Bob Bennett: Consistent and Tone Deaf



Boston Harbor, 1773

Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago last night (can it really be just a "coincidence?"), a group of colonists disguised as Indians boarded British merchant ships and dumped an estimated £10,000 worth of tea into Boston Harbor.

John Adams described that moment in our history as the “grandest event which has ever yet happened since the controversy with Britain opened.”  The struggle for independence from Britain would drag on for eight long and frustrating years before the American dream of freedom became reality as the British redcoats succumbed to the ragtag band of patriots and the Revolutionary War finally ended. 

Many people believe the Boston Tea Party was just a protest about an unfair tax.  But it was infinitely more than that.  The 1773 Tea Party was a manifestation of the colonists' protest against the process by which the British government taxed them.  It was the methods the British throne was using to govern them that aroused them to action.

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

Last night, our forefathers would have been proud.  Another major victory against what can only be described as a tyrannical process was won when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) was forced to drop his $1.27 trillion, 1,924-page omnibus spending bill.  Orrin Hatch (R-UT) called this bill "dreadful" and opposed it vociferously.  He's gone to school on Bennett's demise, and is already running hard in his all out social media blitz to bid for re-election in 2012.

The problem with Reid’s omnibus spending bill was not just its size, but the process by which it was drafted and forced on the American people.  There was no committee review.  No one was given the chance to read the bill before it came up for a vote.  It was being crammed down at the last minute again. 

The utter collapse of this "dreadful" bill was a complete rejection of that way of doing business in Washington.  It's historic in its implications because it came at the end of the 111th Congress, the lowest rated Congress since Gallup has recorded public opinion. 

Senator John McCain (R–AZ) told National Review:  “I know this is a seminal moment, because for the first time since I’ve been here, we stood up and said ‘enough.’”  Classic quote!!

Lame Duck Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT)

Last night’s victory could not have happened without the modern reincarnation of the Tea Party.  Here's the saddest part of the story for me personally.  Once again, lame duck Senator Bob Bennett (R–UT), who was resoundingly rejected at the nominating convention, lined up on the wrong side of history on his way out the door after eighteen years.  He was working “actively to round up as many as nine potential Republican votes” for the omnibus bill.  He never heard the electorate, and continues to turn a deaf ear right to the bitter end.  "That's my intention," Bennett told The Hill when asked if he would support the package.  Bennett said earmarks in the bill might give some of his GOP colleagues reason to hesitate but wouldn't affect his vote. "It will be tough for some, but not for me," he said.  During his re-election bid he not only refused to oppose the earmark practice, he defended it.  And we all know how that ended at the convention.

The bill was tinselled with over 6,000 earmarks worth $8 billion, a "mere fraction" of the total size of the bill, but come on, they're trying to pull this crap within a month and a half of a stunning repudiation of the "business as usual" way of doing things in Washington D.C.?  Even President Obama described it as a "shellacking."  It appears, the will of the American people will not be denied, even in this lame duck Congress.

To counter Bennett's actions among his Republican colleagues, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R–KY) worked in direct opposition to Bennett with those nine Republicans.  Many of them are members of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  McConnell asked them to drop their support for the bill. 

Senator Thad Cochran (R–MS), the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, had 281 earmarks worth $561 million in the bill.  McConnell himself had 48 earmarks worth $113 million.  It's shameful, but this time they got it right at long last when the chips were down.  I'm encouraged, and I'm the forever optimist.

But the daylight has finally dawned, it appears.  McConnell told National Review afterward: “We decided that we’re not going to pass a 2,000-page bill that nobody has seen since yesterday. That’s not the way to operate and that’s not the message from the November elections.”  May history be made!!

This is fabulous news, America!  It can only be considered a victory!  Not every member of the unpopular 111th Congress has gotten the message of the November elections.  By the time the next election cycle rolls around, watch for the remaining clingers on to the Obama agenda to be gone altogether if this emerging 112th Congress sticks to its knitting and continues to listen to their constituents.

