Political Quote of the Day

This caught my eye today en route to something else. Right now the political class in Washington is convinced on one side there is no limit to spending to get what it thinks it needs and wants.

On the other side are folks who are attempting to live by a principled and disciplined fiscal policy.

And by the way, I'm not making that assessment based on Republicans and Democrats. I'm differentiating between status quo spenders from both parties and the growing class of Libertarians who are trying to return us to spending sanity as a nation. That's no easy task now.

One can only wonder which side will prevail.

Moody's, the credit worthiness analysts, issued a memo today to lay aside any fears that the government might default if President Obama doesn't get his way with raising the debt ceiling. These comments basically confirm most of what you're hearing is nothing more than the usual political rhetoric. My takeaway from their memo is, "Mr. President, shut up and manage the government, just don't spend more than you take in." Haven't we been saying that to our POTUS all along?

Quoting from the memo: "We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact. The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default."

The memo offers a starkly different view of the consequences of congressional inaction on the debt limit than is held by the White House, many policymakers and other financial analysts. During a press conference at the White House Tuesday, Obama said missing the Oct. 17 deadline would invite “economic chaos.”

The Moody’s memo goes on to argue that the situation is actually much less serious than in 2011, when the nation last faced a pitched battle over the debt limit.

“The budget deficit was considerably larger in 2011 than it is currently, so the magnitude of the necessary spending cuts needed after 17 October is lower now than it was then,” the memo says.

Now hear this, people: This POTUS has cried "Wolf" many, many times. Whatever credibility anyone thought he once had is quickly diminishing.

Can You Say Bitter and Angry?

This is priceless -- I said Harry Reid looked like he was sucking sour lemons the other day on the Senate floor. . . well that was nothing compared to this.

The Republicans were sore "winners," but the Democrats have topped them all for being sore "losers."

Now I'm almost certain this compromise debt and spending deal must have been FANTASTIC because nearly everyone hates it. All we accomplished was avoiding default and a complete collapse for a little longer. And based on all the rhetoric coming from both sides about "stacking" the "super committee" with their strongest allies, look for Pelosi, Reid, Boehner and McConnell to pick twelve people who will go to war along the same ideological lines we've been witnessing.

It's progress, I guess, but there's nothing to gloat about on either side.

But, hey, this is a little over the top -- the tea party radicals are now terrorists who are strapping bombs to themselves to blow up the Capitol? Really? These people need a frontal lobotomy to stop the abuse of hyperbole.

Remember when President Obama called for cooling down the political rhetoric in the aftermath of the shooting involving Congresswoman Gabby Giffords? I wonder what our Commander in Chief would think about his VP Joe Biden and other Democrats and the willing minions in the main stream media, who have called Republicans "terrorists" and accused them of wanting to blow up the economy.

Give a listen and ask yourselves if any of them has risen to his challenge to reduce the vitriol in our political discussions.

This is classic. They're all parrots. No, it's hysterical to think anyone would even believe this garbage:

Economics 101, Professor Rand Paul

This exchange between freshman Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and David Letterman tells you everything you need to know about snarky liberal comedians and Tea Party/Republicans. It's Econ 101 for beginners in simple understandable, non-technical terms. The audience, however, applauds in all the wrong places:



I'm not certain how long it's going to take, but the liberal agenda is on full display here and those who are preaching small government and private sector are eventually going to prevail.  Why?  Because when Letterman and other liberals keep saying "tax the rich" to pay for everything under the sun there will come a day when the rich will no longer be able to afford the agenda.

It's about the spending, stupid!

James Carville, when he was running the war rooms in the Bill Clinton era, famously said, "It's about the economy, stupid," when asked what those elections were all about.

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. 

The Obama economic team, presumably the brightest minds in America, seem to have no awareness about the simple-minded judgments of their masters, the voters, because they arrogantly proclaim they are the ruling elite who know better than the masses.  That mentality might work for dictators in other parts of the world, but not here in America. 

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.

The party leader of the Democrats is on permavacation, apparently.  This weekend he's at Camp David.  Those torturous three-day work weeks in Washington are just too much!  At the rate he's flying Air Force One, the frequent flyer miles are piling up faster than the most prolific business traveler.  Harry Reid is running for his political life in Nevada, while his boss adds new decor to the Oval Office with inspiring quotes woven into the rugs.  But don't lose any sleep for Reid.  Even if he loses he wins -- don't think for one minute his leadership in the Senate during this last several years will not come without handsome rewards in retirement. 

