Open Letter to the Iowa GOP – Choose Wisely, Choose Hunter

Guest Editorial

Alexander J. Madison - December 31, 2007

Dear Iowegians,

Every presidential election season, your state has the opportunity to help shape the election going forward. Unfortunately, too many times, you have selected a dud during the Iowa Caucuses. In 1976, you picked Gerald Ford, proponent of the ERA and abortion rights, over a very conservative Ronald Reagan. In 1980, you chose a very moderate Bush over Reagan. And twice you picked a milquetoast named Bob Dole. Granted, the choices are sometimes between dud and duddier, but this year is different. This year you have a chance to select a rock-ribbed conservative Reaganite to make up for not choosing the original Reaganite when you had the chance. The name is Duncan Hunter.

Congressman Duncan Hunter is a representative from California’s 52^nd legislative district. Mr. Hunter put his college career on hold to volunteer with the 173^rd Airborne Rangers to fight the communists in Vietnam. Like Reagan, Hunter believes that war was not only very winnable, but was indeed a “noble cause”. And the killing fields that followed our departure from that conflict are a bold testament to their vision over the head-in-the-sand lack of vision (which continues to this day) from the defeatist democrats and RINOs.

Duncan Hunter also entered office with Reagan in 1981, at the ripe old age of 32. He immediately was able to join the Armed Services Committee in Congress, where he has remained to this day, as former Chairmen, and current Ranking Republican. It was in large part due to Mr. Hunter’s efforts, teaming with folks like Jack Kemp and Henry Hyde, that Reagan was able to ramrod our historic military buildup through Congress in the 80s, which revitalized every branch of our Armed Services. Jack Kemp even credits Hunter with being the go-to guy for strong-arming the very controversial ‘Star Wars’ Strategic Defense Initiative through the House. The results of that persistence and vision is paying off in spades, despite the howls of leftists worldwide, as we today have working missile defense systems either in field, or soon to be fielded; including laser based systems for which Reagan was mercilessly ridiculed by the ignorant ‘academics’ and the press. Hunter was and is perhaps the staunchest anti-communist to sit in Congress. He was the leader most responsible, aside from Reagan, for stemming the commie-creep in Central America during the 1980s, and his disdain for communism has never ebbed.

Duncan Hunter is the ONLY candidate that realizes what China is up to, both militarily with its rapid armament increases, and economically, with its long term strategy to undermine the United States’ industrial base. Hunter is dead set against the ‘one-way’, idiotic trade deal we have with the Chinese, will put a quick end to further technology transfers to the communist nation, and will build up our own military to the point that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be nothing short of a quick suicide mission for communism. All the other candidates tip toe around the issue of China. Hunter plans to step on their throat.

When it comes to the 2^nd Amendment, the 10^th Amendment, lowering taxes, fighting the ACLU and political correctness, standing firm against the gay agenda, and sweeping out useless bureaucrats and bureaucracies from the federal government, Duncan Hunter is the only choice.

Unlike John McCain and Mitt Romney, Hunter won’t find anything in the Constitution to justify supporting a ban on ‘assault weapons’ or ‘cheap handguns’. Hunter has a perfect lifetime record with the NRA and the Gun Owners of America. Both Mitt and McCain are liberals in this arena.

Unlike Fred Thompson, Hunter won’t have to lie about previous pro-choice sympathies. Unlike Fred, Hunter has a perfectly consistent record on the life of the unborn, and has sponsored legislation for many, many years to give full constitutional protection to the unborn – legislation that Fred does not support.

Unlike McCain and Thompson, Hunter certainly will not run roughshod over the 1^st Amendment for the sake of ‘campaign finance reform’. And Hunter will work to ditch the last vestiges of McCain-Feingold-Thompson, if the courts don’t do it first.

Unlike Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson, Hunter did not and does not buy into the global warming nonsense in any way, shape or form. The only guarantee we have of avoiding a binding, sovereignty usurping, international treaty on global warming is to place a President in power who does not believe the GW alarmism and does not believe in sovereignty usurping international treaties.

Unlike Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, Hunter does not have some convoluted explanation for why the socialized medicine experiments in Massachusetts (RomneyCare) and Arkansas (ARKids) are a good thing that deserves replication nationally. Indeed, Hunter wants to get government out of the way and reduce the regulations on health insurance by killing off mandates and regulations.

Unlike Mike Huckabee, Hunter will not be contemplating how to mandate and enforce a nationwide ban on smoking in public places, nor will he be scheming to introduce more arts and music and healthy snacks into the nation’s public schools. The NEA, who apparently like Mr. Huckabee, despise Congressman Hunter – a genuine supporter of school choice.

Unlike Rudy Giuliani, Hunter does not have to pretend he is a conservative. A man who sued 26 firearms manufacturers to essentially put them out of business has no business seeking the office of the Presidency on the GOP ticket, unless gun control, abortion rights, gay ‘rights’, and eminent domain abuse are now part of the GOP platform.

Unlike Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, Hunter does not have to lie through his teeth when it comes to his record on illegal immigration. While it is hilarious to see these guys try to ‘Out –Tancredo Tancredo’ on the issue, only one guy truly does out-Tancredo the Colorado Congressman. While Duncan Hunter has sponsored or cosponsored 85 bills and amendments to stop illegal immigration in this country dead in its tracks, not one of these others lifted a finger during their careers, and range from bad to worse on the issue. While ‘The Road to Des Moines’ and last springs citizen revolt led these supposed conservatives to finally see the light – at least in rhetoric, Hunter has been fighting the RINOS and dems on this for 27 years. Hunter wrote the border fence bill (recently defanged by the RINOS), and Hunter is the ONLY one who has vowed to actively deport those currently squatting here illegally.

And finally, Duncan Hunter is the most experienced in warfare, defense systems, foreign policy and the security of our nation. If we are intent on defeating the islamists ASAP- without worrying about offending anyone, keeping terrorists out of our country, and rising to meet the future threats posed by the China-Russia-Iran-Venezuela axis, then we better elect a Reaganite this time around.

If not, we may have to put up with an idiot who thinks we need to close Gitmo and end waterboarding because the world disapproves (Huckabee, McCain), or someone who thinks we just need to be more humble and accommodating on the world stage (Huckabee), or someone who can’t figure out that enriching China is a fools errand (Fred, Mitt, McCain), or someone who has no clue about our military needs and capabilities and would not know an IED from an IUD (Rudy, Huckabee, Mitt).

The choice is clearer than it has been since 1980. Don’t let history pass you by….again.

Most Sincerely,

Alexander J. Madison

Photo: Presidential Candidate, Duncan L. Hunter is on the left with other Army Rangers in Viet Nam.

Patriot Post endorses Duncan Hunter - The Class of Reagan

Mark Alexander
From Patriot Post Vol. 08 No. 00; Published 1 January 2008 |

NOTE: A candidate's Patriot Rating is based on analysis of many factors -- their record, experience, capability, character, leadership qualifications and, of course, their ability to read and understand the plain language of our Constitution -- and act accordingly. Many voters support candidates on the basis of one or two of the aforementioned qualifiers, which is to say, if your favorite candidate scored lower, it is likely because of qualifiers other than those on which you base your support.

Duncan Hunter (The Patriot Post has endorsed the candidacy of Duncan Hunter. Read the Hunter endorsement) Patriot Rating: 6

Duncan Hunter - The Class of Reagan

Mark Alexander
From Patriot Post Vol. 07 No. 17; Published 27 April 2007

Rep. Duncan Hunter, a presidential candidate in the Reagan mold

"If men of wisdom and knowledge ... and true republican simplicity of manners ... are chosen to fill the seats of government, we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation." --Samuel Adams

The consensus among the chattering class is that this presidential cycle features no clear heir to the Reagan mantle. Yet of the declared candidates, conservatives outnumber the media-dubbed triumvirate of Giuliani, McCain and Romney. Most notable among them is Duncan Hunter, the California representative who hails from The Gipper's lucky city of San Diego.

Hunter earned his congressional seat in 1980, in a 2-to-1 Democrat-dominated district. He did so with a winning combination of determination, shoe leather, integrity and a clear conservative philosophy as espoused by GOP presidential candidate [Ronald Reagan. |http://Reagan2020.US/] Certain sectors of the San Diego establishment have never forgiven Hunter for ousting nine-term Demo Rep. Lionel Van Deerlin, now a columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Hunter is a decorated Vietnam veteran who served with the 173rd Airborne Division and the 75th Army Rangers. After returning home, he attended law school and opened offices in San Diego's Hispanic Barrio Logan, often offering legal services at no charge. Last October, before the Republican congressional losses, Hunter announced his simultaneous retirement from Congress and his presidential candidacy. In other words, he is serious about this campaign.

The National Journal recently assessed political placement of declared presidential candidates based on a gamut of congressional votes. While this obviously applies only to legislators, Hunter achieved the most conservative score -- 82.5 of a possible 99 -- edging Sam Brownback. Both are well ahead of the rest of the pack. Indeed, Hunter has a lengthy list of conservative bona fides.

Most notably, in more than two decades on the House Armed Services Committee, where he is the former chairman and current ranking member, Hunter steadfastly advocated a victory strategy in both the Cold War and the global war with Jihadistan. He also did much to blunt the dismantling of the U.S. military by Bill Clinton. As chairman of Armed Services, Hunter oversaw the nation's $532-billion defense budget in the first years of America's war on Islamic terrorism.

