Dale Peterson ad for Nathan Deal, candidate for Georgia Governor

I laughed at the end... the true sign of a good ad in my opinion! - jmd

Boehner Endorses States’ Rebellion Against a Gov’t Takeover of Health Care

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today expressed strong support for an effort gaining momentum in state legislatures nationwide to oppose Washington Democrats’ government takeover of health care and opt-out of its burdensome mandates.

Lawmakers in 26 states already have, or will, introduce legislation to outlaw any mandate that individuals must pay a new tax if they don’t have “government-approved” health insurance. This endeavor is being spearheaded by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a non-partisan organization made up of reform-minded state legislators. More states are expected to follow suit and introduce similar bills in the days and weeks ahead – all part of a grassroots effort to defeat this bill before it harms our economy and undermines the health care of every American.

“With our focus squarely on defeating a government takeover of health care, this growing rebellion in the states is yet another indication of strong grassroots opposition to Washington Democrats’ plans,” Boehner said. “All the burdensome mandates, tax hikes, and new layers of red tape Democrats are devising behind closed doors would wreak havoc on the states, so it’s no surprise a majority of them are already fighting back.”

The 26 states where opt-out legislation has been introduced include Boehner’s home state of Ohio, in addition to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

“When we see so many reform-minded state legislators standing with the American people against Democrats’ government takeover of health care, we’re even more convinced that fighting this bill with everything we’ve got is the right thing to do,” Boehner added. “Congressional Republicans will continue to lend our full support to this effort and look forward to having additional states come on board.”

Last year, Leader Boehner joined Reps. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Devin Nunes (R-CA) in establishing the GOP State Solutions project as part of an ongoing effort to partner with reform-minded governors, state officials, and legislators and promote better solutions to the challenges facing the American people.

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Boehner Welcomes Rep. Parker Griffith to the House Republican Conference

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after Rep. Parker Griffith (D-AL) announced his intent to leave the House Democratic Caucus and join the House Republican Conference:

“Parker Griffith is a dedicated public servant who has consistently put the best interests of his constituents first, and it is in that spirit that Republicans welcome him.

“All year long, Alabamians have been well-served by Congressman Griffith’s support for conservative principles and his rejection of Washington Democrats’ wrong-headed, liberal policies. Whether it was the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus,’ the national energy tax, or a government takeover of health care, Congressman Griffith has consistently sided with Republicans and the American people to call for better solutions rooted in common sense. He has also stood up to Speaker Pelosi by joining efforts to advance ‘read the bill’ reform and to ensure that not a single taxpayer dollar is used to fund abortions.

“With today’s decision, Congressman Griffith has added his voice to the growing chorus of Americans who have had it with Democrats’ wrong-headed policies and lack of leadership. Families continue to ask ‘where are the jobs?’ and all they are getting from out-of-touch Washington Democrats is more spending, more taxes, and more debt.

“Democratic leaders should seize this opportunity to reevaluate their entire job-killing agenda, starting with Senator Reid’s 2,733-page government takeover of health care. House Republicans will continue to offer the American people better solutions to address their everyday challenges, an effort that will surely benefit from Congressman Griffith’s leadership.”

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Big surge among small donors for GOP helps campaign committees

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) have seen a surge in the number of small-dollar donors making contributions in recent months, according to new reports.

Read more: http://www.thehill.com/homenews/campaign/63697-rnc-nrcc-see-uptick-in-small-donors
By Reid Wilson

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Ray McBerry to Speak at South Metro Young Republican Meeting

The South Metro Young Republicans will host its monthly meeting this Wednesday, October 21 at 7:00 pm. Please note the new location, Downtown Grill in Tyrone (1158 Senoia Road). Ray McBerry, a candidate for governor, will be the guest speaker: http://www.georgiafirst.org/.

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Marco Rubio Delivers Letter to Governor Crist Regarding ACORN

Another interesting race to watch. Marco Rubio (R) is running for the Senate seat vacated by Mel Martinez in Floriday. Governor Charlie Crist (R) is also running for the seat. www.marcorubio.com

September 17, 2009
The Honorable Charlie Crist
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399

Dear Governor Crist:

As you are no doubt aware, the community organizing group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) is now under intense scrutiny for recent reports of its involvement in questionable behavior and potentially illegal activity in several states.
In addition to the damning video reports of ACORN employees now familiar to most Floridians, just last week the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office announced that arrest warrants were issued for 11 former ACORN employees accused of faking voter registration cards. While it is commendable that ACORN assisted in the investigations that led to the arrests, it begs the question: why were so many people capable of these crimes working for ACORN in the first place?

Last Friday, the Census Bureau severed ties with ACORN. On Tuesday, U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and George LeMieux joined 81 other Senators in an overwhelming and bipartisan vote to strip federal funding from ACORN. Just yesterday, Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger in California and Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota took similar action, asking officials to investigate ACORN’s behavior in their respective states and prevent state taxpayer funding of the group.

