Richard Behney files for the US Senate race in Indiana

Indiana's Own Tea Party Conservative Signed Candidacy Declaration Paperwork On 02/18/02 For 2010 Senate Race As Bayh Drops Out February 17, 2010 Indianapolis, IN - With the 4,500 required signatures already submitted, Indiana Tea Party founder Richard Behney filed his candidacy for the US Senate race in Indiana on Thursday February 18 at 2 p.m. in the office of the Indiana Secretary of State. Behney was available for questions from the media immediately following.

As a proponent of smaller government, no bailouts, lower taxes, terms limits for politicians, reduced government spending & debt levels and a return of elected officials working FOR the people that elected them, Behney has captured the essence of a smoldering emotional fire that has prompted millions of Americans to stand up against the encroachment of big government.

Behney announced his grassroots campaign in September of 2009. “Many of the folks at the Tea Parties kept tapping me on the shoulder asking when I was going to run for office.” Behney explained. “The race that was mentioned most often was to compete against Evan Bayh for the Senate seat from Indiana.” Behney says that the GOP is seriously underestimating the grassroots power in the 2010 midterm elections, as evidenced by what he sees as the mandate from the inside the beltway GOP for former Senator Dan Coats to move back to Indiana.

“This past year we saw thousands gather on the State House lawn in Indianapolis, as well as across the state in Tea Parties, rallies and town hall meetings,” Behney adds. “These folks are from all walks of life, and from across party lines. What they lack in big finances, they make up for with passion, time and energy. We will win because of our volunteers and their efforts. We are fired up and ready to win.” Behney, 46, of Fishers, owns AttaBoy Plumbing Company in Indianapolis. Troy Hill Richard Behney for US Senate Media and Communications Coordinator Web: richardbehney.com

News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Troy Hill email: thill@richardbehney.com

TEXT and PHOTO CREDIT: Behney for Senate For more information, you may contact the campaign office at 317.776.1700 or by email at news@richardbehney.com.

Ron Paul CPAC10 Address VIDEO

Ron Paul CPAC10 Address VIDEO

The Ron Paul FREEDOM PRINCIPLES

• Rights belong to individuals, not groups.
• Property should be owned by people, not government.
• All voluntary associations should be permissible -- economic and social.
• The government's monetary role is to maintain the integrity of the monetary unit, not participate in fraud.
• Government exists to protect liberty, not to redistribute wealth or to grant special privileges.
• The lives and actions of people are their own responsibility, not the government's.

Michael Williams address CPAC10 VIDEO

Michael Williams address CPAC10 VIDEO

Michael L. Williams is a Commissioner on the Railroad Commission of Texas, the state’s oldest regulatory commission. In November 2000, the people of Texas elected him to complete an unexpired term. In November 2002 and 2008, they re-elected him to a full six-year term. He was initially appointed to the Commission by then-Governor George W. Bush in December 1998 to fill a vacant seat. Williams served as Chairman of the Commission from September 1999 to September 2003 and again from July 2007 to February 2009. He is the first African American in Texas history to hold an executive statewide elected post.

Williams serves as the Chairman of the Governor’s Competitiveness Council. He also chairs the Governor’s Clean Coal Technology Council, represents the Governor on the Southern States Energy Board and is a member of both the National Coal Council and the Interstate Compact Commission. Williams also serves as the Railroad Commission’s “point person” for the agency’s regulatory reform and technology modernization efforts.

The son of public school teachers who earned degrees in math and the husband of a mechanical engineer, Michael is the creator and co-sponsor of the “Williams Future Innovators”, a summer camp for 6th through 12th graders to inspire the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.

An advocate of alternative energy, Williams is championing the conversion of Texas public and private fleets, especially school buses from diesel and gasoline to environmentally cleaner, cheaper and domestically produced natural gas and propane through his “Breathe Easy” initiative.

Michael is the immediate past Honorary State Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas. He initiated the Texas response against the tragedy in Darfur. Williams also narrates short stories for children of all ages, including the visually impaired and those with special needs.

Previously, Williams served as general counsel to a Texas high-tech corporation and “of Counsel” with the law firm of Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. He also has served in a volunteer capacity as the General Counsel of the Republican Party of Texas, the chairman of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, on the Board of Directors of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School.

A devout conservative, Michael was one of the original board members of the Texas Christian Coalition. He is also a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.

He was an adjunct professor at Texas Southern University in the School of Public Affairs and Texas Wesleyan School of Law.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush appointed Williams to be Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, a position previously held by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Former President Bush previously appointed Williams as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Law Enforcement at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He had policy oversight responsibility for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Customs Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Williams also served in the Department of Justice as Special Assistant to Attorney General Richard Thornburgh.

Williams served as a prosecutor in the Reagan Justice department. In 1988, he was awarded the Attorney General’s “Special Achievement Award” for the conviction of six Ku Klux Klan members on stolen military weapons charges. Previously, he was an assistant district attorney in his hometown of Midland, Texas.

