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The State of the Website

Todd Herman — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:21:22 GMT

5/15/09 Update: What you see here is a placeholder between what was and what is to come for GOP.com. Don't get too used to this page--the complete rebuild is around the corner. Soon we'll have a new look and a more enjoyable, modern, open and participatory way to share our ideals with the Country.

On Friday of last week, we chose a vendor to rebuild our website and digital presence; the two are not the same and the distinction matters---a lot. It matters especially so for us.

The website you see today is difficult to update, hard to use, and locked in a Web 1.0 environment. It is also stale. It is in need of a massive spring clean. To be fair, my predecessor and good friend, Cyrus Krohn, and his team were on the way to changing all of this. Then, we elected a new Chairman, re-grouped, re-staffed and then, finally, we locked & loaded.

The project is underway.

You will soon witness some preliminary changes and, less soon—though, faster than I have ever seen done—you will see the new GOP.com in its entirety. This is where you come in.

Pew recently released a study about politics and technology. I quote (the emphasis is mine): “Despite the Dem’s recent success in using the internet, Republicans as a whole (68%) are actually more likely to be online political users then Dem’s (53%). 84% of Republicans go online and of that group 79% are online political users. Only 40% of Republicans engage in online activism. (Online activism is defined by three components; 1) going online for political news and information 2) communicating with others about politics online and 3) using social media tools (FBOOK, Twitter, Email) to interact with other voters/campaigns.)”

As you can see, this is where you come in---we hope.

For many of you, Facebook and Twitter are like Tide and Big Macs, BrightKite is old-hat and you have already beta-tested Vine and Footprint. Cool. Will you help the rest of us?

For some of you, this will be a new and exciting way to exercise your political muscles. Perhaps our friends in the know will lend us a hand.

I mentioned the important distinction between a website and a digital-presence. You are our digital presence and it is our job to make your insurmountably important role in our Party fun, easy, compelling, two-way and meaningful. The website can be a meeting place, an information gathering place, the action center where you can prepare yourself to help people discover that hope & change really means poverty & pain. Or, it can be a website. We are determined to provide the tools necessary to make it the former. If you have thoughts on what that should include, please tell us.

Thank you for being our digital presence ... especially through the past few months.

The New Guy Speaks

Todd Herman — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:06:36 GMT

Yes, contrary to what I seem to read everywhere, we are neither dragging our feet moribund in our loss, searching around for a future, or living in denial of the Herculean work we have to do. To a person, we seem to recognize the challenge of facing up to a popular president willing to do anything to gain, keep and radically expand his power: fund a campaign with anonymous donations, appoint a group charged multiple times with perpetrating voter-fraud to count the Census, send David Axelrod on TV to claim the “Tea Parties” were “dangerous” and, as a parting shot at the idea of a free market, refuse to take repayments –with interest- from banks who neither wanted nor needed our tax money.

RNC Launches New Ad: "One of Us"

Team RNC — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:37:58 GMT

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) today launched a new ad: “One of Us.” The ad highlights the motivation and experience of New York State Republican Leader Jim Tedisco, a candidate for the open Congressional seat in New York’s 20th district.

The ad will run on the major networks in the Albany, NY area.

:30 TV Advertisement

Title: “One of Us”

The son of a foundry worker and loving mom, Jim Tedisco’s life changed forever when he lost his young brother with Down Syndrome.

So, Jim dedicated his life to serving others.

Special Ed teacher, guidance counselor, coach.

Then to public service to help our families.

Fighting for property tax relief, securing jobs, protecting our children.

Jim Tedisco for Congress. He fights for us because he’s one of us.

-Disclaimer-

I’m Jim Tedisco, and I approve this message.

Right.org Announces Anti-Bailout Video Contest with Grand Prize of $27,599

Team RNC — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:33:52 GMT

Right.org, a new grassroots website calling on Congress to do what's right and stop bailouts, has announced a video contest asking Americans to speak out against the bailouts. The winning submission will be awarded $27,599—one person's bailout burden as determined by the Right.org Bailout Calculator.

The contest also offers a second-place prize of $2,759, and five runner-up prizes of $275 gift certificates to the Apple Store. Videos may be submitted between February 23 and May 25. Winners will be announced in June. Contest rules and submission guidelines are available at Right.org.

President Barack Obama said it best in a speech on February 4: "[W]hat gets people upset – and rightfully so – are executives being rewarded for failure. Especially when those rewards are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers." Right.org gives voice to Americans who don't want to pay for corporate failures that aren't their fault. The federal government has put taxpayers on the line for nearly $8.5 trillion in debt obligations—more than $100,000 per family.

"Economists and Treasury Secretaries have deceived the American public—so we're taking the facts straight to the taxpayer," says Right.org founder Evan Baehr. "The passage of the new 'stimulus' package makes it clear that Washington isn't listening, so Right.org is asking Americans to turn up the volume."

The Bush and Obama Administrations and Congressional leaders often use complex economic terms to describe components of the bailout—like “term auction facility” and “money market investor funding facility.” “Regardless of what you call these components, they add up to 8.5 trillion dollars,” Baehr remarked. “That's nearly three times the size of Congress' total budget last year and nearly two-thirds of what the entire U.S. economy produced last year!”

Thousands of Americans stood up to the egregious economic stimulus package signed into law yesterday. Even if the bill contains up to $300 billion in bailouts, as some estimate, these commitments are dwarfed by the FDIC and Federal Reserve authority to spend an additional $5 trillion of taxpayer money. Our fight has only just begun.

Presidents Day Activities for Kids

Team RNC — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 09:46:07 GMT

Teach Your Children Well!

Here are a few resources for you to share with children of all ages on Presidents Day.

Wikipedia list of the GOP presidential tickets.

Apples 4 the teacher activities.

Be My GOP Valentine!

Team RNC — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:10:06 GMT

From Bailouts to Blago, get your Valentine's Day cards at GOPValentine.com.

We Want You, Part II: GOP Tech Summit

Team RNC — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:00:43 GMT

Yesterday we alerted the RNC's Tech Summit that is taking place this Friday

Today we are announcing a community forum for you to share thoughts in advance of Friday and beyond.

If you can attend in person, great. If not, then join the action from the comfort of your home or wherever you are.

We Want You! GOP Tech Summit

Team RNC — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:50:10 GMT

The Republican National Committee is hosting a Tech Summit on Friday, Feb. 13 (yes, we know) at our National Headquarters. This is an open invitation to participate. Please use the sign-up form here and identify your area of expertise.

We look forward to a full day of your ideas. Speakers will be given 5 minutes to present suggestions and opportunities for advancing the GOP's technology efforts.

Registration is open until Wed., Feb. 11 at 11 p.m. ET.

Time blocks for each area of interest will be communicated via e-mail no later than Thurs., Feb. 12 at Noon ET.

If you can get here, we'll hear you!

310 First Street SE
Washington, DC 20003 (Map)

If you can't attend in person please send thoughts via e-mail to ecampaign@gop.com and put "Tech Summit" in the subject line or call 202-863-8728.

We've also started a discussion group on our Facebook page. Look for "GOP Tech Summit".

We'll be launching other initiatives in the coming days for you to share your thoughts.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele Delivers Weekly Republican Address

Team RNC — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:23:41 GMT

RNC Chairman Steele`s Blueprint for Tomorrow

Team RNC — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:08:32 GMT

We want to hear your thoughts on RNC Chairman Michael Steele's "Blueprint for Tomorrow".

To share your comments click on the "comment" link below or you can share thoughts in the following locations:

The Official RNC Facebook Group

Send RNC a message on Twitter

Thanks!

RNC Chairman Michael Steele on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace

Team RNC — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 11:57:13 GMT

RNC Chairman Michael Steele on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace

Part One:

Part Two

Audio of RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s remarks to the House Republicans today

Team RNC — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:40:25 GMT

Part One

Part Two

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Delivers Weekly Republican Address

Team RNC — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:08:37 GMT

Republican Leaders Show Support for the new RNC Chairman, Michael Steele

Team RNC — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:04:55 GMT

McConnell Congratulates Michael Steele on Election to RNC Chair

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Friday congratulating Michael Steele on his election as Republican National Committee Chairman:

“I congratulate Michael Steele on his historic election as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Chairman Steele will be a strong voice for Republicans across the country and I look forward to working with him, House Republican Leader John Boehner, our great Republican Governors, and all Republicans, to compete for every vote, in every state of our great country.”

Boehner Congratulates Steele on Election to RNC Chair

WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today congratulated former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele on his election to serve as Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) for the 2009/2010 election cycle. Boehner released the following statement:

“I’m proud to congratulate Michael Steele, who will help rebuild the GOP – from the bottom up – as a stronger, more principled, more inclusive party.

“Our economic recovery plan demonstrated this week that Republicans won’t settle for being the party of generic opposition. We’re going to be bold, engaged, and proactive. Michael will be one of the key leaders of this renewed GOP, one rooted in better ideas and solutions to the challenges facing all Americans -- not the select or favored few.

“I look forward to working closely with Michael and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky to help make sure Republican candidates are competitive in every corner of the country.

“I’d also like to thank Mike Duncan for all of his work on behalf of House Republicans. Mike did an impressive job steering the RNC through a difficult cycle and I’m grateful for his service.”

Boehner serves as honorary chairman of The Freedom Project (FreedomProject.org), a political action committee (PAC) established in 1995 to provide assistance to Republican candidates for federal office. The Freedom Project supports candidates who believe in freedom and security, empowered citizens and personal responsibility.

