RNC RELEASES NEW RADIO AD ENTITLED “ECHO” ON ELECTIONS IN NEW YORK PODCAST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2009. CONTACT: Press Office. 202-863-8614

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) today announced a new radio ad entitled “Echo” on the elections in New York. The ad encourages New York voters to vote for conservative candidates on Election Day. The RNC is supporting Doug Hoffman in New York 23 and local Republican candidates. The radio ad will run Monday and Tuesday in North Country media markets.

Listen to the audio of the radio ad here: “ECHO” ON ELECTIONS IN NEW YORK. MP3 for PODCAST

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Time: 00:60

Voice: “The eyes of the nation are on the North Country.”

Voice: “What we decide on Tuesday, will echo from Albany to Washington.”

Voice: “Whose side are you on?”

Voice: “The Pelosi/ Paterson tax and spend train wreck?”

Voice: “Or do you believe in Republican conservative values, like thrift, personal responsibility, and family.”

Voice: “Let’s tell the liberals, enough is enough.”

Voice: “No more bailouts, taxes and budget busting spending.”

Voice: “It’s time to create jobs, with proven conservative ideas like lower taxes.”

Voice: “Let your voice be heard, join the movement to bring real conservative change.”

Voice: “Tell the politicians, no more, we won’t let you bankrupt America.”

Voice: “We need conservative leaders who stand up for our values.”



Voice: “Fight Back! Vote conservative, it matters like never before.”

Voice: The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Paid for by the Republican National Committee. www.gop.com.

AD FACTS

The Ad

Voice: The eyes of the nation are on the North Country. What we decide on Tuesday will echo from Albany to Washington.

The Facts

Special Election In New York’s 23rd Congressional District “Taking On National Importance.” “The Nov. 3 contest in upstate New York's 23rd Congressional District, a sprawling, 11-county area … a possible gauge of Obama’s coattails. Obama, who carried the district by 5 percentage points in his landslide victory in New York last year, forced the special election when he named the incumbent, Republican John McHugh, his Army secretary.” (“23rd District Race Taking On National Importance,” The Associated Press, 10/18/09)

The Ad

Voice: Whose side are you on? The Pelosi/Patterson tax and spend train wreck?

The Facts

Since Pelosi Passed $787 Billion Stimulus In February, Over 2.6 Million Americans Have Lost Their Jobs. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 11/1/09)

* Since Pelosi Passed Stimulus In February, Nearly 130,000 People Have Lost Their Jobs And Unemployment Has Risen Over 14 Percent In New York. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 11/1/09)

Pelosi’s Government-Run Health Care Experiment Will Be Paid For By Hitting Americans, Small Businesses With $734 Billion In Tax Increases On Income, Payroll, Medical Devices, And Over-The-Counter Drugs. (“Estimated Revenue Effects Of Possible Modifications To The Revenue Provisions Of H.R. 3962, The ‘Affordable Health Care For America Act’,” Joint Committee On Taxation Publication, 10/29/09)

Pelosi Passed National Energy Tax That Could Mean Nearly 1 Million Jobs Lost Per Year. “Overall, a cap-and-trade system that reduces annual GDP by 0.34 percent per year can be expected to reduce U.S. employment by roughly 964,900 jobs per year, reduce household earnings by $37.8 billion, and reduce total U.S. economic output by $136.1 billion.” (Andrew Chamberlain, “Who Pays For Climate Policy? New Estimates Of The Household Burden And Economic Impact Of A U.S. Cap-And-Trade System,” Tax Foundation, 3/09)

Under Paterson, New York’s State/Local Tax Burden Second-Highest In Nation, Business Friendliness Ranks 49th Out Of 50 States. “Currently estimated at 11.7% of income, New York's state/local tax burden percentage is the 2nd highest nationwide, well above the national average of 9.7% … New York ranks 49th in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index.” (“Research Areas: New York,” Tax Foundation, Accessed 11/1/09)

In December, Gov. Paterson Proposed “The Biggest Tax Hike In State History” With 137 Tax Increases Totaling $121.1 Billion. “Gov. Paterson yesterday socked New Yorkers with a mind-boggling 137 proposed new and hiked taxes on everything from beer to cab rides to iTunes downloads and movie tickets. The doomsday, $121.1 billion plan represents the biggest tax hike in state history and slashes services across the board - while still increasing spending by $1.4 billion.” (Brendan Scott, “Gov’s Tax & Spend Shocker,” The New York Post, 12/17/09)

Paterson’s Proposed Tax Hikes Target Specific Products With High Tax Rates. “Many of the negative components of the Paterson plan fall into two categories: provisions that make the tax code more complicated, and provisions that single out disfavored goods or activities for punishment. Paterson would impose new, special taxes on sugary drinks, beer, wine, cigars, luxury cars, yachts, furs and airplanes.” (Josh Barro, “New York Governor David Paterson’s Tax And Fee Proposals A Mixed Bag,” Tax Foundation, 1/22/09)

The Ad

Voice: Or do you believe in Republican conservative values, like thrift, personal responsibility, and family.

The Facts

Republicans Offers Solutions To Balance The Budget. “Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement after the RSC introduced a responsible, solutions-based budget proposal that counters President Obama’s radical, big-government agenda. The RSC proposal provides for a balanced budget that reduces national debt by more than $6 trillion compared to the President’s plan. It also provides $1.2 trillion in tax relief, ends bailouts, reduces non-defense discretionary spending each year, and takes an honest look at the biggest challenge to our financial stability: health entitlements.” (Republican Study Committee, “RSC Offers Responsible Budget Solution: Less Debt, Less Government, More Freedom,” Press Release, 4/2/09)

Republicans Use “Conservative Check Card” To Review Legislation For “Lower Taxes,” “Personal Responsibility” And “Stronger Families.” “The RSC reviews each piece of legislation under consideration on the House floor using six guiding principles, printed on our ‘Conservative Check Card’ and listed below: … Lower Taxes - Does the bill promote individual responsibility in spending, or reduce taxes or fees? Personal Responsibility - Does the bill encourage responsible behavior by individuals and families and encourage them to provide for their own health, safety, education, moral fortitude, or general welfare? … Stronger Families - Does the bill enhance the traditional American family and its power to rear children without excessive interference from the government?” (“What Is RSC?” Republican Study Committee, Accessed 11/1/09)

The Ad

Voice: Let’s tell the liberals, enough is enough. No more bailouts, taxes and budget busting spending.

The Facts

Democrats Take “Unprecedented Role In Reshaping The Auto Industry” With 60% Government Ownership In General Motors. “It will be the largest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history and the fourth-largest overall and comes as smaller rival Chrysler won approval to sell most of its assets to Italy's Fiat, moving Chrysler closer to a quick exit from court protection. A New York dealership owned by General Motors Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection early Monday, beginning the wave of court filings expected in Manhattan bankruptcy court as the automaker starts a complex reorganization that the government insists can be completed within three months. The government will end up with a 60 percent ownership stake and an unprecedented role in reshaping the auto industry.” (“General Motors Files For Bankruptcy Protection,” The Associated Press, 6/1/09)

* But GM Remains “Challenged” With “Relatively Weak” Recovery Plans. “General Motors … fresh out of bankruptcy, will remain challenged in the United States by relatively weak plans to bring new cars and trucks to market, according to an annual competitive analysis released Wednesday by Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch. The report -- called Car Wars -- predicts: GM's market share losses ‘are likely to be greater than expected’ because the company is not replacing its lineup as fast as the industry and key rivals … Less than a week after the new General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, the report says GM’s business assumptions are overly optimistic and further restructuring might be required.” (Tim Higgins, “Analysis Finds GM, Chrysler's Plans Weak,” Detroit Free Press, 7/16/09)

