Bauer Says Early Election Results a Referendum on Obama ... and Voters Have had Enough

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer Tuesday night said that the early election results were a "referendum on Obama, and the voters have rejected his agenda."

The chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, Bauer made the following statement:

"The night is young and the votes are still being counted. But judging from early indications it is clear that the American people have repudiated the leftwing agenda of higher taxes, more spending and bigger government. Democrats promised the country hope and change. Instead, we got a re-run of Jimmy Carter's "malaise days" - rising unemployment, out-of-control spending and ever-expanding regulations.

"There is no spinning the results: The 2010 election is a referendum on Obama and the voters have rejected his agenda of failed stimulus bills, cap and trade energy taxes, government takeovers, union bailouts and socialized medicine.

"The voters also sent a clear message about what they expect from Washington. By voting for conservative candidates, they are demanding fiscal responsibility, smaller government and more respect for traditional values.

"Tonight's results cannot come as a surprise to anyone. The signs have been there all along - from the Tea Party and town hall protests, to polls showing overwhelming opposition to ObamaCare, to the 2009 victories of Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie to Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts. Yet, Obama and congressional Democrats ignored them all. Today, the American people sent an unmistakable message: ENOUGH!

"With yet another and even larger rebuke at the ballot box, it is incumbent upon Barack Obama and congressional Democrats to stop pandering to left-wing special interest groups, abandon their ideological agenda and deliver on their promise of transparency and post-partisanship.

"This year the American people again voted for change in Washington. Now Republicans must regain their trust and work hard to restore their hope."

For more information on a conservative agenda, go to www.cwfpac.com.

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New Reid Bill Funds Abortion: Excludes Bipartisan Stupak-Pitts Amendment

/PRNewswire/ -- Last night, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the Senate Democrats introduced a new Senate version of health care reform that includes government funding for elective abortion. The "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" authorizes the Secretary to include elective abortion in the public option and subsidize health plans in the government run exchange that cover elective abortion.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following comments:

"Senator Reid's new health bill does not include the Stupak-Pitts amendment that was designed to prevent federal funding for abortion-on-demand. Instead, he chose to include a version of Rep. Lois Capp's abortion funding language which has already been rejected by the House in favor of the Stupak-Pitts language.

"The Reid bill authorizes the Secretary of HHS to fund abortion in the public option, now called the 'community health insurance option.' The bill provides tax credits for private plans that cover abortion-on-demand, mandates plans across the country to cover abortion-on-demand and strips important conscience protections for providers who refuse to perform elective abortion.

"The Stupak-Pitts amendment adopted with 240 votes in the House would prevent federal funding for abortion or subsidies for plans that cover abortion. It also makes clear that individuals or groups are not prevented from providing coverage that includes abortion as long as federal funds are not used.

"Clearly the straightforward language of the Stupak-Pitts amendment is not what Senator Reid and his pro-abortion colleagues want. Rather they want government funding of abortion-on-demand.

"Pro-life senators, including Senators Ben Nelson and Bob Casey, must denounce the Reid abortion funding provisions and make every effort to include the Stupak-Pitts amendment in the Senate bill in order to prevent the establishment of a government funded abortion program for the first time in over three decades."

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Boehner Statement on New Federal Deficit Projections

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement on the new federal deficit estimates released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Obama Administration’s Office of Management & Budget (OMB):

“Today’s reports confirm what the White House has been trying to hide: the Democrats’ out-of-control spending binge is burying our children and grandchildren under a mountain of unsustainable debt. Instead of putting the brakes on Washington’s spending habits as they promised they’d do, Democrats have stepped on the accelerator and spent taxpayer dollars with reckless abandon all year, refusing to make tough choices and putting all the sacrifice on future generations. That’s not leadership; it’s negligence.

“The costly government-run health care plan put forth by President Obama and Speaker Pelosi is just the latest in a long line of expensive Democratic experiments that will add to the deficit, raise taxes on families and small businesses, and cost more American jobs. It’s time for the Administration and congressional Democrats to face the consequences of this dangerous fiscal agenda and change course.

“Republicans have proposed better solutions to curb out-of-control spending and control the debt on behalf of middle-class families, including a fiscally-responsible federal budget that includes strict annual caps on federal spending and forces Congress to live within its means on a yearly basis, something the Democratic-controlled Congress has refused to do. Republicans are ready to work in a bipartisan way to get control of our budget. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, let’s hope this Administration and the Democrats in charge of this Congress are as well.”

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Libertarians to Democrats: Call off the thugs

America’s third largest party Friday called on Democrats to end what appears to be a budding campaign of union violence targeted at citizens who differ with the White House at town hall meetings across the country. Libertarians oppose not only the White House’s plans for government-run medicine, but the use of violence to achieve political or social goals.

A Tampa Bay Tribune story and a video posted to the Drudge Report both report physical assaults on dissenting citizens by union organizers brought to meetings by Democrats. In Tampa, union organizers blocked citizens who differed with the White House from entering a public town hall with Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL,) and allegedly scuffled with some of them. A video posted to YouTube appears to show union organizers physically attacking citizens who disagreed with the White House.

“The Libertarian Party is founded on one principle. We do not support the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals,” said Donny Ferguson, Libertarian National Committee Communications Director. “Democrats seem to think differently. When the Obama administration ordered Democrats to ‘punch back twice as hard’ against citizens who question them, Democrats responded. This Chicago-trained White House has brought Chicago-style union violence to small towns across America.”

“The White House told Democrat leaders Thursday to ‘punch back twice as hard’ when citizens express disapproval. That kind of irresponsible rhetoric is never proper when discussing popular dissent. The also made it clear they will bend Senate rules and force through government-run health care whether or not America supports it. That is a frightening departure from the traditional American practice of governing though popular will,” said Ferguson.

“If bringing in union thugs is an attempt by Democrats to scare citizens into not questioning them, it won’t work. Union violence may be how communities are organized in Chicago, but the American people won’t stand for people who think violence is the proper response to the fact they no longer have majority support.”

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“Americans still believe in the consent of the governed. Libertarians urge Democrats to listen to the American people, call off their union enforcers and drop their wildly unpopular scheme of government-run medicine,” said Ferguson.

Biden Admits "Stimulus" Spending Scheme Is Falling Short, Says Dems "Misread the Economy"

Washington Democrats are officially all over the map on the spending binge known as the “stimulus.” Vice President Joe Biden was one of many Democrats scrambling over the weekend to defend the trillion-dollar “stimulus” that, by any objective account, isn’t working. The Obama Administration’s latest excuse for the bill’s poor returns? On ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, the Vice President claimed, “The truth is, we and everyone else misread the economy.”

