Senator. John Cornyn Weekly Republican Address VIDEO 12/18/10

In the Weekly Republican Address, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) discusses how the changes Americans voted for in November are already affecting Washington.

Sen. Cornyn says, "Republicans prevented a massive, job-killing 'New Year's Day tax increase.'... This bipartisan agreement was made possible because voters gave Republicans much more leverage at the negotiating table. Our leverage forced the White House to abandon its 'class-warfare' rhetoric; stop pandering to the President's left-wing base; and do the right thing for American taxpayers and job creators."

He also points out that Republicans "[held] the line on reckless federal spending."

Sen. Cornyn explains, "Despite their willingness to work with Republicans on taxes, Senate Democrats went their own way on spending by proposing a nearly $1.3 trillion omnibus bill on the American people and by insisting we'd have to vote on it before anyone had the time to figure out what was in it.... "Senate Republicans stood together but we did not stand alone. Millions of Americans made their voices heard on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. You lit up the phone lines across the Capitol and across the Nation. Thank you for doing that. You helped strengthened the resolve of the Republican Caucus and rattled the nerves of the big spenders on the other side of the aisle."

TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

Hello, I’m Texas Senator John Cornyn. On November 2, voters elected 13 new Republican senators and sent 63 more Republicans to serve in the House of Representatives. This week, even before these new reinforcements have taken their seats, Republicans showed the American people that we got the message. And everyone can see how your choices have already changed the terms of the debate here in Washington. First, Republicans prevented a massive, job-killing ‘New Year’s Day tax increase.’

Before Congress acted, every American taxpayer was looking at a much higher tax bill in just a few weeks. Those higher taxes would have been devastating to millions of American families and small businesses and could have increased the risk of a ‘double-dip’ recession.

But our bipartisan agreement with the White House changed all that. Our agreement....
...keeps marginal income tax rates low, preserves the one-thousand-dollar per child tax credit, extends relief from the marriage penalty, blocks higher taxes on capital gains and dividends, protects at least 21 million additional families from the alternative minimum tax and reduces the sting of the ‘death tax’ on families and small businesses.

This bipartisan agreement was made possible because voters gave Republicans much more leverage at the negotiating table. Our leverage forced the White House to abandon its ‘class-warfare’ rhetoric, stop pandering to the President’s left-wing base; and do the right thing for American taxpayers and job creators.

Republicans delivered even more ‘tidings of comfort and joy’ this week by holding the line on reckless federal spending. Despite their willingness to work with Republicans on taxes, Senate Democrats went their own way on spending by proposing a nearly $1.3-trillion omnibus bill on the American people and by insisting we’d have to vote on it before anyone had the time to figure out what was in it.

This ‘spending snowstorm’ was nearly 2,000 pages long. It combined 12 separate appropriations bills that were never debated or amended on the Senate floor. And it included more than one billion dollars to feed the beast of ObamaCare, part of which was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge just a few short days ago.

Senate Republicans stood together but we did not stand alone. Millions of Americans made their voices heard on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. You lit up the phone lines across the Capitol and across the nation. Thank you for doing that. You helped strengthened the resolve of the Republican Caucus and rattled the nerves of the big spenders on the other side of the aisle.

As we approach the Christmas season and the new year, it’s easy to see how much you have changed our nation’s capital. Last year, on Christmas Eve, Senate Democrats passed a divisive 2.6-trillion-dollar healthcare bill strictly along party lines. This year, God willing, Washington will give the American people a far better gift: a silent night.

Have a joyous holiday season, keep our troops in your prayers, and remember that the best days for our country lie ahead. Thank you. ####

VIDEO and TEXT CREDIT: gopweeklyaddress

IMAGE CREDIT: United States Senator John Cornyn, Texas

STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2011 OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT VIDEO

“Mr. President, at 12:15 p.m. this afternoon, my office received a copy of the omnibus appropriations bill. It is 1,924 pages long and contains the funding for all 12 of the annual appropriations bills for a grand total of over $1.1 Trillion. It is important to note that the 1,924 pages is only the legislative language and does not include the thousands of pages of report language which contain the details of the billions of dollars in earmarks and, I’m sure, countless policy riders.

“While we continue to uncover which earmarks the appropriators decided to fund – thanks to a new online database – we at least know what earmarks were requested by Members and how much those projects would cost the American people if they were all funded. Taxpayers against

Earmarks, www.washingtonwatch.com and Taxpayers for Common Sense joined forces to create this database. According to the data they compiled – for fiscal year 2011 Members requested over 39,000 earmarks totaling over $130 billion. Absolutely disgraceful. I encourage every American to go to the website www.endingspending.com study it, and make yourselves aware of how your elected officials seek to spend your money.

