Chris Buck, Esq. - Let Our Government Leaders Debate

Let our government leaders debate

By Chris Buck, Esq.

NH Campaign Director

McCotter 2012

U.S. Representative Thad McCotter may be a name you don’t know very well, and part of the reason is because of the sort of media bias recently displayed by Fox News. A recent article on the economic crisis suggested that Wall Street credit rating agencies relish exercising their power to tinker with the U.S. economy, because of the influence it gives them over the political process. Think about it – the entire U.S. Congress, the President, every television station and newspaper have been unable to talk about anything other than the U.S. economy and the government’s response over the last two weeks. And the major issue has never been about default – we were never in any real danger of a bona fide default – it was about whether these Wall Street agencies have faith in the U.S. government. I’d say that’s exerting a fair amount of influence over the political process.

In much the same way, “big media,” as we might call it, has figured out that it can exert a significant amount of influence over the most significant political contest in our country, the race for the Presidency. This is not a new phenomenon. Ron Paul was excluded from a debate in his previous run for President, Gary Johnson was excluded from the last CNN debate in New Hampshire, and now U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter may be excluded from the Iowa GOP/Fox News debate, where he appears on the Ames Straw Poll ballot, and spent $18,000 for his inclusion in both the debate and straw poll.

These Presidential candidates don’t ever seem to get the benefit of common sense either. Ron Paul and Thad McCotter are both sitting United States Representatives. Gary Johnson is a former 2-term Governor of New Mexico, and was so prolific with vetoing legislation that he earned the nickname “Governor Veto.” The concept of “discretion” has been thrown out the window, and involvement in political debates is viewed less by the media as a public service to enlighten the voters about their choices than a mechanism to weed out candidates before they can gain momentum. The message seems to be, “let’s just get it over with already.” It should be no surprise that 2 or 3 candidates are better for TV and better for ratings than 8 or 9, because you can dedicate entire entourages of TV crews and reporters to a smaller group of candidates. In much the same way that holiday and back-to-school marketing seems to get earlier and earlier each year, the media wants to pick a winner and appoint them President as soon as possible.

As Republicans, as lovers of liberty and individual rights, of states’ rights and limited government, we generally abhor the concentration of political power in the hands of only a few people. So I ask the good people of Iowa and New Hampshire, and all the participants of the early primary contests, whether it is any better to have winners and losers determined by a government or by a few television executives in a board room.

Of course, big media will respond that we must have a mechanism to determine “legitimate” candidates from the “fringe.” It is a disingenuous argument, because big media stations really have no desire to perform a public service, they are predominantly looking out for their own business interests. And it’s a convenient method of hiding that fact from public scrutiny to call the decision a “policy,” when in reality the delineation between legitimate and fringe candidates is completely arbitrary. Should inclusion be determined by a 1% polling threshold among declared candidates? How about a 5% threshold, as long as they have $1 million dollars in the bank? Then we could have had this wrapped up by May.

Once you start going down that road of trying to decide not only who is popular now, but who is likely to be a “legitimate” candidate based on polling, you realize how much speculation and guesswork is involved, and how arbitrary and discriminatory the whole process is. If Americans care about the integrity of the political process, and want to continue to have a wealth of good candidates for President, they should protest the ridiculous policy of excluding active members of Congress and former Governors from participating in televised debates.

