Posts Tagged ‘GOP’

The People’s March

Monday, March 15th, 2010

by jacob
The people are coming out tomorrow to march against Obamacare 2.0. The socialists (Democrats) are desperate. They cannot pass this bill on an honest vote. They cannot pass this bill by bribing their fellow congressmen with our money. So. What do they do. They will pass it in committee and call it a day. The Slaughter proposal takes us into banana republic style government. This would be a law passed by fiat. Do we now call the DOTUS el hefe? What is wrong with this bill? A better question is, “What is NOT wrong with his bill?!” It is:

Riddled with Taxes: This legislation is riddled with tax hikes. They start by taxing those earning over $10,831 year who don’t buy health insurance $750—a tax that escalates to $3,800 as income rises. Health insurance, health care devices and drugs are also taxed, adding to the cost of health care, and decreasing the competitiveness of these businesses.
Medicare Cuts: The bill cuts $500 billion in Medicare spending, including over $130 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage and nearly $120 billion in Medicare cuts for hospitals that care for seniors. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says they “expected the Medicare Advantage plans to lose 2.7 million enrollees over the next decade” as a result.
Raises Insurance Prices: CBO also finds “premiums in the new insurance exchanges would tend to be higher than the average premiums in the current-law individual market…” (so we are doing this WHY?)
Force, Not Choice: This legislation includes an “individual mandate” forcing all Americans to purchase health insurance, like the Massachusetts law. Taxpayer subsidies will be given to those earning up to three times the federal poverty level. Those not qualifying for subsides will be taxed up to $3,800 if they do not buy insurance, and the Joint Tax Committee has confirmed failure to pay your fine could result in jail time. The experience in Massachusetts has left those caught in between unable to afford insurance and having to pay the tax.
Big Insurance Boondoggle: Forcing all the uninsured into insurance could bring as much as $200 billion a year in new premiums to insurance companies, including $465 billion in subsidies over 10 years.
Privacy Violation: This legislation would allow law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the Department of Justice unprecedented unfettered access to medical records.
No Lawsuit Reform: This legislation fails to curb junk lawsuits. It doesn’t even implement the “demonstrations projects” on reform the President called for (despite the fact that states like Mississippi have already done so and seen medical malpractice insurance premiums drop 42 percent). Instead, it will “express the Sense of the Senate that health care reform presents an opportunity to address issues related to medical malpractice and medical liability insurance.”
Bipartisan Opposition: The only thing bipartisan about this bill is the opposition to it.
The Senate:a vote for “cloture” on this legislation is a vote in favor of government-run health care.

We will be watching your vote closely. Congress — VOTE NO! People — Now is the time to call your congressman. Now it is time to call the blue dogs in the house. Blue Dog Democrat means, ‘leftist pretending to be moderate’ in a right leaning district. Let these dogs know the jig is up.

Obama is a leftist ideologue. The press, our dear MSM sold us a bill of goods last November. They refused to look behind the curtain and see the great Oz for what he really is. A man who gives good teleprompter. A man who whether the MSM will report it or not is a pawn of the far left thug-o-cracy of Chicago. This is what we get for refusing to pay attention to the scam the NYT’s and the alphabets were pulling. Shame on US.

Zero Earmarks

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

by jacob
Previously in the article “Republican Ideas” I laid out four items that I believe would weld the Republican party a coalition that could win elections. They were

1. Kill the terrorists before they kill us
2. Give us back our money
3. Zero Earmarks
4. Obey all of the Constitution

I am thinking that this list is too complex. It also has the wrong priorities. Therefore I will provide a simpler list:

1. Zero Earmarks
2. Cut Spending

The reason I have shortened the list is that our own deficit is far more destructive that anything the Islamic Trolls can do. Also, taxes, while important are not the root of the evil. When government spending eats up three to five percent of our GDP, as it did the first 150 years our country existed, a bad tax policy is not an issue. When government, Federal-State-Local is easting up over 40% of our GDP as it does today, a good tax policy is not possible.

Earmarks
At all three levels of government we must reduce government spending. This cannot happen until the pork-barrel spending, today referred to as earmarks, is eliminated. Politicians who engage in earmarks should be eliminated during primary season. This of course requires our electorate to focus on what their representatives are doing in Leesburg, Richmond and Washington; in that order.

