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Republicans

Blue States Smart - Red States Dumb
20-Oct-04
Republicans

Todd Smyth writes, "OK, call me an elitist but this is disturbing: Bush's Chief Advisor, Karl Rove has already said it: "As people do better, they start voting like Republicans...unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing." Here's a chart that clearly indicates how stupid Republicans are compared to Democrats." The chart shows that the states with the highest % of college graduates are strongly DEM, while the states with the lowest % of college grads are strongly REP. Tell your Republican friends - why would they want want to be a member of the STUPID party?

'Cruel and Inhuman' Husband is GOP House Candidate
12-Oct-04
Republicans

"NY Republican state senator John 'Randy' Kuhl, who is vying for a spot in the U.S. House of Representatives, once brandished two shotguns and threatened to shoot his wife at a dinner party, according to divorce records acquired by RAW STORY. Kuhl engaged in 'cruel and inhuman treatment and other such conduct as may render it unsafe and improper for the plaintiff to cohabit with the defendant,' the divorce court's finding of fact stated. According to the documents, he solicited other women, humiliated his ex-wife and refused to seek treatment for his drinking... Kuhl's divorce records document manifold emotional abuse towards his ex-wife, mostly under the influence of alcohol. They show that the senator had a history of drinking to excess and repeatedly refused to seek counseling for his condition. The most serious charge leveled by Kuhl's ex-wife was that he wielded two shotguns during a dinner party and threatened to shoot her." Support Kuhl's opponent at samaraforcongress.com

GOP Congress Failed Americans
09-Oct-04
Republicans

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said this week during the Dem's weekly radio address that Repugs in Congress "hardly broke a sweat' this year and 'worked fewer hours than any single session of Congress since 1948.' He criticized Republican leaders for failure to enact intelligence reform, a budget, an energy plan 'despite record high gas prices' and a transportation bill. 'And they failed to enact welfare reform, the higher education bill and 10 of the 13 annual spending bills that fund critical government agencies and programs,' Hoyer said." Meanwhile, the Repugs continue to cower before their mobster leader, Tom Delay as if he were Don Corleone. And, despite being in control of all three branches of the US government, continue to blame DEMOCRATS for all their failures. America deserves better!

David Dreier (R-Hypocrite) Is Next GOP Outing Victim
22-Sep-04
Republicans

"The latest target of a Capitol Hill outing campaign - designed to expose closeted homosexual Republicans who oppose civil rights for gay people - is David Dreier. The powerful 12-term congressman - chairman of the House Rules Committee, chairman of the California Republican House delegation, co-chairman of Californians for Bush, chairman of Schwarzenegger's transition team - is in the cross hairs of Mike Rogers and Blogactive.com, whose outing campaign has already forced one GOP congressman out of politics. Ed Schrock, a reactionary from Virginia, ended his re-election campaign last month after Rogers posted an audiotape of Schrock trolling for tricks on a gay chat line. Now, Rogers has given Dreier the 'Roy Cohn Award, in recognition of 24 years of working against gay and lesbian rights while living as a gay man yourself.' He is pummeling Dreier with almost daily revelations as a response to the GOP's anti-gay crusade for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages."

Will Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) be the Next Outing Victim?
11-Sep-04
Republicans

A few weeks ago, rightwing Rep. Ed Schrock (R-VA) suddenly retired after being outed by BlogActive.com. Now Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) is under scrutiny, and refusing to answer questions about his sexuality. Stay tuned...

Young Republican Chickenhawks Support Iraq War - as Long as THEY Don't Have to Fight It!
02-Sep-04
Republicans

"Young Republicans gathered here for their party's national convention are united in applauding the war in Iraq, supporting the U.S. troops there and calling the U.S. mission a noble cause. But there's no such unanimity when they're asked a more personal question: Would you be willing to put on the uniform and go to fight in Iraq?... 'Frankly, I want to be a politician. I'd like to survive to see that,' said Vivian Lee, 17, a war supporter visiting the convention from Los Angeles, Lee said she supports the war but would volunteer only if the United States faced a dire troop shortage or 'if there's another Sept. 11.' 'As long as there's a steady stream of volunteers, I don't see why I necessarily should volunteer,' said Lee... 'If there was a need presented, I would go,' said Chris Cusmano, a 21-year-old member of the College Republicans organization from Rocky Point, N.Y. But he said he hasn't really considered volunteering." Call them the Young Chickenhawks!

SHROCKing! Pat Robertson's Rightwing Congressman Quits after Blogger Posts Gay Tape
30-Aug-04
Republicans

Michael D blogs, "Rep. Ed Schrock is a two-term Republican congressman from Virginia's Second District. The National Journal ties him as the second most conservative person in all of Congress in 2003, behind only Dennis Hastert. This isn't necessarily a turn-off in his district, which includes Virginia Beach, home of Pat Robertson, as well as Hampton Roads, home of 300,000 active-duty military and veterans. A strong family man with a wife and kids, Schrock was a co-sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment and opposes any possible rights for gay people, including non-discrimination in employment. But now Schrock has lost his own job for being gay. Or, more specifically, he has resigned for being an enormously hypocritical man who attacks other people's private rights while enjoying those same private rights himself."

Repugs: Enough to Make you Gag and Choke and Move to Canada
30-Aug-04
Republicans

Mark Morford of the San Fran Chronicle has had enough!. The Repug Regime would be funny, he asserts, if it weren't so sick. Like the time "firebrand U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, from FLA, brought the issue up on the floor of Congress, she was actually shouted down by [Repugs], scolded that she was out of order and told her comments should be stricken from the record? And they all screamed and stomped and huffed and puffed and said no way should there be any oversight of this year's election, even though there is indeed a gross pile of mounting evidence that there's nothing stopping BushCo from simply stealing the election all over again. Isn't that funny? It's enough to make you laugh 'til you gag. And choke. And move to Canada."

What's the Difference if Dems or Reps Control Congress?
18-Aug-04
Republicans

"What difference does it make if the Democrats have a majority in Congress? Here are voting records compiled by the AFL-CIO and the ACLU on issues such as eliminating overtime pay, the Medicare 'deform' law, tax cuts for the rich, privatization, school vouchers, worker health and safety, judicial nominations, retirement issues, extension of unemployment benefits, free trade, reproductive rights, expansion of unconstitutional government surveillance powers and publicizing information about prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The percentage listed indicates the number of times the legislator voted for worker rights or civil rights and liberties in the 108th Congress. What difference would it make? You decide." Hint: the number "0" comes up repeatedly on the Republican side.

How the GOP Turned the US into a Banana Republican Dictatorship
26-Jul-04
Republicans

John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton's book "Banana Republicans: How the Right-Wing is Turning America into a One-Party State" takes a critical look at how the GOP has been able to dominate U.S. politics and maintain its hold on power. The key to the GOP success, says Stauber is the right-wing propaganda machine. "The think tank was pioneered by the Republican right, and the most powerful think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, Hudson, Cato, American Enterprise Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute are funded, again, by far right ideologues, people who are the money behind foundations like Scaife, Bradley, and Coors. And they have anti-gay, anti-black, anti-environmental, anti- feminist agendas, and they've had them for a very long time." Incredibly, the mainstream media draws on these rightwing hate-tanks for "expert commentary" on nearly every major issue.

Anti-gay Senate Candidate Mel Martinez (R-FL) Has Two Gay Advisers
25-Jul-04
Republicans

Washington Blade [DC's leading gay newspaper] reports, "In a crowded primary field, many Republican candidates in Florida, including Martinez, are angling to get voter attention by running as far as possible to the right. Martinez in particular has sought to distinguish himself as the candidate perhaps most vocal against gay rights, including running a statewide radio ad encouraging the Senate to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment, and attacking one of his opponents for supporting hate crimes laws that would include protections based on sexual orientation. Ironically, at least two powerful men working for the Martinez campaign are gay. One of them is John Dowless, the political consultant. The other is Kirk Fordham, who is employed as Martinezâ??s finance director." Dowless ran Florida's Christian Coalition for 5 years in the 90's, and successfully fought civil rights laws. Now's he's urging conservative Christians to support Martinez for his anti-gay-marriage stand.

Moderate Republican Jim Greenwood to Resign from House, Giving Another Possible Seat to the Dems
20-Jul-04
Republicans

Phillyburbs: "Congressman Jim Greenwood is expected to announce his resignation from the U.S. House as early as today, Republican sources said, after reportedly being offered a job by a Washington biotech lobbying group. Officially, the moderate six-term GOP representative is still mulling over an undisclosed job offer and will announce his plans 'in the very near future,' according to a statement from his office. But party leaders say they're already bracing for having to replace an incumbent most had considered a heavy favorite for re-election this fall."

Ditka Turns Down Senate Bid
15-Jul-04
Republicans

AP: "The draft-Ditka bandwagon started rolling Monday and the NFL Hall of Famer said the idea of running for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald excited him. By Wednesday night, however, Ditka said that he'd decided against it. 'There was a moment when I said, God, I'd like to take this and run with it, and then I said, you know, put your head on straight and think about what you're getting into,' Ditka said outside his restaurant. Ditka said his volatile temperament could prove a drawback on Capitol Hill. Once when he was coach of the floundering New Orleans Saints, he answered taunting fans with obscenities as he was leaving the stadium. He later apologized. 'I don't know how I would react on the Senate floor if I got in a confrontation with somebody I really didn't appreciate and maybe didn't appreciate me,' Ditka said."

And the Opportunist of the Year Award Goes to...Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
15-Jul-04
Republicans

Governor Mitt Romney's opportunism has gone from annoying to the bizarre. Trying desperately to somehow cash in on John Kerry's limelight, first he allied himself with Bush to try to trash Kerry. Then, as Bush's numbers plummeted, Romney started bashing BOTH Bush and Kerry. Now, weirdly enough, the governor, who is not running for any office this year, shows up in Washington D.C. to give a Kerry-bashing press conference in which he outlines his own "vision for America" in a performance that even journalists are describing as incomprehensibly like a presidential campaign stump speech. Worse, Romney blew off a key meeting with Homeland Security to make this "speech" - on the eve of the the Dem's Boston convention, which Tom Ridge put high on the list of terrorist targets.

Latest GOP Candidate: Ex-Football Player who Makes a Living Pitching Gambling and Anti-Impotence Drug
14-Jul-04
Republicans

The GOP is growing more pathetic by the day! After having their Illinois senate candidate forced to resign over revelations of his predilection for S&M sex clubs, they want to replace him with....Mike Ditka! The same Ditka who has been lampooned far and wide as having apparently been hit in the head in flying tackles one too many times. The same Ditka who now makes a living pitching casions and an anti-impotence drug. The same Ditka with zip governing experience. The same Neanderthalishly chauvenistic Ditka who said the 'W' in G.W. Bush stands for "Women" because women want a MAN for president. We love it! Talk about HANDING standup comics free material! At least Arnold had been active in some political causes and married into a political family! And he can ACT.

Repug Gov of Nevada Uses Obscenity to 'Warm up' Crowd for Bush
19-Jun-04
Republicans

Howard Stern and other liberal public figures get fined or indignantly slammed by the rightwing media and politicoes anytime a four-letter word or sexual reference comes out of their mouths. Yet it is apparently OK for the Sec. of State of Nevada to use obscene references to a crowd that included children as a way to "warm the gathering up" for Bush. Dean Heller, Nevada Sec. of State, obviously seeking to hit just the right "uneducated red neck thug" note appropriate to Bush's following, likened John Kerry to a "Nevada prostitute." The crowd proving Heller's assessment of them correct, grew boisterous and loud - sorta like the "Rawhide" scene from Blue Brothers, it seems. Class, real class.

TX GOP Denies All Legal Rights for Gays & Lesbians - Including Marriage, Insurance, and Adoption
18-Jun-04
Republicans

The TX GOP "believes that the practice of sodomy tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country's founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable 'alternative' lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should 'family' be redefined to include homosexual 'couples.' We are opposed to any granting of special legal entitlements, recognition, or privileges including, but not limited to, marriage between persons of the same sex, custody of children by homosexuals, homosexual partner insurance or retirement benefits... We also believe: that no homosexual or any individual convicted of child abuse or molestation should have the right to custody or adoption of a minor child." Hey Bush/Cheney/Racicot - do you agree?

TX GOP Declares America a 'Christian Nation' - We Demand An Apology!
18-Jun-04
Republicans

On page 8 of its 24-page platform from 2004, "The Republican Party of Texas affirms that the United States of America is a Christian nation." That means non-Christians (traditionalist Native Americans, Deists, atheists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.) are not TRUE Americans. What's next - concentration camps for non-Christians? A revival of the Inquisition to use torture to determine who is a TRUE Christian? How DARE these Republicans make such a divisive, hateful, and un-American declaration? We DEMAND a full repudiation and apology from the TX GOP Chair Tina Benkiser (info@texasgop.org 512.477.9821), GOP National Chair Marc Racicot (press@rnc.org 202-863-8500), and George W. Bush (202-456-1414).

Taliban Wing of GOP Pushes Extremists in GOP Senate Primaries
16-Jun-04
Republicans

"More than 20 House conservatives met recently at the Hunan Dynasty on Capitol Hill to discuss how to put some conservative backbone into the Senate... Centrist GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe (Maine), Susan Collins (Maine), Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) and John McCain (Ariz.) have infuriated many of the House conservatives by insisting that budgetary limits be applied to tax cuts... House conservatives want to focus their financial support initially on Senate races in four states: Colorado, where former House conservative Bob Schaffer is squaring off against beer scion Pete Coors in a Republican primary; South Carolina, where Rep. Jim DeMint (R), a Republican Study Committee member, is facing former Gov. David Beasley (R); Oklahoma, where former Rep. Tom Coburn (R), a one-time leading House conservative who clashed often with his leadership, is running against two Republicans; and Louisiana, where Rep. David Vitter is the only Republican in an open primary."

Bush's TX GOP Base, Like Bush Himself, Heads for Mental Breakdown
15-Jun-04
Republicans

"The values and world vision of the movement today can be found enshrined in the [TX GOP] 24-page party platform. It's a fearful, twilight looking-glass world, beset by enemies, where the purity of the culture, under constant siege, must be protected from threats both internal and external... Aliens without proper identification are to be summarily deported. Voter registration is to be made more difficult. 'American English' is the official language of the state, and 'the Party supports the termination of bilingual education programs in Texas.' A plank titled 'equality for all citizens' urges the repeal of hate crimes legislation. Another one states: 'We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.' Since the Bible is the literal truth, teachers should have the right to instruct their public school students in 'creation science.' And lest anyone forget, 'America is a Christian nation.'"

Monday : Bush in PA to 'Help' Specter; Tuesday: Report Shows Specter's Support Down by 10%
20-Apr-04
Republicans

Bush made a big show of going to Pennsylvania on Monday to "help" Arlen Specter in the GOP primary. To show you just how much "surging support" there is for Bush (if you believe phony Pentapost polls, that is), look at this report released on Tuesday: "A surge in support for conservative challenger Rep. Pat Toomey has narrowed Sen. Arlen Specter's lead to a scant 5 percentage points a week before Pennsylvania's Republican primary, according to a poll released Tuesday. Toomey, a three-term congressman from the Allentown area, was backed by 44 percent of likely Republican voters, compared with 49 percent for Specter in the survey by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute." An earlier poll had shown Specter with a 15 point lead!

As Dems Unite, Internal GOP Chasms Widening
19-Apr-04
Republicans

Boston.com: "The chasm between Republican moderates and conservatives that Bush has labored to bridge throughout his presidency has been exposed in Pennsylvania in a contentious GOP Senate primary. The contest pits incumbent [and moderate] Arlen Specter, who is seeking a fifth term, against [rightwing] Representative Patrick Toomey, who has run a surprisingly strong campaign and could score an upset in the state's April 27 primary" So far Bush "has been unable to paper over fault lines opened by his expansion of Medicare, the growth of government spending, and other policies that have angered many conservatives. "The truth is, if Toomey wins this nomination, this seat is a lot more difficult for Republicans to hold," said Jennifer Duffy, an analyst with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report."

Mindless Games: Why the GOP Has Yet to Come Up with a Constructive Platform for the Future
30-Mar-04
Republicans

This is as pathetic as it gets! In a scan of US Newswire for several days, we have yet to see a single news release from the RNC detailing any plan on, virtually ANYTHING in terms of national policy. But now we discover why they haven't come up with anything - they are too busy playing a pubescent game called "Kerry vs Kerry" - a bizarre, neanderthal attempt at humor that is apparently the best that the RNC's brain trust could come up with. This says it all folks! The White House spends all of its time playing "character assassination," while the RNC and GOP faithful spend all of their time playing a mindless character-bashing computer game. And then actually report it as "news"! As Tom Daschle thundered from the senate floor today (3/30) "America deserves better!"

The GOP's Latest 'Triumph' of 'Hard-hitting Legislation': the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act
11-Mar-04
Republicans

No, we are not making this up. So with Ken Lay roaming at large, Americans dying in Iraq and Afghanistan weekly, nearly 9 million unemployed, some now for YEARS, and 46 million Americans sans health insurance, what does the GOP do? "House Majority Leader Tom 'Rabid Cockroach' DeLay today praised the passage of the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act. ''Ronald McDonald made me do it' should never be considered the basis for a lawsuit in the real world,' DeLay said. 'Rather than serving justice, too many trial lawyers abuse that system and clog it up with self-serving frivolities.'" But using congressional time and taxpayer money to pass "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act" is NOT frivolous? LOL! Guess this was the GOP's best alternative to the backfired gay marriage amendment debacle.

Tauzin Leaves Congress to Collect His Big Reward from Pharmaceutical Industry
03-Feb-04
Republicans

Republican Bill Tauzin (LA), one of the most obnoxious and verbally abusive corporate toads on Capitol Hill, just announced his resignation, effective February 16. Tauzin says he will not seek reelection. Tauzin, says the AP: "was instrumental in engineering passage of the new Medicare prescription drug law passed by Congress in December. He also has been deeply involved in energy and telecommunications legislation. Tauzin has repeatedly been mentioned as the top contender to head the lobbying operation of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, which represents big drug manufacturers such as Eli Lilly and Co. and Merck & Co. He has acknowledged interest in the job." That payoff wasn't just quick - it was premature cash-calculation.

Legislators to Begin Impeachment Inquiry on Rowland
17-Jan-04
Republicans

NY Times reports: "The legislature will form a committee to consider whether to impeach Gov. John G. Rowland, House Speaker Moira K. Lyons announced on Wednesday. The committee, consisting of about 10 House members, will be evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans and will have subpoena powers, Ms. Lyons said after a 45-minute private meeting with the governor. It will be appointed in a special session that could take place as early as next week, she added... Mr. Rowland, a Republican who was elected to a third term in 2002, admitted a month ago that he had lied when he denied receiving free work on his private cottage from people who did business with the state. Many of those people are now subjects of a broad federal corruption investigation."

Republicans Want Us to Get 'Involved' - Let's Do It!
15-Jan-04
Republicans

Among the new features on GOP.com are state-by-state voter registration information, instant local media contact search tools, an interactive blog giving citizens an opportunity to communicate with top party officials and expanded information tools to keep citizens, activists and the media abreast of day-to-day activities. GOP.com also features a sophisticated online chat system, which will be christened January 21... Leaders and reporters will be encouraged to sign-up to e-mail alerts on future news events via an alert system available at the top of each page on the website. Citing the increasingly negative tone of Democrats in the presidential campaign so far, Gillespie said GOP.com presents "a positive alternative to the angry rhetoric we've been hearing from those hoping to become the Democrats' standard bearer. This sort of negativity turns-off too many Americans, and GOP.com offers a clear, constructive means for voters to be heard and become involved." OK, let's become involved!

Now It's a Scandal: New Evidence that a House GOP Leader Offered a Bribe
27-Dec-03
Republicans

Timothy Noah writes: "The Washington Post, which finally jumped on the story today, offers a third piece of important evidence narrowing the field of potential suspects: According to two other congressmen who were present, Smith told [a group of 20 House members] that House Republican leaders had promised substantial financial and political support for his son's campaign if Smith voted yes... But the Post has produced two witnesses. Now your next question, Mr. Attorney General, is going to be, 'How on Earth am I supposed to get a Washington Post reporter to reveal his sources?' Dude, you don't have to! One of them talked on the record! Read past the jump and you'll see, plain as day, the following: "Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.), who was present at the dinner, recalled Smith saying it was 'people from leadership' who had offered the money."

Impeachment Looming for Republican Governor Rowland
27-Dec-03
Republicans

The Boston Globe reports: "As political pressure mounts on Governor John G. Rowland to resign, the Connecticut Democratic Party chairman is predicting that the Legislature would move to impeach the Republican chief executive if he does not step down and ethics concerns continue to widen. 'Nobody believes him anymore, even over simple things,' said George Jepsen, a former Senate majority leader who now serves as state Democratic chairman. 'I believe that if he doesn't resign, that he'll be impeached'... Rowland, alternately contrite and pugnacious, has pledged to continue a third term despite his admission this month that he lied about free work done on his vacation home by friends and contractors who do business with the state. In addition, an ongoing federal investigation into bid-rigging of state contracts is believed to have expanded its focus to include questions about the governor himself."

Ryan Pleads Innocent to Corruption Charges Despite Wealth of Evidence
23-Dec-03
Republicans

"Former Gov. George Ryan pleaded innocent Tuesday to federal corruption charges alleging he took payoffs, gifts and vacations while secretary of state and governor in return for letting associates profit off state contracts and leases. Ryan's attorney, Dan Webb, entered the plea of not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud, tax fraud, filing false tax returns and making false statements to agents investigating corruption. Ryan answered 'I do' four times when the judge asked if he understood the charges."

Witnesses Support Rep. Nick Smith's Bribery Charge
23-Dec-03
Republicans

"Eight members of the Republican Study Committee - a group of fiscally conservative House lawmakers, including many who opposed the Medicare bill - said in interviews that they believe Smith told the truth about the pressure he received. Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN), who was present at the dinner, recalled Smith saying it was 'people from leadership' who had offered the money. He said Smith did not say who it was, but he assumed it was someone who controlled a 'large leadership PAC, who can raise a hundred thousand dollars by hosting a few fundraisers.'... 'I think something happened,' Gutknecht said. 'If it happened, then somebody in the leadership is guilty of at least gross stupidity.... Whoever made that comment should resign.' Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), who was also at the dinner, recalls Smith telling the group that 'someone had said his son... would be the beneficiary if he would vote for the bill, up to the tune of about $100,000.... If Nick Smith said it happened, it happened.'"

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) Focus of Breaking Investment Scandal
19-Dec-03
Republicans

AP: "The Senate's senior Republican is under fire from government watchdog groups following a newspaper report that he had grown wealthy from investments with people who benefited from legislation he helped write. Sen. Ted Stevens has refused to comment on Wednesday's Los Angeles Times report. But a news conference, scheduled before the story was published, was set for Friday in Anchorage. 'What this whole thing points to is the need for both chambers of Congress to have stronger ethics laws, and do a better job of policing themselves,' said Mary Boyle, spokeswoman for the liberal group Common Cause. The conservative Citizens Against Government Waste said Stevens should resign as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The group also seeks an investigation by the Senate ethics committee. The organization frequently has criticized Stevens for steering billions of federal dollars to his home state."

Janklow Resigns from House, Faces Up to 10 Years for Manslaughter
11-Dec-03
Republicans

"Janklow, who grew up in Flandreau, has been a force in South Dakota politics for 30 years. He was elected governor four times before entering Congress. The Republican resigned after being convicted Monday of manslaughter, reckless driving, running a stop sign and speeding in an Aug. 16 crash that killed motorcyclist Randy Scott, 55, of Hardwick, Minn. Janklow, 64, will be sentenced Jan. 20. The manslaughter charge carries up to 10 years in prison. The conviction would have also prompted a House ethics committee investigation that could have led to his ouster from Congress... Monday's events have thrown South Dakota's 2004 political scene into turmoil, putting pressure on former Rep. John Thune, considered the GOP's most formidable potential candidate, to decide whether to run for the Senate or House, analysts said. Janklow's resignation has led some political analysts to suggest that this solidly Republican state could wind up with Democrats in all three of its seats in Congress."

In the Dark of Night, Republicans Murder Democracy
11-Dec-03
Republicans

Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) cites a long list of appalling House votes -"Always in the middle of the night. Always after the press had passed their deadlines. Always after the American people had turned off the news and gone to bed... What did the public miss? They didn't see the House votes, which normally take no more than 20 minutes, dragging on for as long as an hour as members of the Republican leadership trolled for enough votes to cobble together a majority. They didn't see GOP leaders stalking the floor for whoever was not in line. They didn't see Dennis Hastert and Tom DeLay coerce enough Republican members into switching their votes to produce the desired result. In other words, they didn't see the subversion of democracy. And late last month, they did it again. The most sweeping changes to Medicare in its 38-year history were forced through the House at 5:55 on a Saturday morning."

Rep. Bill Janklow is Guilty of Manslaughter
08-Dec-03
Republicans

"A jury convicted Rep. Bill Janklow of manslaughter for a collision that killed a motorcyclist, rejecting the congressman's claim that he was disoriented by a diabetic reaction... Janklow appeared stunned as the verdict was read... He refused to respond to questions shouted by a horde of reporters. Janklow, 64, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, running a stop sign and speeding for the Aug. 16 crash that killed Randy Scott, 55, a farmer from Hardwick, Minn. Prosecutors said Janklow was traveling more than 70 mph in his white Cadillac when he crashed with Scott's Harley-Davidson. Janklow could get up to 10 years in prison on the manslaughter charge at his sentencing on Jan. 20. The House ethics committee will investigate and could recommend a resolution reprimanding Janklow, censuring him or even expelling him, though expulsion is rare." Rep. Jim Traficant (D-OH) was expelled - and he didn't kill anyone!

Rep. Nick Smith's Bribery Charges Were Caught on Tape
08-Dec-03
Republicans

Slate's Timothy Noah writes of Rep. Nick Smith's efforts to deny he was bribed over Medicare: "What about the $100,000? It's pretty hard to see ambiguity in the offer of so specific an amount of money. And Smith was on record confirming Novak's $100,000 figure; he'd relayed the message to Chatterbox that Novak's column was 'basically accurate.' Would Smith try to argue that his chief of staff had garbled what he said? Would Smith say that the qualifier 'basically' meant, 'no money, and certainly not $100,000'? That sliver of wiggle room has now been eliminated by Kevin Vandenbroek of WKZO radio in Kalamazoo. According to a report last night by WOOD TV, a Grand Rapids station, Smith confirmed the $100,000 offer in a taped phone interview with Vandenbroek on Dec. 1: And so the first offer was to give [Brad] $100,000-plus for his campaign, and endorsements by national leadership, and I said no, I'm going to stick to my guns on what I think is right for the constituents in my district."