Cantor Congratulates Steele On Victory

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement congratulating former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele on his election to be the next Chairman of the Republican National Committee:

"With his historic election today, Michael Steele will lead the Republican National Committee at a critical juncture both for our country and for our party. While the challenges we face are many, our confidence in Mike is strong. As Chairman, he will bring a renewed energy to the RNC and strong leadership shaped by experience at all levels of our party.

"I congratulate Mike on his victory, and am eager to work together with him to help shape our positive vision for the future of our country."

RGA Congratulates Michael Steele

Washington, D.C. – The Republican Governors Association congratulates Michael Steele on being elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee. RGA Chairman Governor Mark Sanford and Vice Chairman Governor Haley Barbour released the following statements congratulating the new Chairman.

RGA Chairman Governor Mark Sanford: “The Republican Governors Association knows how important Governors will be to the future growth of the Republican Party and we are ready to work with the RNC to rebuild the GOP. Strong gubernatorial candidates at the top of the ticket can have a tremendous impact on down-ballot races, particularly in non-presidential years like 2010 when there will be 36 governors’ races. We look forward to working with the RNC team to implement a plan that makes sure the Party’s resources are used effectively in 2010. In this regard, Haley and I look forward to working with Chairman Steele.”

RGA Vice Chairman Governor Haley Barbour: “The Republican Party is most successful when it focuses on building from the bottom up, which results in strong gubernatorial candidates and strong state parties. The RGA is prepared to work with the RNC to make sure we have both. The RNC will also be able to use Governors as examples of Republican leaders who offer effective, conservative solutions even as the Democrats control Washington. Congratulations, Chairman Steele. Republican Governors look forward to working with you.”

Cornyn Congratulates Steele on Election to Chair the Republican National Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), made the following statement today regarding the election of Michael Steele as Chairman of the Republican National Committee:

“I congratulate Michael Steele on his impressive victory today. Over the past several months, he has laid forth a clear, commonsense plan that will allow our Party to remain true to its core principles, while simultaneously ushering in the bold, fresh ideas that the American people expect from their elected officials.

“As a proven statewide winner in the very blue state of Maryland, Michael will help bring our message to traditionally-blue areas of the country where we must become competitive if we hope to regain our majority.

“I look forward to working with him closely during these next two years in what promises to be a challenging, yet promising, campaign cycle.”

Sessions Congratulates Steele on Election as RNC Chairman

Washington- NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions released the following statement today to congratulate Michael Steele on his election as Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC):

“Michael Steele’s election as Chairman of the Republican National Committee is an historic achievement for our Party and our country. Together, the RNC and the NRCC will work to address the concerns of all Americans in the spirit of President Lincoln. Having had the privilege of working with Michael Steele before, I look forward to working with him again as we grow our party and fight our way back to a Majority in Congress.”

Steele Elected RNC Chairman

Team RNC — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:59:51 GMT

Congratulations Michael Steele on your victory as the new RNC Chairman! Here is a link to Chairman Steele’s campaign site and victory speech.

We would like to thank Chairman Duncan for his longstanding service to the party and country. We look forward to your continued involvement with the GOP.

Get Your Spinoculars!

Team RNC — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:05:20 GMT

In an effort to keep you up to date with the latest in internet technology, we bring you a new series of websites and tools that will give you the power to beat back the left and let the light of truth shine through.

Our first submission is a little tool called SpinSpotter. Still listed as “very beta”, the technology has won some prestigious awards. SpinSpotter has the fairly obvious goal of showing their users where the spin is in news articles all over the net, including all of the big name news sites.

They do this by allowing you to actually find, and remove the spin from any news article. In fact, you can actually "edit" and news article in bright, red-ink. That way, other Spin Spotters will see the de-spun version. Their system -the SpinBot- learns from you what spin looks like. Along with their own set of rules, this puts the power of truth in your hands.

Available today as a plug-in for Firefox, an Internet Explorer version will launch on January 14th. Take some time and check it out; help keep the left wing bias out of the press. In the meantime, be sure to watch the promo video made by the SpinSpotter team:

Will Boehner`s Response to the President Be "Approved?"

Team RNC — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:58:14 GMT

At 12:38 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 24 we attempted to post the Weekly Republican Address by Leader Boehner as a "video response" to President Obama's address on YouTube. More than two days later, the GOP video response is still waiting to be "approved by" the President's Internet team.

While we applaud the President for utilizing popular video-sharing websites like YouTube, the central purpose of these tools is to do just that: share videos and engage in conversation. We hope the President’s Internet team will quickly approve Boehner's response and allow that conversation to take place.

Watch Leader Boehner's response to President Obama here -- and leave some feedback while you're at it.

RNC Announces 2009 Winter Meeting Schedule

Team RNC — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:46:49 GMT

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee’s 2009 Winter Meeting, themed "Republican For A Reason," will take place Wednesday, January 28 through Saturday, January 31 at the Capital Hilton. Press credentials can be obtained by contacting the RNC Press Office.

Fairwell Liz Mair

Robert M. "Mike" Duncan — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:07:59 GMT

For regular readers of this blog who became familiar with Liz Mair’s writings, it is with mixed emotions that we bid her farewell. Today is Liz’s last day as our resident blogger and online communications director. We’re going to miss working with Liz and the valuable contributions she brought to the RNC, but we’re very pleased for her personal growth as she begins a new adventure with New Media Strategies as a Strategic Manager within their Public Affairs practice.

Over the course of Liz’s tenure with the RNC she was instrumental in a number of online activities and projects. Besides her efforts interacting in the blogosphere keeping the opposition on their toes she participated in a number of innovative inititiaves we can chalk up as “firsts” during the high-tech campaign of 2008. Following are a few of our favorite Liz ventures.

1. The McCain-Obama Twitter Debate:
2. Debating Rep. Allyson Schwartz at the 2008 BlogHer conference, on the topic of which presidential candidate better serves women:
3. Working to engage overseas bloggers in the context of a presidential campaign that caught the world’s attention (check out the write-up of Republican outreach to British bloggers here: )

If you’d like to stay in touch with Liz, you can follow her on Twitter (@LizMair); her website should be up-and-running again soon: http://www.lizmair.com.

While we search for Liz's replacement the GOP.com blog will be updated regularly by existing staffers ranging from technologists to politicos.

Best Wishes Liz! See you in the ether.

Happy 2009!

Team RNC — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:21:54 GMT

From all of us here at the RNC, Happy New Year! 2009 is now upon us, and in addition to bringing the start of a new presidency and Congress, it also brings a year in which gubernatorial elections will be held in both New Jersey and Virginia-- races we imagine many Republicans will be watching with interest.

Must-read from the Politico

Liz Mair — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:48:42 GMT

This item from Politico has been attracting some attention on the cable news today. But rather than listening to the anchors and talking heads summarize its content, please go and read the whole thing yourself. The upshot of it is that President-elect Barack Obama has "stopped short of pledging to release e-mails or other records" relevant to any contacts between his staff and the office of Rod Blagojevich-- and that he may never have to release them because of a gap in government records disclosure laws (something that seems mildly concerning, to say the least).

Five in a row since Nov. 4th

Liz Mair — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:51:18 GMT

Yesterday, Republican Tom Kovach won his race to replace Democrat Diana McWilliams in the Delaware House. Congratulations, Rep.-elect Kovach! Not only does your win mark a step forward for Republicans in the rather blue home state of Vice President-elect Joe Biden, but it also marks the fifth win in a row for Republicans since Nov. 4th.

Re: The Employee Free Choice Act

Liz Mair — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:02:40 GMT

The Employee Free Choice Act is a piece of legislation bound to be discussed a great deal as we head into the next administration and Congress, not least because it would controversially have the effect of effectively eliminating workers' rights to a secret ballot vote on unionization (i.e., drawing into question how "free" the choice in question may be, and also how democratic this legislation that is a top priority of congressional Democrats and Democratic President-elect Barack Obama in fact is).

Conveniently, an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal by Richard Epstein underlines a little-discussed reason why that should be particularly the case, namely that the Employee Free Choice Act appears to be, er, unconstitutional (at least on his reading).

There are a number of reasons why Mr. Epstein asserts this to be the case, but rather than badly summarizing them, I'd simply urge you to go read the whole piece that he's written. It's worth it, especially if you're curious about the legislation that AFSCME President (i.e., union boss) Gerald McEntee said would be the unions' "payback" for supporting Obama and Democratic candidates.

The importance of Illinois holding a special election becomes yet more evident

Liz Mair — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:22:40 GMT

Yesterday, the Illinois Senate adjourned without stripping disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his powers enabling him to appoint President-elect Barack Obama's successor in the US Senate. This meant the Illinois Senate effectively saying that there would be no vote on who that successor should be for the people of Illinois.

The evident disinterest of Illinois Democrats (who, incidentally, control Illinois' legislature) in holding a special election, as evidenced by that action and others, was criticized today by, among others, the Chicago Tribune in an editorial titled "Trust the people? Nah." Meanwhile, it's pretty clear (and becoming more and more clear all the time) that Illinois citizens do in fact want the opportunity to vote on who Obama's successor should be.

Yet, today we also learn that the Illinois Supreme Court rejected a request by IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan to relieve Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his duties. To my mind, this makes it crystal clear (as if it weren't before) that pursuing the holding of a special election in Illinois is now critically important. The big question is whether Illinois Democrats (and others elsewhere) will also see it that way...