This change in rhetoric comes less than two months after the Vice President issued his initial report on the “stimulus,” in which he said the package was “ahead of schedule.”

Here’s another example of Democrats’ mixed messages on wasteful stimulus spending:
Yesterday on ABC, the Vice President asserted, “There were predictions that this was going to be wasteful and all these terrible projects were going to be out there, and we’re wasting money. Well, that dog hasn’t barked yet.”

Yet just last month, in a roundtable to discuss the “success” of the stimulus, the Vice President admitted, “We know some of this money is going to be wasted… Some people are being scammed already.”

The “dog” to which the Vice President referred is now barking, and her name is Ellie Mae, the bloodhound House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) sent out looking for jobs created by the “stimulus” in a lighthearted web video released last week. In an appearance yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Boehner underscored the fact that the “stimulus” bill isn’t working and reiterated Republicans’ support for a real stimulus – one that empowers families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn so they can save, invest, and create jobs:

“This was supposed to be about jobs, jobs, and jobs and the fact is it turned into nothing but spending, spending and more spending on a lot of big government bureaucracy… All it does is fund more government. If you really want to get the economy going, you have to trust small businesses and the American people to reinvest their own money. So we ought to try a real stimulus bill and allow them to keep more of what they earn.”

As the “stimulus” continues to fall short of its goals, how will Democrats try to move the goalposts next? What rhetoric will they use to backtrack off of previous predictions and statements? And, most importantly, how hard will Democrats continue to block a real stimulus that trusts small businesses – the real engine of our economy – to create jobs? As Congress prepares to begin a busy stretch of legislative action over the next four weeks and unemployment continues to rise, these are questions the American people need answered.

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Libertarians reach out to gay, lesbian Democrats picketing DNC fundraiser

Representatives from America’s third-largest party greeted Democrats protesting the Obama administration’s legal arguments defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) outside a Thursday Democratic National Committee fundraiser aimed at gay and lesbian donors, and shared with them information on the Libertarian Party’s advocacy for marriage equality.

“The Obama administration extends their hand for donations from the LGBT community, and then slaps us in the face with the other hand with the defense of DOMA,” said Catherine Sumner, Libertarian National Committee Gay and Lesbian Policy Adviser.

“Libertarians agree that government should stay out of the marriage issue, and that DOMA should be repealed,” said Sumner. “We welcome Democrats who agree with us to join the only party that will defend their rights, the Libertarians.”

The activists voiced their disappointed over a legal brief filed by the Obama administration asking a federal court to uphold the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages. Standing outside the Madarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., which hosted a DNC fundraiser featuring Vice-President Joe Biden aimed at collecting funds from gay and lesbian donors.

While the Obama administration has voiced its opposition to marriage equality and support for DOMA, and the DNC refuses to call on the administration to change its policy, Libertarians have no qualms about their support for marriage equality.

“White House lawyers take over two pages of documentation, citing case law, purposely not citing Loving vs. Virginia, that in so many words, indicates that gay marriage is not natural and thereby not an inherent constitutional right,” said Sumner.

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Anxiety Rises Over Democrats' Unchecked Spending, Historic Deficits

The Democrats’ spending binge in Washington is catching up with them. After five months of unfettered spending, taxing, and borrowing, the American people have grown weary of an agenda that is plunging the nation into deeper debt and sticking our children and grandchildren with the tab. Two new national polls are making news this morning by detailing Americans’ increasing concerns about the deficit – and Democrats’ lack of any plan to deal with it. Here are the highlights:

Wall Street Journal/NBC News: “President Barack Obama faces new concerns among the American public about the budget deficit and government intervention in the economy as he works to enact ambitious health and energy legislation, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds. A solid majority – 58% – said that the president and Congress should focus on keeping the budget deficit down.”

New York Times/CBS News: “The poll highlights the political and governing challenges on the horizon for Mr. Obama, including the towering federal budget deficit, which is expected to push the national debt to levels that many economists say could threaten the economy’s long-term vitality. Six in 10 people surveyed said the administration has yet to develop a clear plan for dealing with the deficit, including 65 percent of independents.”

Think about the rather dubious fiscal record Washington Democrats have amassed this year. The trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill, the $400 billion “omnibus” spending bill loaded with 9,000 unscrutinized earmarks, the $3.6 trillion budget, and the seemingly endless bailouts bankrolled by overburdened taxpayers. And what have families and small businesses gotten for these multi-trillion dollar investments? Aside from a hefty tab, not much. For example, the Administration promised that unemployment would not rise above eight percent if Congress passed its trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill. The bill is now law, yet unemployment tops nine percent, with the President now admitting that it’s likely to increase above 10 percent too. Where are the jobs? Is it any wonder why Americans are fed up with the borrowing and spending?

House Republicans proposed a better solution to create twice as many jobs as the Democrats’ “stimulus” bill promised at half the cost, as well as a budget alternative that would curb spending, create jobs by cutting taxes, and control the debt. Unfortunately, Democrats balked at both, choosing a go-it-alone approach that has plunged our nation into historic debt.

Now, as Democrats barrel ahead with a costly government takeover of health care – with a price tag of at least $1 trillion and an impact of at least 23 million Americans being kicked off their current health care plan – and a national energy tax on anyone who drives a car, buys an American-made product, or flips on a light switch, House Republicans are proposing better solutions once again. House Republicans yesterday outlined a health care reform plan to reduce costs, expand access, and increase the quality of care in a way that Americans can afford. And last week, they rolled out the American Energy Act to clean up the environment, reduce energy costs, and create more American jobs.

As Americans’ anxiety over spending deepens, will Democrats finally admit that their arrogant culture of spending, taxing, and borrowing cannot continue and work with Republicans on responsible plans to create jobs and control the deficit? Or will they continue marching forward with even more irresponsible plans that drown future generations in more red ink?

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Michigan's Congressional Delegation Should Rethink Support of Undemocratic 'Card Check' Legislation, Says Michigan Chamber of Commerce

/PRNewswire / -- The Michigan Chamber of Commerce today called on Democrats in Michigan's Congressional Delegation to rethink their support of the deceptively-named Employee Free Choice Act, better known as the Card Check legislation.

"Now is not the time to enact legislation that will make it easier for union bosses to organize workplaces by eliminating secret-ballot elections and requiring binding arbitration of contract disputes," said Wendy Block, Director of Health Policy and Human Resources for the Michigan Chamber. "Despite its nice-sounding name, the Employee Free Choice Act will actually deprive job providers and workers of their democratic rights."