House Dems’ Bill Will Impose $460 Billion Income Tax Increase, That Will Hit Many Small Businesses, Killing Jobs. “This [surtax] would hit job creators especially hard because more than six of every 10 who earn that much are small business owners, operators or investors, according to a 2007 Treasury study... America’s successful small businesses would pay higher tax rates than the Fortune 500, and for that matter than most companies around the world ...” (“Estimated Revenue Effects Of Possible Modifications To The Revenue Provisions Of H.R. 3962, The ‘Affordable Health Care For America Act’,” Joint Committee On Taxation Publication, 10/29/09; Editorial, “The Small Business Surtax,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/14/09)

* High Taxes Discourage The Hiring Of New Workers. “The lack of U.S. job creation is a big problem, but the quickest way Washington could help would be to stop imposing more financial burdens on hiring. And if Democrats really want to reduce taxes on labor, the cleanest way would be to reduce the payroll tax rate. They could finance a permanent payroll cut by using the $300-$400 billion or more in unspent stimulus money, rather than continuing with the transfer payments and pork barrel spending that have failed so miserably to create jobs.” (Editorial, “Job Creation 101,” The Wall Street Journal, 10/12/09)

Democrats’ Budget Will Create Historic $9 Trillion Deficit Over Next Decade, Nearly As Much Debt As America Has Taken In Entire Nation’s History Up To July 2008 ($9.5 Trillion). (“An Analysis of the President’s Budgetary Proposals for Fiscal Year 2010,” Congressional Budget Office, June 2009; Public Debt, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 7/20/09)

* Increasing Debt Places “Fate Of Our Economy” On America’s Debtors, Making Nation Vulnerable To Another Large Financial Crisis. “[W]e are paying an increasing proportion of this interest to foreigners rather than to our own citizens. A little more than half our debt is owned by people in other countries, primarily the Japanese and the Chinese ... the present state of affairs perches the fate of our economy rather precariously on the opinion of other nations. If the Chinese decided, for economic or political reasons, to curtail their financing of our debt, our financial markets would be spooked, and a stock-market crash and recession might not be far behind.” (Isabel V. Sawhill, “Ignoring Debt Makes It Get Worse,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/30/06)

The Ad

Voice: It’s time to create jobs, with proven conservative ideas like lower taxes.

The Facts

Tax Cuts Lead To Job Creation. “Dependable lower tax rates are the only policy that allows businesses to plan ahead and invest in expansion and hiring. The expansion of private business is the only way to increase economic growth and create jobs. … Tax cuts are a far superior way to unleash the productive forces in the economy and expand job growth.” (Guinevere Nell, “The ‘American Option’ Is Good For Small Business,” The Heritage Foundation, 2/2/09)

The Ad

Voice: Let your voice be heard, join the movement to bring real conservative change. Tell the politicians, no more, we won’t let you bankrupt America.

The Facts

Democrats’ Budget Will Create Historic $9 Trillion Deficit Over Next Decade, Nearly As Much Debt As America Has Taken In Entire Nation’s History Up To July 2008 ($9.5 Trillion). (“An Analysis of the President’s Budgetary Proposals for Fiscal Year 2010,” Congressional Budget Office, June 2009; Public Debt, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 7/20/09)

* Increasing Debt Places “Fate Of Our Economy” On America’s Debtors, Making Nation Vulnerable To Another Large Financial Crisis. “[W]e are paying an increasing proportion of this interest to foreigners rather than to our own citizens. A little more than half our debt is owned by people in other countries, primarily the Japanese and the Chinese ... the present state of affairs perches the fate of our economy rather precariously on the opinion of other nations. If the Chinese decided, for economic or political reasons, to curtail their financing of our debt, our financial markets would be spooked, and a stock-market crash and recession might not be far behind.” (Isabel V. Sawhill, “Ignoring Debt Makes It Get Worse,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/30/06)

The Ad

Voice: We need conservative leaders who stand up for our values. Fight back! Vote conservative, it matters like never before.

The Facts

Republicans Leaders Stand Up For Conservative Values By Review Legislation For “Lower Taxes,” “Personal Responsibility” And “Stronger Families.” “The RSC reviews each piece of legislation under consideration on the House floor using six guiding principles, printed on our ‘Conservative Check Card’ and listed below: … Lower Taxes - Does the bill promote individual responsibility in spending, or reduce taxes or fees? Personal Responsibility - Does the bill encourage responsible behavior by individuals and families and encourage them to provide for their own health, safety, education, moral fortitude, or general welfare? … Stronger Families - Does the bill enhance the traditional American family and its power to rear children without excessive interference from the government?” (“What Is RSC?” Republican Study Committee, Accessed 11/1/09)

Disclaimer

Voice: The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Paid for by the Republican National Committee. www.gop.com ###

Paid for by the Republican National Committee Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee www.GOP.com

George P. Bush endorses Armando Gutierrez Jr.

ORLANDO, FL – Today George P. Bush announced his endorsement of Armando Gutierrez for Congress. Bush, the oldest son of former Governor Jeb Bush and national GOP activist, joins the growing number of Republican leaders endorsing Armando Gutierrez.

“I’m proud to stand with Armando Gutierrez in his race for Congress. The Republican Party needs a leader like Armando Gutierrez. We must elect fresh, innovative leaders who have the business experience to get our country back on track!”

Gutierrez thanked Bush, saying “The Republican Party is blessed to have a leader like George P. Bush, and I’m truly humbled to have his support. He and his family have done so much for Florida.”

Gutierrez has been involved in the Central Florida community for many years. He serves on the Board of Regents of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, Central Florida Business Force, and a Trustee for the Here's Help Abuse Center.

Gutierrez holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Miami, Masters in Management from Harvard University, Masters in Public Administration from the University of Miami, and completed the Essentials of Management program at the Wharton School of Business. Armando Gutierrez is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Citizens Academy.

Gutierrez is endorsed by a growing number of Republican leaders such as Congressman Tom Rooney, Congressman Gus Bilirakis, State House Majority Whip Carlos Lopez-Cantera, State Representative Chris Dorworth, State Representative Bryan Nelson, and the Florida Federation of Young Republicans.

George P. Bush Backs Gutierrez vs. Grayson

Biography

Armando Gutierrez Jr. was born on September 11, 1981, Florida. Gutierrez founded Conglomerate.com a diversified real estate investment company with ownership in over 200,000 sqft of property and land, along with real estate developments and investments in several Hotels, and Commercial Developments. Conglomerate.com is also one of the nation's leaders in domain name ownership. Prior to that, Gutierrez was a Trustee of the governing board of Florida's largest hospital (Jackson Memorial), as a board member Gutierrez was in charge of managing the over $2 Billion dollar annual hospital budget. In addition, Gutierrez was a board member of the Miami Dade County General Obligation Bond which oversaw the spending of over $2.6 billion dollars in county government bond funds.

Education: Master's (ALM) in Management from Harvard University, Masters in Public Administration from University of Miami. EOM from the Wharton School Business, and Bachelors from the University of Miami.
Community Involvement: Trustee, Here's Help Abuse Center. Member, Central Florida Business Force. Member, Association of Builders and Contractors. Board of Regents, Central Florida Chamber of Commerce. Platinum Paw, Orlando Animal Association. Board Members, City Year .

Conglomerate.com

Sarah Palin: NJ’s Governor’s Race: Candidate Chris Daggett Plays Loose With Facts?

NJ’s Governor’s Race: Candidate Plays Loose With Facts? Today at 12:43pm

Despite what candidate Chris Daggett is claiming, I have never contacted him or his campaign. I have never asked him to drop out of the NJ Governor’s race. Now, if a politician is going to play loose with facts like this, the electorate needs to know it.

So, to the good people of New Jersey, please know that Daggett’s claims are false. I’ve never even suggested he should drop out of the race. But, come to think of it…

- Sarah Palin

Dana Perino, Obama's heavy-handed tactics reminiscent of Hugo Chavez VIDEO

(10.25.09) -- Former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino says that Team Obama's heavy-handed tactics are somewhat reminiscent of those employed by Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.

She also goes on to say that such methods are destructive to emerging democracies around the world who look towards the United States for guidance on how to run a free press.

