Arizona Republicans looking for a replacement for Mccain?
time for that senile old fart to retire ?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
McCain could pull out of race by autumn
McCain could pull out of race by autumn
Presidential hopeful drops campaign staff as Republican consultants
predict he'll be gone by September
THE former presidential front-runner, John McCain, may drop out of the
2008 race by September if his fundraising dries up and his poll
ratings continue to drop, according to Republican insiders.
The speculation, vigorously denied by McCain’s camp, is sweeping Republican circles after a disastrous few weeks in which the principled Arizona senator
has clashed with the party’s conservative base on immigration and
also alienated independent voters by backing President George W Bush’s
troop surge in Iraq.
Randy Pullen, chairman of the Arizona Republican party, said: He’s a
battler, so I’d expect him to carry on, but everyone is waiting to see
what his new fundraising totals are. That’s pretty critical.
If he doesn’t have the money, he won’t be able to run.
The second fundraising quarter for candidates closes at the end
of June and McCain’s results should be known by mid-July.
Related Links
Old girlfriends cast their vote for Thompson
Dan Schnur, McCain’s communications director during the 2000
presidential campaign, said it was possible that he could drop out:
There are all sorts of challenges McCain is facing, from fundraising
to Fred Thompson and the Iraq war, but the biggest single boulder in
his path is the immigration issue.
One veteran Republican consultant put the odds of McCain remaining in
the race beyond the autumn at 3-1 against. He’ll be gone by September,
predicted Tom Edmonds, who is not affiliated with any campaign.
The wheels are coming off his wagon and it’s hard to see how he can
recover. He won’t be able to pay all the good talent he has hired
and they’ll want to drift away from a loser.
A poll by Rasmussen Reports last week showed McCain lying joint third
with Mitt Romney, the Mormon former governor of Massachussetts, with
the support of just 10% of Republican voters. This compared with 28%
for Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee senator, and 27% for Rudy
Giuliani, New York’s mayor at the time of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Another poll in Iowa, a crucial early voting state, put McCain in
fifth place behind Mike Hucka-bee, the former governor of Arkansas, with only 6%.
McCain has already shed some high-level staff to save money and could slim down further, according to Schnur.
If another difficult fundraising report forces McCain to retool his campaign and run again as an insurgent and outsider, it might not be a bad thing, he said. His best days as a campaigner in 2000 came when he faced extremely formidable opponents on a shoestring budget and a skeleton staff.
Feelings are running so high against Bush’s immigration bill, which opponents decry as an amnesty for illegal immigrants, that McCain may not win the support of Arizona, his home state on the border of Mexico.
It looks to me like Arizona will be in play, Pullen said. The immigration issue is clearly hurting him with the base of the party.
Supporters and critics agree that McCain’s resolute, battle-tested character could prevent him leaving the race, no matter what the difficulties.
Given his disposition and his history, it’s more unlikely for him [to drop out] than other candidates facing the same situation, said Schnur.
A McCain campaign insider said: Reports of his death are greatly exaggerated. We’re in the precampaign phase when everybody is trying hysterically to read the tea leaves, but after September the lights will go on and everybody will see that we’ve got a candidate who has stood before, doesn’t need on-the-job training and has the resources to compete.
McCain recently decided not to stand in a straw poll to be held in Iowa in August, fearing an embarrassing defeat.
Giuliani is forgoing the event for the same reason, but has managed to cling on to the lead in most polls despite a turbulent few weeks. Thomas Ravenel, who chaired Giuliani’s campaign in South Carolina, was charged last week with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.
McCain faces a further challenge if Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, decides to stand and courts the same independent voters as the former Vietnam prisoner of war, as well as using a predicted $1 billion of his fortune.
see more at............
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1977477.ece
www.mccainalert.com
Presidential hopeful drops campaign staff as Republican consultants
predict he'll be gone by September
THE former presidential front-runner, John McCain, may drop out of the
2008 race by September if his fundraising dries up and his poll
ratings continue to drop, according to Republican insiders.
The speculation, vigorously denied by McCain’s camp, is sweeping Republican circles after a disastrous few weeks in which the principled Arizona senator
has clashed with the party’s conservative base on immigration and
also alienated independent voters by backing President George W Bush’s
troop surge in Iraq.
Randy Pullen, chairman of the Arizona Republican party, said: He’s a
battler, so I’d expect him to carry on, but everyone is waiting to see
what his new fundraising totals are. That’s pretty critical.
If he doesn’t have the money, he won’t be able to run.
The second fundraising quarter for candidates closes at the end
of June and McCain’s results should be known by mid-July.
Related Links
Old girlfriends cast their vote for Thompson
Dan Schnur, McCain’s communications director during the 2000
presidential campaign, said it was possible that he could drop out:
There are all sorts of challenges McCain is facing, from fundraising
to Fred Thompson and the Iraq war, but the biggest single boulder in
his path is the immigration issue.
One veteran Republican consultant put the odds of McCain remaining in
the race beyond the autumn at 3-1 against. He’ll be gone by September,
predicted Tom Edmonds, who is not affiliated with any campaign.
The wheels are coming off his wagon and it’s hard to see how he can
recover. He won’t be able to pay all the good talent he has hired
and they’ll want to drift away from a loser.
A poll by Rasmussen Reports last week showed McCain lying joint third
with Mitt Romney, the Mormon former governor of Massachussetts, with
the support of just 10% of Republican voters. This compared with 28%
for Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee senator, and 27% for Rudy
Giuliani, New York’s mayor at the time of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Another poll in Iowa, a crucial early voting state, put McCain in
fifth place behind Mike Hucka-bee, the former governor of Arkansas, with only 6%.
McCain has already shed some high-level staff to save money and could slim down further, according to Schnur.
If another difficult fundraising report forces McCain to retool his campaign and run again as an insurgent and outsider, it might not be a bad thing, he said. His best days as a campaigner in 2000 came when he faced extremely formidable opponents on a shoestring budget and a skeleton staff.
Feelings are running so high against Bush’s immigration bill, which opponents decry as an amnesty for illegal immigrants, that McCain may not win the support of Arizona, his home state on the border of Mexico.
It looks to me like Arizona will be in play, Pullen said. The immigration issue is clearly hurting him with the base of the party.
Supporters and critics agree that McCain’s resolute, battle-tested character could prevent him leaving the race, no matter what the difficulties.
Given his disposition and his history, it’s more unlikely for him [to drop out] than other candidates facing the same situation, said Schnur.
A McCain campaign insider said: Reports of his death are greatly exaggerated. We’re in the precampaign phase when everybody is trying hysterically to read the tea leaves, but after September the lights will go on and everybody will see that we’ve got a candidate who has stood before, doesn’t need on-the-job training and has the resources to compete.
McCain recently decided not to stand in a straw poll to be held in Iowa in August, fearing an embarrassing defeat.
Giuliani is forgoing the event for the same reason, but has managed to cling on to the lead in most polls despite a turbulent few weeks. Thomas Ravenel, who chaired Giuliani’s campaign in South Carolina, was charged last week with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.
McCain faces a further challenge if Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, decides to stand and courts the same independent voters as the former Vietnam prisoner of war, as well as using a predicted $1 billion of his fortune.
see more at............
