April 13-14, 2007
Apr 13 03:08 DFL Delivering On Their Promises? Apr 13 13:36 Touchy Liberals Apr 13 13:45 SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!! Apr 13 15:32 Dissecting Biden's Op-ed Apr 13 16:59 Whatever Happened to Personal Responsibility? Apr 13 22:36 The Fix Is In Apr 14 08:52 Flying Below The Radar Apr 14 17:14 Hillary's Chutzpah Apr 14 20:06 Tax Cut Rally a Major Success
Prior Years: 2006
DFL Delivering On Their Promises?
Based on Tony Sertich's quote this article, the DFL-dominated House is delivering on the promises it made during last fall's campaign. Forgive me if I don't agree with Rep. Sertich on that.
Those DFL priorities include funding voluntary all-day, everyday kindergarten, insuring the state's 68,000 uninsured children, and providing permanent property tax relief for most of the state's citizens.Sertich can't even get past that paragraph without fibbing. The permanent property tax relief that he says they're proposing is an illusion. That's the conclusion of the GOP legislators that I talked with. This isn't a partisan belief either. It's what Ann Lenczewski said, too:
However, that relief will not come if money is not available to fund it.Talking with several legislators told the real story on 'permanent property tax relief'. Two of the legislators told me that the DFL set their budget targets so high as to almost guarantee that their spending increases would eat up almost all of their tax increases, thereby guaranteeing little money left for 'permanent property tax relief.'
That way, the DFL would get their massive tax increase & their massive 17+ percent spending increase without providing real property tax relief. That's definitely not delivering on that campaign promise. Then again, that shouldn't surprise anyone who's paid any attention to the DFL on taxes. They love raising taxes. They hate giving money back.
With six weeks to go until adjournment, DFL legislative leaders and GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty appear on a collision course. Pawlenty has made clear his opposition to any kind of tax increases, while House DFL leaders have stressed the theme of tax fairness and progressivity to sell their plan to the public.What's fair about increasing taxes on the job creation engines of the state? These job creation engines are also known as small businesses, which pay their income taxes as individuals, not as corporations. The DFL's tax 'fairness' is anything but fair. What's fair about increasing taxes on people who employ others? What's fair about increasing commercial property tax rates when we know that it'll cause inflation & our unemployment rates? It's obvious that the DFL doesn't understand that some businesses will shut their doors? Doesn't the DFL know that other businesses will move just across the Minnesota-South Dakota border & be exempt of Minnesota's exorbitant taxes?
The truth is that we'd better wake up fast or we'll be in tax hell. If we don't fight the DFL on their tax agenda & their exorbitant spending agenda, Minnesota's economy will head south fast.
The last thing we should do is take Tony Sertich's word that everything is going just fine. If we fight him hard & smart, we'll have a good outcome in November, 2008.
Posted Friday, April 13, 2007 3:09 AM
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Touchy Liberals
My friend Salena Zito has written a great article about Lynn Swann considering running for Pennsylvania's 4th district House seat currently held by freshman Jason Altmire. If Altmire's press secretary's statement in response to this news is indicative, I'd say that Mr. Altmire is already feeling the heat:
Altmire spokeswoman Christina Stacey said the congressman's focus is elsewhere. "While the Republicans continue to play politics, Rep. Altmire will continue to focus on working hard for the people of the 4th Congressional District," she said.What type of statement is that? Republicans are gearing up for the next election. Did Ms. Stacey think that the Republicans wouldn't be thinking about partisan politics? I'd say that Stacey's statement sounds a little hypersensitive. Then again, Altmire's got reason to be a bit sensitive. Ms. Stacey's boss is a freshman who has less name recognition than Swann. She knows that Swann will raise alot more campaign cash than Mr. Altmire, too.
If Ms. Stacey is that sensitive now, what's going to happen when the RNC and the Republican Party of Pennsylvania start ratcheting up the pressure? This is one district that I'll be keeping an eye on come 2008. Whether Republicans choose Melissa Hart or Lynn Swann, this should retake this seat.
Some other seats that I think the GOP will retake are MN-1, where Tim Walz is acting like a big city liberal rather than a stoic southern Minnesotan, TX-22 where Nick Lampson won Tom DeLay's old seat when Democrats prevailed in a court case that kept Shelley Sekula-Gibbs' name off the ballot, OH-18 where Bob Ney's scandal doomed Joy Padgett's chances. The other seat we should retake is Mark Foley's seat. The other pivotal Keystone State race that I'll be keeping an eye on is the seat Joe Sestak currently holds.