Based on the mounting evidence against ACORN and the serious questions surrounding this organization, I respectfully ask that you follow the lead of the other elected officials I mentioned above and take immediate steps to initiate a thorough investigation into ACORN’s activities in Florida, including a detailed accounting of what state funds, if any, ACORN may be receiving. If it is discovered that they are receiving state funds, I believe further steps should be taken to cut off any taxpayer funding of ACORN.

The St. Petersburg Times also reported yesterday that your office may have partnered with ACORN in the past on several initiatives, including your 2007 effort to restore voting rights to convicted felons in Florida. If you partnered with ACORN, I have no reason to doubt you did so unaware of ACORN’s propensity for questionable activity, and with what you believed at the time to be the best interests of Floridians at heart. However, given the recent revelations about ACORN, I believe it is now in the best interest of all Floridians for your office to provide a thorough accounting of its relationship with ACORN and what, if any, influence ACORN may have had in any actions you have taken on behalf of the people of Florida.

Lastly, during last year’s presidential election, despite what now seems to be a prescient chorus of concerned parties asking for an investigation into ACORN’s election-related activities, you insisted that you were unconcerned with ACORN’s activities. In light of the recent allegations against ACORN, I suggest you reconsider your position, demand a full investigation of ACORN’s election-related activities, and take whatever steps available to you to prevent ACORN from engaging in voter registration and other election-related activities until the questions surrounding this organization are resolved.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Marco Rubio
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On NBC's Meet the Press, Boehner Discusses Health Care, Dems' Push for Bigger Government, War in Afghanistan

In an appearance this morning on NBC’s Meet the Press, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed health care, the War in Afghanistan, and the dramatic expansion of the size of government under the current Administration. Leader Boehner highlighted House Republicans’ better solutions on health care – including allowing the American people to buy insurance across state lines and enacting medical liability reform – and called on the President to scrap his costly government takeover of health care and hit the “reset” button so Republicans and Democrats can work together on a bipartisan bill that reduces health care costs, expands coverage, and doesn’t break the bank. Following are highlights of Boehner’s appearance and video of the interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-wppn6_hiQ&feature=player_profilepage

BOEHNER ON DEMOCRATS’ GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF HEALTH CARE AND GOP BETTER SOLUTIONS:

“We’ve outlined a number of ideas to make the current system better. Why not allow small employers to group together through national associations so they can buy health insurance for their employees like big companies and unions can today? Why not allow the American people to buy health care plans across state lines? Why not get serious about medical malpractice reform and more importantly the defensive medicine that doctors practice because we haven't reformed our tort system? There are ideas I outlined some of these ideas in a letter to the President back in may, asked to sit down with him and his Administration, and we got a nice polite letter back that says thank you for your ideas, we'll see you at the end. I’ve not been to the White House since late April, early may. There’s been no bipartisan conversation on Capitol Hill about health care, at some point when these big-government plans fail, and they will, the congress will not pass this, it's really time for the President to hit the reset button and stop all of this and sit down and start over in a bipartisan way to build a plan that Americans will support.”

BOEHNER ON RADICAL GROWTH IN SIZE AND SCOPE OF GOVERNMENT UNDER DEMOCRATIC-CONTROLLED WASHINGTON:

“Let's remember something. The debate that we're in here is not just about health care. It’s about the trillion dollar stimulus bill that was supposed to be about jobs and turned into nothing more than spending, spending and more spending. It’s about a budget with a nearly $2 trillion deficit this year and trillion dollar deficits for as far as the eye can see. It’s a cap-and-trade system, this big giant tax on the American people that this week we just find out the Treasury Department said will cost the average family $1,700 per year. You add to that this whole question of health care and the government option and the government involvement, and Americans today are getting more news about what's happening in their government than they have ever gotten before, and Americans are generally scared to death…

“What’s going on here is unsustainable. Our nation is broke, and at a time when we've got the serious economic problem and near 10 unemployment, we ought to be looking to create jobs in America, not kill jobs in America. Their cap-and-trade proposal, all this spending, all of this debt and now their health care plan will make it more difficult for employers to hire people, more difficult, more expensive to have employees which means we're going to have less jobs in America - but Americans are scared and that's why they are speaking up and that's why they are engaging in their government.”

BOEHNER COMMENTS ON WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, CALLS ON GENERAL MCCHRYSTAL TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS:

“I said during the year, if the President listened to our commanders on the ground and to our diplomats, that I’d be there by his side, and I supported his strategy in Iraq. I’ve supported his strategy in Afghanistan, but it's pretty clear based on what I heard this morning that the President is changing the goals here. All he talked about was going after al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. What happened to the statement earlier this year when the President said we cannot allow the Taliban and al Qaeda to have a safe haven from which to train, operate and organize to go after Americans? That is a very big change, and so I’m really concerned. We’ve been asking for general McChrystal to come to Capitol Hill and testify. The request -- we haven't heard anything. There's reports out all last week that the White House has asked general McChrystal to wait four to six weeks before sending his request in, and so there's something -- there's something amiss here, and I am highly skeptical of the debate that we're going to have here over the next couple of months.”