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.

There are differences between 1994 and 2010. The miscalculations in Democrat messaging this year have been -- for lack of a better analogy -- tsunami-like.  A tsunami builds in magnitude as it rolls across the ocean, triggered by an earthquake at sea.  By the time it hits landfall it's too late.  For a year, Democratic strategists have been saying:

"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!

Mike Lee Volunteers Thanked

Primary Election night was a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings. As the numbers mounted and primary victory slowly became certain, excitement increased along with an overwhelming sense of gratitude that so many Utahns had come to feel the same way we do about Mike. I have heard Mike say over and over how humbling it has been to see people work so hard to capture the Republican party nomination.

It is a privilege and an honor to help and support a candidate who is striving to create positive change in Washington and achieve lofty goals in government. The rock-solid foundation and support structure we have all labored to build together has made an enormous difference. On a national and local level people are still asking what we did to win the nomination. We know that winning was simply a natural by-product of countless good people sacrificing their time and deploying their talents to achieve something important. Personally, I hope each of you can recognize the vital role you played in the primary victory. I also hope you can pause for a moment, (a very brief moment) and enjoy the satisfaction which comes from achieving something significant.

As Mike said on election night, “This is not the end, or even the beginning of the end. It is simply the end of the beginning.” There is much work to be done and I am sure we are all looking forward to finishing the job and getting Mike elected as Utah's next Senator on November 2nd.

Below I have outlined a few answers to some common questions, which have been asked by our amazing volunteers, as well as some activities and action steps we all can engage in to keep our momentum moving.

Now that the primary election is over what do we do?

Answer: The job is far from finished! We hope to have you each as involved as you would like to be moving forward. We know that when you are excited about a candidate like Mike you want to do all you can. Just remember to pace yourself, beware of burnout and recognize that it is good to take some well-deserved time off. For those of you who are chomping at the bit to reengage, here is a list of things you can begin to do now:

1. Help your neighbors get registered to vote or organize voter registration drives. To do this you will need to know who is a registered Republican and who is not. Your elected precinct chair should know. If you can't get it from your precinct chair, we can help you out. Voters can register online. If you fill out the forms with them on paper you will have better results. Just remember to quickly turn in all registration forms in order to be in compliance with the law.

2. You can register to vote by mail here. Also, make sure your neighbors are aware of this option and help them get registered. We will be outlining some specific initiatives along these lines in the coming weeks.

3. Write a pro-Mike Lee letter to your local newspapers with opinions and articles. If you don't know what to write, take a look at our website for ideas.

4. If you have Mike Lee shirts or buttons, wear them around. You'll be surprised at how many questions that will generate!

5. You can contribute any amount from $5 - $2,400 dollars!

6. Find out who the campaign leaders are for your area. Examples are county coordinators, city coordinators, leg. captains, precinct leaders, sign coordinators. If you do not know, ask. If you see a vacancy, ask to fill it.

7. If you know of people who own property along busy roads ask them if you can put a sign up. Then, turn that information in to either a sign coordinator, city, or county coordinator.

8. We are going to do some calling on Callfire and would like some help. You can contact Heather at hwilliamson@mikelee2010.com.

I would like to help other Republican campaigns, but can I still help Mike's campaign in the fall?

Answer: Of course you can do whatever you like, and it is fun to see so many citizens fighting for all of Utah's great conservative candidates. Because you have been part of a campaign which achieved what many thought was impossible, other campaigns will naturally want your help. This cross-campaigning can be done, just be careful not to spread yourself too thin and remember the race doesn’t end until the votes are counted on November 2nd.

What kind of events will take place this summer where Mike will be in attendance?

Answer: Most of Mike's time will be spent fundraising, meeting with media, and switching gears for the November election. Mike will still be attending parades and participating in numerous public events. Please check in often on the website and you can also follow what Mike is doing via Facebook and Twitter.

Are we going to get more t-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers?

Answer: We will be getting plenty of "swag" in the coming weeks!

Thank you for engaging in what has become an amazing story. Mike jumped into the race on January 5th with a handful of supporters and a commitment to both restore the constitutional debate and reclaim our future. Our numbers grew and Mike’s message rang true, as thousands of Utahns listened in homes, schools and at events of all kinds. And while much has been achieved in helping Mike win the Republican nomination, there is much work to be done and the best is yet to come. Our hope is that you know how grateful we are to have you on our side in this important race. If you have any questions, concerns, or see opportunities please send me an email.