“In the short time I’ve had to review this massive piece of legislation – I’ve identified approximately 6,488 earmarks totaling nearly $8.3 billion. Here is a small sample:

$277,000 for potato pest management in Wisconsin

$246,000 for bovine tuberculosis in Michigan and Minnesota

$522,000 for cranberry and blueberry disease and breeding in New Jersey

$500,000 for oyster safety in Florida

$349,000 for swine waste management in North Carolina

$413,000 for peanut research in Alabama

$247,000 for virus free wine grapes in Washington

$208,000 beaver management in North Carolina

$94,000 for blackbird management in Louisiana

$165,000 for maple syrup research in Vermont

$235,000 for noxious weed management in Nevada

$100,000 for the Edgar Allen Poe Cottage Visitor’s Center in New York

$300,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Hawaii

$400,000 for solar parking canopies and plug-in electric stations in Kansas

“Additionally, the bill earmarks $727,000 to compensate ranchers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan whenever endangered wolves eat their cattle. As my colleagues know, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Gray Wolf program is under intense scrutiny for wasting millions of taxpayer dollars every year to ‘recover’ endangered wolves that are now overpopulating the West and Midwest. My State of Arizona has a similar wolf program but ranchers in my state aren’t getting $727,000 in this bill.

“Mr. President, I will have much more to say about this bill later this week. I assure my colleagues – we will spend a great deal of time talking about this bill and the outrageous number of earmarks it contains. But for now let me just say this: it is December 14th – we are 22 days away from the beginning of a new Congress and nearly three full months into fiscal year 2011 – and yet we have not debated a single spending bill or considered any amendments to cut costs or get our debt under control. Furthermore, the majority decided that they just didn’t feel like doing a budget this year. How is that responsible leadership?

“This is the ninth omnibus appropriations bill we have considered in this body since 2000. That is shameful and we should be embarrassed by the fact that we care so little about doing the people’s business that we continuously put off fulfilling our constitutional responsibilities until the very last minute.

“One thing is abundantly clear to me – that the majority has not learned the lessons of last month’s election. The American people could not have been more clear. They are tired of wasteful spending. They are tired of big government. They are tired of sweetheart deals for special interests. They are tired of business as usual in Washington. And they are tired of massive bills – just like this one – put together behind closed doors, and rammed through the Congress at the last moment so that no one has the opportunity to read them and no one really knows what kind of waste is in them.

“Let me be clear about one thing – if the Majority Leader insists on proceeding to this monstrosity - the American people will know what’s in it. I will be joined by many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle to ensure that every single word of this bill is read aloud here on the Senate floor.

“I encourage my friends on the other side of the aisle to rethink their strategy and move forward with a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government into next year when a new Congress takes over – a Congress that was elected by the American people on November 2nd. “The majority may be able to strong arm enough members into voting for this omnibus – but they will not win in the end. The American people will remember – and I predict that we will see a repeat of November 2nd in the very near future.”

VIDEO CREDIT: SenatorJohnMcCain

TEXT CREDIT: United States Senator John McCain United States Senate, 241 Russell Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20510, Main: (202) 224-2235, Fax: (202) 228-2862

Darrell Issa Welcomes Addition of 16 New Republicans to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Darrell Issa Receives Good Government Award by Congressman Darrell Issa All rights reserved.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the incoming Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today announced that the House Republican Steering Committee has approved the addition of sixteen new Republican Members to the Committee to join Reps. Dan Burton (R-IN), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), John Mica (R-FL) and Michael Turner (R-OH) who will remain on the Committee. “There couldn’t be a better team to stand on the frontline of the effort to reign in a federal bureaucracy that has institutionalized waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement,” Issa said. “I am particularly excited to have so many incoming members join this Committee with a new mandate to make government more accountable and transparent.

Their enthusiasm and commitment to reforming government so that it works better for the American people will be the driving force behind this Committee’s success.”

The sixteen new Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in alphabetical order, are:

* Mr. Justin Amash (R-MI)
* Ms. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY)
* Dr. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN)
* Mr. Blake Farenholt (R-TX)
* Dr. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
* Mr. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)
* Mr. Frank Guinta (R-NH)
* Mr. Mike Kelly (R-PA)
* Mr. Raul Labrador (ID)
* Mr. James Lankford (R-OK)
* Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL)
* Mr. Pat Meehan (R-PA)
* Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA)
* Mr. Dennis Ross (R-FL)
* Mr. Tim Walberg (R-MI)
* Mr. Joe Walsh (R-IL)

###

TEXT CREDIT: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: B350A RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, DC 20515 PHONE: (202) 225-5074 FAX: (202) 225-3974

GOP Watchdog Jason Chaffetz to Glenn Beck:Tax Deal Isn't Good for Long-Term Debt Problem VIDEO

Utah's GOP Watchdog Jason Chaffetz breaks down why he will oppose President Obama's tax deal with Glenn Beck. 12-13-10: Fox News Channel's Glenn Beck Program.

