Democrat Promises Delivered

January 20, 2007

An email received yesterday from House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, boasts of ‘Promises Delivered’ by the Democrat Party in their “first 100 hours” as they were rammed through the legislative session in a “blitzkrieg” style flurry of activity in which any discussion or amending of their bills by the opposition party, Republicans, was denied. Most all of us saw the brief exchange between Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R. NC) and Rep. Barney Frank (D. Ma) over the revelation of American Samoa being exempted from the much vaunted minimum wage increase bill and in which Speaker Pelosi’s husband holds some $17,000,000 in assets of a company employing a large number of employees on the island.

Speaker Pelosi has subsequently said American Samoa will no longer be exempted, no conflict of any interest here.

Hoyer says in the email, “ Today, I can proudly announce that House Democrats have delivered on the people's call for a new direction and passed their entire 100 Hours Agenda.” He then lists:

We campaigned to strengthen our nation's security by passing the common sense and bipartisan recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. In the first working days of the Congress, House Democrats passed legislation to ensure that dozens of changes were set in motion to make the 9-11 Commission's recommendations a reality. Promise delivered.

Shortly after winning the elections in 2006, many Democrats admitted that the Bush Administration had implemented much of what the commission proposed and that the 9/11 Commission ideas are not easy to enact. Also not addressed in the fulfilled “promise,” is how to cover the BILLIONS IN EXTRA SPENDING for programs experts say will have only questionable results while raising costs to consumers and taxpayers dramatically.

In the meantime, Democrats are almost solidly opposed to reinforcing the troops fighting the very terrorists they say they will implement measures to stop, as President Bush announces sending another 21,000 reinforcements to back up the troops and secure Iraq as the Iraqi people take similar measures to defeat terrorists flooding into their country. This opposition, incidentally, is after these same Democrats calling for increasing the troops up until the time President Bush did so.

We campaigned to put money back into your pockets by cutting the interest rates on student loans, raising the minimum wage for hard-working Americans, and negotiating for better prescription drug costs for Medicare. We passed three comprehensive bills with bipartisan support to do just that and to ensure that for hard-working Americans a day's work will never again barely cover a tank of gas or a child's check-up at the doctor. Promise delivered.

Increasing the minimum wage is an ongoing favorite of the Democrat party in their pandering to voters. It dries up jobs and raises consumer costs while leaving the young employee receiving it paying more in taxes to the Government and receiving a minimal, at best, increase in their take home pay.


Cutting interest rates on student loans does nothing for me, but enforcing them repaying them might lessen my tax burden. Leaving my taxes lower does give me more money, but the Democrats also are frothing at the mouth in preparation of raising taxes, especially to cover some of these “promises” they have kept.


Of course, they cry they have “bi-partisan support” by enlisting the aid of one or two RINOs who should be drummed out of the Republican Party.


If they are really concerned about the price of gas, why do they also block any drilling efforts within our borders or construction of new refineries? They also desire to increase taxes and royalties to Oil Companies which will end up raising the cost to us at the pump as like all companies, increased costs are simply passed on to consumers.


Forcing Pharmaceutical companies to lower their prices also removes their profits along with efforts to discovering new medicines. Like other companies, even ones invested in by Democrats; say like Pelosi’s husband, they exist to make a profit. As costs go up, they must be passed on to consumers, or they go out of business. Maybe that is why they can see the harm in raising minimum wage in American Samoa, but are blinded to the harm it does elsewhere.


We campaigned to answer America's call for hope in promoting stem cell research and to bring hope to millions battling juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's and spinal cord injuries. Last Thursday, House Democrats answered the people's call once again by passing legislation in favor of expanding research. We continue to hope that President Bush will heed to the will of the people and not veto this bill. But, no matter what, we will never stop fighting. Promise delivered.


This is maybe the saddest ‘promise kept.’ To date, embryonic stem cell research has shown no results while stem cell research in other areas has. Since the 2004 campaigns, empty promises of miracle cures have either been promised or strongly hinted at, convincing many in the public that aborted fetuses will benefit them. Recently, a study claimed to be able to draw embryonic stem cells from amniotic fluid and drew scorn from these same Democrats.


If there was all this ‘promise,’ wouldn’t the private sector be flocking to support it in an effort to fund these “miracle cures” and enjoy the profits of such a discovery?


We campaigned on a promise to return the People's House to the people and end the culture of corruption in Washington. On Thursday, we completed the last of 100 Hours Agenda by rolling back subsidies for energy companies and investing in renewable energy resources. We took America back from the special interests and instead passed strict new rules to ensure honest leadership, clamping down on earmarks, lobbyists' behaviors and runaway deficits. Promise delivered.


Yes, they claim they “took back the People’s House” from “special interests.” If you buy that, let me talk to you about some ocean front property I have for sale in Oklahoma. As noted in the Washington Post article, Policies on lobbying are selectively strict, ample room is left for BOTH parties to receive perks. It would appear to me that instead of taking the “PEOPLE’S HOUSE” back from ‘special interests,” they have merely changed which Special Interests will be doing business with the “PEOPLE’S HOUSE.”


If so worried about the “culture of corruption,” which they effectively used against Republicans, when do they act upon those corrupt Democrats in the House? As noted above, Speaker Pelosi could have made a windfall off of not raising minimum wage in American Samoa. Why no hearings?


Why did Ms. Pelosi try to push John Murtha (D.Pa) unindicted co-conspirator in the 1980s Abscam scandal and Alcee Hastings (D.Fl) impeached Federal Judge and current Representative, into leadership positions?


Why is Representative William Jefferson (D. La) sitting on committees while he is under investigation for accepting bribes, caught on tape and some $90,000 in cash from said bribes found in his freezer?


Dirty politicians, regardless of party, need to be eliminated from our government and the Democrats have their fair share of them. So much for the “most ethical Congress in history.” Promises made, promises kept, God help us all.


Throughout this post, you may have noted that I have emphasized wherever they use the term “PEOPLE’S whatever. Their sudden addition of this term really disturbs me as the last time I saw such a heavy use of the term “people’s” was from the Communist Soviet Union and other Communist governed countries. As I see the Democrats “promises” fulfilled I also see the country slide a little closer to the Socialistic style of Government noted in the USSR, Cuba, China and North Korea.

Hoyer’s email finishes with, “ Change is possible now because we have a Democratic Majority that is working for the people. We have taken America back from the special interests and returned it to the people.

While the President may have another two years in power, House Democrats will continue to fight to give you, the American people, a voice and to stop his misguided agenda.

Bush’s “misguided agenda” has brought us a stock market at new all-time highs and America's 401K's are back; unemployment at 25 year lows; taxes at 20 year lows; Federal tax revenues at all-time highs; The Federal deficit down almost 50%; Home valuations up 200%; inflation in check, hovering at 20 year lows and this is the result of a “misguided agenda?” I dread to think of the “New Direction” Democrats are prepared to take us on as they implement their “PEOPLE’S AGENDA.”

Lew

UPDATE: Congress’ winds of ethics change appear to have been only a breeze