"This legislation is proposed in the name of 'fixing' our nation's labor laws, but it's actually little more than political payback for union bosses who want an unfair advantage in organizing activities," noted Jim Holcomb, Vice President of Business Advocacy and Associate General Counsel for the Michigan Chamber. "Those serving in Congress who care more about the health of our economy than politics should do everything in their power to prevent passage of this harmful legislation."

"This is a moment of truth for our lawmakers in Washington DC," Block said. "There are few legislative proposals that would be more damaging than the card check legislation, which is in violation of our nation's Democratic principles and seeks to deny every American of their right to a private ballot in union organizing elections in the workplace."

"It's hard to believe that this legislation is a priority in Congress as our nation's economy continues to struggle," said Holcomb.

"Congress needs a wake-up call and to refocus their efforts on putting forward policies that will encourage economic growth, rather than inhibit it," Holcomb concluded.

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FOX News Report Highlights How Democrats' Budget Reinstates the Death Tax

Everyone knows the Democrats’ budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much, but a Fox News report today highlighted a little-known aspect of their proposal. At a time when families and small businesses are struggling, the Democrats’ budget would reinstate the Death Tax, which would hurt small businesses and family farms that are already overtaxed. The GOP budget alternative, introduced by Budget Committee Ranking Republican Paul Ryan (R-WI) today, eliminates the Death Tax permanently. Full video and transcript of the report follow: .....http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=117103

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Campaign to Sell President's Budget Has "No Noticeable Impact" as Americans Realize It Spends Too Much, Taxes Too Much, Borrows Too Much

President Obama will hold a news conference this evening, as the campaign to sell his fiscally-irresponsible budget continues. Last week, the effort kicked-off with some fanfare, as news broke that his presidential campaign apparatus would be called upon to spin his $3.6 trillion budget blueprint. However, more than a week into the “budget campaign,” it seems the Administration and its political allies are having some trouble building support for the budget with the American people – and even some Democratic Members of Congress. McClatchy News reports:

“President Barack Obama’s army of canvassers fanned out across the nation over the weekend to drum up support for his $3.55 trillion budget, but they had no noticeable impact on members of Congress, who on Monday said they were largely unaware of the effort.”

“‘News to me,’ said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, a House Budget Committee member, of the canvassing.”

The reason the President’s campaign seems to be spinning its wheels is because the American people are realizing his budget will harm our economy and destroy jobs by spending too much, taxing too much, and borrowing too much. Last Friday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a devastating report, noting that the President’s budget is actually $2.3 trillion more costly than the White House initially claimed. And yesterday, the President doubled-down on his plan for a national energy tax, with the Administration promising that it will fight for the tax, even though it will cost families up to $3,100 more per year. In other words, the more the American people are learning about this budget, the less they like it – and Members of Congress, including many Democrats, are hearing about it.

On WKRC radio in Cincinnati this morning, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed the Democrats’ nervousness over the President’s budget:

“And so, the real key is what’s going to happen here over the next couple of weeks – whether we can stop the budget proposal that he has and put enough pressure on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to take a second look at this proposal…”

“There’s a lot of nervousness over there right now over this, and what I’ve been doing and my colleagues have been doing is helping the American people understand that his budget spends too much, it taxes too much, and it borrows too much from our kids and grandkids.” (AUDIO)

While the Administration and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill continue their budget campaign, Republicans are prepared to offer a better budget solution – one that will help create jobs, rebuild savings, and restore fiscal sanity. In a web video released last week, Boehner outlined for the President the GOP’s principles for a better budget, including:

- Helping create and protect jobs by letting families and small businesses keep more of what they earn.

- Ensuring the federal budget doesn’t grow faster than family budgets.

- Aiming to expand access to affordable health care for every American, while preserving Social Security and Medicare for future generations.

- Ending the bailouts to protect taxpayers and reforming the financial system so this crisis never repeats itself.

- Encouraging an “all of the above” energy strategy that harnesses new technologies, encourages greater conservation and efficiency, and increases American energy production in an environmentally-safe manner – without imposing a national energy tax.

- Fighting inflation so the prices of goods and services Americans depend on every day remain stable during and after this economic crisis.

The House Budget Committee will consider the President’s budget blueprint tomorrow, and Boehner today announced that Republicans will live-blog the debate on the Republican Leader’s blog, at http://gopleader.gov/Blog. During tomorrow’s debate, Republicans will remind Democrats that the President’s budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much and will offer better solutions for improving the blueprint, strengthening the economy, and creating jobs. Will Washington Democrats give these GOP solutions the consideration they deserve?

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Sticker Shock: Washington Dems Reeling After CBO Report Shows President's Budget Is $2.3 Trillion More Costly Than White House Claimed

Washington Democrats are still reeling after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported last Friday that the President’s budget is actually $2.3 TRILLION more costly than the White House initially claimed. Overall, the budget will produce an incredible $9.3 trillion in total deficits over the next 10 years – and who pays? Our children and grandchildren. Is it any wonder why Republicans have consistently been warning that this monstrous budget spends, taxes, and BORROWS too much? And Republicans are not alone. Economists, taxpayer watchdog groups, and newspapers across America have sounded the alarm on the Administration’s reckless budget path as well. Here’s what the Washington Post said about the President’s plan in an editorial published yesterday:

“Mr. Obama should treat the CBO report as an incentive to fulfill his repeated promises, during and after the campaign, to make hard choices on the budget. Until now he has offered a host of new spending – on health care, middle-class tax cuts, education and alternative energy – without calling for much sacrifice from anyone except the top 5 percent of the income scale. Though his emphasis on controlling health-care costs is welcome, it’s not a substitute for reforming the entitlement programs that are the drivers of long-term fiscal crisis, Medicare and Social Security. Yet the president has offered no plan for either and no road map even for achieving a plan. Several members of his own party in the Senate have been expressing doubts about his strategy, and the CBO report will lend credibility to their concerns. He should heed them.”

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) reacted similarly after the CBO rocked the Administration with its deficit report last Friday, saying, “This report should serve as the wake-up call this Administration needs. We simply cannot continue to mortgage our children and grandchildren’s future to pay for bigger and more costly government.”

Later today, the President will continue his campaign-like sales job of his budget when he will continue pressing for a massive national energy tax that’s at the heart of the proposal – a tax that will cost American families up to $3,100 per year. The Associated Press reports this morning that, “President Barack Obama’s aides say the administration will work with Congress on his budget proposal, but energy independence is not subject to wheeling and dealing.” In other words, the White House is prepared to fight for its energy tax hike.

Middle-class families and small businesses are struggling during this recession – their job security is diminished, their savings are evaporating, and their costs of living are soaring. Do they really deserve to be hit with higher energy bills – to the tune of up to $3,100 increase per year – thanks to the President’s budget?

