John McCain ‘angry’ over Afghanistan delay

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Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday that he is “angry” and “disappointed” with President Barack Obama for delaying his decision on increasing troop levels in Afghanistan.

“The fact is we already have men and women over there, and the longer we delay in sending them the needed resources they need the greater danger they are in,” McCain said during an interview on Fox News’ Fox & Friends program. “That’s just a fundamental fact of warfare and so I’m past being a bit angry.”

“I’m disappointed that we haven’t made the decision,” he said.

Obama is currently weighing whether to adopt Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s recommendation of adding 40,000 troops to the conflict in Afghanistan, and has been accused of “dithering” over the decision by former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans.

McCain said Thursday that he hopes the president “will make the right decision soon” and stressed that “half measures won’t work.”

“The fact is that every day you delay will be another day before they get there,” he said. “I just hope the president will make the right decision soon. I intend to support him when he does.”

Source: politico.com

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Tags: DeLay | Afghanistan | World | John | McCain | Obama | angry | stanley | JOHN MCCAIN | US Politics | Barack

Congressional Budget Office cost estimates of GOP Healthcare Plan

This evening, CBO released a preliminary analysis of a substitute amendment to H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, proposed by Representative John Boehner, the Republican Leader in the House of Representatives. CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that the amendment would reduce federal deficits by $68 billion over the 2010-2019 period; it would also slightly reduce federal budget deficits in the following decade, relative to those projected under current law, with a total effect during that decade that is in a broad range between zero and one-quarter percent of gross domestic product.

That amendment contains several provisions that are intended to increase rates of insurance coverage by reducing its costs or subsidizing its purchase, including:

· Regulatory reforms in the small group and non-group markets, including establishing association health plans (insurance coverage that is offered to members of an association) and individual membership associations, and allowing states to establish interstate compacts with a unified regulatory structure;

· A State Innovations grant program to provide federal payments to states that achieve specified reductions in the number of uninsured individuals or in the premiums for small group or individually purchased policies;

· Federal funding for states to use for high-risk pools in the individual insurance market and reinsurance programs in the small group market; and

· Changes to health savings accounts (HSAs) to allow funds in such accounts to be used to pay premiums under certain circumstances, to make net contributions to HSAs eligible for the saver’s tax credit, and to provide a 60-day grace period for medical expenses incurred prior to the establishment of an HSA.

CBO and JCT estimate that those provisions would increase federal budget deficits by about $8 billion over the 2010-2019 period, reducing the number of nonelderly people without health insurance by about 3 million in 2019 and leaving about 52 million nonelderly residents uninsured. The share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage in 2019—83 percent—would be roughly in line with the current share.

Other provisions of the amendment would alter federal spending and revenues in significant ways. The key provisions include:

· Limits on costs related to medical malpractice (“tort reform”), including capping noneconomic and punitive damages and making changes in the allocation of liability;

· Requirements that the Secretary of Health and Human Services adopt and regularly update standards for electronic administrative transactions that enable electronic funds transfers, claims management processes, and verification of eligibility, among other administrative tasks;

· Establishment of an abbreviated approval pathway for follow-on biologics (biological products that are highly similar to or interchangeable with their brand-name counterparts); and

· An increase in funding for HHS investigations into fraud and abuses.

CBO anticipates that the combination of provisions in the amendment would reduce average private health insurance premiums per enrollee in the United States, relative to what they would be under current law-by 7 percent to 10 percent in the small group market, by 5 percent to 8 percent for individually purchased insurance, and by zero to 3 percent in the large group market. Those are averages, however, and they are subject to a great deal of uncertainty; some individuals and families in each market would see different results.

RINO goes Bye-Bye in NY-23 but not without a coming out party

New York’s 23^rd Congressional District has become the site of a showdown between RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and conservatives. The conservatives are winning — but the RINOs are not being gracious in defeat. Now the RINOs are showing how much party unity means to them. They have no loyalty to conservatives, so why should conservatives have any loyalty to them?

