We have a new contender for my favorite Congressman of the 111th Congress, not sure if this is in time for Wesley Snipes though (my new nominee for Treasury Secretary):

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2009

New Bill Would Eliminate All IRS Penalties and Interest for U.S. Citizens

Congressman John Carter to introduce “Rangel Rule” Legislation Wednesday

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-TX) will introduce new legislation tomorrow to eliminate all penalty and interest charges by the Internal Revenue Service against U.S. citizens. The bill is designed to provide the same treatment for all U.S. taxpayers owing back taxes as that enjoyed by House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY).

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The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently found that the cost of the Pelosi-Reid stimulus package now exceeds $1.1 trillion. CBO also estimated that only 7 percent of infrastructure money would make its way into the economy by the end of the year and only 38 percent would be spent by the end of the 2010 fiscal year. Senator Jeff Session’s (R-Ala.) office estimates the actual number going to tangible road and bridge construction is just a little more than 3 percent.

Where is this money going to? A not exhaustive look at the 1,588 page legislation, H.R. 1, “The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009″ shows the bill is more payoffs and pork then stimulus.

Many thanks to the website readthestimulus.org and its participating organizations.

PAYOFFS

To the “Green” Lobby

$600 Million To Buy New Cars For Government Workers (Page 89)
These cars would be “green” friendly cars – however very few gas pumps have the right gas to run these cars. The Federal government already spends $3.5 billion a year.

$10M for bike and walking trails (Page 65)

$200M for plug-in car stations (Page 31)

$600 million for grants for diesel emission reduction (Page 119)

$650 million for “alternative energy technologies, energy efficiency enhancements and deferred maintenance at Federal facilities” (Page 119)

$1.5 billion for construction of “Green Schools” (Page 176)

To the Unions

$1 billion to the controversial COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES COPS Hiring Program
“$150 billion in new federal spending, a vast two-year investment that would more than double the Department of Education’s current budget. The proposed emergency expenditures on nearly every realm of education, including school renovation, special education, Head Start and grants to needy college students” Sam Dillon, “Stimulus Plan Would Provide Flood of Aid to Education,” New York Times. January 27, 2009. NOTE: Private and religious schools are excluded.

Look for the Union Label. “The stimulus bill passed by the House last night contains a controversial provision that would mostly bar foreign steel and iron from the infrastructure projects laid out by the $819 billion economic package. A Senate version, yet to be acted upon, goes further, requiring, with few exceptions, that all stimulus-funded projects use only American-made equipment and goods.” Anthony Faiola, “‘Buy American’ Rider sparks trade Debate,” Washington Post, January 29, 2009.

To the Abortion Industry

Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) inserted in the original bill billions of dollars for family planning groups, including the abortion giant, Planned Parenthood. Pressure and public exposure from Congressional Republicans forced the Democrats to remove such funding from this bill. However the bill still provides billions in reforming the health care system and working towards nationalized health care – with little to no debate.

$2.7B in NIH grants which would be targeted to among other things embryonic stem cell experimentation. (Page 56)

Other Special Interests

$3 Billion for Prevention & Wellness Programs, Including $335 million for STD Education and Prevention — Recent government expenditures in this area include a transgender beauty pageant in San Francisco that advertised available HIV testing and an event called “Got Love? – Flirt/Date/Score” that taught participants how “to flirt with greater finesse.”

$83 billion for the earned income credit for people who don’t pay income tax. SOURCE Wall Street Journal

$246 million for Hollywood SOURCE National Journal

$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (Page 122)

$75 million for smoking cessation (Page 148). This contradicts the latest version of SCHIP that is funded largely by new taxes on cigarettes.

$4.19 billion open to ACORN. The Pelosi-Reid bill makes groups like ACORN eligible for a $4.19 billion pot of money for “neighborhood stabilization activities.”

MISCELLANEOUS PORK
Some of the biggest winners in the package are federal agencies and Congressional relatives:

$2 Billion for national parks. “A top House Republican is demanding an investigation into whether the more than $2 billion for national parks in the House stimulus package is proper in light of the fact that the chief lobbyist for the National Parks Conservation Association is the son of House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (chief author of the bill.)” Stephen Dinan and S.A. Miller, “Stimulus has plum for Lawmakers Son,” Washington Times, January 29, 2009.

$54 billion will go to federal programs that the Office of Management and Budget or the Government Accountability Office have already criticized as “ineffective” or unable to pass basic financial audits. SOURCE Wall Street Journal

$462 Million for Equipment, Construction, and Renovation of Facilities at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (Page 137)

$1.2 billion to the National Science Foundation (Page 46) “Chuck Grassley knows it when he sees it. The “it,” of course, is pornography. And Grassley has seen it deep in a demurely titled section of a report from the National Science Foundation — a report that says NSF employees have been spending significant amounts of company time on smut sites and in other explicit pursuits . . . In one particularly egregious case, the report says one NSF “senior official” was discovered to have spent as much as 20 percent of his working hours over a two-year interval ‘viewing sexually explicit images and engaging in sexually explicit online ‘chats’ with various women.’ Investigators calculated the value of the time lost at more than $58,000 — for that employee alone.” Andie Coller, “Grassley Lainches Porn Inquiry,” Politico, January 29, 2009.

$150 Million for Repairs to Smithsonian Institution Facilities (Page 128)

$1 Billion for the Follow-Up to the 2010 Census (Page 49)

Discretion is given to governors and Mayors for how to spend a large chunk of the money. The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently sent Congress a $96.6 billion wish list of “shovel-ready” projects which now could be funded by the stimulus. These projects include: “$1 million for annual sewer rehabilitation in Casper, WY; $6.1 million for corporate hangars, parking lots, and a business apron at the Fayetteville, AR airport; 28 projects with the term “stadium” in them; and 117 projects mentioning landscaping and/or beautification efforts. The taxpayers should be most teed off at the 20 golf courses included in the list.” SOURCE National Taxpayers Union

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POSITION: DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE

NOMINEE: James Steinberg

Born: May 7, 1953.

Family: Wife, Sherburne B. Abbott, and two children.

Work history: A clerk to a federal judge; an aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Armed Services Committee; and an analyst at the RAND Corporation in California. He held several top national security positions in the Clinton administration, including State Department chief of staff and director of the department’s policy planning staff. Until 2005, he was vice president and director of foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington. He is now dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas but has remained at the center of the Democratic Party’s shadow foreign policy establishment. NY Times bio

Education: J.D., Yale Law School, 1978; B.A., Harvard University (Phi Beta Kappa and John Harvard Scholar), 1973

Clinton White House: From December 1996 to August 2000, he served as deputy national security advisor to President Bill Clinton. During that period he also served as the president’s personal representative (“Sherpa”) to the 1998 and 1999 G-8 summits. Prior to becoming deputy national security advisor, he served as chief of staff of the U.S. State Department and director of the State Department’s policy planning staff (1994-1996), and as deputy assistant secretary for analysis in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1993-1994).

Abortion

“James B. Steinberg, President Obama’s nominee to be the next Deputy Secretary of State, claimed in written testimony to the Foreign Relations Committee that Congress cannot constitutionally restrict taxpayer funding to perform or promote abortions. Mr. Steinberg stated that the Mexico City policy, which bars taxpayer funding of abortions overseas, ‘is an unnecessary restriction that, if applied to organizations based in this country, would be an unconstitutional limitation on free speech.’

Steinberg’s opinion is in direct contradiction to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has already definitively decided the matter in Rust v. Sullivan in 1991. The court’s majority opinion concluded: ‘The Government has no constitutional duty to subsidize an activity merely because it is constitutionally protected, and may validly choose to allocate public funds for medical services relating to childbirth but not to abortion.’

Steinberg’s statement was made in response to a question about President Obama’s efforts to repeal the ‘Mexico City policy,’ which bars organizations that receive funding from the State Department to agree to ‘neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.’” Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) blog, referring to written questions he submitted to the nominee.