ConservativeNewMedia

RELATED: Dana M. Perino Biography

Scozzafava Drops Out of New York's 23rd district Congressional Race‎

Scozzafava Drops Out of New York's 23rd district Congressional Race‎

A Message from Dede

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Dear Friends and Supporters:

Throughout the course of my campaign for Congress, I have made the people of the 23rd District and the issues that affect them the focal point of my campaign. As a life long resident of this District, I care deeply and passionately about its people and our way of life. Whether as a candidate for Congress, a State Assemblywoman or a small town Mayor, I have always sought to act with the best interest of our District and its residents in mind—and today I again seek to act for the good of our community. The opportunity to run as the Republican and Independence Party candidate to represent the 23rd District has been and remains one of the greatest honors of my life.

During the past several months, as I’ve traveled the district, meeting and talking with voters about the issues that matter most to them, I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support I’ve received as I sought to serve as their voice in Washington. However, as Winston Churchill once said, Democracy can be a fickle employer, and the road to public office is not always a smooth one.

In recent days, polls have indicated that my chances of winning this election are not as strong as we would like them to be. The reality that I’ve come to accept is that in today’s political arena, you must be able to back up your message with money—and as I’ve been outspent on both sides, I’ve been unable to effectively address many of the charges that have been made about my record. But as I’ve said from the start of this campaign, this election is not about me, it’s about the people of this District. And, as always, today I will do what I believe serves their interests best.

It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my Party will emerge stronger and our District and our nation can take an important step towards restoring the enduring strength and economic prosperity that has defined us for generations.

On Election Day my name will appear on the ballot, but victory is unlikely. To those who support me – and to those who choose not to – I offer my sincerest thanks.

Dede ###

Dierdre "Dede" Scozzafava Biography

Dierdre "Dede" Scozzafava is a lifelong North Country resident. She graduated from Gouverneur High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Boston University School of Management and a Masters in Business Administration from the Clarkson Graduate School of Management.

Prior to being elected to the New York State Assembly in 1998, Dede dedicated much of her life to public service. She served for four years as a Village of Gouverneur Trustee and was Mayor of the Village of Gouverneur from 1993 through 1998.

As a Member of the Assembly, Dede was appointed to the position of Minority Leader Pro Tempore for the Assembly Republican Conference. She is the first woman to ever hold such a prestigious leadership position. More commonly referred to as the 'floor leader,' the Minority Leader Pro Tempore is responsible for leading debates and driving forward the agenda of the conference.

Dede also serves on the Ways and Means, Rules, and Ethics and Guidance committees. Widely known for her bipartisan approach to governance, she frequently challenges her assembly colleagues to rise above politics so that the needs and concerns of New York State residents are fully addressed in the Legislature.

Dede has been a vocal advocate for Northern New York, holding forums and serving on a number of task forces to address the diverse needs of the North Country’s citizens. She has served as a member of the Manufacturing Task Force, the Hunting and Fishing Task Force, and has held hearings for the Task Force on Agriculture.

As chairwoman of the SAVE NY Task Force, Dede traveled throughout New York State to meet with various constituencies to develop and improve ways to protect New York’s women and children from domestic abuse and sexual violence. The task force played an integral role in raising awareness of these issues. A number of its proposals, including civil confinement of sex offenders and stiffer penalties under Megan’s Law, were adopted as legislation.

Dede is Vice President of SC Partners, LLC. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Gouverneur, Gouverneur Business Women, the Gouverneur Arts Club, the Thousand Island Girl Scouts Council, and the St. Lawrence County Farm Bureau.

Dede and her husband Ron reside in Gouverneur. They have four children, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren.

House Republican Leader John Boehne Weekly Republican Address 10/31/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

House Republican Leader John Boehne Weekly Republican Address 10/31/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

I’m House Republican Leader John Boehner. At the beginning of this year, I told President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Republicans would be ready to work with them whenever possible to address the nation’s biggest challenges.

I also said that where there are differences, it was our obligation as a party to explain to the American people how we would do things better. And on the "stimulus," the budget, the energy bill and healthcare, we have done exactly that.

As a matter of fact, only Republicans have offered solutions to lower healthcare costs and make it easier to obtain quality, affordable coverage without imposing a massive burden on the American people.

We first released our healthcare plan in June, and over the last six months, we have introduced at least eight bills that, taken together, would implement this blueprint.

You can go right now to healthcare.gop.gov and get all the details, but for now, I just want to share with you four ideas Republicans have proposed:

Number 1: Let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.

Number 2: Allow individuals, small businesses and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do today.

Number 3: Give states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower healthcare costs; and

Number 4: End junk lawsuits that contribute to higher healthcare costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it's good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.

These are four smart, fiscally responsible reforms that we can implement today to lower costs and expand access at a price our nation can afford. Again, you can learn more about these and all the healthcare initiatives Republicans have supported by visiting healthcare.gop.gov.

The best way to get a sense of what Speaker Pelosi’s takeover of healthcare looks like is to

...actually look at it. Just shy of 2,000 pages, it runs more than 620 pages longer than the government-run plan Hillary Clinton proposed in 1993.

This 1,990 pages of bureaucracy will centralize healthcare decision-making in Washington, D.C. It’ll require thousands of new federal employees. It’ll put unelected boards, bureaus and commissions in charge of who gets access to what drug and what potentially life-saving treatment.

And it won’t come cheap. Speaker Pelosi’s healthcare bill will raise the cost of Americans’ health insurance premiums; it will kill jobs with tax hikes and new mandates; and it will cut seniors’ Medicare benefits.

We now have a choice: We can come together to implement smart, fiscally responsible reforms to improve Americans’ healthcare, or we can recklessly pursue this government takeover that creates far more problems than it solves.

It’s clear where the American people stand on this issue. They‘re frustrated and fed up. The "stimulus" bill isn’t working. Unemployment is rising. The debt to be paid by our kids and grandkids is exploding. And now, Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-page government takeover of healthcare?

Enough is enough. Breaking the bank and taking away the freedoms Americans cherish is not the answer to the challenges we face.

This coming week, Republicans will continue to stand on principle, defend freedom, and fight for our better solutions to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for American families. Thank you for listening. ###

Joe Lieberman will support Republican filibuster to block health bill public option, candidates in 2010 VIDEO

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). Senator Lieberman told ABCs Jonathan Karl that he would support some Republican candidates in the 2010 election and join Republican filibuster to block health bill public option.

NRSC Launches Web Ad: “Paranormal Taxivity” VIDEO

WASHINGTON - With Halloween fast approaching this weekend, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released a scarier-than-fiction new Web ad video today entitled "Paranormal Taxivity."

The video highlights the terrifying reality that Americans face as they find themselves trapped in a real life horror film, falling victim to President Obama and Senate Democrats’ uncontrollable spending, higher taxes, and government-run health care proposals.

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT: Title: "Paranormal Taxivity" WEB (1:10)

TEXT: the following preview has been approved for All americans By the national republican senatorial committee If this were a real film, it would be rated
BG: big government. some scenes may be too scary for taxpayers taxes, spending, czars
(Relax it’s just a parody)

TEXT: Obama Reid Pelosi TAX SPEND

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately." (President Obama, Remarks At AFL-CIO, Civil, Human, and Women’s Rights Conference, Illinois, 6/30/2003)

TEXT: The scariest movie of all time

SEN. HARRY REID: "We’re talking about two trillion dollars." (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 10/15/09)

TEXT: We have to make judgments very fast

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER: "We have to make judgments very fast." (Sen. Arlen Specter, Remarks At Town Hall, Lebanon, PA, 8/3/09)

TEXT: A movie that cost $3.5 trillion to make...so far (Carl Hulse, "Budget Passes but Critics Say the Deficit Is in the Details" New York Times, 4/30/09)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "I've proposed an American recovery and reinvestment plan." (President Obama, Weekly YouTube Address, 1/24/09)

JOHN ROBERTS: "AIG bonuses" (CNN's "American Morning," 10/14/09)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "cap-and-trade system" (President Obama, Remarks At Interview With The San Francisco Chronicle, 1/17/09)

SEN. HARRY REID: "and get card check passed" (Union Rally, Washington, DC, 6/19/07)