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Chambliss, Isakson Cast Votes, Cosponsor Legislation to Block ACORN from Receiving Any Taxpayer Dollars

Also Call On Democratic Leader to Hold Hearings to ‘Determine Extent of ACORN’s Wrongdoing’

U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today cast votes and cosponsored legislation to block the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, from receiving any federal funding. The senators also signed a letter to the Senate Democratic Leader calling on him to hold hearings “to determine the extent of ACORN's wrongdoing.”

ACORN, which has received an estimated $53 million in federal money since 1994, was accused of fraudulent voter registration in several states during the 2008 presidential election. Now, the group is under fire for hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in several cities are seen advising two people posing as a prostitute and pimp on how to break the law.

“After repeated revelations of fraud, it's clear that we must move forward to ensure that ACORN is not receiving any federal funding,” said Chambliss. “Organizations that break our laws and undermine our democratic process should not be eligible for taxpayer dollars.”

“It is indefensible that ACORN is eligible for taxpayers funds when it has repeatedly worked to undermine our electoral process and to advance partisan political activities,” said Isakson. “The recent revelations only offer further proof that this organization should be prohibited from receiving federal funding.”

Chambliss and Isakson cosponsored a bill today to block ACORN from receiving any federal funds from any source. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., and has 16 cosponsors.

In addition, Chambliss and Isakson voted for an amendment on the floor to block ACORN from receiving federal funding through the Interior Appropriations bills. This amendment passed by a vote of 85-11.

Chambliss and Isakson also joined 26 other senators in calling on Democratic Leader Harry Reid to hold public hearings on ACORN and to end all federal funding for the group.
The letter to Reid says in part: “American taxpayers must be able to trust that their money is being spent responsibly and is not being used to fund criminal enterprises. As Senate Majority Leader, we hope that you will deploy all of the resources at your disposal to restore that trust.”
Earlier this week Chambliss and Isakson also cosponsored and voted for an amendment to block ACORN from receiving federal funding through the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. The amendment passed by a vote of 83-7.
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Cash for Clunkers’ woes preview Obamacare

By Lynn Westmoreland

As Democratic members of Congress heard an earful over August from angry constituents worried about a government takeover of health care, hundreds of thousands of Americans were getting a sneak preview of what Obamacare might look like.

Washington, in its wisdom, instituted a seemingly simple Cash for Clunkers program, a plan so well known by Americans that it needs no further introduction.

The Cash for Clunkers window has closed now, of course, but its record of delays, paperwork, refusals, computer crashes and general red tape remained fresh in the memories of Americans as the president addressed the Congress this week to push his ideas for health care reform.

Without doubt, the president is the Democrats’ greatest messenger and he’s gifted in the art of persuasion. But the president doesn’t need to convince Americans that we have problems with our health care system. We could have all agreed on that long before he took up residence at the White House.

The president’s challenge is selling Americans on the dubious idea that the answer lies in a government takeover of the health care industry.

There are many legitimate reasons Americans from coast to coast flooded town hall meetings over August to voice their opposition. There are basic worries about bigger government, higher taxes and even larger federal deficits. Others wonder how an underfunded Medicare program could sustain $500 billion in cuts. But the main concern is intimately personal: Americans know a public option will undermine private insurance and lead to rationing, lower quality care and bureaucratic interference in the doctor-patient relationship.

It’s the latter concern where the Cash for Clunkers program could come into play.

At first, Congress appropriated $1 billion to provide a $4,500 incentive for Americans to trade in gas guzzlers for new, more fuel-efficient cars. This was supposed to rev up the ailing car dealers and auto manufacturers. (While almost 700,000 cars were bought through the program, this is a case of the government picking winners and losers. Cash for Clunkers merely pushed consumers to buy cars in lieu of other big purchases. Plus, dealers may face a dry spell after the taxpayer-subsided binge.)

The Department of Transportation this week will increase its work force for the program to 5,000, up from 3,000 last week, which was up from 1,100 public and private sector employees in mid-August. The bureaucracy keeps expanding.

What are these 5,000 new government workers doing? They’re processing the 27 million pages of paperwork generated by those nearly 700,000 car sales. A huge backlog formed waiting on the mere stamp of federal approval of the sale.

While many dealers appreciated the jump start on lagging sales, common complaints echoed nationwide: The government’s web site kept crashing, dealers couldn’t get their money from the Department of Transportation, their accountants were working around the clock to fill out the bounty of paperwork required on each car and 50 percent of applications were rejected. As of today (Sept. 10), only a little more than 40 percent of submissions have been paid.

Paperwork. Problems with payments to providers. Delays. Backups. New bureaucrats hired. The government picking winners and losers.

These things were bad enough when U.S. consumers were just looking for a good deal on a new car. What’s it going to be like when you need dialysis or a heart transplant?