Serial Leadfoot Janklow Blames Diabetes for Crash
03-Dec-03
Republicans

AP: "A man who was riding motorcycles with a friend killed in a crash with Rep. Bill Janklow cried on the witness stand Tuesday as he described seeing his friend's mangled body lying in a soybean field. 'I kneeled down to see if he had a pulse and he didn't,' Terry Johnson said as prosecutor Bill Ellingson showed him gruesome photos of the body. Janklow, 64, is charged with second-degree manslaughter, speeding, running a stop sign and reckless driving for his role in the Aug. 16 collision that killed Randy Scott, 55, of Hardwick, Minn. Prosecutors say Janklow sped through the stop sign in a Cadillac and collided with Scott's Harley-Davidson... Defense lawyer Ed Evans acknowledges that Janklow was speeding before the collision, but said he did not see the stop sign because he had a diabetic reaction that caused him to become disoriented." Well, this would be more believable if it weren't for the fact that Janklow has a long record of speeding tickets!

Ohio Republican Pervert Accused of Nakedly Ambushing 39 Women to Take Photos
23-Nov-03
Republicans

"A staff attorney for the Ohio House Republican Caucus was arrested late Wednesday and police suspect he is the flasher known around Columbus as the 'naked photographer.' Columbus police arrested Steve Linnen in an alley behind a supermarket near where a woman reported being approached by a naked man who snapped her photo and then ran away. It was the 39th incident in which a naked man has ambushed a woman and photographed her shocked expression. Twenty-eight of them have happened in Columbus. Linnen, 33, is paid $42,349 a year as deputy legal counsel for the House Republican Caucus. As such, he is on the staff of House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford. Linnen has worked for the House Republicans since Dec. 28, 2000. He has been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the Franklin County prosecutor's criminal investigation. Columbus police charged Linnen with public indecency and assault."

Republican Congress Heads Toward One-Party Train Wreck
10-Nov-03
Republicans

"Republican tempers have begun to fray a bit. Tourists gazing at sublime paintings of great moments in American history in the Capitol Rotunda last week suddenly were taken aback by raised voices [of powerful GOP staffers]. The heated topic, sources said, was the possibility of an end-of-session 'omnibus' appropriations bill that would wrap all the unfinished bills into one mammoth package. Congress would vote on the measure with no opportunity for amendments. GOP leaders like the idea because, in close consultation with the administration, they could simply take charge of the process, impose their solutions and then challenge their members to vote against a huge bill stuffed with [pork]. But given the passions aroused by some of the outstanding issues, members and aides on the appropriations committees have expressed concern that an omnibus bill might not muster enough GOP votes to pass the House and could face a filibuster in the closely divided Senate." Defeat ALL Republicans!

Powerful Republican Runs Two Secret Hunting Clubs for Lobbyists
02-Nov-03
Republicans

"Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-LA), the chairman of the House energy committee who boasts a dozen trophy deer heads in his office, found the 200-acre duck preserve he opened six years ago on the Maryland shore a rewarding Shangri-La for Capitol buddies and insiders. So the Louisiana Republican is about to open a second private club for even-bigger-game-minded friends and lobbyists on 1,500 acres in south Texas. Mr. Tauzin is one of the most powerful congressmen, a lead negotiator on the plum-stuffed energy bill. Like other ranking members, he receives generous political donations from corporate sources, some of whose business falls into his committee's sphere. Over the years, old friends and former staff members have become well-connected lobbyists; the closest of these go hunting with him, paying membership dues of $2,000 a year to defray expenses... Tauzin's office emphasizes that his hunting getaways are entirely legal and ethical by House rules." Defeat ALL Republicans!

RepubliNazis Invade Federal Court Following Affirmative-Action Defeat
01-Nov-03
Republicans

PentaPost reports, "Congressional Republicans have launched a renewed investigation of alleged wrongdoing by a Democratic-appointed federal judge in a landmark affirmative action case - sparking countercharges that the GOP is using political pressure tactics against the judiciary. Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, based in Cincinnati, said staff members from the House Judiciary Committee have visited judges and court officials in recent days - in two cases appearing unannounced at judges' chambers. The staff members demanded documents and asked to question two Democratic-appointed judges, but the judges refused. The investigators said they were looking into charges - first aired last year by a Republican-appointed judge on the 6th Circuit - that the circuit's Democratic-appointed chief judge, Boyce F. Martin Jr., had rigged the lineup of judges who ruled on the University of Michigan Law School's affirmative action policy so the school would win."

The Republican Dictatorship in Congress Must End
27-Oct-03
Republicans

PentaPost writes, "Deterioration of the formal systems and accepted civilities of Congress helps no one. Neither the energy bill nor the Medicare bill, which is also under negotiation, has been improved by a secretive, lengthy process. Both will be laden with perks and pork, both will fall short of achieving necessary changes, and both may even deepen the problems they were meant to solve. When Democratic staff members are forced to ask lobbyists what's in a bill, because Republicans won't tell them, the atmosphere in Congress isn't improved either. This nation is too closely divided for House Republicans to call Democrats 'irrelevant,' as one did in a Post article last week. At the moment, the breakdown in civility is hurting the Democrats most. If the tables turn, as someday they might, the Republicans will be injured. In either case, the country loses."

Republican Congress Keeps Raising Its Own Pay, Despite Its Miserable Failures
27-Oct-03
Republicans

"The Senate voted itself a pay raise for the fifth straight year, boosting the annual salary to about $158,000 in 2004. The House also agreed last month to accept an increase in the annual cost-of-living allowance, which gives all members of Congress a boost of about 2.2% in their take-home pay starting in January. Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wisconsin, who every year stands up against pay increases, said that with the economy still weak and many Americans finding it hard to make ends meet, it was 'the wrong time for Congress to give itself a pay hike.' 'This automatic stealth pay raise system is just wrong,' he added. Feingold said that with an annual increase of about $3,400 slated for next year, an election year, members of Congress will have received a $21,000 raise in their pay over the past five years. The Senate, by a 60-34 margin, tabled or killed his amendment to a pending appropriations bill."

Missouri Senator's Spokesman Fired for Despicable Web Site
03-Oct-03
Republicans

"Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., fired his communications director, Ernie Blazar, Thursday after Bond viewed an anti-Democrat Web site that Blazar had constructed. The site was named 'N8354N' after the number on the tail of the plane that crashed in 2000 killing Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, a Democrat, along with Carnahan's son, Randy, and aide Chris Sifford... 'The actions of a member of my staff in using official computers to make hurtful personal attacks on public servants were totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,' Bond said... Roy Temple, a former chief of staff to both Gov. Carnahan and former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, said the fact that a high-ranking staff member like Blazar was responsible for the site 'makes it all that much more disgusting.' 'This wasn't some $18,000-a-year employee who just graduated from college,' Temple said. 'This is one of Senator Bond's two or three most senior staffers.'" Using a Senate office for politics is a crime - we demand prosecution!

GOP Leaders are Afraid, Very Afraid - and Angry at Rumsfeld
12-Sep-03
Republicans

Bob Novack writes, "Republicans on Capitol Hill were stunned last Saturday when the Zogby Poll reported that Bush's national approve-disapprove ratio has slipped into negative territory for the first time... In nearly half a century of Congress-watching, I frequently have observed senators of a president's own party head for the lifeboats when any storm... approaches. Today's Senate Republicans have not reached that point, but fear and anxiety among them is palpable... Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has become the scapegoat for all that has gone wrong in Iraq and is paying the price for disdaining from establishing good relations with U.S. senators for more than two and one-half years. Those senators get an earful about Rumsfeld from the uniformed military, whose criticism in private echoes what retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni has declared publicly. The unconfirmed rumor mill from the Pentagon to the Senate has Rumsfeld leaving early next year."

'Leadfoot' Janklow Blew Through Intersection at 70 mph+, Killing Biker
21-Aug-03
Republicans

"An accident report estimated that Rep. Bill Janklow (R-SD) was driving 70 mph to 75 mph on a 55-mph county road when he blew a stop sign and struck a motorcycle, killing the biker. The report increases the possibility of criminal charges against the congressman and former four-term governor, who has exerted enormous political power over South Dakota politics for nearly 30 years. Janklow, 63, was driving south from Flandreau to his home in Brandon Saturday afternoon when he failed to stop at the stop sign. The motorcycle driven by 55-year-old Randolph E. Scott of Hardwick, Minn., collided with Janklow's car... County prosecutor William Ellingson did not say whether he would pursue charges, or what those charges might be... Janklow has long been known for having a heavy accelerator foot, picking up 12 speeding tickets from 1990 to October 1994, just before he began his second stint as governor. He was elected to South Dakota's lone House seat last year."

Republican Janklow Going 70-75 Mph at Crash; Racked up 12 Speeding Tickets in 4-year Period
20-Aug-03
Republicans

AP reports: "Rep. Bill Janklow was driving an estimated 70-75 mph when he ran a stop sign and collided with a motorcycle, according to an accident report released Wednesday by the South Dakota Highway Patrol. The speed limit on the road is 55 mph. The report increases the likelihood of prosecutors bringing criminal charges against the former four-term governor, who has exerted enormous political power over South Dakota politics for nearly 30 years... The Saturday afternoon crash killed Randolph E. Scott, 55, whose Harley-Davidson collided with Janklow's Cadillac at an intersection of two paved roads near the Minnesota line... Janklow has long been known for having a heavy accelerator foot, picking up 12 speeding tickets from 1990 to October 1994, just before he began his second stint as governor. He was elected to South Dakota's lone House seat last year." Ah yes, Republicans are such solid, morally superior people. NOT!

Group Seeks Taylor Probe
16-Aug-03
Republicans

Roll Call reports: "A group of activists in western North Carolina wants the House ethics committee to look into allegations that Rep. Charles Taylor was aware of a number of fraudulent loans made by a thrift the North Carolina Republican controlled. The group has gathered more than 600 signatures and hopes to collect a total of 2,500 names before sending the petition to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, said Grant Millin, a 38-year-old self-described Democratic activist who is collecting signatures with a group calling itself the Committee to Investigate Charles Taylor. 'We're not investigating, we don't have the power or the authority to do that. But that's why we're asking Congress to look into this,' Millin said in a telephone interview. 'We know the ethics committee isn't terribly active. It doesn't look like the mavericks of the House are appointed to the ethics committee, but this is something that deserves their attention,' Millin said."

Connect the Dots: Republicans Will Do Anything for POWER
14-Aug-03
Republicans

Joe Conason writes that Bush doesn't "care whether the will of last November's electorate is overturned, or whether this fiasco sets an awful precedent, or whether Mr. Schwarzenegger is qualified to hold office-or even whether the actor shares their conservative social views. What they do care about is getting and holding power. This bullying approach has long marred the GOP, dating back at least to Newt Gingrich's scorched-earth seizure of the House of Representatives, the shutdown of the federal government by Mr. Gingrich's 'revolutionaries' and their plotting of the Clinton impeachment. It was the same attitude that compelled House leaders in November 2000 to send a gang of preppy goons down to Miami, where they intimidated officials during the Presidential ballot count. The latest and most egregious example of Republican overreaching, until California, was the effort masterminded by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to redraw Texas Congressional districts to his liking."

Young Republicans as Hypocritical as Their Elders
03-Aug-03
Republicans

"An aide to Orange County Executive Edward Diana is under fire after he and his friends invited some of the nation's brightest Young Republicans to what was advertised as a booze-soaked sex bash in Boston. The controversy surrounding Diana's 24-year-old staff assistant, Karl Brabenec, started at the Young Republicans national convention July 11, when his friends distributed fliers 'for lots of beer, liquor and sex' at a party dubbed, 'Karlpalooza '03.' Since then, copies of the incriminating invites have surfaced in Orange County, prompting cries of disgust from women's groups, county legislators and fellow Republicans. The furor reached a fever pitch yesterday as Diana asked Brabenec to step down as president of the Orange County Young Republicans, while letting him keep his $38,789-a-year staff job." Note how Diana tries to fob it off on Brabenec's friends who acted "without his knowledge." Young or old, republicans talk "personal responsibility" -- but they walk a crooked path.

Bush's Right-wing Cuban Base in Florida Turns against Bush
27-Jul-03
Republicans

Miami Herald reports, "The loyalty to the Republican party that has defined Cuban-American politics for two generations came under attack Saturday from leaders of the Cuban American National Foundation - CANF - at their annual board of directors meeting. CANF, the most influential [right-wing] Cuban-American lobbying group... all but declared political war on the Bush administration and GOP congressional representatives from South Florida. The spark that ignited the backlash was the Bush administration's decision last week to repatriate 12 Cubans suspected of hijacking a boat to reach Florida. After negotiations with the Cuban government, Bush agreed to return the suspected hijackers after Castro's government pledged to spare their lives and sentence them to no more than 10 years in prison. 'This will cost [the Busheviks],' said Jorge Mas Santos, chairman of the Foundation." Without 100% solid right-wing Cuban support, Bush will lose Florida by more votes than Jeb can steal.

Darrell Issa (R-CA) Was Convicted for Carrying a Loaded Semi-Automatic - Just One Part of a Long Criminal Record
27-Jul-03
Republicans

Paul Brennan writes, 'It was only an 'unloaded ... little, teeny pistol,' Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) told the LA Times earlier this month, hoping to explain away a 1972 weapons conviction. Now the SF Chronicle tells us how unloaded and teeny. According to official records, the Chronicle reported July 17, Issa was arrested in Adrian, MI, carrying a .25-caliber semiautomatic with seven bullets in the clip and another 44 bullets in a 'military style pouch.' He had another weapon: 'a tear gas gun' with 'two rounds of ammunition.'... Retired 1st Sgt Jay Bergey had a vivid memory of Issa from 1971, which he shared with the Examiner: 'That kid stole my car.' (This allegation should not be confused with Issa's 1972 indictment for car theft in Ohio, or his 1980 arrest for car theft in California.) Rather than involve the courts, Bergey said, he opted for a more direct approach: 'I confronted Issa ... I got in his face and threatened to kill him, and magically my car reappeared the next day.'"

Republinazis Were Terrified When 71-Year-Old Pete Stark (D-CA) Called 50-Year-Old Scott McInnis (R-CO) a 'Fruitcake'
19-Jul-03
Republicans

BuzzFlash reports, "'My friends, this is how tyranny begins,' said Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), a Ways and Means Committee member. 'It is our responsibility to stand against a police state, to stand in favor of open dialogue rather than to permit a bill to pass with only the votes of one party, and move toward a one-party state.' 'I never thought, as a member of Congress, that I would be threatened with arrest in the library of the Ways and Means Committee,'[Rep. John] Lewis said during the House debate... [Rep. Bill] Thomas claims that a 71-year-old Democrat was on the verge of physically harming Republicans: 'Republicans defended Thomas, saying he had no choice but to call in police to head off physical attacks they said appeared imminent from Rep. Pete Stark, a 71-year-old Democrat from CA. They said Stark had threatened Rep. Scott McInnis, a 50-year-old Colorado Republican calling him 'you little wimp' and 'you little fruitcake.'" Thank heavens Stark didn't call McInnis a "french fry"!

Bill Thomas (R-CA) Tries to Turn Capitol Police into Storm Troopers to Intimidate Dissenting Democrats
18-Jul-03
Republicans

"Instead of demanding that Stark leave, or even just threatening to call security if he did not leave, Thomas called the Congressional Sergeant of Arms who was told, falsely, that physical threats had been made, and that the police should be called to 'clear the room' - not the committee room, but THE LIBRARY where Democrats were gathered to discuss a hotly debated pension bill. So, imagine the shock the Democrats had when policemen stomped into the library saying they had orders to remove them forcibly if necessary!! Stark, of course, was not in the room. When the Democrats refused to leave, Thomas immediately knew he had to back-pedal. He 'rescinded' his order to the police, saying it was a 'mistake.' But the Democrats refused to allow this outrage to pass and are demanding a resolution on the incident." Go Dems, GO!

Mitch McConnell's Daughter Apologizes for Abusing Children
17-Jul-03
Republicans

At the Hawthorne Valley School in upstate NY, "The first sign of trouble came last year when one couple learned their daughter had been strapped into her chair with a leather belt. Since then, more than a dozen parents have removed their elementary school youngsters amid complaints about disciplinary tactics by one of the teachers at Hawthorne Valley. Punishment included tying the hands of students and taping their mouths shut if they misbehaved. The teacher who doled it out, Claire McConnell, apologized, saying in a June 24 letter, 'I am sorry for my disciplinary misjudgment, very sorry. ... I request your forgiveness.' Her colleagues wouldn't discuss the situation other than to say they are moving to put the furor behind them. 'We're still working on it,' said Patrice Maynard, a teacher and mentor to McConnell. McConnell is the daughter of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)." We feel sorry for Claire - no doubt she learned corporal punishment at the hands of her tyrannical father.

Republican Congressman Charles Taylor Linked to Bank Fraud -- But Ashcroft Hasn't Even Had Him Questioned
07-Jul-03
Republicans

NewsObserver.com reports: "In 2000 and 2001, the former president of an obscure bank in the western end of North Carolina admitted to FBI agents that he had violated federal banking laws. He also implicated 11th District U.S. Rep. Charles H. Taylor of Brevard, who founded Blue Ridge Savings Bank and was chairman of its board of directors. The banker, Hayes C. Martin of Asheville, and a major borrower, Charles E. 'Chig ' Cagle, a political confidant of Taylor, have pleaded guilty to scheming together to defraud the bank and launder money. In FBI interviews, Cagle also said Taylor was involved. In April, Martin and Cagle testified against the lawyer who helped put the loan packages together. The lawyer, Thomas W. Jones, was convicted of bank fraud. All three now await sentencing. Taylor, however, has not been charged. He was not subpoenaed before the federal grand jury that indicted the others. And the FBI hasn't interviewed him."

ROTFL! Orrin Hatch Removes Link to Porn Site from His Website
21-Jun-03
Republicans

AP reports: "When Orrin Hatch's 'Exploring Utah' Web page boasted about his state's natural wonders, he didn't have in mind the photos of bare-breasted women that constituents saw when they clicked on the page's Utah-related search engine. Hatch spokesman Adam Elggren said the senator's office found out about the errant Web link late Thursday and had it fixed a few hours later. It appears to be the latest case of 'porn-napping' -- an increasingly common form of cybersquatting where pornographic Web site operators snatch lapsed domain names from other companies, said Rick Broadhead, who is writing a book about cyberspace screw-ups... For at least a week and possibly more than a month, anyone clicking on the link from Hatch's site were shown dozens of photos of 'Huge natural ...', you know. 'You've got to be careful who you're linking to, especially as a senator, because you're almost endorsing who you're linking to,' Broadhead said."

Public Citizen Condemns Appointment of Corporate Lobbyist Ed Gillespie as RNC Chief
16-Jun-03
Republicans

"By appointing Ed Gillespie, a leading corporate lobbyist, to head the Republican National Committee, ...Bush has opened a conduit for Corporate America to strengthen its already formidable influence in the White House and Congress... The lobbying firm Gillespie co-founded in 2000, Quinn, Gillespie & Associates, has grown into one of the capital's most lucrative, in part because of Gillespie's strong ties to the Bush administration... Gillespie has worked to keep national energy policy in lockstep with the wishes of Enron and other energy giants. Quinn Gillespie earned $700,000 from Enron in 2001 alone to lobby the White House on the electricity crisis on the West Coast. The administration aggressively supported Enron's position against re-regulating electricity markets. Gillespie also channeled money from DaimlerChrysler and Enron to his 21st Energy Project, which bought print and television ads in July 2001 to promote the administration's energy plans." The RNC will be the ENRON-C.

GOP Governor Rowland to Pay Almost $9,000 to Settle Ethics Complaint
15-Jun-03
Republicans

"Gov. John G. Rowland has agreed to pay nearly $9,000 to settle an ethics complaint that he took discounted vacations at homes owned by two people who did business with the state. Under a deal announced Friday by the state Ethics Commission, Rowland will pay a $2,000 civil penalty plus $6,972 -- the difference between what he paid for the vacation rentals and the fair market value. It was the second time that Rowland was fined by the Ethics Commission. In 1997, he paid a $2,000 penalty for accepting undervalued concert tickets. Rowland, a Republican, said he realizes in hindsight that he should not have stayed at homes owned by anyone who has contracts with the state."

Republican and Former CT Mayor Philip Giordano is Sentenced to 37 Years for Sexual Abuse of Children
15-Jun-03
Republicans

AP reports: "Former Waterbury Mayor Philip Giordano, convicted of sexually abusing two preteen girls inside City Hall and other locations, was sentenced Friday to 37 years in federal prison. Giordano was convicted in March of violating the civil rights of the two girls by forcing them to have oral sex with him in City Hall, his law office, home and elsewhere. The girls were ages 8 and 10 at the time. He also was convicted of conspiring with a prostitute who is the mother of one girl and aunt of the other, and with using an interstate device, a cell phone, to arrange the liaisons. 'Your conduct is the worst I have ever seen. I've seen drug dealers, murderers. What you did is indescribable,' U.S. District Judge Alan Nevas said told the former mayor in announcing the sentence. 'You, sir, are a sexual predator.'"

In Broad Daylight Part 2: From Hitler to Bush: the Ugly, Rotten Roots of the Modern GOP
28-May-03
Republicans

Cheryl Seal writes, "There is compelling historical evidence that the Nazi Party did not die with Hitler, but merely adopted a new form: the American GOP. After World War II, Nazi emigrees became key figures in the GOP as 'ethnic outreach' committees and put on the CIA and State Dept. payroll as propaganda and psychological warfare experts. There can be no doubt about it - then or today - the corporazis, just like the Nazis, have no allegiance to anything or anybody but self interest... If war is good for business, then what war does to human lives is secondary. If regulations cost money but save lives, then the corporations will say, 'To hell with lives!' The Democrats, true Libertarians, and Greens may be flawed, but none comes even close to the cold and calculated self-interest, deceit, and greed that lies at the rotten, Third Reich-incubated core of the corporazi GOP."

Norquist Declares: 'Bipartisanship is Another Name for Date Rape'
27-May-03
Republicans

Denver Post reports, "'We are trying to change the tones in the state capitals - and turn them toward bitter nastiness and partisanship,' said Grover Norquist, a leading Republican strategist, who heads a group called Americans for Tax Reform. 'Bipartisanship is another name for date rape,' Norquist, a [top advisor to Bush and Tom DeLay], said, citing an axiom of House conservatives... These days, Norquist and other conservative activists use the GOP tilt in the legislatures to make life difficult for Democratic members of Congress. On issue after issue - the war on terror, taxes, judicial appointees - Republican leaders in Washington have been getting GOP-controlled legislatures to go on record in support of Bush initiatives. It makes it more difficult for Democrats to explain unpopular votes back home."

Republican Values: Ex-Florida Senate President Gets 3-1/2 Years in Bribery Case
18-May-03
Republicans

AP reports: "Former Florida Senate President W.D. Childers was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison Friday for bribing a fellow Escambia County commissioner to vote for buying a disused soccer complex in Pensacola."

Another GOP Hypocrite Exposed: Richard Delgaudio Pleads Guilty to Child Porn
26-Apr-03
Republicans

"Republican activist Richard A. Delgaudio, a longtime Northern Virginia-based fundraiser for conservative causes and personalities, was sentenced to two years' probation yesterday after pleading guilty to a child pornography charge. Delgaudio was charged with taking sexually explicit photographs of a 16-year-old girl. He paid the girl -- a single mother and high school dropout -- by the hour for photo shoots at the Deluxe Plaza Motel in Baltimore... Delgaudio, 50, heads an array of conservative activist groups... He is listed as president of Legal Affairs Council Inc., which had $2.6 million in revenue in 2001... Delgaudio also is listed as chairman and director of the United States Intelligence Council and president of National Security Center Inc." The Legal Affairs Council helped pay for the defense of Caspar Weinberger and Oliver North. Knight Ridder's Elizabeth Wellington reports that this hypocrite called Clinton a "lawbreaker and terrible example to our nation's young people."

Suspected of Spying for China, Republican Activist Leaves FBI Reeling
21-Apr-03
Republicans

"Katrina Leung was a Republican political activist, a prominent Southern California businesswoman, and an FBI informer paid $1.7 million for her work and expenses over two decades. It was in the latter role, authorities allege, that she developed sexual relationships with two FBI counterintelligence agents and was able to steal US secrets for the Chinese government... Court documents accuse Leung, 49, of a long list of severe security breaches, including tipping off Chinese authorities to US agents looking for nuclear secrets in China, and revealing names of FBI agents investigating Chinese spying in this country. Court documents filed by the US attorney's office say the FBI will have to reassess all of its actions and intelligence analyses involving Leung's activities. Among the accusations against Leung is that she gave Chinese officials the name of an FBI agent who went to China in 1992 after investigating a critical nuclear espionage case in this country in the 1980s."

Ron Reagan Jr. Declares: 'My Father Crapped Bigger Ones than W'
14-Apr-03
Republicans

David Talbot writes, "Reagan took a swipe at Bush during the 2000 GOP convention... 'The big elephant sitting in the corner is that George W. Bush is simply unqualified for the job... What's his accomplishment? That he's no longer an obnoxious drunk?' [Now Reagan says, 'My father was a man -- that's the difference between him and Bush. To paraphrase Jack Palance, my father crapped bigger ones than George Bush.' ... Reagan's father was also known for his military buildup and aggressive foreign policy. 'Yes,' he concedes, 'there are some holdovers from my dad's years, like Elliott Abrams and, my God, Admiral Poindexter, who's now keeping watch over us all... Reagan, who says the label 'progressive' would fit him, does not belong to a political party. 'I'm certainly not a Republican; I couldn't belong to any party that had leaders like Tom DeLay. And the Democrats are too busy trying to out-Republican the Republicans.'"

Republican Spy Had Husband and Two FBI Lovers
11-Apr-03
Republicans

Republican fundraiser Katie Leung is the perfect poster woman for GOP "family values." Initial reports said Leung, now 49, had a 20-year affair with her FBI handler, former supervisory special agent James J. Smith, now 59. Today the FBI says Leung was also having an affair with ANOTHER FBI agent, William Cleveland Jr., for 12 of those 20 years. So not only were taxpayers paying 2 FBI agents to diddle Leung, but we also paid Leung $1.7 MILLION for her services as a spy - while she was SELLING OUR SECRETS to the CHINESE! Talk about making money going and ... well, never mind. This scandal is infinitely juicier than Gary Condit, right? So how coverage have you seen on TV??? Oh, we forgot - Leung is a REPUBLICAN.

Ex-NC GOP Chairman Admits Forgery to Borrow $1.3 Million From Rep. Charles Taylor's (R-NC) Bank
11-Apr-03
Republicans

"The former chairman of the 11th Congressional District's Republican Party admitted Wednesday he forged loan application signatures to get money from a bank owned by U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC). Charles Cagle's admission came during testimony before a federal jury in Bryson City. Cagle's attorney, Thomas Jones, is on trial for submitting false documents to help his client get the money. Cagle's testimony is part of a plea agreement. Faced with a debt of $800,000 in the early 1990s Cagle said his attorney, Bob Long of Asheville, introduced him to Hayes Martin, the president of Blue Ridge Savings Bank and a Taylor fund-raiser. Cagle said the three men met in Long's office. He said he was asked to leave the room at one point and later learned the two men had called Taylor to receive approval for a half- million- dollar loan to Cagle. Taylor has not been charged with any crimes, and he is not expected to testify in this case." Defeat ALL Republicans!

