Redstate

Posted at 11:08am on Jul. 4, 2008 Rep. Wm. Jefferson (D-LA): Not Guilty of Bribery, Because He's a Thief

By Vladimir

Or so goes the apparent defense that Jefferson's attorney will mount in his Dec. 2 trial on corruption and bribery charges.

Jefferson will be a Superdelegate at the Democratic national Convention Aug. 25-28 in Denver.

Bribery defense hinges on risky tack

Jefferson has promised an "honorable explanation" will be provided at his trial, which is scheduled for Dec. 2, and has so far declined to elaborate.

Posted in $90000 | Congress | IN HIS FREEZER! | William Jefferson — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:57pm on Jul. 2, 2008 Kennedy v. Louisiana: Another Horrible Supreme Court Ruling

By Congressman Paul Broun

In 1998, Patrick Kennedy was convicted by a jury of his peers and sentenced to death for the rape and mutilation of his eight-year-old step-daughter.

The sentence of capital punishment was handed down by a local judge, based on a constitutional provision passed by the popularly elected Louisiana State Assembly.

The sentence was upheld by a 5-2 vote in the Louisiana Supreme Court.

On June 25, 2008, based on his own personal opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy decided that he was smarter than a jury, 6 judges, and, according to one USA Today article, the state laws of Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, Montana, Oklahoma and South Carolina, which all allow capital punishment in cases involving child rape.

Posted in Congress — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:24pm on Jul. 1, 2008 My letter to the editor on the discharge petition for the Broadcaster Freedom Act

By Tim Schieferecke

I just wanted to post a quick diary in reference to a letter to the editor I wrote in the Topeka Capital Journal 6/.27/08. http://www.cjonline.com/stories/062708/opi_296139604.shtml
I'm letting you know about it to encourage you to do likewise. We need conservative talk radio to help protect our rights and see to it that truth is spoken on a daily basis or we're screwed. Please spend part of your time and conservative passion in the attempt to communicate to others not in the know.

Posted in Congress — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:01am on Jul. 1, 2008 Iran needs to hear firm no on nukes

By Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison

The Bush administration's careful strategy of sanctions against Iran for its nuclear defiance has been on a glide slope of diminishing returns, and Iran has continued to plow ahead. By incrementally advancing its nuclear program while incrementally reducing its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran is creeping methodically toward a nuclear weapons capability.

Although the two presidential candidates sounded similarly tough on Iran during recent speeches, there is a crucial difference between how Republicans and Democrats view the value of American power.

Sen. Barack Obama thinks the cause of Iran's defiance is the invasion of Iraq, which he warned at the time would "fan the flames" of extremism. "Because of the Iraq war, Iran . . . is emboldened."

I see a different problem: American weariness of the Iraq war, and military overstretch, may give Iran an impression of American self-doubt and weakness. That is a much more realistic explanation for why Iran has been emboldened in its drive toward nuclear weapons.

Read on . . .

Posted in Congress — Comments (12)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:29pm on Jun. 30, 2008 "A Plague That Does Not Discriminate By Economic Class, Race Or Age"

By haystack

[image courtesy Red Planet Cartoons]

Such has our fuel price crisis been described by AP reporter Alan Fram:

[S]oaring fuel prices are inflicting pain throughout the U.S. Nine in 10 expecting the ballooning costs to squeeze them financially over the next half-year, an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll released Monday says.

Nearly half think that hardship will be serious. To cope, most are driving less, easing off the air conditioning and heating at home and cutting corners elsewhere. Half are curtailing vacation plans; nearly as many are considering buying cars that burn less gas.

As the price has spiraled upward so, too, has the public's ire.

Reid and Pelosi don't care. Whatever liberties and freedoms to move about the country we might otherwise enjoy, were we able to actually afford to GET there, are slowly being taken away from us by the inaction of our elected officials. BOTH Houses of the "do nothing" Congress blew off any energy legislation to help us get through the summer...THEY are on vacation now, and we can't afford to join them. Instead, we look out our windows at cars we can't refuel and worry about how we're going to get back and forth to work so we can keep supporting these losers through ever-increasing taxes.