[Source]

On the Bush Doctrine of Preventive Force

“Preventive military force has a role in managing today’s security challenges. Understanding that role is step one; establishing agreed standards for its use is step two; and implanting these standards in an effective institution is the third step. The Bush administration got the first step right, and the logic of its arguments builds toward the second. But it has gotten step three wrong. Unilateralism is not the only alternative to the Security Council. Regional organizations and a new coalition of democratic states offer ways to legitimize the use of force when the council fails to meet its responsibilities.” James Steinberg and Ivo Daalder, “Preventive War, A Useful Tool.” Los Angeles Times, December 4, 2005.

Helped Craft Obama Doctrine On Negotiating with Hostile Countries

“Advisers to Sen. Obama play down charges from conservatives that there is a downside risk if U.S. efforts to engage Iran fail to halt Tehran’s nuclear program immediately. They stress that any overtures would be made only after extensive deliberations inside Washington, as well as with U.S. allies. But they said such an initiative would unify the international community on Iran, while shifting the blame for any failure to resolve the nuclear issue squarely onto Tehran. ‘There are no guarantees diplomacy will succeed, but you also know that if it doesn’t you’ve strengthened your hands with other people,’ said Mr. Steinberg, who served as deputy national-security adviser from 1996 to 2000.” Jay Solomon, “Obama’s Mideast experts Emphasize talks,” Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2008.

On Nuclear Weapons, Guantanamo and the International Criminal Court

“On the military side, Washington must begin devaluing nuclear weapons. The United States can’t uninvent them, and will need some nuclear capability for the foreseeable future. But if we want Iran and North Korea to give them up and for China and Russia to limit their arsenals and prevent proliferation, we must take steps of our own: canceling new weapons programs – like the nuclear bunker buster, ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and mounting a massive global campaign to secure loose nukes and nuclear materials. Finally, don’t hesitate to stand up for our values: democracy, the rule of law and human rights. But remember that the best way to get others to share them is by example, not coercion. Close Guantanamo. Join the International Criminal Court.” James Steinberg, “Enough: Americans Should Lead by Example, and start by closing Guantanamo Bay,” Newsweek. January 1, 2008.

Miscellaneous

A voracious reader, fly fisherman, runner and workaholic who often rises before dawn to run several miles before getting to the office. He has several marathons under his belt. Was struck by a car while running in Los Angeles but has recovered from his injuries. NY Times bio

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If you have been reading Tony’s Daily Updates then you know we have been less then happy that the U.S. Senate Republicans have for the most part been making themselves comfortable to be in the Minority for a looong time. They have largely been silent on a number of President Obama’s more controversial nominees, ensuring that the millions of American citizens they represent also have no voice in the U.S. Senate. For those displaced citizens a new website now gives everyone a chance to vote for who will be the White House Farmer

You Can Vote For White House Farmer

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin has three residents in the running so far to be recommended as the White House farmer, if President Obama decides to create that position.
Several groups are behind the campaign to have the Obama family plant an organic garden on the White House grounds for use by the first family and also for food pantries that could use some of the produce.
Plans call for the nominees submitted as of January 31st to be narrowed to the top three vote-getters, who will be recommended to the president for the job.
Wisconsin residents among the 20 people nominated include Claire Strader of Troy Community Farm at Troy Gardens in Madison, Dela Ends of Scotch Hill Farm near Brodhead and Steve Haak of the Haak Family Farms in Belleville.
On the Net: www.whitehousefarmer.com
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Since the position does not actually exist maybe you might just want to make your voice heard on what kind of dog the Obama’s should get.

If President Obama needs someone to train the new dog on how to roll over, I know quite a few Senators who can help.

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I’m amazed with the number of people, on both sides of the abortion issue, in the media and definitely in Congress who have no understanding of what the Mexico City Policy is and does. I recently did an NPR interview where the obviously biased reporter asked me a number of “questions” that showed both a bias and a lack of knowledge in the policy. At a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing in October of 2007 a number of witnesses (including Joana Nerquaye-Tetteh, former executive director of Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana) who support the overturning of the Mexico City Policy had to actually admit ignorance of the policy during the hearing after some intense questioning from Republicans on the Committee.

First a little background. The Mexico City policy was first implemented via a memorandum by President Reagan in 1984 at a United Nations population conference in Mexico City, thus the name Mexico City policy. Prior to President Reagan’s actions American policy on paper was to never promote abortion overseas, however in practice US tax dollars directly supported organizations which advocated and performed abortion. It remained in effect until 1993 when President Clinton rescinded the Mexico City policy on January 22, 1993 for the entirety of his tenure in office. On January 22, 2001, President Bush issued a memorandum restoring the Mexico City policy.

In as little words as possible, the Mexico City policy halts U.S. family planning funds from going to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that perform abortions or “actively promote” abortion as a method of family planning in other countries.

What does this mean? Under the Mexico City Policy for an NGO to be “actively promoting” abortions means they provide advice and information regarding the availability of abortion or encourage women to consider abortion; lobby a foreign government to legalize or make more available abortion; or conduct a public information campaign regarding the benefits and/or availability of abortion.

That is what NGO’s can’t do. What they CAN still do under the Mexico City Policy is provide referrals for abortion in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother’s life would be endangered if the unborn child were carried to term; and treat injuries or illnesses caused by legal or illegal abortions, i.e., post-abortion care. The argument that the Mexico City Policy is in actually a “global gag rule” is pure and utter nonsense – unless you actually believe that abortion, killing the child in the womb, is a form of family planning.

The effect of President Obama rescinding the Mexico City Policy is that now millions ($461 million in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008) of dollars are taken away from family planning groups that do not promote abortion, and delivered into the hands of organizations that are the most militant in promoting abortion as a population-control method – especially in countries that find abortion objectionable on moral grounds.

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POSTION: TREASURY SECRETARY

NOMINEE: Timothy Geithner

Born: Brooklyn, New York, August 18, 1961.

Family: Wife, Carole M. Sonnenfeld, and two children.

Occupation: Partner 9th president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In that role he also serves as Vice Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee

Education: M.A. in international economics and East Asian studies from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in 1985

Clinton White House: Geithner joined the Department of Treasury in 1988 and worked in three administrations for five Secretaries of the Treasury in a variety of positions.  He was deputy assistant secretary for international monetary and financial policy (1995-1996), senior deputy assistant secretary for international affairs (1996-1997), assistant secretary for international affairs (1997-1998). He was Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs (1998-2001) under Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers. In 2002 he left the Treasury to join the Council on Foreign Relations as a Senior Fellow in the International Economics department. At the International Monetary Fund he was director of the Policy Development and Review Department (2001-2003)

NOTE: “An examination of the record of IMF and World Bank performance in developing countries shows that, far from being the solution to global economic instability and poverty, these two international institutions are a major problem. For one thing, their lending practice deters growth because the money they loan removes incentives for governments to advance economic freedom, and breeds corruption. For these reasons, the vast majority of recipient countries have been unable to develop fully after depending on these institutions for over 40 years.”  Ana I. Eiras, “IMF and World Bank Intervention: A Problem, Not a Solution.” Heritage Foundation.  September 17, 2003.

On the 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts

Nominee Geithner has little published on his view of how the tax cuts during President George W. Bush’s Administration helped the economy or if they should be repealed.  During the campaign, candidate Obama vowed to repeal the popular tax cuts – though it appears that might now be delayed:

“Aides to President-elect Barack Obama suggested on Sunday that he wouldn’t immediately implement a pledged rollback of tax cuts for the top tier of American income earners, because of the worsening economic outlook. . . During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Obama economic adviser William Daley suggested that the incoming administration would reconsider whether to quickly increase taxes for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. . . David Axelrod, an Obama political strategist who was recently named as one of the president-elect’s senior White House advisers, also suggested during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” that Obama was considering delaying the tax increase, but he did not elaborate.