Illinois notes

Liz Mair — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:59:13 GMT

Over the weekend, and indeed today, political news across the nation has continued to center on the scandal involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and contact that President-elect Barack Obama's team may or may not have had with him (questions regarding which are the focus of this RNC video, released over the weekend). Meanwhile, the Illinois GOP is doing a good job of drawing attention to the connections that a number of prominent Illinois Democrats have with the man now commonly known as Blago: Check out this site, launched over the weekend.

The Illinois GOP continues also to agitate for a special election to replace President-elect Obama in the Senate, rather than leaving it up to Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to appoint a successor. This Facebook group, aimed at garnering and demonstrating support for a special election, also cropped up over the weekend. The group seems to be attracting support from plenty of Facebook users who agree that Pat Quinn, who was re-elected alongside Blago evidently with the help of Blago campaign funds, should not be appointing Obama's successor, and that the voters of Illinois-- and they alone-- should be choosing their next Senator. That's a hard proposition to disagree with, especially in these circumstances.

Happy Monday!

Liz Mair — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:15:54 GMT

It's Monday, and the most exciting news of the day is...THE ALL-NEW BARNEY-CAM IS UP, JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

(photo credit: White House photo by Eric Draper)

You can check it out here (link halfway down, on the right-hand side)

More re: Blagojevich

Liz Mair — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:02:11 GMT

There's a lot of news and opinion out there today about Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Much of it centers on the need for total transparency on the part of President-elect Barack Obama and his team, which of course includes David Axelrod, who is set to become a White House adviser, and (incidentally) the man who went on the record back in 2005 to argue, "in effect, that trading political favors – including jobs – is part of the grease that makes government work" while ripping Patrick Fitzgerald, the US Attorney behind the case against Blagojevich.

Here are some choice quotes courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet and ABC's Jake Tapper, on this point, specifically:

“The Obama administration just issued a new transparency policy last week. If there were conversations at all with anyone, I think this is what it means to be transparent. If anyone said anything, even in a low level, they need to be able to talk about it and live with the consequences. If this is indeed his transparency, it's not just transparency by press release but transparency by deed.” (Lynn Sweet, on MSNBC)

"On its website, President-elect Obama's Transition Team is making a big deal about transparency, posting memos and information about meetings with various, largely supportive organizations. True transparency means a little more than that, one might posit. It means telling voters about matters that aren't entirely comfortable to share. If one is just counting as being "transparent" the act of sharing meetings with environmental groups delighted to be counting down the days until Wyoming gets its favorite son back, then the notion might not mean much. And that would mean that in order to truly be transparent, the American people need to find out as much as possible, as soon as possible, about what role anyone Team Obama played in any of the various shenanigans Gov. Blagojevich is accused of committing -- or any others we don't yet know about." (Jake Tapper, writing at Political Punch)

Here is what Chairman Duncan had to say on this matter this morning, for those who missed it elsewhere:

"President-elect Barack Obama’s carefully parsed and vague statements regarding his own contact and that of his team with Governor Rod Blagojevich are unacceptable. Considering the severity of the allegations against Governor Blagojevich, the President-elect should immediately disclose any and all communications his transition team has had with the governor’s office along with any Service Employees International Union (SEIU) officials involved in the matter. Obama’s promise of transparency to the American people is now being tested."

(Note that Obama remains featured on the SEIU's website.)

Here`s something cool

Liz Mair — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:45:10 GMT

From an email I just received: "Today, President Bush will commemorate Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. To honor the day, President Bush is meeting with activists who use Internet blogs and new-media technologies to promote freedom in countries with restricted media environments – six in person and two via videoconference – including individuals from Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, and Venezuela. President Bush will discuss with them the challenges they confront in overcoming censorship. "

Chairman Duncan today

Liz Mair — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:52:03 GMT

“Leaders of both political parties have a responsibility to clearly condemn the actions by Governor Rod Blagojevich as alleged by federal prosecutors today. Americans expect strong leadership, but President-elect Barack Obama’s comments on the matter are insufficient at best. Given the President-elect’s history of supporting and advising Governor Blagojevich, he has a responsibility to speak out and fully address the issue.”

I couldn't agree more.

More on the Blagojevich-Obama relationship

Liz Mair — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:07:13 GMT

On the subject of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (and his relationship with President-elect Obama), this item from ABC's Jake Tapper is worth a read.

In it, Tapper details the work Obama did on Blagojevich's campaign when he was first running for governor, and his endorsement of Blagojevich "even though there were serious questions at the time about Blago's hiring practices." It also details White House Chief of Staff-designate Rahm Emanuel's involvement with Blagojevich's campaign back in the day, which similarly makes for interesting reading.

Tapper is careful to underline in his piece (and rightly so) that "There are no allegations that President-elect Obama or anyone close to him had anything to do with any of the crimes Gov. Blagojevich is accused of having committed." Though, as Tapper also points out, there are questions about the relationship all the same-- and his piece is definitely worth reading if you're following the story surrounding Blagojevich today.

What to say?

Liz Mair — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:41:51 GMT

It's hard to know what to write exactly on a day when this is one of the most-read headlines around the world:

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich arrested.

Suffice it to say, I agree with US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's employment of the adjective "staggering," and that I expect there's going to be plenty of coverage of this story over the next few days and weeks.

One of the things that will undoubtedly be focused on in coverage that is forthcoming is the apparent relationship between Barack Obama and Gov. Blagojevich. Remember, Obama advised Blagojevich on his gubernatorial run, and he endorsed him for a second term in office... all of which is unlikely to escape the notice of inquiring minds.

Two great results in Louisiana

Liz Mair — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:02:05 GMT

This weekend saw two great results for Republicans in Louisiana: namely, the election of Joseph Cao and John Fleming, two strong conservatives who we're confident will do a great job in the House of Representatives. Cao, who defeated incumbent Democratic congressman William Jefferson, is well known as a champion of ethics reform and increasing accountability with regard to the way taxpayer dollars are spent. Fleming is a Navy veteran and a doctor with valuable knowledge of the challenges facing America's health care system, who is ready to get to work on free-market health care reform (among other things).

Congratulations to them both, and to the state of Louisiana, whose voters elected two fine public servants this weekend!

A Protectionist for US Trade Representative?

Liz Mair — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:01:50 GMT

Earlier this week, we learned that President-elect Barack Obama was apparently looking to appoint Rep. Xavier Becerra as US Trade Representative. Initially, a lot of chatter about why that appointment might not be such a good idea focused on Becerra's involvement in a 2001 clemency case involving cocaine dealer Carlos Vignali (chatter that continues).

But there's another reason why Becerra stepping into this role can easily be dubbed bad news. Becerra is, in fact, a trade-skeptical protectionist.

To me, it seems odd that one would want someone who evidently doesn't see the benefits of free and/or more trade (or simply doesn't care for it, irrespective of those benefits) stepping into a role that, given our current understanding, seems designed to promote, not curtail, trade. Of course, it also seems odd that Barack Obama, the guy who was supposed to be so post-partisan would be pushing someone for such a key post whose views on the subject matter relevant to that post seem decidedly left-wing. I'm also minded to query the accuracy of assertions made by my centrist-Democratic friends, who for months have been pointing to Austan Goolsbee's springtime assurances to our Northern neighbors re: trade as evidence that indeed Obama's anti-trade rhetoric during the presidential campaign was, in Goolsbee's own words, "more reflective of political maneuvering than policy." But most of all, I'm inclined to question the ability of our new President-elect to get our country's economy back on track, given his apparent choice for this role.

The LA Times gets it about right in their editorial today:

... history shows that the last thing the country should do during an economic downturn is become more protectionist. A year after the market crash of 1929, Congress passed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, raising U.S. tariffs dramatically in an attempt to protect jobs. It fueled a global meltdown that greatly worsened the Depression.

Quite so. Here's hoping that Becerra says no to Obama's offer, and Obama offers as his next choice someone who favors trade, rather than risky protectionism.

Chairman Duncan on the Georgia run-off... and the role technology played

Liz Mair — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:01:30 GMT

Chairman Duncan has an op-ed running in the Politico today, discussing the Georgia run-off, and lessons that can be taken away from it. I'd encourage you to read the whole thing, but would point you to this section of it in particular, in which the Chairman highlights some of the technology efforts the RNC has made that contributed to the Chambliss victory:

The RNC’s investment in technology over the past two years allowed our Republican team to maximize every volunteer’s time and every contributor’s donation on behalf of Chambliss, creating a get-out-the-vote effort that overwhelmed Democrats in the state. Through sophisticated online advertising techniques we reached hundreds of thousands of Republicans who requested absentee ballots, voted early, and found their polling station. Our investment in technology enabled our Victory program to significantly increase the Republican share of advance voters in the runoff election. We also provided volunteers the tools to make phone calls from home to likely supporters and/or send numerous e-mails to their neighbors engaging them in the reelection effort.

Technology was indeed key to that victory and will be a critical component of RNC efforts going forward-- and many thanks to all of you who used phone-from-home and other tech tools to deliver a win in what many would call the first race of the 2010 cycle.

Congratulations...

Liz Mair — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:41:37 GMT

... to Sen. Saxby Chambliss on his victory today in the Georgia Senate runoff, and a great result heading into the 2010 election cycle!

Clinton for Secretary of State

Liz Mair — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:34:44 GMT

As I write this, President-elect Barack Obama is on TV, announcing that he will nominate Sen. Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State-- an attetion-grabbing choice, if one that is hardly surprising given recent news coverage of Obama's likely cabinet appointments. He's saying lots of nice things about her, too, which isn't surprising in the circumstances, though those nice things still sound awfully unlike much of what he and his campaign were saying about her just a few, short months ago.