President Obama’s effort to sell cars may give Americans extra pause as they watch him kick the tires on his health care plan.

Lynn Westmoreland (R-Grantville) represents Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District.
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Westmoreland: IMF loan a poison pill

U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today regretted that he had to vote against the bill to fund the war effort because Democrats tacked on $108 billion in loan guarantees to the International Monetary Fund. All House Republicans and a handful of Democrats joined Westmoreland in opposition, but the bill passed the House.

“American troops are waging a war that has gone on for years and members of Congress should be able to vote to fund the war with no strings attached,” Westmoreland said. “Instead, we’re getting an alleged war spending bill that actually spends more money on the International Monetary Fund than on the war.”

The legislation provides just under $80 billion for the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the next year. It provides additional money for other defense-related funds and Westmoreland voted for a bipartisan troop funding bill earlier this year that didn’t include the IMF funding.

“Americans overseas are fighting for us in wars. And Americans at home are fighting to pay the bills during a time of extraordinary economic difficulty,” Westmoreland continued. “We have the ability to bounce back out of this recession, but we can’t afford to pay for a global bailout – we have more than enough bailouts going on in our own country, thank you very much. The irony of all this is that we have to borrow money from other countries, particularly China, in order to lend money to the IMF, which then lends money to countries that hate the United States.

“I hate to vote against a bill that funds our troops. We in Congress have a duty and a responsibility to them. But today’s bill does them a disservice, because these troops are also American citizens and they’ll come home and have to join all the rest of us in paying off this gigantic debt that the Democrats are running up.”
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Gwinnett GOP to Host Rep. Austin Scott and County Commissioners at Saturday Breakfast

The Republican Party of Gwinnett County’s upcoming breakfast meeting will feature guest speaker State Representative Austin Scott (R-Tifton), Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee and candidate for Governor.

Also invited are all 5 county commissioners to talk about the proposed millage rate increase was tabled at Tuesday’s public hearing.

“The Gwinnett Republican Party offers the county’s conservative voters the opportunity to meet the candidates running for governor and to be better educated on this issues that matter in the community,” said party Chairman Chuck Efstration.

The meeting, scheduled for this Saturday, June 6th, will start at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast service begins at 8:00 a.m. and the meeting is held at the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant located at 3505 Mall Boulevard in Duluth, across from Gwinnett Place Mall.

For more information on this Saturday’s meeting or other upcoming Gwinnett Republican Party events, please visit our web site at www.gwinnettgop.org or send an email to gwinnettrepublicanparty@gmail.com.
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Rand Paul Forms Exploratory Committee to Run for US Senate

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rand Paul, Bowling Green Eye Surgeon and son of former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, today announces the formation of an Exploratory Committee for the US Senate. For the past fifteen years, Dr. Paul has been the chairman of the Kentucky Taxpayers United, a group that monitors and rates the State Legislature.

Dr. Paul has been respectful of incumbent senator Jim Bunning’s difficult decision and courage in opposing the bank bailout. As such, Dr. Paul waited until Senator Bunning publicly gave the green light for other candidates to form committees.

Rand Paul's entry into this race will nationalize the Kentucky campaign as can be witnessed by his appearance last night on MSNBC and several national talk radio programs.

www.RandPaul2010.com will be the official website. Dr. Paul has hired the California political consulting firm of PolAction LLC.

In Liberty,
Christopher Hightower
Rand Paul for US Senate Exploratory Committee
Campaign Coordinator

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Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) delivers the weekly Republican address.

Transcript:

"Hello, I'm Judd Gregg, Senator from New Hampshire. We all know these are difficult times. People are worried about keeping their jobs, paying their bills, the value of their homes and the cost of sending their kids to college. It's hard.

"Thus I appreciate, as do all Americans, the efforts being made by our President and his seriousness about addressing these issues.

"But what concerns many of us are his proposals in the budget he recently sent to the Congress that dramatically grow the size and cost of government and move it to the left.

"It is our opinion that this plan spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much.

"You may have heard this before that the budget of the President spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much.

"What do we mean? Well, let me give you a few examples.

"In the next five years, President Obama's budget will double the national debt; in the next ten years it will triple the national debt.

"To say this another way, if you take all the debt of our country run up by all of our presidents from George Washington through George W. Bush, the total debt over all those 200-plus years since we started as a nation, it is President Obama's plan to double that debt in just the first five years that he is in office.

"He is also planning to spend more on the government as a percentage of our economy than at any time since World War II.

"His budget assumes the deficit will average $1 trillion dollars every year for the next 10 years and will add well over $9 trillion dollars in new debts to our children's backs.

"He also is proposing the largest tax increase in history, much of it aimed at taxing small business people who have been, over the years, the best job creators in our economy. And further, he is proposing a massive new national sales tax on your electric bill. So that every time you turn on a light switch in your house, you will be hit with a new tax -- and it averages over $3,000 per household.

"These are staggering numbers and represent an extraordinary move of our government to the left.

"The President to his credit is not trying to hide this; in fact he is very forthright in stating that he believes that by greatly expanding the spending, the taxing and the borrowing of our government, this will lead us to prosperity.

"Here of course is where we differ. We believe you create prosperity by having an affordable government that pursues its responsibilities without excessive costs, taxes or debt. That it is the individual American who creates prosperity and good jobs, not the government.

"We believe that you create energy independence not by sticking Americans with a brand new national sales tax on everyone's electric bill, but by expanding the production of American energy, such as environmentally sound off-shore drilling, nuclear power, wind, solar while also conserving more.

"We also believe you improve everyone's health care not by nationalizing the health care system and putting the government between you and your doctor, but by assuring that every American has access to quality health insurance and choices in health care.

"We believe that you run a sound and affordable government not by running up the national debt to historic levels and unsustainable levels while over-taxing working Americans and spending as if there is no tomorrow, but rather by working on limiting the growth of government in a manner that is affordable not only today but for the next generation through limiting spending and addressing core issues like the cost of entitlements.

"Our nation has an exceptional history of one generation passing on to the next generation a more prosperous and stronger country, but that tradition is being put at risk. The dramatic move to the left and the massive increase in the size and cost of the government, proposed by the budget of President Obama, will lead to an immense national debt that not only threatens the value of the dollar and puts at risk our ability to borrow money to run the government. But it will also place our children at a huge disadvantage as they inherit this debt which will make their chances of success less than those given to us by our parents. It is not right for one generation to do that to another generation.

"Rather, we believe that if you properly steward the responsibilities of the government, if you do not spend too much, if you do not tax too much, if you do not borrow too much, we can leave our children a better nation where they will have even greater opportunity for prosperity, peace and freedom.

"Thank you for taking the time to listen, and have a great weekend."

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Boehner: With Housing Proposal, Republicans Continue Offering Better Solutions

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement after Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Members of the House GOP’s Economic Recovery Solutions Group announced Republicans’ plan for revitalizing the housing market:

“While some continue to repeat the falsehood that Republicans are not offering alternatives to the President’s plans that spend, tax, and borrow too much, Republicans are proving that we are the party of better solutions. This year, we have offered better solutions on the economy, jobs, the budget, college and retirement savings, and now housing. Rep. Cantor and his colleagues on the Economic Recovery Solutions Group have crafted a proposal to revitalize our housing market without rewarding speculators, scam artists, and those who knowingly made bad decisions. I hope the Administration and Democratic leaders in Congress finally abandon their go-it-alone approach and give this proposal and all of our Republican solutions the consideration they deserve.”

NOTE: Earlier this year, Boehner tapped Cantor to head the House GOP’s Economic Recovery Solutions Group. Other Members of the group include Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence, (R-IN), Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Republican Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rules Committee Ranking Member David Dreier (R-CA), Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL), Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), and Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY).

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House Republicans' AIG Bill Will Recover 100 Percent of the AIG Bonuses Immediately; Democrats' Bill? Some of It ... and Maybe In a Year

Prior to today’s debate on the Democrats’ half-hearted attempt to recover some of the AIG executive bonuses a year or more from now, House Republicans will move to force a debate and vote on legislation to get 100 PERCENT of taxpayers’ money back IMMEDIATELY.
Let’s be honest. The legislation House Democrats are bringing to the floor today, which they claim is the best way to recover the AIG bonuses, is a sham. In a perfect world, it would lead to partial recovery of the bonuses a year or more from now – when the executives get around to paying their income taxes. And because the legislation is so riddled with loopholes, it wouldn’t even lead to the recovery of all of the bonus dollars.

How is that a fair deal for taxpayers?

Don’t taxpayers deserve to get 100 percent of their money back?

After all, they aren’t responsible for the AIG executives getting the $165 million; Democrats in Congress and the Administration are. They’re the ones who rushed through the trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill that allowed the bonuses to be paid in the first place.

House Republicans are committed to being the party of better solutions, and the Democrats’ AIG mess is no exception. That’s why Reps. Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), and the rest of their freshman GOP colleagues have introduced a better – and quicker – way to recover 100 percent of the AIG bonuses. Their bill would allow taxpayers to recover 100 PERCENT of the AIG bonuses IMMEDIATELY – not some of the money a year or more from now.

Will House Democrats allow a vote on the GOP bill to get 100 PERCENT of taxpayers’ money back IMMEDIATELY? Or will they continue to provide political cover for their fatally-flawed “stimulus” bill that allowed the AIG bonuses to be paid?

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Employee Free Choice Act banks on Specter

How will the battle over the Employee Free Choice Act affect Sen. Arlen Specter's complicated quest to be elected to a sixth term?

A month or so after enraging conservatives by his vote for President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package, the Pennsylvania Republican is in the crosshairs again over another huge test of Mr. Obama's clout: the Employee Free Choice Act.

Last week, the blogosphere was alive with speculation.....http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09074/955732-28.stm

Sunday, March 15, 2009
By Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


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Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

"I'm Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. I serve as the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which handles all tax legislation.