Jennifer Horn: It's Time For Tim Pawlenty

From The Desk of Jennifer Horn "The greatest threat to the future of our nation is a government that has become too big to control, too expensive to sustain and too intrusive to allow men and women to live in freedom." Originally Published in the Union Leader June 23, 2011 It Is Time For Tim Pawlenty I was raised by parents who promised their ten children that, as long as we were willing to work hard and sacrifice, we could do and become anything we dreamed of because we lived in the freest, greatest nation on earth. I became actively involved in politics when I realized that my five children would not be able to make that same promise to their children if our country remained on its current path. For the past two and a half years we have been led by a President who embraces a centralized European model of government that crushes opportunity rather than promoting it.  Our President has forced policies on the American people that have cost us millions of jobs, trillions of dollars and trampled on our Constitution. Obama's economy has taken us from 7.5% unemployment to over 10 percent, the average price for a gallon of gas from $1.83 to almost $4.00 and has raised our national debt by over 32%, from 10.6 trillion dollars to over 14.3 trillion.  Obama's economy crushes jobs, destroys opportunity and limits freedom. It is time for a new president. It's time for a president with the courage to stand against our enemies without apology, the strength to lead our nation forward and the executive experience to solve the challenges we face. It's time for a President who loves America, her people, and her Constitution.  It's time for a president who embraces America's destiny to remain forever a beacon of hope to freedom-seeking people everywhere. It is time for Tim Pawlenty. America requires a tough, bold, courageous, experienced leader.  Americans deserve a President who leads with character, integrity and optimism.  That leader is Tim Pawlenty and he has the record to prove it. As Governor of one of the bluest states in the nation, Pawlenty earned reelection without compromising his conservative principles.  He grew jobs, cut spending and taxes, reformed healthcare and entitlements, and appointed strong conservative judges. He is a chief executive who vetoed 7.5 billion dollars in tax hikes, cut spending in real terms for the first time in Minnesota's 150 year history, grew Minnesota's economy at a time when the nation's economy was failing and added jobs in 2010 at a rate of 1.6%. Nationally, Obama added jobs at just 0.5% in 2010. He stood for the people against the abuses of Minnesota's public-sector unions.  He led the state through a 44-day transit strike and won.  He stood against the teachers unions and brought to Minnesota the nation's first system of state-wide merit pay for teachers. And at a time when the entire nation was seeking responsible, market-based healthcare reform, he brought it to Minnesota, implementing a patient-centered, quality conscious system that has led to one of the lowest rates of uninsured and a state that was ranked the healthiest in the nation in 2009.  Now that is an example worth copying. But what truly qualifies the former Minnesota governor to be the next President of the United States is the man behind the record. Tim Pawlenty grew up in a blue-collar community, working in the meat packing plants of South St. Paul and helped to care for his brothers and sisters after his mother passed away from cancer.  He understands hard work and personal sacrifice.  He is led first and foremost by love of God, family and country. Pawlenty has the courage to tell the truth, a trait that too many Republicans and Democrats are unfamiliar with.  In Iowa he called for an end to ethanol subsidies, in Florida he called for Social Security reform and on Wall Street he called for an end to big bank bailouts.  He is exactly the type of person we have always told our children a President should be. The greatest threat to the future of our nation is a government that has become too big to control, too expensive to sustain and too intrusive to allow men and women to live in freedom. I want a Commander-in-Chief who will stand with those who fight to protect our great nation, one who will forever honor the sacrifices of those who have laid themselves down to protect and defend my children and yours. I want a President who will help me pass down to my children and grandchildren the America of unlimited opportunity that my parents passed on to me. The 2011 GOP field of candidates is as strong as it is diverse; but Pawlenty stands out in the field.  He is not only a strong candidate that all Republicans can feel good about supporting, he is a bold, courageous, principled leader that all Americans can be proud to tell their children "That's Tim Pawlenty.  He is our President."

Copyright  2011 Jennifer Horn - All Rights Reserved.

Freedom First PAC - Pawlenty: "Government is too damn big"

REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY TO 

TEA PARTY PATRIOTS AMERICAN POLICY SUMMIT

PHOENIX, ARIZONA, FEBRUARY 26, 2011

 

I’m here today to say “thank you.”  Thank you for standing up to the “ruling class.” Thank you for standing up to the liberal power brokers, guardians of the status quo, and the royal triangle of greed: big government, big unions and big bailed out businesses.

Thank you for being modern day Paul Revere’s – rallying Patriots to the cause of this great nation. The promising work of Governors Walker, Kasich, Christie, and so many others is the direct result of the dedicated Patriots in this room and across the country who had enough, stood up, fought back, and are restoring this country’s foundation. 

Our Founders put it in terms so simple even a politician should be able to understand: They started with a most important principle:  They didn’t say we’re endowed by our member of Congress or we’re endowed by our bureaucrat. 

They said we’re endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights -- and that government derives its powers from the consent of the governed. And what government did our Founders institute and our Fathers ratify?  The one that begins, “We the people…”

The message of the Tea Party, as I see it, is simple.  God made us to be free, and the Founding Fathers made the Constitution to keep us free.  And just about every problem our country faces today comes from a rejection of one of those two principles. And every solution we need today will come from a return to those core principles. The Constitution was not written to limit freedom, it was written to limit government.

