Some years ago I was encouraged to read Dr. Smalley’s book, “The Five Love Languages,” and it was invaluable in giving me an understanding of the fact that each of us receives love in a particular way. It will be no surprise to most of you who are familiar with this book to know that my wife has a different “love language” than do I. So it was important for both of us to learn how the other felt loved.

While I am one of those “words of affirmation” people, my daughter once told me that those words of love that I was giving to her were, well, “just words.” My wife feels loved when I do things for her, and my daughter feels loved when I give her a gift. And so it goes. If we fathers are smart, we will learn how our wife and children receive love best, and we will express love to them in that way.

However, I couldn’t help but think about this issue of love in the last week or so as I read the news story of two different fathers. Josh Powell was a suspect in the 2009 disappearance of his wife and was denied custody of their two sons. On February 5th he killed his sons and himself during a supervised visit and burned his home to the ground. Some defend him saying that he was doing the only thing he could do to “protect” his sons. That is not love. It may be signs of what one family member referred to as his narcissism, but it is not love.

On the same day a Leander, Texas father and his family were enjoying a vacation in Big Bend National Park in far West Texas. Walking from the Chisos Mountain Lodge to a restaurant nearby, a mountain lion attacked the six-year-old son of the family. This brave father grabbed his pocket knife and stabbed the lion which then released the boy. The boy received 17 stitches to his face, but he is alive and safe. That father, my friends, truly loves his son.

Love your wife, husband, and children today in a way that makes clear to them that you love them indeed!

A Wealthy Backer Likes the Odds on Santorum
By Jim Rutenberg and Nicholas Confessore
Mitt Romney and Foster Friess, a wealthy donor to conservative causes, were walking out of an event together a few months ago when Mr. Friess broke the news: After backing Mr. Romney for president four years ago, he was getting behind Rick Santorum this time around.

GOP candidate Rick Santorum tells pastors he’s a man of faith, and reason
By Anna M. Tinsley
After talking about his faith and family for about an hour, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum stood in the middle of a small chapel Wednesday morning, bowed his head and closed his eyes – ready to receive prayers from more than 100 clergymen gathered there.

Santorum Shocks Romney/GOP Establishment
By Gary L. Bauer
When the dust settled in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado last night, the conservative grass roots had once again shocked the professional political class by making Senator Rick Santorum the winner in all three races. I was gratified by the results, of course, since I was one of the first leaders to endorse his then “long-shot” candidacy. It is considerably less of a long-shot this morning! I have been inundated with press calls today asking essentially “What happened?” and “What does it mean?” Here is my take.

Santorum Sweeps
Posted by Leon H. Wolf
As of today, Rick Santorum officially has no more delegates than he had yesterday. That said, as CNN is just now this moment calling Colorado for Santorum in a stunning upset, his clean sweep of the states who voted/caucused today is a stunning rebuke to both Romney’s purported march through February and Newt Gingrich’s position as the favored not-Romney candidate.

Texas Group Decries “Avalanche” of EPA Rules
By Kate Galbraith
The conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation on Monday renewed its criticism of the Environmental Protection Agency, as it released a report citing an “avalanche” of forthcoming rules on air pollution.

Komen official quits over Planned Parenthood dispute
By Ray Henry
The vice president of public policy at Susan G. Komen for the Cure who backed the breast cancer charity’s move to strip Planned Parenthood of funding resigned Tuesday, saying she stands by the now-abandoned decision that set off a storm of controversy.

Warren Chisum
Office: Railroad Commissioner
Website: chisumfortexas.com

Barry Smitherman
Office: Railroad Commissioner (unexpired)
Website: smithermantx.com

Richard Raymond
Office: State Representative, District 42
Website: richardraymond.com

David Bradley
Office: SBOE Member District 7
Email: david.bradley@att.net
SBOE Profile: tea.state.tx.us

Choosing A Grand Experience
By Nathan Ofe
One school district in Texas is giving more power to parents and teachers, emphasizing student needs and classroom education at a time when others are focusing on soccer fields and scoreboards. The Grand Prairie school district is turning itself into a model of public school choice.

West Coast Waste
By WasteWatch
It was evident from the mass transit projects and plastic bag ban that the Austin City Council wants to make Austin look (and spend) like a West Coast utopia. Now they want to go one step further, imitating the City of Portland by paying city employees to take “alternate forms” of transportation to work.

There’s No App For That
By WasteWatch
Even at a time when a record number of school districts are challenging Texas’ school finance system, school districts are still finding ways to waste taxpayer money. New Braunfels ISD’s push to spend tax dollars on new iPads for students is just the latest example.

