Remember what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in urging member of Congress to pass Obamacare two years ago? Said she, "We have to pass this bill so we'll know what's in it." It was a stupid thing to say, because two years later we now understand the travesty that was foisted on America. There were specific promises attached to its passage, as highlighted by President Obama in an address to a joint session of Congress on 9/9/09.
Here's a reminder:
A sampling of entrepreneurs (business owners who hire people for those who don't speak French), react to Obamacare here.
Showing posts with label nancy pelosi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nancy pelosi. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Friday, December 17, 2010
Bob Bennett: Consistent and Tone Deaf
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.
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!!
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.
 |
| Boston Harbor, 1773 |
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) |
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) |
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.
To the bitter end, Senator Bennett remained consistent and tone deaf.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Four Reasons Philpot Will Beat Matheson
I am a state delegate from Precinct 11 in Wasatch County. Historically, 2nd District Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT) has received significant support from our county in his five previous terms. The reason is because registered Republicans like me have routinely crossed over and supported him.
That is not true this year!
In an e-mail blast from Wasatch County Philpot for Congress coordinator, Aaron Gabrielson, I received an update on the progress of the campaign. Morgan Philpot and Jim Matheson squared off this week in St. George at their only public debate. I wished I could have been there, but seeing it for yourselves should seal the deal for Philpot:
http://vstream.dixie.edu/DSC/Viewer/?peid=cac4131afa2d4fd397fc9e08b7d0b12d
It's unfortunate when incumbents with overwhelming leads in the polls refuse to give the electorate a clear picture of their positions by withholding themselves from public events like this one. Matheson has a financial advantage by 10-1 over Philpot in campaign funding. He's sitting on it, like he is his lead. It happens every time there's an election. Rather than willingly submit to public scrutiny they cower in the corners to protect their leads in the polls, relying upon name recognition alone to carry them through election day. As the video stream of their debate clearly illustrates, there are substantive differences between these two candidates. The choice could not be more differentiated.
Four reasons Philpot will win
A) Jim Matheson is a Democrat in a year when Democrats are as popular as a hurricane in kite flying weather;
B) Matheson's a much more liberal Congressman than any of his constituents previously believed;
C) Morgan Philpot is much more representative of his constituents than Matheson will ever be; and finally,
D) There is an uprising nationwide and here in Wasatch County against incumbents of any stripe.
It's just not a good year to be Jim Matheson anywhere within his district, and particularly in Wasatch County.
Aaron's e-mail blast explains:
Poll Predicts Philpot Win over Matheson
A recently completed poll conducted by the Wasatch County Philpot For Congress campaign predicts that Republican Morgan Philpot will win in the county over five-term incumbent Democrat Jim Matheson.
The poll received 738 responses from registered voters in the county and shows 51% support for Philpot among registered Republicans and 47% with unaffiliated voters. Matheson scored 31% and 37%, respectively. 16% of respondents were undecided and registered Democrats were not included in the poll.
Based on those results and awarding Matheson 100% of the registered Democrats, indicates a 4% margin of victory for Philpot in Wasatch County.
County Philpot coordinator, Aaron Gabrielson, said, "Matheson has won Wasatch County by large margins in previous elections. A poll showing him behind at this point shows that voters are dissatisfied with Congress in general and with Matheson specifically. Wasatch County has always been Matheson territory. If he can't win here, I don't see how Matheson will win the election."
The poll results follow an anti-incumbent trend across the nation that is likely to result in Republicans regaining control of the House of Representatives.
"This poll actually looks worse for Matheson than it first appears, because Democratic turnout is expected to be lower this year and Republican turnout should be higher. If that happens, Philpot could win by a margin of 8% or more. However, Matheson has a big money advantage in this race, so the Philpot campaign still has a lot of work to do."
When asked about a recent Dan Jones poll showing a large lead for Matheson, Gabrielson responded, "I have taken a look at that poll. It was from a small sample with a big margin of error and included a large percentage of Democrats. I think even the Matheson campaign is not putting much trust in it. Back in 2008 during the 3rd District primary, polls showed Cannon up by 4% and Chaffetz ended up winning by 20%."
Don't be too surprised if the same dynamic plays out this year in the Utah 2nd Congressional District race across all the counties in the district, not just Wasatch. If the Republicans just show up to vote, and they follow my lead and the other "reformed" Republican voters in Wasatch County who will finally abandon Matheson after being "irrational" in our former support of his liberal voting record, then our next Congressman will be Morgan Philpot.