On the immigration front, he sponsored the controversial Secure Fence Act for improved border control and was personally responsible for 59 miles of border fencing now in place along San Diego County's border with Mexico.

When it comes to constitutional issues, he does not subscribe to the adulterated "Living Constitution" oft-referenced by the Left. Instead, he is a constitutional constructionist and abides by the letter of the Constitution he has sworn to uphold.

Hunter's presidential bid is centered on three core national-security principles: Effective prosecution of the campaign against jihadi terrorism, strict border and immigration enforcement and a focus on our own economic security in the global economy.

What kind of campaign must the GOP wage to win? Top presidential contenders among the Democrats have over twice the money and nearly twice the donors of the Republicans' big three. Moreover, if Hillary wins the Demo primary, she will decline federal matching funds -- freeing herself of the restrictions attached to those funds.

A Republican ticket will need a lot of bang for the buck, cutting a significant swath into the Democrats' base -- without losses on the right. In his Demo-dominated district, Hunter has proven he can win Democrats' votes without waffling on conservative principles.

In the contests where he has actively campaigned, Hunter has performed best on that measure.

In the March South Carolina contest, he drew to a statistical tie, at 22 percent each, with John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. "We were outspent 10 to 1," he remarked, going against an "army of consultants." Running the effort was his son, a Marine captain and OIF veteran. Of this, candidate Hunter quipped, "You know, that's a pretty good match-up: one Marine versus 550 consultants. We did have the advantage."

Every characteristic touted as a distinguisher for another candidate is one Hunter also demonstrates. He combines the military service and acumen of McCain with the border-security stances of Tom Tancredo, he's been a consistent defender of human life and traditional families in law and he has a firm grasp of the principles of constitutional law. He has as much or more experience as a legislator than most of his primary contenders.

A true Patriot, Hunter proclaims, "America is a great nation because America is a good nation. God still loves this nation. We are still a people of character and strength and kindness. And so with faith in God, with confidence in the goodness of the American people, let's win this race for the United States presidency."

A veteran of the 1980 congressional "Class of Reagan," Duncan Hunter is a standout worthy of serious consideration by conservative voters, not only because of his aforementioned qualifications, but because one has to spend only a minute with him to know what achievement he counts above all others -- his 33 years of marriage to his wife, Lynne, and the two sons and four grandchildren that are the product of that marriage. Duncan is a family man above all.

Ron Paul (Read our commentary ) Patriot Rating: 4

http://www.gohunter08.com/

Paul supporters insist Reagan would vote for Paul

Over and over they tell me, "Reagan would vote for Ron Paul".

I just spent the past few minutes listening to Michael Reagan attempt to explain to a zealous Paul supporter that a president cannot eliminate the IRS or the various other pie in the sky notions Paul and his fan club have. In exasperation, Mike finally said,

"I would for Hillary or Obama first....My father would not for vote him. I would not vote for him. I don't want a nut job in the White House"

I thought it was interesting. We know Ron Paul has NO congressional endorsements for president. He has never gained support to ever get one piece of his legislation through.

Perhaps the people who work around Ron Paul have summed up his problem.

Best and Worst of Congress

Capitol Hill staffers rate their bosses: who’s naughty, who’s nice, who’s smart, who’s not, and lots more. Knowlegis, a government-relations data and software company, contributed to and helped distribute this survey[snip]

Worst Follower 1. Ronald Paul (R-Texas)2. Christopher Shays 3. Jeff Flake

********Paul has a reputation for listening to one person: himself. ***********

http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/mediapolitics/1666.html

-----------------------------

And Mike Huckabee stretching the truth yet again........

Bolton denies he is a Huckabee adviser
Politico ^ | December 28, 2007 | Lisa Lerer

In recent days, Mike Huckabee has tried to answer long-standing questions about who is on his foreign policy team. On Friday morning, he listed former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton as someone with whom he either has “spoken or will continue to speak.”

At a Thursday evening press conference, Huckabee said, "I've corresponded with John Bolton, who's agreed to work with us on developing foreign policy.”

Bolton, however, has a different view. “I’d be happy to speak with Huckabee, but I haven’t spoken with him yet,” said Bolton, now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington......

On Thursday, he commented on the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, saying the U.S. needs to consider “what impact does it have on whether or not there’s going to be martial law continuing in Pakistan.” Martial law, as it turns out, was lifted two weeks ago....

Huckabee also raised eyebrows Thursday when he said that Bhutto’s death should prompt “an immediate, very clear monitoring of our borders and particularly to make sure if there's any unusual activity of Pakistanis coming into the country.”

And earlier this month, Huckabee said he was unfamiliar with the National Intelligence Estimate reporting that Iran hadn’t had a program to develop nuclear weapons since 2003.......

John McCain? Are you kidding me? Who are you people?

I've been meaning to write something about John McCain along the lines of other questionable GOP candidates.....

John McCain? Are you kidding me? Who are you people?

Hugh Hewitt hits a few high points in his article today, I hope you will PAY ATTENTION, if you have ANY notion of voting for McCain. Don't forget, McCain is the MEDIA/Democrat pick. He's the guy who insulted every American when he said NO US citizen would pick lettuce for $50.00 an hour! He gets notice every year when the worst tempered legislators are picked. I know lots of war heroes, and some, like McCain aren't stable enough to be a senator, much less president.

John McCain Needs A Neuralyzer: Why McCain Is Performing An Encore, Not An Opening Act
townhall.com ^ Thursday, December 27, 2007 | Hugh Hewitt

John McCain needs to get ahold of the producers of Men In Black I and II quick. The only way Arizona's longtime thorn-in-the-side of the GOP can claim the Republican nomination is with a neuralyzer, the device the MIB agents use to selectively erase the memory of civilians who have seen the aliens among us at too close a range.

In fact, he's going to need a lot of them as there's a lot McCain has to hope Republicans forget as they head to the polls in Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan and beyond.

First, they have to forget that the fundraising advantage the GOP built to counter the Dems' union juggernaut was overthrown by the McCain-Feingold campaign finance "reform," and done so in an unconstitutional fashion, proving not only McCain's indifference to the party's success but also to the idea of Free Speech. This bust of a bill also unleashed the 527s on the land, guaranteeing even more secretive and dirty pool politics. Senator McCain's signal legislative achievement turns out to be deeply flawed constitutionally and counterproductive of its announced goals.

Economic conservatives will also have to have their memories erased of Senator McCain's votes against the Bush tax cuts.

The neuralyzer will also have to get to the social conservatives and erase the memory of John McCain's votes against the Federal Marriage Amendment.

The biggest issues for many Republican voters center on immigration and border security. These voters will have to be persuaded to forget John McCain's ill-fated attempted jam down on immigration which McCain ally Lindsey Graham forced through the Judiciary Committee. Not remembering the bill is a bit of a big order since it was known as McCain-Kennedy and was widely understood by conservatives to be tantamount to amnesty.

National security conservatives will have to agree to set aside the fact that McCaiin's grandstanding on the issue of the treatment of unlawful combatants in September 2006 derailed the entire GOP's endgame agenda heading into the elections. The Senate leadership and the White House had agreed on a careful series of legislative propositions on the Gitmo detainees and on surveillance protocols for use when watching terrorists abroad communicating with their allies inside the U.S., an agenda which also included some crucial judicial nominations like the still stalled one of Peter Keisler to the D.C. Circuit of Appeals, an agenda which would have done much to recapture the sense of momentum the upper chamber and the GOP as a whole had lost and which would have focused the public on the war and the role of intelligence gathering in it. Senators McCain and Graham smashed up the entire plan and the Senate majority was erased a few weeks later.

And all conservatives will have to set aside their deep, deep anger over John McCain's Gang of 14 coup that ended the hopes of restoring decency, order and constitutional process to the judicial confirmation process.

Days before the vote and the end of the filibusters, John McCain engineered a deal with six other Republicans and seven Democrats which threw some fine nominees under the bus in exchange for a temporary abandonment by Democrats of filibusters against some Bush nominees. The shock and outrage at McCain among conservatives at this awful deal was of a intensity that has rarely been matched. John McCain in effect undid the vote of 2004, compromised away an issue he had not been asked to lead on and on which millions of Republican voters had voted and for which they had contributed. Millions of Republicans care deeply about judges. John McCain did not. He could not allow Majority Leader Frist his victory, but in sabotaging Frist, he sunk his own candidacy. The one issue on which all three core GOP constituencies agree is the importance of originalists on the bench. It was obvious amid the wreckage brought about by the Gang of 14 that John McCain didn't care about the courts. He cared about John McCain.

The neuralyzer will have to be set to be careful not to obscure the memory of John McCain's heroic service and painful sacrifices during his long imprisonment, and it will have to leave the memory of Senator McCain's steadfast support for victory in the war. He is truly a great American.

But he is a lousy senator when it comes to legislation and priorities, and a terrible Republican when it comes to the party's agenda.

The independents and the newspapers of New Hampshire love the idea of a McCain candidacy. Some are giving a last salute to McCain for his wartime heroism. Others are expressly attempting to stop Mitt Romney's momentum for the reason that the same newspaper tried to stop Ronald Reagan in 1980 --Romney has the best chance in November.

But it is the Republican nomination McCain is seeking, not the applause of the MSM and independents. A Republican nomination he won't be getting.