The latest showdown came when ultra-liberal State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava became the Republican candidate in NY-23. ACORN’s racketeering arm, also known as the Working Families Party, backed her. Yet the Republican old guard also backed this useful idiot. Newt Gingrich backed this tool. The name “Republican” was all that mattered to them. Not principle.

But Sarah Palin, a true conservative, instead endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. And so did other conservatives. Governor of Texas Rick Perry said, “Electing Doug Hoffman will send a clear message that cannot be denied: conservatives must stand on principle.” Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin said that Hoffman had “reminded Americans everywhere that principles come before party affiliation.” Kansas senatorial candidate Todd Tiahrt explained the choice: “The Republican Party is either going to return to the party of fiscal responsibility and consistent conservative principles as it was under Ronald Reagan, or it will continue down the path of ’sporadic moderation.’”

via American Thinker: Bye-Bye, RINO.

Scozzafava robocalls for Owens in NY-23

former GOP candidate Scozzafava has produced a robocall for Democrat Owens in NY-23.  Hoffman (C) is leading in the polls by 10 Points.

Script:

“Hi, this is Dede Scozzafava calling on behalf of Bill Owens.  And I wanted to let you know that I am supporting Bill for Congress.

“Since beginning my campaign I have said that this election is not about me, it’s about the people of this district.  It’s not in the cards for me to be your representative but I strongly believe Bill Owens is the only candidate who can build upon John McHugh’s lasting legacy in Congress.

“In Bill Owens I see a sense of duty and integrity.  He will be an independent voice, devoted to doing what is right for New York.  To address the tough challenges ahead we must rise above partisanship and politics, and work together.

“Please join me in voting for Bill Owens on Tuesday.”

Scozzafava robocalls for Owens – Capitol Confidential – New York Politics – timesunion.com – Albany NY.

RINO comes out of Closet – Scozzafava endorses Democrat Owens In NY-23

Here is Dede Scozzafava Letter to supporters – Like they say at ACORN: The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree.

I want to thank you for your support and friendship. Over the past 24 hours, I have had encouraging words sent to my family and me. Many of you have asked me whom you should support on Tuesday.

Since announcing the suspension of my campaign, I have thought long and hard about what is best for the people of this District, and how to answer your questions. This is not a decision that I have made lightly.

You know me, and throughout my career, I have been always been an independent voice for the people I represent. I have stood for our honest principles, and a truthful discussion of the issues, even when it cost me personally and politically. Since beginning my campaign, I have told you that this election is not about me; it’s about the people of this District.

It is in this spirit that I am writing to let you know I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same.

It’s not in the cards for me to be your representative, but I strongly believe Bill is the only candidate who can build upon John McHugh’s lasting legacy in the U.S. Congress. John and I worked together on the expansion of Fort Drum and I know how important that base is to the economy of this region. I am confident that Bill will be able to provide the leadership and continuity of support to Drum Country just as John did during his tenure in Congress.

In Bill Owens, I see a sense of duty and integrity that will guide him beyond political partisanship. He will be an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York. Bill understands this district and its people, and when he represents us in Congress he will put our interests first.

Please join me in voting for Bill Owens on Tuesday. To address the tough challenges ahead, we must rise above partisanship and politics and work together. There’s too much at stake in this election to do otherwise.

via Scozzafava endorses Democrat Owens – Ben Smith – POLITICO.com.

Doesn’t this prove the point conservatives had been making about Dede Scozzafava all along?

One day after she suspended her own campaign and declined to publicly endorse either of her opponents, Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava has formally announced her support for Democratic candidate Bill Owens. …

This isn’t a huge surprise. According to the Watertown Times, Scozzafava, who is angry about the indignities she suffered at the hands of Conservative nominee Doug Hoffman, was quietly encouraging her supporters yesterday to support Owens.

