You Should Suffer with Christ?

He jests at scars that never felt a wound

 - William Shakespeare -

            One of the myths that even those who buy into it are totally dissatisfied, and mystified with is we should suffer like Christ. The main scripture that is endorsed for this concept is Romans 8:17 but to encompass the whole we must start from Romans 8:1 through 8:17.

Romans 8:1-17

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [heal or resurrect] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (KJV)

Now at first glance the words “we suffer with Him that we may be glorified together” sounds grim to say the least. But let’s take a look at a few truths to center our attention. It is important to point out that we have three types of suffering.

1.)   What we do to ourselves

2.)   What others do to us

3.)   The curse of sickness, poverty, death

  Number three was taken care of at the cross. Jesus died to defeat the works of the devil that include death, sickness, and poverty. It is written, “By His stripes we where healed” as written in Isaiah and later repeated again by Peter. And Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. [Prosper - to be successful or fortunate, esp. in financial respects; thrive; flourish. Archaic. To make successful or fortunate]. Romans 8 states if we steer clear of pursuing the flesh [the mind, will and emotions] as well as it’s appetites then the redemptive power that Jesus performed on the cross takes care of “the curse”. Sickness, disease, poverty and death are nullified. Now on the onset most do not believe this to be true hence they do not see any of the effects since many are living inside their own inner fence. That is where faith comes in as the major operative and another subject. But for the purpose of this text, structurally this is how God has set up system. Proverbs reminds us about our minds:

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: (KJV)

Matthew 12:34

 ...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (KJV)

Proverbs 4:23

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues [boundaries - fences] of life. (KJV)

   

However we think things are, so they are for us. We create our own fences.

Number two is taken care of in that it is known that others will mock you, kill you, hate you or disrespect you on what you believe about God and more important Jesus. An example would be 2 Timothy 3:11 as follows:

2 Timothy 3:11

Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. (KJV)

Contrasted by 

Matthew 13:21

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (KJV)

In 2 Timothy 3:11  we see these are problems that come from outside ones self [uncontrolled]. In Matthew 13:21 we see the problem is from the inside [controlled]. Now a popular concept is Christians are to learn to rejoice and give thanks for tribulations, because God uses suffering to produce patience in us or teaches a lesson to us. Well yes, and no. The use of wording like “God uses suffering” is a lie. We can use suffering to teach ourselves but God does not use suffering to teach us. Suffering is already embedded in the system of obedience whither you learn something or not. The more you obey God the less suffering you need to endure. Doing the Word is the umbrella. Suffering is the rain. Walk out from under the umbrella and the rain will fall on you - without fail. The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. Our perception is that God uses the rain to keep us under the umbrella when God wants us under His umbrella rain or shine. All suffering is man-made by omission or commission. If suffering was such a great tool, why does everyone want it to stop as soon as possible? If sickness teaches us then why don’t we just get on with it instead of running to the doctor or the medicine cabinet?

We can’t suffer “with” Jesus since He is not suffering currently. And since He suffered for us it seems a bit redundant that we still need to suffer regardless of all He did for us so we did not have to. So as far as suffering from outside causes we are instructed to forgive those who know not what they are doing. Forgiveness is paramount. Loving those who are loveless is key. Blessing those who abuse, persecute, and use us. Why? In doing those things we open the windows of heaven to us, and God is able to intervene on our behalf. Now I’m not talking about being a martyr.  Martyrs, like Paul, know they are set up to be just that and operate willingly on a different set of purposes and anointing. They are the exception not the rule. The death of a martyr is planted so others can have life. So unless you are called to be a martyr you are called to have life more abundant. So number two is covered as far as those “sufferings” are concerned. What is done to us is circumvented by love and faith in God to deliver you out of the pot of boiling oil, fiery furnace, the den of lions, or the land of giants.