Nearly 70% of us are travelling less or not at all, in large part because the national average price for a gallon of gasoline climbed to $4.086, and "Gas prices have risen 2.9% in the last month and are almost 38% higher than where they were a year ago." Waddya think jumpin' genius Joe Klein over at Time says we ought to be doing?

More below the fold...

Posted in Bad Energy Policy | Congress | do-nothing Congress | High gas prices — Comments (85)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:17am on Jun. 30, 2008 Jim Webb Pulls a Pelosi

By Erick

I have an article up at Human Events on just how low Jim Webb (D-VA) has sunk in the Senate.

He has holds on four appointees to the Pentagon. Why? Well, he claims the holds are related to wanting questions on Blackwater Worldwide from the Pentagon. But he's received those answers and still won't release the holds.

So why are the holds really there?

Sen. Webb is expected to travel on a tax-payer funded junket to Southeast Asia. He wants both his wife and his 18 month old child to accompany him without having to pay reimbursement to the government. Unfortunately, according to a March 9, 2007, letter from Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), while spouses are permitted to go with the Senator, “relatives of Senators (other than spouses) will not be permitted to travel with Senate delegations.”

You can read the whole article here.

Posted in Congress | Jim Webb | Virginia — Comments (4)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:28pm on Jun. 28, 2008 David Addington, not yet killed by al Qaeda (much to Rep. Delahunt's dismay), PWNs Debbie Wasserman-Schulz

By Jeff Emanuel

Not allowed to return to his usual daily affairs after essentially being wished a slow death at the hands of al Qaeda by Democrat Congressman and Obama superdelegate Bill Delahunt (MA-10), David Addington, chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, had to grit his teeth and face a barrage of mindlessness from Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20), as well, in Guantanamo Bay/detainee treatment hearings on Capitol Hill Thursday.

From the C-SPAN transcript (both transcript and video are available here):

Wasserman Schultz: Did you discuss specific types of interrogation methods that interrogators should use while at Guantanamo Bay on the detainees?

Addington: I don't recall doing that, no.

WS: That means you didn't, or you don't recall doing it?

A: I don't recall doing it, as I said

WS: Well, it's hard to fathom that you would not have a recollection on specific conversations about typeds of interrogation methods as opposed to just generally talking about interrogation.

A: Is there a question pending, ma'am?

WS: The question is I don't believe that you don't recall whether you discussed specific interrogation methods. So I will as you again. Did you discuss specific interrogation methods on any of your trips to Guantanamo Bay with people who would be administering the interrogation.

Read on.

Posted in Bill Delahunt | Congress | David Addington | Debbie Wasserman Schultz | hearings | PWN3D — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:33pm on Jun. 27, 2008 Earmarxist Don Young Named American Taxpayer Hero

He might be good on taxes, but he's horrible on spending

By Bluey

Rep. Don Young, the Alaska Republican who says he's proud to have sponsored the "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark, was named a "Hero of the American Taxpayer" yesterday by a coalition of anti-tax groups.

The award is based on a number of key votes, "which have always been primarily about taxes much more than spending," according to Americans for Tax Reform. Still, based on a previous list of winners, it paints a bad picture. Past "heroes" have included convicted criminal Duke Cunningham and Dennis Hastert, who oversaw the explosion of pork-barrel spending as House speaker.

In a press release sent by Young's office today, the lone Alaska congressman boasts, "Making sure that the hard-earned money of the American people stays in the pockets of those who earn it and not the government coffers, has always been a priority of mine."

Then, later in the day, Young's office bragged about $58 million worth of pork-barrel projects he had secured for Alaskans. "I never take the ability to get funding for these projects for granted," he said, without noting, of course, that the money comes from taxpayers like you and me.

