Democrats continue rushing their health care legislation through Congress, despite the fact that it will do nothing to contain costs. Claire McCaskill has been outspoken in her support for the bill, even voting to slash Medicare by $400 billion and opposing pro-life amendments. Lt. Governor Peter Kinder questioned her support, especially given the state of our economy.
An open letter to Sen. Claire McCaskill:
Weeks ago, the Senate voted to proceed with the unprecedented government-controlled health care plan being proposed by President Obama and crafted by Harry Reid. While Sen. Kit Bond chose to vote against moving forward with this so called “health care reform,” you, senator, voted to move this bill forward.
Right now, Missouri’s Medicaid program already grows by over $100 million each year. The total cost for our social services program is approximately one-third of our entire state budget. The plan being proposed by your colleagues in the Senate could cost Missouri an additional $400 million more each year. That is money we just don’t have, as you and Gov. Jay Nixon are aware.
More than one month ago, I called on you to make your position on this bill clear to all Missourians. Until now, you have refused to explain why you believe that Missouri families should have to pay for this experiment in bureaucracy.
On Nov. 19, the night of the Senate’s vote, your actions filled the void of silence.
According to Sunday’s SE Missourian, Tommy Sowers supports the Democratic health care bill passed in the U.S. House Saturday night over the objections of 39 House Democrats. From the article: “Sowers spoke as the Democratic leadership in the U.S. House was pressing members to a vote on a health care overhaul bill that sets a goal of providing health insurance coverage to 96 percent of the eligible population. Emerson announced Friday evening she planned to vote against the bill. Sowers said he would vote for it.”
Sowers’ announcement comes almost a year before the 2010 congressional elections, but his unqualified support for the bill already shows he isn’t cut out for the job. His fellow Democrats raised objections to the Pelosi bill, saying it would raise taxes on Americans living on fixed incomes, cost U.S. jobs, create opportunities for federal funding of abortion, increase the costs of health insurance premiums and force Americans off their private insurance.
Sowers has only been a candidate for a few months, but it’s already clear that he cares more about what Nancy Pelosi thinks of him than what the people of Missouri’s 8th Congressional District do.
Senator Jim Talent, Vice-Chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, talks to KTVI-St. Louis about the commission’s report. Watch the full video below:
Leadership elections provide insight into the agenda of each party—and the Democrats once again showed how out of touch they are with the people of our state. Missouri House Democrats selected a PROMO and NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed trial lawyer who co-sponsored a bill that would have raised income taxes by more than $2 billion. By contrast, House Republicans rallied behind Steve Tilley, a pro-life optometrist who has consistently fought for lower taxes and common-sense Missouri values. The difference in the governing philosophy of each party is clear—and these selections demonstrate once again why it is vital that Republicans retain control of the General Assembly.
Today is the six-month anniversary of the passage of the $787 billion so-called “stimulus” bill. Despite the Democrats’ initial confidence that the legislation would turn around our economy, it has been ineffective, and now 57% of Americans believe it was a failure.
House Minority Leader John Boehner has released the facts about Barack Obama’s first experiment with our economy. An excerpt is below:
Despite the Administration’s promise that the “stimulus” would provide an immediate “jolt” to the economy and create jobs “immediately,” more than 2.8 million jobs have been lost since it was enacted on February 17, 2009.
On the day the “stimulus” was enacted, the national unemployment rate was 7.6 percent. Today it is 9.4 percent.
On May 13, Vice President Biden issued a report on the stimulus’ first 100 days asserting that it had “saved or created” 150,000 jobs, and that “an additional 600,000 jobs are expected to be created or saved under the Recovery Act in the next 100 days” for a total of 750,000 jobs. But the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner told Congress earlier this year that it’s “very difficult for anyone to substantiate” the Administration’s claims – especially since Secretary Geithner recently said that unemployment won’t come down until late in 2010 and that the economy has shed 2.8 million jobs since February.
Since the “stimulus” was enacted, Democrats have added $869 billion in new debt that will be paid for by our children and grandchildren.
According to the Associated Press, “Tens of thousands of unsafe or decaying bridges carrying 100 million drivers a day must wait for repairs because states are spending stimulus money on spans that are already in good shape or on easier projects like repaving roads.”
