The performances of the Republican U.S. Senate Candidates was widely reported without much news being made, the candidates stuck very close to their platforms. E. W Jackson was to have scored some points with his impassioned and fiery delivery. Outside that one note it was not far off from what was expected. To the credit of all four of the Republican candidates the major issues facing the U.S. and equally important their proposed remedies were the focus of the discussions.
Contrast that with the same days news of former Governor and Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kaine and the reports of how he spent his day. First a meeting on Social Security & Medicare in Roanoke, then on to Richmond to hold a meeting on Women’s Issues. With the “game on” for the fall elections it is abundantly clear just what strategy the Democrats have in store as their main campaign theme. Divide and conquer is the only hope they have of retaining the White House and clinging to a narrow majority margin in the U.S. Senate.
Scare the seniors with stories on how Republicans will destroy the social safety net and horrify women on how the Republicans have a secret plan to drag women back to the turn of the 19 th Century. Major issues such as energy policy, or the lack thereof, and entitlement reform are clearly not on their radar screen. Certainly they can’t run on the dismal record of the last 3 ½ years, which leaves them with the only tried and true option that they sadly have left.
The Democratic party today is comprised of a handful of well defined factions, identity politics all the way. They refuse to address in any meaningful way the real problems that the nation faces starting with the fiscal insolvency . They have only one card left to play, scare various identity groups and hope to form just enough of a coalition to guide themselves to election victory. “ Pandering to fear” should be their bumper sticker , it is all they philosophically know.
Informed citizens can’t be that easily duped. The growing unease and recognition the Nation is on the wrong path is showing up in the polls as a driving factor in how people will vote. Republican candidates need to take this grand lie strategy head on and patiently explain to the very voters the Democrats are trying to scare that left unchecked these programs will collapse, and soon if they are not reformed. The phony women’s rights war is even easier. If it comes up in a debate just tell the truth, a woman graduating from Georgetown Law is expected to earn on average $160,000 her first year. She can afford her own contraception without asking taxpayers to pay for it. God forbid she elect to stay home.
I like Senator Marco Rubio. He’s a rising star in the GOP. And Senator Rubio is still better than either President Obama or VP Biden. But his speech on foreign policy was terrible. It could have been written by Senator Lindsay Graham. That is no compliment.
Here’s the text and some highlights, or maybe lowlights:
On the one hand, I found liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans working together to advocate our withdrawal from Afghanistan, and staying out of Libya. On the other hand I found myself partnering with Democrats like Bob Menendez and Bob Casey on a more forceful foreign policy. In fact, resolutions that I co-authored with Senator Casey condemning Assad and with Senator Menendez condemning fraudulent elections in Nicaragua were held up by Republicans. I recently joked that today, in the U.S. Senate, on foreign policy, if you go far enough to the right, you wind up on the left.
What right do we have to condemn any world leader? No matter if he or she deserves it. Should Congress speak on every question?
Would it have occurred if, after the war, we had minded our own business, and left the world to sort out its affairs without our leadership?
We did not have the option of disengagement during the Cold War. But what about since 1991? Rubio favors to use his word in this speech, “muscular” intervention:
In those instances, where the veto power of either China or Russia impede the world’s ability to deal with a significant threat, the U.S. will have to organize and lead coalitions with or without a Security Council resolution.
***
And this concept is neither novel nor partisan. President Clinton acted exactly in this way in Kosovo with the support of congressional leaders like Senator Lieberman.
I know this is not the last time I need to say this: Kosovo was a deliberate attack on a nation (Yugoslavia/Serbia) that did NOTHING to us! The so-called genocide was contrived. No one should be proud of the 1999 incursion. If President Obama would apologize to the Serbs, I’d write a blog in SUPPORT. Sen. Rubio ought to be ashamed of himself here.
Rubio supports the fall of Assad – and that we should push him out:
The current situation in Syria is an example of such an approach. The fall of Assad would be a significant blow to Iran’s ambitions. On those grounds alone, we should be seeking to help the people of Syria bring him down.
Maybe Senator Rubio should consider the ICC trial just concluded: The former Liberian leader Charles Taylor. Convicted of helping rebels in a another country who committed proven atrocities:
The tribunal found Taylor guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity by supporting notoriously brutal rebels in return for “blood diamonds.”
Presiding Judge Richard Lussick said the warlord-turned-president provided arms, ammunition, communications equipment and planning to rebels responsible for countless atrocities in the 1991-2002 Sierra Leone civil war. Lussick called the support “sustained and significant.”
We supported the Libyan rebels and they committed alleged human rights violations; should our leaders be charged by the ICC?
(I of course do not believe in the ICC. The next President ought to issue an executive order forbidding any executive branch cooperation with the International Criminal Court and Congress should pass a law in effect placing them on the terrorist list. That would be a good start.)
But intervention always brings blowback. And sometimes blowback is not foreseeable.
Senator Rubio advocates the same failed Wilsonian ideals that has impoverished a great nation:
First, we must be a clear and consistent advocate for freedom. To be free isn’t limited to holding elections; it’s a way of governance. And in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador, elected leaders have used their power to undermine fundamental freedoms by attacking the press, the courts and their political opponents.
