WSJ Letter Published - GOP Truce

Below is my letter to the editor that was published today in the WSJ under the heading GOP Factions Must Call a Truce in Order to Triumph. Subscribers to RTE will recognize that the letter is based on the two posts that detailed the House & Senate votes on the Ryan-Murray budget deal that were posted right before the Christmas message.

 

Dear Editor,

Fred Barnes's Dec. 20 op-ed "The Lucky House Republicans," regarding the passing of the Ryan-Murray budget deal, describes what I hope is happening in the Republican Party, namely that the establishment Republicans and the Tea Party Republicans have called a truce and are concentrated on the common opponent—the Democrats in 2014.

The House and Senate votes clearly produced two GOP teams based on overall voting records—the establishment Republican Team A consists of 164 House members and nine senators for a total of 173 centrist moderate politicians, and the Tea Party Republican Team B consists of 62 House members and 36 senators for a total of 98. Looking the list over, there are very few exceptions to this political description based on their overall voting record.

Now the teams should follow the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Any criticism of a fellow Republican will take away from this focus, produce destructive sound bites, and only help ensure a long time in the wilderness.

We can expect both teams to vote like they did on the budget deal when the debt-ceiling confrontation comes up in February as well as all other budget and appropriation matters. This should be accepted with no further criticism by anyone on either team. These people on both sides have told us with vote after vote what they believe. We just have to get through the next 10 and a half months before a new Congress is elected after the American people (i.e., 21% of the electorate, assuming a 40% turnout) decide which way they want to go.

This gives both teams time to present their respective plans so people have a chance to see the substance with which to judge their futures. Every senator and all but seven congressmen cast votes on this budget issue so only a handful of people will not know where their elected representatives stand.

Christmas & New Year's Message For Ukraine

click on photo to enlarge

 

On Christmas night 1776 George Washington crossed the Delaware with a column of Continentals just prior to their surprise attack on the morning of December 26 against the Hessian mercenaries occupying Trenton.  The Battle of Trenton was brief mostly because the unsuspecting Hessians were surprised that the icy Delaware could actually be crossed (see painting above) – two thirds of the Hessians were captured with very few American losses.  This first major victory of the Revolutionary War increased moral & as a result many soldiers scheduled to be released from active duty on December 31 reenlisted in the Continental Army.

 

Of course America was in the early stages of our history.  We had gone through the bondage to spiritual faith & spiritual faith to great courage stages.  We had moved to the courage, fighting for our liberty stage.

 

Today the people of Ukraine are just about @ the same point in their fight for liberty that America was on Christmas 1776. 

 

Starting with mostly students on November 21 Ukrainian pro-liberty advocates have protested the government's sudden lurch away from joining the EU in favor of returning to the tyranny & repressiveness of Russian influence & corrupt control.  Hundreds of thousands of freedom seeking Ukrainians have descended on Kiev's Independence Square known locally as the Maidan (the Square).  Behind barricades they have set up a self governing city within Kiev.  This is a recurrence of similar demonstrations in 2004, known as the Orange Revolution, that successfully overturned fraudulent election results.  Those demonstrations were led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko who has spent the last two years in jail on trumped up political charges by the current regime.  For many this is a second tour of duty after having participated in the Orange Revolution.  This time there is no single leader of the movement – should sound very familiar to Tea Partiers.  These people are fighting, with no sign of quit, for democracy, individual rights, & the rule of law.  In brief – they are fighting for the freedoms Americans have known for over 200 years & that they want to see in Ukraine for themselves.

 

My interest in Ukraine started about two years ago when Google began providing statistics regarding RTE's readership.  First, I was astonished @ the total readership.  Second, I was equally surprised to see that Ukraine had the second biggest readership after the U.S. – on one recent day more people in Ukraine had read RTE than any other country in the world.  I know that many pro-liberty protesters in Ukraine use Facebook posts & blogs to communicate with each other.  I am just so humbled & honored to think that RTE has played even an infinitesimal part in this revolution for freedom.

 

So it is to Ukraine, & specifically the libertarian people behind the barricades in the Maidan, that I dedicate this Christmas & New Year's message – namely, it is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes.

 

 

Senate Budget Vote Completes Formation Of Republican Teams

Following Tuesday's Senate cloture vote that passed 67 to 33 the Senate passed the Ryan-Murray two year budget deal that passed the House last week.  The Senate vote was 64 to 36.  BO's signature makes it law.