Young has always been an egregious earmarker, but the $398 million he secured for the "Bridge to Nowhere" topped it all. In April he again came under attack from his colleagues in the House and Senate, who voted to support a Department of Justice investigation into the so-called "Coconut Road" earmark -- a pork project inserted into a bill after it had already passed.

Posted in Congress | Corruption | Don Young | Earmarks — Comments (18)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:36am on Jun. 27, 2008 A response to Congressman Delahunt

By Flyover Country

What appears below is the text of an email I sent to the office of Congressman Delahunt (D-ipstick), in response to his vile comments against David Addington, VP Cheney's CoS. I suggest every RedStater, and every decent American, flood his office with complaints and demands for proper action. This brand of indecent politics cannot be allowed to continue.

Congressman Delahunt:

I recently was made aware of your outrageous statement to Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff, David Addington. It sickens me that you have reached so low in your specious anti-American liberalism that you would seek to promote the death of a public servant. Your statements, which you have attempted to parse and spin into a misunderstanding, are unequivocally vile and reek of the violent language that many on the Left employ when discussing the War on Terror. Your statement of...

"I would be surprised if he had any other interpretation other than the one that I suggested I intended. And if he believes in any way I wish him ill, I assure him that's not the case and I'd be happy to have another conversation with him."

...is the type of head-in-the-sand, willful ignorance that permeates much of the Democratic Party, as well as the candidate for whom you are an unelected superdelegate.

While it may be true that you do not lie awake at night, plotting the demise of Mr. Addington in a specific manner, your glib response to a legitimate concern (that of our enemy conducting opposition research) at best betrays a startling lack of seriousness with which you seem to view matters of national import. At worst, this would appear to a Freudian slip of epic proportions, offering the nation a glimpse into the psyche of a man who will stop at nothing to score political points by hoping that we fail in the greatest test of this present darkness.

Mr. Delahunt, we do not fight a faceless, nameless shadow. Our nation is engaged in an existential battle for the survival of Western ideology, those fundamental concepts of freedom, respect for life and the right of a people to self-determination. Our enemies would destroy our nation, and all that we hold dear, and you are (knowingly or unknowingly) abetting them in their "divine mission". Clearly, your views on proper political governance are fatally flawed. To suggest, as you did, that you were "...glad they finally have a chance to see [Mr. Addington]" is a grossly negligent abuse of your position in we the people's government, and demands nothing less than censure and public scorn. In my mind, it demands much more.

Do not send me some apologetic/polite response email drafted by an overworked summer intern or clerk. I hope you receive a million of these emails, and a million more. Mr. Delahunt, you must understand that this is no game, and you do not exist in your capacity as a congressman to aggrandize yourself and promote your own personal station. You serve at the leisure of a nation that should demand better, that requires leaders that are civil and promote the national welfare in an honest fashion. You have embarrassed yourself, the House and this nation. The people of this nation demand a strong response to this breach of responsibility - do not try any more half-hearted, mealy-mouthed attempts to soften the blows you rightly deserve. You were out of bounds. What will you do to make this right? I believe you will do nothing of any substance. Prove me wrong.

Sincerely,

Ross Kennedy

Posted in Congress — Comments (14) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:17am on Jun. 27, 2008 Hypocrisy, FISA, Guns, and Government: Jim Cooper Abuses His Congressional Throne

By Erick

The government, some would have us believe, is beyond the kind of criminal conduct that necessitated the second amendment. The Bush Administration, some Democrats would have us believe, is reprehensible in its handling of FISA matters and fascist in its nature.

If only the Democrats had more control, all would be well. Except it would not.

Today comes word that the FBI is investigating Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN) for an abuse of his power. Congressman Cooper sought information from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ("NRECA"), my former employer, that the NRECA refused to give him.

Cooper, undeterred, obtained a user name and password to the NRECA's intranet site from someone, and proceeded to probe internal documents and get what he wanted for his hearing without a warrant or permission. Having navigated through this same site, I assure you someone else was complicit in Cooper's actions. It's a difficult site to navigate to get to the information Cooper was after.

