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Showing posts with label congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label congress. Show all posts

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Why Impeachment Is Off The Table "Have You Met Joe Biden?"

By Susan Duclos, via All News PipeLine




A senior aide to a House Republican, along with South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy, known as Washington's "pit bull," makes it very clear why impeaching Barack Obama is off the table for the GOP, where the senior aide tells Mail Online "'Only in this case, we're pretty sure we know both devils. And Biden – he's two floppy shoes short of a complete clown outfit. Let's be honest: He's Obama's insurance policy.' "

Gowdy's comment, made to Bill O'Reilly, in reponse to a question of whether the GOP would consider impeaching Barack Obama if he goes ahead with his plans for amnesty for up to 5 million illegal immigrants, was "Have you met Joe Biden?"

Gowdy's comments can be heard at the 2:44 minute mark in the first video below and the second video is simply a reminder of some of the most memorable Biden gaffes.



Sunday, November 09, 2014

Judge Jeanine: Obama Is Delusional!

By Susan Duclos, via All News PipeLine





Judge Jeanine Pirro's opening statement is short but scathing as she discusses the overwhelming rejection of the Obama policies by the American people, evidenced by the midterm elections with historic wins by Republicans, as she rips Obama's delusional response to shreds. The judge then goes on to highlight Obama's failures on Illegal immigration, his handling of the Ebola crisis and much more in this must-see opening statement.






Wednesday, November 05, 2014

ANP Hot News.....Around the Web

By Susan Duclos






Links to Hot News.... Around the Web, via All News PipeLine



House Republicans Eye ‘100-Year Majority’
Obama Threatens Vetoes And Executive Orders

357 People Being Actively Monitored In NYC

HERE’S Why Ebola Is No Longer In the News

Second Amendment Crushes Gun Control Candidates

Oregon Voters Reject Licenses For Illegals

Marijuana Legalization Measure Passes Easily In D.C.
Democrats Sink to Pre–Great Depression Levels 

The Day After...... 

GOP Takeover: Republicans Surge To Senate Control

Thousands Break Ebola Quaratine To Find Food

Meteor Streaks Over Eastern US Monday Night

This Was An Election About A Failed Presidency

Republican Women Set To Make History

A Midterm Referendum On Barack Obama

Attkisson: Obama's Enemies' List




Midterms 2014: Victory Speeches "We Are Going To Make 'Em Squeal"

By Susan Duclos, via All News PipeLine





In the 2014 midterm elections across the US, Republicans took control of the US Senate, gained seats in the House of Representatives and Governorships across the nation.

While House Majority leader John Boehner insisted that it was not time to celebrate and it was time to get to work, and Harry Reid now insists that the vote meant Americans want everyone to "work together," and recriminations and blame game is spotlighted in every major media outlets' front pages, victors from individual states were giving their supporters shoutouts, many of which will be shown below.

The first victory speech shown below is where the headline came from, courtesy of Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit, where the first female will represent Iowa, also the first female combat veteran to serve in the US Senate, Joni Ernst, delivered her vistory speech.

“We didn’t agree on much but I admire anyone who is willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in. Well, Iowa. Well, Iowa, we did it! We did it!… It’s a long way from Red Oak to Washington, from the biscuit line at Hardees to the United States Senate. But, thanks to all of you, we are heading to Washington… And, we are going to make ‘em squeal! “




Mitch McConnell (R), who is in line to replace outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, won his re-election bid and will be headed back to Washington DC for his sixth term.



David Perdue (R) defeated Democrat Michelle Nunn for retiring Senator Saxby Chambliss' (R-Ga.) seat.



Kansas Senator Pat Roberts (R) gives his victory speech after defeating Greg Orman in Tuesday's election for his US Senate seat.



Cory Gardner (R) gives a victory speech after winning the Colorado Senate election against Mark Udall.



Michigan Governor Rick Snyder delivers his victory speech after winning a re-election over democrat Mark Schauer.



Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's acceptance speech after being elected to a second term in office against challenger Mark Schauer.