Williams is a proud alumnus of the University of Southern California where he holds a bachelor’s, a master’s and a law degree.

He is a member of Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Arlington, Texas. He and his best friend, Donna, celebrate 23 years of marriage.

VIDEO CREDIT: Townhall

TEXT CREDIT: MichaelWilliamsTX

Congressman Dave Camp Weekly Republican Address 02/20/10 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Congressman Dave Camp Weekly Republican Address 02/20/10 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Remarks by Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), as provided by the House Republican leader's office

Hello, I’m Congressman Dave Camp from Michigan, and I serve as the lead Republican on the House Ways & Means Committee.

This is a time of economic uncertainty. Tens of millions of Americans are either looking for work or have just given up entirely. They’re looking to Washington for solutions. But instead it seems Washington keeps adding to their problems.

That’s why Americans are demanding that President Obama and the Democrats in control of Congress scrap their misguided plan of a government takeover of health care. They don’t want a 2,000-page bill that threatens jobs and drives up health premiums; they already have enough challenges to deal with in their daily lives.

They want Washington to start over with a step-by-step approach to health care reform that begins with reducing costs and ensures they can keep their current plan if they like it.

For those families and small businesses looking for a sign that Washington is ready to wake up and find common sense on this issue, next week’s White House health care summit may not be it.

In fact, right now, Democrats are continuing to work behind closed doors, putting the finishing touches on yet another massive health care bill Americans can’t afford and don’t want.

If it is like Democrats’ other health care bills, this one will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes, slash Medicare benefits, and add to our already-skyrocketing debt.

But this won’t be just another bill written in secret and signed off on by special interests. Democrats have admitted they are working on an undemocratic plan to jam this bill through Congress and subvert the will of the American people.

Democrats themselves are describing this latest maneuver as a ‘trick.’ If the starting point for this summit is more of the same backroom deals and partisan bills, then this meeting will likely be a charade.

From the beginning, Republicans have listened to the American people and offered reforms that lower health care premiums for families and small businesses.

The bill I and House Republicans proposed last fall implements common sense solutions focused on lowering costs. Our bill ensures nobody will be denied coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition.

It gives states the tools to implement their own innovative reforms. And we put an end to the junk lawsuits that are forcing doctors to practice defensive medicine and drive up the cost of health insurance for all Americans.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projects that the Republican health care bill would actually lower health insurance premiums across the board by up to 10 percent – about $2,000 per year. The Democrat bills do just the opposite – they increase the cost of health care.

Just as important, Republicans get the job done without cutting Medicare, without raising taxes, and without piling more debt on our kids and grandkids. All the details of our plan are available at healthcare.gop.gov.
Republicans remain ready to discuss these ideas with President Obama and move forward in a bipartisan way to lower health care costs.

But Americans' health care is way too important to risk on a rushed backroom deal that puts federal bureaucrats in charge of your personal health care decisions.

Instead of hurting small businesses by forcing them to pay new taxes and meet new regulations, our focus should be on lowering their health care costs so that they can expand and hire more workers.

So in order to have a productive bipartisan conversation on health care, Democrats must first listen to the American people and scrap their massive government takeover of health care. We must go into the summit with a clean slate focused on making healthcare affordable.

That is what Americans are asking for, and that is what Republicans will continue to work for. Thanks for listening.

Representative Michael A. Pitts Gold and Silver Coin as Legal Tender

Representative Michael A. Pitts District 14 - Abbeville, Greenwood & Laurens Cos. Contact Address: (H) 372 Bucks Point Rd., Laurens, 29360. Bus. (864) 681-0238 Home (864) 575-2917 (C) 327C Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201. Bus. (803) 734-2830. H. 4501 South Carolina General Assembly 118th Session, 2009-2010 Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Section 1-1-1110. The South Carolina General Assembly finds and declares that the State is experiencing an economic crisis of severe magnitude caused in large part by the unconstitutional substitution of Federal Reserve Notes for silver and gold coin as legal tender in this State. The General Assembly also finds and declares that immediate exercise of the power of the State of South Carolina reserved under Article I, Section 10, Paragraph 1 of the United States Constitution and by the Tenth Amendment, is necessary to protect the safety, health and welfare of the people of this State, by guaranteeing to them a constitutional and economically sound monetary system.