VIDEO CREDIT: oversightandreform

John Barrasso Senators Secure Key Ruling to Amend START Preamble

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) secured a key ruling that would allow the Senate to amend the preamble to the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Last week, Barrasso joined a group of Senate Republicans in requesting a clarification from the Senate Parliamentarian on whether or not the Senate has the authority to amend treaty preambles. Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin officially confirmed that the Senate does in fact have the authority to amend treaty preambles.

Barrasso released the following statement about the clarification and how it will affect the debate on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START):

“START’s preamble specifically places limits on missile defense and weakens the ability of the United States to defend itself. I look forward to offering my amendment on the Senate floor to strike the limitations on our missile defense from the treaty’s preamble. Since the Administration claims the preamble language is non-binding, they should have no problem eliminating this restrictive language from the treaty.

“Most Americans would agree that preambles affect policy. After all, we value and respect the preamble to our own constitution – ‘We the people…’

“Today, the Senate Parliamentarian delivered a consequential ruling when he confirmed that the Senate can amend treaty preambles. We now have the clear authority to improve START’s preamble.”

Background:

The Administration has come out claiming START’s preamble is non-binding. On May 18, 2010 Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said:

“The treaty’s preamble does include language acknowledging the relationship between strategic offensive and defensive forces, but this is simply a statement of fact. It does not constrain our missile defense programs in any way.”

On September 16, 2010, Senator Barrasso offered an amendment in a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations business meeting to strike restrictive language from START’s preamble.

During that same business meeting, an objection was made to Senator Barrasso’s amendment on procedural grounds. The claim was that under Senate precedent, preambles to treaties are not allowed to be amended.

On December 14, 2010 Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin clarified that the Senate is in fact allowed to amend preambles to treaties:

“We have been asked to re-examine the precedent from May 18, 1998, noted at footnote 31 in the Treaties chapter of Riddick’s, which states that preambles to treaties are not amendable. In that instance, a Senator asserted that 10 years earlier the Vice President had stated that preambles to treaties were not amendable, and that Senator asked if that were still the case. The Chair said that it was still the case. However, in 1978 the Vice President simply indicated that there were no preambles, not that they were not amendable. The statement from 1988 could not affirm what was not stated in 1978, so the probative value of each for the stated point of procedure is eroded.

“We have found no other authority to support the conclusion that preambles to treaties are not amendable, nor have we heard an argument to support that position. Unless it can be demonstrated to us that there is in fact valid precedent or convincing logic preventing the Senate from amending preambles to treaties, we will advise from this point forward that preambles to treaties may be amended.” ###

TEXT CREDIT: US Senator John Barrasso 307 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Main: 202-224-6441 Fax: 202-224-1724 Tollfree: 866-235-9553

Roger Wicker Votes to Prevent Americans from Receiving Largest Tax Hike in History

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) issued the following statement today after voting to prevent tax hikes from hitting Americans on Jan. 1, 2011: “Raising taxes on any American family or small business would further strain our weak economic recovery. Extending the existing tax rates helps create stability so businesses can invest and hire. Preventing the largest tax hike from hitting Americans is one of the many steps we need to get our economy back on track.

“I am glad that the Senate’s year-end tax package also includes a continuation of my GO Zone bond and bonus depreciation provisions to help the Gulf Coast attract private investment and create jobs. These GO Zone provisions provide important tools to spur economic development in the hard hit areas along the Gulf.”

The Senate passed the tax package by a vote of 81 to 19. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for final passage. # # #

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Senator Roger Wicker

John Ensign INTERNET REGULATION WILL SLOW THE PACE OF INNOVATION AND JEOPARDIZE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS

Washington, D.C. –Senator John Ensign, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet today sent a letter signed by 28 of his colleagues to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski expressing their strong opposition to the FCC’s intent to regulate the Internet. Senator Ensign has long-opposed this burdensome regulation which is a direct blow to innovation.

In the letter, the senators wrote, “The Internet, as an open platform for innovation, is not an aspiration, it is a reality—the United States does not need new burdensome regulations to make it so. This is an unjustified and unnecessary expansion of government control over private enterprise. We strongly urge you to abandon your decision to impose new restrictions on this important and dynamic segment of our economy.

“While the rules that you are proposing will have little, if any, positive impact for consumers, they will likely reduce the potential for innovation and investment in broadband networks. Your proposal would establish the Commission as the central arbiter of which new network practices are and are not reasonable, making the Commission the gatekeeper for any future broadband innovations. This will dramatically slow the pace of that innovation and jeopardize billions of dollars of future investment into broadband networks.”