TEXT: a movie so "powerful" ... (Politico, 9/4/09)

LOU DOBBS: "More than 30 czars already appointed in the Obama Administration." (CNN’s "Lou Dobbs Tonight," 10/8/09)

TEXT: so "expensive"... (CNNMoney.com, Bailout Tracker, Accessed 10/22/09)

KEN STRICKLAND: "higher premiums, higher taxes." (MSNBC, 10/8/09)

SUSAN LISOVICZ: "higher taxes." (CNN, 10/22/09)

MARIA BARTIROMO: "higher taxes." (CNBC Interview with Nancy Pelosi, 10/21/09)

TEXT: and so "arrogant"... (Denver Post, 8/13/09)

SEN. BARBARA BOXER: "Could you say Senator instead of ma’am? It’s just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title." (Sen. Barbara Boxer, Senate Environment And Public Works Committee, Interview With Brigadier General Michael Walsh, 6/16/09)

TEXT: it will "vaporize" you (Manu Raju and John Bresnahan, "Reid plan: ‘Vaporize’ GOP Opponent," Politico, 10/20/09)

DYLAN RATIGAN: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to vaporize his opponents." (MSNBC's "Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan," 10/21/09)

THEN-SENATOR JOE BIDEN: "Time to be patriotic. Time to be part of a deal." (Senator Joe Biden, ABC’s "Good Morning America", 9/18/09)

THEN-SENATOR OBAMA: "I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." (Senator Obama to Joe Wurzelbacher, ABC News, 10/12/08)

TEXT: this Halloween...

TEXT: you’d call it paranormal...

TEXT: ...if it wasn’t so REAL

TEXT: Paranormal Taxivity

SINGING CHILD: "We’re gonna spread happiness.... Obama’s gonna change it. Obama’s gonna lead 'em."

TEXT: Paranormal Taxivity plaguing your area? Donate now! Stop this nightmare by visiting nrsc.org

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. Paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. www.nrsc.org

Paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. www.NRSC.org

In New Ad, “Hope,” Bob McDonnell Speaks Directly with Virginians VIDEO

Positive Spot Highlights McDonnell’s Vision to Create New Jobs, Keep Taxes Low, Control Spending

RICHMOND- Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General of Virginia, released his latest positive television ad today. In “Hope” McDonnell lays out his innovative vision for Virginia, details his commitment to keeping taxes low and getting spending under control, notes his service as an Army Officer and Attorney General, and asks Virginians for their vote next Tuesday.

In “Hope” Bob McDonnell Says:

“Our family shares the concerns and hopes for the future that you do. I’ve outlined specific plans and innovative solutions to grow our economy and create jobs by promoting small business and keeping taxes low. We’ll control spending and make state government more user-friendly and more accountable to you. As an Army Officer I’ve served our country. As Attorney General I implemented bipartisan solutions. As your governor I’ll provide the leadership to create jobs and opportunity for all Virginians. I’d appreciate your vote.”

Authorized by Bob McDonnell. Paid for by McDonnell for Governor

Doug Hoffman Leads in NY-23

Doug Hoffman, taken at the Conservative Party meeting on Aug. 7 in Central Square where he received the party's endorsement to run for Congress on their line. (Photo by Jack LaDuke)

New CFG Poll shows Hoffman 31.3%, Owens 27.0%, Scozzafava 19.7% Washington - A poll released yesterday by the Club for Growth shows Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman surging into the lead in the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district to replace John McHugh, the former congressman who recently became Secretary of the Army.

The poll of 300 likely voters, conducted October 24-25, 2009, shows Conservative Doug Hoffman at 31.3%, Democrat Bill Owens at 27.0%, Republican Dede Scozzafava at 19.7%, and 22% undecided. The poll's margin of error is +/- 5.66%. No information was provided about any of the candidates prior to the ballot question.

This is the third poll done for the Club for Growth in the NY-23 special election, and Doug Hoffman is the only candidate to show an increase in his support levels in each successive poll. The momentum in the race is clearly with Hoffman.

"Hoffman now has a wide lead among both Republicans and Independents, while Owens has a wide lead among Democrats. Dede Scozzafava's support continues to collapse, making this essentially a two-candidate race between Hoffman and Owens in the final week," concluded Basswood Research's pollster Jon Lerner, who conducted the poll for the Club.

Tired of Choosing Between Two Liberals for Congress? NY-23 VIDEO

Club and Club PAC Launch TV Ad in NY-23

Washington - Club for Growth and Club for Growth PAC will launch a $300,000 television ad campaign tomorrow in the special election for New York's 23rd Congressional District. The campaign follows the Club for Growth PAC's Sept. 28 endorsement of Doug Hoffman, a Republican running on the Conservative ticket, over liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava and Democrat Bill Owens.

The television ad (seen below) will run in all three of the principle TV markets in NY-23 (Watertown, Burlington, and Syracuse). The ad asks, "Tired of choosing between two liberals for Congress?" Both Scozzafava and Owens support big government policies like Obama's stimulus plan, Cash for Clunkers, and "card check." Thankfully, there is a better choice in conservative Doug Hoffman, who is an Army veteran, financial expert, and small business owner.

"There's a stark contrast in the three candidates running in this race," said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. "The two liberals, Dede Scozzafava and Bill Owens, support the Pelosi tax and spend agenda, while Doug Hoffman offers a fiscally conservative alternative based on lower taxes and limited government. Hoffman is the only candidate in the race who will fight for less wasteful spending, no more bailouts, and no tax hikes on hard working Americans."

PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.

Sarah Palin Support Doug Hoffman

Governor Sarah Heath Palin (Official Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mac Metcalfe, Alaska Army National Guard)

The people of the 23rd Congressional District of New York are ready to shake things up, and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong as Election Day approaches! He needs our help now. The votes of every member of Congress affect every American, so it's important for all of us to pay attention to this important Congressional campaign in upstate New York.

I am very pleased to announce my support for Doug Hoffman in his fight to be the next Representative from New York's 23rd Congressional district. It's my honor to endorse Doug and to do what I can to help him win, including having my political action committee, SarahPAC, donate to his campaign the maximum contribution allowed by law.

Our nation is at a crossroads, and this is once again a "time for choosing."

The federal government borrows, spends, and prints too much money, while our national debt hits a record high. Government is growing while the private sector is shrinking, and unemployment is on the rise. Doug Hoffman is committed to ending the reckless spending in Washington, D.C. and the massive increase in the size and scope of the federal government. He is also fully committed to supporting our men and women in uniform as they seek to honorably complete their missions overseas.

And best of all, Doug Hoffman has not been anointed by any political machine.

Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty.

Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of "blurring the lines" between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections. Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party's ticket.

Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.

You can help Doug by visiting his official website below and joining me in supporting his campaign: www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/donate3.

- Sarah Palin

Senator Mike Johanns Weekly Republican Address 10/24/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Senator Mike Johanns Weekly Republican Address 10/24/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hi, I'm Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska. My Republican colleagues and I have a simple test for reforming health care: Will this legislation improve your life?

Here's what I mean: Americans face rising health care costs, and it's increasingly difficult to get access to health care. True health care reform should decrease what you're paying, and make it easier for you to receive care. That should be a no-brainer.

Yet current proposals in Congress don't accomplish this goal, and could even have the opposite effect, negatively impacting each and every one of us.

To the working mother with a disabled child who uses a Flexible Spending Account and those pre-tax dollars for treatment, medicine, and therapy for your child: this plan will end these accounts as we know them today, and result in increased out of pocket costs.

To the factory worker, who has forgone pay raises for the promise of better insurance benefits for you and your family: your health insurance will be taxed and your premiums will go up.

To the recent college graduate burdened with student loans: you'll be forced to buy health insurance the government mandates, and if you refuse, you'll be hit with a penalty.

To our seniors, who wish to receive care in the comfort of their homes: funding for hospice care and home health care services would be cut.

My state, Nebraska, stands to lose $126 million for home health services, and many of the 38 Nebraska hospices would be in danger of literally shutting their doors. Nearly $500 billion will be cut from Medicare nationwide.