In that appearance, and another on ABC’s “This Week,” Axelrod publicly confirmed that Geithner was slated to head the Treasury Department, pending formal nomination and approval by the Senate. . . Axelrod declined to answer questions about Geithner’s role in some recent policy decisions made during the financial crisis, including one not to provide federal aid to Lehman Brothers. He said Geithner has served as “an early warning system in terms of the need for greater regulation, and has been ahead of the curve on a lot of these issues.” Cam Simpson, “Obama Aides Suggest Rollback of Bush Tax Cuts Could Be Delayed,” Wall Street Journal, November 23, 2008.

On the Current Financial Crisis and Financial Bailouts

“Timothy Geithner, 47, has had a seat at the table since the credit crisis erupted in August 2007 and eventually sparked the deep economic downturn the nation is facing now. As a result, at least until his confirmation hearing, he’ll be criticized for having a major role in a government response that hasn’t always instilled confidence in financial markets – even if it prevented a wider financial meltdown.  As the Fed’s man on Wall Street, Mr. Geithner was a key architect of the $30 billion bailout to prevent the bankruptcy of Bear Stearns Cos., leading to charges the government was stoking moral hazard. He shaped the Fed’s lifeline to investment banks that followed, and was among the officials involved in assessing the implications of the troubles around Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers Holdings, American International Group and numerous other firms (from Wachovia to Citigroup) that have come under market pressure.” WSJ Blog, Who is Timothy Geithner? November 21, 2008. 

Personal Tax Negligence

“Obama said Wednesday that the disclosures that Geithner had failed to pay $34,000 in taxes between 2001 and 2004 were embarrassing, but added that Geithner’s “innocent mistake” shouldn’t keep him from taking the helm of the new administration’s urgent efforts to revive the economy. Several Republicans agreed that Geithner would get Senate approval and said their party had little appetite for a partisan fight at a precarious time for the economy.” Associated Press, “Geithner slowed, not stopped by tax problems,” January 15, 2009. 

“I have a new story on what is, for some senators at least, the most frustrating thing about Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner’s tax problem: Geithner can’t explain why he did it. Members of the Senate Finance Committee know Geithner failed to pay self-employment taxes during his time at the International Monetary Fund. They know the IMF had repeatedly informed Geithner, as it had all its employees, of his obligation to pay that tax. They know Geithner signed documents saying he would pay the tax. And they know Geithner accepted IMF reimbursement for Social Security and Medicare taxes that he had not, in fact, paid. Geithner paid part of his obligation after a 2006 Internal Revenue Service audit, and the rest of it after he was nominated to become treasury secretary. In all, he paid $42,702 in back taxes and interest.  But why did Geithner, who had been a high-ranking official at the Treasury Department before joining IMF and would go on to head the New York Fed, make those mistakes?  Senators got a chance to ask him in person last Tuesday after committee leadership broke the news to them in a hastily-called meeting . . .”Since their meeting with Geithner was the first time that most senators had heard of the problem, their questions were not terribly detailed; several of the queries were along the lines of “What were you thinking?” And Geithner’s answers were not terribly satisfying. “He can’t offer a specific reason,” says another source familiar with what went on at the meeting. “He doesn’t really have an answer. He just didn’t know.”  Byron York, Geithner Can’t Explain His Failure to Pay Taxes, NRO The Corner, January 19, 2009.

Miscellaneous

If successfully confirmed by the U.S. Senate and if Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Charlie Rangel (D-NY) refuses to step aside, that would mean the two people most responsible for crafting U.S. tax policy will both be admitted tax cheats, both claiming “lack of knowledge of the law” as an excuse.  [source]

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As a fellow lefty it is easy to see how this comment could be taken out of context – though in truth with the current President could it be a sign of things to come?

WASHINGTON (CNN) — As his first official action after being sworn in, President Barack Obama signed three documents Tuesday, including a proclamation declaring a day of national renewal and reconciliation.

“I’m a lefty. Get used to it,” Obama quipped as he signed his name. “I was told not to swipe the pen.”

The past three presidents signed similar reconciliation proclamations upon being sworn in.

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POSTION: 44th President of the United States of America

NOMINEE: Barack Obama
Born: Honolulu, Hawaii (yes that IS part of the United States), August 4, 1961
Family: Wife, Michelle, and two children.
Occupation: 44th President of the United States, January 20, 2009; U.S. Senator for the state of Illinois, January, 2005 – November, 2008; Illinois State Senator, January, 1997 – November, 2004
Education: Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School magna cum laude 1991

SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

On Roe v. Wade and promoting abortion
“Throughout my career, I’ve been a consistent and strong supporter of reproductive justice, and have consistently had a 100% pro-choice rating with Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. When South Dakota passed a law banning all abortions in a direct effort to have Roe overruled, I was the only candidate for President to raise money to help the citizens of South Dakota repeal that law. When anti-choice protesters blocked the opening of an Illinois Planned Parenthood clinic in a community where affordable health care is in short supply, I was the only candidate for President who spoke out against it. And I will continue to defend this right by passing the Freedom of Choice Act as president.” Obama Statement on 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Decision, January 22, 2008.

Supports forcing private insurers and using federal taxpayer money to pay for abortion“Senator Obama believes that reproductive health care is basic health care. His health care plan will create a new public plan, which will provide coverage of all essential medical services. Reproductive health care is an essential service – just like mental health care and disease management and other preventive services under his plan. And private insurers that want to participate will have to treat reproductive care in the same way.” Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.

Parental Consent on issues of abortion
Opposes , also supports giving the sometime abortifacient, Plan B, to young girls. SOURCE Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.

Voted against stopping ne’er-do-well adults taking minors across state lines for an abortion:
S.Amdt 4335 to S.Con.Res. 70, Roll Call 08-S71, March 13, 2008.

Voted against parental notification of minors who get out-of-state abortions:
S.403, Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, Roll Call 06-216, July 25, 2006.

On taxpayer funding
Voted for increasing taxpayer funding for destructive embryonic stem cell experimentation: S.5/H.R. 3, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, Roll Call 07-127, April 11, 2007.

Voted for increasing funding to Planned Parenthood and similar clinics by $100 million: S.Amdt. 244 to S.Con.Res 18, Appropriation to expand access to preventive health care services, Roll Call 05-75, March 17, 2005.

Opposes Hyde Amendment
(a provision barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortions)
“Obama does not support the Hyde amendment. He believes that the federal government should not use its dollars to intrude on a poor woman’s decision whether to carry to term or to terminate her pregnancy and selectively withhold benefits because she seeks to exercise her right of reproductive choice in a manner the government disfavors.” Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.

Opposes federal support for pregnancy care centers
Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.

Supports full funding for the United Nations Family Planning Fund (UNFPA)
(Evidence shows UNFPA subsidizes coercive abortions)
S. Amdt. 2708 to H.R. 2764, Roll Call 07-320, September 6, 2007

Supports subsidizing international abortion agencies
S.Amdt. 2719 to H.R. 2764, Roll Call 07-319, September 6, 2007

NOTE: Senator Obama co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) in the 109th and 110th Congresses and vowed to an audience at a Planned Parenthood rally that passing FOCA would be the first thing he would do as President (SOURCE.) FOCA would overturn hundreds of state laws on the books that limit abortion. (SOURCE.)

MARRIAGE AND HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA

Voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment: S.J.Res. 1, Roll Call 06-163, June 7, 2006.
Opposes the Defense of Marriage Act:
“Well, it is my strong belief that the government has to treat all citizens equally. I come from that, in part, out of personal experience. When you’re a black guy named Barack Obama, you know what it’s like to be on the outside. And so my concern is continually to make sure that the rights that are conferred by the state are equal for all people. That’s why I opposed DOMA in 2006 when I ran for the United States Senate.” Transcript of LOGO debate on August 9, 2007.
Voted in favor of the Federal Hate Crimes Act: Thought crimes amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization that would establish federal “hate crimes” for certain violent acts based on the actual or perceived race, religion, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation of any person. S. Amdt. 3035, Roll Call No. 07-350, September 27, 2007.
For allowing gays in the military:
“Senator Barack Obama pledges to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – and to help reinstate gays and lesbians kicked out of the military due to this policy” HRC Backstory

Supports special rights for homosexuals
Obama believes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Obama sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Obama ’08 Campaign Flyer.

