WOW, THAT DIDN’T TAKE LONG!

As the U.S. Congress and the White House, now both controlled by Democrats in the majority, begin addressing the “crisis” of our economic recession, the tax-and-spend-liberal comes out from behind the “post-partisan” mask.

Let’s look at the “answers” from Democrats led by President Barack Obama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

1) A “spending package” of $825 BILLION – financed by adding to the national debt and the future tax burden of your children and grandchildren – must be passed “now” to “create jobs”… yet, only about 1/7th of the outlays occur in the current fiscal year

2) Included in the out-of-control spending package were these few examples of Democrat payoffs and the return to welfare spending:

• $5.2 Billion for ACORN (”community organizers” currently under criminal investigation by 14 states and the FBI for massive voter fraud)
• $335 million for Sexually Transmitted Disease prevention
• $1.5 billion for a “carbon-capturing contest”
• Adding $600 million to the already $3 billion for government fleet cars

3) Free the United States from the dependency of foreign oil by domestic drilling that will yield American jobs. This makes sense to the majority of Americans, except Democrats. Democrat Interior Secretary Ken Salazar indicated the drilling plan the Bush administration left on his desk likely will be scrapped. It would open the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts for drilling. According to press accounts, President Bush issued a draft for energy leases to be made available in the Atlantic and Pacific waters that have been off limits. This draft plan was presented four days prior to President Obama taking office. Newsmax.com reports, “But Salazar indicated that plan is all but dead.”

The less-than-conservative New York Times commented that the Democrats’ spending spree is “a tool for rewriting the social contract with the poor, the uninsured and the unemployed, in ways they have long yearned to do. With little notice and no public hearings, House Democrats would create a temporary new entitlement allowing workers getting unemployment checks to qualify for Medicaid, the health program for low-income people. Spouses and children could also receive benefits, no matter how much money the family had.”

In these perilous financial times, it is very evident: The agenda of radical Democrats is to extend the reach of government not just for critical spending to address real economic problems, but to take more of your money into the federal Treasury to then redistribute your wealth to individuals and programs that aren’t “critical” to the turnaround of our economy but are critical to paying off special interest groups traditionally allied with the Democrat Party.

Democrats want to call the spending spree an “economic stimulus,” but it really is just a pork-fest of gargantuan proportions, stuffed with all manner of earmarks, pork projects and special-interest payoffs that Democrats were unable to get through Congress previously. Only now, instead of calling them earmarks, payoffs and pork, they are calling them stimulus – and driving America deeper into debt – by more than $1 TRILLION when interest is included on the $825 billion. That’s more than $3,300 in additional government debt for each and every American family, and when the bill comes due, if Democrats are still in control, you know where they’re going to go for the money: your pocket, through higher taxes.

Not to be out-done by the House, the Senate is preparing to add even more pork to the legislation. Senate Democrats want:

• $20 million “for the removal of small-to medium-sized fish passage barriers.”
• $400 million for STD prevention
• $25 million to rehabilitate off-roading (ATV) trails
• $34 million to remodel the Department of Commerce headquarters building
• $70 million to “Support Supercomputing Activities” for climate research
• $150 million for honey bee insurance.

Honey bee insurance?

PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP HONORED

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey was honored in Washington, D.C. on Thursday evening when he was selected Chairman of the Republican Lt. Governor’s Association. Lt. Governor Ramsey has been a champion for the principles and policies that make Tennesseans proud. Congratulations, Lt. Governor!

2010 GOVERNOR’S RACE FORMING

Tennessee’s Governor Phil Bredesen is term-limited creating an open seat during the upcoming 2010 election. The deep bench on the Republican ticket has resulted in three announced candidates to date: Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and U.S. Congressman Zach Wamp. These gentlemen have already begun their initial campaign activities and will certainly be in your counties during the next several months.

One Democrat who will not be in the gubernatorial race is U.S. Congressman Lincoln Davis. Davis had earlier made his sentiments known of his desire to seek the Tennessee Governor’s post, but he has decided to remain in Congress to help his fellow Democrats do what they do best: tax and spend, and over-regulate the American economy.

FINALLY!

The full Republican National Committee is now in the meeting that has generated much activity and press. The election of the next RNC Chairman is today with the candidate pool of current Chairman Mike Duncan, former Lt. Gov. of Maryland Michael Steele, former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis, and South Carolina Chairman Katon Dawson. The meeting will conclude Friday with a full day of floor activity and balloting.

The newly-elected Chairman will have much to face with Democrats controlling the federal government with an aggressive pursuit of socializing health care, releasing enemy combatants committed to destroying Americans from Guantanamo into U.S. prisons, delaying infrastructure spending in the spending package in favor of special interest payoffs, pork and earmarks.