Stories by Bluey
Posted at 12:31pm on Jun. 28, 2008 NY-24: Arcuri Borrows Bill Clinton's Defense in Fundraiser Flap
'We hired a girl, a woman, who did some work for us,' says Democrat
By Bluey
A 31-year-old fundraiser who worked for the re-election campaign of freshman Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.) is likely to be called as a witness in the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal, the woman's lawyer told an Upstate New York television station.
Meanwhile, Arcuri for the first time publicly addressed his campaign's connection to the Spitzer confidante, telling WKTV, "It's one of those things where there's absolutely nothing whatsoever. In fact, we welcome the scrutiny. We hired a girl, a woman, who did some work for us, who also did some work for Eliot Spitzer, and that's where the story begins and ends."
That "girl" is Kristian Stiles, who began working for Spitzer in her mid-20s. Her connection to Arcuri lasted from July 2007 until March 18, two days after the New York Times reported she was under federal investigation for her unusual ties with Spitzer.
Arcuri paid Stiles more than $44,000 to serve as a fundraising consultant in New York City. The large sum of money for just nine months of work has raised questions, especially because she did similar work for Spitzer. A source with knowledge of New York City fundraisers told me this week it seemed rather odd that Stiles would be paid such a large sum for such work.
Aside from WKTV's Joleen Farris and a Utica, N.Y., blog JusticeDenied13501, Arcuri appears to be getting a pass from local media. The daily paper, Utica Observer-Dispatch, has a history of going easy on him, dating back to the 2006 campaign.
Posted in Archived | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Michael Arcuri — Comments (4)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:33pm on Jun. 27, 2008 Earmarxist Don Young Named American Taxpayer Hero
He might be good on taxes, but he's horrible on spending
By Bluey
Rep. Don Young, the Alaska Republican who says he's proud to have sponsored the "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark, was named a "Hero of the American Taxpayer" yesterday by a coalition of anti-tax groups.
The award is based on a number of key votes, "which have always been primarily about taxes much more than spending," according to Americans for Tax Reform. Still, based on a previous list of winners, it paints a bad picture. Past "heroes" have included convicted criminal Duke Cunningham and Dennis Hastert, who oversaw the explosion of pork-barrel spending as House speaker.
In a press release sent by Young's office today, the lone Alaska congressman boasts, "Making sure that the hard-earned money of the American people stays in the pockets of those who earn it and not the government coffers, has always been a priority of mine."
Then, later in the day, Young's office bragged about $58 million worth of pork-barrel projects he had secured for Alaskans. "I never take the ability to get funding for these projects for granted," he said, without noting, of course, that the money comes from taxpayers like you and me.
Young has always been an egregious earmarker, but the $398 million he secured for the "Bridge to Nowhere" topped it all. In April he again came under attack from his colleagues in the House and Senate, who voted to support a Department of Justice investigation into the so-called "Coconut Road" earmark -- a pork project inserted into a bill after it had already passed.
Posted in Congress | Corruption | Don Young | Earmarks — Comments (18)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 6:36pm on Jun. 26, 2008 Senator Obama, If Fatherhood Begins at Conception, When Does Life Begin?
By Bluey
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council asks Sen. Barack Obama about his remark on Fathers Day that "fatherhood doesn't end at conception."
Posted in 2008 | Abortion | Barack Obama — Comments (16)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 5:33pm on Jun. 26, 2008 NY-24: Arcuri Tied to Spitzer Prostitution Scandal
Former Fundraiser Under Federal Investigation
By Bluey
Freshman Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.) paid $44,000 to a political consultant who is under federal investigation as part of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal. The story first broke on a blog in Arcuri's hometown of Utica, N.Y., and is now leading the news in the Upstate New York city.
The woman, 31-year-old Kristian Stiles, began working for Spitzer in her mid-20s doing fundraising work for the disgraced former New York governor. Her connection to Arcuri dates to July 2007, when Arcuri's campaign began paying her $4,000 a month for fundraising work, according to campaign finance records. The timing is critical because it overlaps the period federal authorities were investigating Spitzer for his connection to a prostitution ring. Spitzer resigned on March 12.
Stiles relationship with Arcuri lasted until March 18, 2008, just two days after the New York Times reported that the federal authorities "had requested detailed documentation for thousands of dollars" in transactions between Stiles and Spitzer.
The Arcuri campaign is downplaying the connection, claiming in statement to WKTV: "In March, Arcuri did not have any opposition and it was determined by the campaign that a fundraising consultant in New York City was unnecessary."
A former campaign staffer with knowledge of New York City fundraisers told me they generally work on commission by event, not as consultants. "If you want a fundraiser, you go to the experts, not some 20-something woman," my source said. "Let's see her invoices. Let's see the events she arranged. Let's see the PAC contributions she brought in."