Republican Mia Love delivers her victory speech at the Salt Lake Hilton on Nov. 4, 2014.




Monday, November 03, 2014

New York Times Panics - "Cancel The Midterms!"

By Susan Duclos, via All News PipeLine




With every major polling organizations as well as internal polling for both sides of the aisle showing expected Republican gains in the 2014 midterm elections, which historically see a loss for any president's party, the mainstream media, specifically the New York Times op-ed pages this time, has melted down and gone into panic mode, with the blaring short headline "Cancel The Midterms."

As the chart below shows, Democrats suffered a historic loss in the 2010 midterm election, losing 63 House seats and control of the House of Representatives as well as six senate seats. That type of loss has not been seen for any president's party since 1938 when Franklin D. Roosevelt and Democrats suffered a 71 seat loss in the house and six Senate seats.




According to Washington Post's Election Lab, Republicans hold a 99 percent chance of holding on to control of the House of Representatives and a 96 percent chance of gaining enough seats to control the Senate, which would make Barack Obama a "lame duck" president for his last two years of his term.

The New York Times senate model has Republicans favored by 70 percent to win control of the Senate, which brings us to the latest political headlines where the MSM has pulled out all the stops and as mentioned above, even suggests that midterm elections should be canceled altogether.

There was a time when midterm elections made sense — at our nation’s founding, the Constitution represented a new form of republican government, and it was important for at least one body of Congress to be closely accountable to the people. But especially at a time when Americans’ confidence in the ability of their government to address pressing concerns is at a record low, two-year House terms no longer make any sense. We should get rid of federal midterm elections entirely.

Contrary to the idiocy in the NYT piece linked above, midterm elections allow voters the opportunity to put a stop to an agenda they do not agree with or to punish politicians from either side of the aisle for not keeping their campaign promises, or simply acting against the will of the people, which is why midterms often show a major loss for the president's party.

With just one day to go before the masses go to the polls and cast their votes, political websites that keep track of the most discussed headlines show the mainstream media's desperation over what could very well put Barack Obama's losses into the category of "making history."







Friday, September 06, 2013

Congress Is Listening On Syria- 'Overwhelming' Opposition Forces Reps To Change Their Minds (Videos)

By Susan Duclos

Overwhelming is the word of the day and the next time someone says "We the People" cannot make a difference, cannot force our elected officials who are supposed to represent their constituents, to listen to us, show them the statements below.

Representative Doug Lamborn: "Tuesday is when the calls started, they’re still coming in, and I would say fewer than two percent are people who want us to take action,” said Catherine Mortensen, Lamborn’s communications director.

 “People say things like, ‘We have problems at home we need to take care of.’ And what was surprising was how quickly people’s opinions had gelled. They’re not lukewarm. Right off the bat on Tuesday it was, ‘We don’t need this.’ It’s been overwhelming."

Lamborn is now "leaning against" a Syrian strike.

Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings said in a televised interview on MSNBC "I can tell you 99 percent of the calls coming to my office are against it."

Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma, on his website: Military intervention in Syria is not in America’s best interest and is ill-advised,” said Cole.

 “This is not just my opinion. It is the considered opinion of the people that I represent, expressed not at just one or two town halls, but literally at every public or private meeting and casual encounter I have had since the president decided to put this issue before Congress last Saturday. I represent 750,000 people, and when those people think this strongly about such an important issue, I certainly have an obligation to make sure their views are reflected in my vote. I have heard their opposition loud and clear and will not vote in favor of military intervention in Syria.

 “American involvement in Syria could lead to something much worse, much more dangerous, and is certainly not going to advance or improve the situation in the Middle East,” concluded Cole.

Rep. Michael G. Grimm withdraws support for Obama's plan to strike Syria, via his website: "Additionally I have heard from many constituents who strongly oppose unilateral action at a time when we have so many needs here at home. Thus, after much thought, deliberation and prayer, I am no longer convinced that a U.S. strike on Syria will yield a benefit to the United States that will not be greatly outweighed by the extreme cost of war."

