Make It Your Homepage!

The new Tennessee Republican Party website (www.tngop.org) continues to feature new updates, a new blog and press releases. Make it your homepage to link to your social networks and stay up to date on Tennessee politics.

For Stimulus; Against Entitlement

The Republicans in Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation were clear in their votes and statements: Our financial crisis needs to be addressed with targeted funds for initiatives to create jobs, not random spending for the sake of dumping newly-printed money into circulation.

The two philosophies of Democrats and Republicans on proposing a solution for the economic crisis display vivid and vast differences. Democrats are exploiting this “crisis” and “catastrophe” to shatter the Welfare Reform of 1996. Republicans are committed to increasing the velocity of money in the economy through specific proposals for unfreezing the credit industry for worthy investors and addressing the housing collapse.

Both of these problems began with the government demands to lower loan standards for individuals which has resulted in the sub-prime lending crisis with government corporations (Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac) holding toxic loans. Yet, President Obama railed in his remarks in Phoenix, AZ, “Banks and lenders must begin to accept their responsibility in this crisis…”

What about Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Maxine Waters, and other Democrats who screeched that these loan practices were appropriate and that a “lynching” was being attempted when the Bush Administration and Republicans worked to halt the loan offerings to those with no ability to repay them?! Oh, that’s right. They’re the ones now writing the policy that “solves” the problem.

The reality is that those of us who have paid our bills on time, those of us who struggle from month to month but manage, those of us who only want a hand up, not a handout when we stumble are now carrying the load of debt for all those who failed to honor their financial commitments and were awarded these loans despite their lack of sufficient credit history.

Margaret Thatcher summed it up: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Second Thoughts

The National Rifle Association sent a letter Feb. 10 to the Memphis Commercial Appeal to protest the paper’s decision to publish a database of Tennesseans who hold permits to carry handguns. A week later, the paper had not published the 213-word letter, although it did publish a 2,500 word piece by the paper’s editor attempting to defend the paper’s decision to publish the carry permit information. Here is the letter, written by Chris W. Cox, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association – Institute for Legislative Action in Fairfax, VA. Cox grew up in Jackson, TN, and is a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis.

In Nashville, a number of Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation supported by the Tennessee Firearms Association that would make state records of carry permit holder information confidential. In 2008, Democrats blocked similar legislation.

Republican Rep. Glen Casada addressed this issue in an editorial published in the Chattanoogan.com. Republicans have been consistent and committed to the rights of Tennesseans to protect themselves by owning and carrying firearms, rather than adopting stances that are valuable only in election-year politics.

Party..! or ?

Discussion has begun among state legislators around the issue of voters registering by political party in the state.

The Tennessee Code Annotated specifies that political parties govern primary elections in our state and the office of the Coordinator of Elections serves to “administer” the process. Voters do not, however, have to declare a party affiliation through a formal registration currently. Instead, voters make a “declaration” in requesting a Republican or Democrat ballot during primary elections and the Presidential Preference election.

Over the years, there have been concerns that primary elections have been impacted by orchestrated efforts of the opposing party in voting “across party lines.” This is an appropriate discussion to have in the public arena.

The Tennessee Democrat Party Chairman has stated he sees “no compelling reason” to change the current process. This is likely based upon the reality that many rural conservatives that have traditionally self-identified as Democrats because of tradition might not “register” as such. Their reluctance is understandable:

To “register” as a Democrat is to commit publicly and in writing to support a party that believes an expansive government is the answer to all needs and questions (a hand out, always).

To “register” as a Democrat is to commit publicly and in writing to support a party that support appeasement with terrorists and enemies of America, even while men and women are in harm’s way, defending our security and freedoms.

To “register” as a Democrat is to support abortion, even up to the last trimester of pregnancy; to support the notion that special rights for homosexual couples are akin to the Civil Rights fought for by and on behalf of African Americans for decades.

To “register” as a Democrat is to admit publicly that you view tax dollars as possessions of the government and a “patriotic duty” rather than money taken from hard-working citizens and a reduction of individual freedom, that you support doing nothing effective about illegal immigration, rather than addressing the legal and lawful entry into our country as a priority for those who want to work and study legally as citizens.

These issues, among many others, are very distinctive differences between the two state party philosophies as evidenced by voting records, legislative support and public record. If individuals indentified by issues, rather than a party identity, more Tennesseans would be more closely aligned with the authentic beliefs, values and principles of Republicans.

Tennessee’s Republicans Stand for Better Solution

The financial crisis that BEGAN with government’s demands that lending institutions lower the requirements for loans for individuals who could not ordinarily qualify due to their inability to meet their obligation to repay the loan. The banks carrying these “toxic” loans have taken an incredible loss and have “frozen credit” available that has resulted in the need for the “TARP” (Troubled Assets Relief Program) funds in an attempt to unlock money available for businesses and credit-worthy individuals.

Democrats, led by President Obama, have now passed a “Stimulus” package that is the most expensive piece of legislation in the history of our nation that economists declare to be untargeted and less than “stimulative” in creating jobs. What has been overlooked are the Republican proposals that were not only ignored, but Republicans were locked out of any meetings to write the “Stimulus” legislation. One Republican proposal would have created twice as many jobs at half the cost compared to the Democrat-written plan.

Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, Congressmen Phil Roe, Jimmy Duncan, Zach Wamp and Marsha Blackburn voiced their opinions for better solutions rather than wholesale entitlement spending. Their votes were not against the need for a stimulus package. Their votes were for a better stimulus package that met the needs of the citizens and institutions involved without strapping the burden on the backs of those who have saved, invested, sacrificed and met their obligations.

Make sure that the message of justification trumpeted by Democrats and the media doesn’t eclipse the truth in this matter.