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1977477.ece
www.mccainalert.com
Saturday, June 23, 2007
GRASS ROOTS ACTION ALERT
GRASS ROOTS ACTION ALERT
Dear Friends,
In 96 hours, the Senate is due to take up the comprehensive immigration reform bill again. Two weeks ago, because of your calls, emails, faxes and letters, two things happened:
First, our collective voices were heard and we won the first round by stopping passage of this bill in the Democrat-controlled US Senate. Second, we demonstrated to ourselves, to other state Republican parties, to our national party and to the rest of the nation that we are strongest when we unite behind the will of the American people, behind the rule of law, behind the promises we have already made and must now keep. Today, we are a stronger party than before because our voice has grown with new Arizona Republican voters, new donors and new activists within our ranks!
Please, call (202) 224-3121 and tell Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, Trent Lott, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the US Senate that we need real border security and real immigration reform… but this bill just isn’t it.
Then, please CLICK HERE and send a make a secure online donation today to YOUR ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PARTY. To keep our voices heard loud and clear, YOUR party needs YOUR support today. Your contribution of $25, $50, $75, $100 or even $150 today. This is our party, our state and our nation – and all three are worth fighting for.
Thank you in advance for your generous support!
RANDY
Dear Friends,
In 96 hours, the Senate is due to take up the comprehensive immigration reform bill again. Two weeks ago, because of your calls, emails, faxes and letters, two things happened:
First, our collective voices were heard and we won the first round by stopping passage of this bill in the Democrat-controlled US Senate. Second, we demonstrated to ourselves, to other state Republican parties, to our national party and to the rest of the nation that we are strongest when we unite behind the will of the American people, behind the rule of law, behind the promises we have already made and must now keep. Today, we are a stronger party than before because our voice has grown with new Arizona Republican voters, new donors and new activists within our ranks!
Please, call (202) 224-3121 and tell Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, Trent Lott, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the US Senate that we need real border security and real immigration reform… but this bill just isn’t it.
Then, please CLICK HERE and send a make a secure online donation today to YOUR ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PARTY. To keep our voices heard loud and clear, YOUR party needs YOUR support today. Your contribution of $25, $50, $75, $100 or even $150 today. This is our party, our state and our nation – and all three are worth fighting for.
Thank you in advance for your generous support!
RANDY
Thursday, June 21, 2007
SIGN THE INHOFE SECURE BORDERS PETITION!
SIGN THE INHOFE SECURE BORDERS PETITION!
SIGN THE INHOFE SECURE BORDERS PETITION!
Arizona Republicans,
As the U.S. Senate reintroduces the immigration bill that was defeated last week, Oklahoma Senator Inhofe is leading the charge to ensure that our borders are secure and no amnesty is granted to illegal immigrants. As a part of his effort to show his fellow Senators how concerned the American people are about the issue, he announced an online petition at www.SecureBordersNow.com to send a message to the Senate.
Please click here to visit Secure Borders Now and sign the petition to support Senator Inhofe and all Republicans who agree: secure the border and no amnesty.
The petition reads:
Members of the United State Senate,
I am one of the millions of Americans who believes our first priority as a nation should be to secure our borders by enforcing existing laws. Amnesty is not the solution.
I urge you to vote against the immigration reform bill currently being considered in the Senate and to oppose any future effort that undermines our national security or grants amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.
Click here to sign the petition now and show your support. We need to gather signatures as quickly as possible before the debate begins early next week, so please pass the link along to your friends and family who agree on this important issue.
Below is the full release from Senator Inhofe's office:
INHOFE ANNOUNCES ONLINE PETITION FOR AMERICANS TO SUPPORT
BORDER SECURITY AND NO-AMNESTY IMMIGRATION REFORM
(JUNE 15, 2007) - U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) today announced “Secure Borders Now” (www.securebordersnow.com), a new website for Americans to urge the Senate to consider immigration reform that focuses on enforcing existing border security laws and opposition to amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.
“Unfortunately it appears many in the Senate remain deaf to the voices of the American people, as yet another backroom deal has emerged designed to revive the fatally flawed immigration bill and its immediate path to amnesty. The ‘Secure Borders Now’ petition gives Americans an opportunity to voice their opposition. I hope my constituents and citizens from all across our country will take action, sign the petition and show how many Americans are strongly opposed to this bill.”
“Despite the promise of increased funding for border security and additional votes on a handful of amendments, the proposed legislation will continue to shortcut the current naturalization process and grant amnesty to 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants currently in our country. That is a trade off that I simply cannot support.
“The first step in any significant immigration legislation must be securing our borders and enforcing existing laws. It is unconscionable to make border security conditional on the guarantee of amnesty. Even with the promise of additional funding for border security, the Senate bill focuses far too much on controversial and irresponsible programs such as the ‘Z-visa’ (which I voted to eliminate), and far too little on ensuring that our borders are no longer porous.
“I have stated from the outset of this immigration debate that I will vehemently oppose any legislation that guarantees amnesty for illegal immigrants, unfairly burdens taxpayers or fails to secure our borders.
“It is time that we deal with real immigration reform beginning with border security. This is the best way to restore trust with the American people and facilitate future improvement of our immigration policy.”
On Tuesday, Senator Inhofe joined eight Senators in writing a letter to President Bush urging him to fulfill the border security provisions listed in the Senate immigration bill whether the legislation passes or not. Each border security trigger in the bill can be implemented under current law without any need for new legislation from Congress.
A Rasmussen Reports national phone survey conducted June 11 and 12, found that only 20 percent of voters wanted Congress to try and pass the Senate bill that failed last week. Sixty-nine percent favored an approach that focused “exclusively on securing the border and reducing illegal immigration.”
SIGN THE INHOFE SECURE BORDERS PETITION!
Arizona Republicans,
As the U.S. Senate reintroduces the immigration bill that was defeated last week, Oklahoma Senator Inhofe is leading the charge to ensure that our borders are secure and no amnesty is granted to illegal immigrants. As a part of his effort to show his fellow Senators how concerned the American people are about the issue, he announced an online petition at www.SecureBordersNow.com to send a message to the Senate.
Please click here to visit Secure Borders Now and sign the petition to support Senator Inhofe and all Republicans who agree: secure the border and no amnesty.
The petition reads:
Members of the United State Senate,
I am one of the millions of Americans who believes our first priority as a nation should be to secure our borders by enforcing existing laws. Amnesty is not the solution.
I urge you to vote against the immigration reform bill currently being considered in the Senate and to oppose any future effort that undermines our national security or grants amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.
Click here to sign the petition now and show your support. We need to gather signatures as quickly as possible before the debate begins early next week, so please pass the link along to your friends and family who agree on this important issue.
Below is the full release from Senator Inhofe's office:
INHOFE ANNOUNCES ONLINE PETITION FOR AMERICANS TO SUPPORT
BORDER SECURITY AND NO-AMNESTY IMMIGRATION REFORM
(JUNE 15, 2007) - U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) today announced “Secure Borders Now” (www.securebordersnow.com), a new website for Americans to urge the Senate to consider immigration reform that focuses on enforcing existing border security laws and opposition to amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.
“Unfortunately it appears many in the Senate remain deaf to the voices of the American people, as yet another backroom deal has emerged designed to revive the fatally flawed immigration bill and its immediate path to amnesty. The ‘Secure Borders Now’ petition gives Americans an opportunity to voice their opposition. I hope my constituents and citizens from all across our country will take action, sign the petition and show how many Americans are strongly opposed to this bill.”
“Despite the promise of increased funding for border security and additional votes on a handful of amendments, the proposed legislation will continue to shortcut the current naturalization process and grant amnesty to 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants currently in our country. That is a trade off that I simply cannot support.