Rep. Matt Salmon from AZ, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, tells National Review Online he’s had 500 calls to his office about the crisis in Syria, and only two have been in favor of US intervention.

In the video below, NBC reports on Rep. Justin Amash town halls, "Public is overwhelmingly opposed" to was with Syria.



A town hall meeting in Kansas City on Thursday was billed as the first in the nation to focus solely on Syria, with the majority of the speakers voicing their opposition to any military action there.




From one end of the country to the other, phones calls, town halls, emails...... We the People are being heard loud and clear.

Keep up the pressure. Remind them of who they work for. It isn't Barack Obama.

Contact Your Senator 
Contact Your Representative


If Barack Obama decides to strike Syria, it will be without the approval and authorization of Congress and without the support of the American people who are "overwhelmingly" opposed.





Cross posted at Before It's News

Saturday, June 01, 2013

Rules Committee Launches New Website

By Susan Duclos

Earlier this week, the Rules Committee launched a new website.  The site has been redesigned from scratch to provide new tools to better track legislation and to deliver an overall more user-friendly experience.  With a new search-oriented platform, it is now easier to find and sort through the text of legislation under consideration at Rules, including submitted amendments, and all official documents generated by the committee.

Chairman Sessions made the following statement today about the launch of the new website:

 "I am committed to enhanced transparency and access for members, staff, and the general public. "

This new website builds upon the progress we’ve already made in making the House a more open and accountable institution to the American people.  With timely and accurate updates, the Rules website is a go-to destination for information on the business of the House.  The new features include important upgrades that will make it easier for citizens to view the inner workings of Congress.”

Below is a short video  outlining some of the site's new features:





Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Mark Sanford Declared Winner- 2013 South Carolina House 1st District Special Election

By Susan Duclos

Republican Mark Sanford beats Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in the 2013 South Carolina House 1st District Special Election, with  Sanford taking 54 percent of the vote to Colbert's 45 percent.

Mitt Romney won this district by 18 points last fall, but Sanford’s personal history made the seat competitive. Democrats poured money into the race while national Republicans abandoned their candidate, giving Colbert Busch a 5-to-1 advantage in outside spending.

Those ads, and Colbert Busch herself, made an issue out of Sanford’s 2009 disappearance to be with his Argentinean mistress, which led to an ethics investigation into his travel.

In spite of that cash and a trespassing complaint filed by Sanford’s ex-wife before the election, he was gaining momentum. Throughout the race he tied Colbert Busch to national Democrats and emphasized his own fiscal conservatism, an ultimately successful strategy.

“Congratulations to Mark Sanford for winning tonight’s special election,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon. “These results demonstrate just how devastating the policies of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi are for House Democrats in 2014.

Two weeks ago, Sanford was  behind Colbert Busch by 9 points, in a  PPP poll. Heading into election day the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP) showed Sanford leading Colbert Busch by 1 percentage point, or 47% to 46% among likely voters.

"The special election in South Carolina couldn't be much closer," Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, said in a statement. "At this point it's just a question of whether voters are more put off by Mark Sanford or the Democrats in Washington." 

Not exactly quite as close as PPP was hoping, nor polled.

Sanford took it by  9 percentage points with 100% reporting, according to Politico.


Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Video- GOP Reacts To Obama's 'Glitches And Bumps' Quote About Implementation Of Obamacare

By Susan Duclos

During Obama's recent presser he complained about Congress refusing to adequately fund the unpopular Obamacare law, making it more difficult to implement it, then went on to say that, “even if we do everything perfectly, there will still be glitches and bumps” when the healthcare overhaul is implemented."

The GOP, via their RNC Research page, immediately reacted with a video and fact sheet about those "Glitches and Bumps."

