Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2010 list of Washington's “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list, in alphabetical order, includes: Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Rahm Emanuel, Former Obama White House Chief of Staff, Senator John Ensign (R-NV), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), President Barack Obama, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. But it appears she still needs an ethics lesson. Boxer presided over a year-long investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee into whether two of her Senate colleagues, Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), received preferential treatment from Countrywide Financial as part of the company’s “VIP” program. (Senate ethics rules prohibit members from receiving loan terms not available to the general public.) In fact, according to The Associated Press, during an Ethics Committee hearing Boxer asked “the bulk of the questions.”
However, Boxer failed to mention (or disclose on her official Senate Financial Disclosure documents) that she and her husband have signed no less than seven mortgages with Countrywide! At the time of the hearing, Boxer reportedly indicated she had paid off two Countrywide mortgages, but did not mention the others.
The evidence clearly showed that Dodd and Conrad knew they were receiving preferential treatment despite repeated denials. Yet Boxer’s Senate Ethics Committee allowed Dodd and Conrad to wriggle off the hook with a light admonition that suggested the two Senators should have exercised better judgment. The same, apparently, can be said of the Committee’s own chair, who either neglected to mention or outright lied about her own dealings with the corrupt mortgage company.
Rahm Emanuel, Former Obama White House Chief of Staff didn’t earn the nickname “Rahmbo” for being a mild-mannered shrinking violet. He served as Bill Clinton’s chief money-man at a time when the Clinton campaign was corrupted by foreign money. He defended the “worst of the worst” Clinton scandals, and, in fact, earned his reputation as a ruthless political combatant by fiercely defending President Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky investigation. (Notably, Emanuel also served on the board of Freddie Mac when the company was involved in fraudulent activity.)
The bottom line is that when the Clintons’ dirty work needed to be done, Emanuel did it and apparently without question. That didn’t change under Obama. Remember when the Obama White House wanted to manipulate Democratic primaries in 2010?
Emanuel teamed with his then-Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina to allegedly interfere with Senate elections in Pennsylvania and Colorado by offering federal appointments to Rep. Joe Sestak and Andrew Romanoff. Sestak and Romanoff were not Obama’s favored candidates, so Emanuel and Messina apparently attempted to unlawfully persuade them to abandon their campaigns.
A Judicial Watch complaint to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel on June 15, 2010, tells the story: “As widely reported in the media, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, on behalf of the Obama Administration, have both used their position and influence as highly placed federal employees to affect the outcome of federal elections in direct violation of the Hatch Act, which states that an employee may not ‘use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.’”
And then, of course, there’s Emanuel’s participation in the Blagojevich scandal.
According to sworn testimony during the “Blago” trial, Emanuel served as Obama’s chief negotiator with the Blagojevich team as the former Illinois Governor attempted to illegally sell Obama’s former Senate seat to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, the federal prosecutor cut short the case against Blagojevich and Emanuel and other Obama insiders were never called to testify.
Emanuel left the White House under an ethical cloud and has decided to throw his hat in the ring for Mayor of Chicago, where he again stands accused of ignoring the rules and violating the law regarding candidate residency requirements.
Senator John Ensign (R-NV): In a scandal that first broke in 2009, Senator Ensign publicly admitted to an affair with the wife of a long-time staffer. And the evidence indicates Ensign then tried to cover up his sexual shenanigans by bribing the couple with lucrative gifts and political favors.
According to The New York Times, after Ensign’s aide, Douglas Hampton, discovered the affair, “Mr. Ensign asked political backers to find a job for…Hampton. Payments of $96,000 to the Hamptons also were made by Senator Ensign’s parents, who insist this was a gift, not hush money. Once a lobbying job was secured, Senator Ensign and his chief of staff continued to help Mr. Hampton, advocating his clients’ cases directly with federal agencies.”
These lobbying activities were seemingly in violation of the Senate’s “cooling off” period for lobbyists. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Under Senate rules, former Senate aides cannot lobby their former colleagues for one year after leaving Capitol Hill.” Hampton began to lobby Mr. Ensign’s office immediately upon leaving his congressional job.
Ensign seems to have ignored the law and allowed Hampton lobbying access to his office as a payment for his silence about the affair. And despite the claims of Ensign and his parents, the $96,000 in “gifts” provided to the Hamptons were clearly hush payments.