Section 1-1-1120. For the purposes of this article:

(1) the term 'State' shall include the State of South Carolina and all executive and administrative departments and agencies, courts, instrumentalities, and political subdivisions of it, and all elected and appointed officials, employees, and agents of it acting in their official capacities; and

(2) the term 'silver and gold coin' shall include the silver and gold coins of the United States coined or minted, or silver and gold coins of any foreign nation adopted as money of the United States, by authority of Congress pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 5 of the United States Constitution, and all new certificates of the United States issued by authority of Congress pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 5 of the United States Constitution which certificates are in law and in fact redeemable on demand in silver and gold coin at their face values. The term silver and gold coin does not include any note, obligation security, bill of credit, or other form or species of paper currency or other instrument or document intended to circulate as money emitted or issued by the United States or any department, agency, or officer of it, or by the Federal Reserve System or any board, committee, member bank instrumentality, official, or agent of it.

Section 1-11-1130. On and after the effective date of this article, this State shall not recognize, employ, or compel any person or entity to recognize or employ anything other than silver and gold coin as a legal tender in payment of any debt arising out of:

(1) taxation by the State, where the applicable authority for the tax shall mandate the calculation and payment of it in silver and gold coin;

(2) expropriation of private property pursuant to the exercise of the power of eminent domain by the State or by any entity privileged by the laws of it to exercise this power; and

(3) judgments, decrees, or orders of any court or administrative agency of this State in civil or criminal actions or proceedings, except where and only to the extent that the court or agency granting an award shall find, on the basis of clear and convincing evidence, that payment of silver and gold coin shall not constitute just compensation for the damages suffered by the prevailing party, and therefore shall mandate:

(a) specific performance of a contract or agreement by other than the payment of money;

(b) specific restitution of identifiable property other than money, or

(c) other like relief, and contracts or agreements for the payment of wages, salaries, fees, or other monetary compensation to any person, corporation or other entity who or which shall provide goods or services to the State in aid of performance of its governmental functions.

Section 1-1-1140. The unit and measure for determining what shall constitute legal tender in payment of any debt specified in Section 1-1-1130 is the standard silver dollar, containing 371.25 grains (troy) fine silver, as coined or minted by authority of Congress from time to time pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 5 of the United States Constitution.

Section 1-1-1150. The value of any silver or gold coin as legal tender in payment of any debt specified in Section 1-1-1130 must be denominated in 'dollars' calculated as follows:

(1) the value of any silver coin must be calculated by dividing the weight of fine silver in grains (troy) that the coin shall contain by 371.25 grains, and expressing the quotient in 'dollars';

(2) the value of any gold coin shall be calculated by multiplying the weight of fine gold in grains (troy) that the coin shall contain by the proportion by weight between silver and gold as determined by the Treasurer of the State of South Carolina by dividing the product of such multiplication by 371.25 grains, and expressing the quotient in 'dollars'; and

(3) at the beginning of each business day, the State Treasurer shall determine the average proportion by weight by which gold exchanges against silver in the major precious metals market or markets in the State, and

(a) shall immediately make available this determination to any person upon request without charge; and

(b) shall permanently certify and record this determination.

Section 1-1-1160. On and after the effective date of this article the State shall denominate all public accounts, and record the value of all public assets and liabilities, in standard silver dollars."

SECTION 2. If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this Act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. ----XX----

Article 18 Gold and Silver Coin as Legal Tender FULL TEXT

Marco Rubio CPAC Address VIDEO

Marco Rubio, candidate for the U.S. Senate for the state of Florida, addresses Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

Keywords: cpac C-SPAN CSPAN politics conservatives Conservative Political Action Conference.

VIDEO CREDIT: CSPAN

Vice President Cheney Appearance at CPAC VIDEO

Former Vice President Cheney made a brief appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) following remarks made by his daughter, Liz Cheney.

VIDEO CREDIT: CSPAN

Governor Chris Christie's Address to Special Joint Session of Legislature VIDEO

Governor Christie Budget Deficit Speech: Governor Chris Christie presented his plan for closing an estimated $1.3 billion deficit in the current state budget.

Feb. 11, 2010 - Press Packet from Governor Chris Christie's Address to Special Joint Session of Legislature

For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 11, 2010 Contact: Mike Drewniak. 609-777-2600.

Trenton, NJ - Please see attached .pdf files containing today's press packet and the schools surplus withholding numbers. Please note the press office will be closed Friday, February 12th.

• FY2010 Budget Solutions Press Packet [pdf 379 kB]
• School Solutions Withholding [pdf 610 kB]

Marlin Stutzman Makes it Official

Uploaded on February 9, 2010 by gomarlin © All rights reserved.

"Hoosiers are looking for authentic conservative leadership, not more of the same from DC politicians." Howe, IN - Dozens of supporters were on hand today to watch Marlin Stutzman file the 5,000 signatures needed to be a candidate for US Senate. Stutzman spoke about the 19,000 miles he has already logged across Indiana on a bus with his family. Stutzman thanked the volunteers and friends who had made the trip to support him, and spoke about what he has learned the past year as he campaigned. "As I speak with Hoosiers one thing is clear - people want to change Washington, not change America."

Stutzman also stated, "Hoosiers are looking for authentic conservative leadership, not more of the same from D.C. politicians."

