Many moons since last blog...

It's been a draining week for TAND.

I ran the Slate for the Tom Emmer team here in SD42 at our local convention today....we won 33/35 state delegate spots for Tom.  

Spirits were upbeat.   It was great to meet so many wonderful new delegates.  We have a lot of diversity going on in the local GOP!  Many ages and backgrounds were represented.  We even have a very cool state-wide organizer for the Minnesota Tea Party as a delegate.  (In a preppy plaid shirt and a wife in hip eyeglasses, I noted that they didn't look much like "extremists.")

We were all there for the same reason: we want the country back.  We want smaller government, we want the government to stop spending us into oblivion, we want to find leaders who will fight for us and the cause of conservatism.  We don't buy the argument that we must appeal to independents by toning down the boldness and truth to our message.  We all know that our party bears responsibility for where we are today because we didn't give America any true choice in 2008.  We gave them John McCain and they gave us Barack Obama.

It was fantastic to hear local politicians use the "C" word again and again and again.  They seem to be listening, they seem to hear us.  If today's local convention is indicative of what's going on all over the country, then I'd say we're in good shape.  All these little conventions, all these small meetings of Republicans.....We're turning the wheel of an enormous ship and it's starting to go in the right direction.

The most exciting part about today was seeing a little bit of the impact of the Scott Brown Victory right here in Eden Praire.  You see, we had THREE people decide that they're interested in running against Representative Maria Ruud.  Two of them just got up and spoke from the floor.  I literally jumped out of my seat cheering, as did others!   Yes, it's true DFL, your local liberal legislator may have some competition.  I know what you think (because I know how you think,) that the friendly Ruud is unbeatable.  I'll admit, it would take a tremendous amount of work to unseat her and the SD42 GOP simply hasn't done the work.....we've handed that seat to you.

Let TAND do some more candidate research and get back to you, but methinks the Princess of the Public Unions had better watch out. 

I'm taking a much-needed vacation, (no kids- thanks to our inlaws and great friends for taking on 4 kids 5 and under!) While on vacation I hope to get some thoughts together about what's happening on the national scene...I missed the entire "Health care summit!"  I know I have a lot to catch up on here in EP too.  I'm also in the beginning stages of a very interesting state-wide taxpayer investigation....I mean, why wait for the state's major newspapers to actually do some investigative journalism, right?  Let a stay-at-home mom do your work for you.

When you're a passionate political junkie, vacation means having the time to read a great biography or leisurely reading an entire real paper newspaper, and watching the Fox News panel without kids screaming in the background.  It also means talking about the issues with my favorite conservative...my husband.

I wish the best to the local DFL at their Convention next weekend.  I know how much work they are and hope they have a good one. 

Peace Out-

Sheila