Nonetheless, on December 1, 2010, the Obama Justice Department announced it will file no criminal charges against Ensign, while the Federal Election Commission has also dismissed a related ethics complaint. If there is to be justice for Ensign, it will have to be up to the corrupt (see Boxer entry above) Senate Ethics Committee, which is still considering the charges against the Nevada Republican.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA): In a story that continued to mushroom throughout 2010, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) improperly intervened for Maxine Waters (D-CA) on behalf of his home-state OneUnited Bank to obtain Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds. When asked about the scandal, the Massachusetts Democrat admitted he spoke to a “federal regulator” but, according to The Wall Street Journal he didn’t remember which federal regulator he spoke with.” According to explosive Treasury Department emails uncovered by Judicial Watch in 2010, however, it appears this nameless bureaucrat was none other than then-Treasury Secretary Henry “Hank” Paulson!
While Frank’s “partner in crime” in the OneUnited scandal, Congressman Maxine Waters, is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee (see below), Frank’s colleagues in the House have inexcusably ignored the Massachusetts Democrat’s connection to the OneUnited grant.
To this day, Barney Frank continues to defend his role in the meltdown of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying he was just as blindsided as the rest of America when the two government sponsored enterprises collapsed, triggering the financial crisis. Frank has been peddling this fiction ever since the economy collapsed in September 2008. But, as The Boston Globe reported in a devastating article published on October 14, 2010, not many people are buying Frank’s lies anymore. And Frank knows it.
Here’s an excerpt from the Globe:
The issue…in 2003 was whether mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were fiscally strong. Frank declared with his trademark confidence that they were, accusing critics and regulators of exaggerating threats to Fannie’s and Freddie’s financial integrity. And, the Massachusetts Democrat maintained, ‘even if there were problems, the federal government doesn’t bail them out.’ Now, it’s clear he was wrong on both points…Frank wasn’t wrong. He was just lying through his teeth. Frank claims that he “missed” the warning signs with Fannie and Freddie because he was wearing “ideological blinders,” which was just his lame attempt to blame Republicans. But he did not miss them. According to evidence uncovered by Judicial Watch, he just chose to ignore them.
Judicial Watch obtained documents in 2010 proving that members of Congress, including — and perhaps especially — Barney Frank, were well aware that Fannie and Freddie were in deep trouble due to corruption and incompetence and yet they did nothing to stop it.
Moreover, as the Globe notes, in July 2008, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says he called Frank and told him the government would need to spend “billions of taxpayer dollars to backstop the institutions from catastrophic failure.” Frank, despite that conversation, appeared on national television two days later and said the companies were “fundamentally sound, not in danger of going under.” Less than two months later, the government seized Fannie and Freddie and the bailout began.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL): This year’s trial of scandal-ridden former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich ended with “Blago” being convicted of only 1 of 24 charges related to the scheme to sell Obama’s vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder. But as the government plans its second attempt to prosecute the case, one person who should be on the hot-seat is Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL).
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. directed a major political fund-raiser to offer former Gov. Rod Blagojevich millions of dollars in campaign cash in return for an appointment to the U.S. Senate.”
How much cash?
The Chicago Sun Times put that figure at $1.5 million in its initial reports. But according to Jackson’s fundraiser, Raghuveer Nayak, the Illinois Congressman asked him to offer not $1.5 million, but a whopping $6 million in campaign cash to Blagojevich to secure the Senate seat!
In addition to his corrupt deal-making, in 2010 Jackson was also nailed for conducting an improper and potentially criminal relationship with a female “social acquaintance.”
Nayak told investigators that Jackson asked him to “pay to fly a Washington, DC, restaurant hostess named Giovana Huidobro…to Chicago to visit him.” Nayak reportedly did so twice.
We all know what “social acquaintance” means under these circumstances. Jackson says this is a “private and personal matter between me and my wife.” But not if it involves public funds or illegal gifts — issues which remain unsettled.
President Barack Obama: Remember the promise President Obama made just after his inauguration in 2009? “Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.”
Instead, Americans have suffered through lies, stonewalling, cover-ups, corruption, secrecy, scandal and blatant disregard for the rule of law…this has been the Obama legacy in its first two years.
In 2010, Obama was caught in a lie over what he knew about Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s scheme to sell the president’s vacated Senate seat. Blagojevich’s former Chief of Staff John Harris testified that Obama had personal knowledge of Blago’s plot to obtain a presidential cabinet position in exchange for appointing a candidate handpicked by the President. In fact, according to Harris’s court testimony, Obama sent Blagojevich a list of “acceptable” Senate candidates to fill his old seat. Obama was interviewed by the FBI even before he was sworn into office. He claimed he and his staff had no contact with Blagojevich’s office. Unfortunately federal prosecutors never called the President or his staff to testify under oath.