Second, we need to commit to being a reliable partner as our neighbors cope with significant security challenges. Both Mexico and Colombia need our continued commitment to win their respective wars against criminal organizations. And we must also make it abundantly clear that we will not tolerate Iran exporting violence and terrorism to our hemisphere.
Third, we must reject protectionism and instead embrace the ultimate goal of a free trade area of the Americas. The recently approved free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama was a good step. We need to move forward to bring both Canada and Mexico into the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
And fourth, we should move aggressively to form a strong energy partnership with Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and a post-Chavez Venezuela. A stable Western Hemisphere displacing an unstable Middle East and an increasingly belligerent Russia as the center of the world’s energy production would create countless jobs for Americans and energy security for the world.
This is a recipe for more intervention and more hatred of the US and Americans. Senator Rubio rejects the sound wisdom of John Quincy Adams:
And I disagree with voices in my own party who argue we should not engage at all. Who warn we should heed the words of John Quincy Adams not to go “abroad, in search of monsters to destroy”.
***
The atrocities of Joseph Kony would still be largely unknown. But in fact, millions now know because an American filmmaker made a short film about it and then distributed it on another American invention YouTube.
***
And long after the last American soldier has left Afghanistan, God willing there will be millions of strong, productive and independent Afghan women because today they are the first girls in generations to attend school in that country thanks to America’s generosity.
So, let’s lose our freedoms and acquire trillions in debt so that Afghan girls can go to school! Or that a warlord in Africa is arrested? I reject the Rubio doctrine. With all due respect, I say, he can send his kids to war for feel good reasons but don’t send mine. I cannot support Senator Rubio for Vice President. I am sure President Paul can do better.
‘The President’s decision to circumvent the American people by installing his appointees at a powerful federal agency, when the Senate was not in recess, and without obtaining the advice and consent of the Senate, is an unprecedented power grab. We will demonstrate to the Court how the President’s unconstitutional actions fundamentally endanger the Congress’s role in providing a check on the excesses of the executive branch.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced today that former Assistant to the Solicitor General Miguel Estrada will file an amicus brief on behalf of Senate Republicans in a challenge (Noel Canning v. NLRB) to the constitutionality of President Obama’s so-called “recess” appointments to the National Labor Relations Board in January.
The suit is being brought by Noel Canning, a local, family-owned business in Washington State that bottles and distributes soft drinks. The company is challenging the NLRB’s determination that it must enter into a collective bargaining agreement with a labor union.
“The President’s decision to circumvent the American people by installing his appointees at a powerful federal agency, when the Senate was not in recess, and without obtaining the advice and consent of the Senate, is an unprecedented power grab,” Sen. McConnell said. “We will demonstrate to the Court how the President’s unconstitutional actions fundamentally endanger the Congress’s role in providing a check on the excesses of the executive branch.”
McConnell continued: “Miguel Estrada is one of the country’s foremost appellate advocates. He has argued 20 cases before the United States Supreme Court, and we are gratified that he will defend the Senate’s constitutional role in the confirmation process.”
Mr. Estrada is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Appellate and Constitutional Law Practice Group. Mr. Estrada served as Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States from 1992 until 1997 and previously served as Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York.
The following is a press release from the Republican Party of Virginia. No mention of David McCormick so it seems that he was unable to come up with the 10,000 signatures to be placed on the Republican Primary ballot.
Congratulations to the 4 candidates that will be on the ballot!
From RPV:
At 5:03 p.m. today, the Republican Party of Virginia took possession of the petitions filed by 4 candidates seeking to be placed on the June 12 U.S. Senate Republican Primary Ballot.
According to sworn affidavits filed by the candidates with the Virginia State Board of Elections, RPV is in possession of the following number of signatures:
Jamie Radtke: 21,522
George Allen: 26,869
Bob Marshall: 17,133
E.W. Jackson: 11,188
The four Republican candidates who have filed petitions submitted a grand total of 76,712 signatures. RPV will begin the petition certification process at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
As Americans struggle to pump gas in their cars to go about their daily lives, Democrats have no problem with the price of gas. This is simply unbelievable. And unacceptable.
Watch this video and see if you agree. These guys are talking about the Democrat’s gas plan.