This is the year to make a difference by taking down one Democrat seat in Congress on the march toward taking down 41 and wresting control from the disastrous majority we have witnessed in the last two years.
Last week, I read an analysis by some pollsters stating there may be as many as 100 Congressional seats in play that could move into the Republican side of the aisle. If that is true and those predictions play out on election day, this 2010 tsunami I spoke about earlier in the year will have historic ramifications.
Make no mistake about it -- this mid-term election is a referendum on Barack Obama, plain and simple. Harry Reid is experiencing a lot of push back in his race for re-election in Nevada. President Obama is stumping for him every chance he gets. How can anyone conclude anything other than a loss by Harry Reid, the number one Democrat in the Senate, is a complete refutation of Obama's policies and the agenda he has put forward?
If Bob Bennett can lose in Utah, then Harry Reid can lose in Nevada.
Don't hold your breath over this one, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is in the most competitive race she's faced for re-election in years. It seems even in her "true blue" liberal home district her popularity is waning. Here again, when one sees serious challenges to the leaders of the party, Reid and Pelosi, in trouble and threatened at home in their own states, one must conclude this mid-term as perhaps never before is all about the country's revulsion at the way they've been treated these last two years.
I wondered aloud on this page months ago who was doing the political calculations within the Democrat Party, when the evidence suggested they were arrogantly going about mustering their votes for the most liberal lurch to the left I have ever witnessed during my lifetime. I called it "the mother of all political cramdowns," when they passed Obamacare.
And now we are seeing nothing but an aroused and angry electorate pushing back, as the chickens come home to roost. I have believed for some time the Republicans set a poor example under the Bush administration. We lived through a reprehensible period with their profligate spending habits and rampant desires for "deficits-don't-matter" wars and nation building attitudes. Rather than learn from the rejection at the polls that handed control of the presidency and both houses of Congress to the Democrats in 2008, we have seen an acceleration of the same wrong-headed direction they have taken the country.
Obama completely misread his "mandate" from the election. Surprise of all surprises -- the people wanted him to take the country in a different direction than out-of-control spending. They didn't want social re-engineering after all. They rejected Obamacare resoundingly. They wanted economic recovery, not stifling regulation and taxation for as far as the eye can see. They wanted business-friendly stimulants, not anti-business legislation and trillions of dollars of foreign debt for "shovel-ready" projects that still don't seem to be "ready." Turns out the only shoveling that got done was the knee-deep manure in the political barnyard.
Maybe on November 2nd, 2010, the only way to change course is to fire the incumbents and begin anew. Maybe this time someone in Washington D.C. will finally be listening to the will of the people.
Make no miscalculations this time, they will be speaking. . . make that shouting out loud.
 |
| Morgan Philpot's Family |
That is not true this year!
In an e-mail blast from Wasatch County Philpot for Congress coordinator, Aaron Gabrielson, I received an update on the progress of the campaign. Morgan Philpot and Jim Matheson squared off this week in St. George at their only public debate. I wished I could have been there, but seeing it for yourselves should seal the deal for Philpot:
http://vstream.dixie.edu/DSC/Viewer/?peid=cac4131afa2d4fd397fc9e08b7d0b12d
It's unfortunate when incumbents with overwhelming leads in the polls refuse to give the electorate a clear picture of their positions by withholding themselves from public events like this one. Matheson has a financial advantage by 10-1 over Philpot in campaign funding. He's sitting on it, like he is his lead. It happens every time there's an election. Rather than willingly submit to public scrutiny they cower in the corners to protect their leads in the polls, relying upon name recognition alone to carry them through election day. As the video stream of their debate clearly illustrates, there are substantive differences between these two candidates. The choice could not be more differentiated.
Four reasons Philpot will win
A) Jim Matheson is a Democrat in a year when Democrats are as popular as a hurricane in kite flying weather;
B) Matheson's a much more liberal Congressman than any of his constituents previously believed;
C) Morgan Philpot is much more representative of his constituents than Matheson will ever be; and finally,
D) There is an uprising nationwide and here in Wasatch County against incumbents of any stripe.
It's just not a good year to be Jim Matheson anywhere within his district, and particularly in Wasatch County.
Aaron's e-mail blast explains:
Poll Predicts Philpot Win over Matheson
A recently completed poll conducted by the Wasatch County Philpot For Congress campaign predicts that Republican Morgan Philpot will win in the county over five-term incumbent Democrat Jim Matheson.
