Redstate

Posted at 4:07pm on May 15, 2008 Breaking: No Money For The War, Leave Iraq In 30 Days, Fix The Levees And HelpThe Unemployed

By haystack

The Democrat strategy of sneaking a bill to the floor they had over 450 days to get through Committee and Amendment and debate has succeeded. Obey and the Democrats have given Pelosi her trophy.

Using three votes on H R 2642 (Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act) this is how things turned out.

On funding 162 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan:

Yeas 141, Nays 149, "Present" 132, Not Voting 12

On troop withdrawal in 30 days:

Yeas 227, Nays 196, Not Voting 11

On spending 21 billion on levees in New Orleans, extending Unemployment Insurance, and Taxing small business:

Yeas 256, Nays 166, Not Voting 12

Decorum...and site posting rules preclude my adding any personal commentary on this news...the title speaks it more cleanly than I can muster within this post.

Posted in Congress | Democrats | Iraq Funding | Surrender to win — Comments (23)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:08pm on May 13, 2008 Sunlight is Running the Numbers on Congressional Wealth

By NishaT

Cross posted from the Sunlight Foundation

Just as members of Congress are filing their latest annual personal disclosure reports (due this Thursday), we are launching "Fortune 535," a new Web site which lets you track how much, or how little, lawmakers' wealth has grown during the past 11 years -- the period of time from which lawmakers' personal financial data is available.

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Posted at 2:25pm on May 11, 2008 The Government That Fails Them

By haystack

The problem with our Government is not Democrats or Republicans, per se, but with the collective need to do whatever it takes to get and keep power. This never-ending opportunistic positioning on issues, with little regard for any who might suffer from the effects, fails all of "we the People" and the Government should be ashamed of itself...though we have a better chance of finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow than ever seeing sincere humility and embarrassment come from any of our Political Heroes in Washington.

The political football that is Iraq is being as poorly handled as any issue in my memory, and our Warfighters and Veterans (those we should most concern ourselves with) are being failed on almost every level. I blame the President. I blame the Department of Defense. I blame Veterans Affairs. Most of all, I blame Congress. While most of these issues with Soldiers and Veterans lie squarely in the lap of the DoD and the VA, Congress owns the lion's share of blame for not fixing this mess because they hold the checkbook and they aren't doing what needs doing: writing the damn checks.

Let's start with the New York Times piece, The Suffering of Soldiers:

Several years into a pair of wars, the Department of Veterans Affairs is struggling to cope with a task for which it was tragically unready: the care of soldiers who left Afghanistan and Iraq with an extra burden of brain injury and psychic anguish. The last thing they need is the toxic blend of secrecy, arrogance and heedlessness that helped to send many of them into harm’s way.

Quick cheap shot at the President aside, the NYT's Editorial board is on to something. But, before we look at the rest of this "opinion" piece, let's pile on a few more things for emphasis.

More below the fold...

Posted in Congress | Iraq Funding | veterans — Comments (32) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:54pm on May 10, 2008 Why I Resigned From the GOP Today

By Roger Allan

The recent raid of the FLDS compound in Texas started a quest for me and that quest has led me to an epiphany on many issues.

I have spent a lot of time over the last year reading the writings of the Founding Fathers, the teachings of some of today's greatest Conservative thinkers and I have also had many, many conversations with attorneys and judges that support the Constitution as written. I have been struggling with a lot of issues trying to “balance” my opinions. The FLDS raid pushed me over the edge and made me realize we have a serious problem, and it isn’t polygamy.

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Posted at 1:22am on May 9, 2008 A New Committee & "Young Guns"

By Whitehorse

In the focus on Republican congressional hopes & woes I bring this post.

Boehner's GOP fix: A new committee

Faced with dire predictions of an electoral bloodbath in November, House Republican leader John A. Boehner responded Wednesday by creating a committee to advise the National Republican Congressional Committee.

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Posted at 1:20am on May 7, 2008 Newt's Plea to Republicans: It's Time for Real Change to Avoid Real Disaster

By Whitehorse

The Republican loss in the special election for Louisiana's Sixth Congressional District last Saturday should be a sharp wake up call for Republicans: Either Congressional Republicans are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to suffer decisive losses this November.

I have to agree with Gingrich on this one. It may not mean that republicans retake the majority in November; (not many scenarios show that possibility) however, it could "stop the bleeding" & chart a course for retaking the majority in future elections and really doing something spectacularly good with that majority.

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Posted at 1:47pm on May 2, 2008 Democrat Congress Hostage Crisis: US Soldiers STILL Awaiting Rescue

More than 440 Days and counting, Pelosi and Reid set to exceed Iran's adventure in holding Americans hostage...

By haystack

Surely everyone remembers the 444 days of helplessness we all felt when Iranian goons took over our embassy, holding America (and that terrorist-hugging President that failed us so miserably when we needed him most) hostage? Well, according to Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are about to BEAT that 444 number....and our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines still await help from home:

It has now been more than 440 days since the original supplemental was sent to Congress – while pieces were passed, the entire bill has languished. There has been more than enough time for Democrats to act. This bill must be passed before the Memorial Day recess and the shameful tactics of the Democratic leadership have only ensured its defeat.

Back in February, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell made very clear what was at stake regarding this supplemental bill:

“We need that money as soon as possible so there is no disruption to our warfighting efforts and not a disruption to our soldiers’ lives, both in the field and their families at home,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters during a news conference.