It appears President Obama has forgotten what this says. It says in the Constitution: “In order to form a more perfect Union….” Mr. President, that does not mean coddling out of control public employee unions. And Mr. President, Wisconsin does not need a lecture from somebody who’s never balanced a budget in his life. 

Speaking of Wisconsin, will you join me in applauding Governor Walker for standing strong against overreaching unions?

Now, I’m not one who questions the existence of the President’s birth certificate.  But, when you listen to his policies, don’t you at least wonder what planet he’s from? We don’t share President Obama’s worldview. 

We don’t want a bigger government shoving mandates down our throats.  He’s got it completely backwards. They, the bureaucrats, don’t tell us what to do. We, the people, tell the government what to do!

My friends, we need to restore American confidence and American optimism by restoring American common sense. As Washington proves time and time again, not everyone’s born or elected with common sense.

We need leaders who remember where they came from, and what made this nation the greatest country the world has ever known. For me, that real world experience started in my hometown of South St. Paul, Minnesota – a place filled with good-hearted people, strong families and the rock-solid values of the heartland.

When I grew up there, it was home to some of the world's largest stockyards and meat-packing plants. But when those plants shut down, so did a big part of the spirit and soul of my hometown. My mom died when I was 16 and later, my dad, who worked for a trucking company, lost his job for a while.

The foundations of my hometown and my family were shaken hard. At a young age, I saw up close the face of challenge, the face of hardship, the face of job loss -- and I saw in the mirror -- the face of a very uncertain future. I know many Americans are feeling that way today. I know that feeling. I lived it.

But in those moments, we learn some things. We remember what’s important. 

We simply need more common sense, and less Obama non-sense. And let’s start with this: It’s complex -- and I know there may be some liberals watching this -- so I’ll say it slowly so they can follow along: We can’t spend more than we take in.

You can't do it as an individual, a family or a business. And we can’t let our government do it anymore! Just because we followed Greece into democracy, does not mean we should follow them into bankruptcy!

Big government spenders come with excuses. They say, "Oh, Governor, how do you do that? It's too hard. The politics are difficult and the unions are too tough”.

I know something about the spenders -- and I know something about difficult. I'm from the state of United States Senator Al Franken.

But we cut government in Minnesota. If we can do it there, we can do it anywhere. It wasn’t easy. I set a record for vetoes. Had the first government shutdown in Minnesota’s history. Took one of the longest transit strikes in the country’s history to get public employee benefits under control. And, I cut spending in real terms for the first time in the history of my state. 

My friends, it’s time for the federal government to do the same. We should not raise the debt ceiling! We should pass a constitutional amendment to balance the budget! We should appoint judges who will not legislate from the bench. We must repeal Obamacare! And we must throw the ridiculous federal tax code overboard!

And let’s require, under penalty of perjury, every member of Congress to do their own tax returns without the help of a tax preparer, accountant or lawyer. Let them experience firsthand the mind-numbing, burdensome, frightening beast our tax system has become.

Do you remember the guy who ran in the NYC mayor's race who ran his entire campaign on a simple motto:  He said over and over: "The rent is too damn high". So here’s our simple motto: "The Government’s too damn big!"

Americans need jobs, not more government-forced anything. The private sector, not government, is the answer to job creation. We shouldn’t ask Washington D.C. how to create jobs. We should ask the people who actually provide the jobs!

Their answer is clear and simple and it’s this: “Reduce my costs and get government off my back” Ladies and gentlemen, America needs job growth, not government growth!

My friends, none of this is going to be easy.  If prosperity were easy, everybody around the world would be prosperous. If security were easy, everybody around the world would be secure. And if freedom were easy, everybody around the world would be free. They’re not.

It takes extraordinary effort. It takes extraordinary commitment. It takes extraordinary strength to stand up to those who oppose these principles. But we can do it.

Valley Forge wasn't easy. Settling the West wasn't easy. Winning World War II wasn’t easy. And Going to the moon wasn’t easy. This ain't about easy. This is about rolling up our sleeves, plowing forward, and getting the job done.

This is our guide. This is our Constitution. "We, the People of the United States" will rise up again. We will take back our government. This is our country.

Our Founding Fathers created it, Americans embraced it, Ronald Reagan personified it and Lincoln stood courageously to protect it. Now, as ever, "This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom....” Our “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth….” and America will remain the greatest country the world has ever known.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America!