DEMS: ‘It Is Not A Question Of Gas Prices,’ ‘That’s Not The Issue’
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
CNN: “…what would their plan do to help lower the high gas prices Democrats came here to illustrate? The answer: not much.” SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY):“This was never intended to talk about lowering prices.” (CNN’s “The Situation Room,” 5/11/11)
SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT):“You know, this is not going to change the price at the gasoline pump. That’s not the issue. I don’t see that as an issue at all.”(U.S. Senate, Finance Committee, Hearing, 5/12/11)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “…it is not a question of gas prices.” (Sen. Reid, Floor Remarks, 5/16/11)
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI): “… this proposal will not alter the economic fundamentals that determine gasoline prices.” (Sen. Levin, Floor Remarks, 5/16/11)
SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-AK):“It won’t decrease gas prices at the pump…” (Sen. Begich, Floor Remarks, 5/11/11)
SEN. BEN CARDIN (D-MD): “… No impact on gasoline prices.” (Sen. Cardin, Floor Remarks, 5/16/11)
SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D-LA): “It will not reduce gasoline prices by one penny.” (Sen. Landrieu, Floor Remarks, 5/11/11)
POLL: 85% Of Americans Want ‘Immediate’ Action On Gas Prices
GALLUP POLL: “A variety of economic-related issues dominate Americans’ top concerns on a list of 15 issues facing the country today. The economy and gas prices lead the list, with 71% and 65% of Americans, respectively, saying they personally worry ‘a great deal’ about each.”(“Economic Issues Still Dominate Americans’ National Worries,” Gallup Poll, 3/28/12)
85% Of Americans Want The President And Congress To “Take Immediate Actions To Try And Control The Rising Price Of Gas.”(“Gas Prices,” Gallup Poll, 3/29/12)
In news that was meant to influence the upcoming Washington State caucuses, but which might have as much influence in the Old Dominion, former Redskin star Clint Didier has come out for Ron Paul for President! Yes, that Clint Didier!
“I believe the next President of the United States needs to be a defender of America protecting and maintaining her sovereignty, one who understands the worldwide economic crisis we face and first and foremost demonstrates he has America’s interest at heart. The next president must understand what constitutes a free market, be willing to stand tall against powerful lobbying interests, and have the courage to fight for a sound monetary policy, fiscal sanity, and individual liberty.
“As an American farmer yearning for strong constitutional leadership, I see Ron Paul as a loyal disciple of our founding fathers who gave us the opportunity to experience life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He has displayed integrity and adherence to our Constitution for 30 years. I have found no other presidential candidate so disciplined.”
“You know, this is a lot like what has to happen to D.C.,” Clint Didier once said while fiddling with a tractor, when he was attempting to secure the Republication nomination for U.S. Senate candidate from Washington. “We’ve got to clean the crap out.” * * * [S]o it perhaps should not be a surprise that the former Skins tight end endorsed Ron Paul for President this week.
My hardcore Redskin fan readers need not have this introduction to Didier but others might! Here from the Daily Paul:
Mr. Didier was born and raised on a farm in Eltopia in Franklin County, Washington. Raised with a strong work ethic he carried onto the football field, he joined the NFL to play for the Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers. His football career brought him to the field of Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XXII. In Super Bowl XXII, he scored the final touchdown for the Redskins in the second quarter of their 35-point game, and was the leading receiver in Super Bowl XVIII.
You heard the man, vote Ron Paul in Virginia March 6!
US Senate Candidate George Allen just released a new video showing Tim Kaine’s unrelenting servitude to Barack Obama’s failed economic plan. But then, that’s Kaine-sian Economics at work. The left’s rich friends with ties to failed “green” energy schemes like Solyndra keep getting richer on taxpayer funded handouts. And Timmy Kaine remains the top cheerleader for failure.
Henrico, VA – On the eve of the third anniversary of the passage of the failed $800 billion stimulus, the George Allen for U.S. Senate Campaign today released its newest web video entitled, “I’m Doing What The President Wants Me To Do,” highlighting Tim Kaine’s loyal, unabashed support for President Obama and his agenda, which has led to an unprecedented spending binge in Washington over the last three years.
Chairman Kaine campaigned across the nation claiming the $800 billion failed stimulus would “help jump-start the economy” as well as “create or save over 3 million jobs.” Instead, Americans have endured 36 straight months of unemployment over 8%, Washington is now borrowing $48,000 a second, and we have seen the first ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.
“’I'm doing what the President wants me to do,’ those are Tim Kaine’s words, not mine. On every major issue over the past several years, Chairman Kaine has been in lockstep with President Obama and out of step with Virginia families and small business owners,” said Dan Allen, Allen campaign senior advisor. “And now he’s running to be President Obama’s Senator, not Virginia’s.”
Transcript:
TIM KAINE: Hello everyone, I’m Tim Kaine.
PRES. OBAMA: Former Governor of Virginia and one of my greatest friends.
TIM KAINE: I’m an unabashed supporter of the President.
SUPER: President Obama’s Senator. Tim Kaine. Unabashed support for the $800 billion failed stimulus.
TIM KAINE: … a stimulus plan that will help jumpstart the economy …
SUPER: JUMPSTART
PRES. OBAMA: … a major milestone on our road to recovery.
SUPER: MAJOR MILESTONE
SUPER: 36 straight months. Unemployment over 8%.
TIM KAINE: We’ll create or save more than 3 million jobs.
PRES. OBAMA: It will save or create more than 3.5 million jobs over the next two years.
SUPER: Factcheck.org [MASTHEAD]: “Stimulus Has FAILED To Live Up To Initial Expectations”
TIM KAINE: I’m doing what the President wants me to do.
SUPER: “I’m doing what the President wants me to do”
Agenda 21 is Not Conservative — Will Representative Goodlatte Take Note?