ON JUDICIAL LITMUS TESTS
“(J)udicial philosophy should be weighted more seriously than such evaluations. We need somebody who’s got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it’s like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it’s like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that’s the criteria by which I’m going to be selecting my judges.” Obama on Judges, Supreme Court, MSNBC, July 17, 2007.

Voted against confirming Samuel Alito (January, 2006) and John Roberts (September, 2005) for the Supreme Court.

MISCELLANOUS
Pro-Abortion payback?

Dawn Johnsen, former NARAL legal director, nominee for Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Legal Counsel.

Ellen Moran, named White House communications director. Emily’s List is a national political action committee that only supports female candidates who favor taxpayer funded abortions and oppose a partial-birth abortion ban.

Melody Barnes, former Emily’s List board member, named director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Thomas Perrelli, the lawyer who represented Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael in his efforts to starve his wife to death, as associate attorney general.

Comments: 8 |

POSTION: Vice President of the United States of America

NOMINEE: Joseph Biden
Born: Scranton, PA, November 20, 1942
Family: Wife, Jill Tract Jacobs, and four children.
Occupation: Vice President of the United States January 20, 2009; U.S. Senator for the state of Delaware, January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009
Education: Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968
Chairmanships in Congress: Foreign Relations: January 2007-2009/June, 2001 – January, 2003/January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001. Judiciary: January, 1987 – January, 1995.

SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
On Roe v. Wade
“I strongly support Roe v. Wade. . . That’s why I led the fight to defeat Bork, Roberts Alito, and Thomas.” 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, MSNBC April 26, 2007.

On protecting the unborn child or minors in cases of abortion
Voted against defining the unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: Amends the definition of the term “targeted low-income child” to provide that such term includes the period from conception to birth, for eligibility for child health assistance. S.Amdt. to S.ConRes.70, Senator Allard Amendment, Roll Call 08-S81, March 14, 2008.

Voted against stopping ne’er-do-well adults taking minors across state lines for an abortion: S.Amdt 4335 to S.Con.Res. 70, Roll Call 08-S71, March 13, 2008.

Voted against parental notification of minors who get out-of-state abortions: S.403, Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, Roll Call 06-216, July 25, 2006.

Voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act: Bill makes it a criminal offense to harm or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime. S.1019/H.R. 1997, Unborn Victims of Violence Act, Roll Call 04-63, March 25, 2004.

Voted for the Partial Birth Abortion Ban: S. 1692, Partial Birth Abortion Ban, Roll Call 99-340, October 21, 1999 (He did not vote on the one that became law in the 108th Congress.)

On taxpayer funding
Voted for increasing taxpayer funding for destructive embryonic stem cell experimentation: S.5/H.R. 3, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, Roll Call 07-127, April 11, 2007.

Voted for increasing funding to Planned Parenthood and similar clinics by $100 million: S.Amdt. 244 to S.Con.Res 18, Appropriation to expand access to preventive health care services, Roll Call 05-75, March 17, 2005.

Voted for taxpayer funding of abortions on military bases: S. 2549, Roll Call 00-134, June 20, 2000.

Voted against banning human cloning: Motion to proceed for S. 1601, Roll Call 98-10, February 11, 1998.

NOTE: Senator Biden co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) in the 102nd and 103rd Congresses but has not since. FOCA would overturn hundreds of state laws on the books that limit abortion.

MARRIAGE AND HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA

Voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment: S.J.Res. 1, Roll Call 06-163, June 7, 2006.

Vote for the Defense of Marriage Act: H.R. 3396, Roll Call 96-280, September 10, 1996.

Voted in favor of the Federal Hate Crimes Act: Thought crimes amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization that would establish federal “hate crimes” for certain violent acts based on the actual or perceived race, religion, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation of any person. S. Amdt. 3035, Roll Call No. 07-350, September 27, 2007.

For allowing gays in the military: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College June 3, 2007.

ON JUDICIAL LITMUS TESTS
“When I got to the United States Senate and went on the Judiciary Committee as a young lawyer, I was of the view … that the only thing that mattered was whether or not a nominee appointed, suggested by the president had a judicial temperament, had not committed a crime of moral turpitude, and was – had been a good student. … [I]t took about five years for me to realize that the ideology of that judge makes a big difference. That’s why I led the fight against Judge Bork.” Vice presidential debate between Democratic Senator Joe Biden and Republican Governor Sarah Palin. The debate was moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Voted against confirming Samuel Alito (January, 2006), John Roberts (September, 2005) and Clarence Thomas (October, 1991) for the Supreme Court.

MISCELLANOUS

Voted against confirming Samuel Alito (January, 2006), John Roberts (September, 2005) and Clarence Thomas (October, 1991) for the Supreme Court.

100% in the Planned Parenthood Scorecard for the 109th Congress.

78% in the Human Rights Campaign Scorecard for the 109th Congress.

0% in the FRCAction Scorecard for the 110th Congress.

Was named a Face for the Future by Time magazine in his freshman senatorial year – in 1974

Joe Biden’s Greatest Hits
The vice president-elect has a reputation for being a lightning rod for controversy due to his penchant of speaking before thinking

His campaign imploded when he was caught plagiarizing from British Labour Party head Neil Kinnock. Rhetorical Question by Michael Crowley, New Republic, October 22, 2001

“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” Senator Joe Biden on Senator Barack Obama

In a June 2006 appearance in New Hampshire, the senator commented on the growth of the Indian-American population in Delaware by saying, “You cannot go into a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. Oh, I’m not joking.” SOURCE

“Better than everybody else. You don’t know my state. My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state is the eighth largest black population in the country. My state is anything from a northeast liberal state,” Biden describing how a Northern liberal could compete in the South.

“I have a record. The good news and the bad news is that I have a record. I have a bad reputation of saying what I think, but I’m going to continue to do that.” Sept. 24, 2007, appearing on The View.

On Rudy Giuliani: “Probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency… There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11.” Oct. 30, 2007, at a Democratic debate.

Senator Biden on Senator Obama’s foreign policy experience:

“If the Democrats think we’re going to be able to nominate someone who can win without that person being able to table unimpeachable credentials on national security and foreign policy, I think we’re making a tragic mistake.”

“It’s a well-intentioned notion he has, but it’s a very naïve way of thinking (sending troops into Pakistan) how you’re going to conduct foreign policy. Having talking points on foreign policy doesn’t get you there.”

“I think he can be ready, but right now I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.” SOURCE

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Are you looking to see politicians stand up for what they believe in? Then I suggest you rent “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Otherwise here is an updated schedule for hearings and votes next week on HRH President-elect Barack Obama’s nominations. To watch the hearings as they are happening tune into the Committee websites or CSPAN.org

Timothy F. Geithner, nominee for Secretary of the Treasury
Hearing date: January 21st, 2009
10:00 A.M.
Location: Senate Finance Committee

Ray LaHood, nominee for Secretary of Transportation
Hearing date: January 21st, 2009
2:00 P.M.
Location: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Scheduled committee vote on Susan Rice, nominee for Ambassador to the United Nations
Vote date: January 23rd, 2009
2:30 P.M.
Location: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

James B. Steinberg, nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Department of State;
Jacob J. Lew, nominee for Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources of the Department of State
Hearing date: January 24th, 2009
2:30 P.M.
Location: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

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POSTION:U.S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS

NOMINEE: Susan Rice

Born: Washington, DC. November 17, 1964

Family: Husband,  Ian O. Cameron, and two children.