The first issue is the main culprit here. And that is what we do to ourselves. Since the Kingdom is a system there are those who operate within the system and have success and those who work outside the system and have complete or intermittent failure. Some failures can be unto death. God does not use suffering and death to teach us. Beside the fact there are no more lessons after death. In fact most suffering is not enough to teach those who go through it. Many times it goes around and around and the suffering is never ending. For some reason people don’t understand why God let’s them suffer even though they don’t want to change to His way of doings things. It is the spiritual mystery of our time. Let the following rest upon your spirit:

Proverbs 26:2

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. [ every - curse has a cause] (KJV)

 If we don’t take heed to God’s Kingdom principles then number three, the curse, is allowed to operate since we are out from under the umbrella. Being a magnet for trials, tribulations, death, and suffering is what Jesus went to the cross for. Christians have the opportunity to escape the lion. Satan goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour. There is a standard of criteria as to what he can and can’t do. But when that criterion is met predictable results will occur. Can you learn a lesson? Sure if you go through the process you should have already gone through to avoid the problem in the first place. Bad things can happen to good people for at least three reasons if they are Christian. One is that they don’t do the things they know they should or they do things they know they shouldn’t. Two is they don’t know what is right or wrong on critical spiritual subjects because they don’t study scripture or lack proper teaching. The third reason is the inclusion of all the above reasons with the addition of a shallow prayer life.

Ecclesiastes 10:8

... who so breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. (KJV)

For instance, lets look at an example involving finance. Many Christians ask God for money or help in paying bills or emergency financial needs and that is well and fine. But many are disappointed when little or nothing happens in relief. Yet the scriptural side concerning finances is in many many cases ignored. We are showed scripturaly not borrow (Deuteronomy 15:6) for if you do, you end up a servant to that lender. (Proverbs 22:7) And if you’re a servant to the lender then you are not a servant to God because a man can’t serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24). So now when or if you pray for finances God has to go through everything you have set up that is contrary to Him that caused the wall to be compromised and the serpent allowed in. That contrary separation of thought and deed toward God is called iniquity [a violation of right or duty]. In addition, if you don’t believe in tithing, giving or prosperity, you are going to hit a glass ceiling pretty fast on that need. But it is not uncommon for people to blame God regardless for leaving them in the lurch so to speak.

So the point here is to illustrate issue number one of three that how we think has more to do with our issues than anything. As a man thinks - so is he. The most common denominator in all of our issues is us. It is only by the renewing of our mind can we utilize the blessings in our life and recognize the system embedded in the Kingdom of Heaven that is upon us now. When all provision is located in the Kingdom then it is paramount to identify, know, and follow the Kingdom principles.

The suffering the scripture is talking about in Romans is the spiritual discomfort brought on by the renewing of the mind or flesh. In that renewal we are expected to resist pressure that Satan doles out to us to make us do the things we don’t want to do, and not do things we should. It is not a physical or mental suffering. Jesus died for that. If you still feel obligated to suffer, try to depend on God exclusively to meet your needs for real and not man. Most people can’t stand under that kind of pressure at all. Paul tells us flat out what suffering with Christ means.

Romans 12:1,2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)

 You could even read this backward for extra punch. [To prove what is good and acceptable to the Lord, you have to renew your mind in order not to conform to this world. And this would be acceptable as a living sacrifice.] In short being a living sacrifice is not conforming to the world and being transformed in how you think about almost everything. And in this process you are able to prove [to give demonstration of by action] what is good, perfect and in God’s will for you. Everything inside will say get a loan, buy some smokes, watch that R rated movie, sleep with that girl or boy you just met, don’t pray over your food in public, don’t mention Jesus, Don’t give your money to that person, I can’t pray just fifteen minutes a day. These are the real sufferings people need to engage. If these sufferings where taken more serious the physical and mental sufferings would be less frequent and eventually diminish.

Our struggle isn't against flesh and blood. We spiritually stand against our own principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and wicked spirits in high places (Ephesians 6:12). The object of Satan is to actually put us under the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

Hopefully, as we go through these conversions in our mind the more we start to trust God. If we trust [steadfastness] in His Word our spirit will be strengthened. And in being strengthened we will be perfect [mature] and entire, lacking nothing. This is the joy of temptations and pressures. It means with every conquest we gain the position to move closer to maturity. Very few people learn lessons through sickness, disease, poverty, and death. In out hearts we know that to be true and the religious “suffer like Christ” has little or no comfort.

Beloved, I wish above all things that you will prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind. We have the mind of Christ. It is up to us to be renewed to that fact. We have the power to change. People struggle with quitting smoking but that does not mean they can’t quit. The struggle is the smoke screen to your destiny. You are pre-ordained to be a winner. You may walk through the shadow of death but remember that the shadow of a dog never bit anyone.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

The most powerful reason, I believe, are the misnomers found in the Christian belief system. The first being that the word “good” as most people use it, is a relative term, not the Biblical definition. It is an arbitrary word. Values assessed as being “good” have no absolute foundation and are subject to culture, attitude, desire, willfulness, economic class, ego and self-centeredness. In general, everyone knows in his or her own heart, the difference between good and evil. What people disagree with is, how much evil is acceptable.