In addition, her labor leader husband, Ron McDougall, issued a late-night endorsement of Owens via a statement released by the AFL -CIO, which signaled the start of a labor wave moving from Scozzafava’s camp to Owens’ side. This could prove critical when it comes to the GOTV effort.

via Hot Air » Blog Archive » Scozzafava endorses Democrat in NY-23.

See related:

RINO Dede Scozzafava has coming out party in NY-23

GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava bows out of NY-23 race

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Republican Dede Scozzafava announced Saturday that she is suspending her campaign in the Nov. 3 House special election in New York, a dramatic development that increases the GOP’s chances of winning the contentious and closely-watched race.

“In recent days, polls have indicated that my chances of winning this election are not as strong as we would like them to be. The reality that I’ve come to accept is that in today’s political arena, you must be able to back up your message with money—and as I’ve been outspent on both sides, I’ve been unable to effectively address many of the charges that have been made about my record,” she said in a statement.

“It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican.”

Source: politico.com

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Tags: republican | Election | race | World | campaign | House | special | announced | suspending | US Politics | Dede | Scozzafava

Speaker Harrell Says Terrorists Should Not Be Moved to SC

Speaker Harrell comments about attempt to move detainees to North Charleston

(Columbia, SC) – In response to the news that President Obama plans to
move detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the Naval Brig in North
Charleston, SC, House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following
statement:

“South Carolina will do everything in our power to protect the public,
but the bottom line is that the President should not be allowing these
terrorists onto American soil.”

via PRESS RELEASE: Speaker Harrell Says Terrorists Should Not Be Moved to SC.

Senator DeMint wants term limits in Congress

Senator DeMint of South Carolina will soon be introducing a constitutional amendment that will limit members of Congress to three terms (six years) in the House of Representatives and two terms ( 12 years) in in the United States Senate. After serving ten years in the Senate, Senator DeMint said he has come to believe that Washington D.C. “has the power to corrupt even those with the most honorable intentions” He further related that, career politicians ended up, “beholden to special
interests, lobbyists, and big government policies.”

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The Senator’s rational for term limits appears to be directed at the need for politicians to start campaigning for the next election shortly after they are elected in the House and following four years in the Senate. By doing so, career politicians spend much of their time campaigning rather than legislating. DeMint believes that by imposing term limits congress will be filled with an ever changing skill set of new ideas and fresh perspectives in congress. Term limits he says, “will keep politicians in-tune with their constituents and less focused on pleasing those who promise to help get them re-elected.”

According to US Term Limits (USTL) Term limits have been placed on 15 state legislatures, eight of the ten largest cities in America adopted term limits for their city councils and/or mayor, and 36 states place term limits on their constitutional officers. USTL states, “We are the voice of the American citizen.  We want a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, not a tyrannical ruling class who care more about deals to benefit themselves, than their constituents.”

Source: examiner.com

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  Please read the Full article at – Senator DeMint wants term limits in Congress

Tags: Washington | Columbia | Congress | senate | Senator | World | House | representatives | Constitutional Amendment | term limits | US Politics | deMint

Leaked Document: Public Option Lacks Votes To Pass House, Internal Whip Count Document Shows

The House Dem leadership has conducted its preliminary whip count and has tallied up less than 200 likely Yes votes in support of a health care reform bill with a robust public option, well short of the 218 needed for passage, according to an internal whip count document I’ve obtained.

The document — compiled by the office of House leader James Clyburn — was distributed privately at a meeting between Clyburn and House progressives today where the fate of the public option was the subject of some contentious debate, with liberals demanding that House leaders push harder to win over votes.

Clyburn spokesperson Kristie Greco would only say: “We currently do not have the votes for a robust public option.”

via The Plum Line.

Is Senator Lindsey Graham out of touch with Conservative Values?

By Albert N. Milliron, Editor Politisite.com 

Conservative South Carolinians have a love/hate relationship with Senator Lindsey Graham. On the one hand, he opposes Abortion rights, support gun rights, and votes ninety-two percent of the time with Senate Republicans. While he was a Congressman from the South Carolina’s third district, he had a strong conservative record in the House supporting the Republican ‘contract with America and voting for several articles of impeachment for then President Bill Clinton.