For Immediate Release February 16, 2010 Contact: media@gomarlin.com

Hoosiers for Stutzman 250 W. 600 N Howe, IN 46746 Email the campaign - info@gomarlin.com Email the candidate - marlinstutzman@gomarlin.com

Tom Haney Healthcare Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine VIDEO

The healthcare debate is a complex issue, but can be broken down into three sections: the Medicare insolvency crisis, increasing healthcare expenditures (demand), and the problem of uninsured and underinsured patients.

Personally, when one views legislative and judicial policies over the last twenty to forty years, I believe that the healthcare crisis has been the product of “invasive” government. “Invasive” proponents have yet to point to a country with any type of healthcare that comes even close to being as effective, efficient, and even universal as the United States.

Cancer cure rates for the top 5 cancers in the United States are roughly 40% higher than the United Kingdom. Europe cannot even afford a two-view mammogram for women. 90% of the women in the world do not even have access to C-sections. It is time for “invasive” proponents to realize that the “right” of healthcare is not a right as demonstrated by every other country in the world. It is time for “invasive” proponents to realize the failure of “consequences have ideas” policy after policy.

America must go back to what has made her great. Free market principles instead of regulated protection and price fixing should rule the day. Ideas that empower the people with responsibility rather than a yoke of dependence should be instituted. Responsible patients and doctors should be rewarded not penalized. Crooked attorneys should not be rewarded at the expense of all. Government should stop ignoring its role in enforcing laws to prevent defrauding of pharmaceutical companies and insurance beneficiaries and providers.

I support comprehensive tort reform. I support comprehensive insurance reform, including lifting interstate competition barriers to stimulate competition. I support health savings accounts to encourage personal responsibility and healthcare choice. I support Medicare reform that removes recent expansion of non-medical care. These are just some of the solutions based on principle that will help expand care, reduce costs, and keep American jobs at home.

VIDEO CREDIT: wyattmcintyre

Paul Thomas Haney for U.S. Senate Committee Tom Haney, M.D. 6279 E. 450 N. Leesburg, IN 46538 or by email click here

DON BATES STATEMENT ON EVAN BAYH NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION

Anderson, IN – Republican Candidate for US Senate Don Bates Jr made the following statement regarding Senator Evan Bayh not seeking re-election.

Photos by Don Bates Jr

“Eleven months ago I started telling people that Barack Obama's agenda would not be good for America, and that because of Senator Bayh's inability to stop President Obama's agenda, Senator Bayh must be replaced. At first, very few people believed me.

It now appears that even Senator Bayh believes me. Our mission is the same as it was from the beginning of this Campaign. President Obama's liberal agenda for America must be stopped, and together, Hoosiers, not national parties or special lobbying interests, can lead the charge to not only stop his agenda, but to restore fiscal discipline in America, and lead us once again to Reagan's Shining City on a Hill."

Bates is a Vice President and Branch Manager for Wells Fargo Advisors, he is currently seeking the Republican Nomination for Indiana’s US Senate Seat in 2010.
# # #

Don Bates Jr Committee * PO Box 1026 * Anderson, IN 46015 February 15, 2010 For Immediate Release | Contact: Bates Press Team – 765-203-2250

Edward Lynch Dissolution of the IRS as we know it VIDEO

It's time to reform our tax code and work toward the dissolution of the IRS as we know it. I believe current tax rates and complicated tax forms are a burden to the American people and a hindrance to economic prosperity.

The U.S. tax code as it now stands is a monumental burden on taxpayers and businesses, and it cripples private sector productivity and economic growth - no American is immune from the negative effects of the a code that not even our legislators can comprehend. The tax code is particularly hostile to both savings and investment, and taxpayers spend billions of dollars and endless hours each year filling out complicated tax returns, only to send back that money back to Washington bureaucrats who continue to spend it on their wasteful programs and the pet projects of special interest groups.

Given the state of our current economic climate, we need to aggressively work towards reducing both corporate and personal income taxes, because ultimately companies and individuals know best where and how to spend their dollars. I have given serious thought to several proposed structural reforms of the tax code, including the FairTax and the Flat Tax, and there are strong cases to be made for many of the aspects contained within both of these proposed reforms. We need to be just as concerned about reforming our tax structure as we are about reducing the level of taxation that we are now subject to; therefore we need to work towards both the simplification of the tax code as well as lower tax rates, the goal being a tax code that is simpler and fairer for all. To ensure America's long term prosperity and economic security, I am committed to:

* Reform of the tax system that simplifies our current tax code and promotes economic growth, and enhances our competitiveness abroad.

* Giving taxpayers a choice whether to file under the old tax code or a newly reformed tax code structure

* Reducing our corporate tax rate, which is among the highest in the world, to encourage companies to incorporate and start businesses within America

* Reducing marginal rates for all income brackets and the elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)

* Work towards the dissolution of the IRS as we know it.