Prominent Republican Fundraiser is a Chinese Spy
10-Apr-03
Republicans

AP reports, "According to an FBI affidavit, former FBI agent James J. Smith, 59, recruited Katrina Leung, a Republican political activist in California, in the early 1980s to become an FBI 'asset' and became her 'handler' seeking information about China. The married FBI man and Leung had a sexual relationship from that time until Smith's retirement from the FBI in 2000. The FBI paid her more than $1.7 million... Leung, who worked covertly for the Chinese government, is charged with unauthorized copying of U.S. secrets with intent of providing them to Chinese intelligence services. Leung, 49, was arrested Wednesday and was ordered held without bond... The charges against Smith and Leung carry maximum sentences of 10 years in prison... Leung helped raise money for former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan in his unsuccessful bid for California governor last year and contributed to several other GOP campaigns, according to Republican officials and campaign records."

'Family Values' Congressbeast Assaults Georgetown Student in Bar - and Lies About It
05-Apr-03
Republicans

PentaPost reports, "In his dark suit, knotted tie and official congressional ID pin on his lapel, Republican House member Mike Ferguson looked out of place at the Rhino Bar and Pumphouse, a Georgetown saloon popular with college kids. 'He shouldn't have even been at the bar,' 21-year-old Georgetown U. junior Michelle Mezoe told us. 'He and his group' - two unidentified staffers, also wearing suits - 'stuck out like sore thumbs.' Yesterday Mezoe accused the congressman, a 32-year-old married father of three representing New Jersey's 7th District, of grabbing her in the wee hours Wednesday morning. She said Ferguson removed his ID pin and handed it to her, saying she could keep it if she would 'come back and have a drink with me.' Mezoe said she refused to return it unless Ferguson apologized for his 'disrespectful' behavior. An apology was not forthcoming" - in fact, Ferguson is blaming Mezoe! We DEMAND 24x7 harassment by all media scandalmongers who stalked Clinton and Condit!

Bush and Other GOP Leaders Criticized Clinton During Kosovo War
20-Mar-03
Republicans

In 1999, "the US and NATO engaged in a military campaign to protect ethnic Albanians in Kosovo from Serbian aggression. While American troops engaged in battle, Republican presidential candidates and leaders in the House and Senate criticized the Clinton administration and the war in Kosovo, including the proposed supplemental funding for the conflict." Here's an example from George W. Bush: "Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." Hey George - what's our exit strategy in Iraq?

As Troops Await War, Republicans Raise $5 Million from Lobbyists
20-Mar-03
Republicans

"Undeterred by President Bush's 48-hour ultimatum issued to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein the night before, more than 160 House Republicans gathered with lobbyists and donors from around the country for their annual fundraising gala Tuesday night." How much of that money came from arms manufacturers and oil companies who will reap billions from the destruction and conquest of Iraq? Where is the outrage?????

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Ghoul) Wants US Soldiers' Remains Returned from France
13-Mar-03
Republicans

"Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-FL, plans to introduce a bill today proposing that the families of the thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen buried in France and Belgium be allowed to dig up their remains and have them shipped home. 'The remains of our brave servicemen should be buried in patriotic soil, not in a country that has turned its back on the US and on the memory of Americans who fought and died there,' Brown-Waite said. 'It's almost as if the French have forgotten what those thousands of white crosses at Normandy represent,' she said. About 75,000 U.S. servicemen and women from both world wars are buried in military cemeteries in France and Belgium, most of the graves marked by simple white crosses. Mack McConn, 78, of Orlando, who survived the D-Day landings at Normandy, during which more than 10,000 Americans were killed, was outraged at the suggestion of moving the bodies." Call her office at (202) 225-1002 and tell her to ship herself home to Florida.

Flambe' the French Fry Fools
11-Mar-03
Republicans

After turning a $5 trillion surplus into a $2 trillion deficit, you'd think Congressional Republicans might be burning the midnight oil trying to fix the economy they have wrecked. But you'd be wrong! Instead, they are spending OUR money coming up with 2nd-grade names for french fries and french toast. Which morons are responsible for this utter nonsense? Rep. Bob Ney (OH) (call 202 225-6265 or e-mail ney@mail.house.gov) and Rep. Walter Jones (NC) (congjones@mail.house.gov or call 202 225-3415). Maybe it's time these fools heard from some Americans who remember Lafayette and the French Navy, without whose help we'd be paying our taxes to Queen Elizabeth. While we're at it, maybe we should return the Statue of Liberty to a country that believes the world's tired, poor, huddled masses should get a breath of freedom - not a mushroom cloud.

GOP Outsources Fundraising Campaign to India
26-Feb-03
Republicans

India's Business Standard reports: "The US Republican Party now has a band of young and enthusiastic fund-raisers in Noida and Gurgaon. HCL eServe, the business process outsourcing arm of the Shiv Nadar-promoted HCL Technologies, has bagged a project to undertake a fund-raising campaign for the US Republican Party over the telephone. This is the first time such a project has been handed out to a company outside the US. The market research and public relations companies engaged by the party usually undertake such projects."

Indians Say 'Elect Bush'
17-Feb-03
Republicans

At a time when more and more Americans are unemployed, the GOP is sending jobs overseas to India. And jobs doing what? Why, calling Americans and telling them to vote for Bush. At least a lot of them will be home to hear the message since they are out of work thanks to Resident Screwup.

Senator Cornyn (R-TX) Funnels Campaign Cash to His Nephew - After Being Elected
04-Feb-03
Republicans

During the 2002 campaign, new U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas spoke about his "high ethics" and repeatedly blasted his Democratic opponent, Ron Kirk, for questionable ethics. He had Dubya himself, who campaigned on restoring "honor" to the White House, return to Texas to campaign for him. Recent federal election reports show that Cornyn gave $900 in campaign funds to his 19-year-old nephew more than two weeks after the Nov. 5 election, listing the expense as "consulting." Neither Cornyn nor his campaign staff would return calls from Jackson Thoreau seeking answers to questions like, "What can a 19-year-old who has never done political consulting before offer to a candidate who has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on high-dollar, experienced consultants?" As Texas attorney general, Cornyn also made several questionable rulings that benefited campaign contributors, Thoreau reports.

'The Republican Party Will Not Survive its Invasion of Iraq'
29-Jan-03
Republicans

Right-winger Paul Craig Roberts says, "The Republican Party will not survive its invasion of Iraq... likely the most thoughtless action in modern history. It has the support of only two overlapping small groups: neoconservatives infused with the spirit of 18th century French Jacobins who want to impose American 'exceptionalism' on the rest of the world, and foreign policy advisers who believe that the primary aim of U.S. foreign policy is to make the Middle East safe for Israel. 'Regime change' is a dangerous concept, particularly when neoconservatives are declaring their intentions of changing every Middle Eastern regime and deracinating Islam, as well. These expressed intentions have radicalized Pakistani Gen. Aslam Beg, previously a voice of moderation [who] called for an immediate Pakistani military alliance with Iran in order to protect their nations from the Bush Doctrine, which he compares to Hitler's legitimization of 'war as a weapon of national policy.'"

Jack Newfield Challenges the Myth of Rudy the Revered
28-Jan-03
Republicans

"Today Rudolph Giuliani is up and Michael Bloomberg is down. But we should all recall that Giuliani had a 32% approval rating in 1999 and that fickleness is a two-edged razor. Giuliani profited more than anyone else from the calamity of 9/11. At some point, his popularity, which is fueled by understandable patriotism, will recede to its natural level. I count myself among the fickle. I voted for Giuliani twice. He was the prosecutorial hero of the book 'City for Sale'... It is an exhilarating experience to publish a book critical of a pop culture icon like Giuliani, who enjoys an 80-percent approval rating nationally, is routinely called 'America's Mayor,' and will be the subject of a made-for-television docu-drama in March. Friends think I am committing career suicide by deflating a political deity. TV talk-show bookers say Giuliani is too popular to dispute. But there is a case against canonization. Something bogus is going on here. One day has become a career."

Republican Family Values: Nepotism
13-Jan-03
Republicans

Frank Murkowski, recently elected governor of Alaska, appointed his own daughter to replace him in the Senate. This extreme version of "Bring your Daughter to Work Day" follows the pattern of nepotism from the White House and the Republicans in Congress. White House appointees include the daughter of Chief Injustice William Rehnquist; the son of Injustice Antonin Scalia; Dick Cheney's daughter and son-in-law; Colin Powell's son; the wife of Republican senator Mitch McConnell; and the sister of budget director Mitch Daniels. Judicial nominees include Sen. Jim Bunnings' son, Sen. Strom Thurmond's son, Rep. Chip Pickering's father (yes, that Pickering), Rep. Jim Ramstad's sister. As Jeb Bush prepares to run in 2008, it's plain as day: Republicans don't believe in democracy, but in hereditary aristocracy.

Cass Ballenger (R-NC) Calls Cynthia McKinney A 'Bitch' - We Demand his Resignation!
20-Dec-02
Republicans

In an interview with the Charlotte Observer on 12-19-02, Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-NC) was asked if Trent Lott was a segregationist. "I'd have a hard time saying he wasn't," he said, verging on the truth. Then, in a tirade against Cynthia McKinney, he almost confessed to being a segregationist himself. "If I had to listen to her, I probably would have developed a little bit of a segregationist feeling," he said. "But I think everybody can look at my life and what I've done and say that's not true." So what made McKinney so powerful that she could transform an integrationist into a segregationist? "I mean, she was such a bitch." Say WHAT??? Congress is no place for racists - or sexists. We demand Rep. Ballenger's resignation - call 202-225-2576.

Lott's Rivals Are Even MORE Conservative than Trent Lott
17-Dec-02
Republicans

The leading contender for Trent Lott's job as Majority Leader is Don Nickles (D-OK). According to the NY Times, Nickles "sponsored a 1996 law to deny federal benefits to married people of the same sex and to permit states to ignore such marriages allowed in other states. He also pushed for a Republican Party platform in 1992 that would ban abortions even in cases of incest and rape. He has advocated displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools, and helped kill the patients' bill of rights sponsored by Democrats in 2000. In many of those battles, he found himself to the right of Mr. Lott, and some conservatives strongly prefer him to the more pragmatic Republican leader. 'He's got that fire that Lott seems to have lost,' said Richard A. Viguerie, the conservative fund-raiser. 'But of course he's not the only one - [Mitch] McConnell and [Rick] Santorum would also be better than Lott.'" Memo to Republicans - why don't you stop pretending - and just make David Duke your leader?

Deporting John Lennon: It Was Strom Thurmond's Idea
11-Dec-02
Republicans

"But some Republicans worried that the popularity of John Lennon could help galvanize the anti-war movement and result in a massive vote against Nixon. On February 4, 1972, Senator Strom Thurmond sent a secret memo (later brought to light via [an FOIA] request) in which he railed about Lennon and the danger he could cause the President's 1972 reelection campaign. The proposed solution? Revoke Lennon's visa. 'If Lennon's visa is terminated it would be a strategy (sic) counter-measure.' But, Thurmond noted, 'caution must be taken with regard to the possible alienation of the so-called 18-year-old-vote if Lennon is expelled from the country.' The result? John Lennon was on the receiving end of a four-year campaign of FBI surveillance and INS harassment. In 1975 the INS chief counsel on the case resigned his position, telling Rolling Stone that the U.S. government was being more vigorous in its attempts to deport John Lennon than it was in its attempts to expel Nazi war criminals."

More Republican Family Values
05-Dec-02
Republicans

Republican Kurt Kramer, newly elected as a Macomb County MI commissioner, was arrested for shoving and striking his wife and choking his 4-year-old stepson. His wife, a native of Russia who speaks little English, said Kramer pushed and hurt her after she refused to pose for nude photographs. When her older son tried to intervene, Kramer allegedly pushed him out of the house. Kramer also resisted arrest, being subdued only after "a struggle and much difficulty." This splendid example of family values had been convicted in 2001 of assaulting a police officer when the officer was trying to serve him with a personal protection order on behalf of Kramer's previous wife. The chairwoman of the Macomb Republican Party responded to the arrest by suggesting that Kramer get professional counseling.

GOP Brawl Over Leadership in Michigan County
03-Dec-02
Republicans

During a convention to select the leadership of the Michigan's Oakland County (Detroit) GOP, the right wing membership took over the meeting and selected a new leader, Tom McMillen, and 49 new members of the party's executive committee. Robert's Rules of Order were hardly in effect during the altercation between factions. "It nearly came to fisticuffs," said county Prosecutor David Gorcyca. The meeting was so out of control that a fire alarm was pulled at one point in an attempt to prevent the takeover. Ironically, the battle began right after Betsy DeVos, a candidate for Michigan GOP leader [and wife of Amway founder Rich DeVos, a major rightwing sugardaddy], made a request to the party to stand united so they could help re-elect Bush in 2004. The leadership issue is still in doubt and will now be decided by the courts. When all the dust settles and decisions are finally made, will the losing side be comforted by the advice, "Get over it?"

To Entice Them to Switch Parties, Democrats Could Offer Control of the Senate to Snowe, Chafee, et al.
22-Nov-02
Republicans

"To increase the odds of convincing Sen. Lincoln Chafee, Arlen Specter, and Olympia Snowe to switch out of the GOP, Democrats might want to consider an idea that once worked for conservatives in my old home state of New Mexico," suggests Steve Cobble. "The Democrats should offer to put the switchers in charge. In other words, if Specter, Snowe, and Chafee will not just follow the lead of Jim Jeffords by switching to Independent and caucusing with the Democrats (thus giving Tom Daschle his Majority Leader seat again), the Dems should offer the switchers the opportunity to become the Senate leadership. Why? Because it would block Trent Lott, Don Nickles, and Orrin Hatch from taking control of the Senate; it would slow down some of the worst policies Bush is going to try to ram through the Senate next year; and because the Dems could ask that Sen Leahy continue to Chair the Judiciary Committee, to block the appointment of right-wing judges."

Today's GOP: Sly, Shrewd, Slippery, Wily and Ruthless - All Beneath A Sunny Mask
11-Nov-02
Republicans

"One of the definitions of slick is 'deftly executed; adroit.' Synonyms include 'sly, shrewd, slippery, wily.' These words came to mind as I watched the Republican Party's remarkable off-year election triumph last week. I think of the G.O.P. as the costume party. It wears a sunny mask, which conceals a reality that is far more ideological, far more extreme, than most Americans realize. Among the less meaningful questions being asked in Washington is whether the Republicans, having won control of the Senate and strengthened their hold on the House, will now go too far and outpace their mandate. My question is: Where have you been? In a nation that is divided almost 50-50 politically, the Republicans flew past their mandate a long time ago." So writes Bob Herbert.

Back to the Future with President Harry S. Truman
07-Nov-02
Republicans

Republicans haven't held the three houses of government together since 1929. Harry Truman in 1948 remembered that the "Republicans wrote part of their record from 1921 to 1933. They led the country to depression, poverty, and despair." When the Republican bubble burst in 1929, "[t]here was no minimum wage to cushion the blow... no unemployment compensation to carry the workingman's family along... no work relief program to help people through the crisis. But the party of privilege was ready to carry big business through the crisis.... The banks, the railways, the insurance companies--they got relief, but not the American people. For the unemployed, it was Hoovervilles and soup kitchens. Veterans were encouraged to go into business for themselves-selling apples. That is the Republican record. Most of us well remember it." Do WE remember? We're about to have a graphic reminder of what Republicans do with power - help the rich and screw the poor.

GOP Family Values: Republican State Rep. Arrested for Hitting His Ex-Wife
31-Oct-02
Republicans

ConnPost.com writes "A Derby Superior Court appearance scheduled for today in the case of state Rep. Leonard Greene, R-Beacon Falls, has been continued to Dec. 19, according to Greene's attorney. Greene is charged with first-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct stemming from an alleged domestic dispute with his ex-wife. He is accused of repeatedly hitting his ex-wife in Seymour while she was visiting him in late September. Greene is seeking re-election. He and the woman were divorced in June." Has anyone noticed that any GOP member who gets arrested never makes mainstream news? We shouldn't forget about the former CT GOP Senate candidate and Waterbury mayor Philip Giordano who is now in jail for molesting children.

Republicans Can't Keep Us Prosperous - or Safe
27-Oct-02
Republicans

Mike Hersh writes, "Recent history shows Republicans are wedded to failed policies which fail to promote economic growth or protect American security. Republican voodoo economics ruin the economy and run up the national debt. Their failed policies always extend and deepen recessions as they widen the gulf between the haves and have-nots. Republican inability to run the economy is well established, so there's no need to belabor that point. Their failure to conduct diplomacy or other national security policy is less widely understood." He provides the statistics that show the Republicans are as clueless about foreign policy and national defense as they are about -- well, about everything else except grabbing money with both hands.

Washington GOP Attacks Dem Candidate With Quotes from Accused Felon
21-Oct-02
Republicans

If Republicans can say something nasty about a Democrat, they just don't care about how reliable the accusation is. So the Washington state Republican Party is mailing a brochure containing disparaging quotes about Democratic candidate John Lovick -- quotes from a former deputy sheriff who's been arrested for rape, kidnapping and extortion. Lovick's opponent says it doesn't matter that the source of the damaging quotes has been accused of a crime. That's Republican values for you.

Another Sibling of a Republican Arrested Today; So Much For the Party of Family Values
17-Oct-02
Republicans

First we learn of the arrest of Noella Bush for violating her drug rehab treatment when authorities found crack/cocaine in her shoe. Now we learn that Mark Owens, son of the Colorado Republican Governor, was charged with vandalism. The Governor had to pay $1468 in damages to the school. Once again, the GOP is all talk and no action when it comes to family values. Americans can be proud of Chelsea Clinton, an exemplary American citizen, daughter of an exemplary American President and Senator.

RNC Chairman Marc Racicot LIED About ROTC During Vietnam
15-Oct-02
Republicans

Former Montana Governor Marc Racicot was a finalist for Bush's VP. He played a key role in stealing Florida during the 2000 recount. And now he serves as Bush's Chairman of the Republican Party, where raises hundreds of millions from corporate and right-wing special interest groups while attacking Democrats as unpatriotic for disagreeing with Bush. But now Racicot's own lack of patriotism is exposed for the world to see, because he LIED on his official biography about serving in ROTC during the Vietnam War. In fact, it's a mystery - and possibly a scandal - how Racicot avoided the draft in 1970, when his draft # was 23, and the draft took young men with numbers up to 195. Montana columnist Pat Dawson, who fought in Vietnam, went looking for Racicot's draft board records - but they have vanished. Were they scrubbed? We demand a Pentagon Inspector General's report!

Senate Republicans Plan to Bypass Committees to Fast Track Bills and Judgeships
09-Oct-02
Republicans

RollCall.com reports: "Senate Republicans have mapped out a floor strategy that calls for muscling through GOP-sponsored bills and...Bush's outstanding nominations in a four-week span if they control the majority in a lame-duck session. Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle (D-SD) warned last week that Senators should be prepared to stay in session until Nov. 5 and return following the elections to complete the chamber's unfinished business. If the Senate does return and the GOP temporarily seizes the majority, then the Republican leaders plan to invoke Rule XIV, which would allow Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott (MS) to bypass the committee process and place bills directly on the Senate calendar for consideration. This is significant because even if Democrats lose the majority they are likely to retain control of the committees in a lame-duck session because the current committee chairmen would be loathe to approve a new organizing resolution."

Democrats.com Puts the GOP on the Ropes - HQ Calls for Reinforcements!
04-Oct-02
Republicans

Republicans are now on the defensive and have retreated to their corners of the ring, whining and moaning and calling for Freeper reinforcements. Why? Because, as with all bullies who are all bluster and no substance, the rightwingers can dish it out, but they sure as heck can't take it! In the past couple of weeks, the Donkey has shown some real kick. Bob Fertik kicked butt on the O'Reilly Factor, making poor ole Bill so flustered when presented with facts and Fertik's calm assurance, that all he's been able to do since is launch a name calling campaign and barrage his clueless viewers with trumped up statistics. In response to our rising star, the GOP released the following press release to its "team leaders", calling for them to organize Freep attacks to ward off the "desperate" mean Democrats! Read it and laugh!!

Dick Armey Insults Liberal Jews, Calling Them 'Shallow and Superficial'
24-Sep-02
Republicans

During a round-table discussion for Katherine Harris - the Sultana of the Shallowly Superficial - Dick Armey said "I always see two Jewish communities in America. 'One of deep intellect and one of shallow, superficial intellect." He said conservatives have a deeper intellect and "occupations of the brain" like engineering, science and economics, while liberals work in "occupations of the heart," such (he said) as the arts. Armey, who has strong pro-Israel political views, defended his comments Tuesday in a Washington news conference, saying they apply to all liberals. "Liberals are in my estimation just not bright people. They don't think deeply; they don't comprehend; they don't understand... They have a narrow educational base, as opposed to the hard scientists." Wonder how Dick explains liberal Jew Albert Einstein and all those liberal with Nobel Prizes? We're outraged at this insult to liberal Jews! Contact the Republican Party (202.863.8500 info@rnc.org) and demand an apology!

All Republicans are Serial Killers - Like Ted Bundy
20-Sep-02
Republicans

Rack Jite writes, "Watching CPAN this morning I noticed that about every other caller would mention that the ten terrorists arrested in Buffalo were registered Democrats. Most of these callers would add a bit of Coulterism to their rant by saying that the suspects are no different than Democrats and liberals who love to see Americans murdered... Let me go back in time for a minute. While Ted Bundy was on his murder spree; torturing and raping 33 women before killing them, he was not only a registered Republican, a Republican activist, but was also a paid employee of the Republican Party. In fact, a few of his first murders were done while traveling for the Republican Party... Serial killer Ted Bundy, a Republican employee, represents the basic Republican philosophy."

Was Hurting Clinton Worth Hurting the American Worker?
09-Sep-02
Republicans

"As I listened to the passage, after years of languishing under President Bill Clinton, of 'Fast Track' International Trade Authority, the hypocrisy and spite of the Republican Party felt incredibly bitter. Yes, many Democrats voted against 'Fast Track Authority,' but they voted for policy or for ideological reasons. The Republicans, however, voted AGAINST their own ideals, policies and consciences. They simply wanted to cripple Clinton's ability to govern. This cynical use of holding up what Republicans sincerely believed was a surefire way of employing more Americans just to humiliate and embarrass Bill Clinton shows the ultimate contempt many on the Right feel for the American worker." So writes Rebecca Louise.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher's Absolutely Crazy, Quite Possibly Illegal Back-channel Chats with the Villains of Sept. 11
08-Sep-02
Republicans

Immediately after 9-11, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) paraded before the cameras to blame Bill Clinton for the failure of US intelligence to prevent the 9-11 attacks. But according to the Orange County Weekly, Rohrabacher’s post-Sept. 11 finger-pointing was a fraud designed to distract attention from his own ongoing meddling in the foreign-policy nightmare. Federal documents reviewed by the Weekly show that Rohrabacher maintained a cordial, behind-the-scenes relationship with Osama bin Laden’s associates in the Middle East—even while he mouthed his most severe anti-Taliban comments at public forums across the U.S. There’s worse: despite the federal Logan Act ban on unauthorized individual attempts to conduct American foreign policy, the congressman dangerously acted as a self-appointed secretary of state, constructing what foreign-affairs experts call a 'dual tract' policy with the Taliban." Of course, the Republican media refuses to tell Rohrabacher's constituents about this scandal.

The Official Chickenhawk Database
27-Aug-02
Republicans

The New Hampshire Gazette claims to be America's oldest newspaper, founded in 1756. So they have seen a LOT of politicians come and go. In March 2002, they compiled a complete list of "chickenhawks" - "public persons - generally male - who (1) tend to advocate, or are fervent supporters of those who advocate, military solutions to political problems, and who have personally (2) declined to take advantage of a significant opportunity to serve in uniform during wartime." The list starts with George W. Bush, who went AWOL from the Air National Guard during Vietnam, and Dick Cheney, who said he "had other priorities" - like getting rich and becoming deputy world dictator. These chickenhawks have all had the opportunity to challenge their designations - so in Bush's immortal words, they have all been "vetted." Virtually everyone on this list is a Republican conservative, or a rightwinger who plays a "Democrat" on TV (like Chris Matthews). Send this list to all of your Republican "friends"!

Henry Hyde, Misrepresenting the 6th District of Illinois
22-Aug-02
Republicans

"Henry Hyde is currently the representative of the 6th congressional district of Illinois. He has been in this job for some time. But Henry Hyde seems stuck in the days of McCarthyism. His voting record reflects someone who has little regard for individual choice, freedom and sensibility." So declares www.hydeforcongress.com

Bob Barr Gets the Boot
21-Aug-02
Republicans

Banana Republican Bob Barr (R-GA) was crushed 66%-34%by fellow right-winger John Linder (R-GA) in a primary between two incumbents. Barr gained fame by becoming the first Congressman to call for the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and then following his vendetta through to completion as one of the "House Managers." Barr's personal life was an issue, as well as his gun zealotry. "Linder touted himself as a family man, married to his wife, Lynne, for 39 years, while he spoke of Barr's three marriages. Linder teased Barr about an incident in which an antique gun accidentally fired in the home of a Barr supporter while Barr and another person were handling it. Days later, a Linder supporter dressed as the cartoon character Yosemite Sam, known for shooting off pistols, mingled at a pro-Barr event, touting himself as Barr's 'personal gun safety trainer.' Adding steam to the fracas was a video on an Internet Web site that showed Barr's adult son, Derek, shoving the man dressed as Yosemite Sam."

Republican Hypocrisy is Brazen and Neverending: Bush Sells White House Sleepovers
17-Aug-02
Republicans

Here we go again, the GOP made a HUGE deal that Bill Clinton was letting his friends stay at the White House while he was president. So the so called "Liberal Media" (not) spent several years saying "Clinton sold the Lincoln Bedroom." The American people were constantly reminded of this. Now Dubya's list has come 6 of his biggest fundraisers have spent the night there. Larry Noble said, "The Republicans made a very big deal about it during the Clinton administration ... this whole business, the whole issue is perception...The American public's access to the White House has been severely restricted...you may have an increased perception problem if in fact large contributors are getting access to the White House." Does anything else need to be said? [Ed. Note: At this writing, the Boston Globe article is not available on the BG site. Instead, here is the Center for Public Integrity report]

Republicans Censor 'Conservatively Incorrect' Election Training Film
12-Aug-02
Republicans

In Broward County FL, "Election officials have re-edited a video used to train poll workers and have apologized to Republicans after complaints the tape portrays a GOP voter as intolerant and abusive. The tape, which is designed to instruct how to handle potential conflict during elections, shows a white voter who identifies himself as voting Republican verbally abusing a black poll worker. 'This is just outrageous. It is incomprehensible that our highest election official would take a partisan shot at a member of the Republican Party,' said George LeMieux, the Broward Republican chairman. LeMieux had demanded the offending portion of the tape be erased and that Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant apologize to the county's Republicans." Hey LeMieux - are you afraid of the "conservatively incorrect" TRUTH about GOP racism? And when will Katherine Harris - and George Bush - apologize to America for stealing the White House?