The poll received 738 responses from registered voters in the county and shows 51% support for Philpot among registered Republicans and 47% with unaffiliated voters. Matheson scored 31% and 37%, respectively. 16% of respondents were undecided and registered Democrats were not included in the poll.
Based on those results and awarding Matheson 100% of the registered Democrats, indicates a 4% margin of victory for Philpot in Wasatch County.
County Philpot coordinator, Aaron Gabrielson, said, "Matheson has won Wasatch County by large margins in previous elections. A poll showing him behind at this point shows that voters are dissatisfied with Congress in general and with Matheson specifically. Wasatch County has always been Matheson territory. If he can't win here, I don't see how Matheson will win the election."
The poll results follow an anti-incumbent trend across the nation that is likely to result in Republicans regaining control of the House of Representatives.
"This poll actually looks worse for Matheson than it first appears, because Democratic turnout is expected to be lower this year and Republican turnout should be higher. If that happens, Philpot could win by a margin of 8% or more. However, Matheson has a big money advantage in this race, so the Philpot campaign still has a lot of work to do."
When asked about a recent Dan Jones poll showing a large lead for Matheson, Gabrielson responded, "I have taken a look at that poll. It was from a small sample with a big margin of error and included a large percentage of Democrats. I think even the Matheson campaign is not putting much trust in it. Back in 2008 during the 3rd District primary, polls showed Cannon up by 4% and Chaffetz ended up winning by 20%."
* * *
Don't be too surprised if the same dynamic plays out this year in the Utah 2nd Congressional District race across all the counties in the district, not just Wasatch. If the Republicans just show up to vote, and they follow my lead and the other "reformed" Republican voters in Wasatch County who will finally abandon Matheson after being "irrational" in our former support of his liberal voting record, then our next Congressman will be Morgan Philpot.
This is the year to make a difference by taking down one Democrat seat in Congress on the march toward taking down 41 and wresting control from the disastrous majority we have witnessed in the last two years.
Last week, I read an analysis by some pollsters stating there may be as many as 100 Congressional seats in play that could move into the Republican side of the aisle. If that is true and those predictions play out on election day, this 2010 tsunami I spoke about earlier in the year will have historic ramifications.
 |
| President Obama and Senator Reid |
If Bob Bennett can lose in Utah, then Harry Reid can lose in Nevada.
 |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi |
I wondered aloud on this page months ago who was doing the political calculations within the Democrat Party, when the evidence suggested they were arrogantly going about mustering their votes for the most liberal lurch to the left I have ever witnessed during my lifetime. I called it "the mother of all political cramdowns," when they passed Obamacare.
And now we are seeing nothing but an aroused and angry electorate pushing back, as the chickens come home to roost. I have believed for some time the Republicans set a poor example under the Bush administration. We lived through a reprehensible period with their profligate spending habits and rampant desires for "deficits-don't-matter" wars and nation building attitudes. Rather than learn from the rejection at the polls that handed control of the presidency and both houses of Congress to the Democrats in 2008, we have seen an acceleration of the same wrong-headed direction they have taken the country.
Obama completely misread his "mandate" from the election. Surprise of all surprises -- the people wanted him to take the country in a different direction than out-of-control spending. They didn't want social re-engineering after all. They rejected Obamacare resoundingly. They wanted economic recovery, not stifling regulation and taxation for as far as the eye can see. They wanted business-friendly stimulants, not anti-business legislation and trillions of dollars of foreign debt for "shovel-ready" projects that still don't seem to be "ready." Turns out the only shoveling that got done was the knee-deep manure in the political barnyard.
Maybe on November 2nd, 2010, the only way to change course is to fire the incumbents and begin anew. Maybe this time someone in Washington D.C. will finally be listening to the will of the people.
Make no miscalculations this time, they will be speaking. . . make that shouting out loud.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Philpot or Matheson? You Decide
Facts About Morgan Philpot
I suspect most people in the Utah 2nd Congressional District are quickly learning more about Morgan Philpot. For those who haven't had a chance yet to learn about him and his positions, I encourage you to visit his website.
Morgan believes his real life struggles and experiences uniquely qualify him to serve the families of Utah as the next Congressman from the Second District.
I encourage voters in the 2nd Congressional District this year to re-think their assumptions about Jim Matheson. I know I have, and I've concluded this race is a no-brainer. Join me in voting for Morgan Philpot, because here are the. . .