Ron Paul Poll Punking Techniques Exposed

Ron Paul Blames US Policy for Bhutto Killing

Thu, Dec 27, 2007 at 2:02:26 pm PST

Ron Paul blames the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on the “interventionist” policy of the United States, and says Al Qaeda is justified in being “annoyed” at us. VIDEO


http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=28364&only&rss

Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:14:33 pm PST

Ron Paul supporters just can’t help revealing how crazed they are. Here a Paulbat helpfully explains why they don’t post working links to internet polls at their site, and instead rely on their camp followers to copy and paste: Why Links Are Broken!!!! Read!! - Ron Paul Forums.

GoRon2008
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 151

Why Links Are Broken!!!! Read!!

I am sick of people not understanding why we post broken links!

We do this so they can’t track where we are coming from. If they see a couple hundred people voting from this site for Ron in 30min, it makes us look bad.

Please understand the internet!

And here, by the way, is the official Ron Paul Poll Punking Database, where they collect links to online polls for the Paulbats to spam. Notice that all their links go through an “anonymizer” site, so that web site owners don’t catch on to what they’re doing.

DUNCAN HUNTER endorsed by Terry Anderson

There has been no one more steady and true on the illegal immigration issue than Radio's own Terry Anderson in Los Angeles. Last night on his program he stated in his unmistakable fashion, “DUNCAN HUNTER IS MY FIRST GUY!” and "The only one I would consider is Duncan Hunter!"

To candidates Romney and Huckabee, Terry had this thought about their 'registration' or 'touch back' schemes for illegal aliens. “Register them as they’re leaving the country so we know who to NEVER let back in!” and “Anything short of deportation is amnesty”

From the show, Sunday, December 23, 2007...
Does "Peace on earth, good will
toward men" mean amnesty?

The Most Horriblest Clown of the Week... Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney Double-talking moron wants invaders cut slack, be allowed to squat here.

A Ron Paul supporter called Terry, admonishing him for not endorsing Paul. NO one knows this subject better than Terry. "Gary", the caller proclaimed Paul has done more to fight illegal immigration than anyone!!!! Terry reminded him of the THREE amnesties Paul voted for to grant visa overstaying aliens 'legalization'. Terry didn't get the chance to inform the caller that Hunter was legislating to correct the problem a decade before Paul ever thought of it or that Paul has never gotten one piece of his legislation into law and only this year addressed anything to deal with it.


Terry knows this subject unlike anyone else. He's been all over the country fighting for us for the past 2 decades including testifying before congress. He took on the reconquista crowd in Los Angeles before the rest of knew it existed.

Terry knows we can't afford to elect yet another flip flopping open border advocate. Be informed with your vote!

As Anderson says, ""If You Ain't Mad, You Ain't Payin' Attention!"
___________________________________________________________________________

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

“How many observe Christ’s birth-day! How few, his precepts! O! ‘tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.” —Benjamin Franklin

Who do the little people support?

This is interesting. Please note those who are supported by big $ and those running on grass roots support from small donors. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Hillary and Rudy, Romney and Huckabee have LITTLE grass root support. And as for Kucinich, no one is supporting him, so take that for what you will. Of them all with any credentials and has won some polls, Hunter is the one with the best percentage of small donors.

Contributions from all donors:

Candidate	No. of $200+ Contributors	% from Donors of $200 or less	No. of $2,300+ Contributors	% from Donors of $2,300+	No. of $4,600 Contributors	% from Donors of $4,600
Obama, Barack	47,643	25%	13,598	46%	1,675	11%
Clinton, Hillary	38,487	13%	14,694	63%	6,225	37%
Romney, Mitt	27,948	14%	9,284	49%	91	1%
Giuliani, Rudy	25,786	12%	9,537	60%	1,827	19%
McCain, John	16,977	22%	5,375	47%	642	10%
Edwards, John	16,909	28%	3,841	39%	1,013	16%
Richardson, Bill	12,096	19%	3,578	49%	242	6%
Thompson, Fred	7,546	34%	2,046	38%	53	2%
Dodd, Chris	5,049	3%	1,936	65%	328	18%
Paul, Ron	4,734	49%	602	17%	3	0%
Biden, Joe	3,776	4%	1,127	58%	325	25%
Huckabee, Mike	1,691	25%	370	37%	2	0%
Brownback, Sam	1,578	58%	204	14%	1	0%
Tancredo, Tom	1,064	78%	69	5%	1	0%
Kucinich, Dennis	908	69%	79	9%	0	0%
Hunter, Duncan	886	54%	134	18%	1	0%
Gravel, Mike	196	43%	4	5%	0	0%
Keyes, Alan	53	-16%	1	10%	0	0%

METHODOLOGY: The numbers on this page are calculated from contributions of more than $200 from individuals, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. PAC dollars are not included.

NOTE: All the numbers on this page are for the 2008 election cycle and based on Federal Election Commission data released electronically on Monday, October 29, 2007

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/donordems.asp?cycle=2008

Vision vs. Pandering: Why Duncan Hunter is the ONLY choice – Part 1

Alexander J. Madison - December 23, 2007

I had a recent opportunity to have some holiday cheer and briefly talk politics with two longtime conservative associates; one a Mike Huckabee leaner and the other a Fred Thompson guy. The arguments (paraphrasing) went like this:

Huckabee guy: Huck is the one who can truly re-energize the Christian Conservatives in the party, he has a good sense of humor, presents himself well and his personality surely will attract moderates, not scare them off. His recent ‘surge’ is evidence of a winning political ear, which we will need to beat Hillary. He also was a successful governor from a Southern state, and despite a few missteps that all politicians have, he has a solid, conservative platform, just check out his website. Besides, Hunter does not have traction.

Thompson guy: Fred is the guy to beat Rudy McRomney. His record on fiscal issues and government reform and federalism is impressive and no one ever considered him a liberal, like some of these other schmucks. And his endorsement by the National Right to Life organization last month over Huck and Hunter shows that he is fully capable of carrying the values voters. And his recent position papers on social security and Illegal immigration are the type of clearheaded thinking the country needs in a President.

Me: Just look at their records in totality. Hunter is strongest and most consistent on borders, military affairs, foreign policy, sovereignty, tax cuts, anti-communism, all the most important things we need in a commander in chief right now. Hunter’s warnings about China and porous borders and losses of industrial might have all come home to roost, and most of the other candidates have been far less than helpful in these areas throughout their careers.

Three reasonable arguments for three Republicans in good standing? So it would seem.

But there is a significant difference that my friends both grudgingly admitted to: Hunter has been the most consistent of the three throughout their careers. However, both stressed the ‘here and now’, using Huckabee’s recent “strong” position on enforcing our borders and Fred’s willingness to tackle entitlements, respectively, as more proof of their candidate’s veracity and viability.

But if we are to give great weight to what a politician says during the course of a campaign for the GOP nomination, then one could argue that Rudy and McCain and Romney also deserve accolades and support for their candidacies. And indeed, they do have a fair amount of support and accolades at this time. If you read the position papers and policy statements and see the debate answers from each of these men, it is possible to coherently argue for any one of them being the superior man for President.

Though both of my friends were more than happy to rake Rudy and Romney and McCain over the coals for their past ‘sins’ against conservatism, they were able to minimize and basically ignore the less savory aspects of their chosen man’s record with ease. I do not argue that all transgressions against conservatism are equal, they are not. But giving undue weight to the rhetoric of a candidate’s stump speech or policies posted on a campaign website is an exercise in rationalization, not prudent evaluation.

So how do we separate them as they all dash for the title of ‘strong conservative leader’? The answer: Vision.

Vision is what separates a man like Ronald Reagan from a man like his Vice President, George Herbert Walker Bush. Vision provides the ability to see what lies over the horizon, the courage to confront it before it spins into chaos, and the wisdom to apply conservative solutions, regardless of how tantalizing or expedient a more liberal remedy may be. Vision also entails the ability to clearly recognize history for what it truly is, including the underlying wisdom our founders espoused, and including the knowledge of man’s nature. Vision is what separates those whose values are anchored like roots of a 200 year old oak tree from those who use a moistened finger to assess the political winds.

Vision is what sets Duncan Hunter apart from ALL of the others. That vision is reflected in his consistency, his record, his press statements, his long held beliefs and his current platform. No other candidate, other than Ron Paul (who espouses an odd hybrid of libertarianism and leftism), comes close to the having a rock solid vision that has animated his entire life and public service. The winds of change may have devastated large swaths of the Republican Party in recent years, but they just caused Hunter to dig in deeper and to fight even harder. While others pander to the current circumstances of a Republican primary and to subgroups within the GOP, Hunter is as he was; an America-first, conservative patriot with the unflinching vision of what our country stands for.

On Communist China & Trade

Fred Thompson, despite tough rhetoric today, has been all over the map on China. In 1997 he voted to revoke China’s Most Favored Nation (MFN) trade status (S.Amdt. 890 to S. 955), then turned around in 1999 – after even more Chinese malfeasance was uncovered, some by Mr. Thompson himself – and voted in favor of MFN (S.J.Res. 27). Then, during the 2000 debate to give Bill Clinton his coveted Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for the chicoms, Fred teamed with Robert Toricelli to put in a poison pill amendment (S.Amdt 4132 to HR 4444), tying trade to a series of weapons non proliferation standards. Despite the Jesse Helms-like posture and the subsequent failure of his amendment, Fred ended up voting for PNTR, amendment free, handing Clinton a huge victory at the expense of our national security.