Posted in Congress | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Michael Arcuri — Comments (3)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 5:25pm on Jun. 20, 2008 Bank of America's Bailout Bill
64 Pages of 'Confidential and Proprietary' Evidence
By Bluey
Tim Carney at the Washington Examiner has another solid piece today on Bank of America’s role in the housing bailout bill. With the Senate set to vote on the legislation next week, conservatives are mounting a last-ditch effort to stop an outrageous abuse of taxpayer money.
The “confidential and proprietary” document Carney uncovered (click here to view) illustrates just how intricately involved Bank of America has been in drafting the legislation with Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.). Bank of America, of course, is in the process of buying Countrywide Financial Corp., which remains at the center of the mortgage meltdown.
A Senate staffer and a House staffer both told me on background that the House version of the bill — or at least the bailout portion — was drafted by Bank of America. I have also reviewed a March 11, 2008, "Discussion Document" currently circulating among Hill staffers that appears to have been drafted by somebody at Bank of America.
The document's title, "FHA Housing Stabilization and Homeownership Retention Act of 2008," is now the title of HR 5831, the House version of Dodd-Shelby, sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.
The paper more or less spells out the mortgage bailout plan contained in the House and Senate versions. The date of the document is one month earlier than the date HR 5831 was introduced. If the document, stamped "confidential and proprietary" is valid, it points to a Bank of America source as the author of the House version of this bill. Calls and e-mails to Dodd, Frank, and Bank of America were not returned.
If this was happening under a Republican Congress just imagine the media scrutiny. We’re barely hearing a peep.
Posted in Barney Frank | Chris Dodd | Congress | Congress | Housing Crisis | Mortgage Bailout — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 6:38am on Jun. 18, 2008 How Republicans Can Win the Energy Debate in Congress
Let's Have an Old-Fashioned Filibuster
By Bluey
My fellow contributors at RedState have had no shortage of posts the past few days on the need to drill for oil. The message is finally resonating on Capitol Hill, where House Minority Whip Roy Blunt is producing a daily gas chart and Senate Republican leaders are beginning to talk tough.
These are positive developments, but rhetoric alone will not solve our energy problems. That requires leadership and action, two things that are hard to come by in Congress.
Fortunately for the GOP, oil drilling appears to be something everyone can agree on. Republicans who don't always see eye to eye -- Sens. Ted Stevens (Alaska) and Tom Coburn (Okla.) come to mind -- are in sync when it comes to this. The party's nominee, Sen. John McCain, gave his colleagues a big boost this week with an endorsement for offshore drilling.
While McCain's energy position is far from perfect -- ANWR remains off limits for him -- Republicans can't let that slow them down. They should take this fight to the Democrats at every opportunity. And they can begin by shutting down the Senate if Democrats refuse to allow offshore drilling.
I'm talking about an old-fashioned filibuster. I know it won't be like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but why not make a spectacle of it? The next time Majority Leader Harry Reid tries to do something, call his bluff.
There's a reason Newt Gingrich has collected nearly 900,000 names for his petition calling for more drilling. Americans are tired of inaction. Forcing a showdown on Capitol Hill is the best move Senate Republicans could make. Not only would it bolster the party in the short term, but it would also give GOP leaders some backbone for future fights.
Posted in Congress | Congress | Energy | filibuster | oil | Republicans — Comments (26)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 10:03am on Jun. 13, 2008 McCain's Top Surrogate Is Senate's No. 1 Porker
Pork Projects Make a Comeback
By Bluey
New data on congressional pork-barrel spending reveals that Sen. Joe Lieberman, a top surrogate to Sen. John McCain, has requested the most pork in the defense authorization bill.
Lieberman leads the way with 14 earmarks that cost $292 million, according to a report in the Washington Post that cites data from Taxpayers for Common Sense.
The contrast between the anti-earmark crusader McCain and the pork-loving Lieberman couldn't be more stark. If elected president, McCain has promised to veto legislation that includes pork-barrel spending. Earmarks have a corrupting influence on Congress, and McCain sees eliminating them as a key component to cleaning up Washington.
The next two weeks are likely to feature several debates on pork-barrel spending with Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) wanting the House GOP to hold a conference-wide vote that bans earmarks.
Posted in Congress | Earmarks | Joe Lieberman | John McCain | Pork-Barrel Politics — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 5:28pm on Jun. 11, 2008 Conservatives Complain GOP's Earmark Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough
Act Now, Not Later
By Bluey
As House Republicans unveiled their economic agenda today, conservatives expressed disappointment that it does nothing to address earmark reform now and instead calls for an "immediate moratorium" in the future. The document was drafted to lay out the GOP's agenda in January 2009 if Republicans reclaim control of the House.
Earmark critics, however, say that view is completely unrealistic. They think a total ban on earmarks must be instituted today because the chances of Republicans taking back the House are slim. "We need to lead by example and differentiate ourselves," a conservative staffer told me. "The economic agenda today will allow earmarks this year and the next if Republicans do not win the House. No fundamental change from the status quo."