Edward Lynch for Congress P.O. Box 210544 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421 Email: edward@electlynch.com Phone: 561-245-8295

Marco Rubio for Senate Raises Over $800K in 10 Days

Uploaded on July 9, 2009, by Marco Rubio, All rights reserved.

Miami, FL – Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate today announced that it received more than $860,000 in campaign contributions during the past ten days through its www.StimulusBomb.com campaign and from Sen. Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund. The ten day total is nearly half of what the campaign raised during the entire fourth quarter of 2009.

“I’m encouraged by the support we’ve received this month from people who believe a return to limited government is what will keep America free and prosperous,” said Rubio. “We are pleased with our progress, but also realize we have a long way to go to compete with one of the most prolific fundraisers in political history.”

This effort marked Rubio for Senate’s best fundraising week since the campaign first launched last year. The money raised was more than double what Rubio raised in the second quarter of 2009, and nearly matched the $1 million he raised in the third quarter of 2009. More than 11,000 contributors donated to both the Rubio and Senate Conservatives Fund stimulus campaigns, with donors registering an average contribution of approximately $75.

“Today’s encouraging news would not be possible without Marco’s positive, issues-based message and the growing support of people who support his vision for limited government principles,” said Rubio for Senate spokesman Alex Burgos. “Unfortunately, we are going to need every single penny raised to refute the increasingly desperate and dishonest attacks Charlie Crist has been launching at Marco Rubio on a daily basis.”

Marco Rubio for US Senate Contact by phone: (786) 953-6711

Exclusive Interview with Vice President Dick Cheney VIDEO TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Feb. 14, 2010 — FULL TEXT Transcript: "This Week" with Former Vice President Dick Cheney and George Will, Peter Beinart, Paul Gigot and Jane Mayer. KARL: Good morning, and welcome to "This Week." CHENEY: There is no middle ground. KARL: This morning, a "This Week" exclusive, former Vice President Dick Cheney, the administration's harshest critic... CHENEY: The president's been largely silent. Half-measures keep you half-exposed. The White House must stop dithering. KARL: ... with no apologies of his own. CHENEY: I was and remain a strong proponent of our enhanced interrogation program. KARL: National security, Iran, politics, and... BIDEN: Iraq, I mean, it's going to be one of the great achievements of this administration.

KARL: ... Dick Cheney takes on the current vice president, only on "This Week." Then, a Washington thaw.

OBAMA: I'm going to spend some time listening.

KARL: But can bipartisanship survive the politics of the moment?

PALIN: We need a commander-in-chief, not a professor of law standing at the lectern.

KARL: That and the rest of the week's politics on our roundtable with George Will, Peter Beinart of the Council on Foreign Relations, the New Yorker's Jane Mayer, and Paul Gigot of the Wall Street Journal.

And as always, the Sunday funnies.

LETTERMAN: John McCain knew that it was Sarah Palin's birthday, and he did something very nice for her. He bought her a Toyota.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: From the heart of the nation's capital, "This Week" with ABC's congressional correspondent, Jonathan Karl, live from the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue.

KARL: Joining me now, former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Mr. Vice President, welcome to "This Week."

CHENEY: Good morning, John.

Feb. 14, 2010 — FULL TEXT Transcript: "This Week" with Former Vice President Dick Cheney

Senator Lindsey Graham Weekly Republican Address 02/13/10 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Senator Lindsey Graham Weekly Republican Address 02/13/10 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Weekly remarks by Sen. Lindsey Graham, as provided by the Republican National Committee.

Hello, I’m Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The Obama administration’s decision to prosecute the mastermind of 9-11 Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and four other co-conspirators in civilian court in New York City makes no sense to most Americans -- including me.

All of these cases were pending before military commission at Guantanamo Bay before the Obama administration suspended the trials and dismissed charges. That was a major mistake in the war on terror.

These Al Qaeda terrorists are not common criminals.

Their attacks resulted in the biggest loss of American life from an act of war on our homeland since the Civil War.

Never before have we allowed non-citizen, enemy combatants captured on the battlefield access to our civilian courts providing them with the same constitutional rights as American citizens.

Al Qaeda terrorists should not receive more rights than a Nazi War criminal. And now is not the time to go back to the pre-9/11 mentality of fighting crime instead of fighting a war. A civilian trial of hard-core terrorists is unnecessarily dangerous and creates more problems than it solves.

Let me explain why.

Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey was the presiding judge in the 1995 Blind Sheik trial involving....

...the first attempt to blow up the World Trade Center and has warned of using civilian courts in terror trials.
These same concerns were recently echoed by the bipartisan chairman of the 9-11 Commission.

In the 1995 trial, because of civilian court rules, the government was required to disclose the identity of all known co-conspirators to the defense.