Occupation: Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institute

Education: D.Phil. (1990), M.Phil. (1988), Oxford University; B.A., Stanford University, 1986

Clinton White House: Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1997-2001); Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, the National Security Council, the White House (1995-1997); Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping, National Security Council (1993-1995)

Abortion

“Various interest groups and lawmakers issued statements today reacting to Barack Obama’s six-person national security team. Three advocacy groups for women weighed in positively on the three female nominees: Sen. Hillary Clinton, Dr. Susan Rice and AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano: Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards, National Organization for Women president Kim Gandy and Emily’s List’s Ellen Malcolm.”

“Throughout her extensive career in international affairs, Susan Rice has consistently affirmed the responsibility to address the burdens of poverty around the globe and their impact on global health. In addition, she understands the important role the United Nations plays in promoting and protecting women’s health around the world, especially in developing countries. Susan Rice is a passionate and committed advocate for poor women and families around the world. We expect that she will work effectively with other countries to fulfill the UN’s development agenda, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on maternal health, gender equality and AIDS reduction.” – Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards.

“Reproductive health (abortion) is clearly and openly mentioned in the MDGs as a critical component of improving maternal health globally. The fifth of eight Millennium Development Goals is to improve maternal health. Two targets make up that goal: reduce by 3/4 the maternal mortality rate; and, according to the United Nations site about the MDG campaign, ‘achieve universal access to reproductive health care.’ This target clearly states, ‘an unmet need for family planning undermines achievement of several other goals.’”  [source]

Genocide

“At an interagency teleconference in late April, Susan Rice, a rising star on the NSC who worked under Richard Clarke, stunned a few of the officials present when she asked, ‘If we use the word ‘genocide’ and are seen as doing nothing, what will be the effect on the November [congressional] election?’ Lieutenant Colonel Tony Marley remembers the incredulity of his colleagues at the State Department. ‘We could believe that people would wonder that,’ he says, ‘but not that they would actually voice it.’ Rice does not recall the incident but concedes, ‘If I said it, it was completely inappropriate, as well as irrelevant.’” Power, Samantha. “Bystanders to Genocide.” The Atlantic September 2001.

“History demonstrates that there is one language Khartoum understands: the credible threat or use of force. After Sept. 11, 2001, when President Bush issued a warning to states that harbor terrorists, Sudan — recalling the 1998 U.S. airstrike on Khartoum — suddenly began cooperating on counterterrorism. It’s time to get tough with Sudan again . . .After swift diplomatic consultations, the United States should press for a U.N. resolution that issues Sudan an ultimatum: accept unconditional deployment of the U.N. force within one week or face military consequences. The resolution would authorize enforcement by U.N. member states, collectively or individually. International military pressure would continue until Sudan relented. . . If the United States fails to gain U.N. support, we should act without it. Impossible? No, the United States acted without U.N. blessing in 1999 in Kosovo to confront a lesser humanitarian crisis (perhaps 10,000 killed) and a more formidable adversary.” Rice, Susan, Lake, Anthony and Payne, Donald. “We Saved Europeans. Why Not Africans?” The Washington Post. October 2, 2006. 

On Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), nominee for Secretary of State, her potential counterpart at the State Department

“On MSNBC’s “Tucker” yesterday, one of Sen. Barack Obama’s top foreign policy aides, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs Susan Rice, said of Clinton’s 3 am phone call TV ad, ‘Clinton hasn’t had to answer the phone at three o’clock in the morning and yet she attacked Barack Obama for not being ready. They’re both not ready to have that 3 am phone call.’”  [source]

Miscellaneous

“During Bill Clinton’s second term, Rice played a major role in the decision to refuse Sudan’s offer to hand over Bin Laden. According to Richard Miniter, author of Losing bin Laden, Rice persuaded Sandy Berger to turn Sudan down because she doubted its credibility and was offended by its human rights violations. But our ambassador to Sudan argued far more sensibly for calling Khartoum’s ‘bluff.’ Mansoor Ijaz, who was involved in the negotiations with Sudan provides the same account. No doubt, Rice will urge Obama (in the unlikely event he needs urging) to rush into talks with Iran and Syria notwithstanding any reservations about their credibility and human rights records, on the theory of ‘why not; how can it hurt?’ But when offered the opportunity to take out the world’s leading terrorist — as opposed to appeasing rogue terrorist supporting states — Rice drew the line.” [source]

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Here are coronation hearing dates for some of President-elect Obama’s nominees. For more details such as times please go here. To watch the hearings as they are happening tune into CSPAN.org

Tom Daschle, nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services
Hearing date: January 8th, 2009
Location: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

Hilda L. Solis, nominee for Secretary of Labor
Hearing date: January 9th, 2009
Location: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

Hillary Rodham Clinton, nominee for Secretary of State
Hearing date: January 13th, 2009
Location: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Steven Chu, nominee for Secretary of Energy
Hearing date: January 13th, 2009
Location: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Arne Duncan, nominee for Secretary of Education
Hearing date: January 13th, 2009
Location: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

Peter R. Orszag, nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
Robert L. Nabors II, nominee for Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Hearing date: January 13th, 2009
Location: Senate Budget Committee

Shaun Donovan, nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Hearing date: January 13th, 2009
Location: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

Thomas J. Vilsack, nominee for Secretary of Agriculture.
Hearing date: January 14th, 2009
Location: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Lisa P. Jackson nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; Nancy Helen Sutley, nominee for Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality. Hearing date: January 14th, 2009
Location: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

Eric Shinseki, nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Hearing date: January 14th, 2009
Location: Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

Peter R. Orszag, nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
Robert L. Nabors II, nominee for Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Hearing date: January 14th, 2009
Location: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Ken Salazar, nominee for Secretary of the Interior.
Hearing date: January 15th, 2009
Location: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Susan E. Rice, nominee for Representative to the United Nations
Hearing date: January 15th, 2009
Location: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Eric H. Holder, nominee for Attorney General of the United States
Hearing date: January 15th, 2009
Location: Senate Judiciary Committee

Mary Schapiro, nominee for Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission; Christina Romer, nominee for Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors;
Austan Goolsbee and Cecilia Rouse, nominees to be Members of the Council of Economic Advisors;
and Daniel Tarullo, nominee to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Hearing date: January 15th, 2009
Location: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

Janet A. Napolitano, nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security
Hearing date: January 15th, 2009
Location: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

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POSTION: ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY GENERAL

NOMINEE: Thomas J. Perrelli

Born: March 12, 1966

Occupation: Managing Partner of Jenner & Block’s Washington, DC office.

Education: graduated from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, in 1991

Clinton White House: In 1997, served as counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno. He subsequently rose to Deputy Assistant Attorney General, supervising the Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division, which represents virtually every federal agency in complex civil litigation. Perrelli also supervised the Justice Department’s Tobacco Litigation Team in its litigation against the major cigarette manufacturers.

End of Life issues

“An attorney who won an award for representing Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael in his efforts to kill his disabled wife is now an advisor to the transition team of incoming president Barack Obama.

Thomas Perrelli, who raised over $500,000 for the pro-abortion presidential candidate and is the managing partner of a Washington law firm, Jenner & Block LLP, is helping advise Obama on putting together a Justice Department team.

However, Perrelli provided Michael Schiavo with legal advice during his response to the Congressional bill that President Bush signed allowing the Schindler family to take their lawsuit seeking to prevent Terri’s euthanasia death from state to federal courts.

Perrelli led the Jenner & Block team that developed the legal briefs opposing appeals for Michael and he ultimately received the Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Pro Bono Award in October 2006 for representing Terri’s former husband at no cost.

On Michael’s legal team, Perrelli worked with infamous pro-euthanasia attorney George Felos as well as lawyers from the Florida chapter of the ACLU.” 

