McCain, Giuliani to visit Illinois and campaign for Topinka
Senator John McCain, Giuliani to visit Illinois and campaign for Topinka
Judy Baar Topinka said former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Senator John McCain will travel to Illinois in the next week to stump for her campaign.
Giuliani, who has been mentioned as a potential 2008 Republican presidential candidate, is scheduled to appear Tuesday at a campaign event in Bolingbrook in Will County.
McCain, a Republican from Arizona, is slated to appear with Topinka at a campaign event in Fairview Heights near St. Louis on Saturday.
Giuliani and McCain aren't the only high-profile Republicans to try and help Topinka oust Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Last week, Pres. George W. Bush traveled to Chicago and helped Topinka raise $1.2 million during a posh $500-a-plate fund-raiser at the Drake Hotel.
see more
http://www.hoinews.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=12670
Monday, July 10, 2006
Defense industry moves to thwart McCain provision
Defense industry moves to thwart McCain provision
The defense aerospace industry is fighting to kill
Senate legislation that seeks to curb the rising
costs of weapons systems.
The provision, crafted by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
and adopted as part of the Senate’s 2007 defense
authorization bill, calls for the Pentagon to award
fixed-price contracts for the research and
development stage of major weapons systems.
McCain, a senior member of the Senate Armed
Services Committee and probably the panel’s
next chairman in 2007, is a critic of Pentagon
contracting practices and of its delayed, and
increasingly expensive, next-generation weapons.
Senator McCain is among a growing number of lawmakers
who have expressed concern that, despite the
delays and cost overruns of defense programs,
contractors continue receiving incentive
bonuses from the government.
The senator’s solution is to prevent the
Pentagon from awarding any other types of contracts
that normally allow for fees or profits above
the actual cost of developing and producing a
weapons system. Therefore, fixed-price contracts
set a limit on the cost of a defense product.
The Senate provision, however, stipulates that
the secretary of defense can circumvent the use
of fixed-price contracts if he deems the program
so complex and technologically challenging that it
would be impractical to use a fixed-price contract.
see more at http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/071106_mccain.html
The defense aerospace industry is fighting to kill
Senate legislation that seeks to curb the rising
costs of weapons systems.
The provision, crafted by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
and adopted as part of the Senate’s 2007 defense
authorization bill, calls for the Pentagon to award
fixed-price contracts for the research and
development stage of major weapons systems.
McCain, a senior member of the Senate Armed
Services Committee and probably the panel’s
next chairman in 2007, is a critic of Pentagon
contracting practices and of its delayed, and
increasingly expensive, next-generation weapons.
Senator McCain is among a growing number of lawmakers
who have expressed concern that, despite the
delays and cost overruns of defense programs,
contractors continue receiving incentive
bonuses from the government.
The senator’s solution is to prevent the
Pentagon from awarding any other types of contracts
that normally allow for fees or profits above
the actual cost of developing and producing a
weapons system. Therefore, fixed-price contracts
set a limit on the cost of a defense product.
The Senate provision, however, stipulates that
the secretary of defense can circumvent the use
of fixed-price contracts if he deems the program
so complex and technologically challenging that it
would be impractical to use a fixed-price contract.
see more at http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/071106_mccain.html
Friday, July 07, 2006
Jim Gilchrist, of the Minuteman Project, Speaks Out In A New Book Released Today
Jim Gilchrist Speaks Out In A New Book Released Today
Buy The Book
July 4, 2006 (Laguna Hills, CA) – has announced a new undertaking: the Minuteman Book Club, which will offer the latest and best books on issues of critical concern to all patriotic Americans. The first offering to become available through the club is the newly released Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America’s Borders, co-written by the New York Times bestselling author Jerome Corsi, known for his previous work, “Unfit for Command,” and Jim Gilchrist, founder of The Minuteman Project. “Minutemen” is certain to become one of the most controversial titles of 2006. The book promises to energize, infuriate and mobilize millions of Americans concerned about our nation’s illegal immigration problem.
While researching “Minutemen,” Corsi and Gilchrist uncovered the Bush Administration’s establishment of an office in the Department of Commerce to collaborate on ways to harmonize regulations with the Mexican and Canadian governments, leading to a seamless market and increasing labor mobility between the three countries by 2010 – all without participation or oversight from Congress. The topics raised by the Corsi-Gilchrist book have already aroused concerns in Congress from Rep. Mary Kaptur (D-OH) and Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), as well as CNN news anchor Lou Dobbs. The Minuteman Book Club offers benefits no other book club offers, including personally signed books by the authors. A signed “Minutemen” book is an exceptional value available only through the Minuteman Book Club for $24.95 The book may be ordered online from the Minuteman Book Club at www.minutemanbookclub.com.
Buy The Book
July 4, 2006 (Laguna Hills, CA) – has announced a new undertaking: the Minuteman Book Club, which will offer the latest and best books on issues of critical concern to all patriotic Americans. The first offering to become available through the club is the newly released Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America’s Borders, co-written by the New York Times bestselling author Jerome Corsi, known for his previous work, “Unfit for Command,” and Jim Gilchrist, founder of The Minuteman Project. “Minutemen” is certain to become one of the most controversial titles of 2006. The book promises to energize, infuriate and mobilize millions of Americans concerned about our nation’s illegal immigration problem.
While researching “Minutemen,” Corsi and Gilchrist uncovered the Bush Administration’s establishment of an office in the Department of Commerce to collaborate on ways to harmonize regulations with the Mexican and Canadian governments, leading to a seamless market and increasing labor mobility between the three countries by 2010 – all without participation or oversight from Congress. The topics raised by the Corsi-Gilchrist book have already aroused concerns in Congress from Rep. Mary Kaptur (D-OH) and Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), as well as CNN news anchor Lou Dobbs. The Minuteman Book Club offers benefits no other book club offers, including personally signed books by the authors. A signed “Minutemen” book is an exceptional value available only through the Minuteman Book Club for $24.95 The book may be ordered online from the Minuteman Book Club at www.minutemanbookclub.com.
Monday, July 03, 2006
AZ GOP Announces the Debut of Vetojanet.org
AZ GOP Announces the Debut of Vetojanet.org
The Arizona Republican Party announced the debut of vetojanet.org last week to highlight the record number of vetoes by Governor Napolitano. By navigating the website, one can go through each of the 125 record-breaking vetoes that our obstructionist governor has issued.
As part of our party's ongoing voter education efforts, this web site is a convenient tool to learn more about the real Napolitano record.
www.vetojanet.org will continue to be a one-stop shop for Arizonans looking to learn more about the governor's tenure. Visitors to the site can download a .pdf version of the report to view it in its entirety.
Governor Thumbs Nose at One of America's Fastest Growing Counties
Instead of helping Pinal County - Arizona's fastest growing county, and the seventh-fastest in the country - confront its growth by expanding the county's board of supervisors from three seats to five, the governor instead chose to side with entrenched and parochial Democratic interests in Florence over equal representation for all residents of Pinal County.
A bill to expand the board was sponsored by Republican State Representative Cheryl Chase in the House where it passed overwhelmingly. In the State Senate, Rebecca Rios, who represents much of Pinal County, begrudgingly voted "yes," but only after originally voting "no" on the measure, leaving the residents of Pinal to question exactly where she stands on this important issue.
Representative Chase worked very hard on this legislation for the people of Pinal County despite the governor's consistent partisan opposition. The people of Pinal County know they have a true advocate in Cheryl Chase.
www.azgop.org.
The Arizona Republican Party announced the debut of vetojanet.org last week to highlight the record number of vetoes by Governor Napolitano. By navigating the website, one can go through each of the 125 record-breaking vetoes that our obstructionist governor has issued.
As part of our party's ongoing voter education efforts, this web site is a convenient tool to learn more about the real Napolitano record.
www.vetojanet.org will continue to be a one-stop shop for Arizonans looking to learn more about the governor's tenure. Visitors to the site can download a .pdf version of the report to view it in its entirety.
Governor Thumbs Nose at One of America's Fastest Growing Counties
Instead of helping Pinal County - Arizona's fastest growing county, and the seventh-fastest in the country - confront its growth by expanding the county's board of supervisors from three seats to five, the governor instead chose to side with entrenched and parochial Democratic interests in Florence over equal representation for all residents of Pinal County.
A bill to expand the board was sponsored by Republican State Representative Cheryl Chase in the House where it passed overwhelmingly. In the State Senate, Rebecca Rios, who represents much of Pinal County, begrudgingly voted "yes," but only after originally voting "no" on the measure, leaving the residents of Pinal to question exactly where she stands on this important issue.
Representative Chase worked very hard on this legislation for the people of Pinal County despite the governor's consistent partisan opposition. The people of Pinal County know they have a true advocate in Cheryl Chase.
www.azgop.org.
looking for a fresher financial disclosure for Senator Jos Lieberman
looking for a fresher financial disclosure for Senator Jos Lieberman, see
prior here
looking for a more recent disclosure
http://www.publicintegrity.org/docs/bop2004/dw/Lieberman/FD_02.pdf
offical senator Lieberman financial disclosure form
mccain alert
prior here
looking for a more recent disclosure
http://www.publicintegrity.org/docs/bop2004/dw/Lieberman/FD_02.pdf
offical senator Lieberman financial disclosure form
mccain alert
are illegal aliens the new "coolies of this century ?
are illegal aliens the new "coolies of this century ?