Remember, for as much as Obama is praising Clinton's foreign policy chops today, just eight months ago, an Obama campaign memo was released which clearly stated Obama's apparently then-held position that Clinton had no significant or relevant foreign policy experience. Here's a taste of what it said:

There is no reason to believe, however, that she was a key player in foreign policy at any time during the Clinton Administration. She did not sit in on National Security Council meetings. She did not have a security clearance. She did not attend meetings in the Situation Room. She did not manage any part of the national security bureaucracy, nor did she have her own national security staff. She did not do any heavy-lifting with foreign governments, whether they were friendly or not. She never managed a foreign policy crisis, and there is no evidence to suggest that she participated in the decision-making that occurred in connection with any such crisis. As far as the record shows, Senator Clinton never answered the phone either to make a decision on any pressing national security issue - not at 3 AM or at any other time of day.

And Clinton was hardly any kinder in her assessment of the foreign policy credentials of the man whose foreign policy she will (barring something unforseen) soon be tasked with executing:

There's a big difference between delivering a speech at an anti-war rally as a state senator, and picking up that phone at the White House at 3 a.m. in the morning to deal with an international crisis

(And who could forget her zinger line implying that Obama's sole foreign policy experience was "a speech he gave in 2002?")

Clinton and Obama have of course also parted ways on foreign policy matters ranging from whether or not to support US action against Iraq back in 2002 (she voted for the Iraq War Resolution, he indicated he would have opposed it), whether or not to hold direct, presidential-level talks with hostile foreign leaders without preconditions and within the first year of a new presidential term, whether or not the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps should be designated as a terrorist organization, and US policy towards Pakistan, where Clinton described Obama's position as "not particularly wise."

Ladies and gentlemen, your "team of rivals"...

Georgia on my mind

Liz Mair — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:31:09 GMT

Tomorrow, the run-off between Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin will take place in Georgia, and political leaders from both parties have been weighing in, including... our "post-partisan" President-elect, Barack Obama!

OK, I'm feigning shock that Obama "took time off from transition work to record a radio ad and robocalls" for Martin. I'm also not really surprised to hear that Martin's get-out-the-vote effort is being described by his campaign as having been "supplied by Mr. Obama's ground team from the presidential race in Georgia and surrounding states" (though aides to the post-partisan President-elect "insist the former campaign workers... are acting independently"). Nonetheless, the point still stands that Obama likes to underline post-partisanship, bringing people together, there being no red America and no blue America, just America and so on.

Of course, if Mr. Obama's current line is that there is, in fact, a red Georgia and a blue Georgia, I'd have to agree. Of course, I say this as someone who works at the RNC and who is explicitly partisan... and who did not just finish up running for president using the same themes that Obama did.

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Liz Mair — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:22:47 GMT

The GOP.com blog will be pretty quiet over the next few days as we here at the RNC, just like you, our readers, enjoy some time spent with family and friends over the Thanksgiving weekend. So, a day before Thanksgiving, I wanted to be sure to wish you and yours a happy one-- enjoy the next few days, and I'll see you again next week!

Ruh-roh in Delaware

Liz Mair — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:22:14 GMT

Per the Politico, "Biden replacement creates blowback:"

Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner’s (D) decision to appoint Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s longtime aide Ted Kaufman to the Senate has upset local Democrats who believe the move was a ham-handed attempt to engineer the election of Biden’s son, Beau, to the Senate in 2010.
By selecting Kaufman, who has said he would serve only two years before a special election is held in 2010, Minner bypassed other interested Delaware pols and ensured that Beau Biden will have a clearer opportunity to succeed his father in the Senate.
Beau Biden, the state’s attorney general, is currently serving in Iraq as part of the Delaware National Guard.
“There is definitely going to be some blowback,” said Delaware State political science professor Sam Hoff.

Lt. Gov. John Carney seems to be the one that was "bypassed," if you were wondering. Looks like there's going to be some internal discord among Democrats back in the Vice President-elect's home state...

Would-be appointees quizzed on guns...

Liz Mair — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:07:41 GMT

... says Jonathan Martin over at Politico:

President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team is asking potential appointees detailed questions about gun ownership...

[...]
...some Democrats and transition experts are baffled by the inclusion of the question.

Obama's second amendment record being what it is, but him having at least tried to look moderate on the issue of guns during the general election campaign, this is certainly interesting news, if nothing else.

Change!

Liz Mair — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:40:34 GMT

Check out this headline from President-elect Barack Obama's hometown newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, this morning: Obama's Clinton-era picks tend to fit the Bill.

So change-y!

Daschle for HHS Secretary

Liz Mair — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:50:46 GMT

Another day, another cabinet appointment decision from President-elect Barack Obama... This time, it's ex-Sen. (and ex-Senate Majority Leader) Tom Daschle for HHS Secretary, and what's really interesting about this decision is that Obama's tapping of Daschle for the role has really only been possible via the exploitation of a loophole in Obama's own restrictions on lobbyist involvement in his White House. You see, Daschle has been working for DC lobbying shop Alston & Bird, as a consultant. More interestingly, he has apparently been working on health care-related matters in that role (and fees from members of the health care industry apparently accounted for 60 percent of the firm's lobbying revenue during the first nine months of this year). So, basically, Daschle has been working within the same area of law and policy that he will presumably be working on as HHS Secretary, at a lobbying firm that seems to focus a fair amount on it-- just without acquiring the title of lobbyist, per se.

To many (including yours truly) this would seem to be just the kind of appointment that, based on Obama's campaign rhetoric, one would expect not to see made by the President-elect. But perhaps we shouldn't be surprised... after all, Obama has a number of people associated with the lobbying industry and lobbying firms working on his transition team. It's all very change-y.

Holder for AG

Liz Mair — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:30:53 GMT

President-elect Barack Obama is getting on with the business of putting forward names for key administration positions, and it seems that his choice for Attorney General is none other than Eric Holder.

Those who remember the issue of pardons given at the end of the Clinton presidency will recall that Holder was involved in the pardon of Mark Rich (a fugitive financier), having played what the New York Post earlier this year called a "key role" in "processing" said pardon. Around the same time, the Wall Street Journal wrote that that role "deserves to be fully vetted – all the more so if Mr. Holder is on the short list to be Mr. Obama's Attorney General."

It has also been suggested that Holder played a role in the decision to grant clemency to FALN terrorists, also during the Clinton years. So all in all, Holder represents an interesting choice, then...

Chairman Duncan on campaign finance

Liz Mair — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:57:27 GMT

From Chairman Duncan's op-ed on campaign finance, running today in the Washington Times:

...we currently have a regulatory system of campaign finance laws that severely limits the ability of a national political party to fully communicate with and support that party's candidates for federal, state, or local office.
Opposition to these artificial restrictions on a national political party's basic freedoms of speech and association is at the core of my decision to file lawsuits in the District of Columbia and Louisiana challenging the constitutionality of campaign finance prohibitions on certain activities by national political party committees.
A national political party should have the freedom to support candidates at the federal, state, or local level with funds raised in accordance with the applicable and constitutional federal, state, or local law.
The effect of current campaign finance law is to limit a political party's freedom of speech to only federal elections. This limitation is not only unfair, it is unconstitutional.
[...]
The Republican Party serves as the national voice for millions of Americans who share a philosophy rooted in the principles of lower taxes, less government, individual responsibility, and a strong national defense. The RNC promotes those principles by assisting candidates at all levels and by getting our message out to the American public.
The government has no role in severing our ability to promote or communicate our philosophy; for the government to do so is contrary to the very principles upon which it was founded.
Freedom of speech should include an individual's right to contribute, as he or she sees fit, to any political party, political action committee, or coalition to support the causes for which it stands.
Freedom of association should include a national political party's ability to support its candidates and share its political philosophy.
The Republican Party has and always will fight for the protection of these freedoms. It is a cause we are devoted to and a right worth defending.

Read the whole thing, though...

Obama`s Fannie-Mae-lobbyist transition adviser

Liz Mair — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:35:41 GMT

Those who closely followed political news during the 2008 presidential campaign will remember that President-elect Barack Obama showed himself, over the course of it, to be no fan of lobbyists. In fact, his opposition to lobbyists' involvement in presidential politics (and service in presidential administrations) was one of the more identifiable features of Obama as a presidential candidate.

So, it's interesting to learn today, via the Washington Times, that a "transition adviser to President-elect Barack Obama earned millions of dollars overseeing an office that led a lobbying effort to prevent increased oversight of mortgage giant Fannie Mae, the company at the heart of the ongoing turmoil in the nation's financial markets..."

The adviser in question is Thomas E. Donilon, and according to the Times, he "held several senior positions at Fannie Mae from 1999 to 2005, including vice president of law and policy, at a time when the company's officers and lobbyists were insisting that now-troubled Fannie's finances were sound. In a 2006 report, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) said Fannie Mae lobbyists, whose office was overseen by Mr. Donilon, tried to use their ties to members of Congress to discredit federal regulators through a campaign aimed at securing the release of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report to discredit OFHEO.”

Hmmm… I suppose the good news here is that according to Obama aides, Donilon will have no say in housing matters. Still, Donilon’s involvement in Obama’s transition, given his previous work (and the entity for which it was done) is likely to raise a few eyebrows, not least considering Obama’s comments about lobbyists made on the campaign trail (and incidentally, the same might be said of rules regarding lobbyists and former lobbyists’ involvement in transition efforts).

Obama`s White House Counsel

Liz Mair — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:52:35 GMT

President-elect Barack Obama has named Greg Craig as White House Counsel.