Senators who signed the letter:

Ensign, Isakson, Brownback, Crapo, DeMint, Risch, McCain, Wicker, Hutchison, McConnell, Roberts, Kyl, Cornyn, Enzi, Bunning, Hatch, Johanns, Coburn, Chambliss, Barrasso, Alexander, Vitter, Thune, Bond, Graham, Bennett, Burr, Grassley, Inhofe ###

letter signed by 28 Senators. in PDF FORMAT

TEXT CREDIT: John Ensign, United States Senator of Nevada Press Secretary Jennifer Cooper 119 Russell Senate Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Tel: (202) 224-6244

John Thune Blasts Democrats' Massive Government Spending Bill

Says attempt to pass Omnibus ignores will of voters December 14th, 2010 - WASHINGTON, DC - Senator John Thune today criticized Senate Democrat leadership's attempt to pass a massive Omnibus spending bill.

"The attempt by Democrat leadership to rush through a nearly 2,000 page spending bill in the final days of the lame-duck session ignores the clear will expressed by the voters this past election," said Thune. "This bill is loaded up with pork projects and should not get a vote. Congress should listen to the American people and stop this reckless spending."

Thune has called for a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) free of earmarks and special funding projects. Currently, the federal government is funded under a CR that expires on Saturday, December 18, 2010. ###

TEXT CREDIT: Senator John Thune United States Senate SR-493 Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-2321 Fax: (202) 228-5429 TollFree: 1-866-850-3855

IMAGE CREDIT: rnc

Mike Pence Virginia Ruling Confirms Need For Obamacare Repeal

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence released the following statement today after a federal district judge in Virginia ruled that a major provision of ObamaCare is unconstitutional. “Now that a federal judge has shown the individual mandate in ObamaCare to be unconstitutional, it's time to repeal it lock, stock and barrel.

A majority of Americans rejected ObamaCare long before it became law, and their frustration with this government takeover of health care has only grown. They know it’s time to repeal ObamaCare, with its budget-busting price tag and job-killing mandates, and replace it with common sense solutions that actually lower costs without growing the size of government.”

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Mike Pence Washington D.C. Office 1431 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 (p) 202 225-3021 (f) 202 225-3382

Paul Ryan Statement on Tax Agreement VIDEO

Ryan Statement on Tax Agreement Bipartisan agreement avoids crippling, across-the-board tax hikes

WASHINGTON – In response to a recently announced bipartisan agreement to prevent looming tax increases, House Budget Committee Ranking Member Paul Ryan (WI-01) issued the following statement:

"President Obama has acted responsibly in reaching an agreement with Republicans to prevent across-the-board tax increases from hitting American families and job creators. Sound economics appear to have trumped the politics of class warfare. While I prefer a permanent prevention of tax increases to promote growth and ensure certainty, there is a growing bipartisan consensus that raising taxes would be a big mistake. This agreement affirms an essential proposition: raising tax rates hinders economic growth and job creation.

“Policymakers cannot continue to chase ever-higher levels of government spending with ever-higher tax rates. To address the Federal government’s fiscal imbalance, we need both economic growth and serious spending discipline. It is critical that we match opposition to tax increases with a fervent commitment to restrain the explosive growth of government spending.

“While I have concerns with some specific aspects of the plan, I support the proposed framework to avert further economic hardship and provide a first step to restore the foundations for sustained growth and job creation. I look forward to working with my colleagues to keep taxes low, and will continue to make the case for an equal commitment to spending restraint and real reform.”

Contact: Kevin Seifert (202) 225-3031

House Budget Committee Republican analysis on the tax debate: “The Impact of Looming Tax Increase” in PDF FORMAT house.gov/budget_republicans/taxdebate

VIDEO and IMAGE CREDIT: ConservativeCavalry

TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan

Tell Congress to Stand Up to Pelosi on Taxes Crossroads GPS VIDEO

Crossroads GPS is running z $400,000 campaign of radio ads in 12 districts across the country to urge Congress to stand up for America’s struggling families and small businesses by passing tax relief for all taxpayers – not bow to Nancy Pelosi’s tax hike agenda. We need jobs, not job-killing taxes.

Listen to this sample of one of the radio ads targeting Gerry Connolly of Virginia’s 11th district.

The group also includes Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, Jim Costa of California, Sanford D. Bishop Jr. of Georgia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Ben Chandler of Kentucky, Gary Peters of Michigan, Heath Shuler of North Carolina, Timothy H. Bishop of New York, Maurice D. Hinchey of New York, Bill Owens of New York and Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania.

Time is running out for Congress to extend tax relief to all Americans, but Nancy Pelosi is standing in the way. Tell your Congressman to stand up to Pelosi's tax hike agenda.