Cheap imported labor from China was used to build
the Transcontinental Railroad in US and the Canadian
Pacific Railway in Western Canada.
does that sound like NAFTA CAFTA to you ?
more info
Cheap imported labor from China was used to build
the Transcontinental Railroad in US and the Canadian
Pacific Railway in Western Canada.
does that sound like NAFTA CAFTA to you ?
more info
Friday, June 30, 2006
Minuteman billboards take aim at Senator John "crash" McCain
Minuteman billboards take aim at Senator John "crash" McCain, colleagues
The Minuteman Project leaders aim to make U.S. Sen. John McCain the first target in a nationwide billboard campaign about immigration reform.
The billboards are intended as personal messages for illegal immigration pandering politicians, said Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist.
Chief among those politicians is McCain, R-Ariz., cosponsor of the Senate’s immigration reform bill.
The billboards depict three military helmets atop machine guns, which is a sign of fallen soldiers, and the message:
No Senator They did not die for . . . AMNESTY!The first billboard is slated to appear near Chase Field in downtown Phoenix as soon as July 2, Gilchrist said. About 10 more billboards will follow statewide, though the exact number and locations have yet to be determined.
McCain was an easy selection because he is the source of the problem, Gilchrist said.
McCain is complacent in this Trojan Horse invasion of the country and is completely unwilling to do anything about it,
he said.
The senator did not respond to requests for comment about the planned billboards.
McCain’s immigration proposal would increase border security, create a temporary worker program for foreign workers and provide a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already living in the United States.
see more at...........
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=68680&source=rss&dest=STY-68680
The Minuteman Project leaders aim to make U.S. Sen. John McCain the first target in a nationwide billboard campaign about immigration reform.
The billboards are intended as personal messages for illegal immigration pandering politicians, said Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist.
Chief among those politicians is McCain, R-Ariz., cosponsor of the Senate’s immigration reform bill.
The billboards depict three military helmets atop machine guns, which is a sign of fallen soldiers, and the message:
No Senator They did not die for . . . AMNESTY!The first billboard is slated to appear near Chase Field in downtown Phoenix as soon as July 2, Gilchrist said. About 10 more billboards will follow statewide, though the exact number and locations have yet to be determined.
McCain was an easy selection because he is the source of the problem, Gilchrist said.
McCain is complacent in this Trojan Horse invasion of the country and is completely unwilling to do anything about it,
he said.
The senator did not respond to requests for comment about the planned billboards.
McCain’s immigration proposal would increase border security, create a temporary worker program for foreign workers and provide a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already living in the United States.
see more at...........
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=68680&source=rss&dest=STY-68680
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Senator John Mccain denounces Goldwater
Senator John Mccain denounces Goldwater
McCain blasts fellow Republican
Arizona Sen. John McCain has come out against the
Republican gubernatorial candidacy of Don Goldwater.
Goldwater -- nephew of late, former U.S. Sen. Barry
Goldwater -- favors a hard-line approach to illegal
immigration and border security. That includes
construction of a border wall and putting some
illegal immigrants who are arrested for crimes into
work details to help build fences and walls.
McCain issued a statement Friday denouncing
Goldwater's call for a border wall and work camps
and urged fellow Republicans to take a similar stance.
The senator called Goldwater an "inappropriate messenger"
for the GOP on the issue -- a major concern for Arizona's
business community.
McCain -- who is eyeing a 2008 White House run --
favors a more moderate immigration approach
including a business-backed guest worker program
and legal path for some illegals already in the U.S.
The Goldwater campaign said Friday it was
disappointed that McCain did not contact
them before issuing the official denouncement.
McCain could endorse conservative attorney Len
Munsil in the September Republican primary for
governor. Munsil is the former head of the Center
for Arizona Policy, a socially conservative advocacy
group and the main supporter of a proposed state
ballot question banning gay marriage.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/06/26/daily6.html?from_rss=1
www.mccainalert.com
McCain blasts fellow Republican
Arizona Sen. John McCain has come out against the
Republican gubernatorial candidacy of Don Goldwater.
Goldwater -- nephew of late, former U.S. Sen. Barry
Goldwater -- favors a hard-line approach to illegal
immigration and border security. That includes
construction of a border wall and putting some
illegal immigrants who are arrested for crimes into
work details to help build fences and walls.
McCain issued a statement Friday denouncing
Goldwater's call for a border wall and work camps
and urged fellow Republicans to take a similar stance.
The senator called Goldwater an "inappropriate messenger"
for the GOP on the issue -- a major concern for Arizona's
business community.
McCain -- who is eyeing a 2008 White House run --
favors a more moderate immigration approach
including a business-backed guest worker program
and legal path for some illegals already in the U.S.
The Goldwater campaign said Friday it was
disappointed that McCain did not contact
them before issuing the official denouncement.
McCain could endorse conservative attorney Len
Munsil in the September Republican primary for
governor. Munsil is the former head of the Center
for Arizona Policy, a socially conservative advocacy
group and the main supporter of a proposed state
ballot question banning gay marriage.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/06/26/daily6.html?from_rss=1
www.mccainalert.com
Congressman Rick Renzi.
Dear Friend:
You have been such a tremendous supporter of mine through the years. I cannot thank you enough for the financial backing and strong words of support you have offered time and time again.
Now, I am turning to you to ask that you support a great member of the Arizona delegation and my friend, Congressman Rick Renzi.
Rick Renzi has proven himself to be a dedicated, thoughtful and effective Member of Congress for our great state. Rick is a workhorse for his district, our state and our country. He represents a majority-Democrat district and must continually out work his opponents as he has done by waging tough campaigns for the last four years.
This year, he faces yet another difficult race.
Already his liberal opponents have started advertising on television against him and the Washington liberals have recruited a multi-millionaire from Ohio to challenge him in November.
Rick's opponent, Ellen Simon, is the former president of the ACLU and has pledged to spend millions of her own dollars to defeat Rick. We simply cannot let this happen!
Rick has worked too hard and has done too much for Arizona for us to simply stand by and watch. That's why I am asking you today to make a much needed contribution to Congressman Renzi's re-election campaign. You can do so now by
Whether it's the work Rick has done on the Intelligence Committee to combat terrorism; supporting tax cuts for working families; his work to develop alternative energy sources; or his efforts in securing high-tech jobs for Arizona, Rick Renzi deserves our support.
So, will you please join me in supporting Rick Renzi for Congress? Your contribution today of $2,100, $1,000, $500, $250, $100 or whatever you can afford goes a long way towards victory in November.
You can mail a check to Rick Renzi for Congress, PO Box 5066, Scottsdale, AZ 85261 or make a secure online donation right now by clicking here.
I thank you in advance for your support and we hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
John McCain U.S. Senator
P.S. Please act today! The June 30th deadline is fast-approaching and Rick needs to have the largest warchest on hand as possible in order to show the Washington establishment and his opponents that Rick is serious about this race and has a wide base of support. Thanks again!
see more www.mccainalert.com
You have been such a tremendous supporter of mine through the years. I cannot thank you enough for the financial backing and strong words of support you have offered time and time again.
Now, I am turning to you to ask that you support a great member of the Arizona delegation and my friend, Congressman Rick Renzi.
Rick Renzi has proven himself to be a dedicated, thoughtful and effective Member of Congress for our great state. Rick is a workhorse for his district, our state and our country. He represents a majority-Democrat district and must continually out work his opponents as he has done by waging tough campaigns for the last four years.
This year, he faces yet another difficult race.
Already his liberal opponents have started advertising on television against him and the Washington liberals have recruited a multi-millionaire from Ohio to challenge him in November.
Rick's opponent, Ellen Simon, is the former president of the ACLU and has pledged to spend millions of her own dollars to defeat Rick. We simply cannot let this happen!
Rick has worked too hard and has done too much for Arizona for us to simply stand by and watch. That's why I am asking you today to make a much needed contribution to Congressman Renzi's re-election campaign. You can do so now by
Whether it's the work Rick has done on the Intelligence Committee to combat terrorism; supporting tax cuts for working families; his work to develop alternative energy sources; or his efforts in securing high-tech jobs for Arizona, Rick Renzi deserves our support.
So, will you please join me in supporting Rick Renzi for Congress? Your contribution today of $2,100, $1,000, $500, $250, $100 or whatever you can afford goes a long way towards victory in November.
You can mail a check to Rick Renzi for Congress, PO Box 5066, Scottsdale, AZ 85261 or make a secure online donation right now by clicking here.
I thank you in advance for your support and we hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
John McCain U.S. Senator
P.S. Please act today! The June 30th deadline is fast-approaching and Rick needs to have the largest warchest on hand as possible in order to show the Washington establishment and his opponents that Rick is serious about this race and has a wide base of support. Thanks again!
see more www.mccainalert.com
Monday, June 26, 2006
Shielding our Independence By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl
Shielding our Independence By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl
As the nation observes Independence Day this year, we should be humbled by what it has taken to preserve America’s independence. We should be equally cognizant of the forces that could attack us today, and do what is required to continue protecting the American people.
The world has closely watched to see whether North Korea will conduct a long-range missile test. At this writing, reports indicate that North Korea is poised to launch an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), that is capable of striking Alaska, Hawaii, and possibly the continental United States as far as Phoenix.