The President also broke his famous pledge to televise healthcare negotiations. And in 2010, we learned why he broke his pledge. In what is now known as the “Cornhusker Kickback” scheme, Obama and the Democrats in the Senate “purchased” the vote of one of the last Democrat hold-outs, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, who opposed Obamacare over the issue of covering abortions with taxpayer funds. Nelson abandoned his opposition to Obamacare after receiving millions of dollars in federal aid for his home-state, helping to give the Democrats the 60 votes they needed to overcome a Republican filibuster. Same goes for Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, who received a $100 million payoff in what has been called “The Louisiana Purchase.” (The Kickback was so corrupt that Democrats stripped it out at the last minute. The Louisiana Purchase, on the other hand, became law of the land.)
Obama lied about his White House’s involvement in this legislative bribery that helped lead to the passage of the signature policy achievement of his presidency.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “Air Pelosi” is now grounded.
Judicial Watch uncovered documents back in 2009 detailing attempts by Pentagon staff to accommodate Pelosi’s numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft for herself and her family as well as the speaker’s 11th hour cancellations and changes. In 2010, Judicial Watch kept the pressure on Pelosi, uncovering documents that demonstrated the Speaker was using U.S. Air Force aircraft as her own personal party planes. Overall, the Speaker’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol.
For example, purchases for one Pelosi-led congressional delegation traveling from Washington, DC to Tel Aviv, Israel and Baghdad, Iraq May 15-20, 2008, included: Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Maker’s Mark whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewar’s scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine.
Moreover, Pelosi also abused the rules by allowing members of her family to join her on taxpayer-funded Air Force flights. For example, on June 20, 2009, Speaker Pelosi’s daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons joined a flight from Andrews Air Force Base to San Francisco International Airport. That flight included $143 for on-flight expenses for food and other items. On July 2, 2010, Pelosi took her grandson on a flight from Andrews Air Force Base to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, which is northeast of San Francisco.
Judicial Watch’s efforts not only exposed Nancy Pelosi’s corrupt abuse of military aircraft, but they also led to reform when Rep. John Boehner announced after Election Day that, as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he will fly commercial to and from Ohio instead of using military aircraft.
Of course, it was Rep. Nancy Pelosi who famously promised to “drain the swamp” in Washington, DC during the campaign of 2006 when the Democrats seized control of power on Capitol Hill. That did not happen. Aside from her own personal transgressions, Pelosi also turned a blind eye to corruption on the part of her Congressional colleagues (see Charlie Rangel entry below).
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY): On December 2, 2010, the House of Representatives voted 333-79 to “censure” Rep. Charles Rangel. Next to expulsion, this is the most serious sanction that can be taken by the House against an individual member. This censure vote followed an investigation by the Committee for Official Standards of Conduct, which finally convicted Rangel on 13 ethics violations, including:
It is worth noting that the Committee did not consider other serious corruption charges against Rangel. For example, it has been alleged that Rangel preserved a tax loophole for an oil company in exchange for a Rangel Center donation. The Committee also did not consider the charge that Rangel used improper influence to maintain ownership of his highly coveted rent-controlled apartment — the same apartment he improperly used for campaign activities.
- Forgetting to pay taxes on $75,000 in rental income he earned from his off-shore rental property. (Rangel was formerly in charge of the committee responsible for writing tax policy.)
- Misusing his congressional office, staff and resources to raise money for his private Rangel Center for Public Service, to be housed at the City College of New York. (He also put the squeeze on donors who had business before his House Ways and Means Committee, and used the congressional “free mail” privilege to solicit funds.)
- Misusing his residentially-zoned Harlem apartment as a campaign headquarters.
- Failing to report $600,000 in income on his official congressional financial disclosure reports, which contained “numerous errors and omissions.”
As this is Washington, politicians of both parties will pretend that censure is a serious punishment. But it is a “punishment” that simply requires Rangel to come to the well of the House and hear a disapproving statement read by lame-duck House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In the real world, you get fired or thrown in jail for abusing your office and not paying your taxes.
Here is further context: The last time the House censured anyone was in 1983, when two congressmen (a Republican and Democrat) were censured for having sexual relationships with teenaged House pages. It seems that unless one is convicted of a crime, one can do anything as a congressman and not be thrown out of the House! The fact that the House has so rarely resorted to censure is more indicative of the lack of seriousness about ethics in Congress than of the so-called severity of the censure punishment.