Facts About Jim Matheson
When Democrat Jim Matheson is campaigning in Utah, he talks about being a moderate and fiscal conservative.
Once he is in Washington his voting record looks a little different.
Decide for yourself if Jim Matheson is a fiscal conservative based on his actual voting record.
Is Matheson part of the solution to an out-of-control Federal government or is he part of the problem?
Jim Matheson’s Voting Record:
• Jim Matheson has voted 93% of the time with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic majority. He votes with Republicans 5% of the time and abstains 2% of the time. He has voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House every time she has come up for a vote. (1)
• Citizens Against Government Waste rated Jim Matheson as "Hostile To The Taxpayer" giving him their worst rating. (2)
• He has voted for every stimulus bill since Obama took office ($1.2 trillion worth), including the most recent public employee bailout stimulus. (3)
• He recently voted to raise the debt ceiling by $2 Trillion. (4)
• When Jim Matheson took office, the national debt was $5.6 Trillion (in today's dollars). Ten years later it is now $13.4 trillion. That is $43,600 for every man, woman and child in the country. A family of four now owes $174,400 in Federal debt. (5)
• He cast the deciding vote to adjourn Congress until after the election, preventing a vote on the huge tax increase scheduled for January 1, 2011. This could result in the largest tax hike in American history, raising taxes on a family of four by over $2,000 next year. (6)
• He voted "No" on final passage of the Obama health care bill, once he knew it was going to pass without his vote. He voted "Yes" on key procedural votes, including "Deem and Pass" and the "closed rule" that made it impossible to amend the bill. These procedural votes were critical to getting the Obama health care bill passed. He now opposes any effort to defund or repeal Obamacare. (7)
Jim Matheson’s Funding:
• Matheson takes more than 84% of his campaign funds from special interest groups and political action committees (PACs). That percentage is double the Congressional average and ranks him 3rd out of 435 Congressmen. The Salt Lake Tribune recently dubbed Matheson "The PAC Man". (8)
• Nancy Pelosi has given $46,000 to his campaign and Charlie Rangel has given $45,000. (9)
Sources:
1. http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/400255_Jim_Matheson
2. http://ccagwratings.org/?page_id=737
3. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-01-27-obama-economy_N.htm
4. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll046.xml
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals
6. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700070001/Election-2010-Philpot-criticizes-Matheson-for-adjourning.html
7. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2010-130
8. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/50209672-90/matheson-money-pacpacs.html.csp
9. http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00344234&cycle=2006
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00302588&cycle=2008
 |
| Morgan Philpot (R Cand. UT) |
I suspect most people in the Utah 2nd Congressional District are quickly learning more about Morgan Philpot. For those who haven't had a chance yet to learn about him and his positions, I encourage you to visit his website.
- Morgan is a Utah native. He and his wife Natalie graduated from the University of Utah and lived in Salt Lake County for several years. While there, Morgan represented his neighbors in Utah House district 45. He now lives in the Utah County portion of Utah's 2nd Congressional District.
- As a young boy, Morgan was raised primarily by his mother who spent several years parenting seven children on her own. Starting with his first "real” job picking strawberries at age 9, he quickly learned independence and self reliance. He knows the value of balancing a budget and of making decisions based on how much money you actually have, not how much you wish you had.
- At the University of Utah, he earned degrees in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. During that time, he and his wife served internships in Washington D.C., for the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Supreme Court respectively.
- After graduating from college, Morgan took a job as the new account sales manager for a Salt Lake fabrication company. Two years later, Morgan ran in a hotly contested race for State Representative of Utah House District 45 (Sandy, Salt Lake County, Midvale) with the motto "Freedom, Family, Future." He put together a strong, effective grassroots campaign and in 2000, at the age of 28, he became one of the youngest state legislators in the Utah House.
- As a State Representative, Morgan didn't hesitate to take strong stands on tough issues. He consistently led the fight against wasteful government spending, championed life, second amendment rights and free market principles. He sought creative and innovative ways to improve public education and was the lead sponsor of the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship, a bill that created an educational voucher program. This law has opened new avenues to a better education for Utah's families with special-needs children and now serves over 500 individuals.
- While in the legislature, Morgan was granted the "Friend of the Taxpayer” award by the Utah Taxpayer's Association and the "Guardian of Small Business" award by the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Morgan was also one of the founding members of the House Conservative Caucus.