In the October 9 debate in Michigan, Fred half-heartedly used the 'Free-trade' card when Hunter confronted all 3 Senators present for voting in favor of PNTR. You could tell he was not particularly comfortable debating Hunter on the subject, because he knew Hunter was right; Michigan has been hemorrhaging manufacturing jobs badly to China, and the media headlines had been filled all year with tales of additional Chinese perfidy. The tales have only gotten worse - and more serious - since October. And all the candidates, including Fred, have been adjusting their stump speeches accordingly.

Fred Thompson, along with Arlen Specter and the democrats on the Senate Panel, also took what should have been a deadly serious investigation into Chinese money and influence in the 1996 election and expanded it to be an overarching campaign finance investigation that even targeted groups such as Americans for Tax Reform and the Christian Coalition!! All to conservatives’ utter disbelief and chagrin.

Mike Huckabee has recently begun aping some of Hunter’s rhetoric on China, particularly when it comes to the staggering trade deficit. This past September, Huck wrote: “Our government has failed us by allowing the Chinese to buy up extraordinary amounts of our currency, and then manipulate that currency to artificially lower their prices and to force things back into the country. This has created an incredible trade deficit that last year alone was over $232 billion”.

Yet, he never even whispered a hint of criticism about our ill-conceived relationship with China during his 10-1/2 years in office. In fact, Huckabee was PNTR’s biggest gubernatorial cheerleader, telling World Net Daily in May 2000: "I've long believed the best way to defeat communism is to introduce a free-market system. Once people become used to the free market, they will refuse to return to the old way of doing things. Such an occurrence in China would be good news for every American since it has more than a fourth of the world's population."

In 2000, Huckabee helped craft, and signed, the letter from the governors to Congress begging them to pass PNTR. He also naively told Time Magazine just last April, “The good news is that China is becoming much more a part of the mainstream. In its economic development and even in giving greater liberties to its people…I am not as worried about China, though we have to be concerned about any nation that has the military and economic power that it does. I think we need to be more concerned from a standpoint of anxiety from nations led by radical and outspoken tyrants who openly issue threats to the United States and its people”.

So it is glaringly obvious that the recent ‘get tough’ gum flapping is just another case of a Road to Des Moines conversion; one of many for Mr. Huckabee.

John McCain, for all of his supposed expertise in foreign affairs, was an even bigger cheerleader for phony ‘free trade’ with the communists, not only for China, but for Vietnam as well. In fact, McCain argued in 1990 that normalizing trade and relations with Vietnam (despite unaccounted for POWs) would act as a “counterweight” to Chinese aggression in the region; yet he quickly tossed that out the window to become one of China’s biggest proponents in the US Senate. He was so enthusiastic for “engagement” with China in the 2000 presidential debates that it prompted candidate Gary Bauer, a former Reagan official, to tell him he had a "naiveté about Chinese leaders that is breathtaking." Truer words have seldom been spoken. And his naiveté about China is only matched by his ignorance about conservatism.

Now, as McCain runs again for the presidency in 2007, he offered up this milquetoast comment to Chris Matthews: “China needs to act like a super-power and take on global responsibilities. Some of us are disappointed in its lack of maturity.” That ought to really rattle the tough old communist vultures in the PLA.

Contrast these gentlemen’s unanchored swerves with Duncan Hunter. Hunter has had the vision from the outset that communist China was, is, and will be for the foreseeable future, an adversary, not a “strategic partner”. Hunter does not trust China for one very, very simple reason: History has taught him that communists cannot be trusted. Most real conservatives understand this axiom. Hunter understands that an agreement with China is not worth the paper it is written on.

According to the Seattle PI in 1986: Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., strongly opposes any efforts to relax present export controls because he believes U.S. companies would gain far less than the government would be forced to spend to beef up security in the event of a strategic leak. ''It's like the propeller milling equipment,'' explained John Palafoutas, a Hunter aide. ''Once they apply it overseas, we have to upgrade security and defense spending. The businesses may make $60 million more, but it costs us $30 billion in defense costs.''

And later, when it came to lifting export controls on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) technology to China, Hunter added, "My philosophy is that we should err on the side of caution in these cases. I would oppose any move to sell even dual-use technologies in the ASW area."

Hunter led the charge to revoke MFN for China in 1992, and each year since. In 1996, as the republicans folded one by one to the China lobby, Hunter wrote this for Knight Ridder News:

“Advocates of continued Most-Favored-Nation trade status for China claim that this is a ''normal'' part of U.S. international relations and that China hasn't done anything odd enough to be an exception.

“China's friends seem to have adopted a rather jaded view of normality. Are thinly veiled threats to attack Los Angeles, like those made by China during the recent Taiwan crisis, ‘normal’ diplomatic discourse? Was Beijing's attempt to influence elections on Taiwan by military demonstrations and missile firings ''normal? Was the movement of two U.S. carrier battlegroups to positions of potential confrontation with China a ''normal'' gesture of friendly relations? Or, do these actions indicate a strategic relationship with China more on a par with Cuba or North Korea, countries with which we do not extend MFN?

“We didn't grant MFN to the Soviet Union either, when it was aiming missiles at U.S. cities……Renewing China's MFN status without a strategic quid pro quo would be another sign of relative American weakness.”

In 2001, while the Bush administration, Colin Powell and the State Department tip-toed gingerly during the hostage standoff involving China and our downed Air Force servicemen, Hunter immediately offered up new legislation to kill PNTR. Hunter has always been eager to put his knee on China's neck. Only Hunter has been illuminating the new weapons systems and technology that the Chinese have purchased, stolen and developed, as a cogent argument for not tolerating the lopsided trade deal that enriches the communist nation, saying “as we trade, China prepares for war”. As the DC publication The Hill headlined in 2006 – ‘Leadership knows Rep. Duncan Hunter's Arm doesn't Twist’ – each President from Reagan to GW Bush has had to learn that same lesson the hard way.

Time after time after time, the Chicoms are caught red-handed in some nefarious activity - putting toxic fillers in pet food, exporting fish raised in rancid pens, cyber-attacking the Pentagon or NSA, and pirating intellectual property - yet Hunter is one of the very few people with the balls in DC willing (and itching, actually) to confront them. The same cannot be said for ANY of his opponents.

And as Mitt Romney is learning, Hunter will not tolerate a blank stare for an answer when it comes to protecting US technology from Chinese clutches.

On Tax Cuts

One can choose to ignore the horrendous grades given to Mike Huckabee by the Club for Growth, the National Taxpayer’s Union and the CATO Institute. Across the board, they rated Huckabee as a far more proficient tax raiser than tax cutter. Huckabee earned an F, yes an F, from CATO at one point. But, just as Huck has attempted, one can argue that they are looking at his record too narrowly. But what one cannot do is ignore Huckabee’s own statements. From a May 2003 Arkansas Assembly speech (captured on Youtube):

“Again, let me state what I’ve said privately, as well as publicly, I want to get it on the record again. There is a lot of support for a tax at the wholesale level for tobacco, and that’s fine with me. I’d very happily sign that, because it is a revenue stream that will meet the needs if enacted at a level that will help us meet that 90 to 100 million dollar target. That’s what I want to begin focusing your attention on…is the target. Some have suggested a retail level of tobacco and if that ends up being your preference, I will accept that. Some have suggested a surcharge on the income tax, that’s acceptable. I’m fine with that. Others have suggested, perhaps a sales tax. That’s fine. Yet others have suggested a hybrid that would accept some monies from any one or a combination of those various ideas. And if that’s the plan that the House and Senate agree upon, then you will have nothing but my profound thanks”.

Then, top it off with blatant dishonesty regarding his record, such as his repeated claim that the taxes in question- which he literally begged for - were mandated by the US Supreme Court. That is 100% false, like so many other claims Mr. Huckabee has made.

Mitt Romney was somewhat better during his reign in the Massachusetts governor’s chair. Mitt often touts the notion that he closed a multi-billion dollar budget deficit “without raising taxes”. But as the CATO Institute and others have pointed out, Mr. Romney is pulling a Schwarzenegger, by not classifying hikes in fees as tax increases. According to the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald, Romney raised fees by 400 million, yes - 400 million, and closed “loopholes” for another 300 million in revenue. Of course, Mitt also reminds us that he is the only top tier 2008 candidate to sign Grover Norquist’s “no new taxes” pledge. Yet just a few short years ago he refused to sign it for his run for governor, saying, "I'm against tax increases. But I'm not intending to, at this stage, sign a document which would prevent me from being able to look specifically at the revenue needs of the Commonwealth."

Mitt’s history on taxes gets worse. He chose not to endorse the Bush tax cuts when they were being debated in 2001 and 2003. And according to the Washington Times, Mitt strongly opposed the 1994 Contract with America’s call for a capital gains tax cut. Mitt also ran ads against Steve Forbes’ flat tax proposal calling it a “tax cut for fat cats”. Regardless of one’s opinion on the particulars of a flat tax, Mitt’s statement smacks of democrat class warfare, unfit for any republican. It may also help explain why he oddly blurted out that he does not “stay awake at night worrying about the taxes that rich people are paying” at the last Iowa debate. But conservatives sure would lose a lot of sleep worrying which Mitt would show up in the Oval Office.

Rudy Giuliani’s record on taxes is equally unimpressive. Though he did cut a number of taxes (he claims 23) and certainly improved the conditions in NYC, Rudy was vehemently opposed to Republican Governor Pataki’s call for a reduction in the state income tax. That opposition is inexplicable, unless one realizes that Rudy also vehemently opposed the City’s elimination of the 12.5% city surcharge on income. Rudy lost that battle, but now takes credit, as is his habit. So while Rudy’s record on taxes was mixed, at best, he now is trying to paint himself as Reagan reincarnated.