Rangel should have been expelled from the House of Representatives.
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY): On Election Day 2010, voters sent Congress a clear message: No more big spending or corrupt back-room deals! And what did House Republicans decide to do as one of their first moves for the new Tea Party Congress? Appoint Rep. Hal Rogers, also known as the “Prince of Pork,” to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
According to ABC News: “In two years, Rogers pushed through 135 earmarks worth $246 million. He’s brought tens of millions of dollars into his hometown of Somerset, Ky., so much so that the town has been dubbed ‘Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood.’” Among the most egregious earmarks was a $17 million grant Rogers obtained for an “Airport to Nowhere,” a Kentucky airport with “so little traffic that the last commercial airline pulled out in February (2010).”
But the most serious charge against Rogers involves an earmark he obtained that could benefit one of his own family members.
Rogers secured $5 million in the House for conservation groups that work with wild cats, including the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a Namibia-based organization that employs Rogers’ daughter Allison. In fact, Allison Rogers serves as grants administrator. After she joined the organization in 2007, Congressman Rogers began his push for funding. In 2009, with help from Rogers, the bill passed the House by a 2-1 margin. (It has yet to be voted on in the Senate.)
Congressman Rogers claims he’ll change his stripes now: “No more earmarks. I’ll be the enforcer of the moratorium.” But Rogers’ 27 year history of wasting taxpayer funds on questionable projects is certainly cause for skepticism.
On November 9, 2010, Judicial Watch sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner asking him to reject a bid by Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who made our 2009 “Top Ten” list, to once again serve as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, given Lewis’s penchant for influence peddling. Rep. Rogers, however, is no upgrade.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA): Now that Charlie Rangel has been “punished” for his wrongdoing is California Rep. Maxine Waters next up on the hot-seat?
The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (known informally as the House Ethics Committee) plans to hold hearings, although the committee delayed the trial indefinitely on November 29, 2010, citing newly discovered documentary evidence that may impact proceedings. According to The Associated Press, “The charges focus on whether Waters broke the rules in requesting federal help for a bank where her husband owned stock and had served on the board of directors.”
Judicial Watch has investigated the Waters/OneUnited Bank scandal for months. In fact, JW successfully sued the Obama Treasury Department to get documents and obtained explosive emails from the Treasury that provide documented evidence to support the charges against Waters.
For instance, a January 13, 2009, email from Brookly McLaughlin, Treasury’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, expresses surprise at Waters’ apparent conflict of interest:
Further to email below, WSJ [Wall Street Journal] tells me: …Apparently this bank is the only one that has gotten money through section 103-6 of the EESA law. And Maxine Waters’ husband is on the board of the bank. ??????Judicial Watch also uncovered documents detailing the deplorable financial condition of the bank at the time of the cash infusion, which showed that the bank would have been an unlikely candidate to receive TARP funding without intervention from Waters and Frank.
Aside from OneUnited, there was yet another scandal with Waters’ fingerprints all over it.
According to The Washington Times: “A lobbyist known as one of California’s most successful power brokers while serving as a legislative leader in that state paid Rep. Maxine Waters’ husband $15,000 in consulting fees at a time she was co-sponsoring legislation that would help save the real-estate finance business of one of the lobbyist’s best-paying clients, records show.” That “real-estate finance business” was labeled a “scam” by the IRS in a 2006 report.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians for 2010
From Judicial Watch --
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Will Cleveland OH become the next Sanctuary City?
While we are concentrating on closing the back door for illegal immigration by defeating the DREAM Act in D.C. -- a stealth war of amnesty for illegal immigrants is being waged right under our noses and in our own backyards!
There has been a quite but growing storm of support for a more "friendly" atmosphere towards illegal immigrants in the N/E Ohio area. Most of the major cities in OH have passed resolutions supporting immigration reform (Amnesty) and we already have several Sanctuary Cities in OH.
With the below information -- one has to wonder if Cleveland is not looking to be the next one....
Mayor Jackson's support of Bloomberg's "Partnership for a New American Economy" (click here for a list of supporters) is in line with the overall push from community leaders here in the N/E Ohio region to become a Garden of Eden for illegal immigrants as noted in this PD article from April 2010 --
Putting this open-armed immigration plan in action for this area is a local businessman, Eddie Zai, who has formed the Cleveland International Fund. This fund (a nice compliment to the proposed Immigration Welcome Center), will be used to attract business investors from abroad in exchange for a fast track on becoming a U.S. citizen. Zai has teamed up with Scott Wolstein of the Wolstein Group and Fairmont Properties for the planned redevelopment on the east bank of the Flats....