One of the conspirators -- relatively obscure at the time -- was Osama bin Laden.

Our intelligence services later learned this list made its way back to bin Laden tipping him off about our surveillance.

A conviction was obtained in that trial, but valuable intelligence was compromised. The rest is history.

Civilian trials create confusion. Our soldiers and intelligence services are already uncertain as to what rules apply.

Case in point -- the Christmas Day bomber. As we all know, this was a failed attempt to blow up an airliner over Detroit by a trained Al Qaeda operative.

After being captured and fresh off the battlefield, he was read his Miranda rights within one hour of questioning and asked for a lawyer.

Days later and only after his parents encouraged him to cooperate did he begin talking again. Can we really rely on the parents of future terrorists to work with the FBI?

And is reading Miranda Rights to terrorists any way to fight a war?

Finally, a civilian trial in New York City will be expensive. The New York City Police Commissioner, Mayor and other leaders have all expressed concern these trials could last for years and end up costing over a billion dollars.

These trials should not take place in New York or any other civilian court. To do so, ignores the fact we are at war.

I believe there is a better way. I have been a military lawyer for almost 30 years and have great confidence in our military justice system.

With the goal of protecting our nation, military law allows us to collect valuable intelligence without reading Miranda Rights to enemy combatants. It keeps them off the battlefield, and where appropriate prosecutes them for war crimes in a manner that adheres to our values.

As one of the chief authors I am proud of the revised Military Commission Act of 2009 which created military tribunals for unlawful enemy combatants – a system not available in 2002 to deal with the Shoe Bomber Richard Reid.

This law was passed after extensive consultation with the Obama administration and received overwhelming bipartisan support.

The military justice system is transparent, well-staffed, subject to civilian review, and protects valuable intelligence. And above all else it is built around the idea that we are a nation at war.

Khalid Sheik Mohammad and his co-conspirators should have their charges reinstated before military commissions and quickly be tried by our military.

These trials will be conducted by the same men and women who administer justice to our own troops.

They are competent professionals with a great understanding of their obligations under the law. It is a system of justice that allows us to move securely forward in this war while upholding our values.

For the good of the nation, I hope the Obama administration will alter their policies.

Military tribunals are the best way to render justice, win this war and protect our nation from a vicious enemy. May God bless the United States and all those who serve to defend our way of life.” ####

Will the Republican Party Get Whigged Out?

Show of hands, how many of you are registered to vote as a Whig? You know, with the Whig Party. Okay, so I can't really see if you're raising your hand, but I'll bet none of you are. And that's my point. The Whig Party became extinct in the mid-1800's when they stopped standing for something, when they began putting party-power above party-principles.

As ending slavery escalated to a hot-button issue, politicians tried to straddle the fence. Whig Senator Daniel Webster said that while he personally opposed the issue of slavery, he was not going to force his morality on others. Leaders in both the Democratic and Whig Parties followed suit. Whig-defector Abraham Lincoln saw opportunity.

Abraham Lincoln approached the "fringe" third parties with a bold idea. Let's join forces. Combine efforts. Create a unified platform grounded in the values to which these fringe groups were committed. He mobilized groups such as the Free Soil Party and the Free Labor Party to form a coalition of people who were more committed to a set of principles than they were a political party. And the Republican Party was born.

And, well, you can guess the rest of the story. The Whigs never won an election after that. The Republican Party emerged as an unstoppable force championing the principles of freedom and limited government on which this nation was founded.

Until now that is ...

It seems the modern Republicans' "Big Tent" has gotten so crowded that the tent stakes popped up and the whole thing is about to collapse. It's often hard to distinguish some Republican voting records from the liberal Democrats'. But the collapse can be prevented if Republican leadership is willing to see the writing on the wall, willing to acknowledge that our true strength lies in candidates who are authentic Reagan Republicans ... eager to fight the suffocating swell of government expansion, eager to fight for a strong national defense, to reign in runaway spending that is bankrupting our nation ... eager to protect these policies that protect the preciousness of human life. After all, that is why freedom is so important.

The outcome of election day 2009 could not have made this message any more clear. Republican candidates who boldly stand for conservative principles won huge, even in the Democratic strongholds. And yet, liberal spin doctors are trying to paint a different picture, especially when it comes to the NY-23rd.

NY-23 is the district in which the Republican leaders backed a liberal Republican, also referred to as a RINO (Republican in Name Only.) In the true spirit of grassroots activism, voters rallied behind a conservative Republican who then ran on an independent ticket. As all three candidates remained neck and neck, the RINO jumped ship and backed the Democrat. Some spin doctors are trying to say that the Conservative was the spoiler in this race.

Huh? Did they not see the same results that I did?

The fact is that Republicans received the majority of the vote in NY-23. The RINO remained on the ballot and took 6% of the vote. The Conservative won 45% and the Democrat won 49%. Last time I checked, 6 plus 45 equals 51 ... the majority. The majority of the voters in NY-23 voted Republican. Had the RINO endorsed the Conservative, I believe the outcome would have been different.