On January 14, 2012, the Republican National Committee unanimously voted to expose and condemn the United Nations Agenda 21. This may be a shock to many GOP incumbents in Congress who receive campaign donations, pre-drafted legislation, and “expert” advice from Agenda 21-inspired advocates of centralized and global human management.
The RNC resolution explains Agenda 21 as “a comprehensive plan of extreme environmentalism, social engineering and global political control, that was initiated at the [1992] United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED);….” The plan was signed by President George H.W. Bush, and has been supported actively by the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations. Agenda 21 has never been endorsed by the U.S. Senate, and is not U.S. law.
Nonetheless, Virginians are impacted by Agenda 21, because local initiatives and organizations are often quietly connected to UN socialistic ideals on environment, agriculture, transportation, and property rights. The International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) uses grant money to local member municipalities to subsidize “sustainable development” policies such as Smart Growth, Wildlands Project, Resilient Cities, Regional Visioning Projects, and other “Green” or “Alternative” projects.
Within the 6th District, ICLEI, a.k.a Local Governments for Sustainability, partners with Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg and Staunton. Republican members of Boards of Supervisor and city councils will now be able to actively and openly work to expose and end these ICLEI partnerships.
Four of the top five agricultural counties in the state are in the 6th District, and most of this agricultural dynamism comes from family-owned farms. Yet the UN Agenda 21 plan describes privately owned farms as “destructive to the environment” and seeks greater zoning manipulation and day-to day controls over methods, land use, production and distribution.
The Founders understood property rights as natural rights, but Agenda 21 sees property rights as revocable tools of the state, to be used to further social justice.
Ten-term 6th District incumbent Bob Goodlatte, like Agenda 21 itself, has been a part of Congress since 1992. He has a long history of promoting “sustainable development,” listening to ICLEI advocates, and encouraging cities and counties to take the “free” money for Agenda 21 projects. On the surface, this isn’t harmful. But given the anti-constitutional and anti-liberty perspectives inherent in Agenda 21, we should certainly wean ourselves from dependency on an organization that hates what America stands for.
It is not a coincidence that five of 16 ICLEI members in Virginia – 33% — are in the 6th District. This RNC resolution to expose and reject Agenda 21 is a powerful first step towards wiser environmentalism and more liberty for Americans everywhere. I hope Bob Goodlatte is listening.
Karen Kwiatkowski, conservative Mt Jackson cattle farmer and veteran, is challenging Bob Goodlatte in the Va GOP Congressional Primary on June 12, 2012.
Richmond, VA – Today, the George Allen for U.S. Senate campaign announced a strong fundraising quarter raising $1,062,132 in the last 3 months. The end of the year report will show that the Allen campaign raised over $4.5 M in 2011 and will start 2012 with $2,037,405 cash-on-hand.
“Susan and I are greatly appreciative of the encouragement and support we have seen from people in every region of Virginia. The mission of our campaign is to bring Virginia’s voices and values to the U.S. Senate,” said George Allen. “The continued generosity of our dedicated grassroots team of supporters has put us in strong standing as we move forward to the November 2012 elections. I truly believe the 2012 election is our generation’s ‘rendezvous with destiny’ and Virginians are energized and ready to bring change to Washington. Together, we will continue to fight for the positive, pro-growth solutions that will create jobs, unleash our energy resources, and reinvigorate America’s entrepreneurial spirit.”
The TEA Party movement is the most important political phenomenon of my lifetime. Arguable since the country was founded.
The movement itself is far more important than any individual, the sum of it’s parts being exponentially greater than the individual pieces.
The left has endeavored to rip the movement apart with lies, spin and half-truths. Virginia Right! has been there taking pictures, live blogging and documenting the truth, as the truth is the most virtuous weapon in the TEA Party arsenal.
NO INDIVIDUAL! Not Mark Lloyd, not Jamie Radtke, not myself are more important than the honesty and integrity of the Movement.
And the point of the movement is not self aggrandizing and self importance of individuals. The point of the movement is to return to the founding ideas that have allowed America to blossom into the greatest country in the history of the world.
So, pray tell, how is consistent with the goals of the TEA Party to use attacks that are typically used by Progressives in attacking a Republican?
Mark Lloyd needs to soak his swelled head a bit and consider the TEA Party movement before making asinine statements like this:
The Virginia Tea Party Patriots (VTPP), a coalition of over 40 independent tea party groups in Virginia, is continuing its “truth in voting” education drive in the Virginia U.S. Senate primary race. The VTPP seeks to challenge George Allen’s assertion that he is a “tea party” conservative, by focusing on the former Senator’s failure to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2005, three years before the 2008 financial crisis.
Former Senator Allen had a golden opportunity in 2005 to support proposed legislation by signing on as a cosponsor to Senate Bill 190 that would have strengthened oversight of the troubled and unconstitutional Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac government-sponsored enterprises that operate in the mortgage business. Instead, George Allen took money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lobbyists and ran. He fumbled the opportunity to prevent a housing bubble and financial crisis and as a result Senate Bill 190 was never brought to the Senate floor for a vote and everyday Americans were left to suffer from the resulting economic meltdown.