Also lending support in the back door push of amnesty for illegal immigrants at the municipal level is the National League of Cities (NLC). The NLC has passed a resolution ( PDF File) supporting immigration reform (Amnesty) and are asking member cities to do the same. The NLC water boy for this area is Bedford Mayor Dan Pocek.
While, important as it is, we are bird-dogging the DREAM Act in D.C., many local communities are quietly working to come out in support of the NLC resolution and are very supportive of the above type initiatives. This is something we can and MUST combat on the local level in each of our communities.
You can help fight the attempts of stealth amnesty at the municipal level by putting this issue in front of your local elected officials and request that they pass a resolution supporting the State of Arizona's fight against illegal immigration. With having a new County Council and County Executive, it would also not be surprising if we soon see a pro-amnesty/illegal immigration push at the county level. Soon after the new Cuyahoga County Council is sworn in, we will challenge them to support the AZ Resolution too.
If your City Council / Township Trustees, as a whole, refuse to support the AZ Resolution please ask the individual members if they would be willing to issue a statement of support. For a template Resolution supporting AZ, please click here.
If you have any questions or need assistance in presenting the AZ Resolution to your city, please email us at clevelandteaparty@gmail.com and we will help in every way possible.
There has been a quite but growing storm of support for a more "friendly" atmosphere towards illegal immigrants in the N/E Ohio area. Most of the major cities in OH have passed resolutions supporting immigration reform (Amnesty) and we already have several Sanctuary Cities in OH.
With the below information -- one has to wonder if Cleveland is not looking to be the next one....
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has added his name to a select group of big-city mayors and corporate CEOs calling for comprehensive immigration reform.In the northeast Ohio region we often hear of how many younger, college-educated people are leaving the area due to the lack of jobs in emerging markets -- often this is labeled "brain drain." So instead of working on ways to keep many of the younger people from leaving this area -- Mayor Jackson would rather make a more friendly living and working environment for illegal immigrants.
He is the first Midwest mayor to endorse the Partnership for a New American Economy, a crusade launched in June by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch.
Describing immigrants as economic catalysts, the coalition of mayors and business leaders calls for reforms that would offer earned citizenship to illegal immigrants and extend a wider welcome to job-creating, high-skill immigrants.
In August, Jackson joined the steering committee for an international welcome center, which supporters hope will attract more foreign talent and investment to Greater Cleveland. Now, he said, he fully endorses Mayor Bloomberg's coalition. Jackson said he signed on last week after apprising himself of the coalition's goals and strategies.
"Its really basic common sense," he said. "It promotes reform in a way that will be helpful to workers and to business. I'm just signing on to a common-sense approach."
Immigration reform at the national level, coupled with a local welcome center, could help power Cleveland's rebirth, Jackson said.
"We can really position Cleveland as a destination place for immigrants, not only for families, but for international business and international students," he said.
Mayor Jackson's support of Bloomberg's "Partnership for a New American Economy" (click here for a list of supporters) is in line with the overall push from community leaders here in the N/E Ohio region to become a Garden of Eden for illegal immigrants as noted in this PD article from April 2010 --
The image of an international welcome center in Northeast Ohio began to take shape last week, along with the obstacles that a pro-immigrant strategy must overcome.For video on the Immigration Welcome Center please click here.
Representatives of groups that work with immigrants and groups that promote economic development shared ideas and concerns Thursday at the downtown headquarters of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. They pushed forward, painstakingly, toward a controversial proposal of welcoming immigrants and helping them to settle here.
Supporters of the welcome center concept argue the region needs an infusion of people and talent and that the most likely source is from abroad. They envision a center that would greet and guide international investors, international students and immigrant families.
"Our goal is to make Northeast Ohio the most welcome place for any migrant that wants to come," said Edward "Ned" Hill, dean of the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.
Putting this open-armed immigration plan in action for this area is a local businessman, Eddie Zai, who has formed the Cleveland International Fund. This fund (a nice compliment to the proposed Immigration Welcome Center), will be used to attract business investors from abroad in exchange for a fast track on becoming a U.S. citizen. Zai has teamed up with Scott Wolstein of the Wolstein Group and Fairmont Properties for the planned redevelopment on the east bank of the Flats....