MO Republicans Nominate Convicted Felon for State Auditor
08-Aug-02
Republicans

In the GOP primary for Missouri State Auditor, Al "Hanson, 72, thumped the favored candidate of the state Republican establishment, St. Louis lawyer Jay Kanzler, by nearly a 2-to-1 ratio." In 1978, "Hanson was sentenced to concurrent six-year, 11-month terms and served nine months in prison before being paroled... Hanson has said he is running for auditor because he is concerned about the condition of banks in the troubled economy." Geez - if they were worried about the banks, Republicans should have gone all the way and nominated John Dillinger! No doubt Hanson will be groomed to replace Paul O'Neill as Treasury Secretary in the Bush III administration...

Borrowing the Bush Schtick -- Bill Simon Claims to be Out-of-the-Loop in Fraud Scandal, But He's Lying -- Just Like the Bushes Do
07-Aug-02
Republicans

LA Times reports, "As he campaigns for governor, Republican Bill Simon Jr. says he played almost no role in the business fiasco that led a jury last week to levy $78 million in damages against his family's investment firm... But court records show Simon, who personally lost more than $1 million in the deal, participated in every stage of the partnership... Simon's attempt to distance himself from the Pacific Coin deal also recalls his earlier efforts to play down his role at Western Federal Savings & Loan, a thrift seized by the government in 1993 at a cost of $122 million to taxpayers. Given the timing of the Pacific Coin verdict--14 weeks before the election--it has become a central focus of the governor's race... For Simon, a conservative who trumpets his background as a prosecutor, the Pacific Coin case is especially harmful because it shows he did business with a former drug trafficker who served 30 months in prison."

GOP's Class Warriors Steal Money from the Poor to Help the Rich
06-Aug-02
Republicans

An Associated Press computer analysis reveals that since 1994 when the Republicans gained control of the House, tens of billions of dollars in federal spending were moved from poor urban and rural areas into wealthy suburbs where the GOP is based. "The result was an average of $612 million more in federal spending last year for congressional districts represented by Republicans than for those represented by Democrats, the analysis found. That translates into more business loans and farm subsidies, and fewer public housing grants and food stamps," says the AP. So how does the GOP react to the revelation that their party has inflicted needless misery on millions of Americans - a deficit that will be felt with growing acuity in coming months? "There is an old adage," says House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.). "To the victor goes the spoils." Or as Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat cake!" End class warfare from above - defeat ALL Republicans!

Federal Judge Says Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) is Lying in his TV Ads
31-Jul-02
Republicans

The Washington Post reports, "Republican Gov. Rick Perry on Monday launched a new advertising assault on Democratic opponent Tony Sanchez... Perry's 30-second television ad draws on selected court records to say that 'a federal judge confirmed Sanchez's bank wired millions of laundered drug money to Manuel Noriega's Panama.' Not so fast, says U.S. District Judge Harry Lee Hudspeth, the 'federal judge' referenced in the ad. Hudspeth on Tuesday broke the traditional judicial silence and questioned the ad's accuracy, saying he only mentioned Tesoro [the bank] briefly in an unrelated court opinion that did not mention 'Gen. Noriega top, bottom, or sideways.'" Gee, a Republican caught lying. Now THERE's a shocker! Hey Rick, what about the Bush Crime Family's long alliance with Noriega that ended when Noriega no longer went along with the Bush-CIA criminal enterprise in Central America. It was then that BushDaddy launched the Panama Invasion to get Noriega out of the picture.

GOP Recruitment of Black Candidates is Ludicrous
26-Jul-02
Republicans

As Election 2002 looms, the GOP is scrambling for new black recruits. But just take a look at past recruits, says Baltimore columnist Wiley Hall III. In 1997, when the GOP tapped Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK) to deliver its response to Clinton's State of the Union address, Watts used his forum "to sneer at the civil-rights movement, calling Jesse Jackson and other black leaders 'race-hustling poverty pimps' and other names in a pre-speech interview. " Such episodes only seem "to confirm the stereotype that the only blacks promoted to leadership within the Republican Party are those so half-mad with self-loathing and so far outside the mainstream of black thinking that they are not to be taken seriously." Hall adds, "The GOP has been actively hostile to blacks and their interests and concerns. It has shown an ignorance that is so profound it can only be born of arrogance. In short, Republicans earned the distrust of black voters."

From His Deathbed, Jesse Helms Tries to Block Vote on Women's Rights Treaty
25-Jul-02
Republicans

"As a courtesy to ailing Sen. Jesse Helms, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee postponed on Thursday a vote on an international treaty designed to promote equality for women worldwide... Helms is a [militant!] opponent of the treaty, formally known as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Helms wants to participate in the debate on the treaty but Biden said he did not want to await Helms' return before holding a committee vote. Biden said a delay until September would prevent the measure from reaching the full Senate during the current session of Congress... He scheduled a vote for next Tuesday. A Helms' spokesman expressed disappointment with the decision." Gee, we didn't hear Jesse express any "disappointment" when the Pakistani "elders" recently sentenced an innocent woman to gang rape - which is exactly why CEDAW is needed. Hey Jesse - wouldn't this be a good time to start preparing your soul for your upcoming meeting with your maker?

Worried Republicans Break Ranks with Bush to Avoid Electoral Sweep
18-Jul-02
Republicans

"Many Republicans, increasingly concerned that President [sic] Bush has been slow to address brewing controversies, are racing ahead of him on several fronts, most notably in efforts to rein in wayward corporations... The decision to one-up [Bush] ...marks a change for a party that warmly embraced Bush after eight years of Bill Clinton's presidency and backed him on virtually every major issue in his first 18 months in office. With control of the House and Senate riding on November's elections, it underscores the GOP's nervousness about the possible consequences of looking hesitant to crack down on unpopular corporate practices…A top political strategist for House Republicans said: 'In the final analysis, we're no good to Bush if we don't keep the majority, so we've got to look out for ourselves, first and foremost.'" Right, while your corporate-controlled figurehead looks out for his cronies, you guys look out for yourselves, leaving us citizens to fend for ourselves...

SC Republicans Hire Indicted Eavesdropper
10-Jul-02
Republicans

"The South Carolina Republican Party has hired a new executive director, who was indicted in April on four felony charges stemming from eavesdropping on Democratic legislators in Virginia. Ed Matricardi, who served as executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia for three years, was accused of eavesdropping on a conference call that included Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and Democratic legislators... 'We were impressed with this guy,' [GOP Chairman Katon] Dawson said... The S.C. GOP itself has been under investigation by the Federal Election Commission for failure to report debts and misstating financial activity. 'We needed someone who understood FEC law and could get us out of the trouble we're in now,' Dawson said. State Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian said the state GOP has violated every federal election law since 1998. 'Now they hire a guy who has been indicted... We try to hire personnel from Penn State. They try to hire people from the state pen.'"

TN Democrat Gets Death Threats for Supporting State Income Tax
08-Jul-02
Republicans

Tennessee is struggling with a huge budget deficit, and Republicans adamantly oppose an income tax to spread the tax burden more equitably. And GOP-led opposition is so vicious that at least one Democratic state senator, Robert Rochelle, has been receiving death threats - prompting him to suspend his re-election campaign. He says a concern about not running is that the voters' other choice would be -- in his words -- "a do-nothing legislator, a person who is championed by such cruel supporters." Hey Robert - don't let GOP criminals get away with their crimes. We demand an urgent investigation by the FBI!

Are They Evil GOP Bastards? You Decide
27-Jun-02
Republicans

"Since the New Deal, Republicans have been on the wrong side of every issue of concern to ordinary Americans; Social Security, the war in Vietnam, equal rights, civil liberties, church- state separation, consumer issues, public education, reproductive freedom, national health care, labor issues, gun policy, campaign-finance reform, the environment and tax fairness. No political party could remain so consistently wrong by accident. The only rational conclusion is that, despite their cynical 'family values' propaganda, the Republican Party is a criminal conspiracy to betray the interests of the American people in favor of oligarchic and corporate interests and absolutist religious groups. Why? Because they're evil GOP bastards!"

Republicans Lied on Term Limits
26-Jun-02
Republicans

NY Times reports, "Facing a call to hold senior committee members to a total of six years as the top Republican on their panels and open the hearing room doors to new blood, Senators said today that they had thought it over carefully and had finally decided to give themselves a bit of a break. Under a plan they approved today Republican senators can serve a maximum of six years as chairman of any committee, but time as the ranking minority member will not cut into that six years. As a result, some Republicans whose tenure as chairmen was rudely interrupted last year when Senator James M. Jeffords of Vermont left their party can reassume their positions should the Republicans regain the Senate in November or later. The issue was so sensitive that Republicans voted by secret ballot during a closed meeting of their party conference, so even the senators who attended cannot be certain who voted to place their own ambitions ahead of sacred seniority."

TN Republican Exposed Himself to Teen Girls, Then Killed Himself
20-Jun-02
Republicans

Here is yet another Republican scandal involving sex and death, and once again the press is nowhere in sight. On 3-13-02, TN State Rep. Keith Westmoreland (R-Kingsport) allegedly stood at his window and exposed himself to hotel guests across the street. On 3-26-02, he allegedly visited a local Holiday Inn and exposed himself in the hot tub to two sisters, ages 13 and 15. And in June, he allegedly visited a hotel in San Destin FL, where he exposed himself to three girls under age 16. For that encounter, Westmoreland was charged with seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to a child. As his final act, Westmoreland paid homage to another Republican cause - the NRA - by killing himself with a shotgun. We extend our condolences to Westmoreland's family and friends. But hey Limbaugh/Hannity/O'Reilly/Bennett/Coulter & Co. - where is the outrage? And where is the media circus that hounds Gary Condit?

Saxby Chambliss - Hypocritical Republican Draft Dodger - Calls Max Cleland a Traitor
20-Jun-02
Republicans

Mary McGrory writes, "If the mugging of Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia is a fair indicator of what is to come, the fall elections will be ugly. Cleland, a decorated veteran and triple amputee, was attacked by his Republican opponent, Rep. Saxby Chambliss, 'for breaking his oath to protect and defend the Constitution.' Shades of Lee Atwater, the fabled Republican cutthroat politico who helped pilot the first President Bush to victory. But even Atwater might have hesitated before going after a man who lost both legs and an arm in the service of his country. Chambliss did not participate in Vietnam. He had a bad knee, he told columnist Mark Shields, who was the first to call national attention to Cleland's bizarre situation -- veterans whose war wounds confine them to wheelchairs are often given a pass on patriotism, especially by those who never wore the uniform. But Chambliss was not deterred."

On the Very Day He Fought for a $250,000 Cap on Lawsuit Damages, Bob Barr Sued Clinton, Carville and Flynt for $30 Million
14-Jun-02
Republicans

Salon's Anthony York writes, "When the news finally broke -- because porn magnate Larry Flynt sent out his own press release -- that Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., had filed a lawsuit in March against Bill Clinton, pundit James Carville and Flynt for $30 million, claiming 'loss of reputation and emotional distress,' the timing couldn't have been much more awkward for Barr. That very day, he was championing a bill that would cap damage awards for 'pain and suffering' at $250,000... So how can someone who wants to limit awards for pain and suffering sue the former president and others for a whopping $30 million in emotional distress? ... Behold: Bob Barr's vast left-wing conspiracy -- Barr's case is yet another bizarre coda to the impeachment saga."

Virginia's First Republican House Speaker Resigns Over $100,000 Sexual Harassment Payoff
14-Jun-02
Republicans

Virginia "House Speaker S. Vance Wilkins relinquished his post as the state's most powerful legislator because of sexual harassment allegations... Wilkins, the state's first Republican speaker, has admitted he paid $100,000 to a woman who accused him of groping her last summer... Wilkins said he paid the settlement to 26-year-old Jennifer Thompson to keep the allegation out of court, and said the money came from his personal funds. In his 24 years in the House, Wilkins built the GOP from an insignificant minority in the 100-member House to a majority of 64. He said he would decide in the next few weeks whether he will also give up his House seat... Delegate Robert Bloxom, a Republican, said Wilkins' actions have damaged the GOP. 'It can't help but taint the perception that some people have, and that's going to take some time to reconstruct,' Bloxom said."

Bob Barr Sues Clinton, Carville and Larry Flynt
13-Jun-02
Republicans

As you read this story, we want to make sure that you all have a box of tissues with you to hold back the tears that you may cry. Bob Barr has filed suit in a Washington federal court against former president Bill Clinton, Crossfire's James Carville, and politically active pornographer Larry Flynt seeking compensatory damages "in excess of $30 million" for "loss of reputation and emotional distress" and "injury in his person and property" allegedly caused by these three - who Barr claims conspired to "hinder [the plaintiff] in the lawful discharge of his duties." Clinton's attorney, David Kendall, said: "The claims have no legal merit and will be defended vigorously."

Right Wing GOP Hypocrites Play Politics with OUR Safety
07-Jun-02
Republicans

Eric Boehlert writes, "Fixing the FBI has become a priority among members of Congress in recent weeks, as revelations of the bureau's intelligence breakdowns have mounted. But while many see an urgent, bipartisan need for reform, one effort is being checked by a hardball political maneuver. Using a century-old procedural tactic, an unidentified Republican senator has placed a hold on the FBI Reform Act of 2002, making it virtually impossible for the legislation to reach the full Senate for a vote. Speculation on Capitol Hill suggests it may be Republican payback for the contentious defeat of conservative Mississippi District Court Judge Charles Pickering... At the time, some Republicans vowed revenge and threatened to delay Democratic legislation. The bill... passed the Judiciary Committee by a unanimous vote in April. But just days after the vote, a hold was placed on the bill anonymously and without explanation." Where is the outrage???

'What's Good for the Goose' Doesn't Fly for House Repugs on Air Force One
01-Jun-02
Republicans

Tom Edsall writes, "Back in 1998, Rep. Fred Upton (Repug-Mich.) joined the majority of his colleagues in voting for a resolution calling on the Clinton administration to reimburse the Air Force for the cost of flying Air Force One to political fundraising events. Now, in 2002, when Upton, a moderate, faces a primary challenge from the right of his party, he is running political commercials showing him with President [sic] Bush traveling together on Air Force One. Needless to say, the Michigan Democratic Party finds this to be two-faced. 'Fred owes the taxpayers some money,' said Ben Kohrman, communications director for the Michigan Democrats. 'What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Fred Upton needs to cut a check.' Needless to say, the Upton campaign does not agree."

Former RNC Chairman Turned Down for Job with Baker's Law Firm
24-May-02
Republicans

Four months after leaving office, former Virgina Governor and Republican National Committee Chairman James S. Gilmore continues his search for just the right position. A telling note is that he "almost" had a position at Texas-based Baker Botts, James Baker's law firm. Currently freelance speaking on terrorism and the Internet, he candidly admits "I'm in no hurry."

Why Are The Bushies ALL Capitalist Crooks And Right Wing Thugs? 'Cuz Ya Dance With Them What Brung Ya
23-May-02
Republicans

Molly Ivins writes, "The financial industry has always been anathema to populists... So I thought it was just me when reading the financial pages caused me to wonder, 'Is there anybody in this business who is not a crook?' I don't think it's just me. [Phil Gramm's wife] served on the board of Enron, but a spokeswoman for Gramm announced the reform bill [that Gramm is trying to kill] has nothing to do with Enron and is therefore not a conflict of interest... This cheerful effort to scuttle mild financial reforms comes amid regular updates on Enron's frauds and felonies. [On another note, there has been much twittering amongst liberals since David Brock's book] came out as to whether there actually is a vast right-wing conspiracy. As Izzy Stone noted years ago, they don't need a conspiracy -- they do it all right out in the open. It's on the front pages. But the country seems to have lost its gag reflex."

Texas Governor's 15-Year-Old Daughter is Supporting the Family
22-May-02
Republicans

Here is another wonderful example of Republican Family Values. Texas Gov. Rick Perry (known to all loyal Molly Ivins fans as "Goodhair") obtained a special "hardship" driver's license for his 15-year-old daughter. That means Ms. Perry is either in vocational school - a fact not mentioned in the article - or she is supporting her family, despite her dad's $115,345 annual salary. Is that because Enron's bankruptcy left Gov. Perry without a source of bribes? Or does Gov. Perry have some very expensive "habits" that his conservative supporters might not find as appealing as his hair?

Southern Republican 'Leadership' Conference - Brought to You by Multinational Corporations
14-May-02
Republicans

Check out this website for the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, starring Dick Cheney (if his BP allows it!). It says it all about the "all strategy no substance" tactics of the GOP. First, the conference is in NC - no doubt perceived as "safe" territory - these are the folks, after all, who elected Jesse Helms REPEATEDLY. The conference winds up the last day of June - just in time for Bush's latest vague terrorist threat (the "July nuke plant warning" bit) to kick in. I'm sure attendees will receive tips on exploiting terrorist threats in their "political training" workshops (see agenda)! Most telling are the two animations at the top of the page. The upper one touts the events many corporate sponsors, while the one below it shows the Repugs stereotypical concept of the blue collar guy - likes likes race cars, likes "Bud" (logo on racecar), parrots 'rightwing patriot' slogans ("Let's Roll!" )

Hypocritical Republican Tactics
10-May-02
Republicans

"I remember a time when I respected the Republican Party. I hate to admit it now, but I have even voted for Republicans in the past. However, over the years the Republican Party has become a powerful political force that espouses moralistic attacks for the sole purpose of winning. As I watched this happen, my respect for the Party dwindled, not over political policy or issues, but over political strategy. Why? Because of the hypocrisy... Politicians must compromise on issues and legislation or nothing would be accomplished. But political parties have an obligation to represent their beliefs and their philosophies with honesty so that Americans can cast their votes with confidence. The Republican Party chose a tactical path of duplicity. They chose power over integrity. Honor had ceased to matter. Winning was the only thing. They steadily built their power by accusing the Democratic Party of the very things they themselves were guilty of." So writes Rebecca Knight in Buzzflash.

Celebrity Boxing: Hatch v. Hatch
02-May-02
Republicans

Here's our suggestion for the next celebrity boxing match. "In the far corner, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, the leading opponent of legal abortion, author of the 1981 Human Life Amendment, who believes life begins at CONCEPTION and doctors who perform abortions belong in the electric chair. In the near corner, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, the leading champion of corporate greed, who recently learned that big corporations can make big profits through laboratory cloning, and now believes life begins in the WOMB." Who will win? As with all Republicans, always bet on the money - and always bet against women's rights to control their own bodies.

11 Republican House Pages Fired for Smoking Dope, but No Criminal Charges Will Be Filed - This is an Outrage!
01-May-02
Republicans

Folks, we've had it with Republican hypocrisy. The US suffered for a year through a White House Intern scandal - now it's time for the Congressional Page scandal. The pages are familiar to C-Span viewers - clean-cut teenagers in blue blazers who ferry messages around the Capitol. These positions are tough to get, and require character recommendations and appointment by a Member, who is responsible for their conduct. No less than ELEVEN - count 'em! - Republican House pages were fired after bringing drugs to their dorm. But is firing the pages enough? No way! If these were YOUR teenagers, they would be in jail, in some cases for YEARS. And if poverty forced you into public housing - governors' mansions excepted - you would be out on the street! We're sick and tired of America's two-track criminal system - prison for the poor, reprimands for the rich. We demand a criminal investigation of the coverup of the House Page Scandal! Call your Representative at 202-224-3121 - and call C-Span!

After Repeatedly Smearing Torricelli, GOP Darling Treffinger Now Focus of Federal Corruption Investigation
22-Apr-02
Republicans

Those God-fearin' Republicans sure are leading the nation toward a "new morality," aren't they? Let's see, we have the Mayor of Waterbury jailed on child molestation charges, the third-ranking Congressional GOPer Delay running a boiler room scam to bilk doctors out of "donations," and all those good Republican guys who headed Enron and Anderson caught red-handed stealing from employees, clients and consumers. Now, to add to this growing list of the "morally uplifting," we have James Treffinger, the GOP favorite (at least until this weekend!) for the U.S. Senate race in NJ. Treffinger, who has loudly accused Senator Bob Torricelli of corruption, had his office raided by the feds, who confiscated documents and computer files after Treffinger became closely implicated in a corruption case. Loyalty, of course, being another great GOP character trait, the party's response was to dump JT's butt overnight and disavow any support.

FBI and IRS Raid GOP Senate Frontrunner in NJ
22-Apr-02
Republicans

The NY Times reports, "Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service today raided the office of James W. Treffinger, the Essex County executive and the current front-runner for the Republican nomination for United States Senate this year... [An anonymous official] said that the search involved a federal investigation into United Gunite, a paving contracting firm whose executives have pleaded guilty to paying bribes to elected and other municipal officials in exchange for contracts. The official also said that the warrants contained a list of the names of a number of full-time and part-time Essex County employees who may have been serving in their posts solely to perform political duties. The warrants, according to the same official, also sought documents relating to major campaign contributors to Mr. Treffinger who also did business with county government." So when will the feds investigate "United Oil", which helped Bush become commander-in-thief?

In Pennsylvania, Republicans are Re-Registering as Democrats by the THOUSANDS
20-Apr-02
Republicans

Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Ed Rendell has unveiled a revolutionary strategy for winning elections - converting registered Republicans to Democrats. "It started out as a grassroots thing," said campaign spokesman Dan Fee. "People kept saying, 'I want to vote for [Rendell].' Once we saw the enthusiasm was there, we decided to help it along." The campaign sent over 100,000 letters to Republicans encouraging them to switch parties. Over 5,500 have already switched in two counties alone. Many of these are pro-choice suburban women who want to support Rendell, the only pro-choice candidate in the race. This is making Harry Fawkes, the Bucks County GOP chairman NUTS! "Fawkes said his organization is keeping close track of the voters who switched and plans to ask them after the primary to change back. He said the former Republicans will at least be getting a letter from him and possibly a visit from their local GOP committee members." Is this some kind of a threat???

GOP 'Greens' Urge Bu$h To Preserve The Clean Water Act - They Should Follow Jim Jeffords
17-Apr-02
Republicans

This is a triple barf bag story - if these elected Republicans really care about this Country, why are they still Republicans? They should follow Jim Jeffords, who left the GOP in part over Bu$h's environmental sellouts. This letter to THEIR reckless and fearless leader - Bu$h - will hit the Enron shredder without even being read. Why? Because Bu$h is doing EXACTLY what he planned to do, when he stole the Election - destroy the Government, and give EVERYTHING to his Robber Baron Buddies. Wake up and smell the manure! Oh wait - that's not manure - thats the smell of rotting corpses, filling the Church of the Nativity - as Bush awakens from his nap, and slouches towards Bethlehem.

Texas Republicans Reject Armey's Son Despite Gramm's Help
11-Apr-02
Republicans

Texas voters rejected Dick Armey's son, Scott, as the Republican nominee for the District 26 House seat, instead favoring a political novice, obstetrician Dr. Michael Burgess. Despite overspending Burgess by 3 to 1, Phil Gramm's help on radio spots and letters to voters -- not to mention his Daddy Dick's full-page advertisements -- the younger Armey only received 45% of the vote. In an ironic twist given his opponent's occupation, Scott Armey promised if elected to introduce a bill overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

Goodbye and Good Riddance to the Ugliest Repugs in Congress
06-Apr-02
Republicans

Molly Ivins writes in Mother Jones, "Hail and farewell to two of the meanest guys ever to serve in the U.S. Congress -- Senator Phil Gramm and House Majority Leader Dick Armey, both from Texas. What a barrel of knee-slapping fun they have been. As each winds up his final year in office, we could have a fine time recalling their Meanest Moments... Armey and Gramm represent the last of a certain style of antigovernment politician... They built their political careers by opposing everything the government does to help people, constantly disparaging and attacking the institutional form of the people's power. Corporate welfare is fine with Gramm, just not anything to help people... Armey and Gramm's joint retirement, along with that of Jesse Helms, marks the end of a particularly nasty kind of politics. Even Republicans now prefer a softer edge, a warmer and fuzzier approach. The result is the same, but "compassionate conservatism" goes down a lot smoother."

Rich, White and Republican: The American Dream For Some, Paid for By the Rest of Us
31-Mar-02
Republicans

Many Americans who "make it" join the GOP as if it were an exclusive country club. "They see their voting card designation not as evidence of their right to stand up for what they truly believe as Americans, but as their ticket into an exclusive club. Instead of having a strong political philosophy founded on a personal belief system and knowledge of their party's history, they simply ape the boss or the rich neighbor down the street. When you question them too closely, you discover they don't really have any clue what being a Republican really means, what the party's pathetic history is. All they see is that 'rich powerful people are Republicans.' Therefore, if you vote Republican, some riches and power might rub off on you, too." So writes Cheryl Seal in Unknown News.

As Jesse Helms Prepares to Meet His Maker, He's Finally Realized Christian Virtue Starts With Helping Those in Need
30-Mar-02
Republicans

Sen. Jesse Helms (R-Tora Bora) seems to be getting nervous, writing recently that "Perhaps, in my 81st year, I am too mindful of soon meeting Him." So now Helms wants to throw his Lord a bone - a paltry $500 million to fight AIDS in Africa, and only to stop mother-to-child transmission of AIDS. Helms is offering no medical aid to the millions of African adults and children who are suffering horribly from AIDS. Nor does he offer any compassion to AIDS victims in the US, blaming the "homosexual lifestyle" for the spread of AIDS in this country, and complaining AIDS research took necessary money away from more worthy areas like "heart problems and other medical defects of humanity." Helms says he recently felt "so ashamed that I have done so little" on AIDS. Well, Jesse, this is way too little and way too late. You can count on an exceptionally "warm" reception at the Pearly Gates.

Another 'Family Values' Republican Hypocrite Caught on Videotape
23-Mar-02
Republicans

According to the Houston Chronicle, Texas House District 56 is "a solidly Republican district that covers northern Waco and areas of rural McLennan County, including President Bush's ranch in Crawford." And the frontrunner in this race was "Walt Fair, who won a runoff spot in the March 12 primary. He ran on a family values platform, but his wife, Laura, received a videotape the day before the primary reportedly showing him entering a hotel with another woman. Laura Fair filed for divorce March 13, and Fair publicly admitted marital infidelity... Fair told friends the day after the primary that he would drop out of the runoff. A day later, he declared he would continue to challenge [his GOP opponent Holt] Getterman, whom he blamed for the breakup of his marriage." Hey Walt - there's no one to blame for your divorce but yourself! Haven't you ever heard of "personal responsibility"?