Republicans don’t think so, and that’s why they will be offering a better budget solution in the days to come. In response to the President’s request last week for budget ideas from both parties, Boehner released a web video in which he outlined for the President the GOP principles for a better budget. The GOP budget alternative will:

- Help create and protect jobs by letting families and small businesses keep more of what they earn.

- Ensure the federal budget doesn’t grow faster than family budgets.

- Aim to expand access to affordable health care for every American, while preserving Social Security and Medicare for future generations.

- End the bailouts to protect taxpayers and reform the financial system so this crisis never repeats itself.

- Encourage an “all of the above” energy strategy that harnesses new technologies, encourages greater conservation and efficiency, and increases American energy production in an environmentally-safe manner – without imposing a national energy tax.

- Fight inflation so the prices of goods and services Americans depend on every day remain stable during and after this economic crisis.

As the House Budget Committee prepares to debate the President’s budget blueprint, it is clearer than ever that it spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much. House Republicans are prepared to offer a better way. Are Washington Democrats prepared to join them?

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RNC: 50 Days: No Golden Anniversary

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Republican National Committee:

In 50 Days, Democrats Have Passed And Proposed Roughly $5 Trillion In Government Spending:

President Obama Proposed Spending Between $3.5 And $4 Trillion In His FY2010 Budget. "Obama's budget overview will call for between $3.5 trillion and $4 trillion in spending in fiscal year 2010 and creates space for up to $750 billion in additional bank bailout funds this year - money that hasn't been requested and the administration hopes will not be necessary to stabilize the still-reeling financial system." (Major Garrett, "Obama's Budget Projects $1.75 Trillion Deficit," FoxNews.com, www.foxnews.com, 2/26/09)

Last Month, President Obama Signed The $787 Billion Economic Stimulus Package. "The $787 billion stimulus bill that President Barack Obama signed Tuesday was a warm-up act, an emergency provision aimed at stimulating a moribund economy." (David Lightman and Margaret Talev, "How Much Government Spending Is Ahead? Stay Tuned," The Miami Herald, 2/20/09)

Democrats In The House Passed A $410 Billion Omnibus Spending Bill. "The U.S. House voted to boost spending on domestic programs by 8 percent, ease restrictions on travel to Cuba and kill a school voucher program in Washington, D.C., as part of a $410 billion spending bill." (Brian Faler, "House Approves $410 Billion 'Omnibus' Spending Bill," Bloomberg, 2/25/09)

President Obama Announced A $275 Billion Plan To Stave Off Foreclosures. "After a week dominated by programs that involve spending -- in addition to the stimulus package, the plan to stave off foreclosures could cost taxpayers as much as $275 billion -- Mr. Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address to chart the immediate road ahead." (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Obama Pledges To Seek Deficit Cuts," The New York Times, 2/21/09)

OBAMA SNUBBED THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER

President Obama's Handling Of The British Prime Minister's Trip To The U.S. Was "Appalling":

During British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's American Trip, He Presented President Obama With A Priceless Pen Holder; Obama Reciprocated With 25 DVDs. "After Brown presented Obama with a pen holder crafted from the timbers of the 19th century British warship HMS President (whose sister ship, HMS Resolute, provided the wood for the Oval Office's desk), Obama offered up ... 25 DVDs of American movie classics." (David Saltonstall, "London Aghast At President Obama Over Gifts Given To Prime Minister Brown," [New York] Daily News, 3/7/09)

President Obama's Handling Of Brown's Visit: "Appalling." "His handling of the visit of the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to Washington was appalling." (Iain Martin, "President Barack Obama Dislikes Britain, But He's Keen To Meet The Queen," The [UK] Daily Telegraph's "Iain Martin" Blog, www.telegraph.co.uk, 3/6/09)

Originally, Brown Was Not Granted A Press Conference, Then One Was Thrown Together At The Last Minute. "First Brown wasn't granted a press conference with flags, then one was hastily arranged in the Oval office after the Brits had to beg. Obama looked like he would rather have been anywhere else than welcoming the British leader to his office and topped it all with his choice of present (*) for the PM." (Iain Martin, "President Barack Obama Dislikes Britain, But He's Keen To Meet The Queen," The [UK] Daily Telegraph's "Iain Martin" Blog, www.telegraph.co.uk, 3/6/09)

OBAMA HAS HAD ISSUES STAFFING HIS ADMINISTRATION

President Obama Has Had Difficulties Appointing People To Fill Top Positions In His Administration:

Seven Weeks After Inauguration, President Obama Still Has To Fill Hundreds Of Senior Level Positions In The Executive Branch. "Nearly seven weeks after taking office, President Barack Obama has a Cabinet, but hundreds of other senior-level jobs across the executive branch lack permanent occupants." (Dave Helling, "Across Nation's Capital, Vacant Offices Abound," The Kansas City Star, 3/8/09)

"But Mr. Obama Lost Four Nominees To Tax And Other Issues And The Pace Of Appointments Slowed." (Peter Baker, "Obama Team Has Billions To Spend, But Few Ready To Do It," The New York Times, 2/17/09)

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner Failed To Pay Taxes While Working For The International Monetary Fund. "Timothy Geithner didn't pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for several years while he worked for the International Monetary Fund, and he employed an immigrant housekeeper who briefly lacked proper work papers." (Jonathan Weisman, "Geithner's Tax History Muddles Confirmation," The Wall Street Journal, 1/14/09)

Health And Human Services Secretary Nominee Tom Daschle Withdrew His Nomination After Reports That He Had Failed To Pay Taxes. "Former Sen. Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a statement Tuesday from the White House. ... Daschle, the former Senate majority leader, apologized Monday for failing to pay his taxes in full. He said earlier he was 'deeply embarrassed' for a series of errors that included failing to report $15,000 in charitable donations, unreported car service and more than $80,000 in unreported income from consulting." (Ed Henry and Kristi Keck, "Daschle Withdraws As HHS Nominee," CNN, 2/3/09)

Nancy Killefer Withdrew Her Nomination For Tax Problems Dating Back To 1995. "They knew about Nancy Killefer's tax problem from 1995, yet they nominated her for a post in the office of management and budget anyway. This morning she withdrew." (Sam Donaldson, Op-Ed, "Sam On What Nominees' Withdrawal Says About Obama," ABC News, 2/3/09)

Commerce Secretary Nominee Bill Richardson Withdrew His Nomination After Reports That State Contracts In New Mexico Were Under Investigation. "First, they knew about Gov. Bill Richardson's potential problem in the New Mexico investigation into state contracts, but they nominated him to be commerce secretary anyway. Weeks later, of course, Richardson withdrew." (Sam Donaldson, Op-Ed, "Sam On What Nominees' Withdrawal Says About Obama," ABC News, 2/3/09)