The bottom line is this: we're nearing 10 percent unemployment. We have a record budget deficit, and many families are working hard just to put food on the table and to pay the bills. Yet, there's no doubt about it: these proposals will negatively impact pocketbooks and paychecks across America.

President Obama has promised open deliberations in front of C-SPAN cameras for all Americans to learn how reform will impact them. However, a 1,500 page bill, full of carve-outs and backroom deals, is currently being brokered behind closed doors.

We're about to significantly alter one-sixth of our economy—now is not the time to shut Americans out.

Reports of this deal-making are shameful. Why do Michigan, Rhode Island, Oregon and Nevada get special deals on Medicaid costs? Why do New Yorkers with Cadillac plans get a pass on paying the tax? It is shameful.

So now, as a select few deliberate over legislation that will mean higher premiums across the board; higher taxes for hard-working families; and cuts to Medicare for senior citizens; I ask: will this improve your life?

Republicans are in favor of lowering costs, reforming insurance so Americans can get care when they need it, and providing assistance for those who can't afford insurance.

See, we stand ready with ideas to tackle those challenges. But hundreds of pages filled with backroom deals, higher insurance premiums, higher taxes, and cuts to Medicare are not the answer.

I am Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska. Thank you for your time. ###

Dick Cheney: Obama "Putting Politics Over Security" VIDEO TEXT

"Signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries"



“We cannot protect this country by putting politics over security, and turning the guns on our own guys”

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

Thank you all very much. It’s a pleasure to be here, and especially to receive the Keeper of the Flame Award in the company of so many good friends.

I’m told that among those you’ve recognized before me was my friend Don Rumsfeld. I don’t mind that a bit. It fits something of a pattern. In a career that includes being chief of staff, congressman, and secretary of defense, I haven’t had much that Don didn’t get first. But truth be told, any award once conferred on Donald Rumsfeld carries extra luster, and I am very proud to see my name added to such a distinguished list.

To Frank Gaffney and all the supporters of Center for Security Policy, I thank you for this honor. And I thank you for the great energy and high intelligence you bring to as vital a cause as there is – the advance of freedom and the uncompromising defense of the United States.

Most anyone who is given responsibility in matters of national security quickly comes to appreciate the commitments and structures put in place by others who came before. You deploy a military force that was planned and funded by your predecessors. You inherit relationships with partners and obligations to allies that were first undertaken years and even generations earlier. With the authority you hold for a little while, you have great freedom of action. And whatever course you follow, the essential thing is always to keep commitments, and to leave no doubts about the credibility of your country’s word.

So among my other concerns about the drift of events under the present administration, I consider the abandonment of missile defense in Eastern Europe to be a strategic blunder and a breach of good faith.

It is certainly not a model of diplomacy when the leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic are informed of such a decision at the last minute in midnight phone calls. It took a long time and lot of political courage in those countries to arrange for our interceptor system in Poland and the radar system in the Czech Republic. Our Polish and Czech friends are entitled to wonder how strategic plans and promises years in the making could be dissolved, just like that – with apparently little, if any, consultation. Seventy years to the day after the Soviets invaded Poland, it was an odd way to mark the occasion.

You hardly have to go back to 1939 to understand why these countries desire – and thought they had – a close and trusting relationship with the United States. Only last year, the Russian Army moved into Georgia, under the orders of a man who regards the collapse of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century. Anybody who has spent much time in that part of the world knows what Vladimir Putin is up to. And those who try placating him, by conceding ground and accommodating his wishes, will get nothing in return but more trouble.

What did the Obama Administration get from Russia for its abandonment of Poland and the Czech Republic, and for its famous “Reset” button? Another deeply flawed election and continued Russian opposition to sanctioning Iran for its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

In the short of it, President Obama’s cancellation of America’s agreements with the Polish and Czech governments was a serious blow to the hopes and aspirations of millions of Europeans. For twenty years, these peoples have done nothing but strive to move closer to us, and to gain the opportunities and security that America offered. These are faithful friends and NATO allies, and they deserve better. The impact of making two NATO allies walk the plank won’t be felt only in Europe. Our friends throughout the world are watching and wondering whether America will abandon them as well.

Big events turn on the credibility of the United States – doing what we said we would do, and always defending our fundamental security interests. In that category belong the ongoing missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the need to counter the nuclear ambitions of the current regime in Iran.


Candidate Obama declared last year that he would be willing to sit down with Iran's leader without preconditions. As President, he has committed America to an Iran strategy that seems to treat engagement as an objective rather than a tactic. Time and time again, he has outstretched his hand to the Islamic Republic's authoritarian leaders, and all the while Iran has continued to provide lethal support to extremists and terrorists who are killing American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Islamic Republic continues to provide support to extremists in Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories. Meanwhile, the regime continues to spin centrifuges and test missiles. And these are just the activities we know about.

I have long been skeptical of engagement with the current regime in Tehran, but even Iran experts who previously advocated for engagement have changed their tune since the rigged elections this past June and the brutal suppression of Iran's democratic protestors. The administration clearly missed an opportunity to stand with Iran's emocrats, whose popular protests represent the greatest challenge to the Islamic Republic since its founding in 1979. Instead, the resident has been largely silent about the violent crackdown on Iran's protestors, and has moved blindly forward to engage Iran's authoritarian regime. Unless the Islamic Republic fears real consequences from the United States and the international community, it is hard to see how diplomacy will work.

Next door in Iraq, it is vitally important that President Obama, in his rush to withdraw troops, not undermine the progress we’ve made in recent years. Prime Minister Maliki met yesterday with President Obama, who began his press availability with an extended comment about Afghanistan. When he finally got around to talking bout Iraq, he told the media that he reiterated to Maliki his intention to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq. Former President Bush's bold decision to change strategy in Iraq and surge U.S. forces there set the stage for success in that country. Iraq has the potential to be a strong, democratic ally in the war on terrorism, and an example of economic and democratic reform in the heart of the Middle East. The Obama Administration has an obligation to protect this young democracy and build on the strategic success we have achieved in Iraq.

We should all be concerned as well with the direction of policy on Afghanistan. For quite a while, the cause of our military in that country went pretty much unquestioned, even on the left. The effort was routinely praised by way of contrast to Iraq, which many wrote off as a failure until the surge proved them wrong. Now suddenly – and despite our success in Iraq – we’re hearing a drumbeat of defeatism over Afghanistan. These criticisms carry the same air of hopelessness, they offer the same short-sighted arguments for walking away, and they should be summarily rejected for the same reasons of national security.

Having announced his Afghanistan strategy last March, President Obama now seems afraid to make a decision, and unable to provide his commander on the ground with the troops he needs to complete his mission.

President Obama has said he understands the stakes for America. When he announced his new strategy he couched the need to succeed in the starkest possible terms, saying, quote, “If the Afghan government falls to the Taliban – or allows al-Qaeda to go unchallenged – that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.” End quote.

Five months later, in August of this year, speaking at the VFW, the President made a promise to America’s armed forces. “I will give you a clear mission,” he said, “defined goals, and the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That’s my commitment to you.”

It’s time for President Obama to make good on his promise. The White House must stop dithering while America’s armed forces are in danger.

Make no mistake, signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries. Waffling, while our troops on the ground face an emboldened enemy, endangers them and hurts our cause.

Recently, President Obama’s advisors have decided that it’s easier to blame the Bush Administration than support our troops. This weekend they leveled a charge that cannot go unanswered. The President’s chief of staff claimed that the Bush Administration hadn’t asked any tough questions about Afghanistan, and he complained that the Obama Administration had to start from scratch to put together a strategy.

In the fall of 2008, fully aware of the need to meet new challenges being posed by the Taliban, we dug into every aspect of Afghanistan policy, assembling a team that repeatedly went into the country, reviewing options and recommendations, and briefing President-elect Obama’s team. They asked us not to announce our findings publicly, and we agreed, giving them the benefit of our work and the benefit of the doubt. The new strategy they embraced in March, with a focus on counterinsurgency and an increase in the numbers of troops, bears a striking resemblance to the strategy we passed to them. They made a decision – a good one, I think – and sent a commander into the field to implement it.