 

So now the Republican Teams are set.  The establishment Republican Team A for Aye (or Yea) consists of 164 House members & 9 senators for a total of 173 centrist moderate politicians.  Looking the list over there are very few exceptions to this description based on their overall voting record.

 

The Tea Party Republican Team N for Nay (or Noe) consists of 62 House members & 36 senators for a total of 98.  Looking over this Senate list makes me suspicious of Lamar Alexander, Kelly Ayotte, Bob Corker, Lindsey Graham, & of course Mitch McConnell.  Feel free to let me know of any other suspicious senators you feel should be added.

 

Notable disappointments who voted for the resolution include from the House – Gus Bilirakis, Marsha Blackburn,  Dave Camp, Jeb Hensarling, Darrell Issa, Tom Price (GA), Joe Wilson (SC), & Rob Woodall; & from the Senate – Saxby Chambliss, Orrin Hatch,  Ron Johnson,  Rob Portman, & Johnny Isakson.  I was disappointed with Democrat Joe Manchin's Yea vote also.  I didn't include several on this list who have disappointed so many times that they can't be taken seriously – i.e., they are permanent disappointments.

 

The complete Senate vote is below & the complete House vote was presented in the last post.

 

We know we can count on the Democrats to vote for every big spending program imaginable as they mindlessly & irresponsibly follow the Death of Democracy path hoping to escape with their own standard of living intact.  The Team A establishment Republicans will vote to effectively slow this destruction but following them we will end up in the same ruinous place as if we voted for Democrats - just a little later.  The Tea Party Republicans will vote for financial responsibility that will result in economic growth, wealth creation, & restoring the middle class to prosperity – but this will take hard work as it always has & is unappealing to many who are use to the welfare lifestyle. 

 

We can expect all of these groups to vote as described above on the debt ceiling confrontation that comes up in February as well as all other budget & appropriation matters.  This should be accepted with no further criticism by anyone on either Team – it does not help & these people have told us with vote after vote what they believe.  We just have to get through the next ten & one half months before a new Congress is elected after the American people (i.e., 21% of the electorate) decide which way they want to go.

 

This gives both Teams time to focus on presenting their respective plans so people have a chance to see the substance with which to judge their futures.  Every senator & all but seven congressmen cast votes on this budget issue so I don't know one person in this readership who does not know where their elected representatives stand regarding which Team they are on regardless of how financially responsible they tell you they are.  Don't believe them – check the vote & any perceived defections from Team A to N carefully.

 

By agreeing to the truce proposed in the last post @ least Teams A & N will not do more harm than good between now & the fall of 2014 & both sides will have a fair chance to prevail without self-destructive sound bites.  Just from the numbers we can tell that Team A is ahead which means America is currently losing.

 

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 1st Session as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate Vote Summary Question: On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.J.Res. 59 ) Vote Number: 281 Vote Date: December 18, 2013, 04:28 PM Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Motion Agreed to Vote Counts: YEAs 64 NAYs 36   Grouped By Vote Position YEAs ---64 Baldwin (D-WI) Baucus (D-MT) Begich (D-AK) Bennet (D-CO) Blumenthal (D-CT) Booker (D-NJ) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Chambliss (R-GA) Collins (R-ME) Coons (D-DE) Donnelly (D-IN) Durbin (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA) Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Hagan (D-NC) Harkin (D-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Heinrich (D-NM) Heitkamp (D-ND) Hirono (D-HI) Hoeven (R-ND) Isakson (R-GA) Johnson (D-SD) Johnson (R-WI) Kaine (D-VA) King (I-ME) Klobuchar (D-MN) Landrieu (D-LA) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Manchin (D-WV) Markey (D-MA) McCain (R-AZ) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Merkley (D-OR) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Murphy (D-CT) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Portman (R-OH) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schatz (D-HI) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-CO) Udall (D-NM) Warner (D-VA) Warren (D-MA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR) NAYs ---36 Alexander (R-TN) Ayotte (R-NH) Barrasso (R-WY) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Burr (R-NC) Coats (R-IN) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) Cruz (R-TX) Enzi (R-WY) Fischer (R-NE) Flake (R-AZ) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Heller (R-NV) Inhofe (R-OK) Johanns (R-NE) Kirk (R-IL) Lee (R-UT) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS) Paul (R-KY) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rubio (R-FL) Scott (R-SC) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Toomey (R-PA) Vitter (R-LA) Wicker (R-MS)