SecDef Gates also stated back in February that a delay in the supplemental “degrades our ability to operate and sustain our force at home and in theater and makes it difficult to manage this department in a way that is fiscally sound.” Defense Department Comptroller Tina W. Jonas (also back in February) suggested that "the Army will run out of money to pay troops in June and will be unable to fund operations in July if the department doesn’t receive the emergency supplemental funds soon."

The Army stated back in November that it "would have to furlough civilian employees and close bases if emergency supplemental funding earmarked for installation operations and maintenance wasn’t approved by Congress." [Ft. Bragg, anyone? Walter Reed's Building 18 perhaps?] As Morrell put it , “we are soon going to be confronted with the same situation we found ourselves in at the end of last year, having to look down the barrel of the frightening prospect of running out of operations and maintenance money, from which we pay our forces and do lots of other things in the global war on terror.”

Guess how important this is to Harry Reid (subscription required):

“I think we’ll do our best to finish this before the Memorial Day break, but if we don’t, it’s no big deal. There’s money there. I don’t know why there is a rush to judgment, this is moving along quite rapidly. We’re not behind schedule. Everything’s fine."

No big deal, huh? Ask the mom with 2 kids at home while Dad's at war if it's a big deal Harry, when she doesn't get that paycheck. In fact, hunker down in a firefight with no ammunition left and see if this is "no big deal" Harry...

More on the "shameful tactics of the Democratic leadership" below the fold...

Posted in Congress | Congress Fails America | Ineptitude | Supplemental Bill | The Costs of Partisanship | War — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:02pm on May 1, 2008 Nancy Pelosi's House strikes a blow against Higher Ed

By Erick

Who knew Nancy Pelosi was a closet conservative? Through her own inaction she has let the Higher Education Act expire.

The Senate had passed a one month extension while they work out details, but Nancy never bothered to do the same. Consequently, the legislation expired. The impact won't be substantial because of other laws, but a number of advisory committees, etc. no longer exist.

Well done!

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Posted at 9:32am on May 1, 2008 Keep this Obamination out of the White House

By trueblackman

Senator Barack Obama and his supporters claim that he is being treated unfairly as they seek to defuse the controversy surrounding his former Pastor Reverend Wright

Obama in the wake of the recent back and forth between himself and Reverend Wright finally chose to disown him and his radical accusations and statements, but this is only one of his many connections to radical elements in our society and now that the head is off the Trojan Horse, it is time to look deeper into it.

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Posted at 11:44pm on Apr. 29, 2008 The Pelosi Power Grab

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

I trust that those who worry about an imperial Presidency will strive to remember that we face the threat of an imperial Speakership as well. Of course, this maneuver should backfire; Senate Republicans will likely serve as a backstop to any legislation that circumvents the committee process in order to support their House colleagues. But let it be noted that there is no reason whatsoever to do this save Nancy Pelosi's desire to stick it to Republicans. And as I have noted before, all of this represents yet another broken campaign promise.

Posted in Congress | Nancy Pelosi | The Imperial Speakership — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:29pm on Apr. 29, 2008 Hillary Seeks Record $2.3 Billion in Earmarks

By patriotroom

It looks like Hillary is the reigning queen of pork. From The Hill.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has requested nearly $2.3 billion in federal earmarks for 2009, almost three times the largest amount received by a single senator this year.

The Democratic presidential candidate’s staggering request comes at a time when Congress remains engaged in a heated debate over spending federal dollars on parochial projects.

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Posted at 2:26pm on Apr. 28, 2008 If gasoline climbs to $10/gal., I'm buying a horse.

By scottbomb

This article is truly frightening. I drive a Honda Civic which gets about 30 mi./gal. If these folks are right, it may soon cost me about $120 to fill my tank. My gasoline will therefore cost more than the rent on my apartment. Dear God, please let me buy a horse. I doubt I'll be able to talk the apartment management into it so I may have to move.

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Posted at 11:26am on Apr. 26, 2008 More Fingerpointing at Rep. Wm. Jefferson (D-LA) and Brother Mose

By Vladimir

In 2004, one of the partners of high-powered New Orleans law firm Adams and Reese was caught having transferred some $30 million from a clients' trust account into his personal Swiss bank account.

Not blogworthy.

Of course, this guy was a "gaming" specialist, and the alleged web of intrigue extends to former Governor and current Federal "guest" Edwin W. Edwards (D) and associates.

Not blogworthy.

But this scrumptious little tidbit is buried in the article, which should be of interest to my fellow RedStaters: in the process of giving back the $30 million and getting right with Jesus, said barrister claimed knowledge of seven-figure bribes paid to Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) and his brother and partner-in-crime Mose Jefferson, with the intention of influencing Jefferson protege and disgraced former New Orleans DA Eddie Jordan. Furthermore, he alleges that the information was turned over to Federal prosecutors and ignored.

HI-YO! Please read on...

Posted in $90000 | Congress | IN HIS FREEZER!! | Mose Jefferson | William Jefferson — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:43pm on Apr. 25, 2008 What's the price of gasoline, Nancy?

She doesn't have a clue.

By Mark Kilmer

From where I sit and type these words, gasoline is $3.59/gallon at the nearest Sheetz. The Speaker of the People's House – to whom we fondly refer with her given name, Nancy – just told TV talkshow host Larry King that it was $2.59 on average but higher in California. King corrected her: the national average is $3.50. She said, "Oh, it's $3.50. It's down 6-cents."

In orbit without a clue, Nancy soldiers on.

Here'a the vid:

Posted in clueless | Congress | Nancy Pelosi — Comments (40)/ Email this page » / Read More »