- In 2004, Morgan chose to leave the legislature and attend the Ave Maria School of Law, a school dedicated to life, the rule of law, and the U.S. Constitution. While there, he was privileged to learn from such influential minds as Judge Robert Bork and Charles Rice.
- Upon completion of law school Morgan clerked for Utah's Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. Morgan served as the in-house legal counsel for a Utah business for two years and is now a consultant with a private company in Sandy.
- In addition to his legislative service Morgan has also volunteered his time to Scouting, Church, and Utah politics. He has served as a State delegate, County delegate, State Central Committee member, Executive Committee member and most recently as the Vice-chair of the Utah Republican Party.
Morgan believes his real life struggles and experiences uniquely qualify him to serve the families of Utah as the next Congressman from the Second District.
I encourage voters in the 2nd Congressional District this year to re-think their assumptions about Jim Matheson. I know I have, and I've concluded this race is a no-brainer. Join me in voting for Morgan Philpot, because here are the. . .
Facts About Jim Matheson
 |
| Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT) |
Once he is in Washington his voting record looks a little different.
Decide for yourself if Jim Matheson is a fiscal conservative based on his actual voting record.
Is Matheson part of the solution to an out-of-control Federal government or is he part of the problem?
Jim Matheson’s Voting Record:
• Jim Matheson has voted 93% of the time with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic majority. He votes with Republicans 5% of the time and abstains 2% of the time. He has voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House every time she has come up for a vote. (1)
• Citizens Against Government Waste rated Jim Matheson as "Hostile To The Taxpayer" giving him their worst rating. (2)
• He has voted for every stimulus bill since Obama took office ($1.2 trillion worth), including the most recent public employee bailout stimulus. (3)
• He recently voted to raise the debt ceiling by $2 Trillion. (4)
• When Jim Matheson took office, the national debt was $5.6 Trillion (in today's dollars). Ten years later it is now $13.4 trillion. That is $43,600 for every man, woman and child in the country. A family of four now owes $174,400 in Federal debt. (5)
• He cast the deciding vote to adjourn Congress until after the election, preventing a vote on the huge tax increase scheduled for January 1, 2011. This could result in the largest tax hike in American history, raising taxes on a family of four by over $2,000 next year. (6)
• He voted "No" on final passage of the Obama health care bill, once he knew it was going to pass without his vote. He voted "Yes" on key procedural votes, including "Deem and Pass" and the "closed rule" that made it impossible to amend the bill. These procedural votes were critical to getting the Obama health care bill passed. He now opposes any effort to defund or repeal Obamacare. (7)
Jim Matheson’s Funding:
• Matheson takes more than 84% of his campaign funds from special interest groups and political action committees (PACs). That percentage is double the Congressional average and ranks him 3rd out of 435 Congressmen. The Salt Lake Tribune recently dubbed Matheson "The PAC Man". (8)
• Nancy Pelosi has given $46,000 to his campaign and Charlie Rangel has given $45,000. (9)
Sources:
1. http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/400255_Jim_Matheson
2. http://ccagwratings.org/?page_id=737
3. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-01-27-obama-economy_N.htm
4. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll046.xml
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals
6. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700070001/Election-2010-Philpot-criticizes-Matheson-for-adjourning.html
7. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2010-130
8. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/50209672-90/matheson-money-pacpacs.html.csp
9. http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00344234&cycle=2006
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00302588&cycle=2008
* * *
The truly wonderful thing about America is freedom to choose, to vote, and to enjoy the blessings of liberty. Matheson's voting record highlights what is wrong with the current members of Congress from both parties -- they just can't help themselves from voting for the status quo.
Let's begin anew in the 2nd District this year -- it's a good year for change and renewal because of the quality of the candidates.
Let's begin anew in the 2nd District this year -- it's a good year for change and renewal because of the quality of the candidates.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
It's about the spending, stupid!
Fast forward to 2010. This year, "It's about the spending, stupid."
When Bob Bennett went down in flames earlier this year, failing to get out of convention with enough support to even be a primary candidate, we were warned here in Utah that we would be sacrificing a senior Senator who knew how to bring home the bacon to our small state. Because of his powerful voice in Washington D.C., we were told, we would no longer have his "clout." He not only defended the earmarks during his campaign, he advocated for them, arguing, "If we don't take the earmarks they will just go to some other state." We were scolded, "You just don't know how things work in Washington." Well, he never understood the voters who perceived him as part of the big problem in Washington D.C.