Democrats continue trying to combat the genuine grassroots uprising over Barack Obama’s health care experiment—belittling protesters and accusing conservatives of “extremism” and even Nazism. And while the White House (falsely) accuses the Republican Party of “astroturfing,” it seems that desperate Democrats are really the ones engaging in “manufactured anger.”
This week, Democrats began robo-calls in Rep. Luetkemeyer’s district—a transparent attempt to incite the few remaining supporters of a government takeover of health care. And today, Organizing for America, the remnants of the Obama campaign now run out of the Democratic National Committee, sent out a last minute email to local Democrats encouraging them to come to Russ Carnahan’s townhall forum. This DNC-directed email pushes readers to be the “most powerful voices” at the event, and it even includes a ready-made “flyer to display.”
This is astroturfing at its finest (or worst?). And it exposes the Democrats’ claims for what they really are: a coordinated assault on patriotic Americans who are simply standing up against the encroachment of an overbearing government on their lives.
“Rubberstamp Russ” Carnahan, who has voted with Barack Obama 100% of the time, has earned another dubious distinction. Earlier this week, Citizens Against Government Waste named Carnahan it’s “Porker of the Month” for “patently false” comments he made regarding the government takeover of health care.
More from CAGW: “For his memorable walk-on cameo appearance in this political Comedy of Errors and his significant contribution to the unbridled bloviation emanating from Washington, most of which has been long on spin and short on facts, Rep. Russ Carnahan is CAGW’s July Porker of the Month.”
Russ Carnahan has had a bad few weeks. First, he gained national notoriety when a St. Louis business, upset over his vote for a massive new national energy tax, put his name in lights—literally. Then, FOX News reported that Carnahan’s staff hung up (twice!) on a reporter who called to ask questions about the cap-and-trade vote. Last week, Congressional Quarterly released a study showing that Carnahan has acted as a true rubber-stamp, voting with Barack Obama 100% of the time.
Now, Carnahan is again under fire for his claims at a forum that Obama’s health care experiment will create a $6 billion surplus.
In reality, the Congressional Budget office estimates that the Democrats’ plan for government-run health care will end up costing more than $1 trillion—and adding (not removing) $239 billion to the national debt.
The video, with reaction from the audience, is available below.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the citizens of Missouri’s 3rd district deserve better.
It’s time for Jay to oppose Obama’s health care experiment
The top elected officials from states across the county reached a rare, bipartisan consensus at a recent meeting of the National Governors Association. According to the New York Times, prominent Governors, including several Obama allies, blasted the proposed government takeover of health care for its detrimental effect on the states.
The complaints came from Republicans and Democrats, with Tennessee’s Phil Bredesen (D) calling Congress’ bill “the mother of all unfunded mandates.” Bill Richardson (D), Barack Obama’s original choice to head the U.S. Department of Commerce, took issue with the $1 trillion price tag. Christine Gregoire (D) declared, “we’re not going to be in a position to pick up the tab.”
Not surprisingly, “No Comment Nixon” is silent on Obama’s health care experiment. Of course, if the costs of a health care takeover are unacceptable in New Mexico, Washington (state), and Tennessee, then they are surely unacceptable in Missouri—which is already facing falling revenue and massive budget cuts.
As Governor, Jay Nixon has an obligation to stand up for Missouri and tell Barack Obama that his health care legislation is too costly and too burdensome. Anything less is a disservice the Missourians he serves.
Now that Robin Carnahan is back from her 4th of July vacation to the Eastern Mediterranean, she should be well-rested and ready to finally describe her positions on today’s most important issues—topics which she has so far refused to discuss with Missourians. Now that the Census Bureau has a new director, we call upon Carnahan to share her thoughts on ACORN’s participation in the U.S. census nationally and here in Missouri.
Robin: should a group with such a long, well-documented history of fraud be allowed to participate in a process that will determine each American’s representation in Congress?
Considering her cozy relationship with the troubled organization through her tenure as Secretary of State, Carnahan should be well-versed on this issue and have no trouble providing an answer. Because Missouri risks losing a congressional seat, it is important to know where Carnahan stands on ensuring that the census remains fair and accurate.
St Louis area small businesses are furious over the national energy tax that Democrats pushed through the U.S. House, but Russ Carnahan doesn’t want to talk about why he joined Nancy Pelosi in voting for the costly and burdensome legislation. In fact, he is trying so hard to avoid questions about his vote that he is even allowing his staff to hang up on reporters who want to talk about the issue.