During The Campaign, Obama Said Lobbyists Wouldn't Run His White House Or Work For Agencies They Used To Lobby:

During His Campaign, President Obama Promised To "Stop The Revolving Door That Lets Onetime Lobbyists Go To Work For The Federal Government." "[O]n the campaign trail, Obama vowed to stop the revolving door that lets onetime lobbyists go to work for the Federal Government and oversee contracts that could harm -- or help -- their former employer." (Mark Thompson, "Obama's Lobbyist Ban Meets A Loophole: William Lynn," Time, 1/27/09)

President Obama Signed An Executive Order Banning Lobbyists From Working For Agencies They Used To Lobby. "And one of the first things the new President did in office was seemingly make good on that promise, signing an Executive Order barring former lobbyists from joining his Administration to work at agencies they recently lobbied." (Mark Thompson, "Obama's Lobbyist Ban Meets A Loophole: William Lynn," Time, 1/27/09)

But President Obama Has Appointed Numerous Former Lobbyists:

President Obama Has Appointed At Least 21 Former Federal Registered Lobbyists, Including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "A USA TODAY review of Obama hires shows that 21 have registered as federal lobbyists, although most have not done so within the past two years. They include White House aide Cecilia Munoz, who lobbied last year for the National Council of La Raza, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who lobbied in 2007 for a national teachers union." (Fredreka Schouten, "Geithner Names Ex-Lobbyist As Treasury Chief Of Staff," USA-region> Today, 1/27/09)

OBAMA HAS FAILED ON EARMARK REFORM

President Obama Promised To Slash Earmarks And Stop Wasteful Spending:

President Obama Pledged To "Slash Earmarks." "Slash Earmarks: ... In the past two years, the Democratic Congress has cut earmarks nearly in half, to $17.2 billion in 2008. Obama and Biden are committed to returning earmarks to less than $7.8 billion a year." (Obama For America, Blueprint For Change, www.barackobama.com, p. 20, Accessed 2/19/09)

During The Campaign, President Obama Pledged To "Go Line By Line" And "Eliminate Programs That Don't Work." Obama: "I want to go line by line through every item in the federal budget and eliminate programs that don't work, and make sure that those that do work work better and cheaper." (Sen. Barack Obama, NBC Presidential Debate, Nashville, TN, 10/7/08)

-- Obama: "Earmarks account for 0.5 percent of the total federal budget.
There's no doubt that the system needs reform and there are a lot of
screwy things that we end up spending money on, and they need to be
eliminated. But it's not going to solve the problem." (Sen. Barack
Obama, CNN Presidential Debate, Hofstra University, New York,
10/15/08)


But President Obama Signed An Economic Stimulus Package Full Of Wasteful Spending And Democrats Are Pushing A $410 Omnibus With More Than $7 Billion In Earmarks:

Despite Promises, The Stimulus Is Not Free Of Money For Special Interests. "The compromise stimulus bill adopted by House and Senate negotiators this week is not free of spending that benefits specific communities, industries or groups, despite vows by President Obama that the legislation would be kept clear of pet projects, according to lawmakers, legislative aides and anti-tax groups." (Dan Eggen and Ellen Nakashima, "Despite Pledges, Package Has Some Pork," The Washington Post, 2/13/09)

The Senate Is Working On The $410 Billion Omnibus Spending Bill That Contains 8,750 Earmarks Worth $7.7 Billion. "The Senate is getting ready to pass a giant spending bill stuffed with congressional pet projects that critics decry as unnecessary pork. ... They point to stiff resistance from Democratic leaders and Obama's reluctance to veto the pending $410 billion legislation as signs that business will continue as usual. The 8,570 earmarks in the bill represent $7.7 billion, according to the nonpartisan group Taxpayers for Common Sense." (Dan Nowicki, "Earmark-Laden Bill A Line In The Sand For Pork-Barrel Politics," The Arizona Republic, 3/6/09)

DEMOCRATS HAVE FAILED TO BRING BIPARTISANSHIP TO WASHINGTON

President Obama Said Political Opponents Should Work Together Instead Of Demonize Each Other:

Obama Derided Partisan Politics And Said Political Opponents Should Come Together To Solve Problems. "A politics that says it's ok to demonize your political opponents when we should be coming together to solve problems." (Sen. Barack Obama, Response To The State Of The Union, 1/28/08)

"Obama Has Said He Plans To Work With Republicans To Cut Through Partisan Gridlock That Often Blocks Legislative Progress."(Sabrina Eaton, "Ohioan An Early Obama Critic," [Cleveland] Plain Dealer, 1/29/09)

But In President Obama's Washington, Democrats Have Hardly Come Together With Republicans:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): We Won The Election, We Wrote The Bill. "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) parried GOP assaults on Democrats' $825 billion stimulus package Thursday and refused to slow the bill down to give more time for Republican input. 'Yes, we wrote the bill. Yes we won the election, but that doesn't mean we don't want sustainability or Republican support,' Pelosi said." (Steven T. Dennis, "Pelosi Defends Democrats' Vetting Of Stimulus Plan," Roll Call, 1/22/09)

Democrats Rolled Over House Republicans And "Yielded No More Than Necessary" In The Senate To Pass The Stimulus Package. "In the case of the stimulus bill, Democrats used their solid majority to roll over House Republicans and yielded no more than necessary to garner three critical GOP votes in the Senate." (Janet Hook, "Bipartisanship Faces Stiff Test," Chicago Tribune, 2/16/09)

For President Obama, "Urgency Trumps Bipartisanship." "But with the economy in crisis and the stimulus his top priority, [President Obama] also made clear that urgency trumps bipartisanship." (Todd J. Gillman, "Selling The Stimulus Bill President Discovering That Bipartisanship Has Its Limits," The Dallas Morning News, 2/10/09)

THE ADMINISTRATION HAS FAILED ON TRANSPARENCY

President Obama Pledged Transparency And Openness Before Signing Legislation:

During The Campaign, President Obama Promised To Give The American Public 5 Days To Review Legislation Before Signing Any Bill. "Sunlight Before Signing: Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them. As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days." (Obama For America Website, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 2/19/09)

But The Obama Administration Has Failed To Allow The Public 5 Days To Review Legislation It Has Signed:

According To The Nonpartisan PolitiFact, President Obama Did Not Provide 5 Days Before Signing His First Bill, The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. "But the first bill Obama signed into law as president -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- got no such vetting. In fact, the Congressional Record shows that the law was passed in the Senate on Jan. 22, 2009, passed in the House on Jan. 27, and signed by the president on Jan. 29. So only two days passed between the bill's final passage and the signing." (Angie Drobnic Holan, "Obama Signs First Law Without Web Comment," St. Petersburg Times' "PolitiFact," www.politifact.com, 1/29/09)