The big problem is this: To perpetuate the status quo at all costs.
I noticed last week how slow the incumbents have been to learn the lesson. Americans are angry this year. So angry they appear to be poised to begin again and disembowel the establishment. Like me, the buyer's remorse over our national leadership is palpable.
Lisa Murkowski, incumbent Republican Senator from Alaska lost a narrow primary election last week. Why? Apparently her message that she brings home the bacon to Alaska was resoundingly rejected. Enough is enough, voters there have said. Politicians who were on deck for the last several years are going to pay dearly for their inept handling of the economic throttles. Now they will be throttled.
This is shaping up as more of a bloodbath for both parties, and I say it's about time. The Republican regulars are licking their chops in anticipation of a huge victory come November. We're only eight weeks out from November 2nd, and you can feel it in the air. CHANGE is on its way. If they don't blow it this time, Republicans are going to notch a big win.
But it's only a potential anti-Democrat win. What's the big plan, guys? Haven't heard much about that, only that Democrats are evil. Give us a reason to suggest you should be trusted again. Memo to Republican strategists: It had better be about more than promising to "crackdown" and investigate. We don't care about Obama's Justice Department letting the Black Panthers skate. We DON'T care about that. Where's the substance for your plan for economic reform? Stay on task, people!
The only question remaining is what will the margin be at the end of the day? Will they get to 218 in the House? Can they knock out the filbuster-proof majority in the Senate? Harry Reid's seat would be a good start on the path to that goal. They need a magic number of 39 seats to win control of the 435-member House. The Senate's harder, but doable.
It's possible.
And where's Nancy Pelosi? She won her seat in 2008 with a 72 percent majority, but her popularity among voters nationally as Speaker has shrunk to 11 percent, according to CBS in a poll among registered voters in March. She's been totally AWOL this summer. Yet she proclaims, "We're proud of what we've been able to accomplish." Really? Then tell us more, pray tell. Even the Democrats who are running for re-election have shunned her. Instead of trumpeting their legislative success these last nineteen months, they are all in total retreat. The tsunami is gaining momentum and there is nothing they can do in the next eight weeks to stem the tide.
As you may have discerned from this page, I have no confidence in either side of the aisle. Let the purge be massive and without party label. New blood on both sides is the required remedy this year.
In 1994, the Republicans swept the House races, picking up 52 seats and getting, for the first time in 40 years, a Republican majority and a Republican speaker, Newt Gingrich. It was unprecedented. The Democrats had held sway in the House forever, it seemed. That year even then-Speaker Tom Foley (D-WA), lost his seat. No problem this year for Pelosi, however. She'll retain her House seat, but she won't be Madam Speaker much longer.
I saw a Gallup poll among registered voters this week that had Republicans beating Democrats in a generic ballot by 10 points, 51 percent to 41 percent. Public trust is a fragile commodity. If those numbers are true, it appears voters are ready to forgive and hand the Republicans another chance.
In the 68-year history of that poll, the GOP had never led by more than five points. This is potentially earth-shattering news for Democrats who are going to receive a slap down heard round the world. In Europe they wonder aloud, "Why are the Americans flirting with socialism?" They understand what the brilliant tacticians in the Obama administration don't -- socialism is a failed experiment, and it has been proven a failure again and again. It will fail here in America too.
The incumbent Republicans, however, are in big trouble nationwide as the "enablers" to socialism. The Republican majorities under George W. Bush lost their way and acted more like tax-and-spend Democrats when they had the reins the last time. No incumbent wants to change the status quo. But voters do. If you were on watch in recent years, you will pay the ultimate political price for your duplicity this November.
RealClearPolitics in their polling data has Republicans ahead in 206 races and Democrats ahead in 194, with 35 too close to call. The Cook Political Report puts 68 Democratic House seats "at substantial risk," while judging less than a dozen GOP seats to be in real trouble.
A few weeks ago, the ever-erudite and ever-so-articulate White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, conceded the obvious -- Republicans could take the House. Yikes, what an admission that was! He's not alone, because other Democrats have said as much. Those Democrats are just so sneaky! They've got those always-say-no Republicans right where they want 'em.
If the GOP underperforms and doesn't sweep both Houses, Obama's supporters will just say, "See, voters don't trust the Republicans, and our man still has the hearts of the American voter."