The North Korean regime has been implacably hostile to the United States, a point it makes frequently through its government-run media. Moreover, the insulated regime in Pyongyang has shown the propensity to act irrationally and with complete disregard for the welfare of its own subjugated people. If any country in the world is likely not to budge in the face of international pressure, North Korea is it.
This is not our first standoff with North Korea; unfortunately, it is unlikely to be our last. North Korea, like its ally, Iran, already has the capability of attacking its neighbors. That alone could require the U.S. to take action. This is especially troublesome because North Korea is believed to have a small stockpile of nuclear weapons, and may be producing as many as six additional devices every year.
North Korean success in missile development may exacerbate threats elsewhere. Iran’s missile technology is based on North Korean designs, and there is little reason to believe that further technology transfer between the two rogue nations won’t occur. Reports indicate that Iran, even without North Korean help, could test flight an ICBM capable of reaching our allies, and possibly the United States, by 2015.
These disturbing facts all highlight the need for a national missile defense system. I have been a vocal advocate of missile defense since I was elected to the House of Representatives and, in recent years, have been encouraged by the progress made by the Missile Defense Agency. Although the system is far from perfect, our ability to defend this country from a missile attack is growing every day. Without development of this technology, we wouldn’t have even a limited defense against the sort of unprovoked attack that North Korea might try to launch.
It is critical that the United States continue to proceed rapidly with the development and deployment of this layered, integrated national missile-defense system. When we face potentially volatile regimes like the one in Pyongyang, only missile defenses can ensure the protection of this nation and our citizens. Even Democratic opponents of missile defense have come to acknowledge this threat, as they have - for the first time in years - supporting amendments to increase missile-defense funding during debate over defense legislation in June.
In light of recent events, I find the words of Peter Flory, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, particularly fitting: “The U.S. government was criticized in the wake of 9/11 for not ‘connecting the dots’ on the terrorist threat and failing to act to prevent the attacks. With respect to the ballistic missile threat, the dots are out there for all to see.” We must connect the dots here in the Senate, and make sure that we dedicate the funds necessary to protect us from our lethally armed adversaries in places like North Korea and Iran. To do otherwise would be a dereliction of our duty.
Sen. Kyl serves on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees and chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
As the nation observes Independence Day this year, we should be humbled by what it has taken to preserve America’s independence. We should be equally cognizant of the forces that could attack us today, and do what is required to continue protecting the American people.
The world has closely watched to see whether North Korea will conduct a long-range missile test. At this writing, reports indicate that North Korea is poised to launch an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), that is capable of striking Alaska, Hawaii, and possibly the continental United States as far as Phoenix.
The North Korean regime has been implacably hostile to the United States, a point it makes frequently through its government-run media. Moreover, the insulated regime in Pyongyang has shown the propensity to act irrationally and with complete disregard for the welfare of its own subjugated people. If any country in the world is likely not to budge in the face of international pressure, North Korea is it.
This is not our first standoff with North Korea; unfortunately, it is unlikely to be our last. North Korea, like its ally, Iran, already has the capability of attacking its neighbors. That alone could require the U.S. to take action. This is especially troublesome because North Korea is believed to have a small stockpile of nuclear weapons, and may be producing as many as six additional devices every year.
North Korean success in missile development may exacerbate threats elsewhere. Iran’s missile technology is based on North Korean designs, and there is little reason to believe that further technology transfer between the two rogue nations won’t occur. Reports indicate that Iran, even without North Korean help, could test flight an ICBM capable of reaching our allies, and possibly the United States, by 2015.
These disturbing facts all highlight the need for a national missile defense system. I have been a vocal advocate of missile defense since I was elected to the House of Representatives and, in recent years, have been encouraged by the progress made by the Missile Defense Agency. Although the system is far from perfect, our ability to defend this country from a missile attack is growing every day. Without development of this technology, we wouldn’t have even a limited defense against the sort of unprovoked attack that North Korea might try to launch.
It is critical that the United States continue to proceed rapidly with the development and deployment of this layered, integrated national missile-defense system. When we face potentially volatile regimes like the one in Pyongyang, only missile defenses can ensure the protection of this nation and our citizens. Even Democratic opponents of missile defense have come to acknowledge this threat, as they have - for the first time in years - supporting amendments to increase missile-defense funding during debate over defense legislation in June.
In light of recent events, I find the words of Peter Flory, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, particularly fitting: “The U.S. government was criticized in the wake of 9/11 for not ‘connecting the dots’ on the terrorist threat and failing to act to prevent the attacks. With respect to the ballistic missile threat, the dots are out there for all to see.” We must connect the dots here in the Senate, and make sure that we dedicate the funds necessary to protect us from our lethally armed adversaries in places like North Korea and Iran. To do otherwise would be a dereliction of our duty.
Sen. Kyl serves on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees and chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Sen. McCain Raises Money for Mississippi GOP
Senator John McCain Raises Money for Mississippi GOP
Arizona Senator John McCain spoke to a crowd of hundreds
Monday night in Jackson. He was the featured guest at a
private fundraising event for the Mississippi Republican
party.
John McCain was last in Mississippi with Senator Trent Lott,
as he toured the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast after Katrina,
then fought to get federal recovery money. "He made a huge
difference when the Senate was considering legislation to
help us. He made a huge difference," said Governor
Haley Barbour.
McCain returns again with Trent Lott, this time to
raise money for the Mississippi GOP. The two Senators
will also stand together this week, as the Senate
begins debating a scheduled pullout of troops in Iraq.
"All of us want our troops out of Iraq, but we don't want
them out before the situation warrants it," said McCain.
He says more work needs to be done before US troops can
withdrawal, but points to the capture and death of
Al-Zarqawi as a major step forward. "His successor,
I'm sure, will try to do bad things to America,"
McCain said. "But the fact that this guy is gone is very
important."
McCain hasn't decided for sure if he'll make run
for president in 2008. He says he'll turn to
Trent Lott and Governor Haley Barbour for advice.
"I thought I'd consult with them sometime early
next year to make a decision on that," McCain said.
see more at........
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5052075&nav=menu119_2
more on mccain
Arizona Senator John McCain spoke to a crowd of hundreds
Monday night in Jackson. He was the featured guest at a
private fundraising event for the Mississippi Republican
party.
John McCain was last in Mississippi with Senator Trent Lott,
as he toured the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast after Katrina,
then fought to get federal recovery money. "He made a huge
difference when the Senate was considering legislation to
help us. He made a huge difference," said Governor
Haley Barbour.
McCain returns again with Trent Lott, this time to
raise money for the Mississippi GOP. The two Senators
will also stand together this week, as the Senate
begins debating a scheduled pullout of troops in Iraq.
"All of us want our troops out of Iraq, but we don't want
them out before the situation warrants it," said McCain.
He says more work needs to be done before US troops can
withdrawal, but points to the capture and death of
Al-Zarqawi as a major step forward. "His successor,
I'm sure, will try to do bad things to America,"
McCain said. "But the fact that this guy is gone is very
important."
McCain hasn't decided for sure if he'll make run
for president in 2008. He says he'll turn to
Trent Lott and Governor Haley Barbour for advice.
"I thought I'd consult with them sometime early
next year to make a decision on that," McCain said.
see more at........
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5052075&nav=menu119_2
more on mccain
Friday, June 23, 2006
Norman Mineta to quit as Transportation Secretary
Mineta to quit as Transportation Secretary
WASHINGTON - Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta,
the only Democrat in President Bush's Cabinet and
one of its three remaining original members, will step down July 7.
Mineta, who oversaw the huge transportation security buildup after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, had been plagued at times by back problems and spent months working from home and the hospital. But he has since recovered.
He is "moving on to pursue other challenges," his spokesman, Robert Johnson, said Friday.
White House press secretary Tony Snow announced the resignation. Asked why Mineta, 74, decided to leave, Snow said: "Because he wanted to."
"He was not being pushed out," Snow said. "As a matter of fact, the president and the vice president and others were happy with him. He put in five and half years that's enough time."
Snow credited Mineta with establishing the Transportation Security Administration, cutting regulations and red tape to liberalize the commercial aviation market, helping shape the legislation that finances the nation's highways, and injecting "sound economic principles" into the nation's passenger rail system.
Snow also paid tribute to Mineta's long history in public life: his service in the Army, his elections to local positions in California, his 20 years representing California in the U.S. House, and his tours in two Cabinet positions, the first as commerce secretary under former President Clinton.
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta
see more at........
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060623/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/mineta_resigns_7
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta
www.mccainalert.com
WASHINGTON - Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta,
the only Democrat in President Bush's Cabinet and
one of its three remaining original members, will step down July 7.
Mineta, who oversaw the huge transportation security buildup after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, had been plagued at times by back problems and spent months working from home and the hospital. But he has since recovered.
He is "moving on to pursue other challenges," his spokesman, Robert Johnson, said Friday.
White House press secretary Tony Snow announced the resignation. Asked why Mineta, 74, decided to leave, Snow said: "Because he wanted to."
"He was not being pushed out," Snow said. "As a matter of fact, the president and the vice president and others were happy with him. He put in five and half years that's enough time."