What Lloyd is not telling you is that Allen was officially undecided on this. Freddie Mac was one of the state’s largest employers and was involved in helping lower income families secure homes. This was not something that Allen should have taken lightly. No one knew what was to come, yet Lloyd would have you use 20-20 hindsight to disparage a Senator for not “supporting” a proposed bill.
There were a number of people at the time who believed Fannie and Freddie required oversight and regulation, yet they did not support this bill as the best method to do so.
This “support anything” mentality is what has seen ObamaCare and debt ceiling increases pass. Lloyd complains that bills are pushed through too fast without taking time to look at the impact, to see if there is a better, more effective alternative. And sometimes doing nothing is the better alternative in the long run.
This bill was not even scheduled for a vote during Allen’s time in the Senate. And while he didn’t support this particular bill, he didn’t oppose it either. He was undecided.
Lloyd has made no secret of which candidate he supports. These lies and half-truths have done more to undermine Radtke’s campaign, not only in my view, but in the eyes of many Virginians.
If you have any questions about these reckless accusations, please visit this post. I spent a great deal of time researching these accusations that the VTPP has been circulating. Not as an Allen Supporter, but as a TEA Party supporter insisting on truth.
I am not supporting any candidate at this juncture. What I will support is the integrity and honesty of the TEA Party. And I can truthfully say that Lloyd’s missives he is calling “truth in voting” are exactly the type of “truths” that the Progressives spew about Climate Change and ObamaCare.
And at this point, while I have not announced support for any single candidate, I have eliminated those who are not truthful with Virginians.
If the best case you can make to voters is how bad an opponent is, then that doesn’t say much about yourself.
“The bridge back to me supporting Radkte has been burned, blown up and nuked to the stone age. I would vote for her in a primary if she was the only candidate against Allen, but that is how much I loathe an Allen candidacy.”
~ Chip Tarbutton comment on Sara for America blog
It is comments like this that has prompted me to write this post. Actually, I have been mulling this over for sometime, I am “pick your battles” type person, but decide it was time to talk. Here is another comment I received in an email from someone who says they are a patriot and a staunch support of Jamie Radtke.
“[George Allen] voted for new entitlement programs and sat by as spending increased $16,000.00 per second for the six years he served.”
Oddly enough the very next day, after I received this email, the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) was tweeting this exact statistic. Do you REALLY think they are attacking George Allen for spending too much?… more like it was too little.
And then there is constant proclamation, “I don’t understand how a patriot can support George Allen?” and then the name calling of “republican lap dog”. It is o.k. everyone is entitled to their opinion and I can take some name calling. I will probably have a few lobbed at me after this post.
My question is, Why would strong conservatives put out clever sound bite statistic that is touted by the liberal democrat and our ultimate opponent in a general election. I would ask, have you taken the time to figure the “per second” rate of debt that Tim Kaine left in Virginia. It seems to me as a conservative and a patriot that would have made better use on my time. Or if you did not figure that statistic then where did you get it, from Tim Kaine, or worst Radtke’s campaign.
Let me start with the fact the U.S. Senate is not an elected office you want a newbie politician, someone who has never held office. With the exception of Jim Webb, who DID have an extensive career in public service and money, it is usually former Governors who run for, and win the Virginia U.S. Senate. The reason they are intimately familiar with Virginia and Virginia law. As most patriots know the Senate is where our founding fathers intended for the more experienced politician to give a voice to the states. It would be easy for someone who does not have this first hand knowledge to get easily manipulated into supporting something that may seem constitutional or the “right” thing to do in theory, but not good for Virginia at all. None of the other candidates in the republican primary, that I am aware of, had held elected office, but many are claiming “constitutional conservatives”. It is a nice claim to make and it sounds good in speeches, but they have no record or resume’ to back it up.
Last spring when the candidates were starting to make the rounds this article in the American Spectator stated:
[George Allen] is no Mike Castle or Charlie Crist. Instead he’s the governor who reformed welfare and abolished parole, the senator who voted for tax cuts and promoted conservative judges (including, as he is quick to point out, Henry Hudson, the Virginia jurist who ruled against Obamacare). Allen’s campaign pitch is filled with references to balanced budgets and the line-item veto, and he is particularly sharp on energy policy. George Allen’s sins against conservatism were ones widely committed by George W. Bush-era Republicans.
At the end of the article, James Antle ask:
So could the 2006 winner of the Conservative Political Action Conference presidential straw poll now be considered too moderate to nominate for the U.S. Senate? It’s difficult to see that happening, and Allen is working hard to make sure it doesn’t.
Whoa, wait a minute; George Allen won the 2006 CPAC Straw poll for Presidential Candidate in 2008 a full 2 points over John McCain. I would have gladly race to the polls to vote for Allen over McCain any election day. I would also like to add, this happened at the end of Senator Allen’s first term. So conservatives “loathed” Allen so much they wanted him to be president.
George Allen can defend his record against Tim Kaine, but the other republican primary candidates are actually helping Tim Kaine. At this stage in the game, if there was a serious republican primary challenger they would be polling neck and neck with Allen, both in the polls and in fundraising. It is just not happening.
