Senator Ted Cruz may be an outcast in Washington DC, and a thorn in the side of the Republican National Committee as well as GOP leadership, but at home he is a hero. This week citizens have been hosting rallies to welcome Senator Cruz back to the Lonestar state to publically applaud and thank him for his courageous stand against Obamacare and big government bureaucrats in both parties.

I’m a political junkie, I have been since I was a little boy. I understand political maneuvering, spinning stories, manufacturing rage and dodging PR nightmares.  Anyone who has been in this field for more than half an hour knows politics is a blood sport. Today however, my rage is not partisan, it’s personal. The government shutdown is a political issue, a partisan debate and a sensationalist media’s dream come true. It is not a tool for punishing innocent bystanders in the political arena, but that’s how it's being used by President Obama.

This weekend FreedomWorks went head first into the belly of the beast at Tribune Fest, held at the University of Texas in Austin. The gathering is similar to Netroots, but on a state level, populated by leftist ideologues irritated at their red state residency, and they are determined to turn Texas blue.

It’s funny how the most innocuous and inconspicuous moments can turn out to be the most profound. My education and professional background is firmly rooted in the blood sport of politics. Outside of earning my degree in political science, and working in the field, I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent sitting in political campaign strategy conferences and seminars across the country.

Citizen journalists are under attack by Chuck Schumer, Lindsey Graham, and other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The dynamic duo of progressivism has attached an amendment to Senate Bill 987, which would give the Department of Justice power to determine who qualifies for protection as a journalist under the First Amendment.

Washington insiders and politicians from both sides of the aisle have been on a media blitz across America insisting that defunding Obamacare is a complex issue and it's impossible. They are being less than truthful. ObamaCare funding can easily be eliminated if Congress refuses to pass a Continuing Resolution that funds any part of the bill.

Fourth Amendment arguments against the NSA surveillance programs are plentiful these days. The general perception by the public, and numerous government officials, is that warrantless surveillance and data mining is an unconstitutional search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. However, the existence of secret FISA courts could prove to be an impediment to Fourth Amendment challenges, which is why it’s time to dust off the often neglected and forgotten Third Amendment.

Yesterday afternoon a bold, potentially groundbreaking amendment to a defense appropriations bill was narrowly defeated. The amendment sponsored by Representative Justin Amash sought to curtail the highly criticized NSA surveillance program.

America was founded on the ideas and principles of rugged individualism and personal responsibility, and at times these ideals are warped into an excuse to overlook the poor, downtrodden and displaced members of society.