As Glenn Reynolds points out, there is some netroots unhappiness over this. However, it's also a move that may prove controversial, and in the eyes of a broader audience, to boot, because of Craig's list of former clients. That list includes John Hinckley, Jr (who attempted to assassinate President Reagan), Miguel Gonzalez (a Panamanian politician under federal indictment for the murder of a US Army sargeant), and a former Bolivian defense minister accused of human rights abuses, among others.

Minnesota

Liz Mair — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:47:29 GMT

For those following events relevant to the Coleman-Franken race in Minnesota, which is due to head into recount territory next week, I thought I'd mention that there is a site dedicated to tracking relevant news (including interesting content coming off of the blogs). It's an NRSC project and is simply called Minnesota Recount. It can be found here, for those who are interested.

RNC BCRA challenge

Team RNC — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:42:59 GMT

Today, the RNC announced that it is filing lawsuits in both DC and Louisiana relevant to campaign finance rules and legislation. You can read the release on this here, as well as two relevant legal documents.

Here is what Chairman Duncan said in a statement today:

“The campaign finance restrictions the RNC today challenged infringe on the First Amendment’s core: political speech and association... The RNC must have the ability to support state candidates, coordinate expenditures with our candidates, and truly engage in political activity on a national level. The RNC has operated under and complied with these provisions of the law since their enactment, and as applied it is unconstitutional.”

We Want To Hear From You

James Richardson — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:33:24 GMT

Yesterday, the RNC launched our newest web initiative, Republican for a Reason, which gives the public an opportunity to offer their input on the Grand Old Party—and specifically, share their views on where the Party is headed and how it can better prepare for the future. The site, designed to elicit grassroots opinion, is divided by categories: Election Day 2008, Republican for a Reason, GOP in the 21st Century, New Faces of the GOP, Democrat Majority, and My Party.

Republican for a Reason, with your help, will help the Party rebuild, refocus, and renew our bond with the American people.

Veterans Day

Liz Mair — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:48:25 GMT

Today is Veterans Day. We here at the RNC wanted to take the opportunity to thank all the men and women who have served our country in uniform for everything they have done to defend the United States, our democracy and our liberties, and to combat tyranny and aid its victims all around the world. Many of those who served have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure our security and the betterment of our world. We are truly indebted to them, and all of our armed forces, past and present.

You can read President Bush's Veterans Day Proclamation here.

For those interested in...

Liz Mair — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:40:19 GMT

... what's going on with the Senate race between Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken(D) in Minnesota, here's a useful guide/FAQ on the recount process. Per the article, the recount in this race will start on November 19th-- just over a week from now. As the article mentions, the likely end date for the recount is not currently clear.

Congratulations...

Liz Mair — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:00:13 GMT

... to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. They ran a great and historic campaign, and while obviously we at the RNC had worked for a different result, like millions of other Americans-- Democratic, Republican and independent-- we take tremendous pride in the result of the 2008 presidential election. Yesterday was a truly great day in American history, and we congratulate the Democratic ticket on their success.

Of course, we would be remiss in not also congratulating the many Republicans who won election and re-election to public office across the country last night-- so, congratulations! We at the RNC are grateful for your commitment to service and dedication to Republican principles and values. You've done us proud. Keep up the good work!

The Big Day

James Richardson — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:00:34 GMT

Today is Election Day--the day we’ve all be waiting for and working towards--but we’re not across that finish line yet. Everyone must vote. Go HERE if you don’t know where to find your polling location.

Our thoughts and prayers...

Liz Mair — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:40:47 GMT

... are with Barack Obama and his family tonight.

Worth a read

Liz Mair — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:12:20 GMT

John Fund had an excellent piece over at the Politico yesterday, which is relevant to the general subjects of vote fraud and ACORN. You can, and should, check it out here.

Just three full days left...

Liz Mair — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:15:19 GMT

Over the last 24 hours, I've received numerous emails from people all across the country asking what they can do in the remaining three full days until the polls close to help Republicans win up and down the ballot in all 50 states. Well, the answer is... quite a lot, actually!

If you're up for all manner of volunteer activity, check out this page, find your local Victory Center and give them a call or swing by and see what they've got on offer. Calling voters, delivering and making signs, and delivering leaflets are just some of the activities currently underway.

Want to meet up with other supporters or host an event to help the McCain-Palin ticket? Check this page out.

Can't get out to volunteer, don't want to leave home, or don't live near a Victory Center? You can sign up to phone-bank online here.

Whatever you do, Republican candidates need and appreciate your help. Don't forget to vote on Tuesday (and if you don't know where to go to do that, click here)!

Happy Halloween, Florida!

Liz Mair — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:21:32 GMT

Al Gore heads to Florida to stump for Obama today. Presumably, he'll be touting some of Obama's scarier proposals, for example his plans for new taxes to help him finance an extra $1.2 trillion-plus in new spending. I'm white as a ghost just thinking about it...

Barack Obama’s Halloween Costume

Liz Mair — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:20:58 GMT

It’s Halloween, but with just a few days until the presidential election, Barack Obama’s got to make the most of today, just like any other day. Stumping dressed up as a ghost, or Batman, or a vampire, or Elvis just isn’t going to cut it. Nope, Obama’s going as the candidate ready to lead America forward, through tough economic and national security challenges. Here’s his costume:

(as featured on Amazon.com)

John McCain, meanwhile, is hanging out with the Governator today.

Sticking It To The Dolphins

James Richardson — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:35:16 GMT

Barack Obama’s publicly noted interest in wealth redistribution extends far beyond his brief, but telling exchange with Joe ‘The Plumber’ Wurzelbacher. Since the fiercely contested Democratic primary, Obama has toed a consistently pro-tax, pro-spending line, and if you asked his campaign strategists, they’d probably say that helped pave the way to his victory. However, Obama’s positions on taxes have neither appealed to nor evidenced common sense in the eyes of everyone, for example ABC’s Charlie Gibson who moderated the Democratic debate in Philadelphia in April. Clearly unprepared for a night of intense questioning, Obama was unable to offer a viable explanation regarding his intention to raise the capital gains tax when Gibson noted that raising the capital gains tax does not increase government revenue, but instead does quite the opposite.

It turns out Charlie Gibson and the GOP haven’t been alone in querying the sensibility of Obama’s capital gains tax proposals, though. Today, the Wall Street Journal reports that Wayne Huizenga, owner of the Miami Dolphins, intends to sell up to half of his ownership in the NFL team for fear of excessive taxes. Barack Obama, he said to a Florida newspaper, "wants to double the capital gains tax, or almost double it. I'd rather give it to charity than to him.”

As Obama’s economic proposals state, he aims, in the spirit of “fairness,” to raise taxes, including, as the WSJ points out, the capital gains tax from 15% to 20%. And his plans to do so represent another way in which Obama’s economic proposals are wrong-headed. His redistributionist approach will penalize investments, risk jobs as businesses cope with skyrocketing taxes, and raise taxes on ordinary American citizens precisely when our nation needs the opposite. And, apparently, if you live in Miami, result in ownership changes to your local NFL franchise!

Awesome

Liz Mair — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:20:20 GMT

Aerosmith’s Joe Perry walks this way with John McCain.

Obama’s Protectionism

Liz Mair — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:41:53 GMT

The WSJ has a(nother) great op-ed running today outlining the differences between John McCain and Barack Obama on trade. Here is a sampling:

Mr. McCain supports the bilateral pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea that have already been signed by the two governments. Colombia already enjoys preferential access to the U.S. market, and Mr. McCain stresses that opening Colombia to U.S. exports would be good for U.S. jobs and especially small and medium-sized businesses. He says it would help "a crucial democratic ally" in a region fraught with instability.

He has a similar view toward South Korea, which buys $50 billion of U.S. exports annually and has been a key ally in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Republican also favors renewing trade negotiating authority, which expired in 2007 and without which no new trade pact is likely to succeed on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Obama opposes the Colombia and South Korea agreements, for the same reasons cited by other Congressional Democrats. In the last presidential debate, Mr. Obama pointed to violence in Colombia against labor unions. The politically independent Colombian attorney general says violence against union members has come down sharply under President Alvaro Uribe, but Mr. Obama says that's insufficient.

He also opposes the South Korea pact, which would remove auto tariffs in both directions and end South Korea's use of nontariff barriers to protect its domestic markets. Mr. Obama says the U.S. buys "hundreds of thousands of cars" from South Korea and "we can get only 4,000-5,000 into South Korea." The Democrat wants assurances that the imbalance in auto sales will end. The Obama campaign declined to tell us whether he supports the Panama FTA or trade negotiating authority.

The more this subject gets discussed, the more it is clear: Obama doesn’t like trade, even though as the op-ed notes, “for most of the last 80 years a rough bipartisan consensus has held that free trade is in the American national interest.” The fact that Obama—who frankly has a virtually nonexistent record where bipartisan compromise is concerned-- can’t, or won’t, see that should be raising questions about his ability to lead us forward where economic issues are concerned, should he be elected next week.

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

James Richardson — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:25:49 GMT

Tonight, Barack Obama will attempt, in a 30 minute, celebrific infomercial, to convince voters that he is, in fact, capable of leading the United States. In honor of Obama making his closing argument that yes, he is qualified to be our next Commander-in-Chief, I offer you this:

Questionable

Liz Mair — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:07:26 GMT

Is it just me, or does this seem a bit dubious? From today’s Chicago Sun-Times:

Dr. Eric Whitaker and Sen. Barack Obama go way back.

Their friendship began when they were graduate students at Harvard University. Now, Whitaker is one of Obama's closest advisers.