“The first step in any significant immigration legislation must be securing our borders and enforcing existing laws. It is unconscionable to make border security conditional on the guarantee of amnesty. Even with the promise of additional funding for border security, the Senate bill focuses far too much on controversial and irresponsible programs such as the ‘Z-visa’ (which I voted to eliminate), and far too little on ensuring that our borders are no longer porous.
“I have stated from the outset of this immigration debate that I will vehemently oppose any legislation that guarantees amnesty for illegal immigrants, unfairly burdens taxpayers or fails to secure our borders.
“It is time that we deal with real immigration reform beginning with border security. This is the best way to restore trust with the American people and facilitate future improvement of our immigration policy.”
On Tuesday, Senator Inhofe joined eight Senators in writing a letter to President Bush urging him to fulfill the border security provisions listed in the Senate immigration bill whether the legislation passes or not. Each border security trigger in the bill can be implemented under current law without any need for new legislation from Congress.
A Rasmussen Reports national phone survey conducted June 11 and 12, found that only 20 percent of voters wanted Congress to try and pass the Senate bill that failed last week. Sixty-nine percent favored an approach that focused “exclusively on securing the border and reducing illegal immigration.”
HILLARY CLINTON DEFENDS USE OF CORPORATE JET FOR FAMILY VACATIONS
HILLARY CLINTON DEFENDS USE OF CORPORATE JET FOR FAMILY VACATIONS
Jun 4 2007 Email This Article | Category: Dick's Articles | Leave a Comment Published on FoxNews.com on June 1, 2007.
On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton was challenged by the press about the Clinton family’s acceptance of more than $900,000 in free private travel from Infousa, a company linked to scamming the elderly.
Her reply? She said that she had complied with all Senate ethics rules and reimbursed the company for the amount of a first class air ticket usually about 1 percent of the cost of the luxurious private jet travel. According to Hillary, Those were the rules. You’ll have to ask someone else if it’s good policy.
In other words, get lost.
Is there anyone out there who would say it’s good policy for a U.S. senator and presidential candidate to accept apparently tax-free gifts of almost a million dollars from a corporation especially a corporation involved in providing lists of vulnerable elderly people to scam artists?
And it’s not like the Clintons couldn’t afford to buy an air ticket the family income since 2001 has been more than $63 million! So why do they have to freeload from rich friends?
Well, evidently Hillary doesn’t think that she should be the one to consider whether it makes ethical sense to have rich pals pay for a U.S. senator’s family vacations.
That’s up to someone else…
But, Hillary has decided it is up to her and not someone else to determine whether corporate policies that allow huge payments and perks to CEOs make good policy. And her answer is a resounding, NO … unless, it seems, if she’s benefiting from the perks.
When Senator Clinton condemns corporate greed and attacks over-the-top CEO compensation, she’s not talking about her close friends in the business world. No, to her, they’re different. In the Clintons’ case, it’s OK to use corporate assets to fly her and her husband to jet-set vacation spots all over the world, including a $146,000 plane ride to Acapulco for a Clinton family holiday in January of 2002.
It’s the other corporations and CEOs out there that she’s targeting. They’re the greedy ones that have to be regulated.
Last week, we revealed that former president Bill Clinton was on the payroll of Infousa, the Nebraska company that supplied lists of vulnerable elderly people to con artists who then defrauded the unsuspecting victims. Internal e-mails suggest that employees of Infousa were aware that some of their clients were under investigation for these revolting predatory practices.
Since 2001, Infousa has paid Bill Clinton $3.3 million, although it’s not at all clear what he was supposed to do for the money other than fly on the company’s jet for vacations and golf games with Infousa’s CEO. Infousa CEO, Vin Gupta, has made the Infousa corporate jet available for the Clintons to travel in style to Hawaii, Switzerland and Jamaica at a cost of more that $900,000.
Some of the shareholders of the company agree wholeheartedly with Hillary’s public position about overpaid CEO’s. Here’s what the Senator had to say:
We need to open up CEO compensation to public scrutiny and public challenge and ensure that boards of directors are independent when determining CEO pay.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this year, shareholders of Infousa claimed that the payments to Bill Clinton and the use of the corporate jet by the Clintons were a waste of corporate assets and were not business related. Infousa actually claims that all of the Clinton trips even the vacation excursions were business related.
Of course.
Hillary Clinton has no words of criticism for the man who contributed at least $1 million to the Clinton Library and $2 million towards her incredible $16 million millenium New Year’s Eve party, and hundreds of thousands to her campaigns and the Democratic Party.
Clinton’s financial disclosure forms never mention the trips provided by Infousa and until the lawsuit was filed, the Clintons released no information about how much Bill was paid only declaring that it was more than $1000.
A lot more!
Hillary just doesn’t get it and never will.
Just yesterday, she actually lectured about the need to control corporate pay to executives unless, of course, they’re providing freebies to her and her family.
from see www.dickmorris.com
www.mccainalert.com
Jun 4 2007 Email This Article | Category: Dick's Articles | Leave a Comment Published on FoxNews.com on June 1, 2007.
On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton was challenged by the press about the Clinton family’s acceptance of more than $900,000 in free private travel from Infousa, a company linked to scamming the elderly.
Her reply? She said that she had complied with all Senate ethics rules and reimbursed the company for the amount of a first class air ticket usually about 1 percent of the cost of the luxurious private jet travel. According to Hillary, Those were the rules. You’ll have to ask someone else if it’s good policy.
In other words, get lost.
Is there anyone out there who would say it’s good policy for a U.S. senator and presidential candidate to accept apparently tax-free gifts of almost a million dollars from a corporation especially a corporation involved in providing lists of vulnerable elderly people to scam artists?
And it’s not like the Clintons couldn’t afford to buy an air ticket the family income since 2001 has been more than $63 million! So why do they have to freeload from rich friends?
Well, evidently Hillary doesn’t think that she should be the one to consider whether it makes ethical sense to have rich pals pay for a U.S. senator’s family vacations.
That’s up to someone else…
But, Hillary has decided it is up to her and not someone else to determine whether corporate policies that allow huge payments and perks to CEOs make good policy. And her answer is a resounding, NO … unless, it seems, if she’s benefiting from the perks.
When Senator Clinton condemns corporate greed and attacks over-the-top CEO compensation, she’s not talking about her close friends in the business world. No, to her, they’re different. In the Clintons’ case, it’s OK to use corporate assets to fly her and her husband to jet-set vacation spots all over the world, including a $146,000 plane ride to Acapulco for a Clinton family holiday in January of 2002.
It’s the other corporations and CEOs out there that she’s targeting. They’re the greedy ones that have to be regulated.
Last week, we revealed that former president Bill Clinton was on the payroll of Infousa, the Nebraska company that supplied lists of vulnerable elderly people to con artists who then defrauded the unsuspecting victims. Internal e-mails suggest that employees of Infousa were aware that some of their clients were under investigation for these revolting predatory practices.
Since 2001, Infousa has paid Bill Clinton $3.3 million, although it’s not at all clear what he was supposed to do for the money other than fly on the company’s jet for vacations and golf games with Infousa’s CEO. Infousa CEO, Vin Gupta, has made the Infousa corporate jet available for the Clintons to travel in style to Hawaii, Switzerland and Jamaica at a cost of more that $900,000.
Some of the shareholders of the company agree wholeheartedly with Hillary’s public position about overpaid CEO’s. Here’s what the Senator had to say:
We need to open up CEO compensation to public scrutiny and public challenge and ensure that boards of directors are independent when determining CEO pay.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this year, shareholders of Infousa claimed that the payments to Bill Clinton and the use of the corporate jet by the Clintons were a waste of corporate assets and were not business related. Infousa actually claims that all of the Clinton trips even the vacation excursions were business related.
