Meet the Press with David Gregory (9am ET*, NBC): Guests this week include Presidential candidate Rick Santorum, former Presidential candidates John McCain and Fred Thompson, and Obama Campaign Strategist, David Axelrod.

Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer (10:30am ET*, CBS): This week’s guests include Newt Gingrich, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Congressman Allen West, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, Donald Trump, RNC Chairman, Reince Priebus, and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

This Week with George Stephanopoulos (10:00am ET*, ABC): This week’s guests will be Newt Gingrich, and House Speaker John Boehner.

State of the Union with Candy Crowly (9:00am ET*, CNN): Candy will be joined this week by Presidential candidate Ron Paul, Florida Governor, Rick Scott, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

(*please check your local listings for show times)

]]> http://dcrepublican.com/2012/01/28/sunday-talk-show-preview-january-29-2012/feed/ 0 http://dcrepublican.com/2012/01/24/mitch-daniels-response-to-president-obamas-state-of-the-union/ http://dcrepublican.com/2012/01/24/mitch-daniels-response-to-president-obamas-state-of-the-union/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:11:24 +0000 DC Republican http://dcrepublican.com/?p=1228 Topics and remark excerpts Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will be covering in his response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

Jobs:

As Republicans our first concern is for those waiting tonight to begin or resume the climb up life’s ladder. We do not accept that ours will ever be a nation of haves and have nots; we must always be a nation of haves and soon to haves.

Energy and Jobs:

The extremism that stifles the development of homegrown energy, or cancels a perfectly safe pipeline that would employ tens of thousands, or jacks up consumer utility bills for no improvement in either human health or world temperature, is a pro-poverty policy. It must be replaced by a passionate pro-growth approach that breaks all ties and calls all close ones in favor of private sector jobs that restore opportunity for all and generate the public revenues to pay our bills.

Tax Reform:

That means a dramatically simpler tax system of fewer loopholes and lower rates. A pause in the mindless piling on of expensive new regulations that devour dollars that otherwise could be used to hire somebody. It means maximizing on the new domestic energy technologies that are the best break our economy has gotten in years.

Congressional Gridlock:

It’s not fair and it’s not true for the President to attack Republicans in Congress as obstacles on these questions. They and they alone have passed bills to reduce borrowing, reform entitlements, and encourage new job creation, only to be shot down nearly time and again by the President and his Democrat Senate allies.

General Change in Direction:

No feature of the Obama Presidency has been sadder than its constant efforts to divide us, to curry favor with some Americans by castigating others. As in previous moments of national danger, we Americans are all in the same boat. If we drift, quarreling and paralyzed, over a Niagara of debt, we will all suffer, regardless of income, race, gender, or other category. If we fail to shift to a pro-jobs, pro-growth economic policy, there will never be enough public revenue to pay for our safety net, national security, or whatever size government we decide to have.

Rally Call:

2012 must be the year we prove the doubters wrong. The year we strike out boldly not merely to avert national bankruptcy but to say to a new generation that America is still the world’s premier land of opportunity. Republicans will speak for those who believe in the dignity and capacity of the individual citizen; who believe that government is meant to serve the people rather than supervise them; who trust Americans enough to tell them the plain truth about the fix we are in, and to lay before them a specific, credible program of change big enough to meet the emergency we are facing.

Source: House Speaker, John Boehner

Let’s just hope we  don’t have another Bobby Jindal moment. Mitch Daniels has the potential to go on to bigger things in politics, and I would hate to see it ruined by a bad speech delivery.

From the Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON—With the Massachusetts Senate seat unexpectedly in play, Democrats are weighing alternative scenarios for passing a health bill without their filibuster-proof majority.

Congressional Democrats and the White House have rapidly stepped up the pace of negotiations on a final bill in the last 48 hours as polls showed a tightening race in Tuesday’s special election.

But Senate leaders need every one of the 60 votes they can call on—including two independents—to pass the bill. A Republican victory in Tuesday’s special Senate election would deprive them of that margin.

It’s also possible that vulnerable Democrats could bolt after a defeat, leaving more votes to make up. Even a narrow victory for Democratic contender Martha Coakley—in one of the nation’s bluest states—could unnerve fellow party members.

Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Democratic leadership circle in the House, acknowledged Friday the Massachusetts race would “complicate things if we lose.”

While we’ve known for awhile what was at stake with this special election, it’s disgusting to see what “nuclear options” are being proposed and considered by the various Democrat caucuses.

So far, four options have come to light: Move Quickly, Pass the Senate Bill, Use Reconciliation, or simply Give Up.

This obviously poses a challenge for the Democrats.

Should Scott Brown win, they’re going to have to select one of the four options mentioned above if they want to get their health care bill passed. Unfortunately for them, no matter which option they go with (other than waiting it out and hoping for a miracle), the current Democrat majority is going to lose a huge chunk of their base, those who lean more towards identifying themselves as conservative or moderate Democrats.

