Author: Fritz Pettyjohn

So the Obamacare debacle rolls along.  All kinds of bad things could be happening over the next three or four weeks, as the insurance policies purchased through the web site go into effect, or don’t.  The whole damn thing is such a mess, I’ve got to believe knowledgeable and politically savvy Democrats are hitting the bottle pretty hard these days.  I’m sure there are a lot of bright people trying to figure a way out of this mess.  Not Obama, though.  The Democrat’s Dear Leader is off to Hawaii with the fam, golfing and having fun on the beach for 17 days.

Now, to me, if I’m a Democrat, I’ve got to find this pretty offensive.  But for some reason (because he’s black?) Obama gets a pass.  I wonder how much longer that’s going to last.  The man was totally oblivious to the work involved in turning immensely complicated legislation into a social program.  It’s kind of a big deal.  This is his signature legislation, even though he had nothing to do with writing it.  It’s his ticket into the history books.  I don’t think it’s  because he’s lazy, though he is.  I think it’s because of his incredible ignorance about the real world.  He had nothing to say.  He had no idea what they were actually doing.  If he asked questions he was afraid they’d be stupid ones, which would expose his ignorance.  Better to inspire the work of others than to learn how to do it yourself.

The man has spent his life in an academic cocoon.  He knows nothing except what he reads in books.  He’s been thinking big thoughts for so long now, they’ve crowded out any real world experience.

So far, then, the scenario I envisioned two months ago is playing out.  A political crisis, or fundamental and deep political realignment, may be taking place.  If it is, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime to seize the moment, and do things, politically, that were previously unthinkable.  Like Article V passage of a series of Liberty Amendments, beginning with a balanced budget.  If the November wave is big enough, it could all really happen.

I, personally, am very happy to be involved in this.  I think I bring something to the table.

I’ve been in politics for 50 years, one way or another, and of all the people I’ve met, and got to know personally, the finest without doubt was Jay Hammond.  He was elected Governor in 1974, while I was studying for the bar exam.  I worked on his successful reelection in 1978.  You may have heard of the Alaska Permanent Fund.  It’s worth around $30 billion.  Every year, for the last 34 years, all Alaska residents, man, woman, and child, get a dividend check between $900 and $1500. 

One man, and one man alone, is responsible for that.  Jay Hammond.  It wasn’t easy.  When this started the Prudhoe Bay oil money was just starting to flow into Juneau, and the state legislature was licking its lips.  The Permanent Fund law took one fourth of the money off the table, and they fought like wildcats to hang on to that money.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but Hammond basically bludgeoned the legislature into passing the legislation.  He would not take no for an answer, and as a former legislator himself, he knew what he had to do and he did it.

That’s a legacy.  Why there’s not a big statue of Jay in Anchorage is beyond me.  Instead, they do things like name the Anchorage International Airport for the big hog, Ted Stevens.

The first thing I did in Alaska politics was piss off U.S. Senator Mike Gravel.  I was studying for the bar, but I had time to write a letter to the editor to the Times.  Gravel was running against a Bircher, C. R. Lewis, and was beating him up over it.  My letter said Lewis may be a Bircher, but, so what?  Is the Senate going to be run by Birchers?  Gravel, on the other hand, was a snake, and the Senate was full of them.

The second thing I did was piss off U. S. Senator Ted Stevens.  I was making good progress in politics.  Reagan was running against Ford for the nomination, and they had an  Anchorage office.  My law practice was a little slow, so I went in to volunteer, and they put me in charge of the district where I lived.  I made some cold calls, and got some Reagan people to show up at the Republican Party Precinct Caucuses.  We took it over, and then we took over the district.  I had the votes.

So we decided who the eight delegates to the Republican State Convention would be.  Me, of course, and all the people who had helped the most and wanted to go.  Ted Stevens personal secretary lived in the district, and she wanted to go.  Everybody knew who she was.  She and Ted were tight.  But she wasn’t for Reagan, so she couldn’t be a delegate.  I made her the fifth alternate.  Boy, was she pissed.

So she told Ted all about it, and he had a hard on for me ever since.  Which was fine.  He was an irritating little bastard.  We were preordained to be enemies 

I don’t take shit from anybody.  Ted didn’t like that.

Big break in Oregon.  I didn’t hear from Leader Ferrioli’s office for a couple days, and figured they were gun shy, afraid I was some kind of nut.  So I emailed Lars Larson, asking to appear on his show.  He emailed back, and it’s on.  His producer, Tony King, will get ahold of me next week to set it up.

Lars owns Oregon, and is syndicated nationally.  He’s ranked #28 in talk show hosts in the country, which is not to be scoffed at.  I have no doubt whatsoever that he and I will hit it off.  He calls Portland “Havana on the Willamette”.  Reminds me of me.

This is big not only for the effort in Oregon, but potentially for all over the country.  I want to meet him personally.  Some hosts don’t like in studio guests, some do.  If he’s up for it, I’ll either fly to Portland, or drive up the Oregon Coast with my wife, Babbie.  Her call. 

