One Thing About The Republican Race For Senate. . .

It looks like it can get very nasty fast.

. . . I was shocked to learn when sources told me (which I was able to confirm yesterday) that Jamie Radtke has hired Jon and his company CRAFT Media to take on her primary challenge to George Allen.

This is a big move for Radtke who will now have every possible piece of dirt against Allen at her disposal.

I know this is almost a month old. Trying to clear out a few older-- but still relevant-- bookmarks.

One More Republican Senator Declares His Opposition To The Continuing Resolutions

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah says it's a losing strategy and taxation without representation (video of Sen. Lee at link to Cubachi).

Mike Lee joins Marco Rubio in support of passing a real budget, instead of this week by week nonsense that is being done now.

The Democrats failed to pass a budget at the start of the financial year so Congress have been reduced passing the short term CRs instead of an actual budget. But with passing the CRs, ObamaCare is being funded by hidden provision put in by the Democrats last year. So many Republicans are at a fork in the road. Take a principled stand call for a vote on a real budget or keep funding ObamaCare, a couple of weeks at at time.

The messaging should be easy enough for the budget. Keep pushing that the Democrats had control of both the House and Senate and failed to act and lead.

When the eventual question about a "Government Shutdown" is asked, reply back that it wouldn't have been necessary if the Democrats did their job last year and passed a budget instead of kicking the can down the road. Hammer home that message. If someone strays off point-- Lindsey Graham comes to mind as an example for no particular reason-- haul him off into some backroom and beat him with a pillowcase full of door knobs until he gets back on message. "A Government Shutdown wouldn't have been necessary if the Democrats did their Constitutional duty and pass a budget last year."

Oh yeah, Mike Lee is the (Tea Party) guy who took (Establishment) Bob Bennett out of the running last year in the state caucus.

Marco Rubio: No More Budget Games

Rather than these two week continuing resolutions, Sen. Rubio seems to be putting his foot down.

“Our country faces a brutal reality: for far too long, the federal government has been recklessly spending money it does not have. It is the reason we now have a $14 trillion debt that threatens to bankrupt our country and why, each day, our government borrows $4 billion - almost half from foreigners and most of that from China.

“Despite the seriousness of this debt crisis, an absurd pattern has clearly developed in Washington. Last year, when they still controlled the House, Senate and White House, the Democrats failed to pass a budget at all. In the first two months of this year, Senate Democrat leaders have spent invaluable time not on tackling the debt but on re-authorizing the F.A.A. and reforming the patent system. Their only attempt at addressing our debt was a plan to cut $4.7 billion in spending, which only equals what our government borrows approximately every 30 hours alone.

“Democrats' unwillingness to engage on this issue is leading us closer to a catastrophic debt spiral that will irreversibly damage our government, our economy and ultimately our country.

“The absurdity of what we have witnessed on the Senate floor is only eclipsed by the lack of leadership demonstrated by the White House, and a President who has been absent from this debate and even sent his lead negotiator on a five-day foreign trip.

“All this has led to a very predictable outcome: Washington politicians of both parties scrambling to put together two and three week plans to keep funding the government, while not fundamentally changing the behavior that has gotten us into this mess to begin with.

“Running our government on the fumes of borrowed spending is unacceptable, short-sighted and dangerous. I commend the efforts of House and Senate Republican leaders to deal with this, but I did not come to the U.S. Senate to be part of some absurd political theatre.

“I will no longer support short-term budget plans. While attempts at new spending reductions are commendable, we simply can no longer afford to nickel-and-dime our way out of the dangerous debt America has amassed. It is time our leaders in Washington wake up and realize that we are headed for a debt disaster.

“With Congress set to begin another week-long recess next week, every senator and representative should feel ashamed if they have to go home again, look their constituents in the eye, and explain why nothing is being done about our debt crisis.

“If the federal government keeps spending money we don't have, we are going to do permanent damage to our economy's ability to grow and create jobs while ultimately destroying Medicare and Social Security.

“Despite the lack of leadership demonstrated so far in Washington, we still have a choice. A government shutdown is entirely avoidable if the President steps up to lead and if politicians from both parties finally get their act together, pass a budget for the rest of the year, and move on to the real debate to save entitlements and tackle America's debt crisis.