TEXT CREDIT: Crossroads GPS

VIDEO CREDIT: CrossroadsGPSChannel

Virginia wins federal court challenge Health insurance mandate is unconstitutional FULL TEXT VIDEO

RICHMOND (December 13, 2010) – Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli announced today that the Commonwealth of Virginia won its lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the federal health care act. The attorney general asked the court to find that the health care mandate that every individual buy government-approved health insurance unconstitutional.

Federal District Court Judge Henry Hudson agreed with the attorney general and ruled today that the health insurance mandate is unconstitutional.

Federal Judge Rules Obamacare Mandate Unconstitutional Case 3:10-cv-00188-HEH Document 84 FULL TEXT IN PDF FORMAT

“Today we prevailed. This is a great day for the Constitution! This won’t be the final round, as this will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court, but today is a critical milestone in the protection of the Constitution,” said Cuccinelli.

Virginia argued that the mandate that every person must buy government-approved health insurance violates the Constitution and that using the Constitution’s Commerce Clause to force people to buy a product goes beyond Congress’s power.

“The insurance mandate penalizes people for not engaging in commerce. In other words, you can get fined for doing nothing,” said Cuccinelli.

The judge agreed:

“The unchecked expansion of congressional power to the limits suggested by the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision would invite unbridled exercise of federal police powers. At its core, this dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance – or crafting a scheme of universal health insurance coverage – it’s about an individual’s right to choose to participate.”

Virginia also argued that the penalty the government wants to charge if one does not buy health insurance is not a tax. Virginia said that the government cannot call the penalty a tax to try to make it legal under Congress’s taxing authority. Congress and the president called it a penalty and said it was not a tax; they passed it as a penalty, not a tax; it works as a penalty, not as a tax. The judge again agreed with Virginia.

“When we brought suit back in March, media outlets and legal experts said we didn’t have a chance. They accused us of everything from playing politics instead of practicing law, to filing a frivolous lawsuit. They said our argument about constitutionality was in vain, that we relied on a controversial reading of the Constitution, and that we couldn’t prevail against the federal government,” said Cuccinelli.

“This ruling is extremely positive for anyone who believes in the system of federalism created by our Founding Fathers. It underscores that the Constitution’s limitations on federal power mean something. The rule of law means something. As attorney general of Virginia, I took an oath to protect the Constitution, and I’m keeping that oath.”

Cuccinelli also recognized the need for reform in health care, but said that further government intrusion was the problem, not the answer: “For the past nine months, we have been arguing the constitutionality of this law. I have said all along that this lawsuit is not about health care. It is about liberty. At the same time, I understand that people want more affordable health care, and I sympathize with people who honestly can’t afford it.

“But as someone who has sworn to uphold the law, I cannot endorse taking away the rights of all so that government can provide health care to some.

“If we cross this constitutional line with health care now – where the government can force us to buy a private product and say it is for our own good – then we will have given the government the power to force us to buy other private products, such as cars, gym memberships, or even asparagus. The government’s power to intrude on our lives for our own good will be virtually unlimited.

“You may be willing to put up with that now, when the government is doing something you like. But what happens when it starts to impose things on you that you do not like? Then, it will be too late.

“Yes, parts of our health care system need to be fixed. Yes, expenses are out of control. Yes, not everyone’s needs are being met. But there are better solutions than giving up our freedom. The problem with health care costs is not that there is not enough government involvement. It is that there is too much government. It is time we took the power out of the hands of the politicians and put it in the hands of the consumers,” he said.

Before the ruling came down, Cuccinelli initiated conversations with the Justice Department about fast-tracking the suit to the U.S. Supreme Court. “With this ongoing court battle, there is a great deal of uncertainty for states, individuals, and businesses as to whether this law will be around two years from now or not. We need this resolved as quickly as possible – for the good of our people and our economy,” said Cuccinelli.

COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA Office of the Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II Attorney General 900 East Main Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-786-2071 For Release: December 13, 2010 Contact: Brian J. Gottstein Email: bgottstein@oag.state.va.us (best contact method) Phone: 804-786-5874

Condoleezza Rice tells Katie Couric Why we Invaded Iraq HBO History Makers TEXT VIDEO

On December 3, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice CBS's Katie Couric HBO History Makers at the Council on Foreign Relations.

TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

KATIE COURIC: On Iraq, books have been written, as you know, many, many books; documentaries have been made about how intelligence was incorrectly analyzed and cherry-picked to build an argument for war, and memos from that time do suggest that officials knew there was a small chance of actually finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE: Well, wait a second, what?

COURIC: (Chuckles.) There are -- there are some things that seem to suggest that in the buildup to the actual war that there was some doubt about that, wouldn't you say --

RICE: No. (Laughter.)

COURIC: Well --

RICE: Actually, I don't agree with that (person ?) at all.

COURIC: You don't?

RICE: No.