Of course.
Hillary Clinton has no words of criticism for the man who contributed at least $1 million to the Clinton Library and $2 million towards her incredible $16 million millenium New Year’s Eve party, and hundreds of thousands to her campaigns and the Democratic Party.
Clinton’s financial disclosure forms never mention the trips provided by Infousa and until the lawsuit was filed, the Clintons released no information about how much Bill was paid only declaring that it was more than $1000.
A lot more!
Hillary just doesn’t get it and never will.
Just yesterday, she actually lectured about the need to control corporate pay to executives unless, of course, they’re providing freebies to her and her family.
from see www.dickmorris.com
www.mccainalert.com
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
DEMS LIKE GOP LIKE NEPOTISM
DEMS LIKE GOP LIKE NEPOTISM
Anyone who wonders why Congress has a job approval rating of 23 percent, seven points lower than even Bush’s, need only look at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) failure to change the ethics of the Congress. Having pledged to make Congress full-time and put the lackadaisical members to work, she then announced a schedule for 2007 in which House members will have 20 weeks off (and when they work, it’s Tuesday to Thursday most of the time).
Now Pelosi has come up with her own version of the No Child Left Behind program by asking the Defense Department to allow adult children of members of Congress to accompany them on their taxpayer-funded travel abroad if their spouses can’t make it. Such heartfelt concern for the lonely congressman on a publicly paid junket may be her version of family values, but it is a waste of tax money.
To understand the depth of the abuse of taxpayer-funded travel, look at one of Pelosi’s favorites, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.). Miller has been to the following places for free on the taxpayer’s dime between 2000 and 2006:
Mexico, Lebanon, Cambodia (twice), Israel (twice), Vietnam (twice), Jordan, South Africa, Iraq, France, Italy (twice), Hong Kong, Sudan (twice), Taiwan, Ghana, Laos, Liberia, Egypt and Cape Verde.
And Miller does not belong to any congressional committee that deals with foreign relations! During the same period, he has been to 20 other countries for free, paid for by the Aspen Institute. In all, Miller has spent 161 days traveling courtesy of Aspen.
Pelosi’s proposal and the abuse of free travel by members like Miller explains why voters can’t stand Congress and illustrates how little improvement there has been under the Democrats.
When his dad became Speaker of the House, Joshua Hastert, son of
Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), moved to Washington, closed his record store back
home and joined a lobbying firm. He found latent skills at lobbying members
like his dad that he never knew he had. Google, recognizing these mythical abilities, hired him as their lobbyist. The Democrats went crazy criticizing
abuses like these.
Now that Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.) is the Democratic floor leader, he has not just one but three sons and a son-in-law who are lobbyists. One of Reid’s sons,
and his son-in-law, has lobbied in Washington; a second son lobbies for
the same interests in Nevada; and a third son is an attorney who litigates for them in court. Reid’s lobbyist-sons worked to promote federal land swaps, mining interests and the University of Nevada at Reno.
Not to be outdone, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt’s (R-Mo.) wife, Abigail Perlman, is director of federal government affairs for Altria the former Philip Morris corporation. Their relationship is one that was hatched in lobbying. While
Blunt was dating Abigail, he quietly drafted language to benefit
Altria/Philip Morris and tried to sneak it in the bill that established the Department of Homeland Security without alerting the Republican leadership. Blunt’s mission was to minimize the sale of cigarettes on the Internet,
a thorn in the side of Altria/Philip Morris. Fortunately, Hastert killed the amendment.
Of the 100 senators, the sons, daughters, husbands or wives of 20 of them are registered as lobbyists, whose job often boils down to lobbying Mom or
Dad. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is typical of the conflicts that can arise in such a situation. His son Scott Hatch lobbied for the makers of ephedra while his
father sponsored legislation to exempt the diet supplement from federal
regulation. Scott got paid $2 million in lobbying fees, while Dad got more than $137,000 from the diet supplement industry.
While Pelosi is working on cleaning up Congress, here are a few suggestions for her:
Ban anyone who is an immediate relative of a member from lobbying Congress.
Ban members from hiring spouses and other immediate relatives on their official, campaign committee or political action committee payrolls.
Ban taxpayer-paid travel by anyone but the member himself.
Get Congress to stay in session full time, not just 32 weeks a year.
If she adopted measures like these, perhaps the American voter would respect her and her party more than they apparently do.
By DICK MORRIS
Published on TheHill.com on June 20, 2007.
Anyone who wonders why Congress has a job approval rating of 23 percent, seven points lower than even Bush’s, need only look at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) failure to change the ethics of the Congress. Having pledged to make Congress full-time and put the lackadaisical members to work, she then announced a schedule for 2007 in which House members will have 20 weeks off (and when they work, it’s Tuesday to Thursday most of the time).
Now Pelosi has come up with her own version of the No Child Left Behind program by asking the Defense Department to allow adult children of members of Congress to accompany them on their taxpayer-funded travel abroad if their spouses can’t make it. Such heartfelt concern for the lonely congressman on a publicly paid junket may be her version of family values, but it is a waste of tax money.
To understand the depth of the abuse of taxpayer-funded travel, look at one of Pelosi’s favorites, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.). Miller has been to the following places for free on the taxpayer’s dime between 2000 and 2006:
Mexico, Lebanon, Cambodia (twice), Israel (twice), Vietnam (twice), Jordan, South Africa, Iraq, France, Italy (twice), Hong Kong, Sudan (twice), Taiwan, Ghana, Laos, Liberia, Egypt and Cape Verde.
And Miller does not belong to any congressional committee that deals with foreign relations! During the same period, he has been to 20 other countries for free, paid for by the Aspen Institute. In all, Miller has spent 161 days traveling courtesy of Aspen.
Pelosi’s proposal and the abuse of free travel by members like Miller explains why voters can’t stand Congress and illustrates how little improvement there has been under the Democrats.
When his dad became Speaker of the House, Joshua Hastert, son of
Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), moved to Washington, closed his record store back
home and joined a lobbying firm. He found latent skills at lobbying members
like his dad that he never knew he had. Google, recognizing these mythical abilities, hired him as their lobbyist. The Democrats went crazy criticizing
abuses like these.
Now that Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.) is the Democratic floor leader, he has not just one but three sons and a son-in-law who are lobbyists. One of Reid’s sons,
and his son-in-law, has lobbied in Washington; a second son lobbies for
the same interests in Nevada; and a third son is an attorney who litigates for them in court. Reid’s lobbyist-sons worked to promote federal land swaps, mining interests and the University of Nevada at Reno.
Not to be outdone, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt’s (R-Mo.) wife, Abigail Perlman, is director of federal government affairs for Altria the former Philip Morris corporation. Their relationship is one that was hatched in lobbying. While
Blunt was dating Abigail, he quietly drafted language to benefit
Altria/Philip Morris and tried to sneak it in the bill that established the Department of Homeland Security without alerting the Republican leadership. Blunt’s mission was to minimize the sale of cigarettes on the Internet,
a thorn in the side of Altria/Philip Morris. Fortunately, Hastert killed the amendment.
Of the 100 senators, the sons, daughters, husbands or wives of 20 of them are registered as lobbyists, whose job often boils down to lobbying Mom or
Dad. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is typical of the conflicts that can arise in such a situation. His son Scott Hatch lobbied for the makers of ephedra while his
father sponsored legislation to exempt the diet supplement from federal
regulation. Scott got paid $2 million in lobbying fees, while Dad got more than $137,000 from the diet supplement industry.