[source]

Redistricting

Background: “The 2010 midterm elections and the resulting battles over redistricting will shape the future of both political parties. A case challenging the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) is being offered to the Supreme Court, highlighting these political stakes. And President-elect Barack Obama’s Justice Department is about to take center stage in this fight. The Constitution requires legislative districts be redrawn after each decennial national census. The 2010 midterm elections will determine the makeup of all 50 state legislatures. With few exceptions, these legislatures will then draw new lines of all congressional districts, as well as many state legislative districts, for the 2012 election and beyond. A major factor in this redistricting is the Voting Rights Act. A number of VRA’s provisions apply nationwide, originally designed to protect the right of African Americans to vote. But another provision of the law has been challenged in a case that has now been offered to the U.S. Supreme Court. Section Five of the VRA requires certain jurisdictions with a history of egregious racism to go through a special process before they can make any changes affecting voting. Under Section Five, these jurisdictions must get pre-clearance from the U.S. Justice Department before they can redistrict or make any other changes to their election laws or procedures, or get a three-judge panel of the federal district court in D.C. to sign off on the jurisdiction’s plan. The law requires the Justice Department or the federal court to determine whether the changes would have either the purpose or the effect of abridging the right to vote.”  Blackwell, Ken. ”Obama Justice.” Washington Times  Dec. 31, 2008.

“Mr. Perrelli, a former Justice Department official and Harvard Law School classmate of Mr. Obama’s, helped raise $500,000 for the president-elect’s campaign, has worked as an attorney for the recording industry, which has significant business before the Justice Department, and represented Democratic lawmakers and voters involved in politically charged redistricting cases, an issue certain to rise again with the 2010 census.” Dinan, Stephen. “Obama’s Justice Picks Draws Ire of Pro-lifers.” Jan. 6, 2009.

Miscellaneous

Close friendship with President-elect Obama

“At Harvard, (Cassandra) Butts was moot court partners with Perrelli, who first met Obama at the dinner party and served as his managing editor on the Harvard Law Review. Perrelli, a Washington lawyer who had never been a fundraiser, would go on to collect more than $500,000 for Obama’s presidential campaign. He is now part of the Department of Justice transition team. 

‘We have all been friends together, and we found a common enterprise through Barack,’ Perrelli said. Perrelli occupied seat 151 of professor Laurence Tribe’s constitutional law class in the fall 1989 semester – just a few feet away from Obama (seat 26) and two others who would prove vital to his ambitions: Julius Genachowski (93) and Michael Froman (103).”

[source]

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It appears that some of former President Bill Clinton’s donors to his foundation are raising some eyebrows on how it will affect his wife’s new role as President-elect Obama’s Secretary of State. According to the AP:

Saudi Arabia and other foreign governments gave at least $46 million, while corporate donors included the Blackwater security firm that protects U.S. diplomats in Iraq . . .

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gave $10 million to $25 million to the foundation, and other government donors included Norway, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Italy and Jamaica. The Dutch national lottery gave $5 million to $10 million . . .

The list also underscores ties between the Clintons and India, a connection that could complicate diplomatic perceptions of whether Hillary Clinton can be a neutral broker between India and neighboring Pakistan in a region where Obama will face an early test of his foreign policy leadership.

Amar Singh, a donor in the $1 million to $5 million category, is an Indian politician who played host to Bill Clinton on a visit to India in 2005 and met Hillary Clinton in New York in September to discuss an India-U.S. civil nuclear agreement.

Two other Indian interests gave between $500,000 and $1 million each.
Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei and Oman gave $1 million to $5 million each.
Saudi businessman Nasser Al-Rashid gave $1 million to $5 million.
Friends of Saudi Arabia and the Dubai Foundation each gave $1 million to $5 million, as did the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office.
China Overseas Real Estate Development and the U.S. Islamic World Conference each gave $250,000 to $500,000.
No. 97 on the Forbes billionaire list, Ethiopian-Saudi business tycoon Sheikh Mohammed H. Al-Amoudi.
Issam Fares, a former deputy prime minister of Lebanon.
Lukas Lundin, chairman of oil, gas and mining businesses including Tanganyika Oil Company Ltd., an international oil and gas exploration and production company with interests in Syria, and Vostok Nafta Investment Ltd., an investment company that focuses on Russia and other former Soviet republics.

For a complete list of Clinton Foundation contributors:http://www.clintonfoundation.org/contributors

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POSTION: ATTORNEY GENERAL

NOMINEE: Eric Holder, Jr.

Born: New York City, Jan. 21, 1951.

Family: Wife, Dr. Sharon Malone, and three children.

Occupation: Partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm Covington & Burling

Education: Doctorate from Columbia Law School in 1976

Judicial appointment: President Reagan nominated Holder for associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in 1988; served five years.

Clinton White House: Nominated by President Clinton in 1993 for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a position he held for four years; appointed Clinton’s deputy attorney general in 1997.

Hate Crimes

“Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder testified in support of the legislation, indicating that it would strengthen federal-state law enforcement capabilities without encroaching upon state responsibilities. He also denied the claim, made by some federal officials in the past, that the federal law enforcement agencies would be overwhelmed if the bill were passed to include new hate crime categories prohibiting bias crimes based sex, sexual orientation and disability.” NOW website, June 7, 1999

Prosecution of Porn Peddlers

“Some civil libertarians worry that Eric Holder will be inclined to continue the Bush administration’s crusade against pornography. They cite a June 1998 memo in which he told U.S. attorneys that obscenity prosecutions should focus on “cases involving large-scale distributors who realize substantial income from multistate operations and cases in which there is evidence of organized crime involvement” but added that “cases involving relatively small distributors can have a deterrent effect.” The Clinton administration’s actual track record in this area, however, consisted almost entirely of cases involving child pornography. “We continue to make these [child porn] cases a priority,” Holder says in the memo. Social conservatives often complained that the Clinton administration was not interested in taking on pornography made by and for consenting adults. We probably can look forward to hearing such complaints again under the Obama administration.”  [source]

Elian Gonzalez Fiasco

“Mr. Holder said his agents were heavily armed when they entered the house because they had ‘intelligence that the possibility existed there were guns in the house. We had to make sure our people were protected and they were in a position to protect people within the house. I don’t know if there were any guns in the house. I don’t know if they found any guns. We had to deal, however, with the intelligence we had that we got from local sources and make sure everybody was adequately protected.’ Apparently no guns were found.” (Jerry Seper and Clarence Williams, “Holder Defends Sudden Raid For Elian,” The Washington Times, 4/24/00)

Bill Clinton’s Presidential Pardons

Holder played a major role in the decision to grant clemency to 16 former members of the Puerto Rican terrorist group the Armed Forces Of National Liberation (FALN). “Holder . . .has played major roles in the probe of Democratic funny-money in the 1996 elections, the Sexgate scandal and the recommendation to President Clinton on whether to free FALN terrorists from jail. A list of FALN documents withheld from Congress shows that many memos on the FALN clemency decision went directly to Holder, while Reno’s role was minimal.” (Brian Blomquist, “Ailing Reno Yielding Reins Of Justice,” New York Post, 12/15/99)

“As deputy attorney general under President Clinton, Mr. Holder reviewed the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.” (Jim McElhatton, “GOP Hits Another Obama Adviser,” The Washington Times, 6/13/08)

Second Amendment

As Deputy Attorney General, Holder was a strong supporter of restrictive gun control. He advocated federal licensing of handgun owners, a three day waiting period on handgun sales, rationing handgun sales to no more than one per month, banning possession of handguns and so-called ‘assault weapons’ (cosmetically incorrect guns) by anyone under age of 21, a gun show restriction bill that would have given the federal government the power to shut down all gun shows, national gun registration, and mandatory prison sentences for trivial offenses (e.g., giving your son an heirloom handgun for Christmas, if he were two weeks shy of his 21st birthday). He also promoted the factoid that ‘Every day that goes by, about 12, 13 more children in this country die from gun violence’–a statistic is true only if one counts 18-year-old gangsters who shoot each other as ‘children.’ (Sources: Holder testimony before House Judiciary Committee, Subcommitee on Crime, May 27, 1999; Holder Weekly Briefing, May 20, 2000.) After the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the D.C. handgun ban and self-defense ban were unconstitutional in 2007, Holder complained that the decision “opens the door to more people having more access to guns and putting guns on the streets.” [source]

US Attorney Mixed Record?