Now they seem to be pulling back and blaming others for their failure to implement the strategy they embraced. It’s time for President Obama to do what it takes to win a war he has repeatedly and rightly called a war of necessity.

It’s worth recalling that we were engaged in Afghanistan in the 1980’s, supporting the Mujahadeen against the Soviets. That was a successful policy, but then we pretty much put Afghanistan out of our minds. While no one was watching, what followed was a civil war, the takeover by the Taliban, and the rise of bin Laden and al-Qaeda. All of that set in motion the events of 9/11. When we deployed forces eight years ago this month, it was to make sure Afghanistan would never again be a training ground for the killing of Americans. Saving untold thousands of lives is still the business at hand in this fight. And the success of our mission in Afghanistan is not only essential, it is entirely achievable with enough troops and enough political courage.

Then there’s the matter of how to handle the terrorists we capture in this ongoing war. Some of them know things that, if shared, can save a good many innocent lives. When we faced that problem in the days and years after 9/11, we made some basic decisions. We understood that organized terrorism is not just a law-enforcement issue, but a strategic threat to the United States.

At every turn, we understood as well that the safety of the country required collecting information known only to the worst of the terrorists. We had a lot of blind spots – and that’s an awful thing, especially in wartime. With many thousands of lives potentially in the balance, we didn’t think it made sense to let the terrorists answer questions in their own good time, if they answered them at all.

The intelligence professionals who got the answers we needed from terrorists had limited time, limited options, and careful legal guidance. They got the baddest actors we picked up to reveal things they really didn’t want to share. In the case of Khalid Sheik Muhammed, by the time it was over he was not was not only talking, he was practically conducting a seminar, complete with chalkboards and charts. It turned out he had a professorial side, and our guys didn’t mind at all if classes ran long. At some point, the mastermind of 9/11 became an expansive briefer on the operations and plans of al-Qaeda. It happened in the course of enhanced interrogations. All the evidence, and common sense as well, tells us why he started to talk.

The debate over intelligence gathering in the seven years after 9/11 involves much more than historical accuracy. What we’re really debating are the means and resolve to protect this country over the next few years, and long after that. Terrorists and their state sponsors must be held accountable, and America must remain on the offensive against them. We got it right after 9/11. And our government needs to keep getting it right, year after year, president after president, until the danger is finally overcome.

Our administration always faced its share of criticism, and from some quarters it was always intense. That was especially so in the later years of our term, when the dangers were as serious as ever, but the sense of general alarm after 9/11 was a fading memory. Part of our responsibility, as we saw it, was not to forget the terrible harm that had been done to America … and not to let 9/11 become the prelude to something much bigger and far worse.

Eight years into the effort, one thing we know is that the enemy has spent most of this time on the defensive – and every attempt to strike inside the United States has failed. So you would think that our successors would be going to the intelligence community saying, “How did you did you do it? What were the keys to preventing another attack over that period of time?”

Instead, they’ve chosen a different path entirely – giving in to the angry left, slandering people who did a hard job well, and demagoguing an issue more serious than any other they’ll face in these four years. No one knows just where that path will lead, but I can promise you this: There will always be plenty of us willing to stand up for the policies and the people that have kept this country safe.

On the political left, it will still be asserted that tough interrogations did no good, because this is an article of faith for them, and actual evidence is unwelcome and disregarded. President Obama himself has ruled these methods out, and when he last addressed the subject he filled the air with vague and useless platitudes. His preferred device is to suggest that we could have gotten the same information by other means. We’re invited to think so. But this ignores the hard, inconvenient truth that we did try other means and techniques to elicit information from Khalid Sheikh Muhammed and other al-Qaeda operatives, only turning to enhanced techniques when we failed to produce the actionable intelligence we knew they were withholding. In fact, our intelligence professionals, in urgent circumstances with the highest of stakes, obtained specific information, prevented specific attacks, and saved American lives.

In short, to call enhanced interrogation a program of torture is not only to disregard the program’s legal underpinnings and safeguards. Such accusations are a libel against dedicated professionals who acted honorably and well, in our country’s name and in our country’s cause. What’s more, to completely rule out enhanced interrogation in the future, in favor of half-measures, is unwise in the extreme. In the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground, and half-measures keep you half exposed.

For all that we’ve lost in this conflict, the United States has never lost its moral bearings – and least of all can that be said of our armed forces and intelligence personnel. They have done right, they have made our country safer, and a lot of Americans are alive today because of them.

Last January 20th, our successors in office were given the highest honors that the voters of this country can give any two citizens. Along with that, George W. Bush and I handed the new president and vice president both a record of success in the war on terror, and the policies to continue that record and ultimately prevail. We had been the decision makers, but those seven years, four months, and nine days without another 9/11 or worse, were a combined achievement: a credit to all who serve in the defense of America, including some of the finest people I’ve ever met.

What the present administration does with those policies is their call to make, and will become a measure of their own record. But I will tell you straight that I am not encouraged when intelligence officers who acted in the service of this country find themselves hounded with a zeal that should be reserved for America’s enemies. And it certainly is not a good sign when the Justice Department is set on a political mission to discredit, disbar, or otherwise persecute the very people who helped protect our nation in the years after 9/11.

There are policy differences, and then there are affronts that have to be answered every time without equivocation, and this is one of them. We cannot protect this country by putting politics over security, and turning the guns on our own guys.

We cannot hope to win a war by talking down our country and those who do its hardest work – the men and women of our military and intelligence services. They are, after all, the true keepers of the flame.

Thank you very much.

Republican Leadership Press Conference 10/21/09 VIDEO

Full Text Transcript: Republican Leadership Press Conference 10/21/09 VIDEO

Conference Chairman Pence:

Good morning. We just completed our weekly meeting of the House Republican Conference. Now that health care reform has moved out of the public eye and into the smoke-filled rooms here on Capitol Hill, Republicans are more determined than ever to make sure the American people know exactly what the impact of the Democrats' plan to launch a government takeover of health care will mean to Americans in every sector of our society.

This week, particularly, Republicans are focusing on the impact on small businesses.

Today the President of the United States will head to Maryland to announce the plan to use a portion of the Wall Street bailout to support additional loans to small business America. Judging from the impact that the Democrats' health care plan will have on small business, it sounds like small businesses are going to need the help.

The facts are that small businesses today represent 99 percent of all businesses in this country and have created more than 72 percent of all the jobs in this country in recent years. Nevertheless, the Democrats' health care plan includes $820 billion in higher taxes, including a $544 billion so-called ‘surtax on the rich.'

But a careful examination of that definition shows that more than half of the Americans who are included in the Democrats' planned "surtax" are actually small business owners filing as individuals. Two hundred billion dollars plus in the Democrats' plan will also be new taxes on businesses that can't afford to pay for their employee health care plans. The reality is, when you look at the extraordinary impact of the tax increases on small business America in this country, I just have to feel that the president offering bailout funds to small businesses while pushing a government takeover of health care is like getting a Christmas bonus right before you get a pink slip.

Republicans have a better plan. The Republican plan will create more jobs and more opportunity and more choices in health care while containing cost and increasing access. We look forward to Democrats bringing health care reform out of the back rooms, out of the smoke-filled rooms, and engage in a truly bipartisan process that will put the interests of our economy, including our small businesses, in the forefront.

Rep. Sam Graves:

Thanks, Mike. I'm Sam Graves, the ranking Member on the Small Business Committee. Unquestionably, health care coverage for employees is a small business' number one concern and unfortunately small businesses aren't the number one concern when it comes to health care reform here in Congress. H.R. 3200 has employer mandates in it; it has tax increases in it. Small businesses are our job creators and history has proven that they will be the ones who will lead us out of this recession. Uncertainly is looming out there for small businesses. They don't know whether to hire new workers or wait and see how much taxes are going to be increased.