While Pelosi is working on cleaning up Congress, here are a few suggestions for her:
Ban anyone who is an immediate relative of a member from lobbying Congress.
Ban members from hiring spouses and other immediate relatives on their official, campaign committee or political action committee payrolls.
Ban taxpayer-paid travel by anyone but the member himself.
Get Congress to stay in session full time, not just 32 weeks a year.
If she adopted measures like these, perhaps the American voter would respect her and her party more than they apparently do.
By DICK MORRIS
Published on TheHill.com on June 20, 2007.
Hillary Clinton Booed, Again
Hillary Booed, Again
Hillary Booed, Again
The Nation -- Last summer, when she criticized the idea of setting a
timetable
to withdraw US forces from Iraq, Hillary Clinton was met with a chorus of
boos at the annual Take Back America conference.
This year was supposed to be different. Hillary now pledges to end the war
on her first day in office. But yet again she experienced boos at Take
Back America when she put the blame on the Iraqi government for the mess
in Iraq.
"The American military has succeeded," she said midway through her speech.
"It is the Iraqi government that has failed." That line has become a
standard talking point for politicians of both parties, especially
Republicans. But the disingenuousness of the argument didn't sit right at
TBA.
The reception caused Hillary to go off-script for a moment. "I like
speaking here every year," she said. "I see the signs that say get
us out of Iraq. That is what we are trying to do."
That seemed to mollify the crowd. And the rest of the speech, where she
ticked off a laundry list of Democratic priorities--like achieving universal
healthcare, cleaning up government and strengthening unions--played well.
All in all, she did better compared to last year. But it was no honeymoon,
either.
www.mccainalert.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070620/cm_thenation/15206661_1
Hillary Booed, Again
The Nation -- Last summer, when she criticized the idea of setting a
timetable
to withdraw US forces from Iraq, Hillary Clinton was met with a chorus of
boos at the annual Take Back America conference.
This year was supposed to be different. Hillary now pledges to end the war
on her first day in office. But yet again she experienced boos at Take
Back America when she put the blame on the Iraqi government for the mess
in Iraq.
"The American military has succeeded," she said midway through her speech.
"It is the Iraqi government that has failed." That line has become a
standard talking point for politicians of both parties, especially
Republicans. But the disingenuousness of the argument didn't sit right at
TBA.
The reception caused Hillary to go off-script for a moment. "I like
speaking here every year," she said. "I see the signs that say get
us out of Iraq. That is what we are trying to do."
That seemed to mollify the crowd. And the rest of the speech, where she
ticked off a laundry list of Democratic priorities--like achieving universal
healthcare, cleaning up government and strengthening unions--played well.
All in all, she did better compared to last year. But it was no honeymoon,
either.
www.mccainalert.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070620/cm_thenation/15206661_1
how to email that shithead Senator Mccain
how to email that shithead Mccain. hopefully this will be his last term in any public office
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Contact.Home
www.mccainalert.com
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Contact.Home
www.mccainalert.com
Arizona How to register as an independent or "no party preference"
Arizona How to register as an independent or "no party preference"
see sec of state for arizona at
http://www.azsos.gov/election/How_to_register.htm
How can I register to vote?
Answer:
Online : You may register online using Service Arizona EZ Voter Registration by clicking ( here) and follow the instructional steps. Note: In order to use this link you must have an Arizona Driver License and/or an Arizona non-operating Identification Card issued by the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) on or after October 1st, 1996. Upon successful completion of the online EZ Voter registration, you will receive a confirmation number. The confirmation number is your receipt the information you entered has been accepted and changed.
Print a Form: You may obtain a printable form online, fill in the form, print the form, sign and date it, affix the proper postage and mail the form to the County Recorder of the county in which you are a legal resident.
By Mail : You may request an Arizona Voter Registration form from the County Recorder in the county in which you are a legal resident.
In Person : You may visit the County Recorder in the county you are a legal resident and complete an Arizona Voter Registration form.
Q: What are the qualifications to register to vote?
Answer:
Must be a Citizen of the United States of America
Must be a resident of Arizona
Must be 18 years of age or more on or before the day of the next regular General Election
Must not be a convicted felony, unless your civil rights have been restored
Must not been adjudicated incompetent
see sec of state for arizona at
http://www.azsos.gov/election/How_to_register.htm
How can I register to vote?
Answer:
Online : You may register online using Service Arizona EZ Voter Registration by clicking ( here) and follow the instructional steps. Note: In order to use this link you must have an Arizona Driver License and/or an Arizona non-operating Identification Card issued by the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) on or after October 1st, 1996. Upon successful completion of the online EZ Voter registration, you will receive a confirmation number. The confirmation number is your receipt the information you entered has been accepted and changed.
Print a Form: You may obtain a printable form online, fill in the form, print the form, sign and date it, affix the proper postage and mail the form to the County Recorder of the county in which you are a legal resident.
By Mail : You may request an Arizona Voter Registration form from the County Recorder in the county in which you are a legal resident.
In Person : You may visit the County Recorder in the county you are a legal resident and complete an Arizona Voter Registration form.
Q: What are the qualifications to register to vote?
Answer:
Must be a Citizen of the United States of America
Must be a resident of Arizona
Must be 18 years of age or more on or before the day of the next regular General Election
Must not be a convicted felony, unless your civil rights have been restored
Must not been adjudicated incompetent
Senate can't deliver on simple passports, now they want to do more?
Senate can't deliver on simple passports, now they want to do more?
no wonder popular opinion is in the shitter.
register independent next time to remove some of the shitheads.
www.mccainalert.com
no wonder popular opinion is in the shitter.
register independent next time to remove some of the shitheads.
www.mccainalert.com
Monday, June 18, 2007
Harry Reid really pimping his 3 sons ?
is Senator Harry Reid really pimping his 3 sons
to mining interests in his home state?
www.mccainalert.com
to mining interests in his home state?
www.mccainalert.com
Senate Immigration Update — June 15, 2007
Senate Immigration Update — June 15, 2007
All indication is that Harry Reid has chosen to resume consideration of immigration sometime next week, possibly as early as Wednesday. It is his folly — a curious political choice designed to avoid the “do-nothing” label he so richly deserves.
But as much as he should be blamed personally for choosing to bring the bill back, it is the Republican leadership and Republican “grand bargainers” who are deserving of America’s contempt. Grand bargainers Graham, Kyl, Martinez and McCain made their deal with the devil a long time ago. And now, after a week of deal-making and arm-twisting, Senator Lott and McConnell have joined forces with them and with Democrats to pull together the 60 votes needed to pass an immigration bill that not only has no chance of working, but undermines our nation’s rule of law, damages our national security and will cost billions of dollars.
They do so knowingly and firmly over the objections of the American people. They have done so with great contempt for those who dare to question the decision or put up a fight. It is now up to the American people to demonstrate at a level never seen before in American politics that this is an unacceptable breach of faith with them and will not be tolerated. It is the only hope at this point that this terrible legislation — that has no chance of working — does not become law.
Up to now, a handful of Senators have been able to fight for amendments — and more, to fight for the transparency necessary to expose this bill’s fatal flaws. Senators Sessions and DeMint properly objected to a sham amendment process that was limiting the rights of Republicans. Other members offered amendment after amendment designed to target the bill’s many weaknesses - but few were granted votes. Their efforts and of those other members who didn’t just “accept the grand bargain” have exposed the bill to the American people.
