That’s Right Nate

Rather than looking back on the year that was like every other unimaginative twit with a blog who can string together a series of sentences on a computer keyboard, I thought that I would celebrate the coming of 2010 with my list of New Year’s Resolutions.   2009 sucked.   Let’s just get that out there now.  It sucked and it sucked bad.   The economy was terrible, I failed to meet the 20-28 year old attractive conservative woman of my dreams yet again, and last week the Republic was taken over by a socialist congress.  We ended the year with a potential terrorist attack.   Could you imagine the uproar if somebody tried to blow up a plane with their underwear on Bush’s watch?  Part of me really wants to crack down on airport security.  Unfortunately, the strict Constitutionalist in me knows that the Constitution says nothing about airports.  With all that out of the way, here are my resolutions:

1. I will spell check all protest signs I make before tea parties
2. I will stop printing out Sarah Palin tweets and face book postings in a hopeless attempt to learn to find her hidden meanings.
3. I will stop lusting in my heart after anybody named Cheney.
4. After seeing what happened to Rush Limbaugh yesterday, I will lose a pound this year.
5. I will find at least one Obama proposal that I will abstain from criticizing.
6. I will update my Education Blog more often because education is too important to neglect.
7. I will quit calling 911 just because the operator has a sexy voice
8. I will spend at least one night as Karl Rove’s wingman now that he’s back on the market ladies
9. 4 words – C Street Jello Wrestling.   I’ve got to spend a weekend there.
10. I will refrain from using “I’m having an explosion in my underpants” as a pickup line on flight attendants.

Have a wonderful 2010!   I’ll be back tomorrow with my predictions.   People scoffed at me last year when I said Tiger Woods would be busted for a dozen affairs.  No telling what 2010 will bring.

Gentle readers, I thank you for you patience from our usual format as we honor that which is truly special about the world of blogging.  I am proud of my contribution to political discourse in the country.   There were over 50 Natie awards this year in our biggest Natie awards yet.  The vast majority of these awards were for technical things like typography and layout and were awarded in a separate ceremony earlier this afternoon. The remaining two Naties are for video production and for contributor of the year.

Video Production: This year, we’ve been fortunate to air a large number of videos on this blog.   We’ve shown everything from music videos to campaign ads.  No, actually we’ve really only shown music videos and campaign ads.  Here are this year’s nominees for video of the year.   Double clicking on them will give you the video in full size:

Bye Bye Bush – Nate Peele Director

House Salute – Nate Peele Director

Republican Delight – Nate Peele Director

Texas Hold On - Nate Peele Director

Kimble for Congress Ad #2 -Larry Appleton Director

Kimble for Congress Spanish Ad – Larry Appleton Director

And the Winner is…Republican Delight.   When Michael Steele first put the word out for an edgier more urban Republican party, we were on it like Rush Limbaugh at an Old Country Buffet.  The resulting work gets across Republican values with the hip hop beats that keep it real for today’s urban youth.

The Natie for contributor of the year was difficult to award.  2009 was the first year when we have had guest commentators and Jack Kimble certainly has done more than his fair share of contibruting.   Some of our favorite commentators haven’t been around in awhile.  Zenyenta who was our first fan is no longer on the internet, Gina, Fraser, and Wrecks haven’t responded here in awhile.  Shannon has gone away, she’s drifting off to sea.   Steve has moved to Texas and doesn’t post nearly as frequently as he once did.   We’ve had some recent additions to our family in Cecily and Kodauzhf McJim, but neither of them have really had the sheet volume of posts needed to qualify.

We’ve had some tremendous followers on Twitter and I hate to mention them all for fear I’ll forget a few.   That’s the reason I’ve stopped doing Follow Fridays.   However, these people stand out for their support in Retweeting @chloebeetle @Kbenninato @KennethLibby @Dasani_01 @Aliceinthewater @Csmith2471 @Tab42 @Gottalaff.  Yeah, I knew I’d leave off people.  I’m trying to think in terms of retweeting instead of just basic support.

The winner for contributor of the year is Lola.  She’s been with this blog from very early on and she is largely responsible for my popularity in Brazil, which I understand is daunting.  She’s always been great about linking to my columns which she finds particularly interesting.  So there you have it the 2009 Natie winners.   For those of you who didn’t win this year, now you have something to aspire to for 2010.

The journalism Natie is the crown jewel of the Natie awards.   To be nominated, an article must seamlessly combine fact, analysis, and opinion to let the reader know not only what is happening in the world, but also to let them know what they should think about it.   This is the most difficult category to narrow down the nominations for and this year was especially difficult.   Last year’s winner Now Obama Has His Own Flag – I Bet the Colors Run set the bar very high, but I believe all 6 of this year’s nominees surpassed it in some way.  The nominees are:

1. Obama Endangers Rural Illinois (www.thatsrightnate.com)
2. A Patriot’s Guide to Disrupting Town Halls (www.thatsrightnate.com)
3. Obama’s Surgeon General is Just Too Fat (www.thatsrightnate.com)
4. Did Obama Murder Stimulus Critic Mark Sanford (www.thatsrightnate.com)
5. Report Attacking Conservatives is the Real Terrorism (www.thatsrightnate.com)
6. Obama Recites Presidential Oath on Koran (www.thatsrightnate.com)

In a very close vote, Obama Recites Presidential Oath on Koran is the winner!!