According to Gallup, the American people dislike this 111th Congress more than any other Congress in the history of public opinion data gathering.  Eighty-three percent of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, while only 13 percent approve.  It was the faith of Thomas Jefferson that the majority of informed Americans would almost invariably eventually get it right.  That's why he never hesitated to put so much power into the hands of the citizens, and eschewed big government.  He spread power around intentionally for these very reasons, and once again the Founders are exonerated.

That is the worst approval rating in more than 30 years of tracking congressional job performance. 

Last night Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D–CA) House also voted to prevent a massive tax hike on the American people.  It now looks like Congress will pass a simple bill that freezes spending through February of next year.

Mercifully, the 111th Congress is toothless at last.  And Senator Bob Bennett, the first harbinger of the electorate's wrath against incumbents in 2010, finally goes with it.

To the bitter end, Senator Bennett remained consistent and tone deaf.

Redistricting -- The BIG Prize in the 2010 Midterm Election

That was a stunning turnaround last Tuesday! The last count I had on seats gained by the Republicans was 64 in the U.S. House of Representatives, and six in the U.S. Senate, making it the biggest reversal of fortunes in a midterm election since the 1930s for either party. That's good, but the really good news might be even better.

The genius of the founders who drafted the Constitution of the United States of America is still with us. They designed it that way, to assure tyranny would become nigh unto impossible to replicate here.

Republicans now have the ability on the heels of the 2010 Census to redraw the maps for the congressional districts nationwide. That's because they didn't just sweep national races, but they picked up 680 legislative seats in local state legislatures, which might be even more pivotal in repudiating the socialist Obama agenda in the years ahead.

In addition, there were overwhelming victories in statehouses and governors' races across the country last week. Both state legislatures and congressional districts will have to be redrawn to conform with Census results. It's a grueling and politically charged process that typically gives the party in power an inherent advantage for a decade, allowing them to preserve current strongholds or to put others in play. It's almost too good to be true, and Republicans will be well advised to wield the power they now hold judiciously and responsibly.

For the GOP, that's a turnaround that couldn't have been timed better.

The smackdown suffered by this president and his ill-fated socialistic policies will reverberate for years to come. This isn't about everyone who voted for Obama suddenly becoming bigoted, or misunderstanding Obama's messaging through overuse of his prodigious oratorical skills. Instead, it is a complete repudiation of his policies, and as I had hoped it sets the stage for a new dawn in American politics.

It is now estimated as results continue to trickle in that Republicans will have unilateral control over the redrawing of 195 congressional districts. Democrats have just 45. The remainder are in states where either both parties have a chance to influence redistricting or where decisions will be made by independent commissions.

However, as good as the news is this week, it does not guarantee there will be another Republican surge in two years. There are well-established rules that dictate the composition of the districts, such as making sure districts have a similar number of voters and are compact and contiguous. It's not as easy as it appears, but it helps to be controlling how it's done.

And while redistricting has more recently become a refined science, Democrats can find at least some hope in looking at their own history: They had a redistricting advantage 20 years ago and then were hastily swept out of congressional power in 1994.

The new 2010 Census data will be provided by the end of this year and will determine whether a state has gained or lost population. Those findings determine the number of congressional seats a state gets. States will then get detailed Census data in early 2011 to help them divvy up legislative districts. States gaining or losing seats often get the most attention.

I read a story last week about a political consulting firm specializing in redistricting. Election Data Services Inc., projects eight states will gain seats with the new Census numbers. Texas would get four; Florida would get two; Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington would each get one.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) joined in sponsoring an ill-advised bill to prematurely give Utah that seat in exchange for creating a seat in Washington D.C., straining at the very outer limits of the Constitution.

That bad move will come up again in Hatch's re-election bid in 2012. Senator Bob Bennett's "go along to get along" political philosophy proved to be his demise. All incumbents from both parties will likely tread more carefully, no doubt, because of Tuesday's results.

