An estimated 125,000 new cars were purchased under the Cash for Clunkers program that would not have otherwise been purchased.The average difference in gas mileage between the clunker that was traded in and the new car was 2 mpg. The average driver drives 15,000 miles per year.If the clunker was getting 15 mpg, it would have taken 1,000 gallons to drive those miles. If the new car gets 17 mpg, the car would require only 882 gallons for a savings of 118 gallons per year. In five years the savi... Read Full Story

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com senior writer, Oct.29, 2009A total of 690,000 new vehicles were sold under the Cash for Clunkers program last summer, but only 125,000 of those were vehicles that would not have been sold anyway, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the automotive Web site Edmunds.com. (link)Comment: Can someone again tell me why this was a good idea? Read Full Story

Cash for clunkers could have hardly been a worse joke. Most often people traded their clunker for cars that only got a 1 to 3 MPG improvement over the clunker they traded in. A typical deal was trading a Ford 150 for a Ford 150s. In numerous cases people traded old cars for new cars that actually got less miles per gallon.Not only was Cash for Clunkers not that good for the environment it hurt poor people by reducing the number of "clunkers" in the used car inventory. Very low income people w... Read Full Story

Reagan Foundation and Library and Heritage Foundation to Offer Live Internet Stream of Entire Conference Commemorating 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, November 6, 2009WHAT: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library and The Heritage Foundation will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the advent of freedom and democracy in Eastern Europe with a one-day conference on Friday, November 6, 2009, at The Ronald Reagan Presidential... Read Full Story

The Senate version of the health care bill contains a provision that would require insurers to not discriminate against "religious and spiritual health care." The provision in the bill was designed to put Christian Science "prayer treatment" on the same footing as clinical medicine. While it may have been designed for Christian Science prayer treatment, can anyone doubt that the big televangelist will not tap this well? According the the article that reported this story, a Christian Science... Read Full Story

By JACKIE CALMES and CARL HULSE,The New York Times, October 31, 2009WASHINGTON — Faced with anxiety in financial markets about the huge federal deficit and the potential for it to become an electoral liability for Democrats, the White House and Congressional leaders are weighing options for narrowing the gap, including a bipartisan commission that could force tax increases and spending cuts. (link)CommentaryI am pleased that the Democrats are finally becoming concerned about the growing defic... Read Full Story

1st Tuesday is on 1st Monday but only for November!Location: Waller Lansden, 511 Union St, Floor 27, Nashville 1st Tuesday is a always a great event. Hear interesting speakers in a room with a view, have a nice meal for a reasonable price and network with other Republican. Park cheap at 511 Union or free or cheap in the public garage beneath the library, which is less than a block away. Anyone is welcome to attend. The meeting is exactly one hour long, so you can attend and not be gone from w... Read Full Story

Fantastic news! The liberal Republican in NY-23 has dropped out of the Special Election for Congress which sets up the likelihood of a great victory by Conservative Party candidate, Doug Hoffman. Read Full Story

By KleinheiderPosted on October 29, 2009 at 6:46 pm, Nashville PostOn Tuesday night, the Davidson County GOP moved against one of its more controversial party officials. Wednesday, the story broke. On Thursday, Republican bloggers reacted to the story — but not on their blogs. (link)Comment: Let this be a lesson. Don't post anything on a listserv that you do not want to see published in the newspaper. Actually there is nothing to be embarrassed about in these exchanges. Actually, I am surpris... Read Full Story

I attended the Davidson County Republican Party Executive Committee meeting Tuesday night and was present for the unpleasantness of the Party beginning the process of ousting the Vice Chairman, Matt Collins . I am not a member of the Executive committee and am still not sure how I would have voted if had I been. I don't criticize those who voted for the motion to begin the ouster process. I have great respect for our Chair Kathleen Starnes and I am sure she felt she had no choice but to pursu... Read Full Story