Tag Archives: Harry Reid

Tonight's Vigil is Canceled

Due to the 20 inches or so of snow that fell in DC, we have decided to cancel tonight’s vigil at the Capitol. I’m truly sorry and I hate that we can’t be there. However, we can still do something.

Resistnet sent me this:

NATIONWIDE “VIRTUAL VIGIL”
Starts Sunday, Dec. 20 at 9 pm EST Ends after Senate healthcare
cloture vote 1 am Mon.

Listen Via Webcast www.TakeBackMedicine.com or if you cannot be at your computer Listen-only Phone Line (712) 432-3900
conference code 691338#

Please check it out. Don’t let Congress get away with this. They will be accountable, and they need to know we are watching – even if they hold a 1am vote the weekend before Christmas.

Vlog #2: Urgent Health Care Vote

Call and support McConnell and encourage him to continue the Republican filibuster.

Also stay on top of:

Blanche Lincoln
Ben Nelson
Roland Burris
Claire McCaskill
Jim Webb
Russ Feingold

Code Red: Senate Rally

Today, Americans showed up in force again at Upper Senate Park for the Code Red Senate Rally. Similar to Michele Bachmann’s House Call last month, today was a day for constituents to show up and speak to their Senators on their own turf. I just left the rally, and as I write this, Laura Ingraham is probably on stage riling people up. This will go strong for the rest of the day as people line up and wait to talk to their Senators.

The tone from Hill staffers and Capitol Police was less friendly than it has been. I’m getting the impression that they’re sick of seeing us. Well, guess what guys, we’re sick of having to go down there. I’d rather not babysit Congress every day, trust me. If they had their junk together we wouldn’t have to do this every few weeks. The Senators seem a little more freaked out than the House members did about having constituents in their offices. One highlight was Senator Lieberman’s office threatening to arrest Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Mark Meckler. Check this out:

All across the country, Senators refuse our calls, ignore our emails, throw away our letters and refuse to meet with us.. Today — in the Senate office building — Senate staff literally threatened to arrest three members of the Tea Party Patriots, including two National Coordinators.  When one of the most “moderate” Senators threatens to have well groomed, quiet, cooperative tea partiers arrested simply for sitting in the office waiting to meet with a Senator, it is clear that representative democracy is on its death bed in this country.

I’m beginning to recognize so many faces from these events, people who come out every single time they can manage it. Those who have to take off work and come week after week don’t do it for fun. However, there is also a sense of commitment – we are fighting this battle to win. No one is going anywhere until we’ve defeated the socialization of the American health care industry. Period. This is not a battle we can afford to lose. I’m glad to have so many incredible people showing up.

Here are some photos from today:

Code Red Rally Crowd

Code Red Rally Crowd

Passing a flag over the crowd.

Passing a flag over the crowd.

Tea Party Movie star William Temple and generally incredible American, William Temple.

Tea Party Movie star and generally incredible American, William Temple.


Me, Michele Bachmann, and Dick Armey

Me, Michele Bachmann, and Dick Armey

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe with Dick Armey

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe with Dick Armey

Keep it up, everyone. As one of my dear friends reminds me on weekends where I go home and hibernate on her couch, “Don’t grow weary of doing good.” Today was one more nail in the coffin for the Senate Health Care bill.

Seems Like Harry Reid Has a Full Day Planned

Yes, and when he’s done with Stephen, Harry Reid can go take a flying leap.

When President Bush called three of the most vile regimes on the planet an “axis of evil,” the left sneered. Real evil, apparently, is to be found in ordinary Americans.

So I’ll say it again: Harry Reid can bite me.

We really have gone to a strange place in progressive politics when the people who fill the “evil” spot in the left’s moral code are average American participating in our democracy the way Americans have done for centuries instead of child-torturing slavers and oppressive tyrants.

I’m tired of how the left will cozy right up to real evil like it’s Pooh Bear but freak out like Do Not Want Cat when you suggest that perhaps people can solve their own problems without their all-grasping hands at the controls. I suppose when you have a political philosophy that’s built around the idea that you are smarter and more caring than anyone else and that you should run their lives because of it, you have a lot more in common with petty tyrants than you do with the rest of us.

(Cross-posted at The Sundries Shack)

Bailoutpalooza: Auto Edition

The country has had a little bit of time to digest what an epic train wreck of an idea these bailouts are. They finally got one right: the auto bailout was shot down. Tennessee’s Bob Corker has been all over this morning. Here’s his 3 part plan:

  • It would have required the two firms closest to bankruptcy, General Motors and Chrysler, to reduce their debt by two-thirds. Bondholders would have “plenty of incentive to make sure that the debt is reduced by two-thirds” or risk losing even more if the firms go into Chapter 11, where their bonds might be further discounted, Corker said. “We’re going to force them into bankruptcy if they don’t do this,” he said bluntly.
  • He also would have required that the Voluntary Employee Benefit Association, the entity created by the car firms and the UAW to handle retiree health care benefits, accept stock in lieu of half the cash payments due. The carmakers had agreed to fund VEBA but can no longer afford to do so. “If a company goes bankrupt, these future payments are never going to happen anyway,” he said.
  • Finally, Corker’s bill would have forced the UAW to lower its members’ wages to the level of employees at Honda and the other foreign-owned car manufacturers operating in the United States.