Snow credited Mineta with establishing the Transportation Security Administration, cutting regulations and red tape to liberalize the commercial aviation market, helping shape the legislation that finances the nation's highways, and injecting "sound economic principles" into the nation's passenger rail system.
Snow also paid tribute to Mineta's long history in public life: his service in the Army, his elections to local positions in California, his 20 years representing California in the U.S. House, and his tours in two Cabinet positions, the first as commerce secretary under former President Clinton.
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta
see more at........
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060623/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/mineta_resigns_7
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta
www.mccainalert.com
McCain: Go nuclear, 'We've got to get over it,'
McCain: Go nuclear, 'We've got to get over it,'
The United States needs to overcome its fear of nuclear power and embrace the technology as a way to wean itself from fossil fuels, Sen. John McCain told an audience in Manchester this week.
Nuclear power "is safe. The technology is here," McCain said, speaking to a crowd of about 200 at a breakfast hosted Monday by The New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women. "It's a NIMBY (not in my backyard) problem, and a waste-disposal problem. It is not a technological problem."
seee more at........
http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060527/REPOSITORY/305270001/1217/NEWS98
www.mccainalert.com
The United States needs to overcome its fear of nuclear power and embrace the technology as a way to wean itself from fossil fuels, Sen. John McCain told an audience in Manchester this week.
Nuclear power "is safe. The technology is here," McCain said, speaking to a crowd of about 200 at a breakfast hosted Monday by The New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women. "It's a NIMBY (not in my backyard) problem, and a waste-disposal problem. It is not a technological problem."
seee more at........
http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060527/REPOSITORY/305270001/1217/NEWS98
www.mccainalert.com
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
For November: The 62 Senators who voted FOR Senate amnesty bill (S.2611):
SENATORS WHO VOTED Y ON AMNESTY BILL
The 62 Senators who voted FOR Senate amnesty bill (S.2611):
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)
see more at CNN loudobbs.com
The 62 Senators who voted FOR Senate amnesty bill (S.2611):
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)
see more at CNN loudobbs.com
Divorces and affairs of Senator John "crash" Mccain
Divorces and affairs of Senator John "crash" Mccain
What we have to look forward to...........
Did Bill Clinton's indiscretions and the heavy media coverage of them create a new template for how we judge presidential candidates (and their wives)? Steve Benen of Washington Monthly says yes -- and predicts that Republicans, much more than Democrats, will suffer in 2008 as a result:
Lurking just over the horizon are liabilities for three Republicans who have topped several national,
independent polls for the GOP's favorite 2008 nominee: Sen. John McCain (affair, divorce), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (affair, divorce, affair, divorce),
and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (divorce,
affair, nasty divorce). Together, they form the
most maritally challenged crop of presidential hopefuls in American political history.
Right now, at least 10 high-profile Republicans are
eyeing the race. If a candidate with an adulterous past
pulls ahead, the stragglers may be sorely tempted to
play the infidelity card--if not openly, then through
theirsurrogates. In 2000, George W. Bush's allies went well beyond raising McCain's affair--they spread bogus rumors
in advance of the South Carolina primary that the
senator had fathered an illegitimate black child. This strategy helped to deliver Bush a key primary victory and,
arguably, the nomination.
But if GOP operatives dangle the infidelity bait,
and the press fails to bite, its importance
see more at..........
http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/afb/archives/003887.html
see more on crash mccain at www.mccainalert.com
more on Crash Mccain
What we have to look forward to...........
Did Bill Clinton's indiscretions and the heavy media coverage of them create a new template for how we judge presidential candidates (and their wives)? Steve Benen of Washington Monthly says yes -- and predicts that Republicans, much more than Democrats, will suffer in 2008 as a result:
Lurking just over the horizon are liabilities for three Republicans who have topped several national,
independent polls for the GOP's favorite 2008 nominee: Sen. John McCain (affair, divorce), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (affair, divorce, affair, divorce),
and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (divorce,
affair, nasty divorce). Together, they form the
most maritally challenged crop of presidential hopefuls in American political history.
Right now, at least 10 high-profile Republicans are
eyeing the race. If a candidate with an adulterous past
pulls ahead, the stragglers may be sorely tempted to
play the infidelity card--if not openly, then through
theirsurrogates. In 2000, George W. Bush's allies went well beyond raising McCain's affair--they spread bogus rumors
in advance of the South Carolina primary that the
senator had fathered an illegitimate black child. This strategy helped to deliver Bush a key primary victory and,
arguably, the nomination.
But if GOP operatives dangle the infidelity bait,
and the press fails to bite, its importance
see more at..........
http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/afb/archives/003887.html
see more on crash mccain at www.mccainalert.com
more on Crash Mccain
Democrats wavering on Hillary for president in 2008
Democrats wavering on Hillary for president in 2008
Democrats wavering on Hillary for president in 2008
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Some Democrats are having second
thoughts about Hillary Clinton as their 2008 presidential candidate, wracked by doubts about her cross-party appeal,
and disappointed by her position on US troops in Iraq.
Those reservations were given expression last week at
a forum in Washington of liberal Democrats, where the New York senator was roundly booed when she expressed her opposition to setting a date for withdrawing US troops from Iraq.
"I do not agree that that is in the best interest
of our troops or our country," she said in remarks that prompted a chorus of cat calls at the
"Take Back America" gathering of liberal Democratic activists.
"Her being booed last week had everything to do with Iraq," said political analyst Larry Sabato.
see more at...........
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060621/pl_afp/usclintonpolitics
see more on Mccain at www.mccainalert.com
see more on Senator "crash" Mccain here
Democrats wavering on Hillary for president in 2008
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Some Democrats are having second
thoughts about Hillary Clinton as their 2008 presidential candidate, wracked by doubts about her cross-party appeal,
and disappointed by her position on US troops in Iraq.
Those reservations were given expression last week at
a forum in Washington of liberal Democrats, where the New York senator was roundly booed when she expressed her opposition to setting a date for withdrawing US troops from Iraq.
"I do not agree that that is in the best interest
of our troops or our country," she said in remarks that prompted a chorus of cat calls at the
"Take Back America" gathering of liberal Democratic activists.
"Her being booed last week had everything to do with Iraq," said political analyst Larry Sabato.
see more at...........
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060621/pl_afp/usclintonpolitics
see more on Mccain at www.mccainalert.com
see more on Senator "crash" Mccain here
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The following are locations and times of Senator McCain's book tour and media appearances. We will be adding more locations as they become available.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Event Reception Honoring Congressman Tom Davis
Time 7:30 p.m.
Location McLean, Virginia
Details For event information call Christy Snider 703-556-0120
Friday, June 23, 2006
Event Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Reagan Forum
Time 5:00 p.m.
Location Simi Valley, California
Details For ticket information, please call the Reagan Foundation at 805-522-2977.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Event Michigan State Republican Party Fundraiser Dinner
Time 6:00 p.m.
Location Meadow Brook Hall
Oakland University
Rochester, MI
Details For more info please call the MI GOP (517) 487-5413
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Event South Carolina State GOP Victory 2006
Time
Location Governor's Mansion Complex
The Lace House
800 Richland Street
Columbia, South Carolina
Details For more information please call 803-397-3734.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Event Reception Honoring Congressman Tom Davis
Time 7:30 p.m.
Location McLean, Virginia
Details For event information call Christy Snider 703-556-0120
Friday, June 23, 2006
Event Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Reagan Forum
Time 5:00 p.m.
Location Simi Valley, California
Details For ticket information, please call the Reagan Foundation at 805-522-2977.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Event Michigan State Republican Party Fundraiser Dinner
Time 6:00 p.m.
Location Meadow Brook Hall
Oakland University
Rochester, MI
Details For more info please call the MI GOP (517) 487-5413
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Event South Carolina State GOP Victory 2006
Time
Location Governor's Mansion Complex
The Lace House
800 Richland Street
Columbia, South Carolina
Details For more information please call 803-397-3734.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Enforcement First, The right way to reform immigration.
Enforcement First, The right way to reform immigration.
Prominent Conservatives and Civic Leaders Urge President Bush and Congress to Back Enforcement First on Immigration
Leading conservatives and civic leaders have signed an open letter on immigration declaring that border and interior enforcement must be funded, operational, implemented, and proven successful and only then can we debate the status of current illegal immigrants, or the need for new guest worker programs.
The signers include William Bennett, Robert Bork, William F Buckley, Ward Connerly, Newt Gingrich, David Horowitz, David Keene, John Leo, Herbert London, Rich Lowry, Daniel Pipes, Phyllis Schlafly, and Thomas Sowell among others.
Hudson Senior Fellow John Fonte, who organized the letter, said:
We want to commend the members of Congress who have supported enforcement first including 85% of all Congressional Republicans, 36 Democrats in the House and 4 in the Senate.
We particularly want to thank Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and House chairmen Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Peter King (R-NY) for their leadership role in putting America’s national interests in border and interior enforcement first.
As a matter of organizational policy, Hudson Institute does not take stances on pending legislation.
First Things First on Immigration: An Open Letter to President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Frist, and Speaker of the House, Hastert
Recently, columnist Thomas Sowell wrote: It will take time to see how various new border control methods work out in practice and there is no reason to rush ahead to deal with people already illegally in this country before the facts are in on how well the borders have been secured.