“Eric Holder gets good national press, but some of those who know something about his activities in DC know better. As a lackluster local US Attorney, he not only sat on information concerning police and water department corruption, his staff regularly signed off on excessive police overtime to keep cops friendly to the prosecutors. Holder was also instrumental in getting law changes that made jury trials more difficult for certain defendants.” – Progressive Review, 1998

One of Holder’s predecessors, Joseph DiGenova, says, “When you have corruption staring you in the face, and you fail to act, you should resign. You can’t worry about judgeships or your next job. And this from former city auditor Otis Troupe: “For years, in audit after audit, and in newspaper article after newspaper articles, we have established fact patterns that constitute crimes. And in all but a handful of case, nobody did anything in the prosecutor’s office.” – Progressive Review, 1997

As US Attorney, Eric Holder was the guy who indicted Dan Rostenkowsi and was responsible for his eventual conviction.

Waco

There have been questions about his role in the Justice Department’s conduct in Waco: “The federal prosecutor who raised questions about a possible Justice Department cover-up in the Waco standoff was abruptly removed from the case along with his boss, according to a court filing made public Tuesday.
Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder recused U.S. Attorney James W. Blagg in San Antonio and assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Johnston in Waco, Texas, from any further dealings in criminal or civil proceedings related to the siege.
Holder appointed the U.S. attorney in a neighboring district as a “special attorney to the U.S. attorney general.” Michelle Mittelstadt, September 14, 1999, Associated Press,

Miscellaneous

His firm, Covington and Burling, lobbies for the NFL and was a major player in the passage of the Internet Gambling bill.  Eric Holder did not play any part in those negotiations.

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SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

NOMINEE: Thomas Daschle

BIRTH DATE: Dec. 9, 1947

EDUCATION: B.A. in political science, South Dakota State University, 1969.

FAMILY: Wife, Linda Hall Daschle; three children from a previous marriage.

FRC SCORECARD: 107^th Second Session: 22%, 108^th First Session: 14%, 108^th Second Session: 17%

EXPERIENCE: distinguished senior fellow, Center for American Progress; special public policy adviser, Alston & Bird; Senate minority leader, 2003-2005; Senate majority leader, 2001-2003; Senate minority leader, 1995-2001; U.S. Senate, 1987-2005; U.S. House of Representatives, 1979-1986; aide to Sen. James Abourezk, 1972-77; representative for financial investment firm; intelligence officer, U.S. Air Force, 1969-72.

HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE: Co-wrote one book and a few papers on the subject while with the liberal organization Center for American Progress.

Comments on Health Care

“Many believe wrongly that we have the best health system in the world . . . One of the most urgent priorities in this nation is making its health system accessible and affordable for all.” Daschle. Thomas, Paying “More but Getting Less: Myths and the Global Case for U.S. Health Reform,” Center for American Progress, November 2005.

“Daschle’s solution lies in the Federal Reserve Board, which has overseen the equally complicated financial system with great success.  A Fed-like health board would offer a public framework within which a private health-care system can operate more effectively and efficiently . . . Daschle argues that this independent board would create a single standard of care and exert tremendous influence on every other provider and payer, even those in the private sector.”  Excerpt: “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis,” by Senator Tom Daschle with Scott S. Greenberger and Jeanne M. Lambrew, February, 2008

“For the most part, Daschle’s views on health-care policy are predictable for a Democratic politician with long service in the Congress . . . the toolbox he is looking through is the same one other Democrats are also reaching for: mandates on individuals and businesses to buy or offer coverage; new government-run insurance options for the under-65 population; a national governmental agency offering anyone who wants it to sign up for insurance outside of work; large new subsidy programs; and much more government involvement in determining what is and is not effective medical care . . . Daschle is no free-market reformer. He believes the solution is to entrust government-run health care to people more trustworthy than HHS bureaucrats or elected members of Congress . . . In Daschle’s vision, such a board would be charged with making the big and controversial decisions – like what should or should not be covered by insurance plans – without having to answer to the public. Of course, this would be a nightmare scenario for those fearful of government intrusion into the practice of medicine. Once up and running, such a Board would inevitably accrue more power and authority, becoming the choke point for all crucial decisions. And the public would have little recourse to ever undo it.” Capretta, James, “Daschle’s Health-Care Plan,” National Review, August 27, 2008.

Pro-Life Record

Taxpayer funding of abortions: June 20, 2000, voted for taxpayer funded abortions on military bases

[Source]

Parental rights/Morning after pill: Voted against a Helm’s Amendment in 2000 that would have prevented taxpayers paying for the morning after pill being distributed to school girls. 

[Source]

Roe v. Wade:

March 12, 2003, voted for a Senate resolution endorsing Roe v. Wade.

[Source]

Partial Birth Abortion: July 25, 2002, Senator Daschle, as Majority Leader, was key on blocking the Partial Birth Abortion Ban coming to a vote in the Senate that year, despite voicing support for the legislation. “(A)bortion rights advocates are counting on the majority leader, Senator Tom Daschle, Democrat of South Dakota, to prevent a bill from coming to the floor. ‘The Senate is our firewall,’ one abortion rights supporter said.”  Hulse, Carl, “An Abortion Bill Passes, But to an Uncertain Fate,” New York Times, July 25, 2002.

Unborn Victims of Violence: March 25, 2004, voted for an alternative to the Unborn Victims Bill, the measure that provides protection and justice for women and children like Laci and Conner Peterson who are victims of violence that would have been far weaker. The measure Daschle backed would deny that the baby had suffered any injuries or death in such an attack.

[Source]

Tax and Reporting Problems

“Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter.” Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998, p. S4507.

According to the lead article in today’s Washington Post, Tom Daschle ‘waited nearly a month after being nominated to be secretary of health and human services before informing Barack Obama that he had not paid years of back taxes for the use of a car and driver provided by a wealthy New York investor.’ If President Obama were really serious about ending business as usual, he would immediately withdraw the nomination of someone who was cheating big-time on his taxes and who didn’t level with Obama about the problem at the outset.  [Source] Of course, if he were really serious about ending business as usual, he would never have selected for a major Cabinet position a former senator of no discernible talent who, while he was a senator, enabled his wife to leverage his status to become a super-lobbyist and who on leaving the Senate cashed in his access to his former colleagues for millions of dollars a year.” Ed Whelan, “Limousine Liberal,” NRO The Corner, February 1, 2009. 

Miscellaneous

Senator Daschle supported expanding taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell experimentation as U.S. Senator. [Source]

Senator Daschle was “disowned” by his Catholic bishop due to his strong anti-abortion stance.

“The Senate minority leader and the highest ranking Democrat in Washington has been sent a letter by his home diocese of Sioux Falls, sources in South Dakota have told The Weekly Standard, directing him to remove from his congressional biography and campaign documents all references to his standing as a member of the Catholic Church.” Bottom, J., “Tom Daschle’s Duty to Be Morally Coherent,” The Weekly Standard, April 17, 2003.

Comments: 4 |

The Washington Post reports today that the very impressive e-mail and cell phone number lists that Obama’s political campaign amassed will now be moving over to the White House to be used as an action arm of the Administration to get those who supported Obama during the campaign to defend his policy decisions.  Any potential legality aside I am worried how a President could very easily misuse this technology.  Candidate Obama used this technology to try to shut down media outlets that gave a voice to any dissenters and also used it to falsely malign two writers, Stanley Kurtz and David Freddoso.

The Post article states that the Obama transition team is already using the list to tackle probably the biggest “change” that the Obama Administration is preparing for –  some form of universal healthcare.  President-elect Obama’s choice for HHS Secretary, former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD), has already had a conference call with 1,000 of the people from the list and also has “met with more than 100 insiders,” though the only two groups the article names are supporters of taxpayer funded abortions, AARP and Families USA.