The Far Left is scared to death – of a place called Texas!
Ken Mercer, Texas State Board of Education

My friends, I open every speech to TEA Party Groups and Republican Clubs with:

“The Far Left is scared to death – of a place called Texas!”

It is not unusual to hear thunderous applause and people standing up and cheering loudly. Why? Conservatives understand what the Far Left and their political handmaidens on the Editorial boards of Texas refuse to print. In Texas, the decades old ideological failure of the Far Left is finally dead!

I remind my friends that the Far Left’s true agenda for public schools is one of indoctrination. The conservative agenda is one of education.

The attacks by the print media and the education establishment are without shame. They have publicly put out calls to recruit Far Left opponents for every State Board of Education seat held by a conservative.

Here is the irony: It is the Far Left who are crying foul and criticizing the conservatives on the SBOE for promoting a “different” agenda and ideology.

In 1979, then President Jimmy Carter “paid back” the education establishment by creating a new federal agency, the Department of Education. Suddenly phonics, grammar, correct spelling, and basic handwriting were out; and the successful daily practice and memorization of basic math facts were replaced with an “exposure to math tables.”

What are the results of this failed ideology of the Far Left? Fifty percent of new students enrolling in college are told they will need to first complete one year of remedial reading, writing, and mathematics.

During the next few weeks, I will be sharing the “game-changing” victories that you and the conservative members of the SBOE courageously championed during the last five years!

Meanwhile, please proudly proclaim to your friends:

“The Far Left is scared to death – of a place called Texas!”
Ken Mercer
Conservative Republican
Texas State Board of Education

Danger Will Robinson . . . or Ann Coulter
Posted by Erick Erickson
This week is a career milestone for me. I appear in Time magazine writing about the state of the conservative movement. As a kid living overseas, my American history teacher subscribed us all to Time and U.S. News and World Report. So it is kind of cool to be in an issue of, between the two, the still printed survivor.

Santorum And The Sanctity Of Life
By Gary L. Bauer
No doubt you have heard by now that Senator Rick Santorum’s youngest daughter, Bella, fell ill over the weekend and Sen. Santorum returned home to take care of her. Bella has a genetic disorder known as Trisomy 18. Only about 10% of children who have this disorder survive their first year. Once diagnosed, most women are encouraged to have an abortion. Mrs. Santorum refused to do so and Bella is now 3 years old. You can imagine the challenges they face.

Santorum Nails It
By Gary L. Bauer
Last night Senator Rick Santorum turned in one of his best debate performances so far. Several commentators said that on rhetorical points Santorum effectively won the debate. During one of the evening’s highlights, Sen. Santorum castigated Romney and Gingrich for their endless bickering and tried to refocus the debate on the issues.

The Jacksonville Brawl
Posted by Erick Erickson
I’m biased, but I think the real winner last night was CNN and I feel confident I’d say that even if they didn’t send me a paycheck. After that disastrous and embarrassing NBC debate, Wolf Blitzer held his own, did not get devoured by Newt Gingrich, and engaged in a lot of substance without a lot of random questions like . . . oh . . . say . . . should states ban birth control.

Romney’s Big Healthcare Lie
Posted by Daniel Horowitz
Almost a full year into the presidential campaign, Romney finally received a full-fledged beatdown for his mendacity over healthcare. He has the nerve to feign outrage over Obamacare, even while he touts Romneycare – a carbon copy of Obamacare – as a virtuous success, supported by 90% of Massachusetts residents. Santorum did his homework, and called him out on the hypocrisy.

Values voters with big families favor Santorum
By Paige Winfield Cunningham
If children could vote, Rick Santorum would have it made. Drop by one of his campaign stops, and it’s easy to spot a core base of support for the GOP presidential candidate: conservative Christian families with six, 10 or even more children – often home-schooled – who care deeply about abortion and parental rights.

Arizona tarmac tiff trips Obama campaign – Governor carries her own message
By Dave Boyer
President Obama chose an unusual way to begin the campaign year in Arizona, where he hopes to reverse Democrats’ losing streak — by getting into a highly public confrontation with the state’s Republican governor.

Buffett’s “Poor” Secretary
By Gary L. Bauer
During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Barack Obama made several appeals for more redistribution of wealth. At one point he noted how unfair it was that billionaires like Warren Buffet can pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries. In fact, Mr. Buffett’s secretary, Debbie Bosanek, was sitting in the First Lady’s box during the State of the Union address, serving as a symbol for the lack of fairness in the tax code.

Ken Mercer – Texas State Board of Education, District 5

Marty Rowley – Texas State Board of Education, District 15

Chris Hill – Collin County Commissioner, Precinct 3