The cash disparity between the parties this year is stunning. The Wall Street Journal's Neil King Jr. notes many of the closest races this year are dominated by the deep pockets of the Democrats. In twenty of those races "the Democrat has at least a four-to-one cash advantage over the Republican candidate." The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says it has nearly $17 million more to spend on key House races than its GOP counterpart. Then there are the unions: "The AFL-CIO says it will spend more than $40 million to back candidates and mobilize residents of union-member households to vote in November, overwhelmingly in support of Democrats."
No such thing as a sure thing. Republicans take note.
In 1994, Newt Gingrich was the chief architect of "The Contract with America." It resonated with voters. It was packed with conservative principles to cut spending, cut taxes, and deregulate industry, all designed to allow the economy to flourish. It was right out of Ronald Reagan's conservative playbook. One of the things that drives me crazy is Presidents taking credit for economic success and getting blamed for sour recessionary economies in reverse. With all due respect to those who assert otherwise, Ronald Reagan only had a bully pulpit which he fully utilized, but in the end it is Congress alone, the elected representatives of the people in our republic, who hold the purse strings. It is members of Congress who must ultimately be held accountable by voters, not Presidents, for the prosperity or the recessions through which we pass. Bill Clinton rode the horse triumphantly when he finally reached the promised land of a budget surplus, but the underpinnings were the result of Americans giving the purse strings to Gingrich, who made good on the Contract.
Bush and his majority Congress, not Obama and his majority, destroyed all those gains. This latest Democrat majority in both Houses just put the final nails in the coffin Republicans constructed on their watch.
"We'll pass health care, they'll love us."
"We'll have a Recovery summer, they'll love us."
"We'll run against Wall Street, they'll love us."
In case you didn't notice, unemployment numbers ticked up in August to 9.6 percent nationwide. Some recovery (little "r" not big "R"). All those glorious plans to connect with voters on these issues have met with astounding opposition. It isn't so much the messaging as it is the practical reality -- "It's about the spending, stupid."
Look for a lot of negative ads in the next eight weeks from the Democrats -- it's all they've got left.
I remember another stunning difference in 1994. I voted for Ross Perot because I was convinced his message if not heeded would put us right where we are with the two dominant parties today. Perot was my man twice. He was well-organized, unlike the Tea Party this year, but he had no visibility and had to scream like crazy to even be included in the debates between Bush and Clinton. One thing the Tea Party has going for it this year is visibility and it's gaining strength. Its candidates are running under the Republican banner, but make no mistake, these are not your parents' Republicans. They are much more independent and outspoken against the traditional GOP. They are younger, and they are more anchored to the people than ever before. That's a positive trend I'd like to see perpetuated.
That's exactly why I believe on principle they are going to win back at least the House if not the Senate too.
There is only ONE issue on the ballot in eight weeks. Who is bold enough to stop the spending? Who will stand up and be counted as a tightwad, a green-eye-shaded, cold and calculating accountant, who will speak the truth to the American people? Who will say, "The Emperor has no clothes?" Who will admit higher taxes currently imbedded in legislation passed over the last nineteen months in the middle of the night time and time again is disastrous, no matter how noble its intended purpose may have been? Who will say taxes and spending are out of control, and I will stand up for the American people in opposition to the continuation of the status quo?
There isn't a Democrat out there this year who can say with a straight face, "I was not part of this problem," nor is there a Republican incumbent who can remain untainted by his or her role in the complete abdication of their fiduciary duties to the taxpayers. Not one of the incumbents has shown the least restraint in subduing the spending spree. Everything they have done is to indicate they don't really want to stop spending. For too long our politicians have cared only about perpetuating themselves in the next election.
Bob Bennett was Exhibit A, and now we have another, Lisa Murkowski, as Exhibit B. I am certain there are other examples, and they must all be eliminated if we are to save the Republic. Save it from what, some have asked? From complete ruination and the effects of profligate spending to sustain the unsustainable staus quo. This is not hard to understand.
There is simply no place to run and hide this time. Judgment awaits its perpetrators. If you don't get it yet, let me say it one more time:
It's about the spending, stupid!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
America's Debt and Deficit Addiction
Sign POSTED on Hwy 61, Hutchinson, Kansas.
Today, the online edition of The Wall Street Journal published a small news item with HUGE implications.
For all of fiscal 2009, the U.S. ran a record $1.42 trillion deficit. Fiscal 2010 might run a little higher — the Obama administration sees $1.47 trillion.