Evidence in Utah was Jim Matheson's (D-UT) public statement he will no longer support Nancy Pelosi if she seeks to run for minority leader in the House. He narrowly escaped defeat. He's going to be screaming to high heaven when the boundaries get redrawn to accommodate Utah's new House seat. I suspect his days are numbered and he knows it. He's now a caucus of one among so-called "blue dog Democrats," the only one who survived nationwide.

EDS projects 10 states will lose seats, including New York and Ohio (two each), Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania losing one each.

For the most part redrawing boundaries is politically charged, even in states where independent commissions do the work. So in those 18 states where maps will be redrawn, including Utah, Republicans will now control governorships in 13 of them. Election gains this week in Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania assure Republican control over the process.

The GOP will control both chambers in 10 of those 18 states' legislatures. Three others are divided or yet to be decided.

Even states without a change in their congressional makeup face intense battles. In North Carolina, Republicans claimed control of both the House and Senate for the first time in more than a decade. Even in a state where you don't gain or lose, you still have to redraw the lines because of the Census. That's why redistricting might just be the biggest prize of all in these 2010 midterms.

I have no illusions about how painful the course we must pursue will be. I hope and pray Republicans are up to leading in the shared sacrifice required. If they continue to protect an unsustainable status quo of big government and tax and spend politics, their domination will be short-lived.

The American people have spoken, and they are now on high alert.  Politicians beware.

Presidential Repudiation

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)

The results of today's election continue to trickle in at this writing.  My favorite candidate, Mike Lee (R-UT), easily won election as Utah's next Senator.  At 38, he becomes the youngest member of the United States Senate.  Congratulations to Mike.  I backed him from the moment I was first introduced to his candidacy back in January.

I was also delighted to see Gary Herbert retain the Utah governorship in this special election.  The Philpot race was a narrow loss to incumbent Jim Matheson.  Would have liked to see Morgan Philpot, but it was not to be.

Nationally, the big news tonight is the nationwide repudiation of President Barack Obama's liberal agenda.  This swing in House seats into the Republican column will prove to be HISTORIC!  Since World War II, in 1946, when the Republicans picked up 56 seats, and then in 1994, when they won 52 seats, tonight looks like the biggest gain ever.  They will pick up an estimated 65 seats. 

That's a tsunami.  Independents once again swung the election -- this time they swung to the Republicans.  This is a center-right country.  Obama would have had to hit it out of the ballpark with his socialistic agenda in order to avoid this punishment, and he couldn't pull it off.  He got whacked.  The turnout was stunning for a midterm election. 

It appears they will also pick up six or seven Senate seats, maybe as many as nine governorships, putting the number of governorships somewhere in the range of 32 nationwide.  That's a stunning victory by any measurement. 

One would have to say that the angst among voters has most to do with the sour economy.  Voters are impatient these days.  It would be foolish to claim victory if you're a Republican, because from my vantage point it seems this was mostly anger directed at Democrats for the direction the country has been taken.  I don't believe for one moment the electorate is as much impressed with Republicans as they are opposed to Democrats.

There is a little reported reality emerging.  The Democratic caucus will be more, much more, liberal than it was because the so-called "blue dog Democrats" were demolished nationwide.  Conversely, the Republicans are going to be more conservative than ever before.  Don't hold your breath waiting for bipartisanship to emerge suddenly in the aftermath.

Mid-term Election Map, 2010

This was a lot of anger and anxiety, resulting in a repudiation of incumbents across the board, and this is only the beginning.  Republicans are more conservative, more vocal, and the electorate will not wait long before they demand results.  Angry that no one is listening, today they are making Washington listen.  They were ignored over Obamacare, TARP and stimulus spending.  Today they were screaming.  The Republicans had better listen up or they will be gone.  The greatest rejection was of the president's policy failure.  The same fate awaits the Republicans in 2012 if they don't get something done quickly. 