[WATCH]


The RNC details some of those glitches and bumps:

ObamaCare Is Creating A Headache For Americans Who Face High Health Care Costs

The Nonpartisan Society Of Actuaries Found That ObamaCare Could Increase Health Insurance Costs “By An Average Of 32 Percent Per Person.” “The Society of Actuaries, a nonpartisan professional association, has issued a new report warning that the cost of medical claims in the new individual-insurance market could rise by an average of 32% per person over the first few years the law is in place, as more people with higher medical needs get coverage, and that the impact will be very different depending on the state. Medical bills are another key factor in determining premiums.” (Louise Radnofsky, “Sebelius: Some Could See Insurance Premiums Rise,” The Wall Street Journal , 3/26/13)
  • The Premium Increases Come From ObamaCare’s Effect On “Medical Claims Costs — The Biggest Driver Of Health Insurance Premiums.” “Medical claims costs – the biggest driver of health insurance premiums – will jump an average 32 percent for Americans’ individual policies under President Barack Obama’s overhaul, according to a study by the nation’s leading group of financial risk analysts.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Study: Health Overhaul To Raise Claims Cost 32 Percent,” The Associated Press, 3/26/13)
An “Overwhelming Majority” Of States Will Face Double-Digit Increases. “While some states will see medical claims costs per person decline, the report concluded the overwhelming majority will see double-digit increases in their individual health insurance markets, where people purchase coverage directly from insurers.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Study: Health Overhaul To Raise Claims Cost 32 Percent,” The Associated Press, 3/26/13)

Under Obama, The Average Cost Of Family Health Care Premiums Has Increased By $3,065 From $12,680 To $15,745, A 24.2 Percent Increase. (“Employer Health Benefits, 2012 Annual Survey, Exhibit 6.4″ The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2012)
  • “The Average Annual Premiums In 2012 Are $5,615 For Single Coverage And $15,745 For Family Coverage.” (“Employer Health Benefits, 2012 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/11/12)
     
  • “Average Premiums Increased 3% For Single Coverage And 4% For Family Coverage In The Last Year.” (“Employer Health Benefits; 2012 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/11/12)

Americans Will Lose Their Health Care Plans Due To New Mandates Created By ObamaCare

Americans Are Finding Out That Obama’s “Keep Your Health Care Plan” Promise Is Just Not True. “President Barack Obama promised over and over during the health care debate that ‘if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.’ It turns out that, for a lot of people, that isn’t true.” (David Nather, “4 Hard Truths Of Health Care Reform,” Politico, 3/16/12)

ObamaCare Doesn’t Have Any Assurances That If You Are Happy With Your Plan, You Can Keep It — Employers Are Still Able To Modify Their Health Coverage Options Or Drop Coverage Altogether. “Nothing in the law ensures that people happy with their policies now can keep them. Employers will continue to have the right to modify coverage or even drop it, and some are expected to do so as more insurance alternatives become available to the population under the law. Nor is there any guarantee that coverage will become cheaper, despite the subsidies that many people will get.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “FACT CHECK: Health Care Law,” The Associated Press, 7/2/12)
  • More Americans Will Lose Their Employer Health Care Coverage Than Before ObamaCare Was Enacted. “For one thing, CBO says 11 million Americans won’t get employment-based health insurance they would have had before the law – so they will be forced out (technically by their employer, not by the president, but the context will be the changes brought about by the health law). Another 9 million would gain coverage – but everyone who loses it will see their lives disrupted, and it will be used as more evidence of broken Obama promises.” (David Nather, “4 Hard Truths Of Health Care Reform,” Politico, 3/16/12)
University Of Chicago Study Found That A Majority Of Health Plans Will Have To Change To Meet ObamaCare Standards. “Just over half of the individual plans currently on the market do not meet the standards to be sold next year, when many key provisions of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act kick in, according to a University of Chicago study. That’s because the law sets new minimums for the basic coverage every individual health care plan must provide.” (Tami Luhby, “Most Individual Health Insurance Isn’t Good Enough For ObamaCare,” CNN Money, 4/3/13)
  • Current Health Care Plans That Don’t Meet ObamaCare Standards “Will Likely Disappear.” “So what happens to the plans that don’t meet the new minimum standards? They will likely disappear. A handful of existing plans will be grandfathered in, but the qualifying criteria for that is hard to meet: Members have to have been enrolled in the plan before the ACA passed in 2010, and the plan has to have maintained fairly steady co-pay, deductible and coverage rates until now.” (Tami Luhby, “Most Individual Health Insurance Isn’t Good Enough For ObamaCare,” CNN Money, 4/3/13)