Wow, I feel very honored to have personally captured 3 Naties so far this year and to have all 4 of the winners be from my site.  The NATIE nominations remain a great place to find a half dozen of the most important and most influential blog postings in the past year.

The NATIE for reporting is for straight reporting.   That isn’t to imply that the other reporting on is somehow less heterosexual, but instead to point out the lack of opinion in the articles.  This is my “No Spin Zone” to quote the great Bill O’Reilly.   These articles attempt to give the fair and balanced coverage that a Fox News or Newsmax gives rather than Rush Limbaugh style opinion.  As a conservative blogger, I consider it my duty to provide the simple facts which show the rightness of conservative thought.    The nominees for the 2009 NATIE for reporting:

1. Texas Makes The Ultimate Sacrifice to Defend Marriage (www.thatsrightnate.com)
2. Obama Bungles H1N1 Vaccine (www.thatsrightnate.com)
3. How the Jack O’Lantern Kept Christianity Alive (www.thatsrightnate.com)
4. Arne Duncan Clears Himself in Student Death (www.thatsrightnate.com)
5. The Bristol Palin Abstinence Tour (www.thatsrightnate.com)
6. 75% of Oklahomans Can’t Name First President (www.thatsrightnate.com)

And the winner is How the Jack O’Lantern Kept Christianity Alive.

It is tremendously exciting to get back to my winning ways.   All of the stories had something I appreciated, but my faith is very important to me and the war to strip Halloween of all it’s Christian history must be fought.   I’m proud that my article earned some recognition for this cause.

The Natie Award for Opinion Blogging replaces the previous award for News Analysis.   This award is given to the article that best captures it’s authors opinions.  These opinions need not be backed up by facts or research, much like George Will’s columns.  Articles in this category enable the blogger to communicate with his reading public without facts or threat of litigation standing in the way.   In an amazing surprise all of the nominees are from www.thatsrightnate.com.  However, one of the articles is from Congressman Jack Kimble (R-CA) and another one is from Mrs. B. Wright marking the first time that articles not written by myself were nominated.    Here are the top 6 nominees:

1. Why Republicans Voted Against Funding Our Troops (www.thatsrightnate.com/ Nate Peele – Author)
2. That’s Why They Call it the First Amendment (www.thatsrightnate.com/Mrs. B. Wright – Author)
3. Racism, They Name is America (www.thatsrightnate.com/Nate Peele – Author)
4. Congressman Kimble’s Rebuttal to Obama’s School Speech (www.thatsrightnate.com/Congressman Jack Kimble – Author)
5. Obama Merit Pay Plan a Good Start (www.thatsrightnate.com/Nate Peele – Author)
6. Republican Party Must Become Sexual Predators by 2012 (www.thatsrightnate.com/Nate Peele – Author)

And the winner is That’s Why They Call it the First Amendment by Mrs. B. Wright.

This is a groundbreaking win as she is not only the first female to win a Natie, but the first person other than myself to win won.  On her twitter account @Wingnutte, Mrs. Wright sent out the following messages, “I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the NATIE committee. Let me be clear, I do not view this as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but as an affirmation of …but as an affirmation of the teapartiers, wingnuts, and all people who understand that fear is the greatest motive force in civilization.”   Truer words have never been spoken.

There is no award that is more respected or more coveted than the Naties.   Each year the Natie awards are given out to the blogs that best exemplify creative use of new media technologies to advance excellence in the fields of journalism and reporting.   The 2008 Natie Award for Investigative Reporting went to The Obama Ad that the Networks Won’t Play.   This award requires original content rather than commentary about something seen on another blog.   2009 saw many worthy articles in blogs across the internets, but the following truly stood out and are our 2009 Nominees:

1. How I Started an Internet Tidalwave (www.thatsrightnate.com)
2. Congressman’s Book Shields Children from Obama (www.thatsrightnate.com)
3. Debating My Daughter on Health Care (www.thatsrightnate.com)
4. I Interview Congressman Jack Kimble About Health Care (www.thatsrightnate.com)
5. The Healthcare Chart Obama Doesn’t Want You to See (www.thatsrightnate.com)
6. My Graduation Address to Sawyer Community College (www.thatsrightnate.com)
7. Bilandic Elementary School Memorial Day Celebration Lacks Focus (www.thatsrightnate.com)
8. Chicago Tea Party a Huge Success (www.thatsrightnate.com)

And the winner is How I Started an Internet Tidalwave.

It is a true honor to be nominated for even one Natie in a given category, so imagine my surprise when I discovered I had swept all nominations for the Investigative Reporting Natie.  I was particularly proud of the winning article, but I think all 8 are very strong.   I’d like to thank Congressman Kimble, my daughter Emily, and the administration of Sawyer Community College for their help and support.