“If we deal with these issues seriously and immediately, we can leave our children with a country better than the one we grew up in. If we don't, we will be the first Americans to leave our children worse off than ourselves.”

Is This For Real? Sen. John Cornyn Approached Joe Scarborough To Run For Senate?

Gadzooks, it might not be a joke after all:

The genius who picked Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio is back to his old tricks in the Sunshine State.

Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), told The Hill on Thursday that he has talked to Scarborough a couple times about a Senate bid. And he indicated he’s still working on persuading the MSNBC host to run for the upper chamber.
“I’d be delighted to talk to him a third time,” Cornyn said.

Just what the Republicans need. Another Senator who will capitulate his own side in order to 'work across the isle'.

UPDATE: Clarification is called for. It wasn't Florida but New York Cornyn talked to Scarborough about.

Sen. Rand Paul From The Late Show

Sen. Rand Paul made it to The Late Show the other day.

I think he held his own against Letterman. Letterman kept making the annoying claim about taxing the rich and Paul kept shooting it down. Keep in mind that Letterman is raking in 45 million a year when he talks about himself as 'middle class' toward the end of the clip.

The other part that I do like about the clip is how Sen. Paul isn't afraid to call the old Republican party what it was the past few years. Basically, Democrat Light.

Joe Miller: Post Mortem

Yeah, I think he's toast.

Robert Stacy plays Quincy to the write in campaign that Leeza MoreCokePlease engaged in to beat Miller in the general election.

Some habits die hard. Lunch MacAndCheese's name needed to be spelled right-- at least close-- for it to count, if I recall correctly. I wasn't going to help out.

The Stack Of Naked Pictures John Cornyn Has Must Be Pretty Impressive

That's the first thing I thought of when I saw that John Cornyn's running unopposed to be in charge of the NRSC again. And Marco Rubio is supporting him? The same Marco Rubio that ran and won against the NRSC endorsed Charlie Crist in Florida? The NRSC that was headed by John Cornyn at the time?

Yes, yes he is.

Politics makes strange bedfellows, indeed.

Sen. John Cornyn is expected Tuesday to formally make a bid for another two years as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
GOP sources confirm to CNN that the Texas Republican will put his name up for nomination for re-election as NRSC chairman, as the Senate Republican Conference meets behind closed doors. According to the sources, the two-term senator is not expected to face any opposition in his bid to remain as NRSC chairman, and has already secured the support of a number of new Republican Senators, including Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.

Emphasis mine.

Robert Stacy isn't pleased about this, needless to say. Cornyn's behavior was the reason Not One Red Cent was started.

Maybe Cornyn is going to owe them a favor or two for the support? One can only hope at this point this might be the case.

For The Voters In Alaska, You Have A Choice In The Senate

In spades.

Da Tech Guy has some background about it.

Video: Where Dick Blumenthal Attempts To String A Series Of Buzzwords About The Economy And Job Growth Together And Hopes No One Notices That He Doesn't Know Anything About It

Too bad it was during his televised debate with Linda McMahon.

In many ways, what he did is kind of what I do here. Except the difference-- and this is key-- is that I'm not running for Senate.



Thanks to Ace who thinks McMahon won the race because of this.

This Was Mighty Big Of Him

John Cornyn emailed me to say, "She is the nominee and I am in charge of the NRSC. I guess I ought to do something".

Let there be no mistake: The National Republican Senatorial Committee – and I personally as the committee’s chairman – strongly stand by all of our Republican nominees, including Christine O’Donnell in Delaware.

The larger issue is why was this letter of clarification sent out if there was any confusion on the matter?

Finally, An Honest Campaign Ad From Charlie Crist

Via Ace.

Stick with it for the payoff at the end.



Sometimes, it's the simplest of jokes that are the best.

The Other McCain has the original if you are so inclined to see it.

Cross posted here and here.