Mr. Daschle also praises the suggestions from the taxpayer funded transition site Obama’s campaign have set up for comments, “‘We want to make sure you understand how important those comments and your contributions are,’ Daschle says into the camera. ‘Already we’ve begun to follow through with some of the ideas.’ Daschle praises the suggestion of creating a ‘Health Corps’ of volunteers, modeled after President John F. Kennedy’s Peace Corps.”

Actually, someone else thought the Health Corps idea was so great that it was created 35 years ago.

Daschle then closes with a quote reassuring people that facts won’t matter as much as anecdotes – so keep those stories coming in!

Stay tuned for more on the incoming HHS Secretary…

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There is an irony in the taunts thrown at Christians that they are “intolerant” and “bigoted.” Throughout history it has been Christians and others of strong religious faith who have spoken out and fought for those who are truly oppressed. Most notably the abolition of slavery was led by Christians like William Wilberforce in England and Thomas Jefferson Randolph, grandson of Thomas Jefferson, in the United States. And of course the civil rights movement of the 1960′s found its leader in the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

However it is Christians and African-Americans who are being attacked, alongside Mormons, because of the leadership and support they gave the successful push for a marriage amendment in California’s state constitution. Tony spoke on some of the despicable discrimination reigning down on Mormons last week. Over the weekends homosexual activists have been harassing church goers and also African-Americans (presumably because of the large number of African-Americans in California who voted for the Amendment.) At one anti-opposite-sex marriage protest in Los Angeles homosexuals hurled racial epitaphs and threatening violence towards African-Americans who support gay “marriage.” (WARNING: some innapropriate ads on that link)

In a different situation an elderly woman carrying a cross was attacked by homosexual activists and her cross was taken from her and stomped upon (see the end of this video here.) In certain areas of California churches are reporting vandalism and/or protestors seeking to stop worshippers from entering the church.

If pro-marriage supporters used racial slurs and held such violent protests they would be rightfully condemned by the national media and politicians So far there has not been a peep in the national news on these incidents – and as for politicians, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told the homosexual protestors “(t)hey should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done.” And that he hopes the courts will once again overrule the will of the people.

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There is a lot of things in the Connecticut Supreme Court same-sex “marriage” case to  either laugh or cry about.  There is one section in the majority decision where the four judges who invented the same-sex “marriage” right in the state of Connecticut make the argument that because homosexuals are underrepresented in the political, business and academic world that they are being discriminated against. 

“Insofar as gay persons play a role in the political process, it is apparent that their numbers reflect their status as a small and insular minority. It recently has been noted that, of the more than one-half million people who hold a political office at the local, state and national level, only about 300 are openly gay persons.  Andersen v. King County, supra, 158 Wash. 2d 105 (Bridge, J., concurring in dissent); see also R. La Corte, ”State Legislature Has Second-Largest Gay Caucus in U.S.” (January 24, 2008) (putting figure at about 400 openly gay persons), available at  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004140976_webgaycaucus23.html?syn. No openly gay person ever has been appointed to a United States Cabinet position or to any federal appeals court, or served in the United States Senate, and only two currently serve in the United States House of Representatives. See ”Current Members of the United States Congress,” available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_Senators. Gay persons also lack representation in the highest levels of business, industry and academia. For example, no openly gay person heads a Fortune 500 company; G. Shister, ”Gay Chief Executives Come Out Winners” (January 28, 2008), available at http://web.archive.org/web/20080129030005/http:/www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080128_Gay_chief_executives_come_out_winners.html; and it has been estimated that there are only fourteen openly gay college and university presidents or chancellors; see ”An Openly Gay Chancellor Heads to Madison, Wis.,” Chronicle of Higher Education News Blog (May 29, 2008), available at http://chronicle.com/news/article/?id=4574; a number that represents only one half of 1 percent of such positions nationwide.”

I am troubled that a court document uses Wikipedia as a credible source (talk about some lazy law clerks!).  According to this article a search of all federal and all state court decisions ever made revealed that 247 have cited Wikipedia, despite Wikipedia telling users not to cite them as a reliable source.

What is of deeper concern is the logic in the judges’ paragraph.  Do the judges actually believe that homosexuals are a put upon class in society?  A Comm Group/G Society study released in October 2001 shows that the median household income of homosexual households is $65,000 – compared to the national average of $40,800. Also, 47 percent of homosexual men and 40 percent of lesbians hold professional or managerial jobs – more than twice the figure for the general population. 

As for fortune 500 companies, The Human Rights Campaign themselves cite that of the top ten companies in the Fortune 500 nine (90 percent) prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, five (50 percent) prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and eight (80 percent) provide partner health benefits.  The numbers they cite for the rest of the 500 are similar.

Also does the judge honestly believe that college campuses are hostile to the homosexual agenda?  What colleges are they visiting?  And why cite the number of homosexuals in these fields anyway.  Why not also in the entertainment/news industry?  According to Peter Sprigg in his InFocus paper, “Homosexual Groups Back Off From ’10 Percent’ Myth,” about 1.4 million Americans identify themselves as homosexual.  In comparison at least 125 million Americans identify themselves as “born-again” or “evangelical.”  Between homosexuals and Evangelicals which selected group is more prevalent in Hollywood? Homosexuals would be a good guess. Which group is better portrayed unfairly?  Evangelicals by far.

There is much wrong with the majority opinion from the Connecticut Supreme Court, its inexplicable use of random statistics about supposed unfilled quotas to justify its unjustifiable decision is just one of them.

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While it has been a few years since I focused strictly on fiscal issues this bailout plan is troubling me (and that is not just because Hugo Chavez has basically endorsed it).  Whenever the Federal Government demands that “this needs to be passed now” and “trust us,” my first feeling is one of great doubt.

I agree with National Review’s (NR) assessment that something needs to be done and that it needs to insure strong conservative ideas (something I am not seeing coming from the White House or the Senate).  Others, including NR, have analyzed some of the even more socialistic proposals coming from the Democrats such as government controlled CEO pay and allowing judges to set and change mortgage rates.  

I have seen nothing however addressing what I see as a huge problem – there appears to be no withdrawal plan (or “exit strategy” as Code Pink might say).  Once the market rights itself what will the federal government do to extract itself from this huge takeover and involvement?  Every indication seems to point that they plan on sticking around for quite a while.

Since last Friday I have been inundated with an unprecedented number of e-mails and daily requests to be on White House phone calls where it appears the only

people allowed to ask questions are those who support the plan (I say this knowing myself and others – all of us with questions – have not been called on to comment during the Q and A sections of the calls, despite repeated attempts to do so.)  The e-mails coming from the White House have been your typical talking points and “what others are saying” sheets.

However the one I received yesterday titled “A Lot Of That Money – And Maybe All Of It – Will Come Back: The Financial Rescue Plan Will Not Be A Handout,

But A Purchase Of Assets That Are Expected To Be Repaid Over Time” stood out.  This handout is telling us all the things that others are saying on how the Paulsen plan will make the government money and potentially even bring back a profit.  Is there no one disturbed that if this is true that once the government makes money they will be more reluctant to get out of the market? 

Additionally, say the government does make the money back and even makes a profit – what happens with that money?  The Congress has no plans to cut spending to make up for the billions of dollars going to this bailout so this is money on top of the trillions they are already spending.  “(P)erhaps the eventual profits can fund new investments in infrastructure or energy technology,” is one of the quotes from the White House handout.  And today it has been revealed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is looking to add to the proposal that any profits from the takeover be directed to groups like ACORN, which is infamous for violating election laws while receiving over 50 percent of its budget from the taxpayers.  Neither the White House or the Democratic Leadership has suggested “we will pay for this by cutting Washington’s already out of control spending – and we will return the money and any profits to the American taxpayer directly.”

Is it any wonder fiscally minded Americans are not swallowing this bitter tasting medicine coming from DC?

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