COURIC: Even with -- when Tony Blair met with the president in Washington --

RICE: Well, you always -- are you 100 percent sure when you're dealing with an opaque, secretive country in which there have been no inspections for years? No, you're not 100 percent sure. But the preponderance of intelligence analysis -- the preponderance of intelligence analysis from around the world was that he had had weapons of mass destruction. We knew he had used weapons of mass destruction. That was not a theoretical proposition.

COURIC: Right. That's correct.

RICE: He'd used them --

COURIC: Against the Kurds.

RICE: Against the Kurds, against the Shia and against the Iranians. So he'd used them several times. And the preponderance of intelligence was that he was reconstituting or had actually, in the intelligence estimate, reconstituted his biological and chemical capabilities.

There was some debate about how far he had gotten on the nuclear front, some saying that with foreign help it could be a year; others saying it would be several years.

So no, it's simply not the case that there was, if you're in a position of decision-making, evidence to say that it was likely that he did not have weapons of mass destruction.

Now, what we found is that he was indeed breaking out of the constraints that had been put there -- we all know the scandal of oil-for-food -- that he was not as far along in that reconstitution as the intelligence had suggested. But the idea that somehow Saddam Hussein was not pursuing or was never going to pursue weapons of mass destruction, I think, is as misplaced as an argument that he had fully reconstituted.

COURIC: Well, if there weren't, ultimately, weapons of mass destruction found, what was then the rationale for war? Without that, is there another rationale other than the world is better off without Saddam Hussein?

RICE: Well, that's a pretty good rationale. (Laughter.) But let me -- let me go back to the premise, the question, in the absence of weapons of mass destruction, what was the -- it's true that you can only -- that what you know today can affect what you know and do tomorrow, but what you know today cannot affect what you did yesterday.

So the premise that somehow, because weapons of mass destruction were not found in stockpiles, the rationale for the war was flawed leaves out the fact that at the time that we decided to go to war, we thought there were weapons of mass destruction. So let's stipulate that.

Now, we didn't worry about weapons of mass destruction particularly in the hands of Russians. The Russians had the hundred thousand -- a hundred times the weapons capability of Saddam Hussein. The problem was that Saddam Hussein had taken the world to war in really destructive wars twice, Iran and the Gulf War in '91; dragged us into conflict again in '98, as President Clinton had responded to the problem there; violated repeatedly Security Council resolutions. The efforts that we were making to keep him in his box, whether it was oil-for-food or the -- or trying to keep his air forces on the ground through flying no-fly zones -- he was shooting at our aircraft every day, he still refused to acknowledge that Kuwait was an independent country, and so on and so on.

This was the most dangerous tyrant in the middle of the Middle East, and he had repeatedly flaunted (sic) the efforts of the international community to control him after '91. And so I think there is an argument that in those circumstances, getting Saddam -- getting rid of Saddam Hussein was a very good thing.



COURIC: So absent of the presence -- or if you had known at the time that Iraq wasn't as far along with its weapons program as it ultimately turned out to be, would all of those other things you mentioned provide rationale for the war?

RICE: Katie, I'm going to repeat: What you know today can affect what you do tomorrow, but not

COURIC: No, but just put yourself back there --

RICE: I did -- I can't -- I can't --

COURIC: I mean, you're saying that that seemed like a good rationale. Do you think it is?

RICE: I can't speculate on what I would have thought if I had known. I think it's not a fruitful exercise. We knew what we knew, and we made the decisions based on that intelligence and that knowledge.

Now I still believe that even in the absence of finding weapons of mass destruction, the world and the Middle East are much better places without Saddam Hussein. And you always can know what happened as a result of what you did. What you can't know is what would have happened had you not done it.

The Iraq that we're talking about today, our debate about Iraq today -- our concerns about Iraq today are, of course, about continuing violence. But the conversation is whether Shias, Sunnis, Kurds can within their new democratic institutions form the first multi-confessional democracy in the Arab world. That's a really interesting discussion, and it's different than a discussion that we might have been having about whether or not the nuclear competition between Ahmadinejad in Iran and Saddam Hussein in Iraq is a greater danger than having taken Saddam Hussein out.

COURIC: Do you --

RICE: So I actually think that might have been where we were.