President Obama's Second Bill Signing Occurred Hours After Passed By Congress. "For his second bill, Obama signed an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides health coverage for low-income children. He signed it on Feb. 4, 2009, just hours after it was finalized in Congress." (Angie Drobnic Holan, "Still No 'Sunlight Before Signing,'" St. Petersburg Times' "PolitiFact," www.politifact.com, 2/4/09)

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RNC: Wrong Prescription

The following was released today by the Republican National Committee:

Today, President Obama Will Make A Formal Announcement That President Obama Will Nominate Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) For HHS Secretary:

Today, President Obama Will Announce Sebelius As His Secretary Of Health And Human Services. "Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius yesterday accepted President Obama's request to become his secretary of health and human services, stepping into a central role in the new administration's ambitious effort to overhaul the nation's health-care system. ... A formal announcement of her nomination is scheduled for tomorrow." (Michael A. Fletcher and Ceci Connolly, "Governor Of Kansas Tapped To Lead HHS," The Washington Post, 3/1/09)

Democrats Have Already Announced Plans For Billions In New Taxes To Fund Health Care:

Last Week, President Obama Proposed A $634 Billion Reserve Fund For Health Care, That Experts Believe Will Cost At Least $1 Trillion. "President Obama is proposing to begin a vast expansion of the U.S. health-care system by creating a $634 billion reserve fund over the next decade, launching an overhaul that most experts project will ultimately cost at least $1 trillion. The 'reserve fund' in the budget proposal being released today is Obama's attempt to demonstrate how the country could extend health insurance to millions more Americans and at the same time begin to control escalating medical bills that threaten the solvency of families, businesses and the government." (Ceci Connolly, "Obama Proposes $634 Billion Fund For Health Care," The Washington Post, 2/26/09)

Democrats Plan To Pay For The Reserve Fund By Capping Tax Deductions, Amounting In A Tax Increase Of More Than $300 Billion. "About half the money for the new fund would come by capping itemized tax deductions for Americans in the top income bracket. The proposal, which administration officials characterize as a 'shared-responsibility issue,' would reduce the value of tax deductions for families earning more than $250,000 by about 20 percent, according to administration documents." (Ceci Connolly, "Obama Proposes $634 Billion Fund For Health Care," The Washington Post, 2/26/09)

SEBELIUS HAS A HISTORY OF "TWISTING ARMS" TO RAISE TAXES

Kansas Has A High Tax Burden:


Kansas Ranks In The Bottom Half Of States For State Business Tax Climate. "Kansas ranks 31st in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. The ranks of neighboring states were as follows: Nebraska (42nd), Missouri (16th), Oklahoma (18th), and Colorado (13th)." (The Tax Foundation Website, www.taxfoundation.org, Accessed 3/1/09)

Kansas Has The 13th Highest Property Tax Burden. The American Legislative Exchange Council ranks Kansas 38th among states' property tax burdens, with 1st being the lowest, and 50th being the highest. (Arthur B. Laffer and Stephen Moore, American Legislative Exchange Council, "Rich States Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index," www.alec.org, 2007, p.71)

Sebelius' Solution To High Taxes Is To Raise More Taxes:

Sebelius Has Called For Hiking The State Sales Tax 8%, The Income Tax By 5%, And Property Tax 10%. "The governor proposes to: Increase the state's sales tax rate from 5.3 to 5.5 percent on July 1, to 5.6 percent in 2005 and to 5.7 percent in 2006. Impose a 5 percent surcharge on personal income taxes, with no expiration date specified. Raise the state's 20-mill property tax levy for schools to 21 mills in 2005 and to 22 mills in 2007." (Chris Moon, "Governor's Plan Would Raise Three Kinds Of Taxes," Topeka [KS] Capital-Journal, 2/26/04)

-- Her Plan Would Have Raised Over $600 Million In New Taxes. "[G]ov.
Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, would raise income, sales and property
taxes and spend $663 million more on public schools over the next
three years." (Jim Sullinger and John L. Petterson, "It's GOP's Turn
At School Finance," The Kansas City Star, 3/13/04)

Already This Year, Sebelius Has Come Out In Favor Of A $0.50 Per Pack Cigarette Tax Increase, Saying She'd Be "Twisting Arms" To Help Pass It. "Gov. Kathleen Sebelius [advocated] proposals that include a 50-cent per pack increase in the state cigarette tax. 'I will be campaigning for this, urging people to do it, twisting arms to do it,' Sebelius said." (Scott Rothschild, "Sebelius, Barnett Join Forces On Tobacco Tax," Lawrence [KS] Journal-World & News, 1/10/08)

SEBELIUS VETOED EFFORTS TO STOP EXCESSIVE LITIGATION FROM HARMING BUSINESSES AND HEALTH CARE

Litigation Is A Growing Problem For Kansas Businesses:

A 2005 Poll Found That 72% Of Kansas Business Leaders Believe Frivolous Lawsuits Drive Up Business Costs. "A recent Kansas Chamber of Commerce poll of the state's business owners and executives indicated that 72% of business leaders strongly believe that frivolous lawsuits drives up their costs of doing business." (The Attorney General Of Kansas, "Attorney General Kline, Insurance Commissioner Praeger Work To Ensure No 'Medical Liability Crisis,'" Press Release, 3/4/05)

Since Sebelius Took Office, Kansas Has Dropped Six Places In The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Institute For Legal Reforms State Ranks. Since 2002, Kansas has dropped from rank four to rank ten, or six places. (Kansas Chamber Of Commerce, "Kansas Chamber Legal Institute," www.kansaschamber.org, 8/9/04; U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Website, Institute For Legal Reform, www.instituteforlegalreform.com, Accessed 3/1/09)

Sebelius Vetoed Efforts To Reduced Medical Liability Insurance Costs In A State Which Is "Showing Problem Signs":

The American Medical Association States Kansas Is "Showing Problem Signs," Due To Rising Medical Liability Rates. (Sherman Joyce, "Election Should Lead To Strong Legal Reform," The Wichita [KS] Eagle, 11/16/04)

But In 2007, Sebelius Vetoed Legislation, Making It Easier To Sue Physicians In Consumer Protection Cases. "Gov. Kathleen Sebelius ... vetoed a bill that she said would have exempted health care providers, including doctors, from the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. ... The Kansas Medical Society issued a statement saying it was 'very disappointed' in Sebelius' veto. ... Without the bill, they said, more litigation will occur and that would lead to higher malpractice premiums for health care providers, which will be passed on to consumers." (Scott Rothschild, "Sebelius Vetoes Bill Sought By Doctors," The [Lawrence, KS] Journal-World, 4/21/07)

