of the Congressional Office buildings, the Rayburn is on the South side (or Congressional side) of Capitol Hill. We quickly got through security with a minor delay, (my boots managed to set off the metal detectors) and took the elevator up.

A Congressional Hall Party is exactly what it sounds like. All the congressional staffers, aides and interns set up tables in the hallway connecting the offices. The were about a dozen twenty-something of Capitol Hill’s finest milling from office to office, drinking beer and eating common party fare. Everyone stayed in the middle of the hall, milling between two to three open offices. We put our bags down in Lindsay's old office, belonging to a republican Congressman from Texas. I was surprised the find that the Congressman's office was open. Lindsay told me I was allowed to go in, even though no one was there and technically, she is no longer employed by him. The office was large, with matching blue leather couches lining one wall and a large executive desk towards the back of the room. Behind the desk was a window that had, I'm sure, the most amazing view of the Capitol. The walls were lined with photos of the Congressman with other leaders and Presidents as well as those of his children and grandchildren.

Resisting the urge to snoop, I quickly left the office to rejoin Lindsay and the other staffers. I met a lot of different people and from what she told me before the party, all the staffers hung out without regard to political identification. Their bosses should learn a thing or too from the hired help. We followed a group into a Kentucky Congressman's office, thinking that there was more food or something that would attract the small crowd. What I found was quite astonishing.

Feeling like I had somehow entered a parrallel universe, I walked into the office of the Congressman to find three staffers gathered around a plasma screen TV playing Wii. Yes, the video game system. Specifically they were playing Mario Kart. On Capitol Hill. In a Congressman's personal office. Words cannot quite describe how surreal it felt to witness this. So instead of observing, we all jumped it. How often can you say that you played Wii in a Congressman's office on Capitol Hill?

In case you ever find yourself wondering, "How does my Congressman spend his/her time in Washington" just picture three Capitol Hill staffers lounging on leather couches with Wii controllers in their hands.