"You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream -- the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order - or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, 'The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits.'"

-Ronald Reagan, October 27, 1964

The above quotation came from Ronald Reagan's speech, "A Time For Choosing," which he delivered in October of 1964. Isn't it amazing how timely his words are forty-four years later?

This year's election cycle was all about change: "Change we can believe in." But what does that really mean? There is no question that voters are looking for change, but I wonder if perhaps they are truly seeking what used to be. I believe the people want to go back to the days when government did what it was designed to do: "form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

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I sent many of you an email early on Friday morning about my interest in running for state party chair. The response has been overwhelming. Hundreds have already written back and nearly everyone has been encouraging.

The Republican Party in Michigan is hurting. Since I took office in January of 2003, we have lost 20 House seats, three Senate seats, two Congressmen, a Supreme Court Chief Justice, and countless township and county officials. We failed to regain the governor's mansion in 2006 and we missed on US Senate seats in 2006 and 2008. We have consistently lost the debate in the battle of ideas.

It is time to make an evaluation of the situation and resolve to make some significant changes. There is no point in dwelling on personalities or looking back, what is important is that we right the ship before it sinks.

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It is an obvious understatement to say last night was an historic one for our country. But something remarkable happened for the Republican party in Michigan that many might have overlooked. For the first time in over 100 years, voters elected a black Republican to the House of Representatives.

Michigan, in fact, elected two black Republicans - Larry DeShazor and Paul Scott.

I heard one lady in Chicago's Grant Park last night say, "Now, blacks have shown they can do anything!" Indeed, but this truism is something the party of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. have believed for a long time.

Larry DeShazor and Paul Scott overcame the overwhelming wave of Democratic victories across the state by winning two races that one would have predicted as wins for the Democrats. This is no fluke. I know both Paul and Larry, and I can tell you they are bright and articulate future leaders for the party and our state.

History was made across this country; it was also made right here, in Michigan. I am confident that Larry and Paul will be more than just members of the caucus. They will bring the leadership skills our Republican caucus has sorely needed. As I leave the House caucus at the end of the year, I regret that I will not have the opportunity to serve with these two fine young leaders for our party.

Larry and Paul, my congratulations to you both for winning hard-fought primaries and general elections. You have been tested and you have proved your mettle. I look forward to you leading the way for this great party and for our state. I believe that you two will be keys to bringing our party back to prominence as the party of individual liberty and opportunity for all.

Michigan's senators want to create a federal program to help pay for the preservation of historic lighthouses.

U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow have introduced a bill to let states and nonprofit organizations apply for competitive grants to restore and maintain lighthouses.

The two Democrats say the pilot program would distribute $20 million a year for three years. Funds would be distributed based on the percentage of historic lighthouses in each state.
Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state.

The bill was introduced Wednesday and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.  Read more here.

We received the following letter, and thought you'd find it interesting.

Jack,

Big supporter - can't wait to see some debates.  I thought I would pass this thought along to you.

When Levin took office, Michigan was a boom state as was the whole Midwest. Since he has been supposedly taking care of us, we have seen the area from Gary, Indiana to the eastern side of Pennsylvania become known as the Rust Belt. In the same time period, I employed 11 people and had an average salary over that time period of $80,000. I now have a total of $18,000 reserve cash, about $100,000 in IRA, and have business and mortgage debt of around $900,000.

Now, Mr. Levin has wealth beyond my dreams, no debt that I know of, has a retirement fund in the millions, more cash than I have ever seen in one place, [and] lives in an incredible home in a fancy upper class neighborhood. All this and his average income over the same period is less than mine.
 
How can a supposed public servant do so drastically much better then I, a small business owner, who has had his financial security on the line the whole time? I stuck my neck out there to actually create jobs and to try and secure financial security for my family. I have to match all of my employees' Social Security, effectively making me pay 11 times the amount of a non-business owner. And, the feds have spent it.

I or my family will never see even a fraction of the money I have put into Social Security. I would have been better off putting it into a savings account. My business property pays $25,000 a year in property taxes. (I have yet to make anywhere near this on my property investment -- value down, rent income flat or not able to rent space etc). The government makes the money off of my investment.

I tell you it is all wrong, and the list goes on. I read that the state of Michigan owes the feds for unemployment money and that we business owners may be hit with their penalty charges, and the list goes on. I would love to be able to ask Levin questions in a public format.

I beg you for us out here, don't give him an inch. Call him on everything. We need some real support for us and our state in DC.

Thanks for being there.

[Name Withheld]