But now, those members are not the hope. They are going to be limited in their ability to do anything to stop this bill. In short — the very Senate leadership who repeatedly asks that the Republican caucus stick together are now rolling their conservative members to do a deal with Democrats — to do a deal with Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton.
The hope now lies with the American people. The American people have been speaking — and Senators are beginning to listen. Don’t give up now. It is clear that Senators are beginning to understand that this bill is not supported by a sizable and important segment of the American public — middle America. There are many Senators still on the fence that are being counted on to pass this bill. This is why today it is up to the people. If there is any hope — the American people must speak, and must speak loudly. Make phone calls to Senate offices, repeatedly, and non stop until the bill is defeated. Faxes and email — flood their offices. Fax in voided checks to the NRSC and the RNC with letters saying you won’t support them — and if you have ever given money before, ask for it back. Make very clear that this is the ultimate breach of faith and that there will be consequences.
Spread the word, America — there are a handful of Republican Senators who can stop this — and it is up to you to hold them accountable. It is up to you to tell them that you refuse to take this — you refuse to be sold a bill of goods. You are on to them — you know the bill cannot work. You know that this bill is “not better than the status quo” as the powers-that-be would have you believe. You know that this bill will cost YOU billions of dollars. You know that this bill harms our national security and undermines the rule of law. You know.
If you speak, they will listen. Go.
All indication is that Harry Reid has chosen to resume consideration of immigration sometime next week, possibly as early as Wednesday. It is his folly — a curious political choice designed to avoid the “do-nothing” label he so richly deserves.
But as much as he should be blamed personally for choosing to bring the bill back, it is the Republican leadership and Republican “grand bargainers” who are deserving of America’s contempt. Grand bargainers Graham, Kyl, Martinez and McCain made their deal with the devil a long time ago. And now, after a week of deal-making and arm-twisting, Senator Lott and McConnell have joined forces with them and with Democrats to pull together the 60 votes needed to pass an immigration bill that not only has no chance of working, but undermines our nation’s rule of law, damages our national security and will cost billions of dollars.
They do so knowingly and firmly over the objections of the American people. They have done so with great contempt for those who dare to question the decision or put up a fight. It is now up to the American people to demonstrate at a level never seen before in American politics that this is an unacceptable breach of faith with them and will not be tolerated. It is the only hope at this point that this terrible legislation — that has no chance of working — does not become law.
Up to now, a handful of Senators have been able to fight for amendments — and more, to fight for the transparency necessary to expose this bill’s fatal flaws. Senators Sessions and DeMint properly objected to a sham amendment process that was limiting the rights of Republicans. Other members offered amendment after amendment designed to target the bill’s many weaknesses - but few were granted votes. Their efforts and of those other members who didn’t just “accept the grand bargain” have exposed the bill to the American people.
But now, those members are not the hope. They are going to be limited in their ability to do anything to stop this bill. In short — the very Senate leadership who repeatedly asks that the Republican caucus stick together are now rolling their conservative members to do a deal with Democrats — to do a deal with Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton.
The hope now lies with the American people. The American people have been speaking — and Senators are beginning to listen. Don’t give up now. It is clear that Senators are beginning to understand that this bill is not supported by a sizable and important segment of the American public — middle America. There are many Senators still on the fence that are being counted on to pass this bill. This is why today it is up to the people. If there is any hope — the American people must speak, and must speak loudly. Make phone calls to Senate offices, repeatedly, and non stop until the bill is defeated. Faxes and email — flood their offices. Fax in voided checks to the NRSC and the RNC with letters saying you won’t support them — and if you have ever given money before, ask for it back. Make very clear that this is the ultimate breach of faith and that there will be consequences.
Spread the word, America — there are a handful of Republican Senators who can stop this — and it is up to you to hold them accountable. It is up to you to tell them that you refuse to take this — you refuse to be sold a bill of goods. You are on to them — you know the bill cannot work. You know that this bill is “not better than the status quo” as the powers-that-be would have you believe. You know that this bill will cost YOU billions of dollars. You know that this bill harms our national security and undermines the rule of law. You know.
If you speak, they will listen. Go.
Members of Congress pay relatives with campaign cash, report says
Members pay relatives with campaign cash, report says
18 Jun 2007 // A report released Monday by an ethics watchdog
group highlighted the nexus of members of Congress and their relatives through campaign funds and lobbying.
Titled Family Affair, the 151-page report outlines what House committee and subcommittee chairmen and -women all 337 of them have done for
family members over the past three election cycles.
It shows that many more members of Congress are paying their family members
than people realized. Now we have learned that this happens all the time, said Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and
Ethics in Washington (CREW), which released the report.
The document names 41 Democrats and 55 Republicans from 33 different states.
Among the findings, CREW learned that 64 lawmakers paid relatives through
their campaign committees or political action committees (PACs); 24 have
relatives who lobby Congress; 19 used campaign or PAC money to pay a
business where a family member is employed; and 17 used campaign funds to
contribute to relatives’ campaigns.
Though many of the payments are legal, CREW hopes the report will trigger
action to modify the Federal Election Commission Act as well as changes
to and stronger enforcement of existing House rules.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced legislation roughly two weeks ago
that would prohibit PAC and campaign money being paid to candidates’
and members’ spouses, except to reimburse travel costs, while disclosing any payments to
immediate family members. Prominent Democratic leaders, such as
Reps. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), have cosponsored the bill.
I hope it is going to lead to stronger enforcement ... we want to shine
the light on these practices so constituents can see for themselves.
It seems to me all the facts should be out, said Sloan.
Another bill, authored by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), would disclose
associations between lawmakers and their leadership PACs, which are
often obscured to the public.
Source URL:
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29110
Published on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (http://www.citizensforethics.org) By Kevin Bogardus, The Hill, June 18, 2007
www.mccainalert.com
18 Jun 2007 // A report released Monday by an ethics watchdog
group highlighted the nexus of members of Congress and their relatives through campaign funds and lobbying.
Titled Family Affair, the 151-page report outlines what House committee and subcommittee chairmen and -women all 337 of them have done for
family members over the past three election cycles.
It shows that many more members of Congress are paying their family members
than people realized. Now we have learned that this happens all the time, said Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and
Ethics in Washington (CREW), which released the report.
The document names 41 Democrats and 55 Republicans from 33 different states.
Among the findings, CREW learned that 64 lawmakers paid relatives through
their campaign committees or political action committees (PACs); 24 have
relatives who lobby Congress; 19 used campaign or PAC money to pay a
business where a family member is employed; and 17 used campaign funds to
contribute to relatives’ campaigns.
Though many of the payments are legal, CREW hopes the report will trigger
action to modify the Federal Election Commission Act as well as changes
to and stronger enforcement of existing House rules.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced legislation roughly two weeks ago
that would prohibit PAC and campaign money being paid to candidates’
and members’ spouses, except to reimburse travel costs, while disclosing any payments to
immediate family members. Prominent Democratic leaders, such as
Reps. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), have cosponsored the bill.
I hope it is going to lead to stronger enforcement ... we want to shine
the light on these practices so constituents can see for themselves.
It seems to me all the facts should be out, said Sloan.
Another bill, authored by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), would disclose
associations between lawmakers and their leadership PACs, which are
often obscured to the public.
Source URL:
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29110
Published on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (http://www.citizensforethics.org) By Kevin Bogardus, The Hill, June 18, 2007
www.mccainalert.com
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Silent Amnesty ?
McCain Does Not Want Silent Amnesty on Immigration
True to his reputation as a maverick, Sen. John McCain is obviously fed up with the jabs he's taking from conservatives on the immigration issue. And he's hitting back - hard.