Did Carnahan even read the 1,200 page bill he voted for? That seems like a fair question, and one the voters in his district deserve to know the answer to.
But according to FOX News, when a reporter called to find out, Rude Russ’ staff hung up—twice. See the clip below:
Carnahan is completely out of touch with his district. Now, he is stubbornly (and rudely) refusing to answer any questions from families, businesses, or even the media. The people of Missouri’s 3rd District deserve better.
The full interview with David McArthur of McArthur’s Bakery, which is based in Carnahan’s district, can be seen here.
For months, Robin Carnahan has refused to give substantive answers to the most pressing issues facing Missourians today, preferring instead to remain silent and allow others to do the work. But now, her farcical campaign somehow managed to become even more ridiculous. Over the Independence Day weekend, Carnahan seems to have gone missing.
After refusing to talk about where she is on the issues, Robin Carnahan now refuses to even talk about where she is. What’s going on here?
Ike Skelton has lost touch with his constituents, succumbing to pressure from Nancy Pelosi and voting a national energy tax that has been called the “biggest tax in American history.” Now he is in trouble:
The Buffalo Reflex criticizes Skelton for voting with Nancy Pelosi on this “nonsensical legislation”
The Missouri Farm Bureau condemns cap-and-trade’s “hefty price tag”
Just as Skelton abandoned his district, national Democrats have deserted him now that the pressure is on. The Washington Post is reporting that a coalition of liberal interest groups has launched deceptive television ads to whitewash the dire costs of the cap-and-trade legislation on behalf of 17 Democratic members of Congress across the country– Skelton is not among them. He is receiving no help whatsoever.
The message from Pelosi to Skelton is clear: thanks for your help, but now you’re on your own.
On Thursday, while announcing painful cutbacks that could have been avoided though proper management of the budget, Gov. Nixon was asked whether cutbacks in state government would affect the Governor’s office. He refused to answer the question, saying he hadn’t looked closely enough at the budgets of various agencies.
Another reporter followed-up: “Are you planning on making reductions in the Governor’s office as well?”
Nixon shrugged and said, “I plan on losing 8 or 10 pounds this summer,” then stammered that he would balance the budget.
The video:
Even the Post-Dispatch took notice, writing that “Nixon dodged a question about whether he would cut his own office staff.”
“These cutbacks are no laughing matter,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. “Nixon was asked a legitimate question about whether he would make the same sacrifices he is asking of everyone else. It’s an answer that Missourians deserve to know. After all, this is the same governor who increased salaries of some of his staff by as much as 45%, hid salaries in other departments, and flew to sporting events around the state on a taxpayer-funded airplane while forcing Missourians to wait weeks or months for their tax refunds.”
Claims he is “looking forward” to cleaning up neighborhood, though he failed to do so as A.G.
KSDK’s Mike Owens yesterday investigated a top Nixon aide who has been accused of abusing his position to influence the outcome of lawsuit filed by his business. The aide, Rex Burlison, refused to answer the questions, even after Owens told him (on camera): “you were using your position as an official of the state of Missouri to affect how this lawsuit was heard.” Burlison said the charge was “outrageous.” Nixon defended Burlison and said he knew nothing about the case—although documents show that he was subpoenaed.
Owens asked Nixon about the crime that is endemic on property owned by Burlison. Nixon chalked it up to the business being in a “bad neighborhood” and said he was “looking forward” to cleaning up the area.
Looking forward to it?
Jay Nixon has had ample time to fix the problem, but he did not. Nixon was Attorney General of Missouri (calling himself the state’s “chief law enforcement officer”) for 16 years, from 1993-2009. During that time, the city of St Louis has consistently ranked one of the nation’s most dangerous cities—and by 2006, it was ranked the most dangerous. (Morgan Quitno/CQ Press)
These rankings are disputed by the city’s leaders, but the fact remains: For 16 years, Jay Nixon was unable or unwilling to fix the crime problem in St. Louis. Suddenly, he’s “looking forward” to it?
Paid for by the Missouri Republican State Committee, 204 East Dunklin, Jefferson City, Missouri, 65101 (573) 636-3146. Richard C. Peerson, Treasurer.
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