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On the other hand, the eight percent of the time he votes with Democrats is where conservatives have serious problems. A few examples: Graham recently aligned himself with Senator John Kerry (D-MA) on climate change legislation and co-authored a New York Times Op-Ed entitled, “Yes We Can (Pass climate change legislation)”. In March 2009, Graham voted with moderate Republicans for Cap and Trade that could cost South Carolinians up to two-thousand dollars a year in additional outlays. He voted with Democrats for Supreme Court Nominee Sonya Sotomayor who made statements about actively legislating from the bench and sat on a committee that pressed for state funding of abortions. He aligned with McCain/Kennedy on the Immigration Reform Bill. Graham is in talks about the possibility of nationalizing banks. Lastly, He was a member of the, “Gang of Fourteen” that intervened when Democrats tried to filibuster a vote on Supreme Court Justice Roberts.

Source: examiner.com

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Related:

Is Senator Lindsey Graham out of touch with South Carolina?

Graham, DeMint differ on strategies for GOP to regain power

Tags: Washington | South Carolina | Kerry | republican | Columbia | senate | Change | World | legislation | Climate | John | Graham | OF | OUT | Conservative | Op-Ed | TOUCH | EXAMINER | Lindsey | co-authored | cap and trade

Nielsen: Fox News ratings up almost 10% since WH declared war

Since the White House ‘war on Fox’ began two weeks ago, Fox News ratings are up nine percent.  Pundits from the left and the right advised the White House that an attack on a news organization would only backfire.  It appears the pundits were right.

This week, when Fox was excluded from the interview schedule, the other networks protested.  The reason may be out of honor for the first amendment or self presurvation as the same treatment could be afforded them if they don’t hold the Obama policy line.

 

It’s a nine-percent bump in the two weeks since Anita Dunn’s whine heard ’round the world — in terms of overall audience. Among the coveted 25-54 demographic? A 14-percent bump. Good work, Barry. People keep telling me that this PR offensive by the White House benefits both sides but I don’t see how that’s true. If the goal is to contain Fox by framing the stories it breaks — Van Jones, ACORN, etc — as somehow illegitimate, then every tenth of a point that Fox’s ratings go up undermines that goal.

Source: hotair.com

Nielsen: Fox News ratings up 9% since White House declared war

Tags: Politics | war | news | World | Fox | House | UP | white | nielsen | RATINGS | declared | US Politics | politisite | Anita Dunn

Graham, DeMint differ on strategies for GOP to regain power

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South Carolina Senators have differing View points on how the Republcian party should more forward.  Senator Graham wants to expand the party to moderates, while Senator DeMint wants to focus on the Conservative base.  A recent poll points out that sevety three percent of conservatives think the Republican party is out of step with their values.  Additional the Gallup organization reports that those who identify themselves as conservtives have grown since the Presidential election in 2008.

WASHINGTON — The national debate among Republicans over their party’s future is nowhere sharper than in South Carolina, where Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint pursue distinctly different visions for restoring GOP primacy at the polls.

Graham and DeMint, who profess to be friends and live within an hour’s drive of each other in the conservative Upstate, prescribe conflicting cures for the Republican ailments that led to sweeping defeats in the last two national elections.

Graham, a Seneca Republican elected to his second term last year, says the party must stop alienating young people and Hispanics and start promoting pragmatic, “center-right solutions” to the country’s most pressing problems.

Source: heraldonline.com

Related:

1. Is Senator Lindsey Graham of out of touch with South Carolina?
2. “Conservatives” Are Single-Largest Ideological Group
3. 73% of GOP Voters Say Congressional Republicans Have Lost Touch With Their Base

Tags: Washington | South Carolina | republican | power | World | Graham | strategies | US Politics | regain | Lindsey | deMint | differ