A related question is “why does God “allow” bad things to happen to good people”? The short answer is, He doesn’t. When wax is set in the sun it melts away. Is it the fault of the sun? Are we asking why does God allow wax to melt in the sun? Or should we be asking why would wax be placed in the sun if we have been told it will melt? God can “use” bad things to help us learn to avoid bad things in the future but He doesn’t initiate bad things to teach us.

If God punishes man directly because of sin, what about all the suffering of the innocents, children as well as adults? These questions, traditional apologetics fail to answer. The usual explanation is that God is responsible for everything and we have no responsibility to know or do anything. And on top of that you never know what God is going to do.  After all God is an enigma, inside a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery. All of which is the most reasonable and powerful argument against becoming a Christian. You can’t rationalize the irrational.

What is missing is the understanding that, while God is sovereign, He created rules, ordinances, statutes, and covenants that placed Him in a restrictive posture to give us freedom of choice and dominion. Thus, placing Him in a position of not being able to do certain things, even though— technically He could.

By creating a self-imposed limitation, God made the rules regarding spiritual success the same for every man.  Likewise, the same laws, ignored, produce failure for every man. In this sense, we are all created equal. Failure to read, follow and understand Biblical objectives, produces the same lack of success as it would in any human endeavor. Whether it be flying an airplane, becoming a doctor, or practicing law. At some point a person must learn what to do, when to do and why to do.

There are reasons, forgotten, never learned or taken seriously why bad things happen to good people. In scripture there are warnings that illustrate the problem and strip away the mystery. There are no less than twelve scriptures that show an illustration of a position of peril or power. The first is Proverbs 26:2. The curse without a cause or a reason does manifest. We ultimately decide what happens.

1 John 2:14
...because ye are strong, and the word of God [lives] in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. (KJV)

Ecclesiastes 8:5
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. (KJV)

1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (KJV)

Ephesians 4:27,29
Neither give place to the devil.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (KJV)

1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (KJV)

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (KJV)

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (KJV)

Psalm 34:6-7
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (KJV)

Proverbs 1:33
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. (KJV)

2 Timothy 2:24-26
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure [perhaps] will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (KJV)

Proverbs 5:10-13
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me. (KJV)


By deconstructing the above we can see how bad things could happen. If we are in constant violation of one or more of the safeguards given to us, then it would seem more unreasonable if nothing bad ever happened to us. Stand against, resist, and give no place to the devil. There are three clues as to why we may get negative results if we haven’t heeded the scriptures. We have evidence that what we do, or don’t do, is directly related to what we get, or don’t get.  And what we get is our responsibility. A list of things we should be aware of in the end, becomes a list of possible reasons why bad things happen to good people. God has set a plan in motion consisting of blessing, curses, life, death, riches, poverty, sickness, and health. We must make choices.

The Beast From the Earth

The events described in the Bible are more eerily faithful than all the predictions made by Michel de Nostredame or his ilk. Another case in point is 666.


Revelation 13:17-18
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (KJV)

The UPC code is another sign to make you wonder. The first, middle and end bar of every number is always 6. Invented by George J. Laurer in 1973, the code that we see on all the products we buy, is based on the article classification of 666. When asked about this strange coincidence Mr. Laurer responded with, “Yes, they do “resemble” the code for a six. An even parity 6 is: 1 module wide black bar, 1 module wide white space, 1 module wide black bar, 4 module wide white space. There is nothing sinister about this nor does it have anything to do with the Bible's “mark of the beast” It is simply a coincidence like the fact that my first, middle, and last name all have 6 letters.” That’s comforting He also responded with “As of November 2000, I will no longer respond to questions concerning this subject.”


This can be read at his website; www.laurerupc.com in the FAQS and Questions link.

As of 2002 the FDA had approved the RFID chip that is used in animals and can now be used in humans. The chip silently stores data of the individual similar to the UPC code. Another startling movement related to this is the pressure being put on Amish farmers in Michigan who are being told by the Government they must have the RFID tag put in all their animals for sale [to track possible mad cow disease]. One of the Amish farmers said about the issue, “They're asking me to use this [UPC] number to be allowed to buy and sell”.