Posted Friday, April 13, 2007 1:37 PM
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SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!
The only thing I can say about this ad is BRILLIANT!!! SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!! Enjoy.
I've seen alot of great campaign commercials in my lifetime & this is the best I've ever seen. I tip my cap to the MNGOP for putting this together.
I'd bet good money that this internet commercial will be bouncing all across the internet by the end of today. I'll further predict that this will put the DFL on the defensive with almost every demographic group in Minnesota.
Originally posted Friday, April 13, 2007, revised 27-May 6:49 AM
Comment 1 by Jeff Ratcliff at 14-Apr-07 08:48 AM
Many, many years ago as a young teen I heard a quote that I put to memory and have never forgotten. It just so happens that what the Dems said before taking power and what they said and did after makes me hear them saying it now; "I (we) know you believe you understand what you think I (we) said, but I'm (we're) not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I (we) meant."
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 14-Apr-07 04:50 PM
That's a great cliche, Jeff. I thought that the use of that music was perfect because I've been saying for ages & ages that increasing taxes is something that's genetic to Democrats. Setting this internet commercial to "Can't help myself" means that someone agrees with my "genetically predisposed" belief.
Dissecting Biden's Op-ed
Yesterday, I posted something on Joe Biden's Washington Post op-ed. Today, I'll step aside and let Fred Kagan dissect Biden's op-ed.
We are not simply "squeezing the water balloon." Violence is up in the Baghdad belts because U.S. and Iraqi forces have been aggressively attacking al Qaeda bases in those areas that have been funneling weapons and fighters into Baghdad. Naturally when we attack his critical bases and lines of communication, the enemy fights back. The U.S. command has responded by sending more force into this area to exploit initial successes, which have played a role in keeping the AQI (al Qaeda in Iraq) violence in Baghdad under control. Biden would do well to follow events more closely, and then he would see the interconnection between the Baghdad belts and the effort to secure Baghdad. He did not note, but might have, that violence has also increased in Diyala province as AQI fighters driven out of Baghdad and Anbar are seeking new bases. The U.S. command has responded by increasing forces in Diyala to fight the new threat, and is making progress. Ba'qubah has been partially cleared and operations against AQI bases there are continuing. But all this raises the question: Doesn't Biden believe that we should be fighting al Qaeda? Most of his colleagues in the Democratic party say that that is the only interest we have in Iraq. It's the interest that's being pursued by our operations in the Baghdad belts, Diyala, and Baghdad itself. Attacking the enemy increases violence in war. Indeed, it's often the only way to attain an important objective like defeating al Qaeda, an objective that seems to be, for the first time, coming nearer to our grasp.Here's another example of Kagan exposing Biden's cherrypicking the information he wants you to know about but not talking about the positive things that are happening in Iraq:
Muqtada al Sadr has fled to Iran, at great cost to his reputation in Iraq. He has always been anti-American, and has defined his movement from the start as a Shiite Iraqi nationalist movement aimed at ending the U.S. occupation. By mid-2004, his Jaysh al Mahdi was in open combat with U.S. soldiers and had set up machine guns in the most sacred Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, from which we had patiently and carefully to extricate his fighters following a long, slow battle. On April 9, 2007, Sadr called for peaceful protests against the U.S. occupation, and that's what he got. A few tens of thousands (perhaps) of protesters gathered in Najaf (many trucked there from Baghdad by Sadr's organization). They carried Iraqi flags rather than Sadr's picture--a marked departure from previous such demonstrations. No violence ensued, and there were few spontaneous protests around the country in response to this planned and prepared demonstration. As General Petraeus noted, moreover, the right to demonstrate peacefully is a new development in Iraqi society, the result of the invasion of 2003 and subsequent efforts to protect a nascent democracy. Lots of Iraqis don't like the American presence. Some of them, prompted by an Iraqi politician who's made his career based on anti-Americanism, demonstrated peacefully. That's a good thing, not a bad thing. Biden's "intelligence experts" are also wrong that the Mahdi Army is simply lying low. Aggressive U.S. operations throughout Baghdad, including Sadr City, have capture or killed more than 700 Mahdi Army fighters, including many key figures. U.S. forces have swept repeatedly through Sadr-dominated neighborhoods in Baghdad, collecting weapons and intelligence and establishing a Joint Security Station in the middle of Sadr City. That's not lying low. It's losing--losing power, cohesion, and credibility. It's because he fears that he's losing control that Sadr called for demonstrations and has threatened to walk out of the government. The Sadrists have threatened to walk out on several occasions and have actually done it sometimes. Iraq ticked on without them and they came skulking back.I said yesterday that Sadr's militia fighting was a good thing, something that Mr. Kagan agrees with. I'd rather have the militia fight so we can go after them than to have them just disappear.