TEXT CREDIT: HBO History Makers Series with Condoleezza Rice - Council on Foreign Relations

VIDEO CREDIT: Eyeblast.tv

Rep.-Elect Kristi Noem Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 12/11/10

Podcast of the address: Download MP3 for PODCAST FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT BELOW. Video of the address available for download here. Saturday, December 11, 2010 || MP4 File || MPEG File || MOV File (FULL HD) ||

Weekly Republican Address: Rep.-elect Kristi Noem on Creating Jobs, Cutting Spending, and the Pledge to America. Washington (Dec 10)

Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, Rep.-elect Kristi Noem (R-SD) says that while stopping all the tax hikes scheduled for January 1st is an important first step that will prevent American jobs from being destroyed, more needs to be done to reduce the uncertainty facing family-owned small businesses, including cutting spending and repealing the job-killing health care law. These priorities are outlined in the Pledge to America, a governing agenda built by listening to the people, comprised of reforms the current Democratic majority in Washington has refused to bring to a vote. Rep.-elect Noem and Rep.-elect Tim Scott (R-SC) serve as freshman class representatives on House Republicans’ leadership team.

“Hi, I’m Kristi Noem, Congresswoman-elect from the state of South Dakota.

“I’m honored to represent the people of my state as part of a new majority committed to being humble, more modest, and more focused on addressing the challenges our nation faces.

“While Washington has been busy doing what’s best for Washington – things have gotten worse, not better for families and small businesses.

“With unemployment still rising, the number one thing our family-owned small businesses need right now is certainty.

“They need to know that the government is not going to come in and do anything to jeopardize their ability to keep their doors open. So it’s certainly encouraging to see that President Obama has proposed a potential agreement to stop all the tax hikes scheduled to take effect on January 1st.

“Failing to stop all the tax hikes would mean taxes would go up for small businesses all across this country, destroying more jobs.

“The American people want to see all the tax hikes stopped, and they won’t tolerate games that might get in the way. They won’t put up with any celebrating and back-slapping, either. Putting the games aside and doing the right thing for the people shouldn’t be the exception – it should be the rule.

“While stopping all the tax hikes would be a good first step, this alone won’t eliminate the job-killing uncertainty hanging over our employers and entrepreneurs.

“That’s why we need to focus on cutting spending and reducing the size of government. The American people want us to stop spending dollars we don’t have. To do that, we need to start taking a long, hard look at the size and scope of government and find new ways to resist Washington’s urge to grow and to grow. Let’s do a better job of following the money and evaluating the effectiveness of government agencies.

“We also need to repeal the job-killing health care law. Just about every day during my campaign, I visited with small business owners who told me this health care law is going to increase their costs, how they’re making those tough decisions about whether to continue offering benefits. Once we repeal this law, we can replace it with common-sense reforms that lower costs for families and small businesses.

“Republicans have outlined these priorities and reforms in the Pledge to America, a governing agenda built by listening to the people.

“Hard work lies ahead, but those of us in this new class of representatives have come face to face with the people’s frustration and we are committed to making sure Washington humbles itself and starts making good decisions.

“Listening to the people, honoring our Constitution, and making the most of the blessings God has bestowed on this great nation is how we go about securing the promise of the American Dream for our children and their children.

“Thank you for listening, and may you and yours experience all the joys and blessings of the holiday season.”

TEXT CREDIT: gopleader.gov Contact H-204 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 P (202) 225-4000 F (202) 225-5117

VIDEO CREDIT: HouseConference

AUDIO/VIDEO CREDIT: The House Republican Conference - Digital Communications visual.media@mail.house.gov 202-225-5439

Ron Paul Appointed Chairman of Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Ron Paul has been appointed to head the Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee in the 112th Congress. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over monetary policy, currency, commodity prices, and matters related to the Federal Reserve Bank generally.

Congressman Spencer Bachus, incoming Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, announced Paul’s appointment today:

“Congressman Paul has been a leading voice in Congress on the topics of monetary policy and the Federal Reserve,” Bachus stated. “His commitment to sound money and free-market principles will serve him well as Chairman of the subcommittee.”

“I’m very pleased and excited about being named Chairman of the subcommittee,” Paul stated. “I first ran for Congress in the 1970s because I was concerned about inflation and the dollar. I believed then- as I do now- that unchecked monetary expansion posed great risks for the American economy and our standard of living. In the decades since, we have seen how expansion of the money supply by the Federal Reserve has eroded the value of our dollar. We also have seen how the Federal Reserve, in concert with Congress, has enabled the Treasury to incur almost unbelievable amounts of debt.”

Paul is well known as the author of comprehensive legislation to audit the Federal Reserve Bank, with the goal of providing both taxpayers and world financial markets with full transparency of U.S. central bank actions.

As chairman, Paul expects to hold regular hearings with Federal Reserve Bank officials, including Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. He also plans to solicit testimony from prominent economists concerning both monetary policy generally and Fed actions in particular.###

For Immediate Release December 9, 2010

TEXT CREDIT: paul.house.gov Washington, DC. 203 Cannon House Office Building. Washington, DC 20515 Phone Number: (202) 225-2831

IMAGE CREDIT: CongressmanRonPaul

Randy Altschuler this morning conceded the race for New York's 1st Congressional District

Thank You! Randy Altschuler, Republican/Conservative candidate, this morning conceded the hard-fought race for New York's 1st Congressional District seat.

