The Contract On America.

August 1, 2007

In the 1994 campaign, the Republican party swept into power for the first time in 40 years with their Contract With America. By 2006, too many had deviated from that contract and fell prey to the Democrat party’s campaign of Culture of Corruption, led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

Democrats overwhelmingly took back the House and Senate and apparently have dug in with their catchy slogan, totally ignoring and trying to either hide or ignore their own Caucus of Corruption, assisted by many within the lamestream leftist media.

Since sweeping back into power in the 2006 elections and taking hold of the reigns in early 2007, what have the newly empowered Democrats accomplished for the good of America?

Challenged by Fox News’s Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, July 29, Senator Russ Feingold was able to reply, “the fact is the minimum wage increase got through Congress,” adding shortly after, “it is time to address the matter of the illegal and other conduct of this administration.”

Senator Feingold seems to articulate what is most important to today’s Democrats, get Bush! Of course, all the cries of “illegal and other conduct” have only resulted in an unprecedented number of hearings and investigations, a witch hunt, if you will, desperately trying to find something to hang on the Bush administration, as they did with Scooter Libby in convicting him of a clearly fabricated case.

Excessive investigations of the Iraq war, executive power, the war on terror and Vice President Dick Cheney's authority as well as any other matter they can dream up, while we are embroiled in a war against terrorists that have been attacking us for 3 decades now, is the order of the day with this new Democrat led Congress. Sensing that American citizens come well after their desire to bring down the Bush administration, Congressional approval rating is currently at an all time low, eliciting accusations from Democrats Sen. Charles Schumer that it is the fault of the Republican minority and from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, “"When you have a president who is so unpopular ... it really reflects poorly on Congress. None of them [congressional approval ratings] are real high and we acknowledge that, but most of it relates to the unpopularity of the president."

Even now as the reinforcements sent to Iraq to help squelch the violence and stand the Iraqi Military up sooner so we can focus attention against Terrorists elsewhere, the Washington Post quotes House Majority Whip James Clyburn saying, “a strongly positive report on progress on Iraq by Army Gen. David Petraeus likely would split Democrats in the House and impede his party's efforts to press for a timetable to end the war.”

Apparently, Rep. Clyburn is among those heavily Invested In Defeat, desiring defeat instead of any sort of Victory. Asked about the low approval ratings of the Democrat led Congress, Clyburn replied, “people still rate Democrats higher than Republicans.”

In the earlier Fox News interview with Sen. Feingold, he alluded to the ethics reform bill getting passed with, “[its] one of the most important bills in 30 years in this area that actually gets at some of these abuses from the Abramoff scandal.” Upon its passage we find it to be just business as usual, thanks to the efforts of Democrats Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi for ‘fast tracking’ through to passage, denying public scrutiny limiting reformers from offering amendments to restore stated purpose. Spineless Republicans, fearing a no vote on anything with “ethics” in the title, overwhelmingly joined Democrats in passing this sham of a reform bill. As Rush Limbaugh put it on his radio program today, “[it] eliminates $200 lunches but permits $27 million earmarks and even more.”

Senator Feingold also neglected to mention that he too accepted “donations” from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, having now returned some $1600 to him.

We even have at least one Senator and candidate for the highest office in the land, advocating ‘negotiating’ with those we are fighting while threatening to invade another country, all the while advocating withdrawal of our forces from Iraq, which has been declared the ‘central front’ by the Terrorists themselves. For this, Senator Obama has come under fire from his opponents and members of both party’s. What he has actually accomplished as a first term Senator has been difficult to find.

Democrats took over power at a time that our unemployment has been at the lowest point in a very long time. Our economy has been robust with the Stock Market closing at record highs. Tax receipts have been higher than expected, after the tax cuts they opposed went into effect. All this after suffering the most horrific attack upon our soil in history. Democrat’s plans to improve that seem to be to dismantle it all and plunge the nation back into the recession that started a year before Bush’s predecessor handed over the reigns of power.

Showing how they are determined to ‘stand for the lower wageworkers, House Democrats passed a bill vastly expanding a federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor. On the surface, how can we deny anything destined to help the children, right? But, to pay for this vast expansion, they intend to raise tobacco taxes significantly.

Isn’t it ironic that Democrats desire to help the children of the “working poor” by raising taxes mostly on those same “working poor?” If you don’t understand, allow me to show you. According to the website of the American Heart Association, "Studies show that smoking prevalence is higher among those who had earned a GED diploma (39.6 percent) and among those with 9-11 years of education (34.0 percent) compared with those with more than 16 years of education (8.0 percent). It's highest among persons living below the poverty level (29.1 percent)."

That’s right, raising cigarette taxes hits the working poor the hardest. Not only that, but in order to maintain the funding for this “help the children” bill, 22 million new smokers will be needed to keep it funded at the desired levels for extending it to 2017.

All of this is but the tip of the iceberg, with Democrats back in power. I can’t see any of it actually good for America and our citizens.

In 1994 the Republicans introduced us to the Contract With America. Beginning in 2006, it would appear that the Democrats have taken out a Contract on America!

Lew

UPDATE 1: Cal Thomas on TownHall lays it at the Democrats feet, What If We Win?

UPDATE 2: Further showing the Democrats "Contract On America," last evening, August 2, House Democrats threw the Constitution away and ignored long standing House rules to get the results they wanted on a bill allowing Fedearl Welfare payments to Illegal Aliens. Former House Speaker, Tom Delay, explains, House Democrats Fail Democracy 101

UPDATE 3: More on the sweeping House Ethics legislation passed overwhelmingly by both parties, Washington's latest landmark betrayal. Rep. Tom Coburn (R. Ok) speaks of shortcomings in the legislation:

• The bill was changed to make earmark disclosure voluntary rather than mandatory.
• The requirement of 67 Senate votes to suspend the earmark disclosure rule was changed to 40 votes — less than a majority.
• The language prohibiting a member or staff from promoting earmarks they would personally benefit from was completely eviscerated.
• So was the language prohibiting a member from trading votes for earmarks.
• The requirement that earmarks be put on the Internet 48 hours after their inclusion in legislation was changed to "as soon as practical."
• The non-partisan Senate parliamentarian was replaced by the majority leader as the referee determining whether earmark disclosure requirements are met.
• The bill also weakened other elements of disclosure and transparency.