Today, Speaker Pelosi is going to hold an economic forum to discuss job creation. Bringing a whole bunch of economists into a room is not how you discuss job creation. The way you do it is to talk to small businesses because they're the ones that have actually balanced a budget. Small businesses are the ones that have actually made a payroll. Small businesses are the ones that have actually created a job.

Republican Whip Cantor:

Good morning, the President today is going to go and speak to small businesses and going to announce yet another program to try and stimulate job creation at the small business level. And that intention behind that certainly is something that all of us want to see is the creation of more jobs. But the contrast is so stark if you look at what's going on with the Democrats here on the Hill. While the rhetoric is all about trying to create jobs, Speaker Pelosi and her Members are trying desperately to ram through a health care bill that is paid for on the backs of small businesses and working families. It just does not make sense and is not consistent.

As Sam just spoke, we see that the Speaker is going to host a group of individuals to talk yet again about what they can do to try and resurrect their attempt to stimulate the economy. Let's face it, the stimulus bill didn't create jobs, it simply left a lot of debt. And that's where we are right now, and the individuals she's bringing in are the same individuals that she brought who indicated that the stimulus bill was going to stave off unemployment and keep it a rate below eight percent, which utterly did not happen. So we Republicans are going to continue to advocate that which we have been advocating since January in our stimulus plan. We believe very strongly we ought to create an environment in which taxes are low and incentives are in place for folks to put investment capital to work again. Our Economic Recovery Solutions Group, that the Leader has appointed, will be meeting again this week to make sure that we continue to posit the alternatives that we believe can result in putting Americans back to work.

Conference Vice Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers:

Good morning. It's almost the end of October, and as I was home talking to small business owners and individuals, I was talking to one individual in particular who was laid off last November. He's a skilled employee who can't find a job and people are concerned and they're frustrated right now and rightfully so because as we all are aware, unemployment is at 9.8 percent and rising. We've lost 3 million jobs in this country since the stimulus bill was signed into law, and we can do better.

The Republicans at the beginning of this year said that the key to economic recovery in this country was going to be helping our small business owners, helping our job creators in this country. And we believe it is time now more than ever to enact policies that will provide relief to our small business owners and help them create jobs. And that's going to be the way that the economy is recovered. We can, in one stroke of the pen, make a big change for small business, and change the cycle right now of layoffs and deficit spending by simply helping our small businesses and getting this economy going.

Republican Leader Boehner:

American small businesses and families continue to struggle and they continue to ask the question, ‘where are the jobs?' As you've heard, Speaker Pelosi is convening a panel of economists - the same economists who gave them advice on their stimulus bill. Maybe they'll actually look at what's happened and realize that it hasn't worked because American families are still asking, ‘where are the jobs?'

This problem that we have is being exacerbated by the Democrat Majority. Put yourself in the shoes of a small business person. They're looking at a national energy tax being proposed by the Democrats. They're looking at this government takeover of health care that's going to tax small employers who don't provide health care for their employees - that many of them can't afford to. And, there's no real clear vision about they are going to do in terms of raising taxes. Yes, there's this major tax increase in their health care bill. But how about the 15 percent capital gains rate that is supposed to go to 20 next year? How about the top rate that is expected to go up three and a half points next year? How about the tax on dividends that's going up next year? So, what's happening is, you've got small business people in America who are already struggling and here they look at what Washington's doing and it's causing them to sit on their hands. Why? Because of all the uncertainty about the policies coming out of Washington D.C.

At the end of the day, until we get small businesses working again, we're not going to get the economy working again. That's why we ought to be promoting policies that would help small businesses invest new equipment [and create] more jobs in their communities. But I'm telling you, it will not happen until there is more certainty about a better direction here in Washington. Republicans have offered better solutions on the stimulus, better solutions on the budget, better solutions on energy, and I think we've got a much better solution on health care to make the current system work better for more Americans. This is the kind of reasonable direction that Americans want us to go in and they want to see us do this in a bipartisan way.

TEA PARTY EXPRESS LAUNCHES TV AD CAMPAIGN VIDEO

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President Barack Obama Weekly Address 10/17/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday,October 17, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 5.66 mb MP4 VIDEO (212 MB)

Over the better part of the past year, a great debate has taken place in Washington and across America, about how to reform our health care system to provide security for people with insurance, coverage for those without insurance, and lower costs for everyone. From the halls of Congress to the homes of ordinary Americans, this debate has helped us to forge consensus and find common ground. That’s a good thing. That’s what America is all about.

Now, as the debate draws to a close, we can point to a broad and growing coalition of doctors and nurses, workers and businesses, hospitals and even drug companies – folks who represent different parties and perspectives,

including leading Democrats and many leading Republicans – who recognize the urgency of action. Just this week, the Senate Finance Committee approved a reform proposal that has both Democratic and Republican support. For the first time ever, all five committees in Congress responsible for health reform have passed a version of legislation. As I speak to you today, we are closer to reforming the health care system than we have ever been in history.

But this is not the time to pat ourselves on the back. This is not the time to grow complacent. There are still significant details and disagreements to be worked out in the coming weeks. And there are still those who would try to kill reform at any cost. The history is clear: for decades rising health care costs have unleashed havoc on families, businesses, and the economy. And for decades, whenever we have tried to reform the system, the insurance companies have done everything in their considerable power to stop us.

We know that this inaction has carried a terrible toll. In the past decade, premiums have doubled. Over the past few years, total out of pocket costs for people with insurance rose by a third. And we know that if we do not reform the system, this will only be a preview of coming attractions. A new report for the Business Roundtable – a non-partisan group that represents the CEOs of major companies – found that without significant reform, health care costs for these employers and their employees will well more than double again over the next decade. The cost per person for health insurance will rise by almost $18,000. That’s a huge amount of money. That’s going to mean lower salaries and higher unemployment, lower profits and higher rolls of uninsured. It is no exaggeration to say, that unless we act, these costs will devastate the US economy.

This is the unsustainable path we’re on, and it’s the path the insurers want to keep us on. In fact, the insurance industry is rolling out the big guns and breaking open their massive war chest – to marshal their forces for one last fight to save the status quo. They’re filling the airwaves with deceptive and dishonest ads. They’re flooding Capitol Hill with lobbyists and campaign contributions. And they’re funding studies designed to mislead the American people.

Of course, like clockwork, we’ve seen folks on cable television who know better, waving these industry-funded studies in the air. We’ve seen industry insiders – and their apologists – citing these studies as proof of claims that just aren’t true. They’ll claim that premiums will go up under reform; but they know that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that reforms will lower premiums in a new insurance exchange while offering consumer protections that will limit out-of-pocket costs and prevent discrimination based on pre-existing conditions. They’ll claim that you’ll have to pay more out of pocket; but they know that this is based on a study that willfully ignores whole sections of the bill, including tax credits and cost savings that will greatly benefit middle class families. Even the authors of one of these studies have now admitted publicly that the insurance companies actually asked them to do an incomplete job.

It’s smoke and mirrors. It’s bogus. And it’s all too familiar. Every time we get close to passing reform, the insurance companies produce these phony studies as a prescription and say, "Take one of these, and call us in a decade." Well, not this time. The fact is, the insurance industry is making this last-ditch effort to stop reform even as costs continue to rise and our health care dollars continue to be poured into their profits, bonuses, and administrative costs that do nothing to make us healthy – that often actually go toward figuring out how to avoid covering people. And they’re earning these profits and bonuses while enjoying a privileged exception from our anti-trust laws, a matter that Congress is rightfully reviewing.

Now, I welcome a good debate. I welcome the chance to defend our proposals and to test our ideas in the fires of this democracy. But what I will not abide are those who would bend the truth – or break it – to score political points and stop our progress as a country. And what we all must oppose are the same old cynical Washington games that have been played for decades even as our problems have grown and our challenges have mounted.