SEBELIUS SUPPORTS BIG LABOR AND TRIAL LAWYERS OVER KANSAS WORKERS AND BUSINESSES

Sebelius: In Pocket Of Trial Lawyers:

Sebelius Was Executive Director Of Kansas Trial Lawyers Association From 1978-1986. ("Gubernatorial Candidates On Tuesday's Primary Ballot," The Associated Press, 8/2/02)

Sebelius: "Perhaps My Objectivity Has Been Seriously Compromised By My Trial Lawyers Employment, But The Premise That People Are Too Eager To Use The Courts Seems Hollow To Me." (Kathleen Sebelius, "And From The Director," Journal Of Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, Volume V, #1, p. 2, 2/81)

Sebelius Has Received At Least $898,707 From Lawyers & Lobbyists. (The Institute For Money In Politics, www.followthemoney.org, Accessed 1/22/08)

In Her 2006 And 2002 Races For Governor, Lawyers And Lobbyists Were The Top Economic Sector Contributing To Her Campaign. (The Institute For Money In Politics, www.followthemoney.org, Accessed 1/22/08)

Sebelius: In Pocket Of Big Labor:

Sebelius Has Received At Least $564,495 From Big Labor. (The Institute For Money In Politics, www.followthemoney.org, Accessed 1/22/08)

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CBO: Congressional Democrats' Trillion Dollar Spending Package "Falls Short of Obama Goal"

As the House prepares to debate the trillion dollar spending bill written by a handful of congressional Democrats, supporters of the bloated legislation have endured yet another harsh blow from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). A Reuters story titled “Stimulus Bill Falls Short of Obama Goal-CBO Report” reports that the director of CBO has advised that fast-acting tax relief for families and small businesses – not the slow-moving and wasteful government spending that dominates the congressional Democrats’ bill – would have the greatest impact on the economy in the shortest amount of time:.......

http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109522

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Republican National Committee: As Former Sen. Tom Daschle Faces Senate Confirmation Hearings, a Reminder of His Past on Health Care

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Republican National Committee:

Today, The U.S. Senate Will Hold Hearings For President-Elect Obama's Health And Human Services Nominee, Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD):

Daschle Will Be Testifying At His Senate Confirmation Hearing On Thursday. "Obama's choice to lead the reform effort, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, testifies at his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday -- beginning a process to change the nation's healthcare that could be one of the most ambitious and expensive undertakings of the Obama presidency." (David Alexander, "Obama Building Grassroots Support For Health Reform," Reuters, 1/7/09)

Obama Announced That Daschle Will Serve As The "Lead Architect" On Health Care Reform In Addition To His Role As Health And Human Services Secretary:

Obama Announced That Daschle Will "Be The Lead Architect" Of Health Care Reform In Addition To Serving As HHS Secretary. Obama: "I've asked Tom to serve not just as my secretary of Health and Human Services, but also as my director of White House -- of my White House Office of Health Reform. As such, he will be responsible not just for implementing our health care plan, he will also be the lead architect of that plan." (Barack Obama, Press Conference, 12/11/08)

Obama Said No One Is "Better Suited To Lead This Effort" Than Daschle. Obama: "I can think of no one better suited to lead this effort than the man standing beside me today. Tom Daschle is one of America's foremost health care experts." (Barack Obama, Press Conference, 12/11/08)

DASCHLE WAS MAJOR PLAYER IN FAILED CLINTON HEALTH CARE PLAN

Daschle "Played A Major Part" In Advocating Sen. Clinton's Doomed Health Care Plan Of 1993:

Daschle "Played A Major Part" In The Failed Clinton Attempt To Reform Health Care In 1993. "He also devotes a section of the book to 'What Went Wrong And Models For Making It Right,' with a heavy concentration on the Clinton plan. 'I think it's important that we learn the lessons of the past,' he said ... Daschle is well aware of those lessons, having played a major part in the failed campaign for universal health care and learned many of the mistakes that were made from a Capitol Hill perspective." (Erin McPike, "Daschle Warm To Obama Health Role," CongressDaily, 6/5/08)

The Clinton Administration Expected Daschle To Help "Carry The Ball" On Their Health Care Platform. "[Sec. Lloyd] Bentsen and [Sec. Donna] Shalala, joined by the members of the economic team argued against the proposed price ceilings on insurance premiums. Those so-called premiums caps would be viewed, correctly, as proxies for price controls -- and Congress despised price controls. They argued that the alliances were too regulatory, the overall plan too bureaucratic. And they said that Medicare cuts were too extreme and would cause severe problems, both in urban states like New York and rural ones like South Dakota. These, Bensten knew well, were potential time bombs for the Senate Finance Committee, where Democratic senators from those states, Pat Moynihan and Tom Daschle, were expected to carry the ball for the President." (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, p. 161)

Daschle Was One Of Only Two Democrats On The Senate Finance Committee That Held "Out For The Clinton Plan" Against Other Health Care Proposals In Congress. "[Rep. Jim] Cooper had told [Rep. Mike] Synar that his co-sponsor, Senator John Breaux, was convinced that only two Democrats on Finance -- Majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine and Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Mitchell's protg and 1995 successor as leader of the Senate Democrats -- would hold out for the Clinton plan." (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, p. 336)

Daschle Was Considered A "Foot Soldier" For The Clinton Health Care Reform Effort, During The Time When The Senate Had Become "Increasingly Hostile To Bi-Partisanship." "The Senate environment was also increasingly hostile to bi-partisanship. Something new-and destructive- was at work. ... It was true that in the clash over health care reform, some senators acted out assigned roles -- or roles others suspected them of playing. Jay Rockefeller thus was regarded by other Democrats as the foot soldier for the First Lady; Tom Daschle of South Dakota as the foot soldier for the Senate Majority Leader Mitchell; Mitchell as the foot soldier for the President's bill..." (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, pp. 382-383)

Daschle Pushed For A Vote On The Clinton Plan Despite Opposition In The Senate:

Daschle Pressed For A Vote On The Clinton Plan "To Force Accountability" Among Those Opposed To The Plan. "Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Mitchell's deputy and soon to be his successor as Democratic leader, was as devoted as anyone to passage; but he conceded in conversations with us that August, because the Democrats lacked consensus on whether to fight or let the issue fade, 'there is a belief that to have it trail off may be the best approach.' Daschle was among the senators who argued they needed 'to force accountability,' to 'force the Republicans to vote on something.' In the end, though, his was a minority view. 'There is a feeling,' Daschle added, 'that we are putting as many Democrats on the line as Republicans' by pressing for a vote on the unpopular bill, and that feeling was even stronger among House Democrats. In recalling his private conversations with House Democratic leaders, Daschle remembered, 'They were just really worried about crawling out there on a limb as they've done in the past this close to an election. The votes weren't there for that.'" (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, p. 515)

