March 16, 2009
Mar 16 09:01 Democrats' Spin & Slander Machine Gearing Up Mar 16 09:34 Jim Knoblach Announces Candidacy for Sixth District Chairmanship Mar 16 10:02 Gov. Pawlenty Going On Offense
Democrats' Spin & Slander Machine Gearing Up
It was inevitable that President Obama would crank up the Carville-Begala Smear and Spin Machine to defend his indefensible policies. When they crank up their hate machine, the proper response is to repeat the mantra that President Obama's budget stifles economic growth, raises taxes on small businesses and middle class families and hurts energy production. Politico.com is reporting that the White House is marshalling the armies of hate to push President Obama's policies:
The White House on Sunday began harnessing every part of the Democratic Party's machinery to defend President Obama's budget and portray Republicans as reflexively political, according to party strategists.If President Obama pushes his agenda, he'll just put Blue Dog Democrats in a difficult position politically in 2010. These Blue Dog Democrats will be in a difficult position because the job-killing effects of the Cap and Trade tax increase won't sell well where fossil fuels are used to fuel cars, transport food to grocery chains and heat homes.
At a time when Capitol Hill has begun to resist the sweep and cost of his agenda, Obama's aides used the Sunday interview programs to launch an aggressive case that his bold budget for health care and other issues will help fuel an economic recovery
On ABC's "This Week," White House economic adviser Larry Summers said the president had proposed a "strategic budget" that "will let us have a sound economic expansion" through a combination of "substantial cuts" and new spending on education, health, energy and environment.
The president himself plans to carry that message in the coming week, "engaging directly with Congress more, and speaking more forcefully on behalf of his budget," a top adviser said.
His tax increases on small businesses won't play well with small businesses and their employees. His continued irresponsible spending habits will worry Wall Street, causing entrepreneurs to keep the money they've pulled from the market sitting on the sidelines.
The reality is that President Obama's economic plan increases inflation, doesn't spur economic growth and worries nations that buy our debt.
If President Obama wants to have his spinmeisters arguing with us, that's his choice but the American people don't agree with his policies.
A perfect example is the environment. Everyone wants to clean up the environment. The American people's minds change dramatically when they find out that President Obama's Cap and Trade legislation will dramatically drive up home heating costs and the price of gas at the pump.
Another example is taxes. Lots of people agree that everyone should pay their fair share of taxes. The tipping point, though, is reached when it's pointed out that President Obama's tax increases hit small businesses the hardest and that small businesses create most of the jobs.
Eric Cantor will play a key role in fighting President Obama's agenda. Here's what he said this morning on Meet The Press:
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told David Gregory on NBC's "Meet the Press": "The Republicans will have a plan. We had a stimulus plan. Part of the problem with being in the minority is, David, that sometimes your colleagues in the press don't want to cover the ideas that the minority has. We had a plan on the stimulus. It was tailored to small business tax relief. It was focused on what a stimulus plan should be which is the preservation, protection and creation of jobs."This is a great message that appeals to people who don't care about universal health care but care passionately about small businesses creating jobs. Can you picture unemployed people saying "I'd rather have universal health care than a job"? Or "I wish President Obama would rather focus on a carbon tax than on straightening out the banking system"? Or "I'd rather see record-setting deficits than a pro-prosperity plan"?
The spinmeisters' responsibility will be to tell Americans that things are already improving under President Obama's leadership and that his unpopular policies are popular.
Their job is perhaps summed up best by an old cartoon I saw decades ago. It showed a group of people sitting at a table with a junky-looking toy sitting on the table. The cartoon's caption had the executives telling the marketing people "Yes, it's useless. But it's your job to sell it anyway."
President Obama's budget contains too many job-killing tax increases (Cap and Trade, income taxes). The income taxes are promoted as a way "to get the rich to pay their fair share." In reality, though, they're an attack on small businesses.
The far left's attack machine can attack President Obama's critics all they want but they can't change the fact that it grows the federal deficit to unsustainable, dangerous levels, which will increase inflation and limit economic growth.
The Far Left's smear merchants can attack the messenger but it can't hide the disastrous effects of President Obama's budget and it certainly can't hide the fact that Tim Geithner still doesn't know how to fix our banking system.
Posted Monday, March 16, 2009 9:05 AM
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Jim Knoblach Announces Candidacy for Sixth District Chairmanship
Jim Knoblach just issued a statement announcing his candidacy for the Sixth District Chairman seat being vacated by Mark Swanson. Here's Jim's statement:
Dear Republican Activist:I've had the privilege of getting to know Jim over the past 6 years. Jim's a good communicator, an unapologetic conservative with impeccable fiscal conservative credentials and a man of integrity.
I am running for the Sixth District Chair position being vacated by the current chair, Mark Swanson.
For those who don't know me, let me tell you some things about myself. I was born and raised in Saint Cloud, am married with two children, and have been a long time conservative Republican and small business owner. I have been active in my community, currently serving as a Trustee at Calvary Community Church, and Board member of the local Salvation Army, the Saint Cloud Christian School, and the local Boy Scouts.