Whitaker, 43, of Chicago, often travels with the presidential hopeful on the campaign trail and has vacationed with him in Hawaii. There's talk Whitaker could be in line for a federal appointment if Obama becomes president.

Five years ago, Obama, then an Illinois state senator, gave a "glowing'' reference for Whitaker to Tony Rezko, the now-convicted political fixer who helped Gov. Blagojevich find people to run state agencies. Blagojevich hired Whitaker to be the state's public health director.

Obama has said that's the only time he can recall talking to Rezko -- who was a major campaign fund-raiser for him and for Blagojevich -- about getting anyone a state job. (my emphasis added)

It’s worth reiterating that Rezko was charged with committing a number of corruption offenses, and indeed convicted earlier this year on 16 counts.

For Blagojevich’s part, it was reported last month that investigators looking into the behavior of the man to whom Barack Obama apparently acted as a campaign adviser back in 2004 “believe they've established solid evidence of fraud and conspiracy.”

And Obama gave one of them a reference for a friend who was hired by the other for an important job.

If that doesn’t say change, I just don’t know what does.

On the Redistribution of Wealth

Liz Mair — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:00:56 GMT

Over the last few weeks, there’s been plenty of focus among the media and individual voters alike on Barack Obama’s statement that “when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody.” That is especially so given that Obama has indicated that he does not regret making this comment in his now well-known conversation with Joe the Plumber.

Today, however, we gather that that conversation was not the first time where Obama had indicated an interest in wealth-redistribution. In an interview from 2001 that Obama did with Chicago radio station WBEZ (h/t Drudge), he seemed to signal his regret that the Supreme Court (and the Warren Court, specifically) “never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth.” Hmmm….

Setting aside Obama’s comment to Joe the Plumber, a quick glance at his economic proposals would indicate that as president, he’ll be ready to venture into the issue of redistribution of wealth. The New Hampshire Union Leader really called it when they wrote that Obama “proposes to use the power of the state to redistribute outcomes as he prefers to see them” and that his policies amount to “failed redistributionism wrapped in pretty new paper.”

Just something to bear in mind before you head to the polls next week, should you be one of the many Americans, including many members of the middle class, who does not want your wealth spread around by Mr. Hope-and-Change, aided by his allies, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid…

"A Dangerous Threesome"

Liz Mair — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:08:33 GMT

Politico’s Jonathan Martin notes comments made by John McCain this morning:

This election comes down to how you want your hard earned money spent. Do you want to keep it and invest it in your future, or have it taken by the most liberal person to ever run for the Presidency and the Democratic leaders who have been running congress for the past two years -- Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?

No, I do not. Nor do I want the federal government to spend an additional $1.297 trillion over the next four years, which is another thing that Barack Obama promises to do as president.

ACORN’s Roots…

James Richardson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:23:36 GMT

ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) recently has garnered national attention in connection with the issue of vote fraud. As you may know, in February ACORN’s political action committee endorsed Obama for president, and earlier this month found itself “implicated in voter-fraud schemes 15 states.”

While Obama’s ties to ACORN are troubling, he’s not the only prominent Democrat who has them. According to today’s Boston Herald, Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA), Obama’s national campaign co-chairman, represented the left-wing, scandal-plagued group in a 1993 law suit, and even went so far as to secure a $33,000 grant for the embattled organization’s Springfield branch this year.

It’s astounding Governor Patrick would even consider dolling out taxpayer funds to Obama’s friends at ACORN. It’s all the more concerning that he actually did it.

"I Am Joe"

James Richardson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:36:36 GMT

Obama: Change Does Not Equal Transparency

James Richardson — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:54:07 GMT

Today, the RNC launched our newest site, www.RNCdonors.com, which allows access to a searchable database of un-itemized RNC donors – those who contributed less than $200 to the RNC from the time Sen. John McCain became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Of course, Barack Obama, who reneged on his pledge to accept public financing, has yet to disclose the same information – and, according to recent media reports, has shown no apparent interest in doing so.

Openness and transparency is, sadly, nothing more than a quaint talking point for the Obama campaign.

If the Obama campaign is, as Barack Obama contends, the most transparent campaign in history, why not disclose the names of small donors? Surely giving the public access to information must be a higher priority than preventing other Democrats from hitting up one’s list.

Illinois’ junior senator would do well to learn transparency is more than an election buzz-word.

I gather...

Liz Mair — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:55:22 GMT

... that Esquire magazine has endorsed Sen. Norm Coleman in his re-election bid against Al Franken. Esquire apparently prefers Franken's "earlier, funny work."

Improving America’s Image Abroad

Liz Mair — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:31:52 GMT

I’ve written here previously about Barack Obama’s positioning on trade and how it seems to sit rather badly with key leaders in allied countries, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and ex-EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. Today brings news of another action taken by overseas leaders that suggests that they’re not on the same page as Obama when it comes to trade, and are unlikely to prove to be fans of his efforts to improve the US’ image abroad while taking a very trade-skeptical approach. From the WSJ:

Barack Obama's promise to unilaterally rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement if Canada and Mexico won't go along with his ideas on labor and the environment has not gone unnoticed in Ottawa. If Canadians are going to have a tougher time selling their goods and services south of the border, who can blame them for looking east -- across the Atlantic to Europe.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France signed an agreement Friday to begin negotiations for a free trade pact between Canada and the European Union. A Canada-EU study released last week outlines the joint economic benefits of such a partnership, with two-way trade estimated to increase 22.9% by 2014.

[…]

At a news conference on Friday, Mr. Harper said, "We must stand against protectionism and work to lower and eliminate barriers."

I totally agree with Mr. Harper, but it’s fairly clear by now that Obama doesn’t. That’s too bad, because the US, like Canada, stands to benefit from more trade, not less. Mind you, sound economic policy has never been the cornerstone of Obama’s candidacy: This is the guy whose answer to our economic problems is not to grow the economy and expand the size of the pie so that everyone gets more crust and more filling, but rather to take money from ordinary Americans in pretty average economic circumstances, and “spread” it around—while of course putting plans in place for an additional $1.2 trillion in new spending over the course of just a single four-year term.

This is Interesting

Liz Mair — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:23:45 GMT

From the Washington Times this morning:

Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright said Thursday the Iraq war has created damaging consequences for U.S. diplomacy, but Washington should not agree to a specific deadline for withdrawing troops in the midst of conflict - something proposed last year by the candidate she now supports, Sen. Barack Obama.

"I never was for a date certain," Mrs. Albright told editors and reporters at The Washington Times. "In Bosnia, we gave a date certain, and then we couldn't get out and that undercut our credibility."

She was referring to the pullout of 20,000 U.S. troops from the war-torn Balkans. The troops were sent to help enforce the 1995 Dayton peace accords that ended the Bosnia war, following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, but stayed beyond a 1996 deadline initially set by President Clinton.

Just a small reminder to Barack Obama…

Excuses, Excuses

Liz Mair — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:23:10 GMT

One of the things that most annoys me about Barack Obama is his apparent disdain for progressing (or even maintaining) any and all international trade, including with key allies, such as, say, Colombia. In Wednesday’s final presidential debate, he “explained” away his opposition to the Colombia Free Trade deal by referencing violence targeted against labor leaders in the South American country, supposedly “on a fairly consistent basis.” But as the Wall Street Journal notes, there are some problems with Obama’s “explanation” of his opposition to this agreement:

It is true that Colombia has a history of violence. But since President Álvaro Uribe took office in 2002, that violence has been substantially reduced. The homicide rate through the end of 2007 was down by 40.4% and the rate among union members was down almost 87%. There is nothing "consistent" about a drop to 26 union member murders in 2007 from 155 in 2000.

That does indeed make it sound like the notion of labor leaders being targeted for assassination on Obama’s “fairly consistent basis” is pulled from the past, not the present. Ditto his claim that “there have not been any prosecutions, actually”:

As for prosecutions: In union-member killings, there were zero convictions from 1991-2000 and one in 2001. But from 2002-2007, there were 80. According to the Colombian attorney general's office, 29% of those murders were "found to have been results of theft, petty crime and random violence unrelated to union activity." Mr. Uribe has nonetheless created a special investigative unit for crimes against union members, and he expanded a special government protection program for unions.

More broadly, in 2004 Mr. Uribe pushed through congress a judicial reform that has reduced the average time needed to issue an indictment for a homicide to 50 days from 493. He also increased the budget for the attorney general's office to $598 million in 2008, from $346 million in 2002 -- a 73% increase.

During the debate, John McCain indicated that Obama’s understanding of the importance of free trade to Colombia was lacking. It would seem that his talking points are, too. Perhaps his union endorsers should work some new ones up.

"Senator Government"

Liz Mair — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:50:18 GMT

The Wall Street Journal is running another great editorial this morning, entitled "Senator Government." Here's a taste:

Whether or not last night's much-improved debate performance helps John McCain rally in the polls, at least voters finally got a clearer sense of the policy differences. For our money, the best line of the night was Mr. McCain's Freudian slip of referring to Barack Obama as "Senator Government." Neither candidate is offering policies that meet the serious economic moment. But Mr. McCain would let Americans keep more of their own income to ride out the downturn, while Mr. Obama is revealing that his default agenda is to spend money and expand the government.

I'd encourage you to check it out.

Obama’s “Born Alive” Record

James Richardson — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:56:24 GMT

Barack Obama’s record on the “Born Alive” issue is, to be sure, extreme.

Let’s be quite clear here: In the Illinois State Senate, Barack Obama voted at least six times against legislation that would protect the life of a child born alive during an abortion procedure. And while Obama says he would have supported the federal version of the “born alive” legislation, he voted against a “nearly identical” bill in Illinois.