We the undersigned agree with this statement. In 1986, Congress passed comprehensive immigration reform that included amnesty for around 3 million illegal immigrants, border enforcement, and interior enforcement (employer sanctions). Amnesty came, but enforcement was never seriously implemented either at the border or in the interior.
Let us not make this mistake again. We favor what Newt Gingrich has described as sequencing. First border and interior enforcement must be funded, operational, implemented, and proven successful and only then can we debate the status of current illegal immigrants, or the need for new guest worker programs. We are in the middle of a global war on terror. 2006 is not 1986. Today, we need proof that enforcement (both at the border and in the interior) is successful before anything else happens. As Ronald Reagan used to say trust, but verify.
The majority of Republicans in the Senate opposed the recently passed Hagel-Martinez bill. Senator Vitter (R-LA) said that because border enforcement will not be in place, this [bill] will in fact make the illegal immigration problem much bigger. The No. 3 Republican in the Senate, Senator Rick Santorum (PA) said, We need a border-security bill first. Senator Vitter, Senator Santorum, the majority of Senate Republicans, and the majority of House Republicans are right we need proven enforcement before we do anything else. Adopting cosmetic legislation to appear to be doing something about enforcement, but which actually makes the situation worse, is not statesmanship, it is demagogy.
We thank the majority of the Senate Republicans
(33 in all) and the seven Democrats who supported the
Isakson amendment, which insists upon verifiable benchmarks
for border security before considering other issues. Moreover, we say Thank You to Jim Sensenbrenner, Peter King,
and the bi-partisan House majority including 36 Democrats,
that passed HR 4437. We may quibble with a clause here and there, but you in the House and the majority of Senate Republicans are right to emphasize that the Congress
and the President must deal with enforcement first and
other issues later. Stand fast; the American people are overwhelmingly with you.
Signed,
William B. Allen, Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University
William J. Bennett, former Secretary of Education under President Reagan, former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under former President George H.W. Bush
Thomas L. Bock, National Commander of the American Legion
Robert H. Bork, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, former Solicitor General, acting Attorney General, Supreme Court nominee, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge
William F. Buckley, Jr., founder and Editor-at-Large of National Review
Peter Collier, founding Publisher of Encounter Books,
cofounder of Center for the Study of Popular Culture
Ward Connerly, former Regent at the University of California, founder and Chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI), winner of the 2005 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
T. Kenneth Cribb, former domestic policy advisor for President Ronald Reagan
Glynn Custred, Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Hayward, and coauthor of the California Civil Rights Initiative, Proposition 209
John C. Eastman, Professor of Law at Chapman University School of Law, Director of the Center for Constitutional
Jurisprudence
John Fonte, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center of American Common Culture at the Hudson Institute
David Frum, former speechwriter for George W. Bush, Resident Fellow at American Enterprise Institute
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., founder and President of the Center for Security Policy
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairman of the Gingrich Group, Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute
Jonah Goldberg, Editor-at-Large of the National Review Online, national syndicated columnist
Victor Davis Hanson, Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, recipient of the 1991 American Philological Association Excellence in Teaching Award
David Horowitz, cofounder of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, Editor of FrontPageMag.com
Fred C. Iklé, former Undersecretary of Defense under Reagan, former Director of U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
David Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union
Brian Kennedy, President of the Claremont Institute, Publisher of the Claremont Review of Books
Roger Kimball, Managing Editor of The New Criterion
Alan Charles Kors, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania
Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies
Michael A. Ledeen, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
Seth Leibsohn, Fellow at the Claremont Institute
John Leo, columnist and Contributing Editor to U.S. News and World Report
Herbert London, President of the Hudson Institute
Kathryn Jean Lopez, Editor of National Review Online
Rich Lowry, Editor of National Review
Heather Mac Donald, John M. Olin Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, winner of the 2005 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
John O’Sullivan, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, Editor-at-Large of National Review
Juliana Pilon, Research Professor at the Institute for World Politics
Daniel Pipes, founder and Director of the Middle East Forum and Campus Watch, former member of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace
Andrew Andy Ramirez, Chairman of the Friends of Border Patrol
Phyllis Schlafly, founder and President of Eagle Forum
Thomas Sowell, Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, winner of the 2003 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
Shelby Steele, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, winner of the 2006 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
Stephen Steinlight, Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, former National Affairs Director of the American Jewish Committee, and Vice President of the National Conference of Christians and Jews
Thomas G. West, Director and Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute, Professor of Politics at the University of Dallas
see more at National Review ...........
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWM2NGJlZmY1Y2JiMTFkODQ3NTI4ZTMzZjUzN2YwYjg=
mccainalert.com
Prominent Conservatives and Civic Leaders Urge President Bush and Congress to Back Enforcement First on Immigration
Leading conservatives and civic leaders have signed an open letter on immigration declaring that border and interior enforcement must be funded, operational, implemented, and proven successful and only then can we debate the status of current illegal immigrants, or the need for new guest worker programs.
The signers include William Bennett, Robert Bork, William F Buckley, Ward Connerly, Newt Gingrich, David Horowitz, David Keene, John Leo, Herbert London, Rich Lowry, Daniel Pipes, Phyllis Schlafly, and Thomas Sowell among others.
Hudson Senior Fellow John Fonte, who organized the letter, said:
We want to commend the members of Congress who have supported enforcement first including 85% of all Congressional Republicans, 36 Democrats in the House and 4 in the Senate.
We particularly want to thank Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and House chairmen Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Peter King (R-NY) for their leadership role in putting America’s national interests in border and interior enforcement first.
As a matter of organizational policy, Hudson Institute does not take stances on pending legislation.
First Things First on Immigration: An Open Letter to President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Frist, and Speaker of the House, Hastert
Recently, columnist Thomas Sowell wrote: It will take time to see how various new border control methods work out in practice and there is no reason to rush ahead to deal with people already illegally in this country before the facts are in on how well the borders have been secured.
We the undersigned agree with this statement. In 1986, Congress passed comprehensive immigration reform that included amnesty for around 3 million illegal immigrants, border enforcement, and interior enforcement (employer sanctions). Amnesty came, but enforcement was never seriously implemented either at the border or in the interior.
Let us not make this mistake again. We favor what Newt Gingrich has described as sequencing. First border and interior enforcement must be funded, operational, implemented, and proven successful and only then can we debate the status of current illegal immigrants, or the need for new guest worker programs. We are in the middle of a global war on terror. 2006 is not 1986. Today, we need proof that enforcement (both at the border and in the interior) is successful before anything else happens. As Ronald Reagan used to say trust, but verify.
The majority of Republicans in the Senate opposed the recently passed Hagel-Martinez bill. Senator Vitter (R-LA) said that because border enforcement will not be in place, this [bill] will in fact make the illegal immigration problem much bigger. The No. 3 Republican in the Senate, Senator Rick Santorum (PA) said, We need a border-security bill first. Senator Vitter, Senator Santorum, the majority of Senate Republicans, and the majority of House Republicans are right we need proven enforcement before we do anything else. Adopting cosmetic legislation to appear to be doing something about enforcement, but which actually makes the situation worse, is not statesmanship, it is demagogy.
We thank the majority of the Senate Republicans
(33 in all) and the seven Democrats who supported the
Isakson amendment, which insists upon verifiable benchmarks
for border security before considering other issues. Moreover, we say Thank You to Jim Sensenbrenner, Peter King,
and the bi-partisan House majority including 36 Democrats,
that passed HR 4437. We may quibble with a clause here and there, but you in the House and the majority of Senate Republicans are right to emphasize that the Congress
and the President must deal with enforcement first and
other issues later. Stand fast; the American people are overwhelmingly with you.
Signed,
William B. Allen, Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University
William J. Bennett, former Secretary of Education under President Reagan, former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under former President George H.W. Bush
Thomas L. Bock, National Commander of the American Legion
Robert H. Bork, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, former Solicitor General, acting Attorney General, Supreme Court nominee, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge
William F. Buckley, Jr., founder and Editor-at-Large of National Review
Peter Collier, founding Publisher of Encounter Books,
cofounder of Center for the Study of Popular Culture
Ward Connerly, former Regent at the University of California, founder and Chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI), winner of the 2005 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
T. Kenneth Cribb, former domestic policy advisor for President Ronald Reagan
Glynn Custred, Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Hayward, and coauthor of the California Civil Rights Initiative, Proposition 209
John C. Eastman, Professor of Law at Chapman University School of Law, Director of the Center for Constitutional
Jurisprudence
John Fonte, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center of American Common Culture at the Hudson Institute
David Frum, former speechwriter for George W. Bush, Resident Fellow at American Enterprise Institute
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., founder and President of the Center for Security Policy
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairman of the Gingrich Group, Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute
Jonah Goldberg, Editor-at-Large of the National Review Online, national syndicated columnist
Victor Davis Hanson, Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, recipient of the 1991 American Philological Association Excellence in Teaching Award
David Horowitz, cofounder of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, Editor of FrontPageMag.com
Fred C. Iklé, former Undersecretary of Defense under Reagan, former Director of U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
David Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union
Brian Kennedy, President of the Claremont Institute, Publisher of the Claremont Review of Books
Roger Kimball, Managing Editor of The New Criterion
Alan Charles Kors, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania
Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies
Michael A. Ledeen, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
Seth Leibsohn, Fellow at the Claremont Institute
John Leo, columnist and Contributing Editor to U.S. News and World Report
Herbert London, President of the Hudson Institute
Kathryn Jean Lopez, Editor of National Review Online
Rich Lowry, Editor of National Review
Heather Mac Donald, John M. Olin Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, winner of the 2005 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
John O’Sullivan, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, Editor-at-Large of National Review
Juliana Pilon, Research Professor at the Institute for World Politics
Daniel Pipes, founder and Director of the Middle East Forum and Campus Watch, former member of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace
Andrew Andy Ramirez, Chairman of the Friends of Border Patrol
Phyllis Schlafly, founder and President of Eagle Forum
Thomas Sowell, Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, winner of the 2003 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
Shelby Steele, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, winner of the 2006 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
Stephen Steinlight, Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, former National Affairs Director of the American Jewish Committee, and Vice President of the National Conference of Christians and Jews
Thomas G. West, Director and Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute, Professor of Politics at the University of Dallas
see more at National Review ...........