[Wow!  He's fluent in Spanish too.  It's important for Republicans to reach out to all voters, regardless of their race]

Please excuse me for the tone of this particular blog entry.   It seems I ran out of egg nog and have been drinking straight rum since 2PM.  Anyway, Christmas Eve is the tradition for me.   I get my daughter Emily for Christmas Eve and it’s beautiful.   This year she got me a talking Ronald Reagan action figure and I got her an elliptical machine.  It can be difficult giving the practical gifts and letting her mom give her the stuff she actually wants, but at only 5’7″ and tipping the scales at 120 pounds, I think she can really use the exercise machine.  I love my Ronald Reagan.

I always spend Christmas Day the same way–watching the movie Taxi Driver.  I’ve seen it 4 times so far today and I think I’ll put it in another  before bed.   I really love the movie and it’s become such a Christmas tradition since my wife left me.   I’m sorry to say that Christmas kind of stinks anymore because it’s become a socialist holiday.   I remember when I was a kid, I didn’t get anything from Santa 4 times before the age of 10.   The reason is, my father didn’t think I was very good those years.  Nowadays kids just expect that they’ll get a toy every year.   This rum is really good.

Christmas (or for my Jewish readers Hanukkah) gives people the feeling of renewal–the belief that mankind can be saved by a small child.   2009 may not have been a great year for many of us, but I hope that 2010 will find things much improved.   Your presence on this blog has been a great gift for me and if you might tell a friend or two about it, it would be even sweeter.  In the next week we’ll find out the nominees for this year’s Natie awards celebrating the best in blogging over the past year.  Remember the story of it’s a Wonderful Life and how much good one man can do if he’s willing to give up on world travel to get into banking and give mortgages to people that other banks believe are too risky.

[Tomorrow I'll interrupt my Taxi Driver marathon to extend my own Christmas wishes, but I thought I'd post this Christmas missive from friend of the blog Congressman Jack Kimble (R-CA)]

To all my constituents in the 54th District and throughout the country, I wish to extend my warmest Christmas wishes to you and yours. While some of you may not be Christians, I feel perfect comfortable wishing you a Merry Christmas because Jesus saved all mankind and not simply Christians.

To Jews who celebrate Hannukah on the 25th, I wish you a blessed day on the most sacred day on the Jewish calendar. I think the fact that both Christianity and Judaism celebrate the exact same day says a lot. It is important we respect all religions as Christianity is not the only path to the light of Jesus Christ.

I know how truly blessed I am to be able to be a congressman for the greatest district in the greatest country in the world. In the year ahead, we must all make an effort to stand up and be counted. It doesn’t matter if you have expensive clothes, or a fancy high school diploma, or even all your teeth. Until the Democrats in Congress and the White House hear from the everyday people in this country, they will continue to try and provide government health care and other services with our hard earned tax dollars. When the government gives it’s people the most basic necessities of life, it can also take them away. This is what socialism is all about.

Have a joyous holiday and a blessed 2010. I will continue to try and fight the good fight in Washington, but we definitely need the help of the people back home if we are to put this country back on the right path it was on under President Bush.

Sometimes, I simply do not get Human Events.   Last year, they named Sarah Palin as their Conservative of the Year and I got it.  She introduced a whole new generation of voters to the GOP and had a way of putting complex policy into simple language that might not have made it understandable, but at least made it homey sounding.  She also helped lead a historic Presidential campaign with John McCain.   I started the most influential blog on the right, but conservative circles are filled with influential blogs.

This year however, should have been my year.   Friends told me I was a shoe in.  Instead, the award went to Dick Cheney.   Now, I am a big fan of Dick Cheney.  Don’t get me wrong here.  However, this year let’s look at our accomplishments.

Dick Cheney
Criticized the President of the United States on a near weekly basis.

Now don’t get me wrong, that’s great.  We need to keep the heat on the Obama administration.  In fact, Human Events says, “The irrefutable answer is that what Cheney is saying, primarily on foreign policy, defense and anti-terrorism, makes sense to more and more American citizens growing increasingly worried by the Obama Administration’s insouciance when U.S. national interests are threatened, both at home and abroad.”

That’s great.   Now, let’s look at what I accomplished this year:

Nate Peele

• Criticized the President of the United States on a near daily basis
• Broke the story of liberal bias on PBS kids show Boobah.
• Took a courageous stand demanding that President Obama not kill Sarah Palin’s family
• Created a grassroots campaign to shop white owned businesses.
• Started the Nate Peele Scholarship Foundation
• Established Saint Jing-Tao-Wow Day on March 31 with Lou Dobbs.
• Exposed Obama’s plan to replace English was Esperanto.
• Created a GOP rap video Republican Delight at the urging of Michael Steele
• Created the salute to the GOP congress that unlike Eric Cantor’s Aerosmith didn’t ban
• Broke the story of Obama being sworn in on the Koran
• Led successful boycott of Department of Homeland Security.

Now, I don’t want this to sound like sour grapes.  I’m not posting this to attack Dick Cheney or to say that I should be Conservative of the Year, but I think when you compare our accomplishments during just 2009, I come out significantly ahead. I believe the reason that I lost is that John Bolton is intimidated by my mustache.