Here is what the National Review had to say in a September 2007 article entitled Rudy’s Taxing Problem: Rudy Giuliani’s recent attempt to portray himself as Reaganite tax-cutter just doesn’t square with the hard facts about his record opposing broad-based tax relief. The mayor honestly admits that he is more liberal than many Republicans on social issues, but has yet to admit that his economic record is similarly out of sync.

As far as John McCain and taxes go, not much needs to be said. From the WSJ in March 2007: Sen. McCain was one of only two Republican senators to oppose the 2001 tax cuts and one of only three GOP senators to oppose the 2003 reductions. Furthermore, his reason for opposing the cuts was taken straight from the playbook of the most radical left-wing Democrats. In 2001, Sen. McCain argued, "I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expense of middle-class Americans who need tax relief." McCain proves his untrustworthiness and innate liberalism in a single sentence. Enough!

Meanwhile, Duncan Hunter has a nearly perfect record on taxes. He voted for tax cuts as a House member and voted against tax increases as a House member. Hunter’s vision mirrors that of Ronald Reagan when it comes to taxes: Lower taxes stimulate growth and ultimately generates more money into the treasury because of it. However, Hunter was not content to just vote on whatever tax proposals appeared in the House, he aggressively pushed for them, sponsoring and cosponsoring numerous bills and amendments dealing with taxation. In his first two years in Congress, Hunter put his sponsorship to about a dozen bills to amend the tax code to lower taxes, including a bill to kill the ‘marriage penalty’ (HR 1700). Subsequently, Hunter has sponsored tax relief for family businesses, fringe benefits, tip income, work done abroad, capital gains, research and development, health care savings accounts, oil and gas, farmers and farm equipment, capital equipment depreciation and much more. He sponsored bills to kill the ‘windfall profits’ tax and the death tax. He also cosponsored a 10% individual flat tax in the late 1980s.

Hunter vigorously supported Reagan’s historic 1981 tax cut package, and vigorously opposed George Herbert Walker Bush’s fateful 1991 tax increase. He also opposed President Clinton’s tax increases while cosponsoring GW Bush’s historic tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.

And over the last couple of years, Hunter has sponsored or cosponsored major, permanent tax relief in HR 411, the Fair Tax, deductions for education expenses, a permanent ban on the internet tax, elimination of the alternative minimum tax and the estate tax, repeal of the telecommunications excise tax, a reduction of the non-corporate tax rate, and the bill to make the Bush tax cuts permanent.

Simply stated, Hunter has been as consistent an advocate for tax relief as he has been for the life of the unborn. And that is saying something. He penned the following in early 2007, but it could just have easily been penned by Mr. Hunter in 1981:

“An over-taxing government is the biggest contributor to creating poverty. By continuing to inhibit the economic growth and potential of our citizens, we prevent the investment capability to create jobs, increase income and provide a stable financial environment. I believe all citizens are “deserving of tax relief and tax-cutting policies benefit the American economy as a whole.

I do not support efforts to identify segments of our society that are more deserving of a tax cut over another and I believe political stereotyping in this area hinders the goal of providing efficient tax relief.”

Beautifully said!

On Bureaucracy and the Nanny State

Rudy Giuliani loves to tout his anti-bureaucracy bona-fides as he stumps around the country seeking support for his presidential bid. He did indeed strong arm some departments into performance and slashed the welfare roles (as they were also cut nation wide) as Mayor. However, upon closer examination, it is apparent that he is a nanny-state advocate along the lines of his successor, Mayor Bloomberg. Banning smoking in restaurants and bars? Check. Providing day care for government employees? Check. Opening up tax payer funded clinics for the gay and lesbian community? Check. Welfare for illegal aliens? Check. Unconstitutional search and seizures of guns and automobiles? Check. Lawsuits to put the gun manufacturers out of business? Check. A government budget in his second term that grew by a whopping 25%, leaving office with a huge projected deficit? Check.

Then, of course, who can forget these classic Rudy hits: “There must be public funding for abortions for poor women” and ‘Mayor Giuliani Introduces Legislation Banning Cell Phone Use While Driving’ and ‘NYC Sues Tobacco Companies’. But perhaps the double platinum best seller is this quote from 1996 as he contemplated endorsing Slick Willy: “Most of Clinton’s policies are very similar to mine.”

In this arena, Rudy has stiff competition from Mike Huckabee. As governor, the Huck demanded that fatty sweets be banned from the schools. He signed onto a ban on public smoking (and wants to expand that nationally - egads). He pushed for scholarships and in state tuition for illegal aliens. He raised the minimum wage in Arkansas. And according to the Club for Growth, he presided over a 67% increase in state spending from 1996 to 2004, several times the rate of inflation. The stark reality is that you need to spend more when you want to give “free” college tuition to highschoolers who maintain good grades, administer body fat tests to school kids, and conjure up a socialized medicine program called ARKids. But I’ll let liberal Time magazine, who selected Huckabee as one of the ‘Top 5’ governors in 2005 describe his metamorphosis from conservative to well….liberal:

More important, but less noted, has been Huckabee's political transformation. In his early years as Lieutenant Governor and then in the top job, he offered little more than anti-Clinton resentment and capering populism; in 1996 he warned of "environmental wackos who ... want to tell us what kind of deodorant we can use." Huckabee is now a mature, consensus-building conservative who earns praise from fellow Evangelicals and, occasionally, liberal Democrats. (my ed. - notably absent, praise from conservative, who despised him)

In 1997 he surprised some Republicans by introducing ARKids First, and a year later he decided that all the state's proceeds from the tobacco industry lawsuit settlement should go to health education, antismoking campaigns and—get this—Medicaid expansion.

Fred Thompson, on the other hand, has a reputation as a hard nosed federalist and government shrinker. However, the reality is a bit less flattering. In 1996, Fred was tasked with re-writing the federal Juvenile Justice laws. He coughed up an albatross called the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1996. Among its finer provisions was this gem:

(a) IN GENERAL- In order to be eligible to receive formula grants under this part, each State shall--

(1) ensure that not less than 75 percent of the funds made available to the State under section 222, whether expended directly by the State, by the unit of general local government, or by a combination thereof, or through grants and contracts with public or private nonprofit agencies, shall be used--

(A) for prevention and nonincarcerative intervention, including drug and alcohol treatment activities, and programs that encourage courts to develop and implement a continuum of post-adjudication restraints that bridge the gap between probation and confinement in a correctional facility, including graduated sanctions for youth offenders;

The entire thing is a liberal mess and a further usurpation of state power to deal with juvenile crime. Fortunately, Orrin Hatch recognized this, and strangled the tar baby in committee.

Though failing in his attempt to further bureaucratize juvenile crime, he did succeed in 2002 - in collaboration with Jeff Bingaman, Olympia Snowe and John Kerry - on a massive global warming bill. Called TITLE X—NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY, Senate Amendment SA 3232, it is page after page of bureaucratic PC-speak aimed at posturing the United States for an international treaty on global warming. It is truly one of the most unfettered fluster-kuck pieces of legislation to come down the pike in years. It reaches into dozens of federal agencies requiring them to comply with new regulations, creates a new ‘Office of National Climate Change Policy’, and appropriates billions of taxpayer dollars in pursuit of a hoax. Item 10, under the ‘findings’ section tells us all we need to know about this beast:

(10) Senate Resolution 98 of the 105th Congress, which expressed that developing nations must also be included in any future, binding climate change treaty and such a treaty must not result in serious harm to the United States economy, should not cause the United States to abandon its shared responsibility to help reduce the risks of climate change and its impacts. Future international efforts in this regard should focus on recognizing the equitable responsibilities for addressing climate change by all nations, including commitments by the largest developing country emitters in a future, binding climate change treaty.

I’ll leave Fred’s involvement in the equally egregious attack on the 1st amendment called McCain-Feingold-Thompson alone for now. Suffice to say that it too was an exercise in unconstitutional nanny-statism that, mercifully, the courts are starting to toss in the crapper.

Mitt Romney, on the other hand, never got the chance to vote for McCain-Feingold-Thompson, being a Governor and all, but he was quite the cheerleader for it. When McCain campaigned for Mitt in his 2002 race the Concord Monitor reported:



"Romney also praised McCain for his general reform campaign when the Arizona senator came to Massachusetts to stump with Romney just before Romney's 2002 election victory in the governor's race. 'He has always stood for reform and change. And he's always fought the good battle, no matter what the odds,' Romney said at the time. 'Those are my values.'"

Of course, these days, Romney decries McCain-Feingold-Thompson as unconstitutional. Just another in a long line of blatant – and frankly hilarious – flip flops.

Mitts views on stifling free speech in campaigns were just the tip of the iceberg in his pursuit of a Massachusetts nanny-state. Mitt signed an ‘assault weapons’ ban, despite not knowing an assault rifle from a turnip: And this position is one of the few things he has NOT flipped flopped on. He presided over a group called the ‘Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth’ which instituted the most radical gay indoctrination in any school system outside of San Francisco. The chairman of the group, Kathleen Henry, was tickled with Romney’s funding for them. According to the Boston Globe in July 2005, she defended the budget saying: ''The fact that he doubled last year's [proposed budget allocation] this year is huge to us. It's really huge. It says to us clearly that he gets the service for what it really is.”