One Large “Glitch” Will Leave Americans Unable To Afford Health Care

New Problems Are Coming To Light As ObamaCare Continues To Be Implemented. “The affordability glitch is one of a series of problems coming into sharper focus as the law moves to full implementation.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Some Families to Be Priced Out of Health Overhaul,” The Associated Press , 1/30/13)

Millions Of Americans Will Be Unable To Afford Family Health Care Coverage Under A New Rule Released By The Obama Administration. “The Obama administration adopted a strict definition of affordable health insurance on Wednesday that will deny federal financial assistance to millions of Americans with modest incomes who cannot afford family coverage offered by employers.” (Robert Pear, “Federal Rule Limits Aid To Families Who Can’t Afford Employers’ Health Coverage,” The New York Times , 1/30/13)
  • “Low-Income Americans Whose Employer-Plan Premiums Are Beyond Their Means Won’t Be Eligible For” Federal Subsidies To Make Insurance More Affordable. “The decision, announced by the Obama administration on Wednesday, means some low-income Americans whose employer-plan premiums are beyond their means won’t be eligible for the main perk of the law. Several provisions are behind the wrinkle.” (Louise Radnofsky, “Workers’ Children Won’t Get Subsidies,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/30/13)
The New ObamaCare “Glitch” Will Price Families “Out Of Health Insurance.” “Some families could get priced out of health insurance due to what’s being called a glitch in President Barack Obama’s overhaul law. IRS regulations issued Wednesday failed to fix the problem as liberal backers of the president’s plan had hoped.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Some Families to Be Priced Out of Health Overhaul,” The Associated Press , 1/30/13)

FactCheck.org: ObamaCare “Falls Short Of Making Health Care ‘Affordable And Available To Every Single American,’ As Promised.” “Furthermore, the law falls short of making health care ‘affordable and available to every single American,’ as promised. The law provides subsidies to help some Americans buy insurance, expands Medicaid and doesn’t allow insurance companies to exclude persons with preexisting conditions. But still, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected 23 million persons will remain uninsured – some because they can’t afford coverage.” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,” FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)

ObamaCare Has Created A Bump In The Road For Small Businesses To Obtain Affordable Health Care Coverage

The Obama Administration Is Delaying “A Major Selling Point” Of ObamaCare That Would “Provide Affordable Health Insurance To Small Businesses.” “Unable to meet tight deadlines in the new health care law, the Obama administration is delaying parts of a program intended to provide affordable health insurance to small businesses and their employees – a major selling point for the health care legislation.” (Robert Pear, “Small Firms’ Offer of Plan Choices Under Health Law Delayed,” The New York Times , 4/1/13)

The Measure “Was Portrayed As A Major Advantage” Of ObamaCare. “The promise of affordable health insurance for small businesses was portrayed as a major advantage of the new health care law, mentioned often by White House officials and Democratic leaders in Congress as they fought opponents of the legislation.” (Robert Pear, “Small Firms’ Offer of Plan Choices Under Health Law Delayed,” The New York Times , 4/1/13)

Coal Operators Shared With The Federal Reserve That “Rising Health Insurance Premiums” Are A Concern. “We heard several reports of layoffs by coal operators. Many of our contacts pointed to rising health insurance premiums as a concern.” (” Current Economic Conditions,” Federal Reserve, 3/6/13)
  • Cleveland’s Manufacturing Sector Cited “Rising Health Insurance Premiums” As “A Challenge.” “Wage pressures are contained, although rising health insurance premiums remain a challenge.” (” Current Economic Conditions,” Federal Reserve, 3/6/13)
     