I also noted some time ago that Democrats were whining about another troop deployment over and above President Bush's original surge:
Coalition forces have detained about 700 members of the Mahdi Army , the largest Shiite militia in Baghdad, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said Monday. On Saturday, President Bush said he was sending 2,200 more military police to Iraq for detainee operations. A White House memo said 16,000 suspected insurgents are already being held by allied forces.Biden might be inept but he isn't ignorant. He's just cherrypicking the information to fit his arguments. This just means that he's more interested in winning support from the Insane Left for the Democratic primaries than he's interested in crafting a solid Iraq policy based on verified information.
Basing policy on the bill of goods that you're peddling to the public isn't wise. The best policies are based on logical solutions to real life situations.
Posted Friday, April 13, 2007 4:06 PM
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Whatever Happened to Personal Responsibility?
The DFL Senate has decided to play Big Brother by passing a bill that would outlaw "gift cards that expire or lose their value over time."
Tell me why we need this law. Anyone who's that sloppy of a shopper deserves their fate. What this proves is that the DFL Senate is that they think the State's fingers should be in every segment of our economy. They think that free markets must be overregulated to 'protect' sloppy customers from themselves. Shame on them for being that anal.
Gift cards have exploded in popularity, with consumers pouring $27.8 billion into plastic presents during the last holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. But about 10 percent of the cards are never redeemed, said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Katie Sieben. "Customers believe that when they purchase a gift card or a gift certificate, they want to get their money's worth," said Sieben, DFL-Newport.Katie, I've got a suggestion. Tell consumers they should verify whether the gift card they're buying has an expiration date. That's what I do. It's relatively simple & totally painless. It takes less than 5 seconds, too. To prove how simple it is, my niece learned how to do that long before she was a teenager. Then again, my niece isn't a liberal so that might account for her learning this lesson so fast.
Katie, there's another facet to this discussion that we need you DFLers to understand. People should take personal responsibility for the things they buy. Nevermind . I forgot that DFLers don't think like normal people. The DFL doesn't believe in taking personal responsibility. The DFL thinks that everyone's a victim because big business is out to stick it to consumers whenever they get the opportunity.
How silly of me to think that liberals think logically.
Posted Friday, April 13, 2007 5:00 PM
Comment 1 by prairieman at 14-Apr-07 08:36 AM
Expiring and decreasing-value gift cards are a classic bait-and-switch. Their very essence is to make gift-giving easy and this should be attractive to the retailers who issue them. Let the recipient use them at the time most convenient to them. The retailer is allowed to use the money immediately because it is prepayment.
The responsibility for managing the money goes to the entity which issued the card, not the recipient of the gift.
What is wrong with honoring the commitment? Not doing so is usury.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 15-Apr-07 02:09 AM
Businesses that put expiration dates on their gift cards don't get my business. Businesses should have the right to offer gift cards that expire.
I'd rather let markets send the message that expiring gift cards are worthless than letting government play Big Brother.
The Fix Is In
Based on this article, I'd say that the Democrats' culture of corruption is rearing its head again in Louisiana, this time in John Breaux's quest to become their next governor. Here's the most important detail to this non-question:
Breaux is registered to vote in Maryland and lists his primary address there, about 70 miles from Washington, where he works for Patton Boggs LLP, a lobbying firm.So Breaux isn't a Louisiana native, thereby disqualifying him right? Not exactly:
Attorney General Charles Foti said in a statement that the issue of Breaux's residency should be decided by a court.What's to decide, Mr. Foti? The Constitution is clear:
... the state constitution requires candidates for statewide elected office to be a "citizen" of Louisiana for "at least the preceding five years ."Since he's a Maryland resident, that ends that. He isn't a Louisiana resident now, which is clearly within the 5 year window mandated for Breaux to be eligible for next year's election. I'm no lawyer but I'd have to think that there's some legal remedy to this insanity. If the Louisiana state Constitution says something explicitly, that should be the final word.
You don't need the court's assistance to figure that out.