Last November, the American people went to the polls in historic numbers and demanded change. They wanted a change in our policies; but they also sought a change in our politics: a politics that too often has fallen prey to the lobbyists and the special interests; that has fostered division and sustained the status quo. Passing health insurance reform is a great test of this proposition. Yes, it will make a profound and positive difference in the lives of the American people. But it also now represents something more: whether or not we as a nation are capable of tackling our toughest challenges, if we can serve the national interest despite the unrelenting efforts of the special interests; if we can still do big things in America.

I believe we can. I believe we will. And I urge every member of Congress to stand against the power plays and political ploys – and to stand up on behalf the American people who sent us to Washington to do their business.

Thank you.

Congressman Kevin Brady Weekly Republican Address 10/17/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Congressman Kevin Brady Weekly Republican Address 10/17/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hi, I’m Congressman Kevin Brady. I’m proud to represent southeast Texas in Congress, and serve as the lead House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee, which keeps tabs on America’s economic health.

There are three big myths hurtling around Washington these days: no jobs equals an economic recovery, government-run health care will make it more affordable and deficits don’t matter.

The American public – to their credit – isn’t buying any of these.

Start with the economy. We’re all pleased to see the stock market go up, but middle class America knows hundreds of thousands of jobs are disappearing each month. Many of them may never reappear.

As families in my communities and across the country watch the national unemployment....

...rate close to topping double digits -- with very few real signs of relief ahead -- they have one question for the White House: ‘Mr. President, where are the jobs?’

Last January, the White House promised us all that if Congress passed the massive trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ bill, jobs would be created immediately and the unemployment rate would stay under eight percent.

Well, since then, nearly 3 million more Americans have lost their private sector jobs. Over 2 million have simply quit looking for work because they are so discouraged. And that’s frightening. And over 9 million Americans are working part time because they can't find a full time job. And those who do worry if they’ll be the next person standing in the unemployment line.

The truth is: no jobs, no recovery. Let’s finally admit America’s recovery can’t be built on the unsteady Democratic doctrine of spending more, borrowing more and higher taxes. It’s failing our families.

The second myth, that government-run health care will make it more affordable? Americans inherently know government interference drives costs up, not down. The massive health care plans being crafted behind closed doors in Washington will ultimately allow the government to decide what doctors we can see, what treatments the government thinks you deserve and what medicines you can receive.

The Democrats’ plans are loaded with new federal mandates and higher taxes on insurance plans, treatments and equipment – all of which will be passed down to patients. New taxes on professionals and small businesses will drive jobs out of our economy and push more families into a government-run plan.

At a time when families and workers want more choices and more options, Democrats in Washington are bent on creating a one-size fits all plan that Americans can just take or leave. By the way, these same Democratic members of Congress are making sure they and their families aren’t included in the plan. That should tell you something.

The third myth: deficits don’t matter? Tell that to your kids and grandkids and see what they have to say thirty years down the road.

Whether it’s wasteful stimulus spending, a cap-and-trade national energy tax that will put millions more out of work, or the trillion dollar health care experiment, congressional Democrats in Washington are boring new holes in our economic ship at a time when employers throughout America need a life preserver to help them stay afloat.

Liberal policies that will keep people out of work longer will only make the deficit worse. Americans know that deficits matter to our dollar, to our economy, to our future.

The federal budget deficit tripled to a record 1.4 trillion dollars this year. The government spent 199 billion dollars on interest alone -- or almost 10 times the entire budget for NASA.

Under the Obama Administration’s budget, our country is set to rack up 6.7 trillion dollars in debt over the next decade -- almost equal to all the federal debt accumulated in our nation’s history.

Democrats in Washington continue to pursue costly policies that tax too much, spend too much and borrow too much, all of which are discouraging small businesses from job creation and innovation while launching our national debt into the stratosphere.

Make no mistake, our children and grandchildren will end up buried under a mountain of debt if we continue down this dangerous path of taxing, spending and borrowing.

Let’s set aside the myths. Let’s get real.

Real economic growth starts when the people who have taken the hardest hit in this recession -- our small businesses -- get back to creating jobs. It's what these businesses that employ more than half our nation's workforce do best. Republicans want to give them new tax relief tools and get out of their way.

Republicans remain hopeful that this deep and painful recession will soon run its course, but Americans deserve better than a jobless recovery, which is no real recovery at all for American workers and families. Americans deserve affordable health care. And they deserve a nation that can pay its debt and live within its means.

That’s what Republicans believe. That’s what will create the jobs that will grow our economy and put our nation back on the path to long-term prosperity. This is Congressman Kevin Brady. Thanks for listening. ###

Kevin Jennings NAMBLA Safe School Czar VIDEO

King, 52 House Republicans Call on Obama to Fire Kevin Jennings Congressman Steve King (R-IA) and 52 other House Republicans today sent a letter to the White House calling on President Barack Obama to fire "safe schools" czar Kevin Jennings. King, the first member of Congress to ask for the dismissal of Jennings, initially called for President Obama to fire Jennings on October 5. "Support is growing in Congress and across America for President Obama to fire Kevin Jennings and replace him with someone possessing the appropriate qualifications and ethical standards to serve in a presidential administration," King said. "Despite serving as the ‘safe schools' czar, Jennings has no experience keeping students safe or keeping our schools drug free. Jennings is committed to the ‘safety' of only a narrow portion of American students, while expressing disdain for religion and traditional values. President Obama should fire Kevin Jennings immediately."

Text of the letter follows: October 15, 2009

President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We respectfully request that you remove Kevin Jennings, the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, from your Administration. It is clear that Mr. Jennings lacks the appropriate qualifications and ethical standards to serve in this capacity.

As the founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Mr. Jennings has played an integral role in promoting homosexuality and pushing a pro-homosexual agenda in America's schools-an agenda that runs counter to the values that many parents desire to instill in their children. As evidence of this, Mr. Jennings wrote the foreword for a book titled Queering Elementary Education: Advancing the Dialogue About Sexualities and Schooling. Throughout his career, Mr. Jennings has made it his mission to establish special protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students to the exclusion of all other students. The totality of Mr. Jennings' career has been to advocate for public affirmation of homosexuality. There is more to safe and drug free schools than can be accomplished from the narrow view of Mr. Jennings who has, for more than 20 years, almost exclusively focused on promoting the homosexual agenda.

Equally troubling is Mr. Jennings' self-described history of ignoring the sexual abuse of a child. In his book, One Teacher in Ten, Mr. Jennings recounts a 15-year old student confiding in him that he had a sexual relationship with a much older man. Mr. Jennings' only response was to ask if the underage boy used a condom. As a mandatory reporter, Mr. Jennings was required by law to report child abuse, including sex crimes. Mr. Jennings cannot serve as the "safe schools" czar when his record demonstrates a willingness to overlook the sexual abuse of a child.

As the "safe schools" czar, Mr. Jennings is also charged with ensuring our schools and students are drug free. It is clear that Mr. Jennings is unfit to serve in this capacity, as well. His own history of unrepentant drug and alcohol abuse indicates that he is of the opinion that getting drunk and high as a young person is acceptable. In his memoir, Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son, Mr. Jennings describes his use of illegal drugs, without expressing regret or acknowledging the devastating effects illegal drug use can have on a person's life.

Everyone that deals with the education of the most vulnerable must be a positive role model. Our children are not blessed with the wisdom to discern and reject. Children presume the adults who educate them are approved by the larger society and their parents. Kevin Jennings cannot gain the approval of parents who want their children safe and their schools drug free. You should replace him with someone who has a record of educating children in a safe and moral environment.

Given these very serious issues with Mr. Jennings' record, we urge you to remove him immediately.

Sincerely,

Republican Leadership Stakeout Economy and Health Care VIDEO

House Republicans discuss the economy and health care after their weekly conference meeting. 10/14/09 Republican Leadership Stakeout October 14, 2009.

GOP.gov

Republicans: Higher Premiums and Medicare Cuts Are Not Health Care Reform VIDEO

At a press conference in the U.S. Capitol, Senate Republicans emphasize that the Democrats' health care bill which would hike premiums, raise taxes, and cut Medicare is not a solution to our current health care challenges.

Republican.Senate.Gov