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWM2NGJlZmY1Y2JiMTFkODQ3NTI4ZTMzZjUzN2YwYjg=
mccainalert.com
Republican newsletter Arizona 6/19
"The taxpayers of Arizona are the winners because of this tax cut."
- Steve Voeller, president of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club commenting on passage of the fiscal year 2007 state budget and its nearly $550 million in income and property tax cuts.
President Bush to Nominate Commissioner Marc Spitzer to FERC
Congratulations to Arizona Corporation Commissioner Marc Spitzer on news that President Bush will nominate him to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Matt Salmon, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, released the following statement:
"I applaud President Bush's decision to nominate Marc Spitzer to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The president couldn't have nominated a more knowledgeable individual in the area of energy policy.
"Commissioner Spitzer has served with distinction in his tenure on the Arizona Corporation Commission. While his departure from the ACC is a loss for our state, the country is gaining someone who will prove to be an invaluable asset to U.S. energy policy.
"This appointment speaks volumes of the important work our ACC does and will give Arizona a greater voice in energy issues."
Democrats in Disarray on Iraq
A recent dust-up between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John Kerry over our nation's policy in Iraq illustrates the divisions in the Democratic Party over one of the most important issues we face.
Appearing at a Take Back America Conference, Clinton was booed by attendees when she said she did not think it is a "smart strategy to set a date certain" for withdrawal from Iraq. ["Liberal Activists Boo Clinton," The Washington Post, June 14, 2006.]
That position contrasts sharply with the position of Kerry, who called for "a hard and fast deadline" on withdrawing from Iraq.
You've got to hand it to Clinton and Kerry, though. At least they have a position on Iraq, which is more than you can say about liberal strip mall developer and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson and District 5 U.S. House candidate Harry Mitchell, who have vigorously evaded the issue since announcing their candidacies.
Pederson has said he'll announce his plan on Iraq "on [his] timeline," [Capitol Media Services, "Former Republican legislator announces Senate bid," May 4, 2006] but that was over a month ago, thus only leaving voters to assume that Pederson's timeline is an especially long one.
Mitchell has been equally vague, saying only that "America deserves a winning strategy in Iraq." ["Mitchell Announces Candidacy," The Arizona Republic, April 13, 2006] When pressed for what that strategy should be, Mitchell goes mute.
Sen. Dean Martin Files 13,700 Signatures and Thanks Grassroots for Their Tremendous Support
State Senator Dean Martin filed 13,700 nominating signatures as the only Republican candidate for State Treasurer, more than the 260% over the 5,213 required!
"I want to personally thank all of the grassroots supporters whose hard work exceeded all projections on what we could do statewide while I am still in legislative session," Senator Martin said.
"We only entered the race 3 months ago, yet support was exceptionally strong; we were collecting more than 900 signatures a week! I owe it to the hard work of a lot of unsung heroes: grassroots volunteers who knocked on doors, set up tables at events, and scheduled meet and greet events around an unpredictable legislative schedule.
"We received signatures from every county across Arizona and exceeded our goals in most counties by over 300%! Only Sen. Jon Kyl and the Governor filed with more signatures. THANK YOU for all your help!"
Senator Dean Martin is a small business owner and entrepreneur, and is currently the Senate Finance Chairman, Judiciary Vice-Chairman, and senior member of the Appropriations committee. He was the last GOP candidate to enter a statewide race. Sen. Martin was asked to seek the nomination for Arizona Treasurer as the current Treasurer is no longer running for re-election.
Capitol Update
WHAT YOUR REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE IS DOING - FOR THE WEEK ENDING June 16, 2006
State Budget - Historic tax relief, expansion of school choice, elimination of accounting gimmicks, a genuinely balanced budget - Late on Friday night the legislature passed a state budget that returns more than a half-billion dollars to Arizona's tax payers, accelerates statewide freeway construction, provides for substantial teacher and correctional officers pay raises and expands school choice.
The $9.9 billion balanced budget, which takes affect July 1, followed negotiations that resulted in the governor accepting the core Republican principles of broad-based tax relief, school choice and investment in infrastructure and public safety. The budget/tax relief package includes the following major provisions:
• The largest tax relief package in Arizona history that provides $310 million of permanent income tax reductions and suspension of the $215 million state property tax for at least the next three years. This fuels Arizona's vibrant economy while returning money to the Arizonans who earned it in the first place.
• A $345 million increase for highway and road construction throughout the state, an investment that is critical for a rapidly growing state.
• An 11% increase - over a half-billion dollars -- for the K-12 education system. This includes an additional $100 million this year to increase teachers salaries and $160 million doled out over the next two years to fully fund all-day kindergarten should local districts choose to do so. There is also $18 million to expand school choice for lower income, disabled and foster children.
• A $157 million bump for state universities that allows Arizona State University to expand its Williams Gateway campus and helps the University of Arizona retain experienced faculty and Northern Arizona University update aging buildings.
• $140 million for investments in public safety, including money for meth interdiction, hiring 46 DPS officers, a $5,300 annual pay increase for corrections officers and prison beds.
• Nearly a half-billion dollar deposit to the "Rainy Day Fund," giving the state protection against hard times with a balance of more than $600 million.
• A quarter-billion dollar boost to healthcare, including over $10 million for cutting edge research to help combat Autism and Alzheimer's.
• More than a quarter-billion dollars to eliminate accounting tricks and gimmicks used to balance previous budgets, including the $191 million K-12 rollover and substantially eliminating the onerous practice of forcing businesses to make sales tax payments prior to when they would actually be due.
• A $60 million positive ending balance, without the aid of accounting tricks and gimmicks.
Unfortunately, Governor Janet Napolitano refused to allow $160 million to provide critical border security for Arizona. The comprehensive measure addressed the funding needs for Arizona to combat illegal immigration and its severe impact on our economy, environment and public safety, but was vetoed by the governor.
Quote of the week: "We do the things our government should do in this budget -build roads, fund education, better protect the public and put more money back into the state's economy by putting more money back into the pockets of taxpayers. The one missing piece in this budget - and it's a big one - is addressing illegal immigration. Time after time, we just could not get past the governor's vetoes on this." Senate President Ken Bennett on the budget passed by the legislature late last Friday night.
Did you know? Governor Napolitano would not agree to sign the budget unless more spending went to social welfare and entitlement programs under the Department of Economic Security.
Upcoming Events
Prescott Receptions on July 1 to Benefit Senator Kyl
Your are invited to help Senator Jon Kyl's reelection efforts at two special receptions at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 1 in Prescott.
VIP Reception
Office of Las Vegas Ranch Real Estate
115 W. Goodwin St.
Prescott, Arizona
Photo opportunity and VIP seating for parade
Suggested contribution $300 per per person or $500 per family
BBQ Reception
Event tent on southeast corner of Goodwin and Montezuma
Suggested contribution of $50 per person or $100 per family
RSVP by June 30 to Christine Walton at (602) 840-0306.
Volunteers needed for Fabulous Phoenix 4th
Join the AZ GOP at the Fabulous Phoenix 4th at Steele Indian School Park on Tuesday, July 4.
Volunteers are needed to help staff our booth and pass out bumper stickers and campaign literature.
Volunteers earn a free AZ GOP t-shirt. Contact Kara Karlson via e-mail or at (602) 957-7770 to sign up to volunteer.
For a full calendar of events, please visit www.azgop.org.
- Steve Voeller, president of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club commenting on passage of the fiscal year 2007 state budget and its nearly $550 million in income and property tax cuts.
President Bush to Nominate Commissioner Marc Spitzer to FERC
Congratulations to Arizona Corporation Commissioner Marc Spitzer on news that President Bush will nominate him to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Matt Salmon, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, released the following statement:
"I applaud President Bush's decision to nominate Marc Spitzer to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The president couldn't have nominated a more knowledgeable individual in the area of energy policy.
"Commissioner Spitzer has served with distinction in his tenure on the Arizona Corporation Commission. While his departure from the ACC is a loss for our state, the country is gaining someone who will prove to be an invaluable asset to U.S. energy policy.
"This appointment speaks volumes of the important work our ACC does and will give Arizona a greater voice in energy issues."
Democrats in Disarray on Iraq
A recent dust-up between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John Kerry over our nation's policy in Iraq illustrates the divisions in the Democratic Party over one of the most important issues we face.