While I did not agree with the timing of the recent senate debate hosted by the A.P. Yes, they should have waited until after the primary. I am not really surprised by it. This thought, from my cynical side, crossed my mind: We all suspect that main stream media of liberal biased, right? Well, what if the timing of the A.P. debate was done on purpose. What do I mean by that? I mean, they knew that the tea party activist who supported the “anti-Allen” candidates would cry fowl and make waves about it. And that is exactly what happened. But the truth is the A.P. knows what most politicos know that is to be a serious contender in this race at this point you need at least here: To get an invite candidates must have averaged at least 15 percent in published polls and raised at least 20 percent of the amount of money raised by their party’s front runner. This was the requirement to be involved in the debate. That is a pretty low bar and none of the other candidates from the republican side or the democrat side were able to meet that. But you did not hear the democrats crying fowl or attacking Tim Kaine, if they did the media sure did not cover it.
This leads me to my last point, for those who where truly dissatisfied with Allen’s performance as Senator, you have had 6 years to find a primary challenger that was up for the task. Many tea party people were involved with their local republican committees long before the tea party. Who did you have in mind to run against Jim Webb had he not retired? Well that question may have already been answered. My support for Allen is because he can and will do a good job representing me and the state of Virginia in the U.S. Senate. And YES! I am a patriot.
‘Would Seriously Impair Our Ability’ ‘To Put Our Unemployed Back To Work’
“America’s job creators… are critical to the effort to rebuild our economy and create the jobs necessary to put our unemployed back to work. Unfortunately, the Senate is expected to take up yet another bill that, if enacted, would seriously impair our ability to accomplish that goal.” (Tax Relief Coalition, “To All Members Of The U.S. Senate: Oppose The Tax On Job Creators,” Letter To Congress, 12/7/11)
· “…the proposal before the Senate is a job killing punitive tax hike that moves our tax code in the exact opposite direction from where we should be going if we want to see job creation and economic growth.” (Tax Relief Coalition, “To All Members Of The U.S. Senate: Oppose The Tax On Job Creators,” Letter To Congress, 12/7/11)
‘4 Out Of 5 Of The Taxpayers Who Will Face This Surtax Are Business Owners’
“Most importantly, the burden of the proposed tax increases would fall disproportionately on the income of America’s small and mid-sized businesses who pay taxes at individual rates.” (Tax Relief Coalition, “To All Members Of The U.S. Senate: Oppose The Tax On Job Creators,” Letter To Congress, 12/7/11)
· “According to a recently-released Treasury Department study, 392,000 taxpayers reported incomes exceeding $1 million in 2007, 331,000 of those returns included business income, and 311,000 were ‘business owners’ under the Treasury Department’s narrow definition. In short, the Obama Administration’s own data demonstrates that 4 out of 5 of the taxpayers who will face this surtax are business owners– and thus, increasing the tax burden on these business owners will reduce the amount of capital that they would otherwise have available to invest in their company or hire additional workers.” (Tax Relief Coalition, “To All Members Of The U.S. Senate: Oppose The Tax On Job Creators,” Letter To Congress, 12/7/11)
“The Tax Relief Coalition (TRC), an organization of more than 1,000 trade associations, corporations and advocacy groups…” (Tax Relief Coalition, “To All Members Of The U.S. Senate: Oppose The Tax On Job Creators,” Letter To Congress, 12/7/11)
“TRC members represent 1.8 million businesses of all sizes, from every state and from every industry sector – businesses that invest in our economy and create jobs.” (Tax Relief Coalition, “To All Members Of The U.S. Senate: Oppose The Tax On Job Creators,” Letter To Congress, 12/7/11)
Associated General Contractors
International Foodservice Distributors Association
Richmond Tea Party Endorses Jamie Radtke for U.S. Senate in 2012
It is with great pride that the Richmond Tea Party offers its enthusiastic support for former RTP President and Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation Chairwoman, Jamie Radtke, in the Republican primary for Virginia’s U.S. Senate seat in 2012. Radtke has been a tremendous asset to the Tea Party movement that is reshaping the entire political landscape in America. Her tireless and competent work to advance our core principles of constitutional adherence, limited government, fiscal responsibility, virtue and accountability, and free markets is almost unparalleled in our collective quest to restore America to her founding principles.
2012 is a make-or-break year in American history. The choice before We the People is clear: Will we continue to send to Washington the same career politicians—of either party—who serve only themselves as they inevitably drive us over the edge of fiscal catastrophe, or will we finally send principled conservatives to do everything in their power to yank us back from the edge and serve the American people? In Virginia, Jamie Radtke represents the second choice, while George Allen represents the first.
George Allen—a man who lost his previous Senate bid when he had incumbency—epitomizes everything wrong with the power structure career politicians from both parties have erected to serve themselves. While claiming to be conservative, Senator Allen helped expand government at an alarming rate, voting for No Child Left Behind, the Medicare Part D entitlement, 40,000 earmarks at a total of $90 billion, and raising the debt ceiling four times. Virginia and America cannot afford to send George Allen back to the Senate. If we do, we should not be surprised when nothing changes in Washington and We the People ultimately find ourselves helpless against an out-of-control government.