I was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1994. During my twelve years in the House I was one of the key Republicans. In 1998 I chaired the House Republican Elections Committee when we took the majority for the first time in 12 years. In 2000, I chaired it again and we kept the majority for the first time in 30 years. In 2002 I was appointed Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, and a week later the State Economist announced we had a $4.5 billion deficit. Working with Republicans, I helped turn that into a $2.25 billion surplus. In 2006 I decided not to seek another term. I never saw myself as someone who would spend a career in the Legislature. I ran for the Republican endorsement for the open Sixth District Congressional seat, but came in second of four contenders to Michele Bachmann. I publicly supported Michele in that election, and have continued to support her since. I returned to the private sector, where I have continued my career as a business owner and entrepreneur.
I am running to advance a conservative Republican message, and help Republicans win elections. Since the time of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, the Republican Party has been more conservative than the Democrats in five major areas: fiscal conservatism, support for the free enterprise system, freedom, limited government, and federalism (the concept of pushing government responsibilities down to the lowest level of government possible). In the past forty years, two other major differences have emerged, as the Republicans have maintained their support for family values and a strong national defense, while most Democrats have abandoned their one-time support of those principles. I believe these core Republican beliefs are the right beliefs for our party, our state, and our country, and do not need to be modified to win elections. However, they do need to be communicated more effectively. As Chair, I would work to accomplish this.
Congresswoman Bachmann was victorious in this last election, but will likely be targeted again in 2010. In addition to helping her win, however, we also need to help our state legislative candidates. The next election will determine which party controls redistricting. Republicans in the State Legislature have barely enough votes to sustain Governor Pawlenty's vetoes. We need to elect more Republicans at the legislative level while continuing to support Congresswoman Bachmann and other statewide and local Republican candidates. I have successful experience in helping others win elections, and as Chair would work hard to repeat this success.
Thank you for reading this far, and for your interest. Please contact me by e-mail or phone (320-252-6179 if you have any questions or comments. I would appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
Jim Knoblach
Candidate for Sixth District Chair
Those are just some of qualities I admire about Jim. They're also the reason why I'm endorsing Jim Knoblach in his candidacy for the Sixth District Chairman's position.
During the last year, I've had the opportunity to talk with Jim about both policy and winning elections. I've been impressed with his understanding of policy and more impressed with his understanding of how to bring people into the Republican party with a message of fiscal restraint, family friendly policies and his ability to communicate with people what the GOP's priorities are.
One thing that's missing from Jim's statement is the role he played in getting Steve Gottwalt elected and re-elected to Jim's HD-15A seat. Republicans haven't won elections of open seats the last two election cycles. Jim not only helped Steve win election in a difficult 2006 election but re-election this year.
Now more than ever, we need people in leadership who have put winning strategies together for local candidates and who understand the importance of winning down-ticket races as well as the high profile races.
Jim Knoblach is that man in the Sixth District.
That's why I'm proud to endorse Jim.
Posted Monday, March 16, 2009 9:37 AM
Comment 1 by Drew Emmer at 16-Mar-09 11:14 AM
Is anyone else running for CD 6 Chair?
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 16-Mar-09 12:23 PM
I don't know.
Comment 3 by J. Ewing at 16-Mar-09 02:09 PM
Where's Mark Swanson going?
Gov. Pawlenty Going On Offense
One of the things I like about Gov. Pawlenty is his ability to wage war with the DFL. He's one of the best communicators in the Republican Party. That's why I see this article as just the latest 'episode' of Gov. Pawlenty putting the DFL on the defensive:
The day after Minnesota Senate Democrats announced a plan that would raise income taxes, Gov. Tim Pawlenty fired back during a TwinWest Chamber of Commerce breakfast.The DFL insists that high taxes aren't hurting Minnesota's economy. I agree with Gov. Pawlenty that raising taxes on middle class Minnesotans and small business owners will hinder our ability to compete in world markets. Competing on the world stage is essential to Minnesota's economic health and stability.
"It is not a tax on the rich; it is a tax on anyone making more than $65,000," Pawlenty said in a passionate speech that lasted more than an hour at the Doubletree Park Place Hotel in St. Louis Park Friday, March 13.
The governor said an income tax increase would hit the middle class and small businesses during a recession. "Even Barack Obama is opposed to that temporarily," he said, referring to the president's decision not to advocate rolling back tax cuts implemented by his predecessor immediately. "We don't want to increase taxes for the obvious reasons."
Tearing further into the DFL plan, Pawlenty said, "Here's a novel thought for some folks in Minnesota: not everyone can work for the government. You actually have to have private sector people creating jobs stay in your state."
He said he heard an individual call the state MinnesoTax recently. "We have the third highest business tax rate in the world," he said during his unusually animated speech.
"I sound like Keith Olbermann - in the world!" he quipped at one point.
Minnesota cannot compete with the low-cost places of the world, "but we cannot be so smug about where we've been without thinking we can price ourselves out of the market," he said.
Pawlenty also alluded to the Senate plan to cut state funding across the board, including elementary and secondary schools. He advocated his own plan to expand his Q-Comp teacher merit pay system to all school districts in the state.Gov. Pawlenty has been offering reform proposals since the start of the legislative session. The DFL, with a couple of exceptions, have resisted his common sense reforms. it's time that the DFL started siding with common sense and resisting fulfilling their special interest allies' agenda.
"Even in the worst economic crisis since World War II, we will put more money, not less money, in the K-12 system because it's strategically important - but we will do that contingent on reform in the system," Pawlenty said.
Posted Monday, March 16, 2009 10:02 AM
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