There is one race that stands out among all the rest demonstrating just how deeply the anger has run against this president.  Obama made twelve trips to Ohio to campaign for Ted Stickland, and Vice-President Joe Biden was there eight times.  It was John Kasich (R-OH), however,  who pulled it out by a comfortable margin.

We're not thrilled to vote for Republican candidates, but the alternative was unacceptable.  The message is loud and clear:  Get the deficit down, reduce spending, reduce national debt, get the economy going, and reject Obamacare.

The question is whether President Obama will continue to govern as a liberal idealogue, or will he move to the middle where the moderate voters reside and determine elections. 

Obama said last week, "The people are acting out of fear without knowledge about what I've done for them."  That's an amazingly dense analysis for someone who is known to be an effective speech giver.  Is it that he can't communicate effectively, or are the American voters so smart that they know EXACTLY what they don't want?

I say it's complete, absolute and unequivocal presidential repudiation.

ONE BIG REASON to vote for Morgan Philpot

In case you missed it, in the news you read this item probably avoided your radar:

Yesterday, 39 House Democrats joined Republicans in voting against adjournment - but not Jim Matheson. Nancy Pelosi did not want to discuss tax cuts before the election. She moved to adjourn and avoid a vote to extend the Bush tax cuts to American families and businesses.

Last week Congressman Matheson told his Utah constituents that he wanted to vote on the tax cuts before the election. Apparently, he says one thing in Utah, and then caved to the demands of Pelosi and voted with her to adjourn.

Here's the disastrous news for America -- the vote to adjourn passed by ONE vote: 210-209.  If Matheson had joined the other 39 Democrats and defied Pelosi, the House could have debated and passed the tax cuts.

So who does Matheson have in mind?  He's not interested in what's best for his constituents, apparently.  And, oh by the way, his worst vote in history was voting with his caucus to seat Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House in the first place.  His allegiance to Nancy Pelosi is apparently a higher priority than his constituents in the 2nd District.  I am one who has made the mistake of voting for him five times in the past.  Never again.  

On the other hand, two Republican members of the House from Utah -- Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz -- did vote against Pelosi's motion to adjourn so that the tax cuts could be discussed. Unfortunately, for Utah families, they needed one more vote. Jim Matheson failed to provide that vote.

When people tell you their vote doesn't count, remember this example of what one vote actually amounts to.  It's time for Congressman Matheson to be held accountable for his actions. It's time for the citizens of the 2nd District to elect a Congressman who values the opinions of the voters here in Utah more than the demands of Nancy Pelosi. 

It's time for Morgan Philpot.

If you are upset by Matheson's vote, please forward this message to all your friends in the 2nd Congressional District.  Join Morgan's team by visiting his website.

Statement by Congressman Rob Bishop:

"Democrat leadership should be embarrassed that they brought the entire Congress from around the country back into session for just one day and then left with so many issues that impact our economy just hanging out there. Congress should have at least stayed in long enough to extend the tax cuts to stop massive tax increases and provide some stability and certainty. More time would also have allowed for better policy decision on a whole host of issues, including the NASA bill."

Statement by Congressman Jason Chaffetz:

"Yesterday the House decided by a single vote to adjourn until after the election this fall. It is totally irresponsible for Congress to leave town when critical issues such as extending the Bush tax cuts need to be debated. In order for the marketplace to thrive, businesses need some regulatory certainty. Congress has failed to deliver. At a time when our economy is weak and people need jobs, it's very frustrating to see Congress act in such a negligent manner. It is up to voters to hold those Members accountable who place politics above the American people."

Statement by Congressman Jim Matheson:

"I have led the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives to extend tax cuts for all at this time of fragile economic recovery.  Efforts to suggest otherwise are playing politics and that is a shame."

* * *

Memo to Congressman Matheson: 

It is you, Congressman, who is playing politics now.  If that's your best defense to the people of the 2nd District whom you represent, it is a lame definition of "leadership" and we will dismiss you without further argument on November 2nd.