Marco Rubio Responds To Moronic Dolt, Harry Reid

For starters, Harry Reid can't see much of anything beyond his own political divide. Which explains how he can say what he did about Hispanics. A republican Hispanic doesn't fit into his mindset. Worlds collide with dogs and cats living together or something.

Which brings us to Marco Rubio. Who happens to be Hispanic and a Republican running for Senate in Florida.



Reid has a 'D' after his name. Sadly, he can make stupid statements like he did and still be sitting as Majority Leader in the Senate.

Video: John McCain "I Chose Lying"

Vai here, there and everywhere.*

The main reason I would like to see McCain booted from office would be to put other Senators on notice. Maybe they would sit straighter when people came to their office with complaints about how Congress is spending other people's money. Lindsey Graham, I'm looking at you.

All too often, people talk about getting more conservative politicians into office and booting the squishes. But when push comes to shove, they're back to the LOTE (Lesser of Two Evils) vote. The old habits die hard.

Now is the chance for conservatives to put their vote where their mouth is. Vote for J.D. Hayworth and give McCain his walking papers.

It's been argued in the comments over at Spade's place about Hayworth and is he a crook or not. No more so than McCain.

So look to the larger picture. What kind of message would this send to the people in the US Senate if someone as politically safe as McCain should be out of a job? Would they write it off as a purge? Or if more 'purges' should happen, would Congress start to listen to their constituents again? If the man who is a fixture in the Senate is no longer there due to the will of the people, shouldn't that shake up the halls of Congress? No political position should ever be considered safe.

Make this year the year of the anti-incumbent. Vote Hayworth.



*I've been trying not to bogart video clips as of late. It's a bad blogging form, same as snipping entire clips of a news article from one blog then posting a courtesy link at the end, leaving nothing to click over and see. Otherwise known as 'Pulling a Chuckie Johnson'.** In this case, the video has been around so I figured it was safe to use.

**I made that up on the spot.

Cross posted at Not One Red Cent.

Welcome To The Party, Orrin

About time you bought a clue as to what Obama is doing.

But you will save your powder in the Senate Confirmation hearings for a real battle and give Elena Kagan a pass. No need to ruffle the feathers of your poker buddies.

The same way you kept your powder dry on Eric "I can call the US a 'Nation of Cowards' but can't call Radical Islam 'Radical Islam'" Holder.

The same way you kept your powder dry on that Wise Latina Woman.

The same way you kept your powder dry on Janet "J-Nap" Napolitano.

And the same way you kept your powder dry on Timmy "Turbo Tax" Geithner. Who, according to the senior Senator from Utah:

[C]alled [Geithner] "brilliant" and "honest" and said that, despite his tax errors, "I don't think we can get a better person for this position. . . . He has the kind of background that should be very helpful to us at this time."

May you go the way of Bob Bennett.

Charlie Crist Campaigns To Obscurity

Charlie Crist is officially an independent.  There's only one thing left to say to him.

A Split In The Senate Over Endorsements?

Interesting. Considering that the NRSC endorsed Charlie Crist with nary a thought about the primary.

Senator Tom Coburn has endorsed Marco Rubio.

“I have closely studied Florida’s Senate candidates and have no doubt that Marco Rubio is the only fiscal conservative in this race," the Oklahoma Republican said in a statement. “Rubio would be a faithful guardian of taxpayer dollars in Washington and a valued ally in the Senate. At a time when Washington is piling on crippling debt on our economy, the American people need Marco Rubio in Washington to stand up to this reckless behavior and offer clear conservative solutions."

Crist needs to withdrawal quietly. Especially if he wants John McCain to campaign for him. The last thing the media needs is an R on R battle with lines being drawn in the sand all the way up to the US Senate. It's for the greater good, Charlie Crist. Quit now.

RELATED/ADDED:

Crist received the Don Shula endorsement. As well as the stamp of approval from this guy:

[Col. Bud] Day confirmed he was speaking of Obama and Rubio.

“You’ve got the black one with the reading thing. He can go as fast as the speed of light and has no idea what he’s saying,” Day said. “I put Rubio in that same category, except I don’t know if he’s using one of those readers.” [emphasis mine]

One Way Or Another, Health Care Is Going Down Our Throat.