Jamie Radtke, however, will force some much-needed accountability in the U.S. Senate. In working closely with her when she was president of RTP, we know she will not bow to the pressures of her party, and will instead stand united with We the People against a power-hungry government. Joining ranks with other Tea Party favorites—such as Mike Lee and Rand Paul—she can be counted on to spend all her energy helping shift the power back from government to the people where it always belonged.
While we understand that each individual member of Richmond Tea Party holds a strong opinion about this race and may prefer to support and volunteer for a different candidate, consultation with our organizers and volunteers produced an overwhelming and emphatic consensus to endorse Jamie Radtke. We urge every Republican to vote in the 2012 primary on June 12th for Jamie Radtke. America is counting on you to make the right decision for our future.
George Allen has picked up a pretty big endorsement. Over 100 members of Virginia TEA Party Patriot groups, a strong group of conservatives working to restore the country to fiscal sanity, have endorsed George Allen’s bit for the US Senate. While several of the candidates have TEA Party connections, Allen is the one to gain this important group’s endorsement.
Please note that these are individual member endorsements, not from any organization themselves.
Here is the press release from the Allen Camp:
Henrico, VA – Today George Allen received the endorsement of over 100 Tea Party Patriots throughout the Commonwealth, led by Coby Dillard, Co-Founder of the Hampton Roads Tea Party, Laura Alcorn, Co-Founder of the Richmond Patriots, Strother Smith, President of the 10th Amendment Foundation, Ben Marchi, former State Director of Americans for Prosperity and conservative Tea Party activists Tito Munoz and Carl Tate. These Tea Party Patriots cited George Allen’s strong record on fiscal responsibility, individual liberty and his unwavering commitment to protect and stand up for the Constitution of the United States.
“Governor Allen’s belief in Tea Party principles is evident in his desire to cut government spending and bring a greater degree of accountability to Washington,” said Coby Dillard, Co-Founder of the Hampton Roads Tea Party. “When elected, I believe he will carry our shared beliefs to the halls of the Senate, and continue the fight to leave a more fiscally responsible nation as a gift to future generations.”
“George Allen will restrain this over-reaching federal government and preserve the individual freedoms and rights that our Founders envisioned. He has a proven track record of implementing pro-growth policies that help businesses create jobs, and the experience we need to get it done,” said Laura Alcorn, Co-Founder of the Richmond Patriots. “George Allen is a true conservative leader who shares our core principles. We know he will fight for our Virginia values and we are proud to fight with him.”
“The reckless policies coming out of Washington are eroding our liberties and bankrupting our future,” said conservative Tea Party activist Carl Tate. “Now, more than ever, we need George Allen’s strong, steady leadership to get our country back on track and help America ascend again. The path we are on leads to crushing debt, high unemployment and a dangerous dependency on the federal government. George Allen is a proven, conservative leader who will fight for our values and we need him back in the U.S. Senate.”
I am looking forward to these debates. We have 5 really strong candidates running to face the Virginia voters in 2012. The first challenge will be in a primary contest with the winner moving on to face the Democratic Party nominee.
Please make an effort to attend a debate near you!
This message is from the George Allen Campaign:
Henrico, VA – The George Allen for U.S. Senate campaign has accepted the invitation from the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) to participate in three Republican primary debates. See the following letter from Campaign Manager Mike Thomas to Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins:
Dear Pat,
Congratulations on this year’s historic elections!
In 2009, with the election of Governor Bob McDonnell, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, Virginians showed they were ready for principled, conservative leadership. We saw that wave continue into 2010 and now 2011 as Virginia Republicans strengthened our majority in the House of Delegates and achieved working control of the State Senate.
This upcoming 2012 election will be pivotal in determining the future of our country. George Allen believes it is essential for Republicans to discuss solutions to the important issues affecting Virginia families and businesses. We accept your invitation to continue that conversation in the three debates sponsored by the Republican Party of Virginia.
The failed policies of President Obama, Chairman Tim Kaine and their Democrat allies in Washington have put our country on a dangerous path of sustained high unemployment, massive debt and diminished opportunities for future generations. Thank you for this opportunity. We look forward to discussing our positive solutions for Virginians and our Country.
‘Americans have rejected the law’s mandate that they must buy government-approved health insurance, and I hope the Supreme Court will do the same’
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on the Supreme Court’s announcement today that it had agreed to hear a challenge to President Obama’s health care law:
“Throughout the debate, Senate Republicans have argued that this misguided law represents an unprecedented and unconstitutional expansion of the federal government into the daily lives of every American. Most Americans agree. In both public surveys and at the ballot box, Americans have rejected the law’s mandate that they must buy government-approved health insurance, and I hope the Supreme Court will do the same.”
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell announced his support of former Virginia Governor and US Senator George Allen in his bid to replace retiring Democrat Jim Webb to represent Virginia in the US Senate.
Governor McDonnell joins a long list of prominent Virginian’s who have announced their support for George Allen. The list also includes Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and a number of Virginia Senators and Delegates.