I'm not sure anybody can appreciate the number when it's written that way. Here's what it looks like:
$-1,470,000,000,000.00
That's just the deficit, meaning it's the amount of money over and above what the country takes in.
Hatch is already starting his run for another Senate term in 2012. He's running for his political life to avoid the same fate as his counterpart Bob Bennett (R-UT), who crashed and burned at the state Republican convention earlier this year. While Bennett was perceived as a big spender, Hatch is attempting to distance himself from a similar fate, ignoring for the moment that the 36 years while Hatch has been in Washington the trend to spend ourselves into oblivion has all happened on his watch when his party was in and out of power.
"Our national debt is now $13 trillion," Hatch said in a news release. . . "My resolution can't turn back the clock to stop the outrageous spending of the past few years, but it can stop congressional liberals from adding even more to the deficit through more spending."
Memo to Orrin: the "congressional conservatives" from your own party were just as guilty in the past. You've been in league with the liberals. You're all going to be fired if the electorate is as awake as I believe they are, and there's no place to run and hide this time in your press releases and proposed amendments. The emperor has no clothes, and it's not just one little boy in the crowd who sees it.
When Bennett was running for the Senate earlier this year, we were warned that his powerful senior voice in Washington was indispensible to Utah's interests, because Bob Bennett knew how to bring home the earmarks for his home state. Bennett never once renounced earmarks during his campaign, in fact he defended the practice!
Think about it. If that's what we're losing in losing Bennett, then every other state in the nation deserves and should be so fortunate. We must collectively unite as a nation and say to Washington,
"NO MATTER WHAT THE PRICE TAG LOOKS LIKE IN SACRIFICE INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, WE MUST STOP SPENDING MONEY WE DON'T HAVE!!!!"
And here's what our debt looks like:
$13,000,000,000,000.00
Just the interest payments alone so far in fiscal 2010 amount to $185.25 billion. Here's what that number looks like:
$185,250,000,000.00
If you were a member of Congress with a record like that to run on in 2010 or in 2012, would any right-thinking American actually believe you deserved another term? It's insanity or worse. That's why this year, as never before, the popularity of Congress is at an all-time record low of 11%. I'm wondering who the 11% are that have a favorable view. REALLY? It should be -11% at best.
If that's a record you can be "proud of," Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama, then it's time to lock you all up and throw away the key.
We can't solve it all in one year, but we can make a great start by hiring Mike Lee for the Senate and Morgan Philpot for the 2nd Congressional District. Let's resolve here and now that we will hire new management as an electorate nationwide, and look for people who don't want to perpetuate their longevity in office based upon those numbers.
It's time to look for CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN this time around.
George W. Bush once famously warned, "We are addicted to oil," and coming from a member of a prominent Texas oil family that was quite an admission. Seems like a million years ago at least, but it was only 2006 in his State of the Union address. Bush had it partially correct. We are addicted. . .
. . . but our addiction is to debt and deficit spending.
The withdrawal is going to be painful and protracted, but it must begin in the 2010 November mid-term elections.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Political Quote of the Day
Honestly, you just can't make up this kind of stuff. . . fact is stranger than fiction.
Yesterday on ABC's This Week, host Christiane Amanpour asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA):
"You are, by all accounts, one of the most -- if not the most -- powerful and successful speakers of -- in the history of the United States. You've passed so much legislation. The President was elected with a significant majority. You had control of both houses of Congress. And yet now, people are talking about you might lose your majority in the House. The gap seems to be growing wider between what's achieved and what's making an impact with the people. How did this happen? ...how did you get to this place where, perhaps, you might lose your majority?"
Pelosi responded: "We don't see it that way. We are very proud of the agenda that we have put forth to the American people."
Yesterday on ABC's This Week, host Christiane Amanpour asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA):
Pelosi responded: "We don't see it that way. We are very proud of the agenda that we have put forth to the American people."
* * *
And what comes before the fall? I think it's pride.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Dodd-Frank: "The Economic Recovery Prevention Bill"
That handsome trio in the middle of the picture are my three least favorite people in Washington.
The one in the picture in the background is my very favorite person in Washington, and he's been dead way too long.
I dare you -- in fact, I double-dog dare you -- find ANYONE with an independent voice in America who thinks this piece of garbage is worth the 2,300 pages it's written on. The Deseret News opined today.
No surprise, they hated it too.
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