It's about time. Since the beginning of this debate, McCain has been both correct and courageous. But now he has made it clear that he's not going to be anyone's punching bag.
McCain is correct about the need for comprehensive immigration reform as opposed to what's behind door No. 2: the "faith-based" enforcement-only approach of building walls, hoping illegal immigrants self-deport and calling it a day. Congress did something similar with immigration reform in 1996, and - as Sen. Sam Brownback noted in last week's presidential debate - all we have to show for it is a population of illegal immigrants nearly twice as large now as it was then.
And McCain is courageous for confronting the nativist fringe of his own party, telling voters what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear, and challenging other candidates to either lead or get out of the way. If they don't like the bipartisan Senate compromise that he helped craft, they can suggest something better, McCain tells them - provided that whatever they have in mind can get through Congress.
McCain zeroed in on one of his most vocal critics, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. On immigration, as on other hot-button issues, Romney has held nearly as many positions as there are days in the week. Recently, McCain told the Miami Chamber of Commerce that voters should come down hard on candidates who find it easier to criticize the solutions of others than to offer solutions of their own. While the Arizonan didn't mention Romney by name, the McCain campaign made clear it was Romney the senator was criticizing.
"To want the office so badly that you would intentionally make our country's problems worse might prove you can read a poll or take a cheap shot, but it hardly demonstrates presidential leadership," McCain told the group.
"Pandering for votes on this issue, while offering no solution to the problem, amounts to doing nothing. And doing nothing is silent amnesty."
By Ruben Navarrette Jr., The Salt Lake Tribune
June 11, 2007
Article Excerpt
True to his reputation as a maverick, Sen. John McCain is obviously fed up with the jabs he's taking from conservatives on the immigration issue. And he's hitting back - hard.
It's about time. Since the beginning of this debate, McCain has been both correct and courageous. But now he has made it clear that he's not going to be anyone's punching bag.
McCain is correct about the need for comprehensive immigration reform as opposed to what's behind door No. 2: the "faith-based" enforcement-only approach of building walls, hoping illegal immigrants self-deport and calling it a day. Congress did something similar with immigration reform in 1996, and - as Sen. Sam Brownback noted in last week's presidential debate - all we have to show for it is a population of illegal immigrants nearly twice as large now as it was then.
And McCain is courageous for confronting the nativist fringe of his own party, telling voters what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear, and challenging other candidates to either lead or get out of the way. If they don't like the bipartisan Senate compromise that he helped craft, they can suggest something better, McCain tells them - provided that whatever they have in mind can get through Congress.
McCain zeroed in on one of his most vocal critics, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. On immigration, as on other hot-button issues, Romney has held nearly as many positions as there are days in the week. Recently, McCain told the Miami Chamber of Commerce that voters should come down hard on candidates who find it easier to criticize the solutions of others than to offer solutions of their own. While the Arizonan didn't mention Romney by name, the McCain campaign made clear it was Romney the senator was criticizing.
"To want the office so badly that you would intentionally make our country's problems worse might prove you can read a poll or take a cheap shot, but it hardly demonstrates presidential leadership," McCain told the group.
"Pandering for votes on this issue, while offering no solution to the problem, amounts to doing nothing. And doing nothing is silent amnesty."
By Ruben Navarrette Jr., The Salt Lake Tribune
June 11, 2007
Article Excerpt
The McCain Update - June 15, 2007
The McCain Update - June 15, 2007
John McCain was on the road throughout the week, talking to voters in California, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama about the big challenges facing our country. He also took the fight to leading national Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, for tucking millions of dollars in earmarks to a defense bill, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for his harsh criticisms of both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Peter Pace, and the commander of our forces in Iraq, David Petraeus. John McCain called on Harry Reid to clarify his criticisms, given the two generals' distinguished records of service. Also this week, Cindy McCain made the rounds on the morning talk shows to discuss her work with Operation Smile, while Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty made his way to Iowa to talk about why John McCain is the candidate most prepared to lead our country in these challenging times.
John McCain was on the road throughout the week, talking to voters in California, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama about the big challenges facing our country. He also took the fight to leading national Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, for tucking millions of dollars in earmarks to a defense bill, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for his harsh criticisms of both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Peter Pace, and the commander of our forces in Iraq, David Petraeus. John McCain called on Harry Reid to clarify his criticisms, given the two generals' distinguished records of service. Also this week, Cindy McCain made the rounds on the morning talk shows to discuss her work with Operation Smile, while Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty made his way to Iowa to talk about why John McCain is the candidate most prepared to lead our country in these challenging times.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
some more dirty democrats
REPUBLICANS NEED TO ATTACK EARMARKS AND STOP WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY
By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) has
handed Republican lawmakers a golden (literally) opportunity to end
earmarking during the current session of Congress. (In our new book,
Outrage, we highlight how abuse of earmarking costs taxpayers $64 billion
three times what it was just a few years ago.)
According to Tuesday's New York Times, Obey warned Republicans
that he would ban earmarking completely if Republicans attacked
individual projects to score political points. What an
opportunity for the GOP!
Republicans forgot how to act like the fiscal conservatives they were
supposed to be when they controlled Congress and permitted earmarks
to proliferate. Now, they can atone for their sins by attacking
individual earmarks issued by specific Democrats, and by challenging
Obey to make good on his threat.
Republicans need go no further than attacking the earmarks of Congressman Alan Mollohan (D-W. Va.), who's currently under federal investigation.
Until the FBI started looking at him, Mollohan was the ranking
Democrat on the House Ethics Committee! (Is it any wonder why Congressional approval now stands at 23 percent in the polls?)
Mollohan has a cute racket going. He gets earmarks inserted into spending bills for non-profit organizations in his home state some of which he helped to set up and then he goes into real estate deals with the heads of these same organizations and makes a killing.
For example, Mollohan got $30 million of tax money since 1999 for the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, which redevelops dilapidated buildings. Then, he and his wife bought five empty lots on Bald Head Island, N.C. worth $2 million with Laura Kurtz Kuhns, the head of the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, and her husband!
He pulled the same trick by buying a farm for $900,000 with
Dale R. McBride as his partner after getting McBride’s company,
FMW Composite Systems, $4.4 million in earmarks to make equipment
for NASA and the Marine Corps.
Of course, stopping Obey from putting earmarks in appropriations bills
will require some earmark addicts among the Republicans to quit cold turkey.
Specifically, the two leading earmarkers in Congress Senators Ted Stevens of Alaska and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, both Republicans will have
to stop their massive spending of taxpayers’ money.
Senator Stevens got $325 million in earmarks in the 2006 appropriations
cycle, which works out to $500 for every man, woman, and child in Alaska. He lavished our money on a $1.3 million program of berry research,
$1.1 million for alternative salmon projects, and $500,000 for
fruit and berry crop trials.
Senator Thad Cochran, who postures as a fiscal conservative, spent our money for a $5.7 million grant for the Wildlife Habitat Management Institute,
$1.4 million for Mississippi Valley State University, $936,000 to
study advanced spatial technologies, $517,000 for aquaculture research, and $50,000 for cotton ginning research (presumably to supplement
the efforts of Eli Whitney who invented the cotton gin in 1793.)
Republicans need to start acting like Republicans, not drunken,
big spending Democrats, and stopping earmarks is a good way to start.
As Dave Obey might say, "be his guest!"
By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) has
handed Republican lawmakers a golden (literally) opportunity to end
earmarking during the current session of Congress. (In our new book,
Outrage, we highlight how abuse of earmarking costs taxpayers $64 billion
three times what it was just a few years ago.)