  • As The Cost Of Health Care Continues To Increase, Employers Plan On Shifting The Higher Costs On To Employees. “Costs for healthcare and other benefits continued to increase; some contacts noted that they were passing along the higher costs to employees.” (” Current Economic Conditions,” Federal Reserve, 3/6/13)
The Obama Administration Has “Failed” Small Businesses. “The key incentive for small businesses to support ObamaCare was that they would be able to shop for the best deals in health care super-stores-called exchanges. The Administration has had 3 years to set up these exchanges. It has failed to do so.” (Joe Klein, “ObamaCare Incompetence,” Time, 4/2/13)

WITH ALL THE OBAMACARE SETBACKS, AMERICANS CONTINUE TO OPPOSE OBAMACARE

New Kaiser Family Foundation Poll Finds That ObamaCare “Scraped The Nadir Of Its Long-Term Public Support This Month.” “The health law scraped the nadir of its long-term public support this month – just 35 percent of respondents to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll said they support the law, compared to 40 percent who oppose it and 24 percent who shrugged when asked.” (Kyle Cheney, Politico’s Pulse, 4/30/13)

Kaiser Family Foundation: 40 Percent Of Americans Have An Unfavorable View Of ObamaCare. “Overall, the public remains as divided as ever when it comes to their overall evaluations of the health law. This month, 35 percent report a favorable view, 40 percent an unfavorable view, and a full 24 percent report they have no opinion on the law, continuing a recent trend of particularly high shares not offering an opinion. Partisans remain quite divided, with a majority of Democrats in favor (57 percent) and most Republicans opposed (67 percent).” ( Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, 4/2013)
  • “Four In Ten Americans (42%) Are Unaware That ACA Is Still The Law Of The Land.” “Four in ten Americans (42%) are unaware that the ACA is still the law of the land, including 12 percent who believe the law has been repealed by Congress, 7 percent who believe it has been overturned by the Supreme Court and 23 percent who say they don’t know enough to say what the status of the law is.” (Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, 4/2013)

Is it any wonder that Democrats are “Nervous,” “Concerned” About “Complex,” Confusing, “Train Wreck” ObamaCare?

They should be... especially the 14 Democratic Senators on the ballot in the 2014 midterm elections that cast their vote for Obamacare, despite the opposition of the majority of Americans.

Once again, as I have highlighted multiple times, those fourteen Democratic Senators are:

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Mark Begich (D-AK)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Mark Udall (D-CO)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Al Franken (D-Minn)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
 Mark Warner (D-VA)

Remember those names comes November 2014.


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Video- ICE Union Head Testifies To Congress On Immigration Bill: Law Enforcement 'Purposely Excluded From Process'

By Susan Duclos

President of the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council Chris Crane testified before Congress Monday, harshly criticizing the process the so-called "Gang of 8" used in writing their immigration bill, including special interest groups in favor of amnesty for illegal aliens and "purposely excluding" law enforcement officers.

Via BizPac:

Crane told the Judiciary Committee:
Lawmaking in our nation has indeed taken a strange twist. Senators invite illegal aliens to testify before Congress…but American citizens working as law enforcement officers within our nation’s broken immigration system are purposely excluded from the process and prohibited from providing input.
Suffice it to say, following the Boston terrorist attack, I was appalled to hear the Gang of Eight telling America that its legislation was what American law enforcement needs.
Crane criticized President Obama and Congress for choosing a path of legalization for illegals rather than allowing immigration agents to crackdown on enforcement.

“Unbelievably, [this bill] gives far greater authority to the president and secretary of DHS. Exactly the opposite of what our country needs to create a consistent and effective immigration system,” Crane concluded.

[WATCH]



To paraphrase one portion of his statement: How dare the "gang of 8" tell Americans this immigration bill is what law enforcement needs without any input whatsoever from that very same law enforcement.



Monday, March 11, 2013

Democrats Express Concern About What Obama's 2nd Term Agenda Means For 2014 Midterms

By Susan Duclos

Obama's agenda for his second term has Democrats worried and expressing concern about his tone-deafness as Politico describes it, with his focus on cultural issues like gun control, immigration and gay marriage.