Appearing at a Take Back America Conference, Clinton was booed by attendees when she said she did not think it is a "smart strategy to set a date certain" for withdrawal from Iraq. ["Liberal Activists Boo Clinton," The Washington Post, June 14, 2006.]
That position contrasts sharply with the position of Kerry, who called for "a hard and fast deadline" on withdrawing from Iraq.
You've got to hand it to Clinton and Kerry, though. At least they have a position on Iraq, which is more than you can say about liberal strip mall developer and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson and District 5 U.S. House candidate Harry Mitchell, who have vigorously evaded the issue since announcing their candidacies.
Pederson has said he'll announce his plan on Iraq "on [his] timeline," [Capitol Media Services, "Former Republican legislator announces Senate bid," May 4, 2006] but that was over a month ago, thus only leaving voters to assume that Pederson's timeline is an especially long one.
Mitchell has been equally vague, saying only that "America deserves a winning strategy in Iraq." ["Mitchell Announces Candidacy," The Arizona Republic, April 13, 2006] When pressed for what that strategy should be, Mitchell goes mute.
Sen. Dean Martin Files 13,700 Signatures and Thanks Grassroots for Their Tremendous Support
State Senator Dean Martin filed 13,700 nominating signatures as the only Republican candidate for State Treasurer, more than the 260% over the 5,213 required!
"I want to personally thank all of the grassroots supporters whose hard work exceeded all projections on what we could do statewide while I am still in legislative session," Senator Martin said.
"We only entered the race 3 months ago, yet support was exceptionally strong; we were collecting more than 900 signatures a week! I owe it to the hard work of a lot of unsung heroes: grassroots volunteers who knocked on doors, set up tables at events, and scheduled meet and greet events around an unpredictable legislative schedule.
"We received signatures from every county across Arizona and exceeded our goals in most counties by over 300%! Only Sen. Jon Kyl and the Governor filed with more signatures. THANK YOU for all your help!"
Senator Dean Martin is a small business owner and entrepreneur, and is currently the Senate Finance Chairman, Judiciary Vice-Chairman, and senior member of the Appropriations committee. He was the last GOP candidate to enter a statewide race. Sen. Martin was asked to seek the nomination for Arizona Treasurer as the current Treasurer is no longer running for re-election.
Capitol Update
WHAT YOUR REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE IS DOING - FOR THE WEEK ENDING June 16, 2006
State Budget - Historic tax relief, expansion of school choice, elimination of accounting gimmicks, a genuinely balanced budget - Late on Friday night the legislature passed a state budget that returns more than a half-billion dollars to Arizona's tax payers, accelerates statewide freeway construction, provides for substantial teacher and correctional officers pay raises and expands school choice.
The $9.9 billion balanced budget, which takes affect July 1, followed negotiations that resulted in the governor accepting the core Republican principles of broad-based tax relief, school choice and investment in infrastructure and public safety. The budget/tax relief package includes the following major provisions:
• The largest tax relief package in Arizona history that provides $310 million of permanent income tax reductions and suspension of the $215 million state property tax for at least the next three years. This fuels Arizona's vibrant economy while returning money to the Arizonans who earned it in the first place.
• A $345 million increase for highway and road construction throughout the state, an investment that is critical for a rapidly growing state.
• An 11% increase - over a half-billion dollars -- for the K-12 education system. This includes an additional $100 million this year to increase teachers salaries and $160 million doled out over the next two years to fully fund all-day kindergarten should local districts choose to do so. There is also $18 million to expand school choice for lower income, disabled and foster children.
• A $157 million bump for state universities that allows Arizona State University to expand its Williams Gateway campus and helps the University of Arizona retain experienced faculty and Northern Arizona University update aging buildings.
• $140 million for investments in public safety, including money for meth interdiction, hiring 46 DPS officers, a $5,300 annual pay increase for corrections officers and prison beds.
• Nearly a half-billion dollar deposit to the "Rainy Day Fund," giving the state protection against hard times with a balance of more than $600 million.
• A quarter-billion dollar boost to healthcare, including over $10 million for cutting edge research to help combat Autism and Alzheimer's.
• More than a quarter-billion dollars to eliminate accounting tricks and gimmicks used to balance previous budgets, including the $191 million K-12 rollover and substantially eliminating the onerous practice of forcing businesses to make sales tax payments prior to when they would actually be due.
• A $60 million positive ending balance, without the aid of accounting tricks and gimmicks.
Unfortunately, Governor Janet Napolitano refused to allow $160 million to provide critical border security for Arizona. The comprehensive measure addressed the funding needs for Arizona to combat illegal immigration and its severe impact on our economy, environment and public safety, but was vetoed by the governor.
Quote of the week: "We do the things our government should do in this budget -build roads, fund education, better protect the public and put more money back into the state's economy by putting more money back into the pockets of taxpayers. The one missing piece in this budget - and it's a big one - is addressing illegal immigration. Time after time, we just could not get past the governor's vetoes on this." Senate President Ken Bennett on the budget passed by the legislature late last Friday night.
Did you know? Governor Napolitano would not agree to sign the budget unless more spending went to social welfare and entitlement programs under the Department of Economic Security.
Upcoming Events
Prescott Receptions on July 1 to Benefit Senator Kyl
Your are invited to help Senator Jon Kyl's reelection efforts at two special receptions at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 1 in Prescott.
VIP Reception
Office of Las Vegas Ranch Real Estate
115 W. Goodwin St.
Prescott, Arizona
Photo opportunity and VIP seating for parade
Suggested contribution $300 per per person or $500 per family
BBQ Reception
Event tent on southeast corner of Goodwin and Montezuma
Suggested contribution of $50 per person or $100 per family
RSVP by June 30 to Christine Walton at (602) 840-0306.
Volunteers needed for Fabulous Phoenix 4th
Join the AZ GOP at the Fabulous Phoenix 4th at Steele Indian School Park on Tuesday, July 4.
Volunteers are needed to help staff our booth and pass out bumper stickers and campaign literature.
Volunteers earn a free AZ GOP t-shirt. Contact Kara Karlson via e-mail or at (602) 957-7770 to sign up to volunteer.
For a full calendar of events, please visit www.azgop.org.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
earmarking as a practice in the Senate
MCCAIN STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF LOBBYING REFORM BILL
Thursday, Mar 30, 2006
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) submitted for the record the following statement on the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006:
Mr. President, let me begin by commending the hard work of my colleagues in this effort. The Chair and ranking member of the Governmental Affairs Committee Senators Collins and Lieberman, and the Chair and ranking member of the Rules Committee Senators Lott and Dodd, have worked tirelessly and in a bipartisan manner to bring a bill to the floor. I regret, however, that I find it necessary to vote against final passage of this measure because it simply doesn’t do enough to address the critical need for comprehensive lobbying reform. We had a golden opportunity to institute real reform and prove to the American people that we are not completely oblivious to their concerns. Unfortunately, Mr. President, we dropped the ball.
While it does contain some good provisions to increase lobbyist disclosure and reporting requirements, the bill lacks imperative enforcement measures. We can pass all of the Rules changes we want in this body, but they are useless unless we back it up with a tough enforcement mechanism. I was disappointed that the Collins-Lieberman-McCain amendment to create a Senate Office of Public Integrity was defeated yesterday. That office would have had the ability to investigate complaints of ethical violations by Senators, staff, or officers of this chamber. Headed by a Director appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate upon the joint recommendation of the majority and minority leaders, the Office of Public Integrity would investigate complaints of rules violations filed with or initiated by the Office.
At a time when the public is questioning our integrity, the Senate needs to more aggressively enforce its own rules. We should do this not just by making more public the work that the Senate Ethics Committee currently undertakes, but by addressing the conflict that is inherent in any body that regulates itself. By rejecting the creation of a new office with the capacity to conduct and initiate investigations, and a perspective uncolored by partisan concerns or collegial relationships, we neglected to address this long-standing structural problem.
The proposed Office of Public Integrity would not only have assisted in performing existing investigative functions, but would also have been charged with approving or denying requests for travel by members and staff. Rather than prohibit official travel paid for by any entity other than the federal government, as some have proposed, our proposal would have required that all travel to be pre-cleared. The purpose of this pre-clearance was to ensure that the trips serve a legitimate governmental interest, and are not substantially recreational in nature. The Office of Public Integrity would have been an appropriate entity to conduct these reviews - but, sadly, the Senate voted to maintain the status quo.
Another critical aspect of reform that is not addressed in this bill is the ability of a Member to travel on a corporate jet and only pay the rate of a first class plane ticket. Because cloture was invoked on this bill yesterday, Senator Santorum and I were prevented from offering an amendment that would have required Senators and their employees who use corporate or charter aircraft to pay the fair market value for that travel.
Senator Santorum and I were well aware that our amendment would not be popular with some of our colleagues, but we felt that the time had come for us to fundamentally change the way we do things in this town. Much of the public views our ability to travel on corporate jets, often accompanied by lobbyists, while only reimbursing the first-class rate, as a huge loophole in the current gift rules. And they’re right - it is. I have no doubt that the average American would love to fly around the country on very comfortable corporate-owned aircraft and only be charged the cost of a first-class ticket. It’s a pretty good deal we’ve got going here. We need to face the fact that the time has come to end this Congressional perk.
There is a public perception that these lobbyist-arranged flights unduly influence Members of Congress and serve as a way for lobbyists to curry favor with legislators and their aides. We must change that perception, Mr. President. There was nothing in our amendment that would have prohibited a Member from using corporate aircraft - it simply required that they pay the fair market value of the flight. It was a fair, reasonable approach designed to prove to the American public that we are serious about reform and would do what is necessary to restore the public’s trust - but, again, the Senate chose to maintain the status quo by preventing us from offering our amendment.
Finally, Mr. President, this bill does not go far enough to reign in the practice of earmarking federal funds in the annual appropriations bills. Together with Sens. Coburn, Ensign, Feingold, Kyl, DeMint, Sununu, and Graham, I was prepared to offer an amendment that would amend the Senate Rules to allow points of order to be raised against unauthorized appropriations, earmarks, and policy riders in appropriations bills and conference reports in an effort to reign in wasteful pork barrel spending. If the point of order were successful, the objectionable provisions would be stricken and the related funding would be reduced accordingly. Once again, we were blocked from offering this amendment as well.
In my judgement, if we are really committed to addressing comprehensive lobbying reform in a meaningful and effective way, we need to include earmark reform provisions in this legislative package. The process is clearly broken when each year Congress continues to earmark billions and billions of taxpayers dollars, sometimes with little or almost no knowledge about the specifics of those earmarks by most of the members of this body. Sadly, the scandal that has come to light recently concerning the earmarking by one former member of the House is a pox not just on him, but on each of us and the process that we have allowed to occur on our watch. The American public deserves better and that is what my amendment was about.
In 1994, there were 4,126 earmarks. In 2005, there were 15,877--an increase of nearly 400 percent! But there was a little good news for 2006 solely due to the good sense that occurred unexpectedly when the Labor HHS appropriations bill was approved with almost no earmarks,
an amazing feat given that there were over 3,000 earmarks
the prior year for just that bill. Yet despite this first reduction in 12 years, it doesn’t change the fact that
the largest number of earmarks have still occurred in the last three years 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Now, let’s consider the level of funding associated with those earmarks. The amount of earmarked funding increased from
$23.2 billion in 1994 to $64 billion in FY 2006. Remarkably,
it rose by 34 percent from 2005 to 2006, even though
the number of earmarks decreased! Earmarked dollars
have doubled just since 2000, and more than tripled in
the last 10 years. This is wrong and disgraceful and we urgently need to make some changes in this process.
Mr. President, we, as Members, owe it to the American
people to conduct ourselves in a way that reinforces, rather than diminishes, the public’s faith and confidence in Congress. An informed citizenry is essential to a thriving democracy. And, a democratic government operates best in the disinfecting light of the public eye. This bill could go so much further to balance the right of the public to know with its right to petition government; the ability of lobbyists to advocate their clients’ causes with the need for truthful public discourse; and, the ability of Members to legislate with the imperative that our government must be free from corrupting influences, both real and perceived. We must act now to ensure that the erosion we see today in the public’s confidence in Congress does not become a collapse of confidence. We can, and we must, do better than this bill.
see more at www.senate.gov
Thursday, Mar 30, 2006
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) submitted for the record the following statement on the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006:
Mr. President, let me begin by commending the hard work of my colleagues in this effort. The Chair and ranking member of the Governmental Affairs Committee Senators Collins and Lieberman, and the Chair and ranking member of the Rules Committee Senators Lott and Dodd, have worked tirelessly and in a bipartisan manner to bring a bill to the floor. I regret, however, that I find it necessary to vote against final passage of this measure because it simply doesn’t do enough to address the critical need for comprehensive lobbying reform. We had a golden opportunity to institute real reform and prove to the American people that we are not completely oblivious to their concerns. Unfortunately, Mr. President, we dropped the ball.
While it does contain some good provisions to increase lobbyist disclosure and reporting requirements, the bill lacks imperative enforcement measures. We can pass all of the Rules changes we want in this body, but they are useless unless we back it up with a tough enforcement mechanism. I was disappointed that the Collins-Lieberman-McCain amendment to create a Senate Office of Public Integrity was defeated yesterday. That office would have had the ability to investigate complaints of ethical violations by Senators, staff, or officers of this chamber. Headed by a Director appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate upon the joint recommendation of the majority and minority leaders, the Office of Public Integrity would investigate complaints of rules violations filed with or initiated by the Office.
At a time when the public is questioning our integrity, the Senate needs to more aggressively enforce its own rules. We should do this not just by making more public the work that the Senate Ethics Committee currently undertakes, but by addressing the conflict that is inherent in any body that regulates itself. By rejecting the creation of a new office with the capacity to conduct and initiate investigations, and a perspective uncolored by partisan concerns or collegial relationships, we neglected to address this long-standing structural problem.
The proposed Office of Public Integrity would not only have assisted in performing existing investigative functions, but would also have been charged with approving or denying requests for travel by members and staff. Rather than prohibit official travel paid for by any entity other than the federal government, as some have proposed, our proposal would have required that all travel to be pre-cleared. The purpose of this pre-clearance was to ensure that the trips serve a legitimate governmental interest, and are not substantially recreational in nature. The Office of Public Integrity would have been an appropriate entity to conduct these reviews - but, sadly, the Senate voted to maintain the status quo.
Another critical aspect of reform that is not addressed in this bill is the ability of a Member to travel on a corporate jet and only pay the rate of a first class plane ticket. Because cloture was invoked on this bill yesterday, Senator Santorum and I were prevented from offering an amendment that would have required Senators and their employees who use corporate or charter aircraft to pay the fair market value for that travel.
Senator Santorum and I were well aware that our amendment would not be popular with some of our colleagues, but we felt that the time had come for us to fundamentally change the way we do things in this town. Much of the public views our ability to travel on corporate jets, often accompanied by lobbyists, while only reimbursing the first-class rate, as a huge loophole in the current gift rules. And they’re right - it is. I have no doubt that the average American would love to fly around the country on very comfortable corporate-owned aircraft and only be charged the cost of a first-class ticket. It’s a pretty good deal we’ve got going here. We need to face the fact that the time has come to end this Congressional perk.
There is a public perception that these lobbyist-arranged flights unduly influence Members of Congress and serve as a way for lobbyists to curry favor with legislators and their aides. We must change that perception, Mr. President. There was nothing in our amendment that would have prohibited a Member from using corporate aircraft - it simply required that they pay the fair market value of the flight. It was a fair, reasonable approach designed to prove to the American public that we are serious about reform and would do what is necessary to restore the public’s trust - but, again, the Senate chose to maintain the status quo by preventing us from offering our amendment.
Finally, Mr. President, this bill does not go far enough to reign in the practice of earmarking federal funds in the annual appropriations bills. Together with Sens. Coburn, Ensign, Feingold, Kyl, DeMint, Sununu, and Graham, I was prepared to offer an amendment that would amend the Senate Rules to allow points of order to be raised against unauthorized appropriations, earmarks, and policy riders in appropriations bills and conference reports in an effort to reign in wasteful pork barrel spending. If the point of order were successful, the objectionable provisions would be stricken and the related funding would be reduced accordingly. Once again, we were blocked from offering this amendment as well.
In my judgement, if we are really committed to addressing comprehensive lobbying reform in a meaningful and effective way, we need to include earmark reform provisions in this legislative package. The process is clearly broken when each year Congress continues to earmark billions and billions of taxpayers dollars, sometimes with little or almost no knowledge about the specifics of those earmarks by most of the members of this body. Sadly, the scandal that has come to light recently concerning the earmarking by one former member of the House is a pox not just on him, but on each of us and the process that we have allowed to occur on our watch. The American public deserves better and that is what my amendment was about.
In 1994, there were 4,126 earmarks. In 2005, there were 15,877--an increase of nearly 400 percent! But there was a little good news for 2006 solely due to the good sense that occurred unexpectedly when the Labor HHS appropriations bill was approved with almost no earmarks,
an amazing feat given that there were over 3,000 earmarks
the prior year for just that bill. Yet despite this first reduction in 12 years, it doesn’t change the fact that
the largest number of earmarks have still occurred in the last three years 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Now, let’s consider the level of funding associated with those earmarks. The amount of earmarked funding increased from
$23.2 billion in 1994 to $64 billion in FY 2006. Remarkably,
it rose by 34 percent from 2005 to 2006, even though
the number of earmarks decreased! Earmarked dollars
have doubled just since 2000, and more than tripled in
the last 10 years. This is wrong and disgraceful and we urgently need to make some changes in this process.
Mr. President, we, as Members, owe it to the American
people to conduct ourselves in a way that reinforces, rather than diminishes, the public’s faith and confidence in Congress. An informed citizenry is essential to a thriving democracy. And, a democratic government operates best in the disinfecting light of the public eye. This bill could go so much further to balance the right of the public to know with its right to petition government; the ability of lobbyists to advocate their clients’ causes with the need for truthful public discourse; and, the ability of Members to legislate with the imperative that our government must be free from corrupting influences, both real and perceived. We must act now to ensure that the erosion we see today in the public’s confidence in Congress does not become a collapse of confidence. We can, and we must, do better than this bill.
see more at www.senate.gov
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