I don't think this is exactly 'consent of the governed'.

By piggybacking the [Government Takeover of the Health Care System] legislation onto a budget bill, Democrats would be able to advance the bill with a simple majority of just 51 votes, averting a Republican filibuster in the Senate.

[. . .]they can use the aggressive and contentious tactic, known as reconciliation, to pass a far-reaching health care bill in the Senate without having to face the GOP. Democrats lost their ability to block filibusters when Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown won a Senate seat last month.

Reconciliation is the process of passing a bill in the Senate with a simple majority, 51 votes. The rules were changed a few years ago when the Democrats wanted a super majority (60 votes) in order to approve nominations for Federal Judges. For some reason, Democrats didn't want someone named Miguel Estrada nominated for a position on a circuit court. Seemed kind of racist to me at the time.

The scariest aspect of reconciliation? It could be all up to Joe Biden.

Senate Democrats: Be Stupid

The third in an ongoing series of Diesel's new ad campaign that's aimed at today's working politician.

More pictures from the 'Be Stupid' series here.

It's Worth Reading The New York Times For This

Picture credit NYT. Picture benefit for the ladies.

Marco Rubio is featured in the New York Times Magazine this month. You wouldn't know it from the ten paragraphs in the story.

Part of it is confusing because Mark Leibovich muses about why Crist is a 'scourge' among Republicans:

Crist has become a conservative scourge, for reasons he seems at a loss to understand and that in some ways have nothing to do with him.

When he answers the question a earlier in that paragraph:

[T]he governor’s biggest sin was his support for the Obama administration’s $787 billion economic-stimulus package.

Not sure how Leibovich is dense enough to write that. Maybe he's like the beaten woman who goes back to her abusive husband. He just doesn't get it.

The takeaway quote from Rubio that I liked:

“I’m not a fan of personality-based politics,” Rubio said. “Very third worldish.” People who pin their trust and faith in a person are bound to be disappointed, he said. “I’m just a messenger for a set of ideas.”

It's eight pages long, a novel in the age of the blogosphere but please read the entire thing. Except for the last part of the last page. Only in the New York Times would a profile about Marco Rubio begins and end talking about Crist.

Cross posted at Not One Red Cent.

Friday, Let Your Voice Be Heard.

At the offices of Mark Warner and James Webb. Harry Reid is planning on bringing up a vote on the Health Care Bill this Saturday. This Friday, make Webb and Warner think twice before voting for it.

As for the where and when:

Healthcare Protest Tomorrow - Noon-2pm. We hope to have a continuous chain of people between Webb's office at 507 E. Franklin and Warner's new office at 919 E. Main St.

If this helps, SEIU has a list of words that they use in trying to control the dialog. Words to use and words to avoid. Seeing how SEIU wants health-care that runs with all the efficiency as the DMV, look at the list and use the words avoid.

Reposted in full from the email:

Top-Line Facts:

• Budget Gimmicks: Whereas the taxes associated with the Reid (Senate) health care reform bill would start in 2010, the provision of health care benefits would not begin until 2014. In a ruse to make it appear that the tax revenues and costs associated with the bill balance, the government plans to collect taxes for each of the first ten years, but only provide services for the last six of those years.


• Spending: The cost of the bill is $2.5 trillion over 10 years of full implementation (2014-2023).


• Taxes Increases: Taxes will go up $493.6 billion—nearly half a trillion dollars.


• Medicare Cuts: Medicare will be cut $464.6 billion—another half a trillion dollars.


• Total Number of Pages: 2074


• Abortion: The bill permits the use of accounting gimmicks that will, for the first time, allow federal dollars to go to plans covering abortion. The bill does not include the Stupak language, and as a result, National Right to Life describes the Reid bill language as “completely unacceptable” and said it would “result in coverage of abortion on demand in two big new federal government programs.”


• Government Plan: The bill includes a government run plan and provides states with the possibility of opting out of participating in that plan. According to CBO, the government run plan “would typically have premiums that were somewhat higher than the average premiums for the private plans in the exchanges.”