Obama on Energy

Liz Mair — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:07:08 GMT

He says “no.. no.. no.”

No, really, he does!

On drilling, Obama said “Now the latest scheme is well, we're going to drill offshore.”

On developing a better car battery that would leapfrog commercially available hybrids and plug-ins, Obama said “In this campaign, John McCain is offering the same old gimmicks…” (This is the “no” I can never get over).

On nuclear power, Obama said “I am not a nuclear energy proponent.”

In essence, Obama doesn’t really have an energy plan. Does that mean the candidate of “change” is for the status quo?

More on the Debate

Liz Mair — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:04:02 GMT

Just a few points worth noting:

Per Politico’s Ben Smith, “In 1995, State Senator Alice Palmer introduced her chosen successor, Barack Obama, to a few of the district’s influential liberals at the home of two well known figures on the local left: William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.” That sounds pretty much like the “political career launch” that John McCain described earlier.

ACORN’s political action committee endorsed Obama; per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign paid more than $800,000 to an offshoot of the liberal Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now”; the Woods Fund, on whose board Obama sat, dished out grants of nearly $200,000 to ACORN; per the WSJ’s John Fund, “In 1992, Acorn hired Mr. Obama to run a voter registration effort. He later became a trainer for the group, as well as its lawyer in election law cases.” So that’s that on ACORN, then.

The Final Presidential Debate

Liz Mair — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:32:45 GMT

The final presidential debate is now underway. A couple of points worth noting about what Barack Obama has been saying:

Obama restates his claim that his tax plan will cut taxes for 95% of Americans. Per the WSJ’s Kimberley Strassel, though, “40% of Americans today don't pay income taxes.” That’s quite a distortion that Obama is pushing by continuing to make his “95%” claim.

Obama mentions energy. Not to sound like a broken record, but Obama voted for the 2005 energy bill, which gave $2.8 billion in subsidies away to oil and gas companies. John McCain did not (he just said that bill was “full of goodies”—quite right). That is worth noting.

Joe the Plumber got lots of attention at the outset of the debate. For the record, he doesn’t seem to like Obama’s tax plans very much. That’s not terribly surprising—I suspect there are plenty of small-business owners and would-be small-business owners who feel the same.

Re: the budget deficit: Obama doesn’t have much interest in reducing it. In fact, he said of the deficit in July that “I do not make a promise that we can reduce it by 2013 because I think it is important for us to make some critical investments right now in America's families.” Oh, by the way, Obama plans to increase federal spending by over $1 trillion over the course of just one four-year term alone. “Some” critical investments, indeed.

Today’s Must Read

Liz Mair — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:41:48 GMT

It’s been a busy day so far here at RNC HQ. As you’ll know, there’s a presidential debate tonight, and plenty else going on, too. So, I’m only belatedly drawing your attention to this op-ed by Peter Wallison in today’s Wall Street Journal.

It’s a definite must-read, because it succinctly debunks Democratic talking points regarding “Republican deregulation,” the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the association of both items with the current financial crisis. It also discusses the deregulation of Fannie and Freddie, and how that led to both GSEs’ own difficulties, and the development of the sub-prime mortgage market that is at the root of this whole mess. Most interestingly, it discusses Barack Obama’s possible complicity in allowing this situation to arise by failing to take key steps to rein in Fannie and Freddie:

In the summer of 2005, a bill emerged from the Senate Banking Committee that considerably tightened regulations on Fannie and Freddie, including controls over their capital and their ability to hold portfolios of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities. All the Republicans voted for the bill in committee; all the Democrats voted against it. To get the bill to a vote in the Senate, a few Democratic votes were necessary to limit debate. This was a time for the leadership Sen. Obama says he can offer, but neither he nor any other Democrat stepped forward.

Instead, by his own account, Mr. Obama wrote a letter to the Treasury Secretary, allegedly putting himself on record that subprime loans were dangerous and had to be dealt with. This is revealing; if true, it indicates Sen. Obama knew there was a problem with subprime lending -- but was unwilling to confront his own party by pressing for legislation to control it. As a demonstration of character and leadership capacity, it bears a strong resemblance to something else in Sen. Obama's past: voting present.

Democrats and Obama supporters won’t like reading this. Blaming the current mess on “Republican deregulation” is convenient and easy; looking at how one’s own actions may have contributed to what we’re now seeing is comparatively hard. But for anyone paying attention, the facts are clear. Never mind what the RNC has to say about it, Bill Clinton himself says of “Republican deregulation” effort Gramm-Leach-Bliley, “I don't see that signing that bill had anything to do with the current crisis”… though if Obama’s own account is to be believed, his proverbial “present” vote just might, and may be another indicator of why he’s just not quite up to the task of becoming president.

All Debate, All The Time

Liz Mair — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:33:36 GMT

The exchange between Barack Obama and John McCain on trade was particularly interesting to me, as someone who is personally very interested in the issue. For as much as Obama tried to not sound like the protectionist that he is, it’s worth noting that his positioning on trade has alienated leaders in Europe (UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, ex-EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson), Canada (Prime Minister Stephen Harper) and Latin America (Colombian President Uribe). I would further note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Who Are Obama’s Donors?

Liz Mair — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:52:54 GMT

Tom Fitton, writing at The Hill, asks that question, and writes:

The Obama campaign has failed to release the names of donors responsible for approximately half of his campaign’s $426.9 million: those who have contributed less than $200.

In addition, press reports allege Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has accepted illegal online campaign contributions from this category of donors, which include funds allegedly donated by foreign nationals.

The Obama campaign appears to be selectively complying with campaign finance laws. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) should immediately investigate allegations of foreign campaign contributions made to the Obama campaign possibly corrupting this presidential election.

The McCain campaign, by contrast, has made its entire donor database available online.

In the interest of transparency the Obama campaign should publicly list the source of every single campaign contribution. The American people deserve to know for certain that all campaign finance laws are being followed.

Calculate the Future Value of Your 401(k)

Liz Mair — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:06:59 GMT

Given the mess on Wall Street these days, a lot of Americans are concerned about the value of our investments, and rightly so. Setting aside the economic crisis, the tax plans being proposed by John McCain and Barack Obama, respectively, differ quite a bit, and Americans for Tax Reform has created a 401(k) calculator to assess what your 401(k)’s value could be under four different tax scenarios. Here’s the calculator—try it out, and see for yourself whose plan is best for increasing the value of a key investment:

If you’re a blogger or a Facebook user, you can grab the code for the calculator widget or install the Facebook application by clicking here and following the links at the bottom of the page.

Obama Gets Ripped on Spending

Liz Mair — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:48:01 GMT

Today’s New York Post contains an editorial on Barack Obama’s spending plans that is definitely worth a read. Excerpts:

You'd think having to engineer a $700 billion Wall Street rescue would've taught Washington the importance of a sound bottom line.

Apparently not - especially if Democrats take full control of the nation next year.

That much was made plain yesterday, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi kicked off her push for an emergency "economic stimulus" package.

Though what, exactly, she plans to "stimulate" - besides government debt and long-term taxpayer obligations, of course - remains unclear.

Pelosi said last week that her plan's price tag could reach $150 billion - largely to expand government unemployment benefits and food-stamp programs.

That alone should give the lie to Barack Obama's pledge that everything in his vaunted economic plan is "paid for" - either in revenue savings or new taxes.

Not with free-spending allies like Pelosi on the Hill, it won't be.

Actually, Obama was up to many of the same tricks himself yesterday, calling for massive new government spending as part of a new "middle-class rescue plan."

Among his proposed goodies: cash payouts to states for infrastructure-rebuilding projects, expanded unemployment benefits and fast-tracked loans to the US auto industry.

"How will we pay for it?" he asked rhetorically. "You can't ask that when we're paying $10 billion a month to rebuild Iraq."

Notice how that's not an answer.

Yes, it’s not an answer, and I noticed. Obama is proposing new spending totaling $1 trillion or so over the course of just one four-year presidential term, and it really is about time that he started explaining how he will pay for it all, rather than just claiming that he will. The details matter.

"Guilt By Participation”

James Richardson — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:19:40 GMT

A Question of Judgment and Candor

James Richardson — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:39:21 GMT

After months of senior Obama advisors obfuscating regarding Barack Obama’s relationship with Bill Ayers, the McCain-Palin campaign released a new web ad today:

The ad highlights that Illinois’ junior senator launched his political career from the living room of Ayers, and that he voluntarily served alongside Ayers on the board of a foundation which doled out more than “$100 million to ideological allies with no discernible improvement in education” (and, I’d add, all this with Obama apparently having knowledge of Ayers having committed terrorist acts). But as the ad indicates, Obama’s relationship with Ayers isn’t the issue, his judgment and candor are. Obama may describe Ayers as “a guy who lives in my neighborhood,” but to people like John Murtagh, whose family and home were targets of Ayers’ Weather Underground, he is far more than that and questions—especially regarding Obama’s judgment, something quite separate to his political prowess--abound.

That shouldn’t be the case where a would-be president is concerned. It’s time for Obama, the de facto leader of the Democratic Party, to be upfront and honest about Ayers.

“Not a subject” Obama “Wants to spend days talking about”

Liz Mair — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:03:46 GMT

Earlier this week, the Obama campaign released an ad seemingly aimed at reassuring gun owners about their candidate’s stance on Second Amendment rights. They evidently did so without telling the national media, a decision that Politico’s Ben Smith attributed to the fact that gun rights are “not a subject the campaign particularly wants to spend days talking about.” Well, quite… Obama’s ad would never pass a credible fact check, and he is the most anti-gun presidential candidate in history—and the National Rifle Association knows it.

