Friends, supporters, and fellow patriots;

February 17th, 2012 was the third anniversary of Barack Obama's $1.2 trillion "stimulus" bill. To say the effort has been a disaster for Americans is massive understatement. It was not just unsuccessful in jump-starting the economy, it has been an abject failure in every sense of the word.

Take a moment to check out our latest video "This Is The Economy On Stimulus " video here.

To better educate and illustrate the damage this bungled scheme has caused our nation, we've launched a new initiative, called; Sick of Stimulus to point out these failures at www.sickofstimulus.com.

We need solutions and not more rhetoric coming from Washington. The first step to bring this about is to sign the pledge and say "We the people are Sick of Stimulus!" 

You can also show that you are Sick of Stimulus by donating today!

If you'll remember, President Obama promised the stimulus would "save or create 3.5 million jobs," yet since the stimulus was passed, we've lost 1.1 million jobs, poverty and food stamp usage has reached an all-time high, the percentage of Americans even trying to find work is at a 30-year low, and the debt has increased by nearly $5 trillion.

And amazingly, even though Barack Obama's "Stimulus" efforts are a total fiasco, the White House and their colleagues in Congress want to spend even more of your hard earned tax dollars for more of the same!!

We must fight this outrageous agagenda which is sending our country's fiscal house off a cliff. But we can't do it alone -so be sure to sign the pledge and visit www.sickofstimulus.com often to see future videos.. 

I happen to believe we can win this folks! I am Sick of Stimulus!  Will you pledge the same?


Sincerely,

Herman Cain

Foolish Ways to Lose an Election

While GOP candidates and party faithful focus on who can best beat President Obama in November, Craig Copland is rallying conservatives to take over the country - one dog catcher at a time.

"In November 2012 we can take back the White House, majority control of the Senate, more governors' offices, scores of state legislative seats, and countless local level offices," says Copland, author of the just released 2012 Conservative Election Handbook (www.conservawiki.com), a guide to winning campaigns at any level.

"It doesn't start with the office of president," he says. "That's where it ends."

Citizens who want to see conservative governance and policies throughout the fabric of the United States can make it happen by running for local office or volunteering campaign help for conservative candidates, Copland says.

"There are 600,000-plus elected offices in this country," he says. "If America is to remain a beacon of freedom and prosperity, then conservatives need to be elected as county clerks, judges, water commissioners, mayors, school board trustees, state legislators, and every other rank of public office in the country."

His new guide, researched and written with insights gleaned from his years of managing political and non-profit campaigns, lays out clear instructions for both political veterans and newbies, stepping up to do their part for the conservative cause.

Among them: Some foolish ways to lose an election.

• Sex: Voters will forgive divorce; they won't forgive active adultery. Don't get carried away by the headiness and pressures of the campaign trail and screw up.

• Lies: Do not lie. Not about anything. You will always be found out. Your credibility will be attacked. You will lose.

• Videotape: Once you become a public figure, everything you say will be on the public record - somewhere. If not on videotape, then audiotape, in print, or in a notebook. Emails, Facebook posts and tweets live forever. So be consistent, think before you speak, and don't let your guard down. It will reappear at the worst possible time.

• Do NOT Break the rules: Every election, every state, every district and every campaign will be faced with a staggering list of rules. Learn them. Follow them. Bring accountants and lawyers on board who are experienced with the rules. If you are caught breaking even one, it could derail your campaign.

• Avoid conflicts of interest: Never let yourself be caught supporting a political action in which you have an obvious interest. Voters will respect a candidate who believes in something because it's the right thing. But if you appear to be lining your pockets, it's game over.

• Do NOT fight losing battles: Don't waste a nickel or a minute trying to appeal to the group trying to repeal marijuana laws - they'll never vote for you. And you're not going to win a precinct that voted 90 percent liberal in the last election. Focus your time and money where you can make a difference in the vote.

Raising money, of course, is a big part of winning a campaign, but it doesn't take a lot to win a less dazzling local office. It's a good place to learn the ropes of fundraising and get some practice running a campaign without a lot of pressure, he says. And there's value in winning even the most down-ballot office.

"If conservatives set out to win every elected post in the country, all 600,000-plus of them, then America will be a truly conservative country," he says, "from dogcatcher to president."

About Craig Copland

Craig Copland is a retired entrepreneur with a long history as a volunteer and professional consultant with expertise in fundraising and managing political campaigns. He spent many years as an executive and CEO of international humanitarian aid agencies, helping establish and run disaster response programs for children in Africa, Bosnia, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, among other locations. As founder and president of Conservative Growth Inc., he helps elect conservatives to all levels of public office.

EAST PEORIA, IL (02/29/2012)(readMedia)-- Illinois Central College, East Peoria, released the names of students who earned academic honors during the Fall 2011 semester. The following local students received the honor:

Anthony Douglas Brodt, Jr., of Silvis, IL -- President's List

The honor is based on a 4.0 grading scale. Students who earned a perfect 4.0 were named to the President's List, and students who earned a 3.5 to 3.99 were named to the Dean's List.

The National Financial Capability Challenge runs from March 12 to April 13, 2012

DES MOINES, IA (02/29/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald is getting the word out about a new program that will boost the financial literacy of Iowa's high school students. The State Treasurer's Office is partnering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Education to introduce the National Financial Capability Challenge, a program that focuses on helping students increase their financial knowledge. The Challenge, which runs from March 12 through April 13, is a free, voluntary online series of financial questions for high school students to check their knowledge of earning, spending, saving, borrowing, risk protection and more.

"Financial literacy has always been one of my office's most important initiatives, so I'm glad we were given the opportunity to help implement this program," said Fitzgerald. "The Challenge is a great opportunity for participating Iowa high schools. The test and the toolkit used to prepare for it are found online, making it easy to use, and the Challenge itself is quick - it only takes 30 minutes to take. Even though it doesn't take much time to participate in the program, the lessons students learn from it will last them a lifetime. I encourage all high schools to take advantage of this opportunity."

Educators don't need to be math or personal finance teachers to register their students to participate. To register, educators should visit www.challenge.treas.gov. After signing up, they are encouraged to help spread the word about the Challenge by using the tools provided through the website. After the program concludes, educators and top-scoring students in each school will earn personalized award certificates, and states with the highest participation will also be recognized.

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