In high school, when I first became interested in politics, I started a folder I aptly titled, “The C-Files” (C for Conservative) where I collected articles that I found of interest. I’ve been home this past weekend, and in the midst of looking for something, anything, to look at around my old room to distract me from late-night studying for finals, I stumbled upon the old C-Files. In it is a document entitled, “The 10 Cannots.” I don’t know who originally wrote them, and I can’t recall from where I found this. But it is a great, boiled-down, simple explanation of the views of fiscal conservatives. So here they are, the 10 Cannots:

1. You cannot bring prosperity by discouraging thrift.
2. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
3. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
5. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
6. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
7. You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.
8. You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
9. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
10. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

Enjoy. I’ll add more interesting stuff from the Files when I find something worthy of posting.

My father, at least. He recently wrote the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in response to a blatantly biased article on the front page of the paper that stated as fact that Cynthia McKinney was “not afraid to speak the truth.” This produced a short, simple, yet all-too-true letter:

Politicians have earned contempt

I wish the AJC was a little more objective. I am so tired of always getting a biased opinion (”not afraid to tell the truth”). I do not like politicians, Democrat or Republican.

But I am really tired of the ones who are breaking the law, lying, taking bribes, committing adultery, making a living off hard-working Americans and always blaming someone else.

If I had done what McKinney did, I would have been arrested. Period.

Clean house of all politicians after they serve two terms. After that, it is all about power for them, not those they represent.

LANGLEY PERRY, Atlanta

Hear, hear! Thanks, Dad.

UPDATE: Does this situation have a name yet? Like the Cynthia McKinney Affair? Or how about McKinneyGate?

Is the tide turning for the GOP in Washington? Are they finally going to limit spending and do away with earmarks? Well who knows, but a small victory was won last week that shows the National GOP may be waking up and changing their spend thrift ways.

Though obscured by the complexities of legislation, reformers trying to rein in congressional spending excesses scored signal victories in the House and Senate in the same hour late Thursday afternoon.

In the process, chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees suffered humiliating defeats. In the House, Chairman Jerry Lewis bowed to Republican leaders to reform runaway earmark spending. In the Senate, Chairman Thad Cochran lost an effort to stop Sen. Tom Coburn’s crusade against earmarks.

House Appropriations Chairmen Jerry Lewis (CA) was pimped-slapped by the leadership and forced to capitulate on earmarks. Before the Easter recess Lewis forced the cancellation of the budget consideration because he refused to allow restrictions on earmarking by appropriators. After the break Speaker Hastert and Majority leader Boehner held firm and Lewis capitulated limiting the earmarking of bills by Appropriation members.

In the Senate, the conservative champion, Tom Coburn (OK), is making considerable headway in curbing spending.

On Wednesday, Coburn offered an amendment to eliminate 19 earmarks from the emergency appropriations bill and came just shy of defeating a $700 million railroad relocation in Mississippi.

On Thursday, Coburn proposed to eliminate $15 million for “seafood promotion strategy.” McCain told the Senate: “Let me save the American taxpayers $125 million right now by telling all Americans now to eat seafood. Eat seafood. It is good for you.” When Coburn rejected Cochran’s call for a voice vote, the normally calm Appropriations chairman in a fury made a non-debatable tabling motion to kill Coburn’s proposal. The astounding outcome was a 51 to 44 bipartisan victory for Coburn and McCain, following years of failure in such initiatives.

After the vote, Coburn could be seen on the floor animatedly lecturing a silent Cochran. It can be guessed he was promising to hold the Senate’s feet to the fire on one earmark after another. Coburn this coming week will propose removing from the bill $500 million to be paid Northrop Grumman for lost income caused by Hurricane Katrina. The outcome will indicate whether last Thursday’s events on Capitol Hill truly point to new congressional concern about using taxpayer money.

It is safe to say that the threat of an embarrassing defeat in November is what is driving this turnaround. Will it be enough? Only time will tell.