Today, arguably the most well-known group committed to defending Second Amendment rights announced that it is endorsing John McCain. NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre will be traveling to PA, MO, CO and NV—states where gun rights are kind of a big deal-- to draw attention to the endorsement; per the AP, the NRA has already spent more than $2.3 million opposing Barack Obama.

Clearly, the NRA feels that Obama can’t be trusted where defense of Second Amendment Rights is concerned. With Obama having voted for legislation that “would have banned most of the privately held hunting shotguns, target rifles, and black powder rifles” in Illinois in 2003, having voted against legislation “drafted to protect homeowners from prosecution in cases where they used a firearm to halt a home invasion” in 2004, having indicated in 1996 that he supported a ban on “the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns,” and having indicated this year that he supported the DC handgun ban, their read of Obama’s views on guns and gun rights is fairly understandable.

Spending…

Liz Mair — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:07:27 GMT

Irrespective of what Barack Obama may be saying tonight re: spending, here’s the relevant fact: He’s proposing $1.238 trillion in new spending over the course of a single White House term.

$1.238 trillion.

That is extraordinary. And not in a good way.

A Couple of Energy-related points Arising out of Tonight’s Debate

Liz Mair — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:03:07 GMT

We, at the RNC, are watching the presidential debate tonight. Energy was discussed a few minutes ago, and this is just a quick reminder of two points relevant to that discussion arising out of what was said:

Barack Obama, as we all know, voted for the 2005 energy bill, which gave away $2.8 billion in subsidies to the oil and gas industry. John McCain did not.

Barack Obama says he supports nuclear energy, but he didn’t say that when he had the chance at a town hall event last year. In fact, this is what he said in Iowa last December: "I start off with the premise that nuclear energy is not optimal. I am not a nuclear energy proponent." So that’s that, then.

Change We Need?

Liz Mair — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:03:48 GMT

From the AP:

As a state senator, Democrat Barack Obama awarded $75,000 in government grants to a Chicago social service organization led by a rabbi who is also his wife's cousin, records show. In 1999, Obama arranged for $50,000 for adult literacy and counseling services offered on Chicago's South Side by a group called Blue Gargoyle. A $25,000 grant for the group's youth services followed the next year.

The group's executive director when the grants were awarded was Capers Funnye, a South Side rabbi and Michelle Obama's first cousin once removed.

There’s more, of course, and it’s worth remembering that this story follows fresh on the heels of this item, entitled “Obama sought HUD grant for donor's project,” from yesterday’s Washington Times and previous news, courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times, that “As a State Senator, Barack Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting his political patron Tony Rezko's successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens.”

Perhaps someone at tonight’s debate should ask Barack Obama about what looks like a pattern here.

John McCain Today...

James Richardson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:33:59 GMT

From today's stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico:

Our current economic crisis is a good case in point. What was his actual record in the years before the great economic crisis of our lifetimes?

This crisis started in our housing market in the form of subprime loans that were pushed on people who could not afford them. Bad mortgages were being backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and it was only a matter of time before a contagion of unsustainable debt began to spread. This corruption was encouraged by Democrats in Congress, and abetted by Senator Obama.

Senator Obama has accused me of opposing regulation to avert this crisis. I guess he believes if a lie is big enough and repeated often enough it will be believed. But the truth is I was the one who called at the time for tighter restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could have helped prevent this crisis from happening in the first place.

Senator Obama was silent on the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and his Democratic allies in Congress opposed every effort to rein them in. As recently as September of last year he said that subprime loans had been, quote, “a good idea.” Well, Senator Obama, that “good idea” has now plunged this country into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

To hear him talk now, you’d think he’d always opposed the dangerous practices at these institutions. But there is absolutely nothing in his record to suggest he did. He was surely familiar with the people who were creating this problem. The executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have advised him, and he has taken their money for his campaign. He has received more money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac than any other senator in history, with the exception of the chairman of the committee overseeing them. Did he ever talk to the executives at Fannie and Freddie about these reckless loans? Did he ever discuss with them the stronger oversight I proposed? If Senator Obama is such a champion of financial regulation, why didn’t he support these regulations that could have prevented this crisis in the first place? He won’t tell you, but you deserve an answer.

This Doesn’t Sound Good…

Liz Mair — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:05:43 GMT

Sen. Barack Obama, who vows to change Washington by trimming wasteful spending and disclosing special-interest requests, wrote the Bush administration last year to seek a multimillion-dollar federal grant for a Chicago housing project that is behind schedule and whose development team includes a longtime political supporter.

Mr. Obama's letter, however, was never disclosed publicly. In fact, the letter was ghostwritten for him by a consultant for the Chicago Housing Authority, which wanted the money - a practice ethics watchdogs have frequently criticized.

The full story is quite long… you can read it all here.

Obama and Iran

Liz Mair — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:09:23 GMT

This speaks for itself.

On Coal

James Richardson — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:08:50 GMT

Senator Biden seems a little confused tonight – not only on the positions of his running mate, but the positions he’s taken on the campaign trail on behalf of the Democratic ticket.

FLASHBACK 9/17/08:

“We’re not supporting ‘clean coal.’ … NO COAL PLANTS HERE IN AMERICA.”

Seems pretty cut and dried, no?

He Said It

Liz Mair — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:08:15 GMT

A point worth remembering re: Barack Obama and what he thinks about John McCain’s climate change plan is that he said (and the congressional record proves it) that “the first step” in combating climate change was “to adopt the McCain-Lieberman amendment.” It’s true: Obama said, “This bipartisan approach is not only good environmental policy, it's good economic policy.”

On Energy

Liz Mair — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:07:31 GMT

Unsurprisingly, there has been some discussion of energy, giveaways to oil companies and so on this evening. Allow me to underline one of my oft-made points: Barack Obama is the one who voted for the 2005 energy bill, which contained $2.8 billion in subsidies to oil and gas companies. John McCain did not (he said the bill contained “handouts” that were “irresponsible”). Neither did Joe Biden, because of the tax breaks it gave to the oil and gas industry—which, one can only assume, Barack Obama supported.

Busy, Busy, Busy

James Richardson — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:07:04 GMT

Liz and I are quite busy tonight. Why? We’re fact-checking Joe Biden.

A few minutes ago, Senator Biden alleged John McCain voted “the exact same way” as Barack Obama to raise taxes on people making $42,000 a year. This, my friends, is a flat out lie.

Barack Obama voted, not once but twice, in favor of the Democrats FY 2009 budget resolution. John McCain did not. Plain and simple.

New Ad: "BarackBook"

James Richardson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:53:32 GMT

While you’re exploring Obama’s social network, take a few seconds to install the Facebook "Barackbook" application and join the RNC’s official group.

Spending Spree!

Liz Mair — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:52:43 GMT

Poll 100 voters supporting John McCain, and I bet you’d find a wide diversity of reasons why Americans are backing him. One of mine, though-- and a top one, I might add-- is that he takes spending restraint seriously, whereas Barack Obama takes… spending seriously.

Check it out:

Also worth remembering on this front is that Obama has been an avid earmarker for all but a fraction of his Senate career: He’s requested nearly $1 billion in earmarks since entering the Senate, to John McCain’s, er, $0. It’s tough to believe Mr. Hope and Change is going to take a hatchet (or even a scalpel!) to pork-barrel spending given his history of pushing it, himself, no?

His kind of “change” where federal outlays are concerned does not appear to be, er, change we need.

With Friends Like These…

Liz Mair — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:51:40 GMT

Claire McCaskill on Joe Biden: he “has a tendency to talk forever and sometimes say things that are kind of stupid.”

Follow-up re: her own “candor”: “I was probably having a Joe Biden moment myself.”

Hmmm….

Bubba Ain’t Playing Along

James Richardson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:47:10 GMT

Team Obama has spent a lot of time recently blaming the crisis on Wall Street on deregulation, and specifically, Congress’ vote—taken in 1999—to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 separating the commercial and investment banking industries. This is interesting because a) the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, passed the Senate with a high 90 “yea” votes and b) while Obama was busy voting “Present” in the Illinois State Senate, his future colleagues—and prominent campaign supporters and surrogates— including Chuck Schumer, John Edwards, John Kerry, Tom Daschle, Chris Dodd, Dick Durbin, and, of course, his own running mate, Joe Biden were voting for this law. It’s also interesting because it seems there isn’t too much consensus between President Clinton—who signed that legislation-- and Illinois’ junior senator on where blame for the current financial crisis properly sits. From today’s Wall Street Journal:

In BusinessWeek.com, Maria Bartiromo reports that she asked the former President last week whether he regretted signing that legislation. Mr. Clinton's reply: "No, because it wasn't a complete deregulation at all. We still have heavy regulations and insurance on bank deposits, requirements on banks for capital and for disclosure. I thought at the time that it might lead to more stable investments and a reduced pressure on Wall Street to produce quarterly profits that were always bigger than the previous quarter.

"But I have really thought about this a lot. I don't see that signing that bill had anything to do with the current crisis. Indeed, one of the things that has helped stabilize the current situation as much as it has is the purchase of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, which was much smoother than it would have been if I hadn't signed that bill." (my emphasis added)

Bill versus Barack on Banks indeed.

Bubba on Obama

Liz Mair — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:46:43 GMT

He’s “shown a remarkable ability to learn and grow in this campaign. He always was highly intelligent and always a very good politician,” but he’s evidently not a “great man.”

Just remember, that’s per Bill Clinton, not me…