CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Democrats have no one to blame now

Senator Franken was sworn in yesterday giving the Democrats 60 seats in the Senate and total control over the federal government.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee marked the event with the release of a new video "60"

No Checks. No Balances. No debate. No excuses. The Democrats own everything and have no one to blame now.

Chuck Schumer on 'torture:' 'do what you have to do'

As the Democrat-controlled Senate conducts sanctimonious hearings on enhanced interrogation methods, several Senate Democrat leaders, including Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer, announced support for delaying any prosecutions of Bush administration interrogation methods until after the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence finishes investigating the issue.

This is a good time to recall what Schumer said abut torture at a June 8, 2004 Judiciary Committee hearing:

And I'd like to interject a note of balance here. There are times when we all get in high dudgeon. We ought to be reasonable about this. I think there are probably very few people in this room or in America who would say that torture should never, ever be used, particularly if thousands of lives are at stake. Take the hypothetical: If we knew that there was a nuclear bomb hidden in an American city and we believed that some kind of torture, fairly severe maybe, would give us a chance of finding that bomb before it went off, my guess is most Americans and most senators, maybe all, would say, ‘Do what you have to do.’So it's easy to sit back in the armchair and say that torture can never be used. But when you're in the foxhole, it's a very different deal.

Is it not peculiar that despite all the hullabaloo the Democrats now raise about the enhanced interrogation methods, there is no record of any ranking Congressional Democrat objecting to the interrogation techniques when the Congress critters were briefed about the methods?

Governor Crist announces senate bid

It’s now official. Florida's Republican Governor Charlie Crist is running for the Senate:

Crist's announcement sets up a primary challenge with former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in Republican primary for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Mel Martinez. The primary will be important in the debate over the future of the Republican Party.

Crist angered many Republicans by supporting President Obama's stimulus boondoggle. A position which caused Tony Fabrizio, the Republican pollster who tabulates CPAC's annual straw poll results, to call Crist "Barack Obama's favorite Republican."

The latest Quinnipiac University polling found Crist leading Rubio 54 percent to 8 percent.

I am shocked that Senator John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, endorsed Governor Crist shortly after the announcement.

Rubio welcomed Crist to the primary battle with the following video:

Let the debate begin. As Rubio told Politico, "if we’re offering the same thing as the Democrats, but with different packaging, what’s the point in having a Republican Party?

Specter's 30 pieces of silver

According to the Associated Press, Specter's decision to switch rather than fight came cheap. All it took was for President Obama to promise to campaign for Specter in next year's Pennsylvania Democratic
primary.

Of course, Gibbs denied any promises were made to get Specter to get him to become a Democrat. But then Gibbs denied President Obama bowed to King Abdullah.

There are unconfirmed rumors about that Specter was promised the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee.

Specter switching parties

Several sources, including the Associated Press, Poltiico and Washington Post, are now reporting Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania will switch parties.

Specter made the following statement posted on PoliticsPA:

Statement by Senator Arlen Specter

I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.

Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.

I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters. I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the Party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides. I thank specially Senators McConnell and Cornyn for their forbearance.

I am not making this decision because there are no important and interesting opportunities outside the Senate. I take on this complicated run for re-election because I am deeply concerned about the future of our country and I believe I have a significant contribution to make on many of the key issues of the day, especially medical research. NIH funding has saved or lengthened thousands of lives, including mine, and much more needs to be done. And my seniority is very important to continue to bring important projects vital to Pennsylvania’s economy.

I am taking this action now because there are fewer than thirteen months to the 2010 Pennsylvania Primary and there is much to be done in preparation for that election. Upon request, I will return campaign contributions contributed during this cycle.

While each member of the Senate caucuses with his Party, what each of us hopes to accomplish is distinct from his party affiliation. The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation. And no Senator, no matter how loyal he is to his Party, should or would put party loyalty above his duty to the state and nation.

My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans. Unlike Senator Jeffords’ switch which changed party control, I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on Employees Free Choice (Card Check) will not change.

Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy’s statement that sometimes Party asks too much. When it does, I will continue my independent voting and follow my conscience on what I think is best for Pennsylvania and America.

Give Specter credit for realizing he would lose the primary fight with former congressman Pat Toomey. Can Specter win as a Democrat?

Obama: still saying one thing while doing the opposite

There President Obama goes yet again -- saying one thing while doing the opposite.

After prodding by the White House, Congressional Democrats near a budget deal so Obama can have his spend too much, tax too much, borrow too much budget in place within his first 100 days.

President Obama's budget includes a $1.75 trillion deficit so he can spend nearly $4 trillion in fiscal year 2010. The Congressional Budget Office predicts will Obama's budget result in deficits of $9.3 trillion over ten years -- $2.3 trillion more than the deficit estimated by the White House. And then, in this week's Obama propaganda video, he has the audacity to call for fiscal discipline. Is he serious?

"We cannot sustain deficits that mortgage our children’s future, nor tolerate wasteful inefficiency."

Too bad Obama doesn't practice what he preaches.

Obama climate change agenda hits Senate speed bumps

From a Senate GOP source:

Yesterday, senators voted on seven motions to instruct conferees on the budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 13). Though the motions are non-binding, two that were approved are worth noting: 

• The Senate agreed to a motion from Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) to instruct conferees include language prohibiting the use of reconciliation for climate change legislation (this is now the second time a majority of the Senate has voted this way).

• The Senate also agreed to a motion from Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) to require that future energy legislation not increase the cost of domestic energy production or increase energy costs for families.

Senate Republicans suggest way for Obama to save $80 million

Republican Senators Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Lamar Alexander and John Thune have a suggestion for President Obama to help him meet his pathetic goal of cutting a meager $100 million from Obama's and the Democrats' spend too much, tax too much and borrow too much budget:

Keep the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay open, so that American cities don't have to play host to terrorists. That will save the $80 million budgeted for the closure - 80% of Obama's goal.

Once again I ask, where will Obama put the terrorists?

Report on the House Republican budget alternative - read it here

Paul Ryan, the ranking Republican on House Budget Committee, introduced the House Republicans' comprehensive alternative to President Obama's spend too much, tax too much and borrow too much budget.

The Republican budget alternative, "The Path To American Prosperity," works to accomplish four main goals:

1. Fulfill the mission of health and retirement security;
2. Control our nation's debts;
3. Put our economy on a path of growth and leadership in the global economy; and 
4. Preserve the American legacy of leaving the next generation better off.

You can the "The Path To American Prosperity," below.

Click full screen to make it easier to read.

report on_gopbudget - Free Legal Forms

Senate votes to keep automatic pay raises

During the Senate's consideration of the most recent Congressional spending orgy -- the 1,132-page, $410 billion, nearly 9,000 earmark-infested Omnibus spending bill, Louisiana Republican Senator David Vitter forced the Senate to vote to keep their automatic annual pay raises:

He tried to amend the measure with a proposal that few lawmakers would dare to oppose in a recession: canceling the automatic increases in lawmaker salaries, now at $174,000. Using a parliamentary tactic, Vitter forced Reid to schedule a vote on his amendment for a vote.

Unfortunately, the Senate voted 52 to 47 to kill Vitter's amendment and keep their automatic pay raises.

As I wrote back in 2003, the Congressional automatic stealth pay raise system is just wrong.