This just means that the political fix is in. AG Foti will claim that his hands are clean, that he simply stands by the court's ruling. Let's just hope that the RNC will jump all over this. Let's hope that the RNC will show the hypocrisy of the DNC by showing them arguing against taking Tom DeLay off the ballot after he'd moved to Virginia but then turning around to say that John Breaux, a Maryland resident, should be allowed to run for governor, contrary to the Louisiana Constitution.
I'd make this a national campaign issue, too. Let the American people see that the Constitution doesn't mean anything to Democrats when it comes to them winning races. Let America know that they're perfectly willing to break the law to win elections. Let America know that Democrats are the embodiment of the Culture of Corruption. Point out the fact that William Jefferson is the picture of corruption, having been caught with $90,000 in cash in his freezer. Remind the American people that Nancy Pelosi wanted to establish their own foreign policy apparatus despite the Constitution forbidding it.
Most importantly, remind the American people that our system of government can't survive when one political party ignores the Constitution for political gain.
Posted Friday, April 13, 2007 10:37 PM
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Flying Below The Radar
While the nation's media focused on Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was talking with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Visiting House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer met twice on Thursday with the head of the Muslim Brotherhood's parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Saad el-Katatni. One meeting took place at the Egyptian parliament and the second at the home of the U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Brotherhood spokesman Hamdi Hassan said. The U.S. Embassy in Cairo confirmed the meeting, but would not disclose what was discussed.The "Brotherhood's vision" is to create a worldwide caliphate, with Sharia law as the law of the land. Hoyer didn't need to visit with Katatni to know that. Hoyer will spin the meeting to say that he was just trying to start a dialogue with the Brotherhood. Hint to Hoyer: There's a reason why Condi wouldn't meet with them. That reason is because they're vicious terrorists who don't plan on changing anytime soon.
The Brotherhood's Hassan said Hoyer discussed with the group developments in the Middle East, the "Brotherhood's vision" and the status of opposition movements in Egypt.
Other organizations with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood are the ICNA, the ISNA and the MSA. The MSA is the organization that's stirring up trouble with the Somali cabbies. Here's the stated goals of the ICNA:
Goal The goal of ICNA shall be to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT) through the struggle of Iqamat-ud-Deen (establishment of the Islamic system of life) as spelled out in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)The Islamic Center of Tucson (ICT) is affiliated with ISNA. According to this article, Wadi al-Hage, "a personal assistant to Osama bin Laden" and Hani Hanjour, who crashed the jet into the Pentagon, attended the ICT.
Program
- To invite mankind to submit to the Creator by using all means of communications.
- To motivate Muslims to perform their duty of being witnesses unto mankind by their words and deeds.
- To organize those who agree to work for this cause in the discipline of ICNA.
- To offer educational and training opportunities to increase Islamic knowledge, to enhance character, and to develop skills for all those who are associated with ICNA.
- To oppose immorality and oppression in all forms, and support efforts for civil liberties and socio-economic justice in the society.
- To strengthen the bond of humanity by serving all those in need anywhere in the world, with special focus on our neighborhood across North America.
- To cooperate with other organizations for the implementation of this program and unity in the ummah.
Here's what Discover the Networks says about MSA:
MSA strongly opposes the Patriot Act, which it describes as an "infamous" piece of legislation. The organization's chapters across the United States have similarly denounced virtually every other national security initiative implemented by the U.S. government since the 9/11 attacks.MSA also has strong ties to the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.
This document says:
"World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), an organization incorporated in Falls Church, Virginia by a nephew of Osama bin Laden, whose offices in Northern Virginia were raided by federal agents in June of 2004, and whose offices in Pakistan were raised in November of 2001."Let's summarize this a bit. House Majority Leader Hoyer met with a terrorist group that supports, among other things, Hamas during a trip to Egypt. This terrorist group, Muslim Brotherhood, is affiliated with the Tucson mosque where Osama's personal assistant, Wadi el-Hage and 9/11 hijacker Hani Hanjour attended. In addition to that, the Muslim Brotherhood is the parent organization of the Muslim Student Association, which strongly opposes the Patriot Act, the most important legislation passed to prevent terrorist attacks. Finally, the Muslim Brotherhood is tied to the "World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY)", which was originally incorporated by Osama's nephew.
Between Hoyer's 'olive branch diplomacy' with the Muslim Brotherhood and Pelosi's "road to peace" tour of Damascus, we've seen a glimpse of the Democrats at their dovish 'best'. Let's hope they never come near the levers of power.