A simple approach is to ask our current and future representatives at all three levels of government to sign a ‘No Earmarks’ pledge. This forces them to take a position that we can hold them accountable for. I can see a solid man like Tag Greason signing this pledge and living up to it. I cannot imagine any of the current crop of big spenders on our Board of Supervisors signing such a pledge. Refusal to sign the pledge is a statement in itself. One conservatives can use to pummel our BOS into submitting to the will of the people, or to be shown the door on election day.

It is not possible to enact a law that makes earmarks or pork illegal. In a real sense ‘bringing home the bacon’ is a lot like pornography. You really cannot define it, but you know it when you see it.

Spending
We as a nation spend too much. Our government at all three levels spends too much. The issue is not taxes. The issue is spending. If expenditures exceed revenues you are on an unsustainable path. There are no miracles. The state, if it bails out the county is then in the same position, except on a bigger scale. If the Federal government steps in, then it too is in the same fiscally unsustainable position. Raising taxes forever is not a solution either. The Laffer curve shows clearly that once taxes go beyond a given percentage of income, the rate of growth in revenues declines.

Therefore the only choice is to have the courage to cut spending. This requires that the elected politician, at whatever level of government, must have the spine to stand up to the special interests, and reduce spending. Such a stance is not political suicide, such a stance will earn the gratitude of the 40% of the country that is self identified as conservative, and most of the moderates. The 20% of the country that is self identified as liberal will fret and whine; but most conservatives see such and revel in it.

Fiscal Sanity
The road to fiscal sanity requires we as a nation must recognize what is it that government should do, what it can do, and what it should not do. The constitution in Article 1, Section B outlines the 21 activities that are in the purview of the federal government. The 9th and 10th Amendments basically say unless it is specifically permitted, it is forbidden for congress to do. It would serve our nation well if over a period of years we bring the government into line with the Constitution our Congress and President have sworn to uphold.

At the State and local level the problems are both more complex, but easier to fix. First of all the state and local governments have more latitude than the Federal. Therefore pinning them down is harder. However, on the flip side what is the proper role of our state and local government can be restricted more readily by the fact that unlike the Federal government, they cannot print more money.

Responsibility
We as conservatives have a long road ahead of us. The culture is being taught to be dependent on government for things that the people really should be doing for themselves. This is the fault of conservatives. That is correct, it is our fault. The conservative’s motto can be summed up as ‘leave me the hell alone’, the trouble with this mindset is that we have then left the field wide open to those values and world views that are antithetical to liberty. Socialism is slavery, what else can dependence be? We must speak to this reality in the public square, and this must be the guiding principal for all future legislation, and choice of candidates. It may take more than 20 years of fiscal conservative activism to undo the damage of 80 years of progressive rule in our country. While this is daunting, it must be done.

EASTERN LOUDOUN RPV VICTORY FIELD DIRECTOR ENDORSES MARK SELL FOR LOUDOUN COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Mark Sell, candidate for Chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Committee, yesterday released the following statement from Kyle Kunkler, the Eastern Loudoun RPV Victory Field Director in 2009:

I consider Mark to be an instrumental part of the GOP 2009 victory in Loudoun. Mark Sell’s ability to recruit and coordinate volunteer activities was essential. Throughout the campaign season, Mark came through and was able to motivate volunteers time and time again to come out and support our Republican ticket.

Mark was involved in virtually every aspect of the grassroots campaign in Loudoun from door to door events to the staffing of ‘Back-to-School-Night’ events for half of the county to his participation in various festivals, fairs, parades and community events. Mark brought people to these events, and participated, standing shoulder to shoulder with the volunteers that he so frequently was able to motivate into action. Mark also participated in phonebanking, the 72-Hour Task Force, and Election Day Operations. No job is beneath Mark, he knows that in order to lead one must be willing and able to do the grunt work needed to win an election.

Mark Sell always had a can-do attitude, and is ready to do whatever is needed to help a campaign. With his long background of activism in the local Party, Mark understands the nuts and bolts of what it takes to win the ground war. I wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy for Chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Party.

Klye was the Virginia Republican Party’s coordinator for eastern Loudoun. He lead the victory team. He oversaw the day to day trench warfare of the political campaign here in eastern Loudoun. The guy knows who brought the goods to the table. Mark Sell kept a steady stream of volunteers coming through the door. Volunteers are the life’s blood of a political campaign, especially at the local county level. The ability to put boots on the ground is called leadership.