To net 17 seats and flip the chamber, Democrats have to win predominantly on GOP turf, in districts that Mitt Romney won and where Obama and his agenda are unpopular. A number of Democrats made clear in interviews that the more partisan posture Obama has adopted over the past few months — particularly on cultural issues like gun control, and to a lesser extent on immigration and gay marriage — is making an uphill slog that much steeper.

“I think the tone coming out of the White House … could probably be more conciliatory,” said Jim Graves, a Minnesota Democrat who nearly knocked off Rep. Michele Bachmann last year in a suburban Twin Cities district where Obama barely eclipsed 40 percent.

Graves, who’s girding for a rematch against Bachmann next year, added, “There’s no question — Obama has taken a fairly liberal tack in his second term. But I’m not here for the president. I’m here for the people of the 6th Congressional District.”

Arkansas Democratic state Sen. Bruce Maloch said he’s considering running for a House seat that tilts heavily Republican. But he, too, is worried about the opposition tying him to a White House that has pivoted left since November.
 Democrats Express Concern About What Obama's 2nd Term Agend
“I’m an Arkansas Democrat,” Maloch said. “I would probably not go as far as the president on some of those issues.”

There are also comments from Democratic strategists who do not see Obama as a problem.

The three-page Politico piece as well, as some of the quotes from those supportive of Obama's agenda, shows a line of thinking on the writer's part as well as the Democratic operatives, that is just as tone-deaf as they accuse Obama of being.

Examples:

“Every poll shows two-thirds or more of the American public sides with President Obama and House Democrats on our agenda, and it’s Republicans who are on defense in the suburban and exurban communities that are critical to winning in 2014,” said Jesse Ferguson, deputy executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

[...]

If there’s one issue that Democrats worry could become sticky in 2014 races, it’s gun control. While party strategists believe that the president’s forceful advocacy of immigration reform and gay marriage tracks with shifts in public opinion, opposition to new restrictions on guns is palpable in many conservative pockets of the country.

“In some of those conservative to moderate districts, the gun debate is a real challenge for Democratic candidates,” said Andrew Myers, a Democratic pollster who advises many candidates in conservative states.

What they all are missing isn't how the public feels on specific issues, but as I pointed out a few days ago, Americans priorities are not being addressed while Obama and liberals focus is on immigration, gun control and gay marriage.

Americans top concerns, what they consider priorities, consistently, and among a variety of polling organizations, such as CBS, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, NBC, are all fiscal issues, economic issues, ranging from the economy and jobs to the federal budget deficit.
That priority polling shows a 30, 40 and in some cases 50 percentage point increase for economic issues versus social issues. Liberal writers, liberal politicians and Barack Obama ignore that at their own risk.

This was the same mistake Obama and Democrats made before the 2010 midterm elections where they spent so much time focusing on jamming Obamacare through Congress, while giving lip service to economic issues, they ended up losing over 60 seats in the House of Representatives, the largest turnover of seats in 60 years.


One last point that liberal Democrats and Obama seem to be ignoring,  is the history of seats in Congress lost by the president's party in midterm elections, especially during a president's second term. Only Bill Clinton, who moved to the middle in his second term rather than further to the left as Obama has done, gained seats in the House of Representatives during their second term:
Year President Party President Approval Rating - Late October House Senate
1934 Franklin D. Roosevelt D nd +9 +9
1938 Franklin D. Roosevelt D 60% -71 -6
1942 Franklin D. Roosevelt D nd -55 -9
1946 Harry S. Truman D 27% -45 -12
1950 Harry S. Truman D 41% -29 -6
1954 Dwight D. Eisenhower R nd -18 -1
1958 Dwight D. Eisenhower R nd -48 -13
1962 John F. Kennedy D 61% -4 +3
1966 Lyndon B. Johnson D 44% -47 -4
1970 Richard Nixon R nd -12 +2
1974 Gerald R. Ford R nd -48 -5
1978 Jimmy Carter D 49% -15 -3
1982 Ronald Reagan R 42% -26 +1
1986 Ronald Reagan R nd -5 -8
1990 George Bush R 57% -8 -1
1994 William J. Clinton D 48% -52 -8
1998 William J. Clinton D 65% +5 0
2002 George W. Bush R 67% +8 +2
2006 George W. Bush R 37% -30 -6

Friday, February 15, 2013

News Flash For Pelosi: Congress Deserves Pay Cut Because They Have No 'Dignity'

By Susan Duclos

Take a look at the screen shot below from Real Clear Politics, showing the level of disapproval Americans have for Congress.