Of course, the coup de grâce to any notion that Mitt was a conservative is his mandatory healthcare insurance plan, un-affectionately known as RomneyCare. His was the first plan in the nation that mandated health insurance. It is an expensive, unworkable and unconstitutional intrusion into the affairs of free citizens; and in no way should ever be emulated on the federal level, which Mitt vows to do.

No wonder he made Human Event’s ‘Top 10 RINOS’ list in 2005.

John McCain’s foray into the camp of federal bureaucratic nanny-statism is as wide as it is deep. Everything from affirmative action to banning "cheap" guns to federal funding of stem cell research to minimum wage increases to supporting 'hate crimes' laws to his namesake legislative assault on free speech to higher CAFE (mileage) standards to ‘family leave’ legislation to winning the endorsement of the Log Cabin Republicans, has shown that this self-proclaimed government reformer is pushing many 'reforms' that would please Ted Kennedy.

McCain is downright Gorelian when it comes to the hoax called global warming. In 2002, he pushed to make the grandaddy of all busybody agencies, the EPA, into a cabinet level position. Though savvy enough to avoid co-sponsoring Fred’s Title X global warming masterpiece, McCain has since moved farther and farther left. He and Mike Huckabee are the only two candidates to publicly proclaim their admiration for a mandatory ‘Cap and Trade’ system to deal with CO2 emissions. And he spends his time telling his GOP colleagues how foolish they are to dismiss the subject. No John, you are the fool, and hopefully your and Algore’s efforts to hoodwink the public will meet the disgraced demise they so richly deserve.

And just to keep up with current events, McCain just voted FOR the new 'Energy Bill' - signed into law on 12/19. Among its thousands of pages of bureaucrat-speak, it includes a 40% boost in CAFE standards and the outlawing of the incandescent light bulb. What geniuses.

Congressman Duncan Hunter’s vision for the role of the Federal government can best be described in two words: Tenth Amendment. Hunter, along with Reagan, wanted to eliminate the Department of Education in the 1980s. Both viewed it as an illegal and unwise usurption by the feds. Though reality tells us that the liberals and RINOS will never allow that to happen any time soon, Hunter is still running on a platform to gut it, telling the audience during a press conference on FreeRepublic.com: "I would substantially cut the bureaucracy in the Department of Education, top to bottom".

Both Hunter and Reagan worked (though failed) to overturn the thoroughly overreaching and unconstitutional power grab by the courts banning prayer in schools.

Running for reelection in 1994, Hunter told Public Radio that he wanted to cut the EPA's budget by 50%. He had this to say about OSHA: "I think 10 percent of OSHA performs a valuable function and keeps the workplace safe," suggesting a 90% reduction in their budget.


In 1995, Hunter made Hazel O'Leary's secretive Department of Energy 'Enemies List' (which got her in hot water, FWIW). The San Diego Union Tribune reported: A proponent of abolishing DOE and giving its nuclear weapon responsibilities to the Pentagon, Hunter has criticized the agency as having too much bureaucracy and too many consultants financed by its $6.5 billion nuclear waste cleanup account. A new budget authorization passed by the House would cut $742 million from the account. But, Hunter said, referring to CARMA, "When I cut their budget of nonessential consultants, it looks like I missed one."

While McCain, Huckabee, and Mitt have used hurricane Katrina as foil to point out ‘mismanagement’ of FEMA as they try to score points for their own management prowess, Duncan Hunter has used Katrina as a prime example of the great volunteer work that private citizens do in the event of a disaster.

Hunter led the charge in 2003 to exempt military installations from endangered species laws, saying "These troops need to have places to train, and these training grounds are becoming more and more restricted because of applications, and I think wrongful applications, of our environmental laws.” He told the North County Times, "We went at this with the viewpoint that the most important endangered creature is the 19-year-old Marine rifleman.”

Hunter was rewarded with a zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters.

Hunter also led the charge to eliminate the NEA in the 1990s and was thwarted time and again by the RINOS who sided with the democrats. And just when Hunter and the conservatives had the NEA on the ropes in 2000, they hired a southerner as the head honcho, Bill Ivey, and he charmed his way to more funding, even getting former NEA foe Fred Thompson to toss his support to the agency. Fred told CNN, "If we can do something for rural kids and smaller-state kids, get more resources for art forms outside of New York and California, that's a good thing."

And just this month, Hunter voted against the democrats new Energy Bill, which included the new CAFÉ standards as well as the elimination of incandescent light bulbs.

Finally, no one in Congress or elsewhere over the last 26 years has spent more time and energy attempting to kill off the benefits, sanctuaries and the red tape associated with deportations for illegal aliens.

In conclusion, Duncan Hunter has stood his ground for his conservative vision of America. An America that must continue to confront it’s enemies such as China and Iran without fear and doublespeak, an America that must allow its citizens to keep their hard earned dollars in their own pockets, an America that must fight to keep the bureaucratic state from running roughshod over our freedoms and rights, and an America that must toss aside harmful, politically correct niceties and govern in the manner which our founders intended.

When the candidates were asked by the Des Moines Register this year what they would like their legacies to be, Hunter provided the shortest answer:

"I would like to see a country where the day I walk out of the White House, after a couple of terms, the American people are more independent of government than the day that I walked in."

And in Hunter’s case, he has a long career to prove he means it.

(Stay tuned for Part II of Vision vs. Pandering, where I cover the candidates records on Illegal Immigration, US Military Strength, and conservatism).

Ron Paul gets 'special' endorsements!

Cindy Sheehan along with Stormfront Leader Jamie Kelso (in the Ron Paul t-shirt) at a Ron Paul rally in Ft. Worth.


Did you know there was a big amnesty in 2002? Ron voted FOR it.

Ron Paul's Immigration Record
Source: http://www.federalobserver.com/archive.php?aid=11832
URL Source: http://NumberUSA
Published: Oct 29, 2007
Author: Excerpted from : http://www.federalobser

Paul's Immigration Voting Record & Report Card on the NumbersUSA website:

(1) Paul consistently voted every year since 1999 against putting the military on the border:

2006: H. Amdt. 206 to H.R. 1815 2004: Goode Amendment to H.R. 4200 2003: Goode Amendment to H.R. 1588 2002: H. Amdt. 479 to H.R. 4546 2001: Traficant amendment to HR 2586 2000: Traficant amendment to H.R.4205 1999: Trafficant Amendment to H.R. 1401.

(2) Paul voted in 1997, 2001( H.R. 1885) and 2002 (H RES 365) to grant, extend or continue Section 245-i amnesties for illegal aliens.

(3) Paul voted NO on extending the voluntary Basic Pilot Workplace Verification Program (H.R. 2359),

(4) Paul voted NO on the border fence in 2005 (Hunter Amendment to HR 4437 - "Enforcement Only" Bill).

(5) Paul voted YES to increase H2-B (HR 763 in 2005) and H-1B visas (HR 3736 in 1998). In 1998, he voted to allow US firms to lay off Americans to replace them with foreigners.

TAKE NOTE:

(2) Paul voted in 1997, 2001( H.R. 1885) and 2002 (H RES 365) to grant, extend or continue Section 245-i amnesties for illegal aliens.

Everyone needs a reminder of some of Pauls BAD immigration votes.

Especially Item #2. This was an amnesty and allowed for chain migration, more visas, blah,blah, and one reason it has gotten as bad as it has. It was pushed by the White House.

H.R.3525 Title: To enhance the border security of the United States, and for other purposes. (introduced 12/19/2001) Related Bills: H.RES.365, H.R.1885, H.R.3205, S.CON.RES.106, S.1618, S.1749 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 107-173 [GPO: Text, PDF] Note: On 3/12/2002, H.Res. 365 was agreed to by the House. H.Res. 365 incorporated the text of H.R. 3525, the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, in H.R. 1885, previously the Section 245(i) Extension Act dealing with certain immigration petition filing deadlines. Subsequent action on border security returned to H.R. 3525.

http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:HR03525:

The White House [snip]

H.R. 1885 - Section 245(i) Extension Act The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R.1885 as expected to be considered on the House floor. H.R. 1885 would extend the window created under section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act during which qualified immigrants may obtain legal residence in the United States without being forced to first leave the country and their families for as long as several years. This legislation reflects the Administration's philosophy that government policies should recognize the importance of families and help to strengthen them.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/107-2/HR1885-h.html

also:

Rep. Paul is a cosponsor of H.R. 793, the Save Our Small and Seasonal Business Act of 2005, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit the timing of issuance of H-2B visas during a fiscal year. Specifically, H.R. 793 would split the H-2B visa cap so no more than 33,000 visas are made available for the first six months the fiscal year, and another 33,000 visas would be available in the second half of the year. However, H.R. 793 exempts from the annual cap aliens granted an H-2B visa within three years prior to approval of an H-2B petition, thus potentially TRIPLING the number of H-2B workers in the United States at any one time. Although timing the issuance of H-2B visas is a common-sense approach that would help prevent the situation that occurred in FY 2004 and FY 2005 when the 66,000 annual cap on H-2B (low-skill) nonimmigrant visas was hit within the first quarter of the year, H.R. 793 would ultimately harm American workers by creating exemptions which potentially could triple the number of H-2B workers in the U.S. at any given time. Nearly doubled H-1B foreign high-tech workers in 1998

and

Voted on House floor against Hunter amendment to increase security with border fence in 2005 Rep. Paul voted against the Hunter Amendment to H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The Hunter Amendment would shore up security by building fences and other physical infrastructure to keep out illegal aliens. Specifically, it mandates the construction of specific security fencing, including lights and cameras, along the Southwest border for the purposes of gaining operational control of the border. As well, it includes a requirement for the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a study on the use of physical barriers along the Northern border. The Hunter Amendment passed by a vote of 260-159.

http://www.gohunter08.blogspot.com/

DUNCAN HUNTER 2008!!!! IT’S ABOUT TIME!

