Conservativism as I understand it is not essentially theoretical or ideological, but rather a practical matter of experience. It seeks to conserve the best elements of the past. It understands the important role that traditions, institutions, habits and authority have in our social life together, and recognizes many of our national institutions as products of principles developed over time by custom, the lessons of experience, and consensus. Conservatives are interested in pursuing policies that will better reinforce and encourage the best of our people's common culture, habits, and beliefs. Conservativism, too, is based on the belief that social order rests upon a moral base, and that what ties us together as a people is in constant need of support.
-- William J. Bennett

Depending on the definitions I am either a conservative or a moderate ... My official political affiliation is Republican, though I agree with the Libertarians on many issues. 

** Here are my positions on some major issues of today **

Fundamental Education Reform
 - Education is the single most important issue for human society, and always has been
 - more rigorous national standards for curriculum and student performance at all grade levels, 
   but the individual schools should have freedom in how they meet those requirements
   we should concentrate on quality primary education and not just drilling and testing
 - tougher requirements for elementary and secondary school teachers...
   higher standards in subject knowledge and teaching skills, with continuing education
   significant pay increases across the board, with merit-based raises
 - parental choice of schools, let competition push schools to reform and excel
 - greater funding for Pell Grants and student loans for higher education
Growth-Oriented Economic Policy
 - adoption of a truly fair and simple tax code...
   including a single-rate flat income tax and elimination of the capital gains and inheritance taxes 
 - discontinue outdated and counterproductive programs and subsidies
 - we must encourage personal freedom and success based on competition and merit
Welfare Reform
 - Welfare needs to be redesigned to meet its objective of bringing the poor to prosperity
 - insure acceptable levels of income by providing supplemental income to the working poor
 - provide education and training opportunities for those not currently employed
Social Security Reform
 - partial privatization of funds & affluence testing of recipients
Medicare Reform
 - Medicare should be reworked to fit its original intent, insurance for the poor
 - comprehensive medical coverage: doctor, hospital, and prescription drugs,
   but with affluence testing of recipients to insure only those that need it get it
 - establish tax deductions for private insurance premiums to lighten the burden on all working Americans
Campaign Finance Reform
 - increase the limit on hard money from $1,000 to $5,000 
   and require full disclosure of contributions and contributors for soft money 
 - serious campaign finance reform takes us closer to fairer and more competitive elections
   and reduces the need for other reforms such as term limits
Affirmative Action Reform
 - replace race-based programs with need-based initiatives, gives economically disadvantaged
   people the opportunity to excel regardless of racial or ethnic heritage
Serious Efforts in Criminal Justice
 - increased funding and improved training for law enforcement
 - serious minimum jail times for drug importers/traffickers and violent criminals
 - more consistent use of the death penalty for those convicted of the most grievous offenses 
 - establish comprehensive educational programs in all prisons, as well as 
   re-establishing work programs...reform requires discipline, education, and self-respect
 - legalization and regulation of marijuana, perhaps using a similar framework as alcohol
Logical Gun Control
 - consistent enforcement of current gun laws...fully prosecute offenders
 - practical safety regulations, such as requirements on manufacturers to include trigger locks
   and required background checks and gun safety & marksmanship courses for individuals to be licensed

An essential part of governing consists of standing for the right things, giving voice to the right sentiments, praising the right actions of others and condemning the wrong ones.
-- William J. Bennett

All virtue lies in individual action, in inward energy, in self-determination. There is no moral worth in being swept away by a crowd even toward the best objective. -- William Channing



Television is generally the medium from which I gain the majority of my 
political information. Most of the programs that I watch can be found on PBS, CNBC or C-SPAN.  
PBS and CNBC both provide several good commentary shows, while C-SPAN is a tremendously rich source of direct, uncensored coverage. 
...Some of my favorites are: 


  • The McLaughlin Group
    

  • Washington Week in Review 
    

  • HardBall w/Chris 
Matthews
    

  • Meet The 
Press w/Tim Russert
    


     Two very interesting magazines that offer a considerable amount of political coverage are  The Economist  and 
 National Review . 
    


    

    

    

    The more prohibitions you have,
    the less virtuous people will 
be.
    The more weapons you have,
    the less secure people will be.
    The more 
subsidies you have,
    the less self-reliant people will be.
    -- Tao Te 
Ching

    

    

    

     


    

    

    

    We in America need to bring prestige back to probably the most important 
sector of our economy, and definitely the most important segment of our society, 
the civic or volunteer community. Too many people think only of Government and 
Business when they consider problems and solutions. Practically a third of our 
economy is non-profit, and the services that they provide either cannot or will 
not be provided by any other source. 
    

     


     

    

    We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But 
if that drop was not in the ocean I think the ocean will be less because of that 
missing drop. 
    -- Mother Teresa 
    

    

    Here are some informative sites that might be of interest: 
    


    



    Here are links to the various Political Parties: 
    


    



    

    

    The supply side economists have delivered the largest genuinely free 
lunch that I have seen in 25 years in this business and I believe that we would 
have a better society if we followed their advice. 
    -- Nobel 
Prize-winning economist Robert E. Lucas 

    

    

    

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