The struggle over earmarks is reflected in the differing views of two GOP leaders: Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) and Policy Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.). The Hill reported the conflict earlier this week with Hensarling demanding action now and McCotter opposed to a "one-size-fits-all ban." In a memo released this afternoon, Hensarling reiterated his support for a ban. He could press the issue by bringing it to a conference-wide vote.
As I reported on RedState last night, the GOP's economic agenda includes many conservative proposals, including a flat tax, free-market health care, entitlement reform, balanced budget and energy production. Yet earmarks remain a sticking point despite Minority Leader John Boehner's attempt to reach a consensus.
Conservatives don't dispute the laudable policy goals included as part of the economic agenda -- many developed by the Republican Study Committee. But that's no excuse to take a pass on earmark reform today. Although it remains a divisive issue for Republicans, Hensarling should keep fighting for a ban on pork-barrel projects. Boehner faces no easy task bringing the GOP together, but he should view this as an opportunity for the GOP to distinguish itself from Democrats in advance of November's elections.
Posted in Congress | Congress | Earmarks | Jeb Hensarling | Republicans — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 10:45pm on Jun. 10, 2008 House GOP's Bold Economic Agenda
Earmark Moratorium, Flat Tax Among Policy Goals
By Bluey
House Republicans will unveil their economic agenda tomorrow with proposals to end earmarks, simplify the tax code and increase energy production. The GOP's agenda should excite conservatives, who will recognize many of the policy goals as long-sought objectives.
For the past 18 months in the minority, Republicans have struggled to unify around a specific set of policy goals. Their economic agenda comes one month after they promoted an "American Families Agenda." Two other policy plans will be unveiled in the coming months.
The centerpiece of the economic agenda is spending and tax reform. The proposal calls for an "immediate moratorium on congressional earmarks," which constitutes remarkable progress for House Republicans. The GOP was unable to arrive at that goal earlier this year following its retreat. But after pressure from Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), conservatives apparently won over Boehner, who has long opposed pork-barrel projects. (Note: Although this plan would impose a moratorium on future earmarks, conservatives are still insisting on one this year.)
On tax reform, Republicans are proposing a "two-tier flat tax system that can be filed on one page," a bold move that moves beyond tinkering with the existing tax code. While it certainly won't satisfy FairTax supporters, it differs drastically from anything Democrats have proposed. Americans will be dealt the largest tax increase in history if liberals have their way in Congress.
Other goals that are noteworthy include:
• Passing entitlement reform that addresses the problems facing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Balancing the federal budget by 2012 without raising taxes.
• Prohibiting federal spending from growing faster than the economy.
• Extending the current welfare work requirements to food stamps and housing.
• Making portability a central component of health care reform.
Posted in Congress | Congress | Earmarks | Energy | Flat Tax | Republicans | Spending — Comments (49)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 1:54pm on May 22, 2008 The Slow Death of Principled Republicans in Congress
First Step in Rehab Is Admitting You Have a Problem
By Bluey
According to the Almanac of American Politics, California's 21st Congressional District is "the most productive farm district in the nation." It represents 42% of the population of Fresno County, which "produces more farm products in dollar value than any other county in the United States." Agricultural products produced in the district include: "milk, oranges, cattle, grapes, alfalfa, plums, cotton, nectarines, corn, peaches, grapes, poultry, almonds, and pistachios."
So how did Rep. Devin Nunes, the Republican who represents this district so dependent on agriculture, vote on the farm bill? He voted against it. The Club for Growth reports:
According to Andrew House, a spokesman for Nunes, the congressman voted against the Farm Bill because it was stuffed with pork and he took an anti-earmark pledge. He also voted against it because the overall spending in the bill was too much.
Unfortunately, the majority of Nunes' colleagues (100 to be exact) chose to override President Bush's veto of the farm bill. In doing so, they also sent a message to Republican presidential nominee John McCain that they don't support his agenda to bring fiscal responsibility back to Washington.
There has been a lot of talk recently about whether or not conservatives are "out of ideas." But the problem with the modern conservative movement is not that it is out of ideas. It is that the political party that most often represents conservatives, the Republican Party, has completely abandoned its founding principles. There is no better example of this than the "subsidies for millionaires" farm bill. Voters in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District did not fail to turn out for Greg Davis because the Democrat in the race promised to expand SCHIP. They stayed home, or voted for the Democrat, because they are fed up with the GOP's business-as-usual ways in Washington. And who can blame them.
Republican leaders think they can repair the badly damaged GOP brand by coming up with clever slogans and creating committees like the Fiscal Integrity Task Force. Those efforts are meaningless when more than half of the 20 members of this group voted for the farm bill!
The Republican Party will consider to suffer at the polls, and conservatives will only move further away from power, unless we start rewarding people like Devin Nunes and the other principled members who voted against this atrocious farm bill.