The best part? He fought appointing a “car czar”. We’ve already talked about how much I hate that term.

At some point we’ve got to cut the bleeding. This particular bailout hits closer to home for a lot of people, as there are millions of jobs in the US that depend on this industry. Shouldn’t that be all the more reason to make sure that it’s functioning properly? For an industry as large and important as the auto industry is, shouldn’t it be IMPERITIVE that they function efficiently? As long as they are opertaing with a UAW handicap, they will struggle.

Harry Reid expressed his profound sadness for our nation. I know I’m not alone when I want to punch him in the face. (No, I don’t really want to punch him.)

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the bill’s collapse “a loss for the country,” adding: “I dread looking at Wall Street tomorrow. It’s not going to be a pleasant sight.”

And guess what. He’s right. Why? Because people value immediate security over a long term solution. Ugh. Why are American’s so short sighted?

What I Learned From The Media…

Here are some post-election polls that DO matter… if only because they bring light to the ignorance surrounding this election.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm1KOBMg1Y8]

Clearly, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are non-factors to people. And Palin was the fall back for any stupid comment that was made – including Obama’s 57 states comment, Biden’s plagiarism, etc.

These weren’t fools that Howard Stern grabbed off the street, who may or may not have been voting (although, the results were pretty similar). Had the media done it’s job, this race would have been much more interesting to watch. Here’s the Stern audio, and a segment from Anna’s fabulous entry in response to it:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyvqhdllXgU]

I’m uncomfortable with voters choosing a “brand” instead of choosing policy that actually lines up with what they think. In the following clip, reporters with the Howard Stern show ask Obama supporters why they choose him over McCain, substituting McCain’s policies (pro-life, staying in Iraq until “victory” is reached) for Obama’s. The supporters agree specifically with McCain policy when it’s presented as belonging to Obama. This is NOT OK.

Now, yes, the election is over. At this point, how he got there is irrelevant. However, if the media continues to bury truth, which we have every reason to believe it will, Obama has eliminated any accountability with the people of the United States. Not only does he have a near-filibuster proof (filibuster proof if you count his new friend McCain, as well as a few other RINOs…) Senate, the House, and 3 supreme court appointments to make, he has the entire US media cleaning up after him and spinning until the people reporting the truth don’t even know what it is anymore.

The job of the media is supposed to be unbiased reporting of the news – the good, the bad and the ugly. However, during the epic media breakdown that was this election, few would argue that they were “fair and balanced”. These videos show us that the average American gets their news from mainstream media and doesn’t do the research. Is it possible to make the best decision based on false or partial knowledge? No. Let’s check out the Zogby polls, just to illustrate:

512 Obama Voters 11/13/08-11/15/08 MOE +/- 4.4 points

97.1% High School Graduate or higher, 55% College Graduates

Results to 12 simple Multiple Choice Questions

57.4% could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)

81.8% could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)

82.6% could NOT correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)

88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)

56.1% could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).

And yet…..

Only 13.7% failed to identify Sarah Palin as the person on which their party spent $150,000 in clothes

Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter

And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her “house,” even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!

Only 2.4% got at least 11 correct.

Only .5% got all of them correct. (And we “gave” one answer that was technically not Palin, but actually Tina Fey)

97% high school grads, and more than half had completed college. These were not Stern’s streets of Harlem examples. Can we blame them? Naturally I want to say yes! Yes! Read! Learn! But, is it really a horrible thing to believe that the media is doing their job? I mean, most people don’t have the time to spend hours a day researching and analyzing things people say and watch speeches. Media, do your job. Meanwhile, bloggers, speak truth. Hopefully our voices will be heard.

Chuck Norris: Obama, Now That You Work For Me…

Incredible commentary from none other than Chuck Norris:

Dear President-elect Obama:

First, congratulations on your victory. The historical magnitude of your presidential win is nothing short of stupendous and a colossal fulfillment of the American dream (an achievement embedded long ago in the equality clauses of the Declaration of Independence). Your life has served and will serve as an example to countless millions, and I pray that you will live up to that honorable position and responsibility.

Now that Democrats have a virtual monopoly over our land, with control of the White House, both houses of Congress, a majority of gubernatorial positions, state legislatures, the courts, the news media, the unions and the entertainment and educational fields, it would be relatively easy for you to rule as king, casting liberal edicts in any direction. But now will come your biggest test: Will you be able to lead the other half of the country that doesn’t agree with your vision, views and policies?