The chip pictured above is made of a special plastic that covers a hermeticly sealed glass capsule with RFID circuitry. The plastic is designed to bond with human tissue and prevent the capsule from moving once implanted. It has coils for an antenna and an ID Chip that modulates the amplitude of the current going through the antenna to continuously repeat a 128 -bit signal.

The Star Called Wormwood

Cherbobyl Victims - Photo by Gerd Ludwig

The Third Trumpet:
Revelation seems to be moving on with it's agenda with very strange thought provoking signs. One is the burning and meltdown of Chernobyl nuclear plant. Surrounding the facility are scores of Wormwood plants and hence the facility was called Wormwood or in Russian - Chernobyl.

Revelation 8:10-11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. (KJV)

Our  sun of course is a star and it burns by  a nuclear fusion process in which hydrogen is converted into helium. On April 26, 1986 50 tons of nuclear fuel and 800 tons of reactor graphite formed a pit the size of a volcanic crater. Vast agricultural bodies of water have been poisoned with radioactive fallout. To date 8000 people have died and 2 million have suffered in some way as the result of the Wormwood explosion.

Today, the exclusion zone remains almost entirely empty of human life. The fruit orchards are heavy with unpicked, radioactive fruit that is left rotting on the branches. Picket fences are slowly succumbing to molecular decay  and collapsing. Vegetation is taking over the streets. The city of Prypiat - once a bustling Soviet city - is now an image of absolute decay, its wide boulevards empty but for the wind and the occasional wild boar or feral dog. The majority of those temporarily living in Chernobyl are forestry workers. Should the forests around Chernobyl catch fire, a new radioactive cloud would be set free.

Blood of the Gulf

The Second Trumpet:

The BP Gulf of Mexico oil crisis of 2010 has been the focus of Revelation lately as well as the Shell oil spill in Rukpoku, Nigeria. Conservative estimates of how much oil is being leaked into the Gulf is five thousand barrels a day more reasonable estimates are hovering around seventy thousand. The impact is greater than one can imagine given the state of the oceans before the leak.

Revelation 8:8-9

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. (KJV)

We have a great mountain or oil rig the size of a small town that explodes killing 14 people. Oil starts to leak and is continuing to leak at this writing after 83 days. The oil is carbon and black as oil should be but now with aerial shots it seems to be a coagulated red color as like blood. The red is from the dreaded red algae found in red tides. The red algae live off of the hydrocarbons in the oil. Hydrocarbons are plentiful from the oil and they're the thing to worry about in this situation. They kill everything including humans if ingested. The planes are spraying chemicals also to help break down this blood like goop but with dire affects to marine life contributing to the demise of the creatures of the sea.

The New York Times July 14, 2010:

Studies show that dispersants, which break down oil into tiny droplets and can also break down cell membranes, make oil more toxic for some animals. And the solvents they contain can break down red blood cells, causing hemorrhaging. A fresh dolphin carcass found in the Gulf was bleeding from the mouth and blowhole, according to Lori Deangelis, a dolphin tour operator in Perdido Bay. “Reports of dolphins dying painful, bloody deaths as a result of the Gulf oil spill can be particularly disturbing to residents of Tampa Bay, Florida.

Prior to the oil spill you could count on the next two issues to contribute to a one third oceanic die off.

Ocean Conservation Science 2008:

Mapping and modeling approaches developed by the Sea Around Us Project revealed that approximately one-third of globally produced and atmospherically-transported dioxins are annually deposited directly into marine environments. Forage fish exposure to these harmful carcinogens consequently poses health risks to animals and humans that consume small ocean-dwelling (pelagic) fish either directly or through fish meal and fish oil.

Annual Review of Environment and Resources:

One-third of the world's marine fish catches are ground up and fed to farm-raised fish, pigs, and poultry. The researchers involved say that this squandering of "forage fish" (anchovies, sardines, menhaden, and other small- to medium-sized fish) is rapidly worsening the already serious over fishing crisis in our oceans.

The bottom line can be summarized to how much more can the seas take before they collapse? The Gulf oil spill may be the answer.

Philippe Cousteau May 30th 2010 on Bill Maher:

That’s the question. That’s the issue Bill. You know the Florida Keys, third longest barrier reef in the world is a dead zone. 90% of the big fish, the tuna, the sharks and everything are already gone in the ocean. There’s a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico every summer [without an oil spill] the size of New Jersey where there’s not enough oxygen for things to live. So it’s not a question of can the oceans take any more.