With approximately 977 absentee ballots left to be counted, unofficial numbers showed four-term Democrat incumbent Congressman Tim Bishop with a 263 vote lead over Altschuler, with a total of more than 194,000 votes cast. The 1st Congressional District was the last undecided House seat in the nation.

Additionally, the Altschuler campaign dropped its legal challenges to the remaining uncounted absentee ballots. This will allow the Suffolk County Board of Elections to count the remaining ballots. While the Altschuler campaign has uncovered numerous instances of absentee ballots that may have been unlawfully cast, the campaign is confident that the proper authorities will take the appropriate action concerning them and that their number is too small to alter the outcome of the election.

Randy Altschuler said, "After consulting with my family and campaign staff, I am ending my campaign and offering congratulations to Congressman Tim Bishop on his victory.

"Although Newsday, The New York Times and the Bishop campaign have all called for a hand recount of all the ballots cast on Election Day, I will not support such an action as I feel its cost will place an unnecessary burden on the taxpayers of Suffolk County.

"This was a very close election, and I want to thank everyone who was involved. Let me assure each and every one of my supporters, including my volunteers, donors and campaign staff, that your hard work, friendship and generosity will never be forgotten.

"I also want to thank the voters of Suffolk County. You proved that every vote does count and why it is so important that all Americans participate in our electoral process.

"I entered this race because I was worried about the future of our nation. The problems America faces are many and will not be easily solved. I plan to stay active in politics and continue to speak out on the issues that affect the residents of Suffolk County, our state and our nation. Those issues include high taxes, runaway spending and an ever-growing deficit. I intend to play an active role in building the Republican and Conservative Party voices in both Suffolk County and New York State." # # #

TEXT CREDIT: Randy Altschuler for Congress

IMAGE CREDIT: teamaltschuler

Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, is running for RNC Chairman VIDEO

Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, is running for RNC Chairman.

TEXT, IMAGE and VIDEO CREDIT: ReinceForRNCChair

Jeff Flake So Just How Broke Are We?

Washington, D.C., Dec 6 - Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today illustrated the size and scope of the growing national debt. The U.S. government has halted production of its new, technologically advanced $100 bills due to an issue with the presses that print U.S. money. A Yahoo! Blog post states that the flawed bills cost approximately $120 million to print and add up to $10 billion – more than 10-percent of our total money supply. And because the flaw cannot be repaired, the bills will now have to be burned.

If we saved the quarantined bills from fiery doom and instead put them to use in paying off our massive $13 trillion debt, the government would have to goof up approximately 1,300 more times before our debt would be paid off.

“We’ve been figuratively burning money for years, but now we’re literally burning money?” said Flake.

Along with Senator McCain, Congressman Flake introduced the Debt Buy-Down Act, which allows taxpayers to designate up to 10 percent of their federal income tax liability to reduce the national debt. The bill then requires Congress to reduce federal spending by that amount.

More information on the Debt Buy-Down Act can be found here. ###

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Jeff Flake Washington, D.C. Office 240 Cannon H.O.B. Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-2635 - phone (202) 226-4386 - fax

Cliff Stearns is the best choice to lead the House Energy & Commerce Committee

THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER: CLIFF STEARNS IS THE BEST CHOICE TO CHAIR THE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE HE WILL BRING NEW IDEAS AND CREATIVE THINKING Washington, Dec 6 - In an editorial today, The Washington Examiner states that Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) should lead the House Energy & Commerce Committee. The editorial says, “ Rep. Cliff Stearns is the best choice among the four candidates. He is committed to repealing Obamacare, and he understands the critical importance of unleashing America's vast energy resources.”

The Examiner points out that the American voters have given Republicans “a probationary opportunity to preside in the lower chamber. Their mandate is to do what they always promised to do in the past but never got around to actually accomplishing -- reducing the size, cost and power of the federal government.”

Stearns has emphasized his experience in creating jobs as a successful business owner, the only candidate for the Energy & Commerce chair who has a direct background in providing employment opportunities.

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Cliff Stearns washington, DC Office 2370 Rayburn House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 T (202) 225-5744 | F (202) 225-3973

Lamar Alexander Votes Against Tax Hikes on 750,000 American Small Businesses

Says, “You Don’t Raise Taxes on Anybody in the Middle of an Economic Downturn” WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on his votes against the Senate majority’s legislation that would allow taxes to increase on January 1st for more than 750,000 small businesses. American small businesses, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, create two-thirds of the country’s net new jobs:

“I am opposed to raising taxes on anybody right now. If you want to make it easier and cheaper to create private-sector jobs, you don’t raise taxes on anybody in the middle of an economic downturn.” # # #

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Senator Lamar Alexander