It was this kind of leadership that helped make last falls campaign the success that it was. Politics is about advancing an ideology at the balot box. The Republican Party’s stated ideology is conservative. We all are conservatives here in Loudoun GOP. Some conservatives, like Mark, have been giving voice to conservatism for years in the public square. This involves, among other things, running campaigns. With this experience, Mark is able to consistently bring people to events. This is how campaigns are won. This is why Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli endorsed Mark for our Chairman. This is why the 2009 Victory Campaign in Loudoun endorses Mark Sell in 2010 — to take back the BOS in 2011!

A Call For Unity

Friday, March 5th, 2010

by jacob
Monk, thanks for reminding me to sign my previous article. It was an oversight. I appreciate your pointing it out.

As for rattled, hardly. With Ken’s endorsement and the endorsements of hundreds of others, I see Mark running a strong race. Mark saw all the venom on the blogs directed toward him and Candace back in January. He also saw all the old wounds in the party getting opened up. In order to squelch all that he asked me not to post stuff about the campaign on this blog. The party does not need the venom. By the way, that is called leadership. Leadership is about knowing what is right, and not just giving in to ones baser instincts to hit back. This is what Ken did when a number of blogs were attacking him.

Notice the difference. When Greg Stone posted an article or two about Candace, I did not call it a steaming pile. Or denigrate anyone. When I saw Tags endorsement of Candace, I did not lament it. I also did not frame it as a poor choice on Tag’s part, nor try to dilute Candace with some statement about Greg Stone calling Tag on her behalf. You have.

Like I said yesterday, this party separates the men from the boys on SUNDAY. Where will you be? This is why I am asking you and others in the party if you will support the winner from Saturday, on Sunday. I will be there from day one. That is the adult thing to do. Candace has called for it, this is also leadership. You support her — so what gives? A simple yes or no will suffice. We need unity, the stakes are too high.

This is not about ripping each others guts people. The party does not agree on who is the best choice. The remedy for this is tomorrow’s election. The remedy is not demonizing and denigrating one another. The two campaigns have kept to the high road. That is called leadership.

Why Mark Sell is the Right Choice for The LCRC Chairman Today

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

by jacob
Today Loudoun County is at a crossroads. The people need to make a choice, either they can take back control of their government, or, they can leave it to the fiscally challenged Board of Supervisors (BOS) dominated by liberal Democrats. If the choice is to take back control, then Mark Sell is the man for this job. As a life long Republican Mark has been a campaign volunteer, Precinct Captain, Magisterial District Chair and Party Treasurer. Mark has paid his dues and learned the ropes in multiple campaigns. Mark has learned what needs to be done on the ground, in the trenches, to win elections. In the last election Mark was a deputy for Ken Cuccinelli in his successful campaign to become our Attorney General. The McDonnell-Bolling-Cuccinelli team ran as unapologetic conservatives, and won in a landslide.

Mark plan is to field a full suite of candidates, who will build on this momentum. Candidates who will remember their conservative roots, and that their duty is to the people. Candidates who are also unapologetic about their conservatism. Candidates who know that a government that governs well, governs least. Smaller government demands that the spending must be cut. Mark plan is to field a full slate of fiscal conservatives to oust the big spenders on the BOS in 2011, and engage every constituency in our county. This will require seasoned leadership. It is for this reason I support Mark Sell for Chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Party and ask you to come out and vote him on March 6th, 2010.

We all have seen our party lose its way in this last decade. The spending excesses of our Republican congress, and our local county elected officials resulted in a Republican Party as a small minority. The party deserved what it got. The party must never again forget its fiscal conservative roots. Small government is good government. If we do not reduce spending we cannot reduce taxes without running even higher deficits. Runaway government spending is the root of our economic woes. Mark will find candidates who understand this, and more importantly, will not forget this.

As a long time grass roots activist in Loudoun County, Mark has worked hard to stop the Meals Tax, the increases in the Sales Tax and on other liberal boondoggles, giving voice to our shared Republican and conservative ideals in the public square speaking before our BOS on many occasions, so that the people of Loudoun will not be saddled with even higher taxes. The People of Loudoun deserve better than what they have been burdened with in past years. Loudoun has the highest tax rate of any county in VA. Loudoun even has highest taxes of any county in the South. We can and must do better. To do so, we must win the BOS. To do that we need a leader who has been there, in good times and in bad, and who knows the ropes. Mark Sell will not need on the job training. He will be ready to lead from day one — Mark knows Loudoun.