DASCHLE'S WORK FOR LOBBYING FIRM CREATES POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Daschle Is An Adviser For Washington, D.C. Lobbying Firm, Which Has Earned Millions Lobbying For Health Care Industry:

Daschle Is A "Special Policy Adviser" For Prominent D.C. Lobbying Firm, Which Has Earned More Than $16 Million Representing The Health Care Industry During Daschle's Tenure. "Barack Obama's expected pick of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to be secretary of health and human services bumps up against the president-elect's pledge to rid the White House of special interests. The former Democratic senator from South Dakota is a special policy adviser for the lobbying law firm Alston & Bird. And in his three years there, the firm has earned more than $16 million representing some of the health care industry's most powerful interests before the department he's in line to lead." (Chris Frates, "Daschle Lobby Ties Bump Obama Vow," Politico, 12/1/08)

Daschle's Work As A Paid Adviser "Appears To Run Counter To Obama's Pledge 'To Free The Executive Branch From Special Interest Influence'" Since According To Obama's Team, Political Appointees Are Not "Permitted To Work On Regulations Or Contracts Directly And Substantially Related To Their Prior Employer For Two Years." "Daschle is not himself a lobbyist. But he has advised the firm's clients on health care issues, according to the firm's website. His work as a paid adviser appears to run counter to Obama's pledge to 'free the executive branch from special interest influence.' No political appointee, Obama's transition team has declared, 'will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years.' As health and human services secretary, Daschle would oversee myriad regulations, ranging from the drugs that can come to market to Medicare and Medicare reimbursements." (Chris Frates, "Daschle Lobby Ties Bump Obama Vow," Politico, 12/1/08)

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Dose of Reality for Voters Expectations of Change? Dems Realize Fix is Not Easy After All

Democrats Try to Lower Expectations

By Naftail Bendavid

Even as they depict a massive stimulus package as indispensable to turning the economy around, U.S. Democratic leaders are aggressively lowering expectations that the package will yield dramatic accomplishments quickly..... More

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Congressional Quarterly's 2008 Annual Vote Studies Report Now Available

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressional Quarterly Inc., the nation's premier provider of news, analysis and information on Congress, politics and public policy, today announced the release of its Annual Vote Studies Report for 2008. CQ has studied the voting behavior of members of Congress for more than half a century, in particular assessing how often lawmakers side with members of their own caucus on votes when the two parties divide, and how often they back the president on votes where he has demonstrated a clear position.

Published in the Dec. 15, 2008, issue of CQ Weekly (www.cqweekly.com), the CQ Vote Studies report adheres to a specific and consistent methodology to deliver conclusive findings. The findings are unique because CQ's approach is quantitative, unlike other vote studies that rely largely on the judgment of their reporters and editors.

"CQ takes a more empirical approach and calculates how often members actually vote with their party or the president," said Mike Riley, editor and senior vice president of CQ. "We don't try to establish a litmus test or ideological labels because it is easy to poke holes in the legitimacy of that sort of analysis. What we're looking for is something that more closely represents how members might characterize their own votes.

Riley added, "We find that a whole host of players -- political campaigns, the media and academia, to name a few -- rely heavily on our analysis. We are pleased to be able to provide this information, and feel it is consistent with CQ's long-standing mission of providing accurate, non-partisan information on Congress and politics."

The past year showed a continuation of the high level of partisanship that has divided Capitol Hill for more than a decade. And with the Democrats in charge in this highly polarized environment, President Bush achieved far less than he enjoyed during the first six years of his presidency, although he was able to prevail on big occasions with a combination of compromise and procedural clout.

As CQ reporter Shawn Zeller writes in the story accompanying the 2008 party unity study, "Eight years ago, George W. Bush arrived in Washington promising to bring a central claim of his presidential campaign -- 'I'm a uniter, not a divider' -- to bear in his dealings with Congress. He leaves next month having presided over the most polarized period at the Capitol since Congressional Quarterly began quantifying partisanship in the House and Senate in 1953. That reality is reflected both in the relatively high percentage of party unity votes -- those that pit a majority of Republicans against a majority of Democrats -- and in the increasing propensity of individual lawmakers to vote with their fellow partisans."

Among the central findings of CQ's party unity study:

House Democrats voted on average with the majority of their caucus 92 percent of the time, tying the high-water mark for cohesion that they set last year.

House Republicans stuck together 87 percent of the time, a figure higher than a year ago, and just below their record of 91 percent, reached three times: in 1995, 2001 and 2003.

Senate Democrats voted as a unified caucus 87 percent of the time, a shade below their all-time high of 89 percent reached in 1999 and 2001.

Senate Republicans stuck together 83 percent of the time, higher than in 2007, though below their high mark of 94 percent set in 2003.

CQ's study of presidential support in 2008 found that President Bush had the second worst year of his presidency. As CQ reporter Richard Rubin writes in the story accompanying the study, "Bush should have been the ultimate lame duck, a president with no ability to press his agenda in Congress or to prevent members of his party from abandoning White House policies to save their careers. For the most part, that's exactly what happened."

Among the central findings of CQ's presidential support study:

Bush prevailed on just 47.8 percent of roll call votes on which he took a clear position, the eighth-lowest score in the 56-year history of the survey, although higher than Bush's 38.3 percent success rate in 2007.

As moderate GOP lawmakers fled from the president, the average House Republican supported Bush just 64 percent of the time. That's down 8 percentage points from a year ago and the lowest for a president's party since 1990. Bush's average support score of 70 percent among GOP senators also was the lowest for a president's party since 1990.

Democrats voted with Bush far less often than they had when the Republicans were in charge and could set the agenda. House Democrats voted with Bush just 16 percent of the time on average -- just above their 2007 support score of 7 percent and the second lowest for any president. Democratic senators supported Bush on 34 percent of roll call votes, down from their average support score of 37 percent a year ago.

The Party Unity study examined all roll call votes where a majority of one party voted against a majority of the other party. During the second session of the 110th Congress, there were 367 such votes in the House (53 percent of all votes), and 111 in the Senate (52 percent). The Presidential Support study was based on 80 House votes and 54 Senate votes for which CQ editors determined that Bush had taken a clear position prior to the vote. Overall in 2008, there were 688 such roll call votes in the House (not counting two quorum calls where lawmakers are only allowed to vote "present") and 215 in the Senate.

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