It’s no big surprise that I don’t see politically eye-to-eye with you. Actually, I stand in stark opposition to most of your politics. Still, even in our differences, I realize that we must learn to work together if we are to see our country get back on track. After Election Day, I asked myself, despite the outcome, how can I work for our new president to help better America? Then the thought occurred to me, the first question that should be answered is: How will you work for me? After all, it is “We, the People” of the Constitution for whom you are employed, correct?

So I outlined a few ways you might begin to gain the respect of those who oppose you and show that your campaign pledges to bridge the divides were not empty promises to get you into office. And these requests I make are based upon the inaugural oath you will make on Jan. 20, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” No doubt these won’t be my only suggestions through the years, but they serve as a good beginning:

    1. Use and cite the Constitution. If that constitutional oath (“preserve, protect and defend”) is the central duty of your job description, then I would assume we will be hearing often from you about exactly how you are doing just that. There is no replacement for strict adherence, application and defense of the Constitution. And it’s high time that presidents quit tritely reciting the presidential oath only to abandon its tenets when they enter the Oval Office. You should be publicly quoting from the Constitution as often as a preacher quotes the Bible to his congregation – at least weekly. If you take this oath and challenge seriously, you will limit the powers of federal government, reduce taxes (for everyone), encourage the freedom of religion and expression (even in the public square) and stand up for such things as our right to bear arms. The American public and the government has lost its grip on the content and role of the Constitution, and, if you daily choose, you can help to reeducate and model its usage for them.


    2. Protect American life. Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1809, “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” Those are powerful and enlightening words – “first and only legitimate object of good government.” Of course, such a role was created and secured in the very fabric of our nation – in the Declaration of Independence. The commitment to protect life should serve as a basis to all you do, even as a foundation for your national defense strategy or to protect human life from the womb to the grave. I’m sure the first of your secret briefings this last week on our global security threats have opened your eyes some to the extensive onslaught of our enemies. Don’t allow your pride, partisanship, personal bias or political abilities to ever jeopardize the safety of Americans lives. As commander in chief, you are called to preserve American life. Quite frankly, that is why I’m surprised that a man like you, who professes to fight for minorities, would not recognize the clear value of a human life in the womb. Federal law should not edict the sacrifice of one human life for the preference of another. Both lives should be protected. Otherwise what do Jefferson’s 1809 words mean? As president, you are called to protect (not destroy) human life – it is the “first and only legitimate object of good government. 3. Learn from the mistakes of your Democratic predecessors. I’m referring specifically to presidents Carter and Clinton. Despite how many trumpet their accomplishments today, they learned big lessons at our expense about international diplomacy and economic recovery. Carter’s diplomatic naïveté, combined with his overly altruistic belief that America’s enemies can be won by a smile and handshake, ultimately gave rise to Ahmadinejad’s Iranian regime. Furthermore, Carter’s handling of our economic affairs also led to the highest interest, inflation and unemployment rates in history. You were only a young man, I realize, but I respectfully wonder if you know of those lessons, or might be doomed to repeat them? You can increase the taxes of individuals who make more than $200,000. You can impose the same on companies and corporations. But don’t believe for a minute that they aren’t even now making plans and moving their monies into overseas accounts. Any businessman knows that such tax increases will trickle down to employees, shareholders, consumers or further tempt them to take their productivity abroad where costs are lower. And what will be the effect on our economy? Isn’t it obvious? And don’t forget this: Bush is only partially to blame for our economic woes. Remember, it was the Clinton administration in 1999 that was the primary contributor to our Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae subprime fiasco (and subsequent Wall Street bailout need), by extending billions of mortgage loans to those who wouldn’t or couldn’t ever pay them back. Though gloating over his end-term budget surplus, Clinton paved the path through his government backing of millions of toxic mortgages to low income households – all of which would turn into gargantuan balloon payments years down the road that would bankrupt corporations and lead to our economic recession.4. Lead more from the center. It’s been pointed out by countless pundits. Your track record is clear. You have one of the most liberal records in the Senate. You’ve had the liberty of voting and fighting for an agenda “from the left,” as you’ve tried to persuade state and congressional constituents to do the same. But if you continue to lead our country down a more liberal road, you will follow the peril of Clinton as well. He stepped into office and initially tried to lift the ban on gays in the military and extend abortion rights, only to prompt the creation of a more-balanced and strong Republican Congress in the 1990s. Don’t underestimate the resurrecting power of the conservative voice. You observed in Tuesday’s election how three states across this union voted to protect marriage in their constitutions (the 28th, 29th and 30th states to do so – California, Arizona and Florida). We will be watching how you lead Pelosi and Reid. We will be observing those you select as candidates for Supreme Court justices. The election is over. No more promises. No more words. You might work well in a team, but this time you don’t have congressional members to hide behind. You’re on your own – leading the pack – and the whole country is watching. Especially me. So make sure you lead more from the center.

There is one thing I will be specifically doing for you, as you carry the weight to lead our nation. I will be praying for you. As the scripture says, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” You have my word – I’ll be praying.

One of your 300 million bosses,

Chuck Norris