Do I see a trend here?

Romney N.E.

Hillary N.E./South

Clinton South

Carter South

Paul South

Rudy N.E.

Bush 1 N.E./South

Bush 2 N.E./South

Obama N.E.

Thompson South

Huckabee South

How come all our presidents and top tier candidates are from the South or the North East? Who decided that? We out here in fly over country are getting tired of politicians from the South and N.E. deciding what happens in our homes. Most of them have never been here. Maybe that’s why Reagan ‘got it’. We’ve had a long stretch of no representation. I want my turn.

Reagan California West.............Why don’t we try that again?

DUNCAN HUNTER 2008!!!! IT’S ABOUT TIME!

Ron Paul...his real record or campaign rhetoric?

Ron Paul claims to be the 'small government' candidate. Recently , we compared legislation co sponsored by Paul with others, for instance Duncan Hunter. Paul co sponsored 1000 more pieces of legislation written by others than did Hunter in the same period.

We've been told by Paul fans that 1876 pieces of legislation he co sponsored MUST have been strictly about lowering spending or correcting constitutional injustice!!!! YOU decide......

This isn't all of Paul's co sponsored legislation, just a few. Take note of how they increase policy and enforcement within the IRS and the Dept. of Education. Also, the support for Mexico, etc. Notice also the socialist/liberal members of congress he supported.

Ten years earlier, in 1987, he wrote that the United States should not have a national immigration policy and "should welcome everyone who wants to come here and work."

From Paul's website: "A co-sponsor is a Member of Congress who joins with the sponsor in originally introducing the legislation, or officially supporting it after the measure has been formally introduced to the Congress."


Resolutions co sponsored by Ron Paul

107th congress -

. H.CON.RES.263 : Expressing the sense of Congress that any Presidential candidate should be permitted to participate in debates among candidates if at least 5 percent of respondents in national public opinion polls of all eligible voters support the candidate's election for President or if a majority of respondents in such polls support the candidate's participation in such debates. Sponsor: Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] (introduced 11/6/2001) Cosponsors (2) (NOTE: Ron wouldn't be allowed in the debates if he'd gotten his way on this one.........)

H.RES.233 : Recognizing the important relationship between the United States and Mexico. Cosponsors (5) Latest Major Action: 9/5/2001

H.J.RES.35 : Disapproving the rule of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration relating to ergonomics.
Sponsor: Rep Northup, Anne M. [KY-3] (introduced 3/7/2001) Cosponsors (32)

H.R.41 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the research credit and to increase the rates of the alternative incremental credit.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Nancy L. [CT-6] (introduced 1/3/2001) Cosponsors (119)

30. H.R.84 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for education. Sponsor: Rep English, Phil [PA-21] (introduced 1/3/2001) Cosponsors (1)

36. H.R.147 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain severance payment amounts from income.
Sponsor: Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8] (introduced 1/3/2001) Cosponsors (29)

H.R.154 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase to 100 percent the amount of the deduction for the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals.
Sponsor: Rep Pomeroy, Earl [ND] (introduced 1/3/2001) Cosponsors (72)

H.R.168 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals an exclusion from gross income for certain amounts of capital gains distributions from regulated investment companies. Sponsor: Rep Saxton, Jim [NJ-3] (introduced 1/3/2001) Cosponsors (69)

H.R.189 : To repeal the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
Sponsor: Rep Stump, Bob [AZ-3] (introduced 1/3/2001) Cosponsors (22)

50. H.R.249 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit private educational institutions to maintain qualified tuition programs and to provide that distributions from such programs which are used to pay educational expenses shall not be includible in gross income. Sponsor: Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] (introduced 1/30/2001) Cosponsors (1)

61. H.R.342 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make higher education more affordable by providing a full tax deduction for higher education expenses and interest on student loans. Sponsor: Rep Ford, Harold E., Jr . [TN-9] (introduced 1/31/2001) Cosponsors (3)

H.R.415 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage new school construction through the creation of a new class of bond. Sponsor: Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-46] (introduced 2/6/2001) Cosponsors (23)

: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a nonrefundable tax credit against income tax for individuals who purchase a residential safe storage device for the safe storage of firearms. ( edging on the 2nd amendment!)
Sponsor: Rep Hilleary, Van [TN-4] (introduced 2/7/2001) Cosponsors (25)

H.R.516 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax relief to elementary and secondary school teachers.
Sponsor: Rep Pryce, Deborah [OH-15] (introduced 2/7/2001) Cosponsors (74)

H.R.538 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for education.
Sponsor: Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] (introduced 2/8/2001) Cosponsors (23)

H.R.539 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the child tax credit.
Sponsor: Rep Hayworth, J. D. [AZ-6] (introduced 2/8/2001) Cosponsors (46)

H.R.636 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit private educational institutions to maintain qualified tuition programs which are comparable to qualified State tuition programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep English, Phil [PA-21] (introduced 2/14/2001) Cosponsors (1)

H.R.637 : To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to eliminate the funding limitation applicable to grants for special alternative instructional programs under subpart 1 of part A of title VII of such Act.
Sponsor: Rep Flake, Jeff [AZ-1] (introduced 2/14/2001) Cosponsors (7)

92. H.R.648 : To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exempt licensed funeral directors and licensed embalmers from the minimum wage and overtime compensation requirements of that Act. Sponso r: Rep Graham, Lindsey [SC-3] (introduced 2/14/2001) Cosponsors (15) (A little 'funeral home' payola, there?)

H.R.678 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the amount of the student loan interest deduction and to allow more taxpayers to claim that deduction.
Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 2/14/2001) Cosponsors (40)

H.R.686 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 60-month limitation period on the allowance of a deduction of interest on loans for higher education expenses. Sponsor: Rep Mink, Patsy T. [HI-2] (introduced 2/14/2001) Cosponsors (58)

H.R.704 : To permit the States in the Pacific time zone to temporarily adjust the standard time in response to the energy crisis.
Sponsor: Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-24] (introduced 2/14/2001) Cosponsors (22)

108th congress

6. H.RES.12 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should issue a postage stamp commemorating Juan Nepomuceno Seguin.
( WHO?) : Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 1/7/2003) Cosponsors (8)

H.RES.208 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the systematic human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime and calling for the immediate removal of Cuba from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Sponsor: Rep Foley, Mark [FL-16] (introduced 4/30/2003) Cosponsors (24)(He wouldn't vote for the same for Iran!)

H.RES.315 : Congratulating Rafael Palmeiro of the Texas Rangers for hitting 500 major league home runs and thanking him for being a role model for the Cuban American community, as well as for all Americans.
Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 7/9/2003) Cosponsors (14)

H.RES.350 : Congratulating Lance Armstrong for winning the 2003 Tour de France.
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Tom [VA-11] (introduced 9/3/2003) Cosponsors (41)

H.RES.400 : Honoring the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's ascension to the papacy.
Sponsor: Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] (introduced 10/16/2003) Cosponsors (31)

H.RES.586 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that an Aviation Maintenance Technician Day should be established in recognition of Charles Edward Taylor's invaluable contributions to aviation.
Sponsor: Rep Frost, Martin [TX-24] (introduced 3/30/2004) Cosponsors (7)

H.J.RES.20 : To repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 2/5/2003) Cosponsors (37)
Committees: House International Relations

36. H.R.120 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax for contributions for scholarships to attend elementary and secondary schools, for upgrading elementary and secondary school facilities, and for expenses related to technology for elementary and secondary schools.
Sponsor: Rep Hoekstra, Peter [MI-2] (introduced 1/7/2003) Cosponsors (14)

H.R.198 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for amounts paid for health insurance and prescription drug costs of individuals. Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/7/2003) Cosponsors (12)

H.R.217 : To ensure that a Federal employee who takes leave without pay in order to perform service as a member of the uniformed services or member of the National Guard shall continue to receive pay in an amount which, when taken together with the pay and allowances such individual is receiving for such service, will be no less than the basic pay such individual would then be receiving if no interruption in employment had occurred. Sponsor: Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] (introduced 1/7/2003) Cosponsors (97) (Only federal employees deserve this bonus????)

49. H.R.282 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit for contributions for the benefit of elementary and secondary schools. Sponsor: Rep Hoekstra, Peter [MI-2] (introduced 1/8/2003) Cosponsors (24)

H.R.294 : To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the automobile assistance program for disabled veterans. Sponsor: Rep Kelly, Sue W. [NY-19] (introduced 1/8/2003) Cosponsors (11)

H.R.314 : To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to exempt mortgage servicers from certain requirements of the Act with respect to federally related mortgage loans secured by a first lien, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Royce, Edward R. [CA-40] (introduced 1/8/2003) Cosponsors (8)

H.R.336 : To repeal the sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 with respect to the expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs. Sponsor: Rep Camp, Dave [MI-4] (introduced 1/27/2003) Cosponsors (9)

71. H.R.494 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a full deduction for meals and lodging in connection with medical care. Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/29/2003) Cosponsors (2)

H.R.574 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat gold, silver, and platinum, in either coin or bar form, in the same manner as stocks and bonds for purposes of the maximum capital gains rate for individuals.
Sponsor: Rep Hayworth, J. D. [AZ-5] (introduced 2/5/2003) Cosponsors (10)

H.R.645 : To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the square dance as the national folk dance. Sponsor: Rep Whitfield, Ed [KY-1] (introduced 2/5/2003) Cosponsors (29) ( Is that in the commerce clause? LOL!)