Not only will the Democrats lose popularity amongst there base, but they’ll also lose a significant amount of political capital, which is essential during an election year.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, they’ve set up a legislative agenda that will fracture them even more should they not maintain a safe number of reliable votes. After all, this Congress still hasn’t been able to come up with a cap and trade policy that is popular with the American electorate.

Luckily for the GOP, if the Democrats aren’t able to hold Ted Kennedy’s seat, and their filibuster-proof majority, I think it’s safe to say that the Dem’s are going to into a tailspin between now and November, essentially writing their own attack ads, paving the way for a Republican victory.

Links:

Politico: Tea Partiers rally: ‘Kill the bill’

Dakota Voice: Code Red Rally Today Against Gov’t Health Care

The Washington Independent: Nervous About Health Care, Tea Parties Look to 2010

Christian News Wire: Concerned Women for America Joins ‘Code Red’ Rally on Capitol Hill

Courthouse News Service: Right Wingers Dress in Red to Protest Bill

CNN Political Ticker: Dean: Time to ‘kill the Senate bill’

CBS News: Conservatives Rally to “Kill the Bill”

CNN Political Ticker: Conservative ‘Code Red rally’ hits the Hill

The Hill: Tea Party supporters, conservative groups rally outside Capitol

Video Coverage:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo Coverage:

Congressman Kingston Speaks at Code Red Rally

Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) looks on as Mr. William Temple of Brunswick, GA is interviewed by a correspondent from National Public Radio in Washington.

Code Red Protest in DC

Code Red Protest in DC

Code Red Protest in DC

Conservatives rallied in Washington Tuesday to show their opposition to Democrats' plans for health care reform. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

(AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)

Connecticut resident Tom Hill poses with a homemade sign. The other side featured a health care message for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). (Photo by David Weigel)

“You may have heard the UPS is in quite the political fight with FEDEX. Though both are package-delivery companies, they’re governed by totally different federal labor rules. As a result, UPS’s workforce is much more heavily unionized than FEDEX’s—and more than twice as expensive.

So now UPS is trying to get FEDEX reclassified under federal law as a way of screwing a competitor. That’s horrendous, but it also makes a sick kind of business sense. And it also reveals the real villain: A government that is big enough to absolutely, positively guarantee it can screw any business. Overnight.

“UPS Vs. FEDEX” was produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie (who also hosts). Approximately two minutes long.

This video is based on “Using Unions as Weapons,” by Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy, which appeared in the October 2009 print edition of Reason. Read that article at http://reason.com/archives/2009/09/28…

For downloadable version of this and all other Reason.tv videos go to http://reason.tv“

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Rob Portman:

Dear Friend,

I am truly humbled by your support for my campaign for the U.S. Senate.  As a close supporter I want you to be one of the first to hear about our campaign’s most recent success.

Today we announced our fundraising total of $3,178,476 for the first quarter 2009. This is an impressive achievement, especially given the tough economy we face here in Ohio and around the country. I am so grateful to you and so many others who are standing with me in this critical campaign.

During the first two months of the campaign we raised more than $1.7 million and transferred approximately $1.4 million from my Congressional campaign account, giving us a campaign war chest that exceeds $3 million.

This means that the Portman for Senate campaign has exceeded the amount Lt. Governor Lee Fisher raised from donors in the first quarter by over 50 percent and we have more than three times the amount of cash on hand. At this time, we cannot be certain what Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has raised but we expect an even greater advantage over her campaign.

Our support came from every region of Ohio, and more than 78 percent of our donors were Ohioans. As impressive as our fundraising efforts have been, I have been even more humbled by the many Ohioans who have stepped forward to volunteer in the effort.

Since we announced this campaign on January 14, we’ve received the endorsements of an overwhelming majority of Republican activists, elected officials and key party leaders.  From every corner of Ohio, thousands of you have come forward to join our campaign for a better future for our great state and country.

As I’ve travelled the state speaking at Lincoln Day Dinners and meeting with the working families and small business owners who are struggling in this economy, it is clear that Ohioans want a better way than the tax, spend and borrow policies of the Democrats in Congress.

We offer a positive alternative that focuses on job creation and economic growth; with your help we’re well on our way to having the resources to share that message in 2010.

Fundraising is an important barometer this early in a campaign. We could never have achieved this initial success without your hard work and the help of thousands of Ohioans. Thank you for all that you’ve done and will do for our campaign.

I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.

All best,

Rob Portman

Sometimes I forget just how expensive politics has become these days

At present, it looks like the ball is in Portman’s court, however it’s way to early to be confident in retaining that seat.

I am certain that Ohio will be a state where both the unions and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will be (probably already are) planning a full, well-funded, assault against Portman.

While $3mil+ this far out is a good sign for any campaign, he definitely has a long way to go.

]]> http://dcrepublican.com/2009/04/11/rob-portmans-war-chest-tops-3000000/feed/ 0 http://dcrepublican.com/2009/03/24/barney-frank-puts-code-pink-in-their-place/ http://dcrepublican.com/2009/03/24/barney-frank-puts-code-pink-in-their-place/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:05:24 +0000 DC Republican http://dcrepublican.com/?p=924 Here is a great clip of Barney Frank telling Code Pink to “grow up” during today’s House Finance Committee hearings.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s about time someone shut them up.