''The threat of environmental crisis will be the international disaster key that will unlock the New World Order'' - Mikhail Gorbachev -

A video of Insanity in biblical proportions!

The Media Black Out part 1

The Media Black Out part 2

Scissor Paper Stone

A lot of milk has been spilled over the last year as to our current Presidents policies toward changing in it’s entirety the face of our nation. It has not been as stealth like as one would imagine in taking over the moral, economical, and judicial building blocks of a nation. But we have made our bed, and now we lay ourselves down to sleep.

The Republican Party at best is responsible for cutting it’s own nose. Fiscal Conservatism has not been our friend. Wall street corruption has been rampant long enough. Yet many conservatives have yet seen the forest through the trees.

One of President Bush’s buddies Ken Lay [Enron] was responsible for bilking millions from thousands of people in stock, retirement and jobs. Eight years of green lighting Wall Street go about it’s business. Even Alan Greenspan had to admit he was wrong in putting the country in the direction it was going in before a Senate committee. But Clinton also had Mr. Greenspan and was running the Internet bubble till it popped months before Bush took office.

Republicans still have not understood there is a revolution going on in it’s own party. The same issues that made them loose the last election and run the country into bankruptcy for eight years prior hinders them from seeing that conservatives are no longer in the tent pissing out but are now outside the tent pissing in.

The movement to replace the old guard with the likes of Sarah Palin or Mike Huckabee scares the teeth of the party. They still want the old faithfully RHINO like Mitt Romney and the Free and Strong PAC [yawn…] to head the party to battle fiscal truth toward the current administration in 2012. If he is such a fiscal wizard why did he concede to Mike Huckabee after spending 45 million of his own money in the primary and Huckabee spent 4 million generated from a grass roots movement to defeat him?

Republicans are telling everyone that a third party will not be elected and that conservatives need to pal up with republicans. If conservatives go rouge the Republican Party may be the third party. The optimist knows this is true and the pessimist fears he may be correct.

The Blaming of Palin

Why blame Palin?
The election is now history and the Republican base has earned it’s place in history as well. We have got everything we asked for. So now comes the blaming of Sarah.
As I voted for McCain I realized that I voted for a party not of conviction or desire for the candidate. I did however vote for Palin. The reason to vote at all was one out of scripture to take a stand on a platform regardless of outcomes out of my control. I didn’t vote for fiscal gain or welfare. My welfare and fiscal blessing comes from above, not from Washington. If Washington could control the economics no president would have it fly south on his or her watch. The Clinton prosperity years came form an Internet boom of new technology and commerce not from his presidency. Unless you believe that Gore invented the internet. The Internet boom also collapsed on the Clinton watch. Bush inherited that.
Regardless, The Republican base as well as the Christian conservative base has dropped the ball big time. Christian conservatives and there leaders voted for most candidates they have no business being associated with during the primaries. We finally settled for a "maverick”. All well and fine except he was not a true Republican and we all knew it eyes wide open. Working with Kennedy and Dianne Feinstein on a bill that for all intent screwed him as far as campaign funds were concerned, and with Joe Lieberman at his constant side during the election. Working working accross the isle is one thing, but not at the expense of the party. Reagan knew this well. No mistake Lieberman is a good ex-pat Democrat but an Independent at best, not a Republican. In fact McCain would have been sunk way back in time if Palin was not shored up beside him to give the Obama camp the shivers. She was the only Republican running. Most of the languid Christian base decided they would support her. They could not muster supporting McCain. Now the McCain camp is trying to blame her. Insane…
Former Maryland Lt. Gov. and GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele said Republicans need to get back to the basics and focus on the issues that made them popular during the Reagan years. "I think Reagan spoke very clearly to that which is why he was able to make conservatism cool. It was a cool thing to be a conservative and I think that is something we kind of lost sight of. We loaded it up with all kinds of things that probably weighed us down, and people didn't want to carry as baggage," he said. "No one wants to be judged by a political party."
Steele said Palin, former White House budget chief Rob Portman, 52, and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, 48, will help the party move forward.
Palin demurred when asked if she will be up next in 2012, saying it was too far off to start thinking about it and that she is just "anxious" to get back to the job of Alaska's governor.