Click image to enlarge

Now, via The Hill, look what Nancy Pelosi says about the proposed pay cut for Congress that is included in the across-the-board cuts within the upcoming sequester.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she opposes a cut in congressional pay because it would diminish the dignity of lawmakers' jobs.
"I don't think we should do it; I think we should respect the work we do," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. "I think it's necessary for us to have the dignity of the job that we have rewarded."
Dignity? Pelosi thinks having less than 20 percent of Americans approving of the job Congress is doing, dignified?

Pelosi seems to forget Congressional members are employees and as such, their dismal job performance that Americans rate with such high disapproval would be cause for firing if Congress were run like a business.

There is nothing dignified in the job Congress has been doing of late, and they do deserve a pay cut, and in the 2014 midterms,  many of them deserve to be removed from office.

The ultimate pay cut.

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Democratic Senator Says Obama's Gun Proposals 'Extreme' And 'It's Not Going To Pass'

By Susan Duclos

The Obama administration who, approved an operation which armed Mexican drug cartels (Fast and Furious), and caused multiple deaths with those very guns, is now attempting to take guns away from law abiding American gun owners, but is facing criticism from his own party.

Via George Stephanopoulos:


Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D, told me this morning on “This Week”  that while all options should be on the table to address gun violence, President Obama’s reported plans to curb shootings are ”way in extreme” when I pressed her this morning on the kinds on measures she could potentially support.

 “I think you need to put everything on the table, but what I hear from the administration – and if the Washington Post is to be believed – that’s way, way in extreme of what I think is necessary or even should be talked about.  And it’s not going to pass,” said Heitkamp, a member of the National Rifle Association.

Heitkamp also points to an issue that has received far less attention from the Obama anti-gun media... mental health.

“Let’s start addressing the problem.  And to me, one of the issues that I think comes, screams out of this is the issue of mental health and the care for the mentally ill in our country, especially the dangerously mentally ill,” she said. “And, so, we need to have a broad discussion before we start talking about gun control.”

The very first day of the new Congress, ten gun related bills were proposed, eight of which came from anti-gun, anti-second Amendment Democrats, and two were proposed by Republicans  in line with calls from the National Rifle Association and Libertarian Party to put guns in the hands of adults who can fight off a shooter in the “gun-free zones” of schools. (Sources- PJ Media and The Hill)

Not one bill was proposed that dealt with mental health issues.

In other news, teachers and school workers in multiple states are attending gun classes to better prepare themselves to protect the children in their care and on a state level, lawmakers are proposing to provide armed security so that the tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary school, which resulted in the death of 20 children and six adults, would not be repeated in their states.

Related:

Bath, Michigan, 1927: Deadliest School Massacre In U.S. History, Not One Killed By A Bullet

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

RULES RESOURCE: Holder Contempt Resolutions

By Susan Duclos

Via Email:

&
June 27, 2012

Summaries
H. Res. __: Recommends that the House of Representatives find Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

H. Res. 706: Authorizes the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to initiate or intervene in judicial proceedings to enforce certain subpoenas.

Type of Rule
Provides each resolution a closed rule (making no amendments in order) for floor consideration.  Reported by a vote of 8 yeas to 4 nays. 
Other Elements of the Rule
·         Provides 50 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or their respective designees.

·         Provides one motion to refer at the conclusion of debate if offered by Rep. Dingell of Michigan, which shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent.

·         Provides 20 minutes of debate on H. Res. 706 equally divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader or their respective designees.

·         Provides each resolution a motion to recommit. 

·         Floor Managers: Nugent/McGovern

Floor Action Expected
The rule and resolutions are expected to be debated on the floor: June 28, 2012.