A few points:

First, let’s remember that AIG never actually went into bankruptcy proceedings, instead allowing the United States government to become a majority shareholder in the company, taking ownership of 79.9% of their assets.

Look at this from the role of shareholder: would you want to have the company you’re invested in revoke contracts that were designed to keep your talent on board, during an especially difficult time? If you were in fact a shareholder, and saw that it had the potential to yield a return with the right people and incentive, I would hope you’d say yes.

The government claimed when they made this investment that they thought it was going to have a positive return on investment for the American people. How do they expect that to be the case when the people working at the company are having one of their biggest perks stripped from them?

Second, staying on the same topic, it’s important to remember that bankruptcy is one of the legal protections a business has to get themselves out of the potentially crippling contracts without having to go through a sea of red tape and individual legal proceedings.

Just as is the case with any company, AIG had the option to file bankruptcy, go into protection and remove these contracts. However, the United States felt that AIG was too big to fail, and decided that instead of letting them go bankrupt, they would give them the money they needed to continue doing what they thought was needed to become solid again.

Third, do people actually believe that AIG would be able to employ quality people without having the ability to give them something to sweeten things a bit? If you’re someone who actually understands the credit market and has the knowledge that could save AIG, odds are if you’re not receiving the right sort of benefits package, you’ll just going to go elsewhere (especially in this economy).

Those who orchestrated this deal both in New York and Washington have all worked for institutions like AIG at some point. I am quite confident that if they weren’t receiving bonuses when they were with those companies, they too would have gone elsewhere.

While the media has had a field day with this, I find it extremely troubling that the government is coming down so aggressively on AIG for a practice that involves bonuses that are renewed annually, yet is unwilling to speak out negatively against union contracts held by the auto industry that often yield more benefits, FOR LIFE, and yield no positive return for the company.

The government is creating a slippery slope here by now threatening to come in and take this bonus money back, particularly when they’re talking about tracking down the individuals who received the money.

The government has no place telling companies that they cant honor contracts that were established prior to their investment. If they want to do this, they’re going to have to write a new slate of contract law, or use their majority power to drive the company into bankruptcy. However, when you’re the United States government, odds are regard for the law is the last thing you’re paying attention to. Public opinion and approval rating, however, is another story.

This is going to get worse, I promise.

If you thought Sarbanes/Oxley was a business killer, wait until you see what extreme regulation they’re going to come up with to try and prevent the unknown in the future.

Despite earlier reports buzzing around the Hill that Senate Democrats may not have the 60 votes needed to prevent a GOP filibuster of the $410 billion spending omnibus, TheHill.com is now reporting that the Democrat leadership is now confident that they will have the votes necessary to make this happen.

Last November, the only thing the Democrats failed to do was capture the 60 Senate seats needed to prevent a filibuster. This means that if they are going to get anything done, it’s going to have to be with the help of some Republicans willing to cross sides. The Democrat’s most likely help will come from Republican Senators who are looking to gain some much-needed political capital – like in Maine and Pennsylvania for example, two blue/purple states with “vulnerable” Republican Senators. I think that they should be more worried about retaliation from their own party than those voters on the left who didn’t vote for them in the first place.

During the recent stimulus fight, there were three Senators who decided to play the role of a modern day Judas’: Senators Collins and Snowe, both of Maine, and Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. They’ve definitely played it well.

Yes my friends, it appears that the party of Reagan is slowly assimilating into the party of pansies, where those elected to serve on what has become a reality show, now better known as “House… and Senate” spend their days in the dark bowels of the various House and Senate buildings, meeting with key staffers and politicos not discussing policy, but figuring out what tradeoffs will get them reelected.

While Snowe and Collins haven’t been mentioned, I wouldn’t be surprised if they join arms with Senator Specter again, who is believed to be a key player for crossing over, all with the end result of propping themselves up, while dragging the Republican brand and Party into the ground.

The article also goes on to say that Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa (the guy who the Republican Party should exile for his sneaky online sales reporting provision), and Senator Kit Bond of Missouri could also become the latest round of Senators to go native. Are they the Brutus’ of the GOP?

Why aren’t we stopping them?

If I were Michael Steele, my message to the Republicans in both the House and Senate would be simple: “grow a damn pair or I’ll make sure your sorry asses don’t get re-elected.”

We’ll see what happens… and I hope to have more updates tomorrow.

It looks like Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) has invited Geert Wilders, the Dutch film maker and politician, to present the film Fitna to the United States Senate later this week.

For those of you unaware with this film, it has stirred up international controversy, as it explores Qur’anic motivations for terrorism in the Netherlands and beyond.

If you have yet to see Fitna, here is some of it:

It should be expected that this will draw some protest in Washington and beyond.

Update: Glad to see this story has recieved a good deal of attention!