Leahy Demands Investigation of Robert Ray
19-Mar-02
Republicans

There is no doubt that Independent Counsel Robert Ray began his campaign for New Jersey Senator while still investigating former President Clinton. And that has Democrats hopping mad, for good reason. Pat "Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is urging Attorney General John Ashcroft and the General Accounting Office to investigate whether Ray broke any laws, regulations or ethics rules. Independent prosecutors 'must bring single-minded focus and unassailable impartiality to their investigations,' Leahy said Monday in a letter to Ashcroft. 'It was that role which Mr. Ray swore an oath to fulfill, and that is why I am compelled to question his simultaneous partisan, political activity.' Leahy also wrote to David Walker, comptroller general of the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress... Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, raised similar questions last month in letters to Ray and to the three federal appeals court judges who appointed him." You go, Democrats!

Nearing 100, Strom Still Votes the Right-Wing Agenda, Now in his Wheelchair
13-Mar-02
Republicans

Strom Thurmond will turn 100 on 12-5-02, but nothing is going to stop him from continuing to cast a crucial vote for every right-wing cause. According to the Columbia (SC) State, "U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond is increasingly frail and now relies on a wheelchair to get around... Several longtime associates who asked not to be named said the 99-year-old Republican's condition has worsened. Some noted a marked decrease in his mobility and activity." "Under no circumstances will I step down from office," he said in a prepared statement. "I was elected to serve the people of South Carolina and, God willing, I have every intention of finishing my term."

John McCain Strategist Denounces GOP and Joins Democrats
08-Mar-02
Republicans

From the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire of 3-8-02."McCAIN-ITE GOES DEMOCRAT: John Weaver , veteran GOP consultant, defects. The well-known strategist for Sen. McCain's 2000 run against Bush says the GOP now is the party of 'the corporate skybox elite,' recast in the century-old image of 'Mark Hanna and his money-men.' That recalls the GOP king-maker behind President McKinley, a historical favorite of Bush strategist -- and Weaver rival -- Karl Rove. Weaver left McCain's payroll last year but still advises him on campaign finance and patients' rights. He meets with advisers to Democratic congressional leaders Daschle and Gephardt; Democratic 2004 presidential aspirants have been in touch. A Texas Democrat until Reagan's rise, Weaver has worked for GOP Sens. Gramm and Sessions, among others, and the first Bush's 1988 Texas presidential campaign. 'I certainly have a lot of penance to do,' he quips." Hey McCain - why don't you switch to the honest party too?

Special Prosecutor Robert Ray is Campaigning for US Senate!
07-Mar-02
Republicans

Roll Call reports, "Legally barred from running for office while still a federal prosecutor, Independent Counsel Robert Ray has been quietly taking steps for at least the past two months to mount a bid for the Republican nomination to challenge Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.). With his various investigations into the Clinton family now officially concluded, Ray could soon announce that he will be a contender for the GOP Senate nod. But [he's] already begun to lay the groundwork even before wrapping up his official duties... What few steps Ray has made publicly so far - openly pondering political office in a media interview and indirectly attacking Torricelli's 'paralysis of investigations and scandals' at a GOP fundraiser last month - have been met with condemnation from a leading House Democrat. Rep. John Conyers (Mich.), ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, has accused Ray of violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the law governing his appointment." This is an OUTRAGE!

Tom Feeney's Girlfriend Caught Scrubbing Official E-mails
07-Mar-02
Republicans

"A top aide to [Florida] House Speaker Tom Feeney tried to delete e-mails about state and campaign business from her computer last week as reporters requested copies of them. Bridgette Gregory's e-mails were believed to have been recovered intact, Feeney spokeswoman Kim Stone said. Feeney's office also acknowledged Wednesday that the state Republican Party has begun paying the bills for about a half-dozen state cell phones his staff uses. The Palm Beach Post Feb. 7 requested copies of Gregory's state cell phone records from August through Feb. 6. Stone last week provided records from August to early September that showed Gregory called lobbyists on her state cell phone who have since pledged their support for Feeney. He is expected to seek a congressional seat this year." So reports Palm Beach Post reporter S.V. Date - who was BARRED from the House floor by Feeney for his "aggressive" pursuit of Bridgette Gregory to question her. WHOSE Florida is it???

Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney Scandal Explodes
28-Feb-02
Republicans

Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney (R) won national infamy after the 2000 election by appointing Florida's 25 electors for Bush, even if Gore was proven to have won more votes. Now Feeney is fending off a scandal - the kind even Florida's mediawhores can understand. "A top legislative aide to House Speaker Tom Feeney has been working on his congressional campaign from his Capitol office, a possible criminal violation of state election laws. Bridgette Gregory, a 27-year-old former [Hooter's] waitress and more recently a fund-raiser for the state Republican Party, is paid $55,644 a year even though she has neither the bachelor's degree nor the technical experience that the state's job description for her position requires. Feeney's congressional campaign also has paid Gregory $11,000 to persuade lobbyists to give him the maximum $1,000 per person and $5,000 per political action committee to aid his bid for a congressional seat he hopes to carve for himself in east-central Florida."

12 of the 16 States with the Worst and Next-Worst Welfare Policies have Republican Governors
26-Feb-02
Republicans

The GOP has a lot to be "proud" of: it is crueller to the poor, elderly, children, disabled, low-income, and workers than the Democrats or Independents. In addition to governing 8 out of the 10 states in the Union with the worst welfare policies (not to mention 4 of the 6 receiving "dishonorable mentions"), Republican governors preside over 66% of the states denying employees the right to unionize, 34% of the states paying the lowest rates of workers' comp, and 71% of states with anti-union "right to work" (for less) states. (In fact, 8 of 10 of the states with the highest rate of on-the-job deaths are "right to work states" with 7 of these states run by GOP governors).

Rightwingsicko John Fund is Arrested for Assaulting his Fiancee
25-Feb-02
Republicans

"Troubled Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund was arrested yesterday and charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend, police said. Fund, 46, had a stormy relationship with Morgan Pillsbury, the 27-year-old daughter of a former girlfriend, for more than two years before the couple broke up last month, police sources said. Tuesday, Fund, famous for his attacks on President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, allegedly went to Pillsbury's East Village home and bruised her leg during an argument, the sources said... Pillsbury told The Post's Page Six last month Fund had been abusive to her, but later attempted to retract the statement. Pillsbury finally moved out of Fund's Jersey City home in January, just as Pillsbury's mother, Melinda Pillsbury-Foster, who had a relationship with Fund 20 years ago, was announcing wedding plans for the couple. A week later, the mom said she hoped the wedding wouldn't happen."

Republican 'Values'? 'Republican of the Year' Awarded to Sex Offender Doing Time!
20-Feb-02
Republicans

"A previous commitment will keep a Suffolk man from traveling to Washington, D.C., to accept a Republican of the Year award: He's serving a 26-year state prison sentence. Spokesmen for the National Republican Congressional Committee, an arm of the Republican National Committee that raises millions of dollars to elect GOP candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives, acknowledged Tuesday that convicted sex offender Mark A. Grethen was invited to accept the award at its Business Advisory Council's luncheon in March. U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairs the NRCC. 'We weren't aware of his current predicament. Otherwise, (the invitation) never would have been extended;' said Carl Forti, an NRCC spokesman. The award was rescinded after the NRCC learned of Grethen's crimes, Forti said Tuesday. Grethen, 44, a former businessman, was convicted last year of six sex crimes involving children -- two counts each of forcible sodomy, aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties." So reports the Virginian-Pilot.

What's one Fundamental Difference between Democrats and Republicans? Democrats Really DO Believe in Freedom!
19-Feb-02
Republicans

Since Reagan, Republicans have claimed to be the party of "freedom." (We certainly never heard that claim during the Nixon-Agnew "Cointelpro" years!) Of course, Reagan only believed in the freedom of Ollie North to sell weapons to the Nicaraguan terrorists he called the "Contras," no matter what Congressional laws said. When W saw the parody Website gwbush.com, he revealed his own position: "There ought to be limits to freedom!" he declared. And W's Texas GOP subsidiary is taking his attitude one step further, threatening a lawsuit against the creator of enronownsthegop.com, which parodies the official texasgop.org site. Texas GOP attorney Jonathan Snare says, "The position of [the] state party is that we want this site shut down, because we believe it's going to create confusion." No, it's going to create CLARITY - that Enron really DOES own the GOP, in partnership with many other evildoers in Corporate America.

More Republican 'Integrity' – GOP Committeewoman Running for Re-Election While Facing Trial for Allegedly Stealing $10 Million of Taxpayers' Money
13-Feb-02
Republicans

"A politician awaiting trial for allegedly stealing $10 million in taxpayers' money can run for re-election as Republican Committeeman in Cicero's March 19 primary, the electoral board ruled Monday. Lawyer David Robert Boyle had challenged Betty Loren-Maltese's candidacy, claiming she lives in Las Vegas instead of the Chicago-suburb she represents…But the Cook County Officers Electoral Board said Boyle didn't offer evidence to support his case, clearing the way for Loren-Maltese to run…In June, she was indicted with nine others for allegedly stealing $10 million and spending it on a horse farm and a golf course. She pleaded innocent and is free on bond."

The Ten Commandments--Republican-Style
12-Feb-02
Republicans

By Rebecca Lauer. "I. Thou shalt talk about Christian principles, but not live by them...V. Thou shalt give lip service to democracy while taking away civil liberties...X. Thou shalt call the media liberal, so that people forget that the media is owned by corporations with a conservative fiscal agenda." Read the entire set of tablets!

Bu$h Introduces a New Political Monster: 'Enron Conservatives'
01-Feb-02
Republicans

In The Nation, Robert Borosage writes: "It is Enron's rise that lays bare the hypocrisy of modern conservatives--call them Enron conservatives. Enron conservatives fly the flag of free markets but actually use political and financial clout to free themselves from accountability, rig the market and then use their position to ravage consumers, investors and employees. These are not the small-is-beautiful compassionate conservatives George Bush advertised in the election campaign, or the tory conservatives who protect flag, family and honor. Enron conservatives make the rules to benefit themselves. 'They have clout and the ability to get the rules written their way,' said Stephen Naeve, chief financial officer for Houston Industries, Inc. about Enron in 1997. 'They play with sharp elbows.'" Be afraid - be VERY afraid...

Another Connecticut Republican Pervert Faces Lawsuits
23-Jan-02
Republicans

According to the Norwich Bulletin, three women are suing the city of Norwich, charging that Police Lt. James F. Daigle Jr. took nude photos of them after persuading them he needed the photos for police investigative work. "Daigle, a 17-year-veteran of the Norwich Police Department and chairman of the Norwich Republican Town Committee, was put on paid leave Dec. 7. Norwich police are conducting an internal investigation." One victim "was told the alleged [murder] suspect was interested in child pornography and that the photos would be used to try and catch him." Two other women "claim Daigle told them he needed to photograph them to prove they were not hiding fake identifications."

Connecticut Republican Pervert Commits Suicide After Arrest
23-Jan-02
Republicans

"Plainfield's Planning and Zoning Commission chairman committed suicide just a few days after being charged with exposing himself at a Rhode Island adult video store. 55-year-old Stuart Denton was found dead in a shed on his property Sunday night. The Norwich Bulletin reported that the medical examiner's office concluded the cause of death was 'asphyxia by neck compression as a result of hanging.' Officials did not know exactly when Denton died. Denton, who also was a member of the Republican Town Committee, was one of seven men arrested last week in a raid at the Johnston, Rhode Island store. He was charged with disorderly conduct and loitering for indecent purposes and was to appear Wednesday in Providence Superior Court. Plainfield officials said they are shocked and saddened by the news, and described Denton as a dedicated public servant." (Item #6)

Republicans Sure Are 'Flexible'!
22-Jan-02
Republicans

"Only folks with contortion abilities worthy of Harry Houdini (or a very unhealthy interest in other peoples' sex lives) could spend six years and $65 million investigating if and when Bill Clinton received consensual oral sex from a willing adult, and then caution reporters against turning the Bush administration's ties to Enron into a 'partisan witch hunt'... And only folks with the acrobatic dexterity of the Flying Walendas could oppose President Clinton's retaliatory bombing of Al-Quaeda camps after the attacks on two U.S. embassies, screaming Wag the Dog, and then blame the attacks of September 11 on Clinton's weak stance against terrorists. I swear, it's like one big game of Twister in Washington these days. It's a wonder they don't all get ticketed for tying up traffic on Dupont Circle. Shoot, if those were Democrats, we'd be in traffic court for years... Don't believe me? Two words: Gary Condit." So writes Christian Livemore in the Online Journal.

Republicans Gather in Texas to Celebrate Enrongate and Floridagate
16-Jan-02
Republicans

The Republican National Committee is meeting in Austin, and there are Enron connections everywhere! The host is Gov. Rick Perry, who appointed an Enron executive from Mexico to run Texas's energy commission... the new RNC chair will be Marc Racicot, Enron's top lobbyist... and Karl "Goebbels" Rove is giving a speech, no doubt to brag about selling $250,000 worth of Enron stock just before it tanked. But just because Enrongate is in the headlines, that does not mean Floridagate has been forgotten. As an extra bonus, Florida's Katherine Harris will be there to help Tom "Adolph" DeLay steal a few Congressional seats in the next election!

Republicans Owe Clinton A Big-Time Apology for 'Wag-the-Dog' Accusations in 1998
07-Jan-02
Republicans

On August 20, 1998, our last democratically elected President, Bill Clinton, ordered a cruise missile attack on Afghanistan in an attempt to hit Osama Bin Laden. (Clinton missed by a few hours, the time it took for the missiles to reach Afghanistan from the Indian Ocean.) Two prominent Republican Senators - Arlen Specter (PA) and Dan Coats (IN) immediately suggested that Clinton was "wagging the dog" to distract the nation's attention from Monicagate. These accusations were immediately trumpeted by right-wing commentators on on radio and TV. Obviously these traitors were so obsessed with President Clinton's private life that they were paying NO attention to Bin Laden's terrorist attacks on US targets in the middle east and Africa. We demand an apology!

Armey To Leave Congress; Son May Run For His Seat; DeLay Likely To Grab House Majority Leader Post
15-Dec-01
Republicans

"Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, the bumbling, tongue-tied Dick Armey announces his retirement as House majority leader and the shrewd, malevolent Tom DeLay, now Republican whip, moves quickly -- and probably successfully -- to succeed him. Braver souls to the left of Attila the Hun may stand and fight, but I'm headed for a cave in the Hill Country. With Armey's departure (at the end of his current term in early 2003), we bid farewell to the loopier end of the 'dynamic duo.' America will have to get by with one fewer Texan in the upper echelons of the national government. Columnists will have to make up some of their own howlers. Washington's loss will be Flower Mound's gain." Hearing Armey get weepy about his wife while announcing his retirement before Congress was an eerie Jimmy Swaggart/Bob Livingston moment. Consider the statements by three former students claiming inappropriate behavior by Professor Armey at North Texas State.

Bush Appoints Loyal Recount Liar Marc Racicot as New RNC Chairman
05-Dec-01
Republicans

"President [sic] Bush on Tuesday selected former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot to chair the Republican National Committee, GOP officials said. Party leaders are expected to endorse the selection next month. Racicot would replace Gov. Jim Gilmore of Virginia, who resigned Friday amid friction with the White House. Bush turned to Racicot as part of a broader overhaul of RNC operations to prepare for midterm 2002 elections, with control of Congress and three dozen statehouses at stake." Racicot earned his stripes during the Recount when he lied in front of the cameras that Gore was trying to disenfranchise the votes of military personnel.

Amid Disappointing Election Results and Internal Party Tensions, RNC Chairman Gilmore Is Resigning
03-Dec-01
Republicans

"Republican National Chairman Jim Gilmore disclosed plans to resign Friday after a one-year tenure marked by disappointing election results and internal party tensions. Gilmore's departure, effective in mid-January, clears the way for President Bush to install a new party head in advance of 2002 elections, with control of Congress and three dozen statehouses at stake. Moving quickly, the White House asked Republican leaders throughout the country for advice on a successor. Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, who came to Bush's aid during the Florida recount last year, was the leading candidate for the job, GOP sources said. The names of several other prospects also circulated, including Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., and Ann Wagner of Missouri, co-chairwoman of the RNC." Racicot should be perfect for the job. He was so adept at lying in front of the cameras that Gore was out to disenfranchise the votes of military personnel.

Top GOP Moderate Woman, Marge Roukema Quits in Frustration
09-Nov-01
Republicans

Like Senator Jim Jeffords of VT, Rep. Marge Roukema of NJ has had enough of the ruling Taliban wing of the GOP. Even though Roukema is the senior member of the NJ Republican delegation, the far-right leaders of her party, Tom DeLay and Dick Armey, refused to let her chair the Financial Services Committee because she is pro-choice. Indeed, many House Republicans supported efforts by right-wing groups to defeat Roukema in the last two primaries. Roukema does not want to face another primary, so she will not run for re-election in 2002, opening the door for an important Democratic gain in this pro-choice suburban district. After Roukema, can Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Connie Morella (R-MD) be far behind?

Who Are the Patriots? Republicans or Democrats?
06-Nov-01
Republicans

Next time some right winger challenges the patriotism of Democrats, ask them a simple question: which party's leaders served our country in our armed forces? Tom Daschle, Dick Gephardt, and David Bonior all served, but not Dick Cheney, Trent Lott, Dennis Hastert, Tom DeLay, or Dick Armey. As for Bush - there's a reason this site is called AWOL Bush.

Republican National Chairman Jim Gilmore Steals $260 Million from the Poor and Disabled
04-Nov-01
Republicans

"Virginia is scrambling to use a soon-to-be-illegal accounting trick to divert nearly $260 million from the federal Medicaid program into the state treasury, where the money would offset plummeting revenue rather than cover health care for the poor. The windfall would siphon off federal money meant to reimburse nursing homes, hospitals and homes for the disabled for care of the indigent. The administration of Gov. James S. Gilmore III [who also serves as Republican National Chairman] plans instead to use it to help close a growing hole in the state budget that threatens to kill the rollback of the car tax. The scheme being used by Virginia and three other states is possible under special waivers given by the Bush administration even as Congress was closing the loophole because of its expense." So reports the Washington Post.

GOP v. America: Senate Republicans Wage War Against District of Columbia
31-Oct-01
Republicans

"Judging from this week's planned assault on the District's fiscal year 2002 budget by a group of willful Republican senators, you might think the nation was not under a bioterrorism attack, the U.S. armed forces weren't fighting a war overseas, the economy wasn't on the brink of a recession and the Senate's legislative calendar was empty. Of course, the situation is starkly otherwise: Urgent business is pressing the Senate from all sides. But America's needs are apparently of secondary importance to some GOP members. The Senate is setting aside time this week for a Republican-led attempt to stop the District from spending its own money on needle exchange and domestic partnership programs... At such a parlous moment in the nation's history, the Senate ought to be embarrassed to be jerked around by such unpardonable smallness." So writes the Washington Post.

GOP v. America: Texas Candidate Is a Secret Admirer of the Luftwaffe
30-Oct-01
Republicans

David Dewhurst was recently appointed as the chief of Homeland Security in Texas by Gov. Rick Perry. It's bad enough that Dewhurst is a former CIA case officer - is the Office of Homeland Security a front for a fascist takeover of the US, state by state? Worse yet, Dewhurst is ALSO running for Lieutenant Governor of Texas, an office which is considered even more powerful than the Governor. And a campaign ad in the Texas Monthly revealed Dewhurst's true colors - Luftwaffe Blue. If elected, will Dewhurst change the Texas anthem to Deustchland Uber Alles?

GOP v. America: Their Conservative Ideological Blindness Endangers America
18-Oct-01
Republicans

"Republicans are making things even worse for themselves by continuing their tone-deaf approach to domestic policy and exacerbating this tone-deafness by couching their pet policies in bogus national-security terms. The terrorist threat has been proven real. To Republicans, this apparently means: Rich people are good! Wealthy corporations are good! The market is good! Privatization is good! Such blind ideology leads them to depart from common sense and the interests of the country time and again. How else to explain the continued Republican resistance to a federal takeover of airport security on the grounds that it would jettison the 'flexibility' that contracting out provides... Just as the left has defended failed experiments with public programs in the past, the right is now being equally myopic in defending failed experiments in privatization." So writes Roy Teixeira in the American Prospect.

Republicans Sabotage Patriotism
16-Oct-01
Republicans

"The American Conservative Union, ever-sensitive to the carnage of September 11, ran an ad in Democratic Congressman John C. Spratt's South Carolina district saying that Spratt 'doesn't want to help President Bush defend America'—because Spratt, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, disagrees with the president's funding for Star Wars (Bush's faith-based missile-defense system). This time, no comment from the White House. Not a peep from the punditocracy. No stern lectures from Republican Party elders to keep partisanship out of a national crisis. Why should the fact that we're at quasi-war keep you from kicking a good guy in the rocks?" So writes Paul Begala in The American Prospect.

Police Group Demands Written Apology from J.C. Watts
12-Oct-01
Republicans

"U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts showed 'total disrespect' when he stuffed a parking ticket under an Oklahoma City police officer's badge after Watts left his car unattended in a restricted airport parking area Sept. 28, according to a letter mailed to Watts by the local Fraternal Order of Police... The letter requests a written apology from Watts... 'Your actions toward this officer were totally inexcusable and very unprofessional,' says the letter, signed by local FOP President Marty Stupka. 'You showed total disrespect not only toward Sgt. Stupka, but the entire Oklahoma City Police Department. 'As officers, we receive abuse from criminals who have total disregard for the law. We should not be subject to that type of treatment from an individual who is responsible for enacting those laws.'" A web poll shows 91% say Watts should apologize.

Republicans Keep Blaming Clinton
10-Oct-01
Republicans

Ronald Reagan's CIA trained Osama Bin Laden. George Bush Sr. had Saddam Hussein by the throat but let him go. Bill Clinton inherited both of these menaces, and did his best to contain them, including numerous bombings. But Republicans were WAY too busy shutting down the government, investigating a trivial land deal, manufacturing a sex scandal, and waging a never-ending Jihad against Clinton. These people NEVER had the interests of America in mind; it was always simply the partisan politics of personal destruction. "It is obscene that Republicans who hate President Clinton are using this tragedy to launch further attacks against him," said Jennifer Palmieri, a former Clinton spokeswoman now with the Democratic National Committee. "I would hope the gravity of the task before us would enable these partisans to rise above their obsession with Clinton, but I guess not."

Joan Didion Exposes the Republican Coup
05-Oct-01
Republicans

In a review of Joan Didion's new book "Political Fictions," Susan Faludi writes: "The coup of which she speaks began with Jones v. Clinton, continued through Ken Starr's referral and culminated in the Supreme Court's anointment of George the Second... She is at her most nervy blowing the whistle on that peerlessly dedicated self-protection racket, the contemporary Washington press corps, laying out just how implicated the talking heads have been in the takedown of the Clinton White House, in the breeding of a 'casual contempt' for the electorate's will."

Trent Lott Returns to Partisan Blackmail, With Bush's Support
04-Oct-01
Republicans

According to Roll Call, "Revisiting a pre-Sept. 11 strategy, Senate Republicans plan to block and delay the appropriations process until they get solid guarantees that the Democratic majority will begin to confirm more judicial nominees." Deliberately destroying the nation's spirit of unity, "Lott decided to return to the confrontational approach to nominees, and a Bush official said the White House 'appreciates' the strategy." We are outraged by Lott AND Bush!!!

Strom Thurmond Collapses in Senate
02-Oct-01
Republicans

"Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, 98 and ailing, fainted in the Senate chamber Tuesday and was staying overnight in a hospital for observation and tests. While Thurmond has been to the hospital several times -- including a February stay for fatigue -- this was the first time health problems affected him while in the Senate chamber."

Republican Woman State Senator Opposes Women's Suffrage
28-Sep-01
Republicans

Republican State Senator Kay O'Connor recently told the co-presidents of the Johnson County League of Women Voters that she would vote against the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1920, if it were now being considered because it was the "first step in a decades-long erosion of traditional family values." She told the Kansas City Star that if men had truly protected the best interests of women, then women wouldn't now have to vote and hold office, but could stay home raising families and tending to their domestic duties. O'Connor, who is vice chair of the state senate's elections (!) and local government committee, said "I'm an old-fashioned woman. Men should take care of women, and if men were taking care of women (today) we wouldn't have to vote." Wow.

Philip Giordano is Charged with 11 Counts of Child Rape
21-Sep-01
Republicans

"A 14-count federal indictment against Waterbury's [Republican] mayor, Philip A. Giordano, was unsealed today, revealing allegations that he paid a prostitute to provide him with repeated sexual access to her young daughter and niece. The indictment, made public for the first time since the mayor's arrest on July 26, also charges that the prostitute arranged for drivers to take the children to the mayor's office in City Hall, his law office and his home for sexual encounters on 11 occasions... He pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts... Both civil rights violations carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each of the other dozen charges carries a sentence of up to five years as well as a $250,000 fine."

Phil Gramm (R-TX) Blocked Clinton Bill to Trace Terrorist Money
20-Sep-01
Republicans

The NY Times reports, "Federal officials say they have not persuaded foreign banks to open their books to investigators and that in this country, a law that would have allowed the United States to penalize foreign banks that did not cooperate was blocked last year by a single United States senator... The bill, introduced by the Clinton administration, would give the Treasury secretary broad power to bar foreign countries and banks from access to the American financial market unless they cooperated with money-laundering investigations. It was strongly opposed by the banking industry and [Senator Phil] Gramm. 'I was right then and I am right now' in opposing the bill, Mr. Gramm said yesterday. He called the bill 'totalitarian' and added, 'The way to deal with terrorists is to hunt them down and kill them.'" According to the Times, Bin Laden's financial methods have not changed since he worked "side by side with the C.I.A. to support the rebels fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan."

Democrats Support Unity, but Hastert Persists in Partisan Politics
20-Sep-01
Republicans

"The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's site now features photos of rescue workers and a quote from chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (N.Y.): 'Today... we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans.' Most political fundraising has been shut down. 'One exception, however, is House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), who flew Monday to attend a fundraiser on behalf of Georgia Republican Rep. Johnny Isakson. Hastert plans to continue stumping across the country on behalf of Republican candidates, according to his spokesman, John Feehery. 'The speaker's always going to help incumbents who ask him to come to their districts,' Feehery said. 'These are commitments he's keeping.'" What about his commitment to Americans in the armed services - including Democrats - who are putting their lives in harms way? Hastert must stop his outrageous partisanship now."

Yet ANOTHER Republican Internet Child Molester
07-Sep-01
Republicans

First Waterbury Mayor Philip Giordano, now this: "Randy Ankeney, 30, was a fixture in El Paso County Republican politics until his arrest in July in a sex scandal involving a young girl. 'I think Randy worked on just about every campaign down here,' said Sen. Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs. The Colorado Springs attorney and former state employee is accused of giving alcohol and marijuana to a 13-year-old Fountain girl he met through the Internet, using the moniker 'coloradofella.' She told police she allowed him to photograph her topless, but became frightened when he tried to take off her pants and asked her to touch him. 'She began to cry, begging him to leave her alone,' an arrest affidavit states." Hey folks, don't let your kids chat with Republicans on the Internet!