I worked at the NRECA. I know the organization. It is one of the most upstanding organizations in the Washington. It's programs around the world are impressive and commendable. I realize people have varying views on electric cooperatives, but without them, much of the nation would have been without power for a lot longer than they were.

Some cooperatives do dumb things, like any business. In this particular case, however, whether you care for electric co-ops or not, it is beside the point.

The point is the congressman, having been denied permission by a private entity to search its records, and without a court order or vote of the Congress granting him permission, went into the entity's private computer system and got what he wanted. Then he set about having a congressional hearing to probe the conduct of electric cooperatives nationwide using the documents he obtained through surreptitious means.

If an individual member of Congress can and does do that to one private group, a member of Congress can also do that to you.

There must be no tolerance for this behavior.

Posted in Congress | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Jim Cooper | NRECA | Tennessee | TN-4 — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:26am on Jun. 27, 2008 Damn us all and our party if we let this go

Congressman Delahunt can be reached at 202-225-3111 and by fax at 202-225-5658

By The Directors

It is no secret that public discourse in this country has become very shrill. Blogs on the left regularly feature vulgar diatribes against the right. Some on the right do the same. Keith Olbermann tells the President to "shut the hell up" on his television program. The New York Times publicly reveals the name of a CIA agent who did the dirty work of interrogating captured Al Qaeda operatives. The left says, "So, the right did it to Valerie Plame," treating as morally equivalent the disclosure of the spy no longer spying and the disclosure of one of the men Al Qaeda would love to behead.

While Congress has also descended into a more shrill style, until yesterday it had not crossed one line of civility that never should be crossed on either side.

David Addington is the Vice President's Chief of Staff. Yesterday, he testified before Congress.

During the course of the hearing, Congressman and Obama Superdelegate William Delahunt (MA-10) asked Mr. Addington about water boarding. Mr. Addington responded that he would not go into details because Al Qaeda is probably watching.

Congressman Delahunt's response was, "I'm glad they finally have a chance to see you."

Mr. Delahunt now denies he meant what he said. But what he clearly said was "I'm glad they finally have a chance to see you." Al Qaeda now knows the face of one of the men who relentlessly pursues its henchmen and deals with their interrogations. Mr. Addington volunteered for public service, not a death sentence with Congressional encouragement. Mr. Delahunt is both a vile liar and a cowardly lion willing to roar down at Mr. Addington while encouraging terrorists to do his dirty work in a war he has been ineffective at stopping.

The left, while attacking Charlie Black for stating the obvious -- that a terrorist incident helps the GOP politically because they are seen as more competent in the national security arena -- is defending this degradation of congressional discourse and vile swipe at Mr. Addington.

This discourse — a member of Congress glad Al Qaeda has a face it can pursue — is beneath the dignity of the Congress and beneath the dignity of civil discourse in this country.

If you do not call your Congressman today and demand the House of Representatives, at the very *least*, censure Congressman Delahunt, well damn us all. We have no right to carry on our fight.

The number is 202-224-3121 and Congressman Delahunt's email address is william.delahunt@mail.house.gov.

And some intrepid reporter should ask Mr. Obama what he thinks of this.  After all, Mr. Delahunt was one of Mr. Obama's early supporters and is now an Obama superdelegate. Of course, you can ask Barack Obama yourself at (866) 675-2008.

When you call your Congressman, you should make sure he knows an apology from Mr. Delahunt will not suffice. Delahunt clearly is lying about and denying his statement. "I'm sorry" would just be more of the same.

Posted in Bill Delahunt | Congress | David Addington | MA-10 | Massachusetts — Comments (55)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:09pm on Jun. 26, 2008 Reid, Pelosi Develop Own 'K Street Project'

By BrianFaughnan

Meet the New Boss.