As the primary draws near and with the 2011 elections under our belts, more Virginians will be turning their political focus on the 2012 US Senate race as well as the Presidential race. Endorsements and support are crucial for this US Senate seat and George Allen has amassed an impressive list.
Below is the letter from Governor McDonnell dated today, November 11, 2011 announcing his support, as well as a video.
Dear Friends,
I wanted you to be one of the first to know that today I’m announcing my support for George Allen to be Virginia’s next United States Senator.
Maureen and I have known George and Susan for years.
Like us they wonder what the future will hold for our children and yours.
It’s what motivates George to run today.
He’s focused his campaign on solving problems with big ideas that will help private sector businesses create jobs, unleash our abundant energy resources, and get America working again.
George will work to rein in Washington’s destructive spending and crushing regulations because too often they stand in the way of growth and progress.
We need George Allen in the United States Senate fighting for us.
The eyes of the country will be on Virginia in 2012.
This year we made significant gains – strengthening our majority in the House of Delegates to historic levels and ending the Democrats control of the State Senate.
Next year our sights are set on helping achieve a majority in the U.S. Senate.
And Virginia once again will be at the forefront of that fight.
The road ahead won’t be easy, but things worth fighting for rarely are.
George Allen will need all of our help.
He has my support and I’m hoping he can count on yours as well.
Please join his efforts today. Just by clicking below you can:
Two other candidates were invited, but declined to attend, Jamie Radtke and former Governor and Senator George Allen.
I would like to thank Karen for providing her thoughts!
Debate Revealed the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Shenandoah Valley Tea Party Patriots debate for U.S. Senate candidates was revealing. Some of the good:
All candidates wanted to reduce the size of government, both budget and power.
All candidates believed state’s rights and the constitution were important, preferring decentralized government.
Most were willing, as Ronald Reagan once promised, to eliminate the Department of Education and the Department of Energy, and to reduce EPA funding.
Most were willing to repeal or alter the Patriot Act; one candidate advocated dissolution of the TSA, to loud applause.
Some answers were bad, reflecting an alarming lack of awareness about how the economy works and how much the federal government spends.
When asked if they would scrap the current tax code, all candidates said they wanted lower and smarter taxation. But they offered revenue neutral proposals, such as Fair tax or Flat Tax, or “making up the difference” in targeted and sin taxes. No Independent or Conservative candidate was willing to seriously reduce the overall federal haul.
Several “conservative” candidates said they would actually vote to raise the federal debt ceiling under the “right” circumstances.
To create jobs, candidates advocated incentives, protectionism, import tariffs to force us to buy American, tax code manipulation, and reducing regulations. None clearly stated that prosperity, liberty and productive entrepreneurialism – real job creation — is sustained only when government remains small, limited, and strictly constitutional.
In terms of ugly, I noted these:
When asked about how they would stop executive overreach, and presidential and regulatory lawmaking, all expressed concern, but none had a solution. As aspirants to the Senate, they should have simply said: “Executive agencies attempting to “legislate” through rulemaking will be defunded.”
When asked about the Occupy Wall Street movement, most candidates expressed distaste and disgust. None pointed out demonstrators would be better off in D.C., protesting federal agencies, departments and the Federal Reserve for rewarding improper financial activities, and for creating the environment, rules, and incentives in which Wall Street financial institutions exist and operate.
According to the AP, President Obama will travel to Texas today to push his $447 billion stimulus bill and Politico reports that Vice President Joe Biden will similarly be stumping for the bill in Florida.
And yet Senate Democrats continue to show little interest in the president’s bill. This week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has chosen to work on a bill about Chinese currency rather than the legislation President Obama has been travelling around the country, saying, “Pass this bill!”
The New York Daily News reports today, “New York’s senior senator said even the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate was balking at paying for President Obama’s jobs bill. ‘The main hangup is not the jobs bill itself,’ Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday. Obama has been calling on lawmakers to pass his $447 billion jobs bill in nearly every speech for almost a month and proposed paying for it with spending cuts, tax hikes on the wealthy and closing corporate tax loopholes. ‘After [Obama] announced the jobs bill … he proposed ways of paying for it that are probably not the best way to garner the votes,’ Schumer said.”
And Reuters wrote last night, “The bill appeared to be in trouble in the Democratic-controlled Senate as well, where aides from both parties said it will likely fail when it comes up for a vote later this month. . . . Prospects for passage in the Senate appeared doubtful as most legislation needs support from both parties in order to advance. All but a handful of Republicans will vote against it, according to a Republican aide, and several Democrats are likely to oppose it as well. Moderate Democrats in the Senate have objected to some of the tax increases Obama has proposed to pay for the bill.”
Reuters added this kicker: “‘Nobody is all that excited about the president’s jobs bill,’ a senior Democratic aide said.”
Speaking on the floor this morning, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell expressed his frustration with “the fact that the President’s spent the past few weeks running around the country demanding that Congress pass his so-called Jobs Bill ‘right away’ even as leading members of his own party admit that Democrats wouldn’t have the votes to get it through Congress even if it came to the floor.” He also noted the Reuters report, saying, “As one senior Democrat aide put it yesterday, ‘Nobody is all that excited about the President’s jobs bill.’”