H.R.714 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand S corporation eligibility for banks, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep McInnis, Scott [CO-3] (introduced 2/12/2003) Cosponsors (37)

H.R.731 : To render all enrolled members of the Tohono O'odham Nation citizens of the United States as of the date of their enrollment and to recognize the valid membership credential of the Tohono O'odham Nation as the legal equivalent of a certificate of citizenship or a State-issued birth certificate for all Federal purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] (introduced 2/12/2003) Cosponsors (119)

H.R.740 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage new school construction through the creation of a new class of bond. Sponsor: Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] (introduced 2/12/2003) Cosponsors (17)

100. H.R.741 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for health insurance costs of self-employed individuals to be allowed in computing self-employment taxes. Sponsor: Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] (introduced 2/12/2003) Cosponsors (12)


109th

3. H.CON.RES.42 : Expressing the sense of the Congress that a commemorative postage stamp should be issued to promote public awareness of Down syndrome. ( I'm sure that's in the constitution!) Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 2/1/2005) Cosponsors (56) Committees: House Government Reform

4. H.CON.RES.45 : Recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Cooper, Jim [TN-5] (intro 2/2/2005) Cosponsors (32)

H.CON.RES.160 : Recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day, and expressing the sense of Congress that history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future. Sponsor: Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] (introduced 5/19/2005) Cosponsors (69) (You gotta be kidding me....)

H.CON.RES.206 : Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should temporarily suspend restrictions on remittances, gift parcels, and family travel to Cuba to allow Cuban-Americans to assist their relatives in Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis.
Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 7/12/2005) Cosponsors (70)

H.CON.RES.355 : Recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Cooper, Jim [TN-5] (intro3/9/2006) Cosponsors (29)

H.CON.RES.465 : Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for additional research into the chronic neurological condition hydrocephalus, and for other purposes. (special illnesses?)
Sponsor: Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] (introduced 7/28/2006) Cosponsors (27)

18. H.RES.79 : Recognizing the public service of Archbishop Patrick Flores.
Sponsor: Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] (introduced 2/9/2005) Cosponsors (53)

H.RES.730 : Recognizing the efforts and contributions of The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 3/16/2006) Cosponsors (16)

H.RES.760 : Supporting the goals and ideals of National Clean Beaches Week and recognizing the considerable value of American beaches and their role in American culture.
Sponsor: Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] (introduced 4/4/2006) Cosponsors (59)

H.RES.1049 : Recognizing Ann Richards' extraordinary contributions to Texas and American public life and offering condolences on her passing. (Fan of Ann Richards????)
Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 9/27/2006) Cosponsors (12)

H.J.RES.55 : Requiring the President to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] (introduced 6/16/2005) Cosponsors (69)

H.R.154 : To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to reimburse State and local governments and Indian tribes for certain costs relating to the mobilization of Reserves who are first responder personnel of such governments or tribes.
Sponsor: Rep Menendez, Robert [NJ-13] (introduced 1/4/2005) Cosponsors (7)

H.R.442 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to change the deadline for income tax returns for calendar year taxpayers from the 15th of April to the first Monday in November.
Sponsor: Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6] (introduced 2/1/2005) Cosponsors (18)

82. H.R.577 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit to businesses whose employees teach at community colleges. Sponsor: Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8] (introduced 2/2/2005) Cosponsors (35)

90. H.R.652 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax for taxpayers owning certain commercial power takeoff vehicles.
Sponsor: Rep Lewis, Ron [KY-2] (introduced 2/8/2005) Cosponsors (56)

H.R.713 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit to certain agriculture-related businesses for the cost of protecting certain chemicals.
Sponsor: Rep Lewis, Ron [KY-2] (introduced 2/9/2005) Cosponsors (35)

H.R.717 : To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the scope of programs of education for which accelerated payments of educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill may be used, and for other purposes.( That'll cut the costs! LOL)
Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 2/9/2005) Cosponsors (11)

99. H.R.727 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for health insurance costs of self-employed individuals to be allowed in computing self-employment taxes. Sponsor: Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] (introduced 2/9/2005) Cosponsors (2)

110th

H.CON.RES.125 : Recognizing the health benefits of eating seafood as part of a balanced diet, and supporting the goals and ideals of National Seafood Month. (Remember all that earmarked Shrimp 'pork' from Paul?)
Sponsor: Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] (introduced 4/23/2007) Cosponsors (29)

H.RES.186 : Supporting the goals and ideals of National Clean Beaches Week and recognizing the considerable value of American beaches and their role in American culture.
Sponsor: Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] (introduced 2/16/2007) Cosponsors (86)

46. H.R.60 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the deduction of State and local general sales taxes.
Sponsor: Rep Baird, Brian [WA-3] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (59)

H.R.77 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to change the deadline for income tax returns for calendar year taxpayers from the 15th of April to the first Monday in November. ( This is important?) Spon: Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6] (intro 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (8)

49. H.R.87 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve and expand education savings accounts. Sponsor: Rep Biggert, Judy [IL-13] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (27)

51. H.R.139 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit for the purchase of idling reduction systems for diesel-powered on-highways vehicles. ( Lots of amending going on to something he wants to do away with)
Sponsor: Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (8)

58. H.R.318 : To amend the Impact Aid program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve the distribution of school construction payments to better meet the needs of military and Indian land school districts.
Sponsor: Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] (introduced 1/5/2007) Cosponsors (7)
Committees: House Education and Labor

63. H.R.381 : To amend title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase teacher familiarity with the educational needs of gifted and talented students, and for other purposes. ( More special classes of citizens??)
Sponsor: Rep Gillmor, Paul E. [OH-5] (introduced 1/10/2007) Cosponsors (9)

66. H.R.437 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 West Eisenhower Street in Rio Grande City, Texas, as the "Lino Perez, Jr. Post Office". (Who? The Hispanic caucus wants it, so it must be okay!)
Sponsor: Rep Cuellar, Henry [TX-28] (introduced 1/12/2007) Cosponsors (31)

69. H.R.460 : To amend the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate certain mandatory minimum penalties relating to crack cocaine offenses. Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 1/12/2007) Cosponsors (20) (Whatever!)

73. H.R.538 : To provide for the health care needs of veterans in far South Texas.
Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 1/17/2007) Cosponsors (14) (How about the rest of the veterans?)

75. H.R.549 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase, extend, and make permanent the above-the-line deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers. Sponsor: Rep Camp, Dave [MI-4] (introduced 1/18/2007) Cosponsors (126) (Special taxing for certain groups? Yeah, THAT is constitutional...)

H.R.577 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3903 South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, as the "Sergeant Henry Ybarra III Post Office Building".
Sponsor: Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] (introduced 1/19/2007) Cosponsors (31)

83. H.R.643 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for collegiate housing and infrastructure grants.
Sponsor: Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs [OH-11] (introduced 1/23/2007) Cosponsors (168)

84. H.R.654 : To allow travel between the United States and Cuba.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 1/24/2007) Cosponsors (119)

86. H.R.685 : To amend the Social Security Act to eliminate the 5-month waiting period for Social Security disability and the 24-month waiting period for Medicare benefits in the cases of individuals with disabling burn injuries.( Again, a special class of tax payer...)
Sponsor: Rep Neal, Richard E. [MA-2] (introduced 1/24/2007) Cosponsors (22)

H.R.757 : To allow United States nationals and permanent residents to visit family members in Cuba, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] (introduced 1/31/2007) Cosponsors (28)

SPONSORED


107th
H.CON.RES.206 : Recognizing the important relationship between the United States and Mexico.
Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 7/31/2001) Cosponsors (8)
Committees: House International Relations
H. CON. RES. 206

Recognizing the important relationship between the United States and Mexico.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 31, 2001

Mr. PAUL (for himself, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. NETHERCUTT, and Mr. DREIER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the important relationship between the United States and Mexico.

Whereas the United States and Mexico share a special bilateral friendship matched by few other countries in the world;

Whereas the United States and Mexico are partners joined by geography as well as by a series of government-to-government and private relationships which are of critical importance to both countries;

Whereas the United States and Mexico share concern on a wide range of issues, including trade and immigration, environmental quality, economic development, and regional security and stability; and

Whereas the special relationship between the United States and Mexico is critically important in its own right as well as serving as a linchpin in the relationship between the United States and every nation in Central and South America: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that it is in keeping with the just interests of the United States that the special nature of the relationship between the United States and Mexico be recognized and further cultivated to the mutual benefit of both countries.

H.CON.RES.277 : Recognizing the important contributions of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 11/19/2001) Cosponsors (None)
107th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. CON. RES. 277

Recognizing the important contributions of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 19, 2001

Mr. PAUL submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the important contributions of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Whereas the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the United States has had a significant impact among Hispanic businesses, and in the business community in general;

Whereas the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has served in a key support role, not merely as a business group but also as a civic organization working in the Hispanic-American community; and

Whereas the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has helped to bring entrepreneurship to the Hispanic community as well as helping to pool the resources and talents of Hispanic American entrepreneurs: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that it is important to the promotion of the free market process of the United States, to the future success of Hispanic Americans, and to society at large that the special role of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the United States be recognized and further cultivated to the benefit of all Americans.