Posted Saturday, April 14, 2007 8:55 AM
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Hillary's Chutzpah
Whatever you think of her, you've got to admit that Hillary's got chutzpah. This article records some of that chutzpah.
In the address, her first major policy speech on the campaign trail, she proposed to sharply restrict no-bid government contracts and make the details of all government contracts available online, along with the budgets of government agencies. Clinton also called for extending the whistle-blower shield law to government employees.I wonder if Sen. Clinton talked with Dianne Feinstein about the no-bid military contracts that her hubby was awarded?
Feinstein abandoned MILCON as her ethical problems were surfacing in the media, and as it was becoming clear that her subcommittee left grievously wounded veterans to rot while her family was profiting from the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. It turns out that Blum also holds large investments in companies that were selling medical equipment and supplies and real estate leases-often without the benefit of competitive bidding-to the Department of Veterans Affairs, even as the system of medical care for veterans collapsed on his wife's watch.Mrs. Clinton, does that mean that DiFi's hubby is as unethical and evil as Halliburton? Mrs. Clinton, hasn't DiFi acted in a highly unethical, and possibly illegal, fashion as chair of that subcommittee? For that matter, aren't DiFi's actions in this matter as unethical as anything that John Murtha ever done? I'd suggest that it's possibly worse than anything Murtha's done.
I'd love asking Sen. Clinton how "expanding the whistle-blower shield laws" will end government corruption? It seems to me that prosecuting CIA agents who leak things about intel-gathering programs would end alot of corruption. Expanding the whistle-blower laws won't end corruption; it'll codify into law much of the illegal activity that the CIA is currently engaged in.
Assailing the Bush administration for its handling of Hurricane Katrina, the controversy over the replacement of U.S. attorneys and fraudulent government contractors in Iraq, Clinton characterized it as having "a stunning record of cronyism and corruption, incompetence and deception."That's the epitome of chutzpah, people. Hillary lecturing anyone on "cronyism and corruption" is akin to being lectured by Bonnie and Clyde about gun control.
Let's take the subject of cronyism: Robert Ray's report said that, although he couldn't prosecute Hillary for what she did, he could prove that she didn't always testify honestly about Travelgate:
For the first time, Mr. Ray disclosed parts of Mrs. Clinton's 1995 deposition he now says are demonstrably false. The report also discloses some of the grand jury testimony of others who spoke to Mrs. Clinton about the travel office.Here's what lies at the heart of Travelgate:
The workers were replaced with people the Clintons knew.In other words, this was cronyism of the highest magnitude. What this means is that Hillary wants to be perceived as ethical even though she's a scandal machine. The bottom line on all this is that Hillary is the last person who should lecture anyone on these issues.
After all, she's the poster child of cronyism and corruption.
Posted Saturday, April 14, 2007 5:16 PM
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Tax Cut Rally a Major Success
King & Michael opened their show today with the news from the Tax Cut Rally held at the Capitol this afternoon. Based on a number of reports, the tax cut movement's support dwarfed the 'presence' of the environutters' rally. Derek, Andy & Michael have pictures up from the rally. I strongly recommend you check them out.
Andy's also got a post with a list of the MOBsters attending the event. Andy said that he taped the entire event & that he'll have something posted with that footage, too. I'll look forward to seeing that footage, Andy!!!
When last I talked with King about this, he suggested that we hold these types of rallies in every city next year. I enthusiastically agree. That's a great way to make our presence felt in every legislative district in the state. Doing it next year would send a strong message to legislators, especially the freshman DFLer's who are sitting in borrowed seats.
Earlier today, I got an email from Assistant Minority Leader Laura Brod. She was excited to say that the tax cuts that she proposed the first week of this session will get a hearing Monday in the Tax Committee. You'll recall that her tax cuts were ruled "not germane" to the tax conformity legislation that's now law.
I'm planning on attending the Tax Committee hearing Monday. The hearing is scheduled to start at 12:30 to 1:00 pm. I'd love meeting other MOBsters if they're able to attend and/or liveblogging the hearing. If they can't attend, then I'd strongly urge MOBsters to call their representatives to register their support for the GOP tax cuts & show their disdain for the DFL's tax increases. Let's use this opportunity to tell the DFL that people are watching & they aren't pleased with their major tax increases.
Posted Saturday, April 14, 2007 8:06 PM
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