Ron Lauder: Yet another Spoiled Billionaire Coddled by the GOP
06-Sep-01
Republicans

The GOP has coddled some spoiled billionaires in recent years - self-absorbed whiners believe things like justice and governments are minor obstacles to be kicked out of the way. This week, we have two cases in point: Bill Gates, who threw enough money at the GOP in the 2000 election to insure that his trip to the global toy store (in the form of a brazen monopoly) wouldn't be thwarted by anything as inconvenient as real justice. Now Estee Lauder heir Ronald Lauder -- thwarted in his attempt to become a media baron in the Czech Republic -- wants to sue everyone. But Lauder is used to getting more than he deserves. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan as ambassador to Austria, where he put in such an inept performance he was considered a universal laughingstock (to quote Ted Koppel). But these are the sort of folks to whom Bush and the new GOP are giving preferential treatment!

Having Aided in the Trashing of America, Gramm Says His Work Now Done
04-Sep-01
Republicans

Sen. Phil Gramm, who slid into office posing as a Democrat, then turned coat and became a Republican has a lot to answer for. He has pushed for "welfare reform," thereby undermining the tenuous security of the poor, pushed for a more hawkish military, helped hand the nation's balanced and robust budget over to plundering by the Bush cartel, and supported the rabid anti-red stance of the rightwingers over the years. "What better time to call it a career," said Gramm, who announced this week he will not seek reelection. As to what he will do once leaving Congress, Gramm says "I have not ruled anything in, I have not ruled anything out." Translated from politicese, this means he will probably go to work for the highest bidder among the corporations who funneled him money over the years.

Rep. Bob Stump (R-AZ) Admits Committing Perjury and Election Fraud for 41 YEARS!
31-Aug-01
Republicans

According to the Arizona Republic, Rep. Bob Stump (R-AZ) has NEVER "lived in the precinct where he has voted during his 41 years as a state and federal elected official." Stump "acknowledged Monday that he lives in central Phoenix, 17 miles from the 80-acre Tolleson farm he lists as his voting address... 'I'm sure nobody ever thought I did reside there,' said Stump." But according to the Republic, "Intentional filing of false voter registration can be prosecuted as perjury, a Class 4 felony... State law defines residency as 'actual physical presence ... combined with an intent to remain' at the address listed. Registering to vote requires signing a sworn statement that the information is true, said Karen Osborne, Maricopa County elections director. Perjury is defined by law as 'making a ... false sworn statement in regard to a material issue, believing it to be false.'" Stump is a criminal - we demand an investigation!

Do Right-Wing Politics Make You Sick? Then You Should Know that Jesse Helms Invented It
30-Aug-01
Republicans

"As far back as 1950, Helms, then twenty-eight, helped run what the Duke University historian William H. Chafe has called 'the bitterest, ugliest, most smear-ridden campaign of modern times,' the race to unseat Frank P. Graham, the former president of the University of North Carolina and probably the most distinguished North Carolinian ever to sit in the United States Senate. 'The Graham campaign is generally viewed as the most pivotal in modern southern history since it set the precedent for the race-baiting and red-baiting tactics that were later employed so widely by politicians like Orval Faubus, George Wallace, and Jesse Helms,' Chafe has written. 'Helms, of course, helped invent these tactics.' Over the succeeding half century, Helms changed but little. His own campaigns have invariably been powered by appeals to prejudice, racial and otherwise. In recent years the focus of his bigotry has shifted increasingly toward gays and lesbians." So writes columnist Hendrik Hertzberg.

GOP Makes Deal with Mayor Molester
30-Aug-01
Republicans

In the grand hypocritical style of the GOP, the Republican majority of the Waterbury (CT) City Council cut a deal with Republican Mayor Philip A. Giordano which lets him keep his title of Mayor, his benefits, and half of his pay until his term expires at the end of the year. Giordano is being held in Federal custody on attempting to entice two girls, ages 9 and 10, into meeting him for sexual acts. The GOP loudly condemns Democrats for consensual sex with adults, but accepts EVERYTHING Republicans do, including PEDOPHILIA!

Conservatives Tell Two Big Lies About Jesse Helms
28-Aug-01
Republicans

No one in America except David Duke is "whiter" than Jesse Helms, but that isn't stopping conservatives from "whitewashing" Jesse himself. The two big lies about Jesse are that he abandoned his outright racism, which he never did. The second is that he championed "freedom," when in truth he embraced every right-wing dictator and death squad murderer in the world, while opposing every popular movement to overthrow these dictators. Helms was always a racist and a tyrant, and never changed a single ideological stripe.

Republican Outreach to Women is a Joke
16-Aug-01
Republicans

To reduce the Gender Gulf, Republicans have launched yet another attempt to hide their anti-woman record under pounds of powder makeup. "You will not hear the leaders of Winning Women pandering on day care and education while the boys discuss smaller taxes and bigger guns in the other room. Unfortunately, that's because Winning Women seems intent on ignoring all issues and focusing on packaging instead. The campaign is draped in pastels, decorated with family photos, peppered with language like 'Bush's Power Puff Girls' and 'A Woman Who Knows Who She Is.'" So writes Michelle Cottle in The New Republic.

Bush Campaign Trashed the Republican Code of Conduct
14-Aug-01
Republicans

The Florida Republican Code of Conduct is worth a few laughs. Like this one: "I will not use nor condone any misrepresentations, distortions, malicious untruths, half-truths or innuendoes about my opponent(s) and/or my opponent's families." What about the Bush Big Lie that Al Gore was trying to stop the military from voting? This "malicious untruth" was put at the top of the nation's news for weeks by Rob Carter, the TREASURER of the Florida Republican Party. There is only one Republican Code of Conduct - LIE, STEAL, and CHEAT - do whatever it takes to win.

Government Waste 'Watchdog' Dan 'Watermelon' Burton Steals Taxpayer Funds
11-Aug-01
Republicans

"Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, arranged for an unusual government-paid trip to Frankfurt and Bonn this week to investigate the German postal system. He is also visiting his wife, who is receiving medical care in Frankfurt, according to the congressman's aides. While lawmakers frequently travel abroad during congressional recesses, it is rare for a single member to conduct an official fact-finding tour abroad, as Burton is doing... The State Department information sessions for the congressman were put together late last week, and his initial briefing in Frankfurt on Tuesday included no written agenda or formal briefing papers. One source said preparations for these briefings were made with the understanding that they were 'only a decoy and that the actual purpose of the trip was for the congressman to visit his wife.'" Hey Dan - that's called FRAUD - we demand an Ethics Committee investigation!

Condit Critic Scott McInnis Chased Interns
09-Aug-01
Republicans

Rep. Scott McInnis (R-CO) recently appointed himself the head of the Capitol Hill vice squad when he "called for Condit's resignation and demanded that Congress approve a rule prohibiting relationships between interns and members of Congress." He declared, "I've got two daughters of Levy's age, and if it happened to one of them, I'd have my hands around Condit's neck." But when McInnis was a state legislator, his skirt chasing earned him a song, to the tune of "Jack and Jill." "Scottie McInnis went to the Hill, To play with all the interns, Scottie got caught, Shaped up for naught, We'll get him with election returns." Resign, you Republican hypocrite!

Child Molester Giordano Remains in Federal Custody, with Bail Hearing Postponed
07-Aug-01
Republicans

While the mainstream media continues to try to divert public attention with the Condit case, Philip Giordano, the Republican who lost his 2000 Senate bid to Joseph Lieberman, remains in federal custody for preying on young girls as young as 9 and 11. This sick Republican used his power to lure children across state lines for sexual purposes. Now that he's caught dead to rights for a crime 100 times worse than anything Clinton or Condit ever did (their dalliances were with consenting women over 21!), what is his defense? His lawyer wants to call into question the admissibility of wiretapped evidence! Gee, we didn't hear any Republicans calling into question Linda Tripp's tapes of her "friend" Lewinsky, made in a state where taping phone calls without consent is illegal. Oh, that's right! Republicans play by a different set of rules - ones they make up as they go along.

Medical Examiner Says Klausutis Died from Head Trauma Caused by Fall
07-Aug-01
Republicans

According to medical examiner Michael Berkland, Lori Klausutis's death was caused by "an acute subdural hematoma, or a blood clot, that resulted from a closed head trauma sustained in a fall," when her head hit her desk. It's not clear why it took Berkland two weeks to find the blood clot. Berkland says Klausutis "likely suffered cardiac arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat, caused by disease of a heart valve that had not been diagnosed. Abnormal heart rhythms can empty heart chambers of blood, depriving the brain of blood and causing a person to lose consciousness, Berkland said."

Gender Gulf Will Sweep Republicans Out in 2002
01-Aug-01
Republicans

A recent GOP poll found men support Republicans by 43%-37%, but women oppose them by 47%-32%. Since women are 52% of the electorate, women's votes will sweep Republicans out of office in 2002. Once again, Republicans say they can erase the gender gap by trotting out their sequined sellouts like Christie Whitman, the Kyoto Killer. They have sung exactly the same tune since the gender gap was first identified by Ellie Smeal in 1981 - but every year the gender gulf gets bigger, a fact the media adamantly refuses to report. Women oppose the Republicans on every issue women care about, including abortion rights, campaign finance, education, the environment, gun control, health care, Social Security, and taxes. Women see clearly that the GOP is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the corporate-religious right. Plus, women loathe Mary Matalin, Karen Hughes, Ann Coulter, Amy Holmes, Barbara Olson, Kellyanne Fitzpatrick, Nina Rees, Kay Coles James, Laura Ingraham and the rest of the Scaifettes.

Former Republican Says 'Bush Is No Conservative - He's an Arrogant Radical'
28-Jul-01
Republicans

Former Republican consultant Tanya Melich writes: "It is time to take off the gloves. We need to question: Why the United States has become the odd-man out on world environmental and defense issues, Why the advancement of scientific inquiry is being held hostage at the White House, Why our carefully balanced separation of church and state doctrine is being torn asunder, Why the rich are gettting such great tax benefits from the government and Why environmental protections are being dismantled and reproductive rights undermined. All of us, regardless of party, better wake up and start questioning where this accidental, revolutionary president is taking the nation. Bush's agenda is not business as usual."

Predatory Sex Crimes of GOP Politician against Minors Fails to Make Nightly News While Condit Remains Lead Story
26-Jul-01
Republicans

Tonight (7/26), the GE Network (colloquially known as NBC) just couldn't fit enough Condit/Levy coverage into its 30 minutes of time-wasting pap, despite the fact that no crime has been proven, no charges filed. Yet today's ARREST (no rumors here) of the Republican who ran against (and lost to) Joseph Lieberman in last year's CT senate race for serious sex crimes went totally unreported. Philipo Giordano, now mayor of Waterbury, was charged with using an interstate facility to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and with conspiracy to commit that act. FBI agents say Giordano had many victims under the age of 16, though he was, for now, only officially being charged for one incident. This was predatory behavior that targeted children. Condit's involvement with Levy, on the other hand, was consensual, adult, and though a masterpiece of poor judgment, not criminal as of now. This is further proof that the corporate GOP and its media mouthpieces are crafting a society in which there are two sets of rules: one for them, one for the rest of us.

To the GOP, the Only True 'Cheap Shot' Is Having To Pay One's Own Way
25-Jul-01
Republicans

When Democrats tried to block multi-gazillionaire Cheney from having the US Navy pick up his entire 6-digit electric bill for his 33-room mansion, the Republicans cried "cheap shot." But Republicans sure didn't think it was a cheap shot to hound a duly-elected (twice) president day in and day out (right down to drooling over details of a certain blue dress), to falsify "vandalism" in the White House, to post photos of Jeffords in the GOP Club's men's room, or to withhold energy task force info in defiance of federal law. So how do you Navy guys and gals feel about paying Cheney's bill from your funds? We'd love to hear from you at bustingout2001@hotmail.com

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned
21-Jul-01
Republicans

At the same time as Bush rejected requests by states to expand family planning for poor women, the Republican Party announced a new propaganda campaign to con women into voting for Republicans. "Where have the Republicans been for the past 200 years?" asked DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe. "From denying the need for equal pay to cutting funds for breast cancer prevention to attempting to drop birth control coverage from Federal health insurance plans, the Republican Party demonstrates everyday how it is dramatically out of step with the concerns of America's women and families," he said. Not to mention the fact that Bush's desire to criminalize abortion would put 1.2 million women - and their doctors - behind bars every year.

Did Florida Lobbyist Use Cocaine to Pass Legislation?
17-Jul-01
Republicans

Lois Tepper was recently fired from a Florida insurance company after she asked whether her company's lobbyist was offering drugs to state legislators to pass bills. The lobbyist, Brian Hennessy, was found with cocaine and cash in his car, but company officials deny the drugs were given to legislators. Tepper is suing the company, FCCI Insurance Group, over her firing. According to the St. Pete Times, "the lawsuit has stunned veteran political players, who readily acknowledge the role booze, bucks and even women play in shaping legislation, but who insist they've never encountered drugs as part of that mix." Stay tuned - this scandal could rock the Republican-controlled legislature Tallahassee.

Bush Further Enrages House Republicans
16-Jul-01
Republicans

In recent weeks, significant numbers of House Republicans have voted against Bush's extremist positions on oil drilling in the Great Lakes and off the Florida coast, on allowing Mexican-owned trucks free access to American highways, and on mining in national monuments. During the campaign finance debate, Bush even managed to antagonize his closests allies, House Mumbler Dennis Hastert and Exterminator Tom DeLay. Like they say, there is no honor among thieves.

GOP Aide Vandalizes Congress while Republicans Watch - Stop the Presses!
12-Jul-01
Republicans

In front of the entire Republican Caucus, a GOP staffer committed a wanton act of Congressional vandalism. "As President Bush arrived on Capitol Hill for his first official meeting with the full House GOP Conference yesterday morning, a wall phone started ringing in Room HC-5 of the Capitol. Knowing that Bush goes berserk when cell phones go off during meetings, many of the more than 200 Members on hand urged GOP aide Kyle Downey to rectify the problem immediately. With the room full of politicos completely silent now, Downey suddenly whacked the bottom of the phone with a karate chop - ripping it out of the wall for good." Where is the outrage? Where is the media coverage? We demand an investigation!

FUQ: Branding Displaces Politics
11-Jul-01
Republicans

The Bush propaganda machine has masterfully associated the Bush brand with prosperity and success, even while the underlying reality is recession and the continued isolation of the U.S. from our allies on key international issues. When the American people -- and their missing surrogates in the press -- finally get around to evaluating performance the Bush brand will collapse like an overvalued dot com.

Rightwing Propaganda Machine, Complete with 'Field Recruiters' Rolls onto Campuses
10-Jul-01
Republicans

Are you an inferiority-complex-plagued college student with lots of anger, no life, and serious control issues? Then the Campus Leadership Program is the place for you! Here, you will get reassurance you need that you're right and the world is wrong. Here there will be other folks just as desperate to please authority figures as you are. Here you will be sure to be used by manipulative politicians who will teach you how to be just as manipulative as they are! Best of all, you can pretend you are a real rebel by announcing to your friends that you have joined the Conservative Revolution!!! (Isn't that an oxymoron like "military intelligence" or "Republican leadership"?). Sign up today and tomorrow you'll be kicking the butts of those commie environmentalists, whining anti-gun mommies, God-cursed gays, and over-entitled minorities. God bless America!

Study Finds Democrats More Likely To Sleep in Peace than Nightmare-Wracked Republicans
10-Jul-01
Republicans

According to research results presented at the International Dream Conference at the University of CA at Santa Cruz, when the typical Republican lays his/her head down at night, half of their dreams will be nightmares. For the average Democrat, on the other hand, just 18% of their dreams will be unpleasant. While GOPers nightmares are stuffed with aggression, misfortune and physical threats, Dems' bad dreams feature familiar settings, familiar faces, and more positive action. Researcher Kelly Bulkeley speculates that it is the conservative's fearfulness about the world that draws them to the rigid, militaristic structure of rigfhtwing politics (a kind way of saying paranoids never feel safe). Dems, on the other hand, are more hopeful and optimistic, and thus less fearful of the future and world in general. When we go to bed tonight, we will be reminded of one more reason we're grateful to be Democrats.

Bush 'Triangulates', Striking Terror in the Hearts of Congressional Republicans
08-Jul-01
Republicans

"Conservative Republicans can live with [Bush's] bad poll numbers, but what makes their blood run cold is the advice George W. Bush is now getting to 'triangulate' -- to expropriate for his own the Democrats' legislative program of Patients' Bill of Rights, campaign finance reform and even a minimum-wage increase (sweetened with major business tax cuts). Republicans saw Bill Clinton in 1995-96 abandon his own party in Congress and cut deals with the GOP majority on welfare reform, trade agreements and the budget. Claiming credit, Clinton won re-election for himself. Republicans kept the Congress. The only big losers were the forsaken congressional Democrats." So writes columnist Mark Shields. Let's hope Bush leads Congressional Republicans right off the cliff!

A Growing Number of Republicans Choosing to Abandon Bush's Downhill Path: Will It Last Past 2002?
28-Jun-01
Republicans

As Bush sinks in the polls, a growing number of House and Senate Republicans are beginning to adopt stances on key issues that run contrary to the Bush Administration's "prescribed viewpoint." In fact, it was thanks to several GOPers that Bush's anti-average guy amendment to the patients' bill of rights that would shield employeers from lawsuits for providing shabby insurance programs was defeated. Last week, the House passed two bills limiting drilling and exploration, much to Shrub's chagrin. Is this shift in attitude due to an awakening of social conscience and independence (qualities which are actively discouraged by the new GOP's party line)) or is it simply a temporary show simply to insure reelection in 2002, after which it will be GOP business as usual? We shall see...in fact, we'll be watching.

Desperate GOP Launches Traveling Snake Oil Show to Sell Energy Plan
28-Jun-01
Republicans

The Bush/GOP energy plan sucks. Period. It is archaic, environmentally-damaging, pitifully weak on conservation, requires the U.S. to turn over its most valued wildlands and coastal waters, is designed 99.99% with the oil barons, not the public, in mind, and is condemned by over half the voters. So what is the GOP's solution to this crisis? Will they make sweeping constructive changes? Harhar. Ever out of touch with reality, let along the voter, the party has decided to launch a SALES CAMPAIGN aimed at pushing the plan down American's throat. Worse yet, their motivation is NOT concern for the nation - it is fear that they might look bad in 2002. The House "leadership" has developed a scheme akin to the recent Publisher's Clearinghouse-style IRS stunt. This time they're staging "town-hall meetings" at which a slick CD-ROM presentation "Your Energy, Your Future" will be presented. So we guess if this fails, next they'll try mass hypnosis...anything to avoid having to do the right thing.

GOP Desperately Trawling For Potential Candidates with Public Appeal (humor)
24-Jun-01
Republicans

The GOP lost one of its best men in Jim Jeffords, but is having a hard time attracting qualified candidates who want to be associated with the "new Republicans." Now the party is ditching substance altogether and going for glitz. The latest could-be candidates: Arnold "Terminator" Schwarzenegger (as a GOP "suit" he would definitely SOUND like a real Nazi!), the guy Michael from survivor (as a campaign crowd pleaser maybe he could eat rats). Then there is Cal Ripkin, who was asked this week to consider a run for MD. gov, though he hasn't even registered to vote for years. An inside source has leaked the news that the party thinks it may have found their best bet so far. The mystery candidate was recently seen meeting with top GOP reps in the Capitol building but was caught on film as he left the building...

Anti-feminist GOP Favors An Addled Bigot More Than A Competent Woman
20-Jun-01
Republicans

The GOP thinks a woman's place is in not only in the home - but barefoot and pregnant -- judging from their increasingly rabid anti-abortion stance. Now, when given a choice between Jesse Helms, an unreformed bigot, and Elizabeth Dole, a moderate, intelligent woman -- guess who they have pledged to back in the next election? You got it - the unreformed bigot. To maintain its presence in Washington, the ultra-right GOP has had to resort to propping up characters like Strom Thurmond and Helms (architect of right-wing groups such as the theocratic Council for National Policy), or making excuses for living, breathing caricatures of politicians such as Trent Lott and Tom Delay.

'Amigos de Bush' is a Tex-Mex Oxymoron
18-Jun-01
Republicans

As reported June 17 in the El Paso Times, a food fight is causing a stir for two local GOP groups. An implied agreement between upstart Amigos de Bush and the local Republican organization is the cause. They are fighting over spoils from the annual Lincoln Day dinner. Amigos de Bush was to help generate a turnout for the dinner in return for half of the profit, but leaders of the El Paso Republican Party dispute the claim. Local Republican big shots are also up in arms claiming the monies, estimated between $3,000 and $6,000, were to be divided between the two groups. Turns out some contributed to the fund-raiser on the condition that both Republican groups share. Appears these GOPs did not learn how to share in school. That's Texas education for you.

In 1994, Trent Lott Conspired with Richard Shelby in the Backrooms to Launch a 'Coup of One'
17-Jun-01
Republicans

Just two days after the 1994 elections gave the Senate to the Republicans, Senator Richard Shelby (D-AL) jumped on the bandwagon anyway and declared that he was now a Republican. In doing so, he became the first sitting Senator to change from one major party to the other since Strom Thurmond made the switch in 1964, and benefited from the same promise of continuation of seniority that had been promised Thurmond to entice him before he made the switch. Shelby then felt free to play coy about his half-year-long plot with the Republicans to throw control to them by switching parties if they were short, saying "I might have [switched]. I might not have. That's a moot question."

GOP Campaign Consultant Sentenced for Taking Photos of Semi-Nude 15- and 16-year-old Girls
17-Jun-01
Republicans

Don't you just love the hypocrisy of the self-righteous GOP? It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't tout themselves as the party of "family values" - at least their antics would then be honest sleaze. The latest: Republican campaign consultant, Tom Shortridge has been sentenced for taking photos of teenage girls (ages 15 and 16) posing in their underwear. Even though Shortridge COULD have gotten six years and been required to register as a sex offender, he got off outrageously easy - 200 hours of community service. Shortridge maintains he did nothing wrong, that the shots were "modeling photos." Yeah right. Unfortunately, this attitude coupled with the non-sentence almost guarantees he'll prey on more girls in the future. Let's hear it for the "moral" GOP!

Florida GOP Admits to Illegal Solicitation
13-Jun-01
Republicans

State Republican Party officials admitted to breaking a Florida law by sending 30 fund-raising letters to workers at the state Capitol. "It's a huge mistake and we apologize for it," said David Johnson, executive director of the Republican Party of Florida. "We certainly know it's illegal. We made a mistake and we will take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again." Leaders of the state Democratic Party asked their attorneys late Friday to begin preparing a complaint that they expect to file early next week. Bob Poe, chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, said the unlawful action was evidence that Bush and the Republicans "will stop at nothing in their desperate attempt to hold on to power."

Ex-Republican Watch: Columbine Dad Switches to Democrats
13-Jun-01
Republicans

When he was campaigning to close the gun-show loophole, many people didn't realize Tom Mauser was a Republican. But after helping to pass the gun-control referendum in Colorado last year, he stopped being one. A few weeks after the Nov. 7 vote, Colorado's highest-profile gun-control crusader changed his party affiliation to Democrat. He was angered that many Republicans continued to oppose gun control. "I was so fed up with the Republican support of the NRA," Mauser said, referring to the National Rifle Association. Mauser got involved in the gun-control fight after his son Daniel was killed in the Columbine High School massacre.

Lott Is Wrong Again! Voters Chose a Democratic Senate
10-Jun-01
Republicans

Recently, Trent Lott claimed that Jim Jeffords' switch overturned the decision of voters to give control of the Senate to the Republicans. "It was a 'coup of one' that subverted the will of the American voters who elected a Republican majority." However, counting all of the votes cast for members of the current U.S. Senate by party affiliation, Democrats received one million votes MORE than Republicans did (including Vermonters' votes for Jeffords as votes for a Republican). Although the Senate is of course not meant to reflect strictly the numbers of votes cast across the country, these figures show that there is no reason to suppose that more U.S. voters wanted the Republicans to control the Senate more than they wanted Democrats to control it. In fact, the results show the opposite.

The Destructive Republican High School Groupie Mentality
10-Jun-01
Republicans

While America still reels from the first selection of a President by five Justices from the United States Supreme Court, most watch in amazement as the Bush Administration passes one destructive bill after another. Even those who voted for the selected President are angry. Even those who would like to call themselves conservative are a bit appalled at the actions of this angry little man and his henchmen. Even so, when you trace the Republican actions back to their roots, the basis for these devastating actions should surprise no one.

GOP Is On the Verge of a Political Meltdown
08-Jun-01
Republicans

"Many prominent Republicans are worried that the unexpected switch of the Senate to Democratic control may carry enormous political consequences for their party that run far deeper than forfeiting the issue agenda on Capitol Hill. Republicans are concerned that the loss of the Senate - even by the single defection of Senator James M. Jeffords - will embolden Democrats and demoralize Republicans in the run-up to the critical midterm elections next year. That, they said, could lead partisans to be less enthusiastic about making donations and working in the grass roots. And they expressed fears that the Republicans' minority status in the Senate might cause some senators not to seek re-election next year and could make it more difficult for the party to recruit the most formidable contenders." In other words, the Republican Party is on the verge of a total meltdown. C'mon Dems, let's turn up the heat!

Ex-Republican Watch: Philadelphia Daily News Encourages Specter to Switch
06-Jun-01
Republicans

In an editorial, the Philadelphia Daily News writes: "Arlen Specter voted with the GOP just 67% of the time. Liberal groups like Americans for Democratic Action give Specter a 40 percent rating, while a presumed Democrat like Zell Miller scored zero... Rather than being on the periphery of the tent housing Jesse Helms, Trent Lott and Strom Thurmond, Specter could occupy the center of his own wigwam as leader of the Senate's Independents. It's an idea worth serious consideration." What do you say, Arlen?

Ex-Republican Watch: Oregon State Legislator Jan Lee Quits the GOP
06-Jun-01
Republicans

"Saying that moderates no longer have a place in the Republican Party, freshman [State Representative] Jan Lee of Clackamas resigned from the party Tuesday to become an independent. The move, which won't change the balance of power in the Oregon House, came a day after House Republican leaders shelved a bill Lee helped sponsor that would have required insurance policies to cover contraceptives. Lee also has battled her party all session on issues involving land use, prescription drug costs, cleaning up the Willamette River and abortion." Hey Jan - come join the Democrats. We support all of your issues!