For more details about Mark, his plans and his vision for Republican victory in our county go to www.sell4chairman.com

VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN CUCCINELLI ENDORSES MARK SELL FOR LOUDOUN COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIP

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

by jacob
Mark Sell, candidate for Chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Committee, today has released the following statement from Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli:

I can attest from first-hand experience that Mark Sell is an excellent choice for Loudoun County Republican Committee Chairman. Mark has worked side-by-side with many of us over the last decade on key conservative issues ranging from the fight against tax hikes to the Marriage Amendment. From Committee Treasurer to District Chair to Precinct Captain to Rules Committee Chairman to a Loudoun County Volunteer Coordinator for my own victorious campaign last year, Mark has shown his mettle where it counts — in the planning councils, in the trenches, on the phones and on the streets. He has the proven skills at organization, mobilization, fund-raising and finance to head up a winning effort for Loudoun Republicans in 2010, 2011 and beyond.

This is tremendous news for the Sell campaign. During the past weeks of campaigning, Mark has made appearances before the the good folks at Leisure World, LCWC, the LCRC and lastly the fiscally challenged BOS. Mark has received endorsements from many conservative Republicans, and his campaign delivered close to 300 applications in support of Howie Lind for the upcoming 10th district convention. Boots on the ground activism delivered those votes for Howie, and will deliver the votes for other Republicans in 2011. Ken Cuccinelli knows this and that is why he endorses Mark Sell for the Chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

Mark sell has been a conservative voice in Loudoun County politics for years. He is an activist who has exemplified the word ‘active’. Mark has spoken before our Board of Supervisors both Republican and Democrat controlled on countless occasions. Mark has worked every election cycle, supporting our Republican party in both good times and bad. Mark has seen his fair share of big spenders on both sides of the political divide. He is a Christian, patriot and a conservative, this reality has reflected in his actions and words since the day I met him.

George Will Blasts Democrats & Dependency At CPAC

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

The old war horse has not lost a step. His argument skewers the current administration with a wit devoid of anger, angst and venom. Takes notes people, this is how a conservative message aught to be woven.

- Jacob

Tag Greason Disappoints

Monday, February 8th, 2010

HOUSE BILL NO. 971 is a sales tax. This bill is most egregious in that is a plan for future spending, when the economy is back on its feet. The bill targets fuel use. It will collected as part of the sales tax and will be buried in the price of other items sold through vending machines; as such the sponsors are attempting for this new levy to be a hidden tax. The bill in its totality is here.

In addition to the sales tax imposed pursuant to § 58.1-603, there is hereby levied and imposed in each county and city embraced by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority established under § 15.2-4830, a retail sales tax at the rate of 0.50 percent.

The bill reenacts § 58.1-604.1 and § 58.1-608.3, with the former stating:

Use tax on motor vehicles, machinery, tools and equipment brought into Virginia for use in performing contracts.

with the later being the vehicle for setting aside the taxes for application to …

any public facility or to extensions or additions to any public facility

This is not even a targeted tax that will set aside money for roads. Apparently we need more firehouses with Greco-Roman columns like the one near Purceville off of RT7?

That Rust and May sponsored/wrote this mess is not a surprise. The only good thing about Rust is that he is not Stevens Miller. Kory and Watts, both of Fairfax, both Democrats, also cosponsored this bill. What is a surprise is that our freshman delegate Tag Greason voted for this bill. The vote on the committee was:

YEAS–Orrock, Lohr, Greason, Pollard, Englin, Abbott–6.
NAYS–Cline, Cole, Gear, Marshall, R.G.–4.
ABSTENTIONS–0.
NOT VOTING–Johnson–1

Of the five delegates who represent Loudoun county, three are on the wrong side of this issue, and one is not involved. This is the kind of thing that crushed Republicans in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles. Republicans start acting like Democrats and forgot that the money belongs to the people. VA is in a financial hole not because we tax too little, but because we spend too much. When growth in the budget exceeds growth in the economy, the end result is deficits.