I’m hoping to go to Salem before the show to do a press conference with Leaders Ferrioli and McLane.  It would be around Feb. 3, the start of their session.  They would announce the introduction of Article V Resolutions in the House and Senate, describe why this is important not only for Oregon, but for this almost bankrupt country of ours as well.  They’ll call on the Speaker and Senate President to expedite action on these bills, and bring them to the floor for a vote.  Hell will freeze over before that happens, but that’s fine.  Republican legislative candidates all over Oregon will have an issue.  And that is, quite precisely, the mission of the Reagan Project.  Ferrioli and McLane haven’t yet bought in to this whole thing, and I’ll disappointed if they don’t.  I’ve offered to appear at the presser with them, to say how important the Oregon legislature is to this entire effort.  I’d lay it on a little thick.

I owe Larson.  I’m at his disposal.  Because I’m so familiar with the format, I know how to be a perfect guest.  Never miss any opportunity to make the host look good is rule one.  And you’re not giving a lecture, you’re entertaining an audience.  Humor helps a lot. And passion.  And if you interact with a caller, know how to handle it.  It takes a little touch.  Anyway, Lars is my ticket to similar shows around the country.  One reason I want to be in studio is to ask him if he knows John Carlson in Seattle, which, of course, he does.  Carlson ‘s almost as big in Washington as Lars is in Oregon.  I really want to get on Carlson’s show, and unless he and Lars have some kind of issue between them, an introduction from Lars will do the trick.  I’ll go on to ask if he knows Terry Meiners in Louisville.  That’s the show I’ve got to get on in Kentucky.  I’ve got four or five other hosts I can ask him about, in Minneapolis, Tulsa, Salt Lake, New Orleans, Phoenix, etc., if he wants to be helpful. 

Back to Oregon, and Lars.  If I can get him all jacked up about this, he can take some ownership of it, make it his baby.  And if it passes he can rightfully take some credit.  If he does buy in, I’ll team up with him, and Oregon will be ours.

A looming deadline is January 31, the last day to file for the Kentucky legislature.  We need to turn six seats in the House to make Minority Leader Jeff Hoover the new Speaker, replacing Greg Stumbo.  We already have the Senate.

I’ve called or emailed Hoover, the Kentucky Republican Chairman, and Terry Meiners, a popular radio talk show host on WHAS 840, Louisville.  Earlier I contacted Kentucky internet columnist John David Dyche, who says Hoover has a shot.  I hope to talk to Hoover on Monday. 

I’ve also tried to contact Rep. Mark Huffman, who I spent some time with at ALEC.  Mark is the Ohio legislative liaison with the Republican Governor’s Association.  I’m also trying to get Ohio Gov. Kasich’s office involved in getting through to the RGA.  Prior to ALEC, I tried to get through myself, unsuccessfully.

In 2012 the RGA spent $26 million on state legislative races.  If we can get them to commit some of that money to Kentucky, it might help Hoover in his efforts to recruit candidates.  He’s only got about six weeks to do it.  People need time to make a decision to run for the legislature.  It’s a big commitment.  They need to get their spouse on board.  I’m hoping the Obamacare Debacle is convincing people that 2014 will be a Republican wave, bigger than 2010.

The BBA Task Force will not be involved in Kentucky.  This is a job for the Reagan Project, over which IRS rules, or campaign finance laws, do not apply.  The Reagan Project is fully protected by the First Amendment.  The Supreme Court, liberal and conservative, has always been intolerant of any attempt to restrict an individual’s right of free speech.  And the Reagan Project enjoys that highest level of protection.

This could be important in Kentucky.  The guy we want to take out, Stumbo, is a former Attorney General of Kentucky, and a hard core bare knuckles Democrat.  He won’t go down easy.  He’ll use every weapon at his disposal, including bogus lawsuits claiming campaign finance law infractions.  He’s done it before, and I expect he’ll do it again.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the son of a bitch sued me.  I’m not worried about it. I’ll go pro se, knowing the First Amendment is my shield.

On a cc (conference call) with Scott, Dave and three Representatives from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Jim Stalzer, Manny Steele, and the senior spokesman, Hal Wick.  Hal had informed me, in an earlier 6:00 a.m. call, that he had come within two votes of getting elected Mayor of Sioux Falls recently.   Hal explained that the Tea Party had two wings in South Dakota, at either end.  Sioux Falls in the east and Rapid City (or Rapid) in the west.  We’ve got the east end covered since its leader is his brother in law.

We agreed to bring in the I Am American crew, around Jan.6th.  In my earlier call with Hal, I had agreed to spend the week of January 20th in South Dakota, doing talk radio in Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Yankton, 90 miles to its south.  I would drive from Sioux Falls to Pierre, lobby for a couple days, then drive to Rapid City.  I’ll need to a pay a $40 fee to be a lobbyist, which can be done online.

While in Pierre (population: 15,000) I hope to meet as many as possible of the 35 Senators and 70 Representatives.  The first night I will attend Hal’s ALEC reception for legislators, lobbyists, and guests.  The following night I will host a dinner for Hal, Manny, Jim, and whoever they invite.

We have supermajorities in both Houses, all the leadership is on board, (except for the House Majority Leader, who Hal believes will not be a problem).  Our opposition, the John Birch Society and Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum, doesn’t seem as well organized.  Last year we were defeated on the floor, apparently because of last minute lobbying by two elderly women lobbyists.  One of them is unwell, so I think we’re O. K. in South Dakota.