"The President of the United States has the pleasure of leading the country in the best of times, but the responsibility for digging us out of the worst.

"He has to govern in the present and build confidence for the future.

"Right now, Americans need jobs. They want Washington to fix only what it can, without destroying opportunities for the next generation.

"The President's programs don't connect all the dots.

"His plans fail to recognize that Americans are not an endless source of tax dollars to pay for government spending.

"The President's proposed budget raises taxes. For the vast majority of people who earn less than $200,000, raising taxes on higher earners might not sound so bad.

"Yet a lot of small businesses are in that category. The landscaper or the general contractor with a dozen employees could land in the bull's eye.

"Tell these business owners their taxes will go up. Odds are, they'll cut spending. They'll cancel orders for new equipment, cut health insurance for their employees, stop hiring, and lay people off.

"These small businesses happen to create 74 percent of all new private sector jobs in the United States.

"Meanwhile, the President's budget includes a tax increase on more than half of small businesses with 20 or more employees. Businesses of that size account for two-thirds of the small business workforce. The tax increase is equal to 20 percent of the marginal tax rate paid by those small businesses.

"Ask people what number of jobs they're willing to sacrifice right now. To a person, they'll tell you zero.

"The Administration also wants to cut the tax deduction for giving to charity. Even the Tax Policy Center, a left-leaning think tank, says this would mean $9 billion less for philanthropy.

"The Administration's proposal to reduce the carbon production could amount to an average hidden tax increase of around $3,000 per household a year. In effect it's a national sales tax on energy.

"All of these tax increases would be the biggest tax increase in history.

"That's not all: Even if every one of these tax increases goes on the books, this budget still nearly triples the national debt by 2019.

"The President and his allies in Congress want to spend too much, tax too much, and borrow too much.

"Somebody has to pay -- if not the middle class now, then later. Eventually the middle class gets hit.

"Meanwhile, if taxes get too high, people drop out of the workforce and pay less taxes.

"So higher taxes don't bring in more money.

"Government spending is a pretty inefficient way to create jobs anyway. Economists say the new stimulus bill will cost $787 billion to create or save 2.5 million jobs -- one million fewer than promoted by the Administration and congressional supporters. It amounts to $315,000 for each job created or saved.

"It's very simple. The government doesn't create wealth. It expends wealth.

"No wonder then the public is skeptical about Washington trying to fix the economy with one massive spending bill after another. It's hard to convince taxpayers that more deficit spending is the answer.

"There's evidence that the President and his people understand this, even if their budget doesn't show it. They say they don't want to raise taxes until 2011 because the economy is too weak.

"Well, if the President admits that tax increases hurt the economy, that will be true in two years as it is true today. Americans need leadership, and they need confidence now. They need their President and their elected representatives to connect all the dots. Jobs are hard-won. The government should first, do no harm. Thank you for listening."

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Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) delivers the weekly Republican address.

"This week, President Obama shared with all Americans his priorities and concerns about the serious economic challenges we as America are facing. I appreciated his optimism and agree with him that our country has the ability to overcome this significant economic challenge.

"The strongest tool we as Americans have is our ability to rally together and to find solutions with unity of purpose. There is no limit to our ability and potential when we as a nation and as a people work together.

"Many times, disagreements between the two political parties in Washington get all the headlines. What's not reported is the fact that Republicans and Democrats agree on where we want to go, but we disagree on how we're going to get there.

"These uncertain times present us with a defining moment. The actions and decisions we make and the actions we take in our nation's capital and in the state capitals across this country will have a profound impact on the way of life for years to come.

"Families facing tough decisions at home know this because they are confronting the same challenges. Washington needs to understand this reality as well. It's difficult to fully appreciate, but every time Congress and the President spends a dollar, it's actually a dollar PLUS interest that our children and our grandchildren will have to pay back.

"We must remind ourselves of this fact every single day. Unfortunately, Washington is in a state of denial. Our spending habits haven't gotten better, they've only gotten worse.

"It seems that every morning you pick up the newspaper, you're reading about another multi-billion dollar government spending plan being proposed or even worse, passed. The numbers are so large, and the deficits so staggering, it's difficult for the average person to imagine how much money we're talking about. We become numb to what the dollar figures really mean, or the obligation that accompanies them. Let me take a moment to try to explain what is happening in Washington right now, and what it will mean for all of us down the road.

"This week, the president submitted to Congress the single largest increase in federal spending in the history of the United States, while driving the deficit to levels that were once thought impossible. If we just look at what our debt spending will cost us in interest payments alone, we are talking about 4 trillion dollars over the next 10 years, more than a billion dollars of interest payments every day. Think of that 4 trillion as a finance charge on your credit card bill -- you have to pay, but you get nothing for it in return. This finance charge obligates more than $52,000 for every family in America over the same 10-year period.

"These payments don't even make a dent in the balance we owe. In fact, the balance on our credit card continues to grow as we continue to spend. Like a family that finds itself choking under the weight of credit card balances and finance charges, the federal government is quickly obligating the American people to a similar fate.

"This is why we must keep our eye on the big picture. For two centuries, the American Dream has depended on the simple belief that men and women work hard so their children would have a better future. Looking at the spending priorities of Democrats in Washington in the proposed budget and over the past month, it's hard to escape the reality that for the first time we could see the American Dream vanish. Now, instead of working hard so our children can have a better life tomorrow, we are asking our children to work hard so that we don't have to make tough choices today.

"It's long past time to show restraint and to make the tough choices that will help put our fiscal house in order. Generations of Americans past have often been called on to make great sacrifices for their country. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Is it not time for government to make sacrifices for future generations? It's time for those elected to lead. Will we rise to the challenge, and make the tough choices necessary? Or will we simply hand the obligation to our children and wish them good luck?"

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RNC Chairman's Response to President Obama's Address

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement last night:

"Watching President Obama address our nation -- and feeling the pride that is in every American's heart -- it's worth pausing to celebrate our nation's achievements. Yet even as we mark this historic event, we recognize the deep problems that continue to face our nation. Republicans are eager to work with President Obama on the challenges he discussed, especially restoring fiscal responsibility and growing our economy.

"After last year's State of the Union, then-candidate Barack Obama asked the nation to imagine a time when a President's agenda would draw standing ovations from both sides of the aisle. That sort of bipartisanship is an admirable goal -- and one that unfortunately continues to elude Washington. The Democratic leadership in Congress must be willing to work with Republicans to stop out-of-control spending, promote the creation of jobs, and to keep our troops properly funded.

"Now would be a good time for this young Administration to ask the Democrat leaders in Congress to actually consider working in a bipartisan way to solve the real problems Americans are facing.

"I am more confident than ever that the American people will stand up for the principles our nation was founded on and will hold their representatives accountable to overcome the challenges that this nation faces."

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Governor Bobby Jindal's Republican Address: 'Americans Can Do Anything'

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Republican National Committee (RNC) released the full Republican address entitled "Americans Can Do Anything," that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal delivered immediately following President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress:

"Good evening. I'm Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana.

Tonight, we witnessed a great moment in the history of our Republic. In the very chamber where Congress once voted to abolish slavery, our first African-American President stepped forward to address the state of our union. With his speech tonight, the President completed a redemptive journey that took our nation from Independence Hall...to Gettysburg...to the lunch counter... and now, finally, the Oval Office.

Regardless of party, all Americans are moved by the President's personal story - the son of an American mother and a Kenyan father, who grew up to become leader of the free world. Like the President's father, my parents came to this country from a distant land. When they arrived in Baton Rouge, my mother was already 4 1/2 months pregnant. I was what folks in the insurance industry now call a 'pre-existing condition.' To find work, my dad picked up the yellow pages and started calling local businesses. Even after landing a job, he could still not afford to pay for my delivery - so he worked out an installment plan with the doctor. Fortunately for me, he never missed a payment.

As I grew up, my mom and dad taught me the values that attracted them to this country - and they instilled in me an immigrant's wonder at the greatness of America. As a child, I remember going to the grocery store with my dad. Growing up in India, he had seen extreme poverty. And as we walked through the aisles, looking at the endless variety on the shelves, he would tell me: 'Bobby, Americans can do anything.' I still believe that to this day. Americans can do anything. When we pull together, there is no challenge we cannot overcome.

As the President made clear this evening, we are now in a time of challenge. Many of you listening tonight have lost jobs. Others have seen your college and retirement savings dwindle. Many of you are worried about losing your health care and your homes. And you are looking to your elected leaders in Washington for solutions.

Republicans are ready to work with the new President to provide those solutions. Here in my state of Louisiana, we don't care what party you belong to if you have good ideas to make life better for our people. We need more of that attitude from both Democrats and Republicans in our nation's capital. All of us want our economy to recover and our nation to prosper. So where we agree, Republicans must be the President's strongest partners. And where we disagree, Republicans have a responsibility to be candid and offer better ideas for a path forward.

Today in Washington, some are promising that government will rescue us from the economic storms raging all around us.

Those of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina, we have our doubts.

Let me tell you a story.


During Katrina, I visited Sheriff Harry Lee, a Democrat and a good friend of mine. When I walked into his makeshift office I'd never seen him so angry. He was yelling into the phone: 'Well, I'm the Sheriff and if you don't like it you can come and arrest me!' I asked him: 'Sheriff, what's got you so mad?' He told me that he had put out a call for volunteers to come with their boats to rescue people who were trapped on their rooftops by the floodwaters. The boats were all lined up ready to go - when some bureaucrat showed up and told them they couldn't go out on the water unless they had proof of insurance and registration. I told him, 'Sheriff, that's ridiculous.' And before I knew it, he was yelling into the phone: 'Congressman Jindal is here, and he says you can come and arrest him too!' Harry just told the boaters to ignore the bureaucrats and start rescuing people.