The real trouble with our state and federal government is the spending. New taxes are not fiscally responsible as the proponents of such legislation would contend. This is akin to providing an alcoholic with a full bottle of whiskey and calling it responsible because, “Now he won’t drive as badly as he would if he were suffering from withdrawal.” I also have a bridge to sell to anyone who is willing to buy it.

Our legislators are addicted to spending. Taxes are just a means to this end. We must target the spending and reduce it; then the current taxes collected will suffice. If the legislators are able to cut the budget, current revenues will exceed our needs. The size of government relative to GDP is far too large already. People in VA are tightening their belts, so must Richmond. It has been done elsewhere, 34 states are cutting their budgets. We are raising taxes. What is wrong with this picture?

The people we elect, be they Republican or Democrat, must realize that the total size of government must be reduced. To paraphrase the politics of the 90’s, “It’s the spending, stupid.” To reduce spending takes far more courage than it does to levy a new tax that will not take effect for several years, as HB971 does …

no provision of the first enactment, except adding § 30-134.1 to the Code of Virginia, shall become effective until the first day of the third month following six consecutive months in which the unemployment rate in the Commonwealth is equal to or lower than it was in January 2008

It will be a while before this tax is enacted, but it will be a thorn in our sides when it goes into effect. Are the sponsors and supporters of this bill counting on the electorate to forget who foisted this new expense upon them? Why push a bill that is in effect a plan for future government expansion, when the size of government is too big already? Are not fiscal conservatives for smaller government? Is not Tag Greason touted as a fiscal conservative?

An argument that it is a tax that will not go into effect now, but, will wait for good times to return (thereby not harming Virginians) does not hold water. Such a tax will hurt us when it does take effect. Most importantly such a tax will be used to fuel further growth in government and allow for more spending. The end result will be an even larger financial hangover when the lean times return.

The deficits we run today were born years ago when the economy was doing well. The economy expanded and so did the size of our government. Instead of maintaining the level of services, which already were too profligate, the government took the opportunity to grow. The government grew faster than the economy and now in the lean times we are saddled with crushing debt and deficits.

Voting to increase taxes — even if they are in the far future, possibly after Tag retires from politics — is not why the people of Loudoun sent Greason to Richmond. Target the spending Mr Greason. All spending has constituencies that will protect it. It takes far more courage to slay the dragon than it does to feed it.

Tag’s platform touted fiscal conservatism and keeping VA business friendly. HB971 is not fiscal conservatism; HB971 is not business friendly legislation. Forget the lipstick folks, this bill is a pig. Tag is new to Richmond and we have great hopes for him here in Loudoun. Mistakes happen, and this vote was a mistake Tag.

So are the Dems going to get the message?

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

In a very real sense, I hope the Democrats get the message.

If the people of Boston reject the present Democratic leadership in the direction they are going to the point of handing the GOP a Senate seat, then someone of that party needs to stand up and admit the people of this country are not the liberals they thought they were. Now why would I want them to do that? Because removing them from office will take years.  Those elected in 2008 to the Senate, it will take until 2014; too long in my view to have those world views around.

There is a down side to the Dems getting their collective heads on straight though. If they do, the people might forget how stupid they were in their first year in control of the both House and Senate and Presidency. But at least if they get their head on straight, we might have a country in another 4 years to worry about. If they don’t, I’m not so sure we will.

Number Of Self-Identified Republicans Jumps 2%

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

According to Rasmussen:

The number of Americans who consider themselves to be Republicans jumped nearly two percentage points in December to 34.2%. That’s the largest market share for the Republican brand in nearly two years, since January 2006…

Many will attribute this to the fact that we appear to have turned the corner in Iraq (more, here, and here) and the news has finally made it to the general public. (Maybe restating some of those 2003 arguments about why the U.S. went to war in the first place would be timely about now? Just a thought …)

I beg to differ, however. If you ask me, it’s the President Logan bandwagon which has reinvigorated the GOP brand.

He’s a rocker, for cryin’ out loud! Who can resist? Blue Suede Shoes, indeed …

Wail on, Huck dog!

Mike Huckabee’s Message to Iowa

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

Zimzo sent this.

It almost seems to suggest that none of the leading GOP candidates are worth getting excited about. What a terrible thing to suggest.