Bill Lee
Field Director
Mike Lee for Senate
(801) 722-4646
blee@mikelee2010.com

Communists in our midst

Who is Rick Nagin?  Rick Nagin is a leader of the Communist Party USA in Ohio.  Did you know there was such an organization before today?

Did you hear about the Russian spies that were rounded up last week?  Did you know a prisoner exchange is in the works?  Are we living in the Cold War days again?

Like many Communists, Nagin is also a Democrat, almost succeeding in securing a Cleveland City Council seat, running as a Democrat in 2009.

Rick Nagin has a history with Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH). He served as Kucinich's Labor Coordinator in the 2008 primary and in return Kucinich endorsed Nagin during his 2009 Council run.

In 2008 Rick Nagin was a fulltime volunteer in the AFL-CIO Labor 2008 campaign for Barack Obama.

In the latest Peoples World, Rick Nagin impresses on his fellow Communists, the vital importance of defeating the Republicans in November's mid-term elections:

Defeating the Republicans in November must be the top priority for all progressives. The pundits tell us incessantly that Democrats will lose seats and possibly control of Congress because usually (but not always) this is what happens to the party in power in midterm elections. The Republicans hope this narrative will help demoralize Democratic voters, but their main message is that President Obama and the Democrats are responsible for the unrelenting economic crisis.

This crisis was caused by the Republicans and the Republicans are doing everything possible to sustain and aggravate it. If they do gain seats in November, we can expect further gridlock in order to set the stage for a return to power in 2012.

Given the fierce resistance the Republicans have mounted to all steps to relieve the crisis, the claim that the Democrats are responsible for the continued high unemployment and despair is nothing but Big Lie propaganda. It is the Republicans, not the Democrats, who have blocked extending unemployment benefits and further stimulus packages like the Brown-Miller jobs bills...

Anyone who blames the Democrats for the ongoing crisis or accepts the phony concern about the deficit has fallen victim to cynical Republican Big Lie propaganda.

Unfortunately this includes some on the left who seem more inclined to attack Obama and the Democrats than to build the movement to defeat the ultra-right. That movement depends on electing Democrats, some of whom may in fact be less than inspiring. But only if Democrats are elected will the progressive movement have the time and space to grow. The 30 years of increasingly rightwing governments, beginning with the Reagan administration, were very difficult for labor and all its allies, including the progressive movement.

If the right wing returns to power, the situation will be much worse. The Bush-Cheney administration will be mild in comparison. The rightwing is hell-bent to destroy the current administration and guarantee that nothing like Barack Obama happens again. They will mount an unprecedented attack on the living standards and rights of labor and the American people. The assault on the environment and the military threat to all nations on earth will escalate. Given the blatantly fascist orientation of the corporate-funded Tea Party and their cheerleaders in the media and much of the Republican Party, the dangers inherent in the November elections must be a clarion call to action for all of labor and all democratic and progressive-minded people.

Those who minimize the importance of the elections or, worse, have already accepted defeat, are irresponsibly playing directly into the hands of the enemy. An all out effort is needed to defeat the Republicans in November.

***

Rick Nagin understands the consequences of not defeating the Republicans and the Tea Party Movement in November.  Labels for political hacks are so convenient:  Democrats and Communists, Republicans and Tea Partiers, progressives and liberals, conservatives and obstructionists.  But labels are useless in this political climate.  It's a throw-back to Tories and Whigs.  Those labels weren't very useful -- betcha don't even know what they stood for today.

Labels don't matter nearly as much as the content of the character of the individuals you will elect in November.

This article was written last week by an avowed Communist.  It is the reason people who are independent thinkers and Constitutionalists like Mike Lee are becoming an increasingly important element in the rising tide of discontent against intrusive and big government policies.  
 
Republicans vs. Democrats, Tea Party vs. progressives is no longer the issue.  We must search for and elect representatives who will stand up for freedom of choice and self-determination regardless of party or political label.  Rather than promote class distinctions, racism and management vs. labor arguments, look for those who can unite the country by urging a return to Constitutional values. 
 
We've been down this path before, and it makes no sense to repeat the lessons of the past.  Communists in America exist for one reason only -- this is America, and anyone can say anything they want.

But that doesn't mean you have to elect them.

The distinctions could not be more clear cut than they are this year -- the choice is between people like Mike Lee, or people like Rick Nagin.  Let's see if America can get it right this November.  I think they can.