So who's the spoiler now? And what message does that send?

Please allow me to quote a Delaware Tea Party Leader to answer that second question. "Republican Party, you've been put on notice! Have some guts and remember your roots or go the way of the Whigs."

I couldn't have said it better myself. -###-

Christine O'Donnell is a US Senate Candidate in a 2010 Delaware primary race against a RINO.

YEXT CREDIT: Christine O'Donnell for U.S. Senate • PO Box 3987 • Wilmington, DE 19807 • (302) 468-7010

PHOTO CREDIT: odonnell4senate

Elizabeth Ames Jones Second Amendment Rights

Uploaded on June 4, 2009 by jonesfortexas © All rights reserved.

Our individual constitutional right to keep and bear arms is under attack. It took Eric Holder, President Obama’s Attorney General, less than a month in office to announce the Administration’s intention to restrict our Second Amendment freedoms. We must remain vigilant and completely engaged in the process to defend this freedom. I grew up hunting and a love for the outdoors was instilled in me at an early age. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of me, my brothers and my father hunting together. My husband Will and I have built those same kind of memories with our children. As the next U.S. Senator from Texas, I will be an active and strong voice to defend the rights of law abiding Americans to purchase and possess firearms.

I strongly support the right to carry and I will oppose any Presidential nominee for any office requiring Senate approval who will not acknowledge and protect our individual rights under the 2nd Amendment.

Elizabeth Ames Jones for Texas P.O. Box 685289, Austin, Texas 78768 Campaign office:
512-474-1777 512-532-0755 fax

Roger Williams Running Away with GOP Senate Fundraising Race

Stephenville Tx. Uploaded on October 6, 2009 by rogerforsenate © All rights reserved.

Roger Williams tops $1.5 Million. Austin, Texas — Campaign finance reports available today show that former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams has built an almost insurmountable fundraising lead over his GOP competitors hoping to succeed Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Williams posted a total of more than $1.5 million dollars raised and more than $830,000 cash on hand for the campaign.

His cash on hand figure also tops all GOP candidates. This is the fourth consecutive reporting period in which Roger Williams has led the pack.

“Republican voters in Texas have already started voting with their money and we are winning that race in a big way,” said Roger Williams. “This fundraising victory is another indication of how hard I am working to make sure I am ready and Texas is ready for this challenge. When the starting gun is fired, I am working to make sure to be the candidate ready and able to win the race.”

The latest reports filed with the Federal Election Commission cover October 1st through December 31th of last year. Roger Williams has led all candidates in fundraising in every reporting period since he entered the race.

“All eyes in America will be watching Texas to see if the national momentum for change will continue. I feel that we owe it to Texas and the nation to be prepared and that is exactly what I am doing,” said Secretary Williams.

Roger Williams announced an exploratory committee for the United States Senate on December 12, 2008. Williams is a former professional baseball player and former college head coach, he is best known for his 39 years as a successful businessman and as Texas’ 105th Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, Williams worked tirelessly to promote economic development, investment and job creation across Texas. He also served as the state’s Chief Liaison for Texas Border and Mexican Affairs as well as Chair of the state’s 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Response Strike Force.

Williams’ civic activities include serving on the Board of Trustees for the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University where he co-chairs the school’s capital fundraising campaign. Williams is also a member of the Texas Christian University Board of Trustees, his alma mater. He also serves on the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors as well as serving on the Admiral Nimitz Foundation Board of Directors in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Roger Williams U.S. Senate Committee Mailing Address P.O. Box 1504 Austin, Texas 78767 Phone & Fax (512) 492-3999 phone (512) 494-0649 fax

Michael Williams on Cutting Taxes VIDEO

The best tax system helps make poor people rich, not rich people poor. An efficient tax system has a broad tax base and a low tax rate. America has the second highest corporate tax burden in the developed world. We need to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit by cutting taxes and reforming the tax code with a flat tax.

Uploaded on January 25, 2010 by williamsfortexas All rights reserved

The president’s carbon cap and trade scheme amounts to huge tax on Texas families, and will devastate our energy sector. His healthcare plan cannot be financed without soaking taxpayers as well. The president is also discouraging charitable giving through elimination of the charitable tax deduction. The key to generating jobs and growth is cutting taxes instead of raising them. It is a fundamental issue of fairness, and it is critical to bringing America out of recession.