There is a lesson in this experience: The strength of America is not found in our government. It is found in the compassionate hearts and enterprising spirit of our citizens. We are grateful for the support we have received from across the nation for the ongoing recovery efforts. This spirit got Louisiana through the hurricanes - and this spirit will get our nation through the storms we face today.

To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you - the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything.

That is why Republicans put forward plans to create jobs by lowering income tax rates for working families...cutting taxes for small businesses ...strengthening incentives for businesses to invest in new equipment and hire new workers...and stabilizing home values by creating a new tax credit for home-buyers. These plans would cost less and create more jobs.

But Democratic leaders in Congress rejected this approach. Instead of trusting us to make wise decisions with our own money, they passed the largest government spending bill in history - with a price tag of more than $1 trillion with interest. While some of the projects in the bill make sense, their legislation is larded with wasteful spending. It includes $300 million to buy new cars for the government, $8 billion for high-speed rail projects, such as a 'magnetic levitation' line from Las Vegas to Disneyland, and $140 million for something called 'volcano monitoring.' Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, DC.

Democratic leaders say their legislation will grow the economy. What it will do is grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt. Who among us would ask our children for a loan, so we could spend money we do not have, on things we do not need? That is precisely what the Democrats in Congress just did. It's irresponsible. And it's no way to strengthen our economy, create jobs, or build a prosperous future for our children.

In Louisiana, we took a different approach. Since I became governor, we cut more than 250 earmarks from our state budget. And to create jobs for our citizens, we cut taxes six times - including the largest income tax cut in the history of our state. We passed those tax cuts with bipartisan majorities. Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences, and worked together to make sure our people could keep more of what they earn. If it can be done in Baton Rouge, surely it can be done in Washington, DC.

To strengthen our economy, we need urgent action to keep energy prices down. All of us remember what it felt like to pay $4 at the pump - and unless we act now, those prices will return. To stop that from happening, we need to increase conservation...increase energy efficiency...increase the use of alternative and renewable fuels...increase our use of nuclear power - and increase drilling for oil and gas here at home. We believe that Americans can do anything - and if we unleash the innovative spirit of our citizens, we can achieve energy independence.

To strengthen our economy, we also need to address the crisis in health care. Republicans believe in a simple principle: No American should have to worry about losing their health coverage - period. We stand for universal access to affordable health care coverage. We oppose universal government-run health care. Health care decisions should be made by doctors and patients - not by government bureaucrats. We believe Americans can do anything - and if we put aside partisan politics and work together, we can make our system of private medicine affordable and accessible for every one of our citizens.

To strengthen our economy, we also need to make sure every child in America gets the best possible education. After Katrina, we reinvented the New Orleans school system - opening dozens of new charter schools, and creating a new scholarship program that is giving parents the chance to send their children to private or parochial schools of their choice. We believe that, with the proper education, the children of America can do anything. And it should not take a devastating storm to bring this kind of innovation to education in our country.

To strengthen our economy, we must promote confidence in America by ensuring ours is the most ethical and transparent system in the world. In my home state, there used to be saying: At any given time, half of Louisiana is under water - and the other half is under indictment. No one says that anymore. Last year, we passed some of the strongest ethics laws in the nation - and today, Louisiana has turned her back on the corruption of the past. We need to bring transparency to Washington, DC- so we can rid our Capitol of corruption...and ensure we never see the passage of another trillion dollar spending bill that Congress has not even read and the American people haven't even seen.

As we take these steps, we must remember for all our troubles at home, dangerous enemies still seek our destruction. Now is no time to dismantle the defenses that have protected this country for hundreds of years, or make deep cuts in funding for our troops. America's fighting men and women can do anything. And if we give them the resources they need, they will stay on the offensive...defeat our enemies...and protect us from harm.

In all these areas, Republicans want to work with President Obama. We appreciate his message of hope - but sometimes it seems we look for hope in different places. Democratic leaders in Washingto nplace their hope in the federal government. We place our hope in you - the American people. In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government. We oppose the National Democrats' view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government. We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, and empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.

In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear - because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust - and rightly so.

Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say: Our party is determined to regain your trust. We will do so by standing up for the principles that we share...the principles you elected us to fight for...the principles that built this into the greatest, most prosperous country on earth.

A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said 'we may not be able to reverse.' Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don't let anyone tell you that we cannot recover - or that America's best days are behind her. This is the nation that cast off the scourge of slavery...overcame the Great Depression...prevailed in two World Wars...won the struggle for civil rights...defeated the Soviet menace...and responded with determined courage to the attacks of September 11, 2001. The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man - and the American spirit will triumph again.

We can have confidence in our future - because, amid today's challenges, we also count many blessings: We have the most innovative citizens...the most abundant resources...the most resilient economy...the most powerful military...and the freest political system in the history of the world. My fellow citizens, never forget: We are Americans. And like my dad said years ago, Americans can do anything.

Thank you for listening. God bless you. And God bless America."

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