GOP Still in Denial on Senate Loss
04-Jun-01
Republicans

"There is nothing more alarming, or dangerous, for a major political movement after major setbacks than for its leaders to switch to autopilot and continue on course in deep denial, as though the setbacks had never happened. Conservative Republican leaders in and out of Congress are in that state of denial now. Their continued confidence and arrogance, far more even than the loss of control of the United States Senate, now threatens to rapidly write finis to their long, confident and more than 20-year domination of U.S. national politics... Without both the Northeast and California, even if they can cling on to Florida by their fingertips -- an increasingly unlikely prospect -- they cannot hope to remain the majority party in either presidential elections or in the United States Senate." So writes Martin Sieff in the Moonie-owned UPI - so you know it's bad news.

Northeastern Republicans are an Endangered Species
04-Jun-01
Republicans

"Northeastern Republicans are now an endangered species, but that wasn't true 50 years ago. "In 1953, during the 83rd Congress, Northeastern Republicans of the Jeffords stripe were not a beleaguered minority; the region's moderates were a basic building block of the party's Senate majority and gave voice to an entire wing of the GOP nationally... More than one of every four Senate Republicans in 1953 was from the Northeast (14 of 48). Of the 12 New England senators, nine were Republicans... [Now], more than one out of every four Republican senators (13 of 49) is from the South, and the party leadership has a Dixie accent. Meanwhile, with Jeffords's departure, the number of Northeastern Republicans is down to seven." So writes Rhodes Cook.

Republicans Issue Threats Right Down to the Wire
03-Jun-01
Republicans

Senate Republicans offered to recognize the reality that Democrats have a majority - but only if Democrats surrender on judicial appointments. Rick "Santorum, a member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, said Democrats should guarantee that Bush's nominees for the federal bench get a floor vote, rather than face rejection by the Senate Judiciary Committee on ideological grounds. That deal, he said, is 'the price of admission.'" Why - so you can steal every election for the next century? Sorry Rick - losers don't get to dictate the terms. Memo to Democrats - just say no to Bush's Federalist Society judges!

Republican Watch: Loss of Senate Majority Could Spur Retirements
03-Jun-01
Republicans

Going from being in the Senate majority to the minority is not fun. Several Republican Senators who are up for re-election in 2002 may just decide to throw in the towel - namely Fred Thompson (TN), Pete Domenici (NM), and Jesse Helms (NC). Democrats have strong candidates in the wings if these guys retire.

Republican Watch: Mitch McConnell, Fred Thompson, and David Jaye
03-Jun-01
Republicans

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says the Louisville Courier-Journal is out to get him and his wife. But can't find a single factual error, so he took a poll showing readers distrust the paper. Hey Mitch - they distrust you more! Senator Fred Thompson may not run for re-election - which has Senate Republicans in a panic. State Senator David Jaye (R-MI), who was expelled from the MI State Senate from drunk driving and assaulting a woman, applied for unemployment benefits - and was turned down.

The Real 'Shadows of the Back Rooms in Washington'
03-Jun-01
Republicans

Trent Lott's declaration of war included this attack on Jeffords for meeting with Democrats before leaving the GOP. "We have a moral obligation to restore the integrity of our democracy, to restore by the democratic process what was changed in the shadows of the back rooms in Washington." Lott's hypocrisy knows no bounds. This article describes how Lott (and Tom Delay) subverted the Constitution by refusing to appoint conference committees - a practice begun by the Founding Fathers. Instead of open conference meetings - as required since 1975 - Republicans resorted to "the shadows of the back rooms in Washington." Trent Lott is not worthy of impeachment - he should be tarred and feathered and run out of town!

Trent Lott Declares 'War' Against Democrats
03-Jun-01
Republicans

Republicans led by Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott created the much-despised tone of permanent attack in Washington. Bush's campaign promise to "change the tone in Washington" was a cyncial promise that Republicans never intended to keep. On Friday, Trent Lott put the final nail in that coffin with his blistering "call to action" memo to GOP activists. "We must begin to wage the war today for the election in 2002. We have a moral obligation to restore the integrity of our democracy, to restore by the democratic process what was changed in the shadows of the back rooms in Washington." Why this declaration of war? Because a moderate Republican Senator was tired of being stabbed in the back by his party's intolerant and extremist leadership. Here is the question the media must ask George W. Bush: In order to "change the tone" and restore civility, when will you call for Trent Lott's resignation???

Dan Burton Launches New Investigation of Janet Reno
02-Jun-01
Republicans

Get this - Dan Burton is launching a new investigation of Janet Reno. No, this is not about her tenure as Attorney General. This goes back to her earlier days as Miami prosecutor! This obscure case is about a fugitive in Australia - remember how Republicans denounced fugitive Marc Rich? There is only one reason for this investigation - to stop Janet Reno from crushing Jeb Bush in 2002. We demand an investigation - of Burton!

Ex-Republican Watch: Rumors Swirl About Lincoln Chafee
01-Jun-01
Republicans

The right-wing American Spectator writes: "Word off the Hill Thursday afternoon was that Rhode Island Republican Lincoln Chafee is informing fundraisers and close advisers back home that he plans to follow friend Jim Jeffords and become an Independent. Chafee's office would have no official comment, but one aide did state that Chafee was looking forward to the coming reorganization vote 'as an opportunity to set himself apart from his Republican and Democratic colleagues.'" But a spokesman for Chafee, Debbie Rich, told The Washington Post today: "That is not true. He is not planning a switch. He wants to work with the GOP to promote a greater centrist agenda."

Senate Republicans Resort to Blackmail on Reorganization
31-May-01
Republicans

Senate Democrats have offered extraordinarily generous terms to the Republican minority: a one-seat Democratic majority on Senate committees. In the House, where the party ratio is equally close, House Republicans imposed lopsided majorities, such as 24-17 on Ways & Means. But Senate Republicans have reject this generous offer, and are threatening a filibuster. Hey Daschle - let them shut down the Senate until the next election! The voters will turn on them the way they turned on Newt Gingrich for shutting down the government in 1995. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," as George Santayana wrote in 1905.

Haley Barbour is Under Investigation, But Will Lead Republican Fundraising
31-May-01
Republicans

Haley Barbour has been named as chief fundraiser for the Senate Republicans. But wait -Haley "Barbour, then the RNC chairman, and others arranged a $2.1 million loan guarantee from a Hong Kong businessman to help their efforts in the final days of the 1994 election. Democrats contend the transaction funneled illegal foreign money into the U.S. election. Barbour said he didn't know the Hong Kong businessman used foreign funds. The Justice Department has been investigating." How long could it possibly take for the Justice Department to prove that Barbour is lying through his teeth? Remember all the investigations of Democratic fundraisers? We demand immediate Senate hearings - and we want Mr. Man of Unimpeachable Integrity John Ashcroft to testify under oath!!

Stealing the Presidency is OK - but Republicans Want to Outlaw Party-Switching
31-May-01
Republicans

Here's one to laugh about: "Hoping to keep a future party switcher from tilting the balance of power in the chamber, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is crafting a new Senate rule that would prevent a defection from shifting the majority in the middle of a Congress." As Joshua Micah Marshall points out (http://www.j-marshall.com/talk), Specter's ideas have become ever nuttier - like his earlier effort to impeach Clinton AFTER he left office.

Jeffords Receives Death Threats - Where is the Outrage???
31-May-01
Republicans

The Republican "family values" crowd has rediscovered an old-fashioned "family" value - omerta. Jim Jeffords is receiving death threats and must be accompanied by plainclothes cops. A number of Democrats have left the party in recent years, but never needed bodyguards. Where are the denunciations from Fred Barnes, Michael Barone, William Bennett, Mona Charen, Linda Chavez, Ann Coulter, David Gergen, Paul Gigot, Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity, David Horowitz, Brit Hume, Mort Kondracke, Rush Limbaugh, Chris Matthews, John McLaughlin, Bob Novak, Peggy Noonan, Bill O'Reilly, Cokie Roberts, Tim Russert, Tony Snow, William Safire, and George Will - not to mention Trent Lott, Dennis Hastert, and James Gilmore? Where is the outrage???

Budget Cuts Begin - Republican Senators are 'Surprised'
30-May-01
Republicans

The ink on the Bush tax giveaway is barely dry, but the impact in budget cuts is already being felt. One small example: Maine will lose $5 million in job training grants, angering both unions and business owners. "I was surprised the administration targeted these programs for cuts," said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican. "They have broad, bipartisan support. I will work to restore these cuts because they are very important to Maine." You should've thought of that BEFORE you voted for the tax giveaway, Susan! We will remember in November...

Ex-Republican Watch: Who's Next?
30-May-01
Republicans

In the wake of Jim Jeffords' departure, other Republican Senators began signaling that they might also quit the Republican Party. John McCain (R-AZ) has been discussing his possible departure with Ted Kennedy (buried in the middle of the article below). And Chuck Hagel (R-NE) sounded disgruntled on Hardball (no link available.) We're keeping our ears to the ground!

Everyone - Including Decent Republicans - Growing Sicker of the Mean-Spirited Arrogance of the GOP
29-May-01
Republicans

"The Jim Jeffords fiasco is a culmination. Since the Republican takeover of Congress we've had shutdowns of the government that backfired on the GOP, the impeachment of a president against the will of the people, and the increasing prominence of such smiley-faced Republicans as Tom "the Hammer" DeLay (who compared the Environmental Protection Agency to the Gestapo) and Trent Lott (who jokingly suggested that maybe lightning would strike Hillary Clinton before she could make it to the Senate)... And now the GOP has lost the Senate. Can the House be far behind?" So writes NY Times columnist Bob Herbert.

Republicans Launch Daschle Demonization Campaign
29-May-01
Republicans

The hate-filled Republicans cannot survive for a day without an enemy to project their hatred onto. In the wake of forfeiting the Senate, the Republicans have found their new enemy - Majority Leader Tom Daschle. According to Roll Call, "The GOP view is that Daschle will now be responsible for leading the Senate rather than setting up political traps as a Minority Leader, and thus will open himself and his party up to charges that they are preventing President Bush and GOP leaders from enacting an agenda favored by the American public." "Daschle is now enemy number one," boasted one senior House GOP staffer. So much for "changing the tone" in Washington! But Democrats are not intimidated by the trash talk. "Do they want to be added to the list of Republicans who think they can handle Tom Daschle?' asked one top Senate Democratic aide. "I don't think so."

The Republican Base is Shrinking Down to the Old Confederacy
27-May-01
Republicans

The extremist policies of the Republican Party have driven away moderate Republicans from the Northeast, Midwest, and the West. According to Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) "It's true that the Republican Party has gained in the South. We have lost seats in the Northeast, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon and Washington. The urban areas have become tough for us." "The problem for the Republicans is that we risk becoming a regional rather than a national party," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said yesterday. "And any party that becomes regional has difficulty winning a national election." You said it, Susan!

Bushies Attack Democrats & Jeffords - Chafee, Are You Listening?
27-May-01
Republicans

Remember Bu$h's promises to "govern from the center" and "change the tone in Washington"? Well, add them to the list of Bu$h's broken promises. To show how tough they are, Rove & Co. even dissed Jim Jeffords. Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) sent Rove a clear signal: "hearing Karl Rove say the agenda is going to continue, they're not going to deviate, I think is giving us all pause." Hey Linc - you don't have to put up with their crap. C'mon over to the Democrats!

David Jaye (R-MI) is Expelled from State Senate
26-May-01
Republicans

"[David] Jaye, 43, has been under investigation by a special Senate committee for three drunken driving convictions, allegations he hit fiancee Sonia Kloss and 'a recurring pattern of personal misconduct,' including verbally abusing staff members and having six photos of his topless fiancee on his Senate-issued laptop computer." He was expelled from the State Senate by a vote of 33-2.

Who's Next? Olympia Snowe (R-ME), if Republican Rights Gets Its Way in Today's Negotiations
25-May-01
Republicans

Republicans lost Jeffords by stripping $300 billion for education that Jeffords had fought for. Now they're about to make the same mistake with Olympia Snowe (R-ME). "House negotiators also pressed to significantly scale back a Senate provision that would extend the $500-per-child credit to working families who effectively pay no income or payroll taxes. The move was sought in part to help accelerate cuts in the top rates. The $50 billion proposal was championed by Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), a leading moderate, but some Republicans and the White House have suggested it is a costly form of welfare that has little business in a tax bill. But making the child credit available to the poor is considered key to retaining the support of Senate moderates, especially after the decision by Sen. James M. Jeffords (Vt.) to leave the Republican Party. Snowe was resisting major changes in her plan, which would make part of the credit available to families making as little as $10,000 a year."

Why Should Moderate Republican Senators Stay in the GOP?
24-May-01
Republicans

"Here's something that could be more painful for the GOP and pleasurable for everyone who wants centrist governance: What if Jeffords persuaded his three fellow moderate Republicans from the Northeast—Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine—to go along?" So writes Nicholas Thompson in Slate.

Petition to Moderate Republican Senators: Join Jim Jeffords!
24-May-01
Republicans

"To Senators Lincoln Chafee, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and Arlen Specter: If you truly believe in the fundamental principles [of choice, impartial judges, fair budgets, sane defense, and the environment], then we call on you to join Senator Jeffords in leaving the Republican Party. If you join the Democratic Party, we will welcome you with open arms. You will be able to vote your conscience and live up to your principles. And as an added benefit, you will be in the majority - where your voice will be heard. As a result, you will be able to do more for your constituents. We urge you to stand up for your principles and join Senator Jeffords in leaving the Republican Party. This is a crucial time in our history, and your actions would make an enormous difference." Sign the petition!

Bob Barr: 'Open the gate, you stupid black idiot'
24-May-01
Republicans

Racist Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), who embraces Klan-like groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens, has been accused of shouting racial epithets at three airport guards. The guards filed reports with their supervisors saying Barr's remarks included "When are you going to open the gate, you stupid black idiot." Barr admits yelling, but denies the racist slurs. Sure, Bob - we believe you. NOT!

Jim Jeffords (R-VT) is Leaning Towards Switching Parties
22-May-01
Republicans

"Senator James M. Jeffords, a Vermont Republican, indicated today that he was seriously considering changing parties after a series of disputes with the Bush White House. Through the day, Republicans including the president worked urgently to dissuade him from giving control of the evenly divided Senate to the Democrats... But one White House official said he now thought it was a 'foregone conclusion' that Mr. Jeffords would switch unless he changed his mind overnight. A senior administration official said, 'I think most people think he's leaning in the direction of leaving.' Scott Reed, a veteran Republican strategist, said that if Mr. Jeffords became a Democrat, 'Unfortunately, the rest of the Bush agenda is in turmoil.' Mr. Reed said, 'This would be a seismic boom like we haven't felt in Washington in a long time.'"

GOP Accused of Tampering with Clocks to Sneak through Vote in Alabama Legislative Session
22-May-01
Republicans

GOP Lt. Gov. Steve Windom of Alabama is accused of using a dirty trick to try to force through teacher retirement legislation designed to keep teachers in their jobs for more than 25 years. Many AL Dems opposed the bill, saying it would have benefited just a few educators, while placing undue pressure on others. Hoping to spring a last-minute vote on the House and pass the stalled bill, Windom apparently slowed down the senate clock, adding six minutes to the session. Upon discovery of the tampering, a shouting match broke out. House members, who had adjourned at the right time, crowded into the Senate chambers to watch the scene.

Like Any Bully, GOP Proves It Can Dish It Out But Can't Take It
18-May-01
Republicans

When they're in a gang that outnumbers their target, the GOP is the most vicious bully on the block. But let it come down to a fair fight - like the 9 on 9 breakdown in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the bullies start whining "No fair!" Orrin G. Hatch, who was in the gang that beat up Clinton for months, was recently heard to snivel "We've gone far enough on this!" because the Dems proposed a more thorough investigation of a Solicitor General candidate of dubious character (Ted Olson). These GOP guys remind us of the whining troublemaker Sidney from Tom Sawyer. "Aunt Polly! Tom's bein' mean!"

Lott Gets Blasted by 14 Republicans
15-May-01
Republicans

Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) is completely drunk with power. Even though the Senate passed the McCain-Feingold bill on April 2 - 37 days ago! - Lott has refused to send the bill to the House. Normally, this is done in 5 days. In a remarkable show of anger, 14 Republicans joined the Democrats in a 61-36 vote denouncing Lott's action as "an arbitrary action taken to deliberately thwart the will of the majority of the Senate." Which leaves us wondering - do 36 Senators believe the Majority Leader can veto the votes of the other 99 Senators? Wake up, folks - the Republican Party is truly being run by fascists.

Moderate Republicans are Waking Up
15-May-01
Republicans

According to Newsweek columnist Anna Quindlen, "Moderate Republicans have felt under siege for years now, but for some of them the first hundred days of Bush II have been the last straw." This includes pro-choice Republican women like Barbara Gimbel of the department-store family and her friends at Planned Parenthood who "looked as though they'd been hit over the head with a board." And Robert Pennoyer, a former Eisenhower administration official who registered as a Republican in 1946 - and just re-registered as a Democrat because of Bush. "I'm making a clean break," he says. We bet tens of thousands of Republicans are doing the same thing, which in politics has a name - Realignment. But don't expect the Republican media to tell us about it!

Trent Lott Wants to Corrupt College Sports
13-May-01
Republicans

Federal law bans betting on college sports in every state except Nevada, where it is a nearly $1 billion industry. At the urging of the NCAA and prominent coaches, John McCain (R-AZ) is trying to close this loophole. Guess who's standing in the way? Mr. Corruption himself, Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott (R-MS).

Senate Republicans Show Democrats How to Get Bush's Attention
10-May-01
Republicans

"The Senate majority leader, Trent Lott, and other Republican senators are stalling the confirmation of two Defense Department nominees to protest what the senators consider Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's lack of communication with Congressional leaders, Senate and Pentagon officials said today." Amazingly, the Bush administration won't even communicate with fellow Republicans. But the Republicans know how to get Bush's attention - by holding up nominations. Senate Democrats should do this too!

Klayman/DeLay Fight Spills Over to Hastert and Barr
04-May-01
Republicans

Larry Klayman of the right-wing watchdog group Judicial Watch is having a nasty fight with the Republican Racketeer-in-Chief, Tom DeLay (R-TX) over DeLay's corrupt influence peddling schemes. This battle recently spilled over to House Speaker Dennis "Choirboy" Hastert (R-IL), whose name appeared on one of DeLay's influence-peddling appeals. Hastert now wants to actually read the appeals that have his name on them (imagine that!). Meanwhile, Republicans are pressuring Bob Barr (R-GA) to cut his ties to Judicial Watch. Stay tuned - this could get more interesting than the XFL!

White House Influence for Sale: Space Tourist Tito - surprise! - Uses Republican Connections to Trump NASA's Opposition
03-May-01
Republicans

NASA officials found they had less influence with the White House than did the lobbyists for millionaire Republican contributor Dennis Tito. So what are rides in space now but the latest perk for top-ranking GOP givers?

To Keep Republicans in Power, Thurmond Filibusters Death
26-Apr-01
Republicans

At 98, Strom Thurmond is "barely there," as a Democratic Senator says. But the Republican leadership won't let him retire, because he would be replaced by a Democrat. So instead his staff literally props him up to create the illusion of a function Senator. Thurmond, who set the Senate filibuster record (24 hours, 18 minutes) in 1957 to block civil rights legislation, is now filibustering death itself.

Another Product Of 'Republican Family Values'
22-Apr-01
Republicans

"Gov. Scott McCallum's [R-WI] 19-year-old son Zachary was sentenced to six months probation Monday after pleading no contest to disorderly conduct involving a graduation party beating last year...Court records accuse Zachary McCallum of beating [Cecilia] Retelle, pulling her by the hair, pushing her face into the ground and kicking her several times. The incident occurred at an outdoor party that celebrated graduation at Madison Memorial High School, and featured 100 people and eight half-barrels of beer. Several witnesses described Zachary McCallum as being drunk at the party." Gov. McCallum replaced Tommy Thompson, who is now the Health and Human Services Secretary.

Shilling For Pepsi: Britney and Bob 'Viagra' Dole Reflect Hypocrisy And Confusion Of Corporate Conservatism
22-Apr-01
Republicans

"But, alas, this story is not about me but about the next Pepsi generation growing up hostage to America's schizophrenic approach to sex. Teens are the casualties in a culture war that reduces our basest, most transcendent drive to extremes. Youth are left to flounder under the intensified hypocrisy and mixed messages of a nation that can't move beyond sexuality's marital ideal or commodified reality. Public policy says teens shouldn't have sex, but commerce bombards us with half-naked nymphets hawking the latest magazine, music, movie, video game, gadget, fashion. Amidst the sexual gluttony of our media and marketplace, church and government brazenly pull information from youth and push chastity until marriage, calling it balance." It's interesting that Bob and Britney are featured in a commercial for Pepsi, one of the biggest backers of the Republican Party (and, therefore, the conservative movement). Don't pay the corporate sugardaddies! Buy generic and local brands instead!

Another GOP Hypocrite, This One Beats Up Women
18-Apr-01
Republicans

Look at Michigan State Senator David Jaye's homepage (http://www.jaye.org/),and you'll find yourself in the cozy embrace of right wing GOP symbols and buzzwords. A large American flag waves across the top corner of the page above topics such a pro-gun diatribe, an article against affirmative action, an account of Republican Senator Jaye at a "Patriot Day Event," and a right wing Heritage Foundation study. But the flag isn't the only thing that beats in the wind on Jaye's home page, because apparently Jaye is also fond of beating up women and driving while drunk. Not only is Jaye a right wing "conservative" Republican, but he is an NRA shill too. So you might, for the sake of accuracy, call him a Republican gun zealot who shows his bonafides by pummeling female partners.

Florida Republican Trovillion Condemned For Homophobic Tirade Against Students - Like Their Leader, Republicans Again Prove They Are 'Dividers, Not Uniters'
16-Apr-01
Republicans

Florida State Rep. Allen Trovillion (R-Winter Park) has been condemned for his vicious remarks to a group of gay and lesbian students that visited his office. Trovillion railed at the visitors: "I don't understand why the gay population is becoming so vocal. You are going to cause the downfall of this country that was built on Christian principles. You're throwing your life away. I'm against discrimination, but I'm opposed to this. God is going to destroy you." Congressman Peter Deutsch (D-FL) declared: "An elected official's personal prejudice has no place in a democratic government and is completely unacceptable. Intolerance strikes a blow to the core of democracy." Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) stated: "Unfortunately, these students were confronted with statements of contempt and homophobia. " The Human Rights campaign issued a statement: "The lawmaker's behavior illustrates why the state legislature should pass the Florida Dignity for All Students Act…"

Sexual Harassment Is OK If You're A Republican
06-Apr-01
Republicans

Holy mixed messages! "The Republican Party is allowing the head of its college recruitment arm, accused of sexually harassing female colleagues and misusing party funds, to keep his job with an apology. The Republican National Committee said Wednesday it found no evidence that the actions of Scott Stewart…met the legal definition of sexual harassment. However, the investigation by the party and an outside law firm concluded Stewart's conduct was 'unprofessional and inappropriate for a work setting.' The RNC gave Stewart a warning and ordered him to apologize in writing to the three women whose complaints led to the inquiry...Jennifer Gorski, Kathleen Kirst and Youmna Salameh alleged in affidavits that Stewart made frequent unwanted sexual advances and regularly spoke obscenely to and about female employees. They also alleged Stewart authorized the use of several thousand dollars in GOP funds to pay for his and others' personal expenses." Gotta love those Republican values!

DeLay's Taped Phone Message Offers Donors High-level Access In Exchange For Contributions
05-Apr-01
Republicans

In a recorded phone message, "the House Republican whip, Tom DeLay, is promising meetings with top Bush officials to small business owners whose donations would underwrite a GOP ad campaign promoting the president's [sic]tax plan... People familiar with the fund drive say it is part of an effort to raise up to the maximum $20,000 in donations to the party from each donor." DeLay has been behind several shady fundraising schemes, including the Triad shell corporation, and a Nixonian townhouse operation. Said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, "They're selling access." Will any of these donors get to drive a nuclear submarine, like the Republicans on the USS Greeneville?

Trent Lott Preserves Cockfighting in America
02-Apr-01
Republicans

"They are pumped up with stimulants. They have knives or ice-pick-like gaffes affixed to their legs. And they immediately hack each other to death. Punctured, lungs, gouged eyes, other grievous wounds are part-and-parcel of cockfighting in America." In fact, cockfighting has been outlawed in 47 states, and would be outlawed in the remaining three (LA, NM, OK) except for one Senator. His name is Trent Lott (R-MS).

Like Marc Rich, Dan Burton and Orrin Hatch Undermined South Africa Sanctions of the 1980's
01-Apr-01
Republicans

Republicans attacked Marc Rich for violating US sanctions, including those against South Africa in the 1980's. But guess who led the fight against those sanctions? Dan Burton, Orrin Hatch, and Jesse Helms, to name just a few. "It is the height of hypocrisy that Orrin Hatch or Dan Burton would be opposed to anyone breaking sanctions against South Africa," said Salih Booker, executive director of the Africa Policy Information Center.

NJ Republicans Choose Fired Banker for Treasurer
26-Mar-01
Republicans

Acting NJ Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco's nominee for state treasurer was fired from a high-level job at Citibank after internal auditors confronted her with evidence indicating that she had used her expense account to pay for thousands of dollars in personal travel while having an extramarital affair with a co-worker in California, according to the New York Times.

Are Republicans Building a Fascist Future?
26-Mar-01
Republicans

"Two months into the Bush regime, it's increasingly clear that the Republicans, who now control all three branches of the federal government, the judiciary, the executive, and the Congress, have created an atmosphere in which a one-party, authoritarian state will either be welcomed or simply accepted as inevitable by large segments of the population." So writes Bill Weintraub in a sobering analysis in Gay Today.

Republican National Chair Battles Homestate Republicans
23-Mar-01
Republicans

Gov. Jim Gilmore (R-VA) serves as chair of the Republican National Committee, where he is supposed to united Republicans across the country. But in his home state, he's fighting a war with Republican state senators over a reckless tax cut that will bust Virginia's budget. No wonder Shrub chose him as his RNC chair!

Gephardt: Bush And GOP Have Raised Tone Of Rancor To New Heights
16-Mar-01
Republicans

Dick Gephardt (D-MO) told Speaker Hastert (R-IL) that the Republicans have ruined any hopes of bipartisanship. "Gephardt's office released a letter sent to Hastert that detailed 'indignities perpetrated' against the minority by the Speaker and the GOP leadership. Citing candidate George W. Bush's pledge to 'change the tone in Washington,' Gephardt wrote, 'If anything, [Bush and GOP leaders] have raised the level of partisan rancor to new heights.'" The indignities include unfair committee ratios, the ramming of the ergonomics bill and the rushed voting on Bush's insane tax plan without the legally required budget. We are starting to believe that he is ready to do some real fightin' on behalf of Democratic principles. We're behind you Dick!

Republican Mafia Threatens Lobbying Firms
16-Mar-01
Republicans

GOP leaders are pressuring lobbying firms to hire Republicans, since the GOP now controls all three branches of government. By getting more Republicans as lobbyists, this will entrench Republican power even deeper.