TEXT CREDIT: Michael Williams for U.S. Senate

VIDEO CREDIT: michaellwilliams

Michael Williams for U.S. Senate Committee P.O. Box 717 Austin, Texas 78767 Phone Numbers Phone: (512) 482-0682 Fax: (512) 482-0472 Email Addresses Scheduling Requests schedule@WilliamsForTexas.com General Info info@WilliamsForTexas.com

Republican Response to President Obama Health Care Summit Invitation

Boehner, Cantor Question White House on Proposed Health Care Summit GOP Leaders: “Assuming the President is sincere about moving forward on health care in a bipartisan way, does that mean he will agree to start over so that we can develop a bill that is truly worthy of the support and confidence of the American people?”

February 8, 2010 The Honorable Rahm Emanuel Chief of Staff The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. Emanuel:

We welcome President Obama’s announcement of forthcoming bipartisan health care talks. In fact, you may remember that last May, Republicans asked President Obama to hold bipartisan discussions on health care in an attempt to find common ground, but he declined and instead chose to work with only Democrats.

Since then, the President has given dozens of speeches on health care reform, operating under the premise that the more the American people learn about his plan, the more they will come to like it. Just the opposite has occurred: a majority of Americans oppose the House and Senate health care bills and want them scrapped so we can start over with a step-by-step approach focused on lowering costs for families and small businesses. Just as important, scrapping the House and Senate health care bills would help end the uncertainty they are creating for workers and businesses and thus strengthen our shared commitment to focusing on creating jobs.

Assuming the President is sincere about moving forward on health care in a bipartisan way, does that mean he will agree to start over so that we can develop a bill that is truly worthy of the support and confidence of the American people? Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said today that the President is “absolutely not” resetting the legislative process for health care. If the starting point for this meeting is the job-killing bills the American people have already soundly rejected, Republicans would rightly be reluctant to participate.

Assuming the President is sincere about moving forward in a bipartisan way, does that mean he has taken off the table the idea of relying solely on Democratic votes and jamming through health care reform by way of reconciliation? As the President has noted recently, Democrats continue to hold large majorities in the House and Senate, which means they can attempt to pass a health care bill at any time through the reconciliation process. Eliminating the possibility of reconciliation would represent an important show of good faith to Republicans and the American people.

If the President intends to present any kind of legislative proposal at this discussion, will he make it available to members of Congress and the American people at least 72 hours beforehand? Our ability to move forward in a bipartisan way through this discussion rests on openness and transparency.

Will the President include in this discussion congressional Democrats who have opposed the House and Senate health care bills? This bipartisan discussion should reflect the bipartisan opposition to both the House bill and the kickbacks and sweetheart deals in the Senate bill.

Will the President be inviting officials and lawmakers from the states to participate in this discussion? As you may know, legislation has been introduced in at least 36 state legislatures, similar to the proposal just passed by the Democratic-controlled Virginia State Senate, providing that no individual may be compelled to purchase health insurance. Additionally, governors of both parties have raised concerns about the additional costs that will be passed along to states under both the House and Senate bills.

The President has also mentioned his commitment to have “experts” participate in health care discussions. Will the Feb. 25 discussion involve such “experts?” Will those experts include the actuaries at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), who have determined that the both the House and Senate health care bill raise costs – just the opposite of their intended effect – and jeopardize seniors’ access to high-quality care by imposing massive Medicare cuts? Will those experts include the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which has stated that the GOP alternative would reduce premiums by up to 10 percent? Also, will Republicans be permitted to invite health care experts to participate?

Finally, as you know, this is the first televised White House health care meeting involving the President since last March. Many health care meetings of the closed-door variety have been held at the White House since then, including one last month where a sweetheart deal was worked out with union leaders. Will the special interest groups that the Obama Administration has cut deals with be included in this televised discussion?

Of course, Americans have been dismayed by the fact that the President has broken his own pledge to hold televised health care talks. We can only hope this televised discussion is the beginning, not the end, of attempting to correct that mistake. Will the President require that any and all future health care discussions, including those held on Capitol Hill, meet this common-sense standard of openness and transparency?

Your answers to these critical questions will help determine whether this will be a truly open, bipartisan discussion or merely an intramural exercise before Democrats attempt to jam through a job-killing health care bill that the American people can’t afford and don’t support. ‘Bipartisanship’ is not writing proposals of your own behind closed doors, then unveiling them and demanding Republican support. Bipartisan ends require bipartisan means.

These questions are also designed to try and make sense of the widening gap between the President’s rhetoric on bipartisanship and the reality. We cannot help but notice that each of the President’s recent bipartisan overtures has been coupled with harsh, misleading partisan attacks.

For instance, the President decries Republican ‘obstruction’ when it was Republicans who first proposed bipartisan health care talks last May. The President says Republicans are ‘sitting on the sidelines’ just days after holding up our health care alternative and reading from it word for word. The President has every right to use his bully pulpit as he sees fit, but this is the kind of credibility gap that has the American people so fed up with business as usual in Washington.

We look forward to receiving your answers and continuing to discuss ways we can move forward in a bipartisan manner to address the challenges facing the American people.

Sincerely,

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH)
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA)