Dingell: Obamacare to “Control the People”

Finally, a Democrat has told the truth about Obamacare. Representative John Dingell (D-MI) told talk radio host Paul W. Smith that it takes a long time “to put the legislation together to control the people.”

CONTROL THE PEOPLE!

Good and Bad of Halter vs. Lincoln in 2010 (Part I)

Bad: Halter’s Challenge Could Actually Benefit Lincoln

On Monday, Arkansas’ Democrat Lt. Governor Bill Halter announced he will run against incumbent Democrat Senator Blanche Lincoln. Many are writing that conservative GOP candidates will reap big rewards from Halter’s challenge, and it will certainly help them in some areas. But the primary competition could actually help Lincoln with Arkansas conservatives who historically vote Democrat.

It’s been widely reported that Lincoln has over $5 million in the bank while the crowded field of Republican candidates have struggled to raise campaign cash in the midst of the current recession. But, in only two days, left-wing special interest groups including Moveon.org, Act Blue, and powerful labor unions have filled Halter’s campaign coffers with $4.75 million. This puts the two Democrats on an essentially even playing field for the primary and will prevent either from hoarding funds for the general election.

The far left fringe of the Democrat party is declaring an all out war on Lincoln. The powerful left-wing labor union AFL-CIO alone has agreed to funnel $4 million to Halter’s campaign. These left-wing forces are upset because Blanche has spent her political career trying to play both ends against the middle. She supported nearly every plank in President Obama’s platform last year, but the start of the campaign has her courting the conservative majority of Arkansans. Her votes for the Wall Street bailouts, auto industry bailouts, record budget deficits, record federal debt, and Obamacare weren’t enough to satisfy the left-wing loons’ demands for more government interference in Americans’ lives.

Since returning from the Senate’s Christmas recess, Lincoln has been slinking slightly to the right. The Democrat Senator who so angered Arkansas’ conservative majority the past year by voting for the President’s Socialist policies even fired a shot across Obama’s bow last month in an effort to win back the support of her conservative constituency. In addition to asking the President to “push back against people at the extremes” of their party, she directly attacked him for his lack of administrative experience when she relayed the concerns of a constituent who worried that no one in the White House “understands what it means to go to work on Monday and make a payroll on Friday.“ Her actions since the beginning of this election year make clear the Senator believes the key to her success lies in recapturing the support of Arkansas conservatives.

But Leon H. Wolf at Redstate predicts that “Halter’s very presence in the Democratic Primary will effectively force both candidates to tack left for the Democratic primary vote.” And while a primary challenge by a left-wing Democrat in most states would do just that, several factors in Arkansas may mean Blanche’s veer to the right may be the key to a primary victory in May. Arkansas’ open primary, conservative electorate, and historical unwillingness to send Republicans to the US Capitol could benefit Lincoln more if she DOESN’T follow Halter to the left.

Arkansas’ open primary permits registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, to vote in either the Democrat or Republican primary. In the 2004 primary, 278,000 Arkansans voted in the Democrat primary vs. only 54,000 in the Republican primary. According to the Arkansas Times, in January of 2008 there were only 57,851 registered Democrats and 44,437 registered Republicans in the state. So, registered independent voters outnumbered registered Democrats participating in the 2004 Democrat primary.

These numbers indicate a Democrat primary victory in the state may be possible without the support of the far left. And it could happen that, if Halter comes across as an extreme left-wing liberal, many more conservative voters may be motivated to participate in the Democrat primary for no other reason than to vote against him. If that occurs, these voters will likely find it much easier to support Lincoln in November.

So Halter’s entry in the race will certainly benefit real conservative candidates by forcing Blanche to spend some of her hoarded campaign stash, but it may also strengthen her with those conservative Arkansans who still remain reluctant to pull the Republican lever in the voting booth.

Conservatives who want Blanche gone need to work together to exploit a Halter vs. Lincoln primary. The goal is to maximize the damage done to Lincoln’s campaign and minimize the benefits. Look for Part II of this article later this week for ideas on how to do just that.

Corrupt Rangel Temporarily Steps Aside to Protect Pelosi

Congressman Charlie Rangel from New York today sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting a temporary leave of absence from his chairmanship of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. But don’t go thinking this was for the good of the country or anything!

Rangel hopes the move will help his House Democrat allies in their bids for reelection this fall. At a press conference this morning, the embattled Congressman stated, “My chairmanship is bringing so much attention to the press, and in order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter” asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work.”

The Congressman of 40 years apparently fails to understand it’s not his chairmanship that attracts the negative attention, but the fact that he permitted a corporation that lobbies Congress to fund his jaunts to the Carribean in violation of House rules. And those trips are only the tip of the iceberg of violations that sparked a nearly 2 year long ethics investigation of the Democrat Congressman.

Six months ago, Rep. John Carter (R-TX) called for Rangel’s gavel after the Democrat admitted he failed to report over $1 million worth of assets on federal disclosure forms. Carter first isntroduced a privileged resolution calling for Rangel’s removal as chair in February of last year amid the investigation for multiple ethics and tax violations.

Speaker Pelosi refused to act on Carter’s calls for and continued to allow her Democrat colleague to hold his privileged position on a committee that essentially writes the tax code for the corrupt lawmakers’ constituents.

Now, in an effort to help Pelosi maintain her position as speaker and principal promoter of President Obama’s Socialist agenda in the House of Representatives, Rangel chooses to step aside…temporarily!

Bipartisanship? Obama’s not even listening to the other side!

Look at him, bored to death and not paying the least bit of attention at his “health care summit.” He never intended to compromise, or even listen to GOP alternatives.

Democratic Rep. “Cold Cash” Jefferson Convicted!

Yesterday, former Louisiana Representative William “Cold Cash” Jefferson “was convicted of 11 of 16 counts, including bribery, racketeering and money laundering.”  The charges stemmed from an investigation that culminated in FBI agents finding $90,000 in cash stored in Jefferson’s freezer.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 30, but Jefferson’s attorney has stated they will appeal the verdict.

Jury Convicts Former Lawmaker in Freezer Cash Case

Does Marion Berry (AR-01) Accept Federal Farm Subsidies?

So which is it, Congressman? View the following video and referenced articles to find the truth! Marion Berry has long denied that he owns any farms that accept subsidies, yet his response to a question on the topic yesterday seems to contradict this. And the data shows “slick” Berry is may seem more dim witted with age but he has been more than smart enough to fleece the public for years.

Blue Dog Berry – Not so Blue With Farm Subsidy – Ken Cook at Mulch reports: Blue Dogs Are Big Winners In Subsidy-Laden Farm Bill . . .

Arkansas Rep. Marion Berry (D) Cashing In on Federal Service . . . receives farm subsidies . . . – Consider if you will, between 1996 and 2000, farm and land-holding companies that Berry owns with relatives in eastern Arkansas have received $750,449 in federal crop subsidies, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture records. . .

The Other King of Pork — AR Representative Marion Berry – Congressman Marion Berry (D-AR) promises more pork barrel spending now that the Democrats are in charge of Congress. This is no surprise. Last year, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote, “Arkansas’ Rep. Marion Berry would like to be known as the king of pork. “Nothing would please me more,” he says. . . .

BOOT BERRY

New attack on 2nd Amendment–HR 2159

The 2nd Amendment is once again under attack, this time by a bipartisan anti-gun coalition in the US House.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has introduced H.R. 2159 (aka “Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009”) seeks to give Obama’s gun ban enthusiast Attorney General Eric Holder sole discretion to decide who can and who cannot purchase a firearm. No trial, no hearing, just Eric Holder’s whimsical determination that a person might be involved in a terrorist act, now or sometime in the future, will be enough to keep an American citizen to exercise his/her constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

According to the NRA, “H.R. 2159 would give ‘the Attorney General the authority to deny the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm or the issuance of a firearms or explosives license or permit to dangerous terrorists. . . . if the Attorney General determines that the transferee is known (or appropriately suspected) to be or have been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism, or providing material support thereof, and the Attorney General has a reasonable belief that the prospective transferee may use a firearm in connection with terrorism.'”

[Read full text of HR 2159]

Not long ago, the Department of Homeland Security distributed a classified memo declaring virtually every conservative American and veteran a potential terrorist. So all of us considered “right-wing extremists” by the current administration are likely to find ourselves on Holder’s list of Americans who will be denied this constitutional right.

I seem to recall, in the not too distant past, liberals up in arms claiming President Bush was using fear of terrorism as an excuse to suspend Americans’ constitutional rights. (And Obama continues these very same practices today.) I guess these liberals consider it okay for a Democrat to trash the Constitution.

The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.  Sign this petition today and contact your representatives to tell them DON’T mess with our 2nd Amendment rights!

NRCC declares Arkansas a 2010 battleground

Many seem to think the GOP and conservatism are dead in the water after their dismal showing in last year’s elections, but Arkansas Democrats better prepare for a fight in 2010. Today, The Tolbert Report released the latest in a series of ads by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) letting voters in the conservative Southern state know their Democratic representatives in Congress aren’t really representative of their constituency.

The ad takes on Rep. Vic Snyder from Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District for his vote to send $800,000 to what is practically a private airport for Rep. John Murtha (D-PA). The airport serves a mere 20 passengers a day, with flights serving only one airport–Dulles in Washington, DC. It seems difficult to imagine Arkansas voters would voluntarily offer so much of their hard-earned money to serve the radical Murtha, but Vic Snyder thought this a wise investment for his constituents.

That’s not all the NRCC points out. Most would agree that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-AR) would never stand a chance of being elected if she were running in Arkansas. Though the embattled Pelosi has a 39% approval rating according to the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll, the ad notes Snyder votes with the forgetful lying congresswoman 97% of the time.

It’s hard to believe a majority of Arkansans would have knowingly elected Snyder had they known he was determined to be a Pelosi puppet.

Some may not consider it surprising the NRCC is challenging Arkansas Democrats, but the state didn’t really seem to matter to the GOP in 2008. Not one of the three Democratic representatives and one Senator who were up for re-election last year ran against a Republican challenger, not one. This was a terrible oversight on the GOP’s part, because every one of those four Democrats were challenged by third party candidates who all made decent showings in their respective races. Snyder’s Green Party challenger took more than 23% of the vote. There’s little doubt a Republican challenger would have had a far greater showing, and might have even defeated Congressman Snyder.

The NRCC seems destined not to repeat the mistake of 2008. It previously released an ad against Arkansas’ 1st District Congressman, Marion Berry, challenging his “Blue Dog” status by pointing out his recent votes on the Obama-Pelosi “Stimulus” plan and budget.

Arkansas may not have been on the GOP’s radar in recent years, but it is now. The Dems better be ready for a fight in 2010.

---

See more NRCC ads

Tech Savvy VP Biden? Maybe not.

Obama might have won last year’s election through his manipulation of the internet, but we now know that VP Joe Biden certainly wasn’t a part of the team that crafted the President’s web strategy. It’s doubtful that Biden has ever even connected to the internet based on his comments on CBS’ Early Show the other day when he told Maggie Rodriguez he “forgot a website number.”

Check out the video of the VP demonstrating just how “out of touch” he is with the tech-based world.

Sen. Demint (R-SC) Seeks Transparency in Senate Votes

Press Release from Sen. Demint–5/1/09

DeMint Leads Bipartisan Effort to Make Senate Votes More Transparent Democrats and Republicans urge modernizing Senate website with easily searchable XML vote database May 1, 2009 – WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, sent a bipartisan letter to the Senate Rules Committee asking it to modernize the way it publishes Senate roll call votes on the internet. Specifically, the letter requests that the Secretary of the Senate make votes available to the public using the XML format, which would allow citizens, government watchdog groups, and the press to immediately access and analyze Senate roll call votes. Senator DeMint was joined in signing the letter by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Ensign (R-Nevada), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana). “As Americans increasingly turn to the internet for information, it’s important that the United States Senate continue to modernize the way it provides the public with information,” said Senator DeMint. “Voting is the most basic and the most important Senate action, yet we’re making it unnecessarily difficult for the public to access this information. What we’re asking for here is a simple change that will have a profound impact on the Senate’s transparency and accountability.” On Monday, POLITICO reported on how the Senate has fallen behind the House of Representatives in terms of vote transparency: When it comes to roll call votes, transparency advocates of the technological bent say the House is worlds better than the Senate because the House clerk provides the XML files behind the votes — language that looks like a database to a computer and allows developers to easily reuse the data on their own websites. The Senate clerk’s office has resisted providing that information, despite being pressed by open government advocates, said Wonderlich. The reason they’ve been given: “The secretary of the Senate has cited a general standing policy … that they’re not supposed to present votes in a comparative format, that senators have the right to present their votes however they want to,” Wonderlich said. “It’s pretty bad.” When POLITICO sought to confirm this reasoning, the secretary’s office directed inquiries to the Senate Rules Committee. A spokeswoman at the Rules Committee said she was unable to find someone who could answer the question. J.H. Snider, president of iSolon.org, a think tank dedicated to using information technology to further democracy, said there’s a qualitative difference between making information public and making it “meaningfully” public — that is, in the easiest, most logical and most timely way. The full text of the letter is below: April 30, 2009 Senator Charles Schumer, Chairman Senator Bob Bennett, Ranking Member Committee on Rules and Administration Committee on Rules and Administration 305 Russell Senate Office Building 305 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senators Schumer and Bennett: We are writing today to ask you to change the Senate’s policy on the publishing of roll call votes so they are made available to the public in an XML format, in addition to what is provided on the Senate website today. As Americans increasingly turn to the Internet to stay informed, the Senate as a body has a duty to promote timely and accurate reporting of our actions through the most current and effective technologies. Voting is the most basic Senate action and is of crucial importance to the public. Yet the Secretary of the Senate is constrained by an antiquated policy on how roll call votes can be published on the Senate website. The Secretary of the Senate and the Sergeant at Arms have made strides in the development of the Senate website and the lobbying disclosure database. However, it is our understanding that the Secretary feels constrained not to use “XML” for online voting records. It is crucial that the Senate add XML. XML is more than merely a data format; it promotes the ability of citizens, watchdog groups, and the press to access and analyze Senate roll call votes. The addition of XML will allow the public to use computers to search, sort, and visualize voting records in new ways. While the costs associated with this transition would be negligible, the impact on transparency and accountability would be profound. It is troubling that the current policy makes it more difficult for the public to access and disseminate information about Senate roll call votes. This policy has created a situation where outside groups are forced to create databases that are more likely to contain errors and omissions. The public should not have to resort to subscription-based or mistake-ridden databases to easily obtain this information. It has been suggested that the policy may have been implemented originally because “Senators want to provide their voting records to their constituents themselves.” The suggestion that the Senate would intentionally hamstring the distribution of roll call votes so Senators could put a better spin on them is concerning. The public is capable of interpreting our votes on its own. The House of Representatives has been using XML for approximately five years with no adverse effects. It is time for the Senate to change its policy on sharing XML data and make roll call vote information easily available to the public. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to working with you improve the Senate’s legislative transparency in this way. Sincerely, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint U.S. Senator David Vitter U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman U.S. Senator James Risch U.S. Senator Richard Durbin U.S. Senator John Cornyn U.S. Senator John Ensign