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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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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Isakson Criticizes Elimination of Expanded Tax Credit for Homebuyers

Votes Against $3.56 Trillion Budget Resolution

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today criticized House-Senate conference negotiators for the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Resolution for removing language authored by Isakson that would have provided for a $15,000 tax credit to individuals who purchase a home in the next year. Isakson voted against final passage of the $3.56 trillion Budget Resolution, which passed by a vote of 53 to 43.

It was the second time this year that a House-Senate conference committee has deleted Isakson’s expanded $15,000 homebuyer tax credit after it had won overwhelming approval by the Senate.

“I would like to thank the Senate for its wisdom in adopting the $15,000 credit, express my deep disappointment in the conference committee for dropping it and encourage our president and the leadership of our country to give a second thought to what this credit could do,” Isakson said. “The greatest stimulus in the world is not a gift of money. It is an incentive for American families to invest and restore confidence in the United States economy.”

On April 1, the Senate unanimously passed Isakson’s amendment to the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Resolution that would have created a deficit-neutral reserve fund to provide for a $15,000 nonrefundable federal income tax credit for the purchase of a principal residence during a one-year period. It would also have ensured that there was room available in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget for a homebuyer tax credit to be passed at a later date.

On Feb. 4, 2009, the Senate unanimously approved an amendment by Isakson to the economic stimulus bill would have provided a direct tax credit to any homebuyer who purchases any home. The amount of the tax credit would be $15,000 or 10 percent of the purchase price, whichever is less. During conference negotiations between the House and Senate on the final version of that bill, Isakson’s $15,000 tax credit for all purchasers of any home was removed. Instead, House and Senate negotiators made only small modifications to the first-time homebuyer tax credit that was enacted in 2008 as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

Isakson has pushed hard for a non-repayable tax credit for homebuyers because he knows that it will work. In the mid-1970s, America faced a similar housing crisis when a period of easy credit and loose underwriting flooded the market with new construction. Interest rates rose, the economy slowed and America was left with a three-year supply of vacant homes. Congress responded by passing a $2,000 tax credit for anyone purchasing a new home for their principal residence. Isakson, who was in the real estate industry in Atlanta at the time, says the results were clear and swift as home values stabilized, housing inventory dropped and the market recovered.

Camped Out (Democrat) Senate Candidate Will Remain on Atlanta Tower

ATLANTA — A television reporter turned political candidate said he plans to remain on a small scaffold near the top of a tower to focus attention on his long-shot bid to unseat a U.S. senator.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,319410,00.html

RNS Note: Currently there are two publicly declared candidates on the Democratic side vying to face Republican Saxby Chambliss: Dale Cardwell is running against DeKalb's Vernon Jones.

Rumors are rampant that Vernon will be backing out of the race to run for a different, more winnable, seat.