When Democrats campaigned for Congress in 2006, they pointed to a reform agenda aimed at curbing the worst of the abuses of the Republican Congress. One of the signature reforms was a supposed end to 'The K Street Project,' in which elected officials pressed lobbying firms to hire Republican lobbyists instead of Democrats. And while the Democratic leadership has apparently not resorted to forcing firms to hire Democrats -- yet -- they are insisting that K Street's leading companies and associations must drop their own legislative priorities and interests, and instead push for those of the Democrats:

Posted in Congress — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:33pm on Jun. 26, 2008 NY-24: Arcuri Tied to Spitzer Prostitution Scandal

Former Fundraiser Under Federal Investigation

By Bluey

Freshman Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.) paid $44,000 to a political consultant who is under federal investigation as part of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal. The story first broke on a blog in Arcuri's hometown of Utica, N.Y., and is now leading the news in the Upstate New York city.

The woman, 31-year-old Kristian Stiles, began working for Spitzer in her mid-20s doing fundraising work for the disgraced former New York governor. Her connection to Arcuri dates to July 2007, when Arcuri's campaign began paying her $4,000 a month for fundraising work, according to campaign finance records. The timing is critical because it overlaps the period federal authorities were investigating Spitzer for his connection to a prostitution ring. Spitzer resigned on March 12.

Stiles relationship with Arcuri lasted until March 18, 2008, just two days after the New York Times reported that the federal authorities "had requested detailed documentation for thousands of dollars" in transactions between Stiles and Spitzer.

The Arcuri campaign is downplaying the connection, claiming in statement to WKTV: "In March, Arcuri did not have any opposition and it was determined by the campaign that a fundraising consultant in New York City was unnecessary."

A former campaign staffer with knowledge of New York City fundraisers told me they generally work on commission by event, not as consultants. "If you want a fundraiser, you go to the experts, not some 20-something woman," my source said. "Let's see her invoices. Let's see the events she arranged. Let's see the PAC contributions she brought in."

Posted in Congress | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Michael Arcuri — Comments (3)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:13am on Jun. 26, 2008 Help Kill the Fairness Doctrine

By Congressman Mike Pence

Hey folks,
 
I wanted to drop by and let you know we could really use your help on an issue that I’m sure is important to most of you:  freedom of speech on the airwaves.
 
Yesterday Speaker Pelosi said she wants to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.  Here is the critical exchange between her and John Gizzi:
 

“Do you personally support revival of the ‘Fairness Doctrine?’” I asked.

“Yes,” the speaker replied, without hesitation.

Click here to read the whole story where Speaker Pelosi says it’s in the “interest of my caucus” to bring the Fairness Doctrine back.
 
From my years in radio and television, I have long battled the specter of the so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine.’ This archaic relic of a bygone era would bring back government control over political views expressed on the airwaves.  In short, the Fairness Doctrine is a threat to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and every other conservative talk radio show host in America.
 
To combat this, Congressman Greg Walden and I introduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act, a bill that would prevent any future president from ever reinstating the Fairness Doctrine without and act of Congress.
 
However, Speaker Pelosi refuses to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, even though more than 300 of my colleagues, including more than 100 Democrats, voted for an amendment last summer at this time that would put a one-year moratorium on the Fairness Doctrine.
 
In order to force a vote, we filed a discharge petition.  All we need are 218 signatures (a simple majority) on the petition to bring the bill to the floor and kill the Fairness Doctrine forever.  Almost every Republican in the House has signed. 
 
But no Democrats. 

We need your help in putting pressure on Democrats to sign the petition so we can get an up or down vote on the Broadcaster Freedom Act.  If we get a vote, I know it will pass.
 
But we’ve got to get it to the floor for a vote.
 
I would respectfully say to the Speaker: ‘defending freedom is the paramount interest of every Member of the American Congress.’
 
Please call your member of Congress today and ask them to sign the discharge petition for broadcast freedom. 

The number is 202-224-3121.
 
IMPORTANT:  If the office you contact claims their Member of Congress supported the Pence Amendment, which was a one-year moratorium on the Fairness Doctrine, don’t let them off the hook. Ask them to continue their support for freedom of speech by signing the discharge petition, which would ban the Fairness Doctrine forever.

Posted in Congress — Comments (9)/ Email this page » / Read More »