• Employer Mandate: The bill will impose $28 billion in new taxes on employers that do not provide government approved health plans. These new taxes will ultimately be paid by American workers in the form of reduced wages and lost jobs.

Additional CBO Background:

• The bill would bend the federal cost-curve up. CBO says, “Under the legislation, federal outlays for health care would increase during the 2010–2019 period, as would the federal budgetary commitment to health care.” The coverage expansion would drive a net increase in government spending on health by $160 billion over 10 years.


• CBO scored the bill as reducing the deficit by $130 billion over FYs 2010-2019.

o However, CBO notes that the bill includes two budget gimmicks that hide the true cost of the bill. Doctors are assumed to get a 23 percent cut in 2011 which would carry into subsequent years. Fixing the SGR would cost $247 billion. Additionally, the CLASS Act generates $72 billion over the budget window, but later turns to deficits. Eliminating these two gimmicks means the bill would be $189 billion in the red. It would also put the real cost of the bill over a trillion dollars.

• The start dates for the individual mandate, exchanges, and employer penalties were all moved from July 1, 2013, to January 1, 2014.

o This is another budget gimmick to hide the true cost of the bill.

• 24 million people would be left without insurance.


• Unfunded mandates on the states: The bill mandates that states spend an additional $25 billion in Medicaid expenditures.


• Taxes on uninsured individuals would total $8 billion.


• Taxes on employers from the “free-rider” penalty would total $28 billion.


• 5 million Americans would lose their employer coverage.


• Cuts to Medicare include: Permanent reductions in the annual updates to Medicare’s payment rates for most services in the fee-for-service sector of $192 billion; $118 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage; $43 billion in DSH cuts; $23 billion in unspecified cuts by the Medicare Advisory Board.


• Only 19 million people will get a subsidy to help them buy health insurance.

o None of the 162 million people with employer-based care will even be eligible for a subsidy.

• The government plan would have higher premiums than private plans. CBO said the government plan would “typically have premiums that were somewhat higher than the average premiums for the private plans in the exchanges.”

o With the opt-out provision, two-thirds of Americans are expected to have a government plan available in their state.

o Co-ops are included but would have “very little effect.”

• The CLASS Act would reduce deficits by $72 billion in the 10 year budget window, but “would begin to increase budget deficits” in the decade following 2029.


• The IRS would need $5-$10 billion to expand and implement the provisions in the bill.


• The costs of the subsidies in the exchange would grow at 8 percent a year.


• The tax on high value plans will quickly be applied to almost all plans. CBO expects the revenues from the Cadillac plan tax to grow at 10-15 percent per year outside the budget window.


• Includes a $15 billion “Prevention and Public Health Fund” slush fund.


• CBO says it would be “difficult” to maintain the predicted savings over a long period of time—meaning that the plan will likely run deficits when savings do not materialize.

Summary of Tax Provisions

	Baucus Bill	Reid Bill
Cadillac plan tax	$201.4	$149.1
Employer W-2 reporting of health benefits	Negligible	Negligible
Conform definition of medical expenses	$5.4	$5
Increase penalty for nonqualified HSA deductions	$1.3	$1.3
Limit FSAs to $2,500	$14.6	$14.6
Corporate information reporting	$17.1	$17.1
Requirements for non-profit hospitals	Negligible	Negligible
Pharma fee, effective 2010	$22.2	$22.2
Device manufacturer fee, effective 2010	$38.6	$19.3
Health insurer fee, effective 2010	$60.4	$60.4
Eliminate subsidy related to Part D	$5.4	$5.4
Raise 7.5 percent AGI floor to 10 percent	$15.2	$15.2
$500k deduction cap on pay for health insurers	$600 million	$600 million
0.5% HI payroll tax over $200single/$250married	Not included	$53.8
Section 833 treatment of certain insurers (the Blues)	Not included	$400 million
Cosmetic surgery tax	Not included	$5.8 billion
Individual and employer mandate penalties	$27 billion	$36 billion
Effects of coverage provisions on revenues *This number is not directly comparable in both scores	$83 billion	$70 billion
Other changes in revenue	$16.3 billion	$14.8 billion
TOTAL	$508 billion	$493.6 billion