According to Tuesday's New York Times, Obey warned Republicans
that he would ban earmarking completely if Republicans attacked
individual projects to score political points. What an
opportunity for the GOP!
Republicans forgot how to act like the fiscal conservatives they were
supposed to be when they controlled Congress and permitted earmarks
to proliferate. Now, they can atone for their sins by attacking
individual earmarks issued by specific Democrats, and by challenging
Obey to make good on his threat.
Republicans need go no further than attacking the earmarks of Congressman Alan Mollohan (D-W. Va.), who's currently under federal investigation.
Until the FBI started looking at him, Mollohan was the ranking
Democrat on the House Ethics Committee! (Is it any wonder why Congressional approval now stands at 23 percent in the polls?)
Mollohan has a cute racket going. He gets earmarks inserted into spending bills for non-profit organizations in his home state some of which he helped to set up and then he goes into real estate deals with the heads of these same organizations and makes a killing.
For example, Mollohan got $30 million of tax money since 1999 for the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, which redevelops dilapidated buildings. Then, he and his wife bought five empty lots on Bald Head Island, N.C. worth $2 million with Laura Kurtz Kuhns, the head of the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, and her husband!
He pulled the same trick by buying a farm for $900,000 with
Dale R. McBride as his partner after getting McBride’s company,
FMW Composite Systems, $4.4 million in earmarks to make equipment
for NASA and the Marine Corps.
Of course, stopping Obey from putting earmarks in appropriations bills
will require some earmark addicts among the Republicans to quit cold turkey.
Specifically, the two leading earmarkers in Congress Senators Ted Stevens of Alaska and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, both Republicans will have
to stop their massive spending of taxpayers’ money.
Senator Stevens got $325 million in earmarks in the 2006 appropriations
cycle, which works out to $500 for every man, woman, and child in Alaska. He lavished our money on a $1.3 million program of berry research,
$1.1 million for alternative salmon projects, and $500,000 for
fruit and berry crop trials.
Senator Thad Cochran, who postures as a fiscal conservative, spent our money for a $5.7 million grant for the Wildlife Habitat Management Institute,
$1.4 million for Mississippi Valley State University, $936,000 to
study advanced spatial technologies, $517,000 for aquaculture research, and $50,000 for cotton ginning research (presumably to supplement
the efforts of Eli Whitney who invented the cotton gin in 1793.)
Republicans need to start acting like Republicans, not drunken,
big spending Democrats, and stopping earmarks is a good way to start.
As Dave Obey might say, "be his guest!"
Friday, June 15, 2007
2 many vaginas at the head ofDepartment of State ?
2 many vaginas at the head ofDepartment of State ?
too many vaginas at the Department of state ?
Have we caused more problems by sending 2 female
spokepersons to the mideast.
North Korean is still nuclear,
Iran working on its nuclear options
Iraq is a mess
China is arming itself to the teeth
Mexico is exporting its poverty and drugs to the US.
I dont think they appreciate skirts and painted women.
after Rice and Albright
have I missed something ?
too many vaginas at the Department of state ?
Have we caused more problems by sending 2 female
spokepersons to the mideast.
North Korean is still nuclear,
Iran working on its nuclear options
Iraq is a mess
China is arming itself to the teeth
Mexico is exporting its poverty and drugs to the US.
I dont think they appreciate skirts and painted women.
after Rice and Albright
have I missed something ?
Pres Bush now wants a surge on border security?
Pres Bush wants a surge on border security?
shithead, he has been sitting on his hands for his last 6 years
www.mccainalert.com
shithead, he has been sitting on his hands for his last 6 years
www.mccainalert.com
New immigration plan ignores history's lessons
Dobbs: New immigration plan ignores history's lessons
By Lou Dobbs
CNN
Editor's Note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears weekly on CNN.com.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- There are times when reason carries the mind no further, when the mind is carried from the rational across the penumbra of the absurd. That is where the leadership of the U.S. Senate now resides.
What many once regarded as the world's great deliberative body looks more like a clamorous bazaar in which senators feverishly hawk duplicity and deceit as bright jewels of public policy. Comprehensive immigration reform is just such a bauble, and buyer beware.
Most beguiling among those merchants of mendacity is none other than Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who has been peddling his wares at the Senate bazaar for more than four decades. Kennedy's counterfeit immigration views reach all the way back to his championship of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
In signing that legislation into law, President Lyndon Johnson promised it would not be revolutionary or affect the lives of millions, even as it overturned 60 years of U.S. immigration policy of national origin quotas and led to the creation of explosive chain migration.
Twenty-one years later, President Ronald Reagan signed into law amnesty for more than three million illegal aliens who had entered the country. President Reagan then promised the new employer sanctions would "remove the incentive for illegal immigration by eliminating the job opportunities," and that the law's amnesty provision would allow millions who were hiding in the shadows to "step into the sunlight."
And now, another 21 years later, we hear the same language as the pro-amnesty and open borders advocates demand that American citizens ignore history, reason and the national interest. They are again marketing the same false assurances about border enforcement and insist there will be no social or economic cost to the taxpayer or the nation. More than four decades of disruptive and destructive immigration policy initiatives should be a sufficient history lesson for all Americans.
The essential truth is clear: We cannot reform immigration law until we control immigration, and we cannot control immigration until we control our borders and our ports. This president and the congressional Democratic leadership refuse to recognize that reality and will not honor that truth.
President Bush and Sen. Kennedy pass for political stars in our tortured times, and that is sad enough. But if we follow the course they've set, true tragedy awaits us. And the fault will be ours.
see more at www.loudobbs.com
By Lou Dobbs
CNN
Editor's Note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears weekly on CNN.com.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- There are times when reason carries the mind no further, when the mind is carried from the rational across the penumbra of the absurd. That is where the leadership of the U.S. Senate now resides.
What many once regarded as the world's great deliberative body looks more like a clamorous bazaar in which senators feverishly hawk duplicity and deceit as bright jewels of public policy. Comprehensive immigration reform is just such a bauble, and buyer beware.
Most beguiling among those merchants of mendacity is none other than Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who has been peddling his wares at the Senate bazaar for more than four decades. Kennedy's counterfeit immigration views reach all the way back to his championship of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
In signing that legislation into law, President Lyndon Johnson promised it would not be revolutionary or affect the lives of millions, even as it overturned 60 years of U.S. immigration policy of national origin quotas and led to the creation of explosive chain migration.
Twenty-one years later, President Ronald Reagan signed into law amnesty for more than three million illegal aliens who had entered the country. President Reagan then promised the new employer sanctions would "remove the incentive for illegal immigration by eliminating the job opportunities," and that the law's amnesty provision would allow millions who were hiding in the shadows to "step into the sunlight."
And now, another 21 years later, we hear the same language as the pro-amnesty and open borders advocates demand that American citizens ignore history, reason and the national interest. They are again marketing the same false assurances about border enforcement and insist there will be no social or economic cost to the taxpayer or the nation. More than four decades of disruptive and destructive immigration policy initiatives should be a sufficient history lesson for all Americans.
The essential truth is clear: We cannot reform immigration law until we control immigration, and we cannot control immigration until we control our borders and our ports. This president and the congressional Democratic leadership refuse to recognize that reality and will not honor that truth.
President Bush and Sen. Kennedy pass for political stars in our tortured times, and that is sad enough. But if we follow the course they've set, true tragedy awaits us. And the fault will be ours.
see more at www.loudobbs.com
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