John Boehner, Like All Republicans, Is a Coward
15-Mar-01
Republicans

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) is looking to cut funds for historically black colleges and universities by shifting Congressional jurisdiction from the education committee to a new committee on social programs. Talk show host Tavis Smiley has blown the whistle on this attack, which Boehner now denies. Smiley has invited Boehner to discuss the issue on his show, but Boehner is too much of a coward.

Republican 'Moderates' Face Crucial Test
15-Mar-01
Republicans

The Republican Party - including the entire Bush administration - is dominated and controlled by its neo-fascist wing, led by Tom DeLay. On three key topics - massive tax cuts, global warming gases, and union rights - "moderate" Republicans now must decide whether to fight for their principles, or let the neo-fascists get their way. (Subscription required)

'Shut it Down' Sweeney's DUI - Was it Scrubbed?
14-Mar-01
Republicans

Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) is famous for starting the Miami-Dade recount riot by yelling "Shut it down!" On January 23, Sweeney shut down the power on Willard Mountain by driving off the side of the road and knocking down a utility pole. Witnesses saw Sweeney drinking that night, but state troopers did not administer an alcohol test. Sweeney is a protege of Gov. Pataki - was there a conspiracy to let Sweeney off without a DUI?

The California GOP is Talking About Arnold for Governor Again
13-Mar-01
Republicans

Well, now the official bigwigs in the California GOP are promoting Arnold S. for Governor. Given that he has been the subject of multiple allegations that he is a groper, he'll fit right in with the rest of the GOP lechers, like Dan Burton and Newt Gingrich.

It's Class Warfare in Congress - From Above
12-Mar-01
Republicans

When Al Gore made mildly populist statements during the campaign, he was pounded for "class warfare." But with Republicans in charge of all 3 branches of government, they are waging class warfare from above by cutting taxes for the rich and killing workplace safety rules that were 10 years in the making. So says David Corn in TomPaine.com.

GOP Leaders Need to Attend to Their Families First
12-Mar-01
Republicans

To readers who have written that it is unfair to discuss the Bush daughters, we say that if their father makes restoring family values and decency a trademark of his administration, he'd better attend to his own family first. Furthermore, couldn't Jenna's boyfriend's parents have bailed him out? Do we, the taxpayers, have to pay for a high-cost taxi service to get the guy out of jail? Dan Burton (who fathered an illegitimate son and never acknowledged him) would have held 6 hearings on this if Chelsea Clinton was involved. Our point is that the GOP has made private behavior the focus of its nine-year jihad against all things Democratic. To ignore their personal foibles is to enable them. George W. Bush had many enablers during his two decades of admitted alcoholism and alleged drug use. We shouldn't enable his personal lapses, or those of any Republicans. It's not healthy for the nation - or for them and their children.

Republicans Panicking Over Losing Suburbs
12-Mar-01
Republicans

Suburbs have traditionally gone Republican. But Republican extremism on abortion, guns, and the environment has driven suburbanites - especially women - to the Democrats.

Ted Kennedy Blasts Republicans for Using JFK's name
11-Mar-01
Republicans

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) says a Republican organization ad - created by Karl Rove, no doubt - that uses JFK's voice "indecent." While you're at it Teddy, why don't you call the whole Bush administration "indecent" and illegitimate to boot? That's what we're kind of thinking.

Are We Watching the Rise of Fascism in America?
11-Mar-01
Republicans

"I was raised in fascist Italy until age 17 and will never forget the ugliness of totalitarian control over people's lives. After two years in Brazil, I came to America in 1949 and wept when I saw the Statue of Liberty. Today, in horror, I see all the unmistakable signs of a new wave of fascism, cleverly concealed behind pseudo-patriotic, Christian rhetoric." So writes Aldo Vidali, webmaster of Victory For Gore In 2004.

Florida GOP Launches Full Scale Assault on Independent Judiciary
11-Mar-01
Republicans

Now they are running roughshod over the Constitutional separation of powers in Florida and the rabid GOP legislature wants to control the judicial branch of government. This calls for a nationally respected Democrat to stand up for justice and denounce the unConstitutional actions of the Florida GOP. When will the Democrats speak out with a passion about the GOP assault on justice?

Did J. Peter Grace Ever Dine On Hitler's Silverware With the Bushes?
11-Mar-01
Republicans

Like the Bush family that financed Nazi industrialists, J. Peter Grace was also involved with the CIA, especially through his key role in "Operation Paperclip" that folded Nazis into the CIA. Later, Grace helped organize the overthrow of Chile's Allende that installed Pinochet. Along with members of the Bush family, Grace was a high level member of various CIA-linked organizations such as CANF (Cuban American National Foundation) and Americares - as well as being tied to the quasi-Nazi Liberty Lobby.

Bush Bankruptcy Bill Bails Out Rich Republican Donors
11-Mar-01
Republicans

"A bill designed to make it harder for Americans to wipe out their debts through bankruptcy contains a special clause that helps shield a group of well-to-do Americans from a debt of at least $15 million owed to insurance giant Lloyd's of London. The provision ... would benefit a small targeted group: about 300 Americans, including 20 millionaires such as ... relatives of deceased industrialist J. Peter Grace." In a closed door meeting last fall, Republicans led by Rep. Henry Hyde and Senator Jeff Sessions attached the measure to a version of the bankruptcy bill. While millions of Americans will get nailed unfairly by the bankruptcy bill for the benefit of the GOP's paymasters in the credit card industry, the Republicans want an elite few to skate. One of those protected whines that he had to give up his memberships to "all the social clubs I belonged to," as well as having to hide his copious assets under his wife's name.

House Republicans Resort to Bribery
09-Mar-01
Republicans

House Republicans are openly offering a seat on the Appropriations Committee as a bribe to any Democrat who wants to switch parties. We have a message for any Democrats who might be considering betraying the Democratic voters who elected them - RESIGN!

Thurmond Health Watch (3)
09-Mar-01
Republicans

Strom Thurmond's health is now the subject of rampant rumors in D.C. Speculation is accelerating about his reported deteriorating condition. Maybe that's why Bush is ramming his tax break for the super wealthy through Congress.

DeLay's Henchmen are Clamming Up
08-Mar-01
Republicans

Ed Buckham, DeLay's former chief of staff and top political adviser, ran an "interlocking network of non-profit and political organizations" that used secret contributions to attack Democratic candidates. Last year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed an unprecedented racketeering lawsuit against DeLay's slush funds. As more evidence of illegal activity is revealed, DeLay's henchmen are diving for cover. It's going to take a lot of Federalist Society judges to keep these guys from paying some big-time RICO fines.

Ugly Divorce May Torpedo Conservative Republican Campaign
07-Mar-01
Republicans

The ex-wife of Republican US Senate hopeful John Cox (IL) claims he's been cheating her and lying about his assets. He says she's doing this out of spite and she wants to hurt him politically because she doesn't agree with his conservative views and anti-abortion stance. We say, "You go, Girlfriend!!"

Those Pesky Rumors About RNC Chairman Jim Gilmore Won't Go Away
07-Mar-01
Republicans

Aides to RNC Chairman and Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore don't know what to do about chronic rumors that Gilmore's marriage is on the rocks. His staff, according to this article, had to even spike a newspaper story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the Governor was having an affair with a state legislator.

Thurmond Health Watch (1)
06-Mar-01
Republicans

According to right-wing columnist Robert Novak, Senate Republicans would like to see Thurmond resign. Why? So they can become the minority and spend their time viciously attacking a 1-vote Democratic majority. Republicans do not seek election to govern for the good of the people, but simply to get a platform to attack and destroy Democrats on behalf of their corporate paymasters.

Dan Burton, We've Got Some Investigations for You!
06-Mar-01
Republicans

PJ McIlvaine writes, "Dan 'The Watermelon Man' Burton and his Pardongate hearings are running out of gas faster than the Rocky the Bullwinkle balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Having been cast adrift by his own party, and unable to come up with a scintilla of proof of any criminality on the part of Bill Clinton, our last legally elected President, Burton is now resorting to appearing on TV talk shows in his own rancid version of Duck Duck Goose... I'd like to suggest to Dapper Dan several ideas on what he should investigate next, since for damn sure it won't be Florida and the stolen election, electoral reform, Funeralgate, Bush's ties to Big Oil, Cheney and his questionable residency, black voter disenfranchisement, campaign finance reform, Bush's Baloney Budget, The Weasel's missing National Guard years, Jeb and Cruella De Ville's alleged affair and why is the Secret Service acting like the Bush Twins private taxi and baby-sitting service at taxpayer's expense."

If You're a Black Jurist in Oklahoma, Don't Expect the Republican Senators to Nominate You for a Federal Judgeship
06-Mar-01
Republicans

US Senators Don Nickles and Jim Inhofe have made it clear that they will never nominate a black federal judge. The two passed over African Americans again the other day. Oklahoma's two Republican Senators have nominated four individuals for appointment as US District Judges in Oklahoma. No African Americans were in the number.

Republicans Continue 'Slouching Towards Gomorrah'
05-Mar-01
Republicans

Here's some more disgustingly immoral behavior from the hypocritical "family values" Party. Kevin T. Coan, the 39-year-old Republican director of the St. Louis Election Board, was charged Friday with trying to solicit sex from a 14-year-old girl over the Internet. The girl turned out to be an Alton police officer. Just a few weeks ago a leader of College Republicans was charged with sexual harassment and malfeasance. Yo Robert Bork, Dr. Laura and Bill Bennett - "Where's the outrage????"

Hastert's Son Arrested For DUI
04-Mar-01
Republicans

House Speaker Denny Hastert's son Ethan, age 22, was arrested in Washington DC on charges of drunk driving. The Republican alcohol arrests are starting to stack up like their adulteries - Asa Hutchinson's son, Jenna Bush's boyfriend, Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY), now Hastert's kid - oh and don't forget the clown prince himself - George "Johnnie Walker" Bush, who was arrested 3 times after turning 18.

For Bush and the GOP, It's Business as Usual When it Comes to Blacks
04-Mar-01
Republicans

It's almost open warfare between the GOP and black America. Of course, with the exception of Bush's cynical photo-ops in schools filled with black children. Democrats and Independents need to stand up for justice and support minorities in their battle against the neo-Confederacy forces within the GOP, which means the Republican Party in general minus the two moderate Republicans lost in a forest somewhere up in the Northeast.

White House Quietly Tells Burton to Shut Up
04-Mar-01
Republicans

Newsweek reports the following: "This is a dead end," says an aide close to Rep. Dan Burton, the Indiana Republican leading the pardons investigation. Others don't believe that the probe will ever prove criminal wrongdoing involving Clinton. The White House, irritated that the scandal is eclipsing the new president, is also beginning to get impatient. NEWSWEEK has learned that administration officials are quietly pressuring the GOP investigators to end the probe as quickly as possible. "Everybody's not real happy with us over there," says one Republican staffer. "I've been getting calls from the White House saying, 'Hey, what are you guys doing?'" Top White House officials like "Scooter" Lewis are discovering that House Democrats have the goods on them, and are ready to tell the American people.

Republicans Apologize to Al Sharpton
03-Mar-01
Republicans

Last spring, former RNC Chair Jim Nicholson wrote a letter to the Washington Post accusing Al Sharpton of instigating a deadly riot in the New York borough of Brooklyn in August 1991 and instigating arson that killed seven people at a Harlem store in 1995. Sharpton sued the Republicans for $30 million. This week, the RNC retracted its lies. Hey Democrats - next time the Republicans lie about us, just sue 'em!!

Rumors, Rumors, Rumors, Now RNC Chairman Jim Gilmore is Caught in the Swirl
02-Mar-01
Republicans

Rumors being rumors we can't verify them, but last fall the Free Press, a Richmond newspaper, had this to say: "What’s going on with the first lady and Gov. Jim Gilmore? Is their marriage on the rocks? These questions are often whispered around Capitol Square these days." A Gilmore spokesman, at the time, vehemently denied the rumors: "There’s not an ounce of factual basis at all," the spokesman said. But rumors, as the Republicans well know, are hard to settle down once they start circulating.

Burton Pardon Investigation Is Unconstitutional
02-Mar-01
Republicans

According to Stanley M. Brand, general counsel to the House from 1976 to 1984, Dan Burton's investigation violates the separation of powers under the Constitution. Pardon power is reserved for the President only and is outside of the purview of Congress, as intended by the Framers. Moreover, "in 1979, the Supreme Court ruled unequivocally in former senator William Proxmire's libel case that Congress has power only to inform itself to enable it to write laws and that there is no constitutionally based 'informing power' benefiting the general public." Hey Bill - why don't you haul Dan Burton before the U.S. Supreme Court?

Why are the Republicans Obsessed by a Hatred for Bill?
28-Feb-01
Republicans

How about the "Wolf Theory"? That just about explains it all.

25 Federal Observers Needed for Illinois Republican Primary
27-Feb-01
Republicans

The Justice Department is sending 25 federal observers to the Chicago suburb of Cicero to monitor Tuesday's Republican primary voting for town offices, to ensure that Hispanic voters "have full and equal access to the voting process". The voters will have to choose between a town President whose two terms at Town Hall have been marked by federal investigations and a former Police Chief who is currently under federal indictment in a $75,000 embezzlement scheme. Some choice, eh? Think they'll bother to count the votes, this time?

A Day Late and a Dollar Short
27-Feb-01
Republicans

The Justice Dept. is sending 25 federal observers to the Chicago suburb of Cicero to monitor Tuesday's Republican primary voting for town offices, to ensure that Hispanic voters "have full and equal access to the voting process". The voters will have to choose between a town President whose two terms at Town Hall have been marked by federal investigations and a former Police Chief who is currently under federal indictment in a $75,000 embezzlement scheme. Some choice, eh? Think they'll bother to count the votes, this time?

Not Content With Demonizing Clinton, the GOP Wants to Discredit Any Democrat in Its Way
26-Feb-01
Republicans

Now the RNC has targeted Terry McAuliffe for daring to question King George's claim to the throne. They'd slur the reputations of their mothers if it helped them stay in power. They just don't have any scruples.

We've Heard Plenty About Hillary's Brother - What About DeLay's Daughter?
24-Feb-01
Republicans

Tom DeLay (R-TX) is the most powerful Republican in Congress. His daughter, Dani Ferro, was paid nearly $60,000 in consulting fees by DeLay's money-laundering operations. We demand an investigation!

Arlen Specter Took Contributions from Denise Rich
22-Feb-01
Republicans

In the early 1990's, Denise Rich gave $2,000 to none other than Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). Specter is now demanding Clinton's impeachment for pardoning Marc Rich. And this isn't Specter's first embrace of a high-profile fugitive. As a defense lawyer, Specter represented Ira Einhorn, who murdered his girlfriend and hid her body in his apartment for months before fleeing the country for France, where he lives today.

Beg Your Pardon, Governors?
20-Feb-01
Republicans

Other controversial pardons are now coming under scrutiny - these from Governors, including Wisconsin's Tommy Thompson (now Secretary of Health and Human Services) and New Jersey's Christie Whitman (now EPA Administrator). Why, even Bush pardoned a man for a marijuana offense who, only a few months later, while working as an upaid police officer (what's up with that?), admitted to stealing cocaine seized in an arrest. We demand an investigation!!

Hutchinson's Son Arrested on 2nd DUI in 5 Years
17-Feb-01
Republicans

William Asa Hutchinson III, son of Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) was arrested on his second DUI in five years after getting caught driving 80 MPH in a 60 MPH zone. Hutchinson, 25, is chairman of the Pulaski County Young Republicans. His father Asa, as well as his uncle Senator Tim (R-AR), both attended Bob Jones University and are leaders of the Christian right in Congress. Maybe they should try imposing their "morality" on their own families, before coming after the rest of us.

Governor Schwarzenegger? Not!
17-Feb-01
Republicans

Premiere magazine published an investigate report by John Connolly which tears Arnold's reputation to shreds. It's called "Arnold the Barbarian," but disgusting woman-using pig is more to the point. This makes him the perfect Republican candidate, but Gray Davis will have no trouble terminating his political career.

Hey Trent: Count Black Votes
17-Feb-01
Republicans

Trent Lott (R-MS), who eagerly courts racist groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens, told a group of mostly black business leaders that he wanted to create a monument to honor black contributions to the US. Hey Trent, what blacks REALLY want is 1) an investigation of the disenfranchisement of black voters in Florida, 2) removing the Commander in Thief and putting the rightful winner - Al Gore - in the White House; 3) an election system that counts every black vote in racist southern states like yours, and 4) statehood for DC so you can break bread with some black Senators! So why don't you stop jivin' and pass some damn bills.

While You Were Sleeping
17-Feb-01
Republicans

Former V.P. Dan Quayle may be drafted to run for Governor of Arizona, Cruella DeVille is thinking of running for Congress, and Sen. Kay Hutchinson (R-TX) is after Bush's old job.

Senate Investigating John Deutsch for Using AOL
16-Feb-01
Republicans

The Senate Intelligence [sic] Committee wants to investigate the presidential pardon of former CIA Director John Deutch, who was accused of mishandling classifed documents on his PC. An earlier Pentagon investigation said his practice of storing sensitive info on his unsecured home computer was "extremely risky" because he uses AOL, making his computer vulnerable to a hacker. AOL users, take note.

Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA) Leads Corporate Shakedown
16-Feb-01
Republicans

Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is leading a corporate shakedown to raise $6 million for Republican Congressional campaigns. Thomas is relying on the lobbyists with matters before his committee to lead the fundraising effort. Thomas insists there's not a hint of corruption - but we demand an investigation! (Requires Wall Street Journal subscription)

College Republican Chair Charged with Sexual Harassment
15-Feb-01
Republicans

Three Republican women - Kathleen Kirst, Jennifer Gorski and Youmna Salameh - have charged Scott Stewart, chairman of the College Republican National Committee, with sexual harassment and misuse of party funds. The women say Stewart made unwanted advances and regularly spoke in sexually graphic terms to and about female employees. Such behavior from a high-ranking Republican is no surprise, given that the Republican Party believes that women's bodies are simply the property of men.

Sex Workshop may Block Cellucci's Confirmation as Ambassador to Canada
13-Feb-01
Republicans

Somehow, the Republican Party's "big tent" doesn't ever seem to include prominent Republicans from Massachusetts. Former Gov. William Weld's nomination as Ambassador to Mexico was shot down by Congressional Republicans because of his pro-choice position. Now Gov. Paul Cellucci's nomination for Ambassador to Canada is threatened by an explicit sex education program sponsored by the state.

Bush Says 'Move On,' But Republicans Are Obsessed with Clinton
13-Feb-01
Republicans

Bush's non-existent popularity is jeopardized by his party's continued obsession with Clinton. "I think it's time to move on," Bush said. Bush even confessed the Clinton did NOT steal the glasses from Air Force One. But Congressional Republicans are on a suicide mission. "Any day that Dan Burton is on TV is a good day for Democrats," said Jim Jordan, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "Bill Clinton makes them crazy, and it drives them into doing foolish things." You said it, Jim!

Strom Thurmond, at 98, is Reaaaaally Tired
11-Feb-01
Republicans

Suffering from fatigue, Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC)spent the weekend at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He returned to the Senate but was too exhausted to lift the gavel. He is not planning to seek reelection in 2002. Democrats, start your engines...

Bob Barr Wants the U.S. to Assassinate Foreign Opponents
10-Feb-01
Republicans

Remember Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA)? He hated Clinton so much he wanted him impeached even before Monica. Besides being the champion of white supremacist groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens, he's also a former CIA analyst and NRA poster boy. Earlier this year he introduced H.R. 19, which would repeal various Executive orders which prohibit the assassination of foreign opponents by the CIA. Maybe Barr is trying to create a job that he's truly qualified for.

Why Don't the Democrats Take on Dan Burton?
10-Feb-01
Republicans

Dan Burton is one of those obsessed Republicans who can't take his mind off of Bill Clinton. He is currently leading the House "investigation" of the Clinton pardons, the latest in an 8-year series of hearings that Burton has held on Clinton. If Clinton coughs, Burton calls for a hearing. The only problem is that Burton is a moral and ethical degenerate. In short, he is a hypocrite extraordinaire. Why don't the Democrats call him on his double standard? Good question, very good question indeed.

Bad Actors Never Die; They Just Go Into Politics
09-Feb-01
Republicans

Like his fellow actor, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger is threatening to run for Governor of California if Gray Davis doesn't solve the energy crisis soon. The good news is he'll never be able to run for President.

Why Do They Keep Telling Us To Shut-up?
08-Feb-01
Republicans

Tom Delay says: "I believe that average Americans - not just Ivy League lawyers - have both a right and an obligation to speak out when they see members of the judiciary overstepping the proper scope of the law." As long as it isn't Al Gore and 51 million Democrats, he should have added.

Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) is a Proud Freeper
07-Feb-01
Republicans

Gov. Mike Huckabee this week declared himself a "confirmed and proud" member of FreeRepublic.com. But when he was challenged about acts of violence proposed by Freepers - like killing President Clinton - Huckabee said, "Those comments do not represent the views of Free Republic any more than someone shouting an obscenity in the aisle of a Wal-Mart store reflects the position of Wal-Mart." Quit dodging the question, Governor - do you support or condemn such expressions of hate and violence? And how would you feel about a web site that hosted similiar expressions directed at you?

A Ronald Reagan Retrospective: Not Playing at a Theater Near You
07-Feb-01
Republicans

After a day of listening to Washington pundits praise the 90-year-old Ronald Reagan as a "hero" -- a verdict delivered with no discernible dissent -- Consortiumnews.com decided to repost three past articles about the 40th U.S. president: his real deeds and his real legacy.

RNC Chairman Jim 'Happy' Gilmore May Become Jim 'Felon' Gilmore
07-Feb-01
Republicans

The travails of RNC Chairman and Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore may just be begining. Recently a homestate newspaper ran an article on the Governor's rumored sexual extracurricular activities (he's married, of course, but remember in the new GOP double stanadard, only Democrats commit adultery. Republicans just have forgivable lapses.) Now a Virginia Republican state senator is accusing Gilmore's PAC of eavesdropping on phone calls to Republican state senators. It's all part of an internecine GOP Virginia legislature battle over repeal of a state car tax, but the bottom line is that eavesdropping is a felony in Virginia, punishable by one to five years in prison or a $2,500 fine and 12 months in jail. Should we start singing "Hail to the RNC Chair Felon?"

Miami Riot Leader John Sweeney (R-NY) Refuses to Answer DUI Questions
05-Feb-01
Republicans

Rep. John Sweeney led the Miami-Dade recount riot when he shouted "Shut it down!" to the assembled Republican whiteshirts. On January 23, he drove off an upstate NY road and knocked out a utility pole, dumping live wires on the road and stopping traffic and ski lifts for 2 hours. Sweeney had been drinking, but the State Trooper failed to perform an alcohol test after calling his supervisor. Did George Pataki's state police protect Sweeney from a DUI? Sweeney isn't talking, but his constituents sure are!

DeLay Stealth PAC Threatened by Democratic RICO Lawsuit
04-Feb-01
Republicans

Tom DeLay created the controversial Republican Majority Issues Committee as a way to launder contributions from major right-wing funders into Federal campaigns. In response, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a RICO (racketeering) lawsuit. DeLay's operative, Karl Gallant, now admits that the Democrats' legal action hurt his fundraising efforts. "You bet the RICO suit hurt me,"he said. "They scared away all the soft money." DeLay himself is trying to distance himself from the group, no doubt to stay out of jail.

Rep. Coble and FOX News Target Jesse Jackson Sr.
01-Feb-01
Republicans

Even as the Republican Senators scream for an end to the politics of personal destruction, one of their colleagues in the House, Representative Howard Coble of North Carolina, is working in collusion with Bill O'Reilly of FOX News to launch an investigation of Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. Tell Coble what you think of his arrogant abuse of power!

What About Moderate GOP Senators? Do They Have the Guts to Defy Trent Lott?
31-Jan-01
Republicans

We have become so use to Republican Senators walking off the plank whenever Trent Lott asks them to that we don't even expect them to be honorable. But we should hold out hope that every once in a while "moderate" senators, like Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins from Maine, would have the decency to stand up for justice. According to their home state newspaper, the Bangor Daily News, it's not too late.

Another Religious Right Republican is a Sex Maniac
30-Jan-01
Republicans

Rep. Larry Crow, R-Palm Harbor is a champion of "family values." When asked last year (in his 2000 political race) about his absence from 23 of 30 legislative committee meetings, he said his wife had a herniated disk in her back and he needed to spend more time at home with his two sons. "My family comes before my work every time," he said. When his opponent in the November election criticized him for the absences, he replied, "My wife and I will pray for her." Now it appears the good family man should have been praying for himself. St. Petersburg Times writer Katherine Gazella writes, "An X-rated Web site that shows nude women engaging in sexual acts in a waterfront home in Tarpon Springs, FL was established with the help of state Rep. Larry Crow." Need we say more?

NH Republican Legislator Resigns Under Fire
11-Jan-01
Republicans

Tom Alciere, a newly elected Republican member of the New Hampshire House who had gained notoriety for saying he supported — even loved — the killing of police officers, resigned in the face of mounting public outrage.

The 21 Rules for Being a Good Republican
25-Dec-00
Republicans

We found the secretly circulated rules for becoming a Republican and felt honor bound to share them with you, our loyal readers. But, please don't tell anyone. We don't want trouble!

GOP Rising Star Switches Parties
20-Dec-00
Republicans

In Maryland: "State Sen. Patrick J. Hogan of Montgomery County, one of the GOP's brightest young stars, abandoned the party and switched his registration to the "D" column," the Baltimore Sun reports. "Hogan is bright, personable and telegenic, and the party was grooming him. This past year, he headed a party committee raising money for legislative candidates and he led the successful re-election campaign of Rep. Constance A. Morella, another Montgomery Republican. But Hogan's assessment was that he had grown uncomfortable with the conservative wing of the state GOP."

Dick Gephardt's GOP Opponent Charged with Assault
11-Oct-00
Republicans

If Dick Gephardt's opponent were, in a very unlikely scenario, to win the minority leader's congressional seat, the GOP stalwart might spend his first year in prison instead of Congress. That's because the guy assaulted a Gephardt intern who was videotaping him, and then a short time later went on to assault a TV camera man. The GOP Candidate's lawyer says that it was the right thing to do. These Republicans are good at assaulting people. Remember what they did to the President in the guise of justice.

Tom DeLay Makes Us Sick.
27-Sep-00
Republicans

Well, now we've said it. DeLay has been the kingpin behind the extremists in the House, the puppeteer behind the Hastert regime. In a new book on the impeachment process, the mean-spirited violent rhetoric of DeLay's staff and henchmen is revealed. These guys may be too dangerous to allow out on the streets.

Conservative Columnist Says GOP is Now the Party of the Big Spenders
22-Sep-00
Republicans

Shocking! After decades of decrying the Democrats as budget busters, the GOP is now the party of big spending. It is the final blow to the so-called Gingrich revolution, which was just a cynical PR stunt anyway. Now that they are buying votes with pork, what does the GOP stand for anyway?

 


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