Wealthy foreign investors have committed $20 million to the Flats East Bank project, motivated by the promise of profits and permanent residency in America. Forty investors from China, Brazil, Argentina, India and Britain have committed $500,000 each to the east bank.Of course a new way of 'feeding at the federal trough' would raise Wolstien's antenna -- because after facilitating this poker table buy in for citizenship with Zai, Wolstein expects to secure some PUBLIC FINANCING for help in funding his east bank redevelopment project.
That qualifies them and their families for conditional green cards. They can become permanent residents two years after receiving the conditional visas -- if the $500,000 investments create at least 10 jobs each. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offers the visa program to drive foreign investment into distressed American communities, although it has attracted some criticism for giving wealthy foreigners an easier path into the United States.
"I had never heard of this approach, and the people in my circle, who are pretty sophisticated about real estate investment, had never heard of it," Wolstein said. "It raised my antenna."
Also lending support in the back door push of amnesty for illegal immigrants at the municipal level is the National League of Cities (NLC). The NLC has passed a resolution ( PDF File) supporting immigration reform (Amnesty) and are asking member cities to do the same. The NLC water boy for this area is Bedford Mayor Dan Pocek.
While, important as it is, we are bird-dogging the DREAM Act in D.C., many local communities are quietly working to come out in support of the NLC resolution and are very supportive of the above type initiatives. This is something we can and MUST combat on the local level in each of our communities.
You can help fight the attempts of stealth amnesty at the municipal level by putting this issue in front of your local elected officials and request that they pass a resolution supporting the State of Arizona's fight against illegal immigration. With having a new County Council and County Executive, it would also not be surprising if we soon see a pro-amnesty/illegal immigration push at the county level. Soon after the new Cuyahoga County Council is sworn in, we will challenge them to support the AZ Resolution too.
If your City Council / Township Trustees, as a whole, refuse to support the AZ Resolution please ask the individual members if they would be willing to issue a statement of support. For a template Resolution supporting AZ, please click here.
If you have any questions or need assistance in presenting the AZ Resolution to your city, please email us at clevelandteaparty@gmail.com and we will help in every way possible.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Action Alert: 12/16/10 Legislative Update
The clock is ticking and Democrats are fast-tracking every piece of legislation on their liberal “wish list.” We are concentrating our efforts right now on three important bills: the Omnibus Spending Bill, the Obama Tax Compromise and the Dream Act. Below you will find information on each bill as well as specific actions to take.
FY 2011 Omnibus Appropriations Act
Information:
On Tuesday the Senate Democrats released a $1.1 trillion Omnibus Bill that would fund the government through the 2011 fiscal year. This 1,924-page spending monstrosity includes 6,714 earmarks that total approximately $8.3 billion.
It is apparent that the current Senate leadership and some Senate Republicans may be hearing impaired, since they are completely ignoring the results of the November 2nd election by creating a pork-fest with the Omnibus spending bill.
According to Fox News, "Senator John McCain tweeted the top 10 earmarks in the spending bill, including $247,000 for virus-free wine grapes in Washington State, $413,000 for peanut research in Alabama, $235,000 for noxious weed management in Nevada and $400,000 for solar parking canopies and plug-in electric stations in Kansas. McCain expressed disbelief about the projects. "Are we tone deaf? Are we stricken with amnesia?" he said, adding that voters made it clear in last month's midterm elections that they're tired of business as usual in Washington."
If these things are not enough to tell how bad the bill is, realize this: the FDA power-grab bill (S. 510) is inserted into the Omnibus Bill. That bill didn't pass before and needs to stand on its own. Those GOPers that voted against the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act cannot in good faith vote for the spending bill.
While the Republican leadership is strongly opposing this bill, some Republicans like Sen. George Voinovich are leaning toward supporting it. Here is the list of Republicans leaning toward supporting the Omnibus Bill as reported by several news outlets:
Senator George Voinovich (OH)
Senator Richard C. Shelby (AL)
Senator Robert F. Bennett (UT)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Senator Thad Cochran (MS)
Senator Susan Collins (ME)
Senator Olympia Snowe (ME)
Senator Kit Bond (MO)
(These Republicans need to be reminded that the Omnibus includes $1.25 billion to start implementing ObamaCare. Again if they voted against ObamaCare, they cannot in good faith vote for this bill.)
Actions to take:
1. Call Senator Voinovich and urge him to oppose this bill: DC Office Phone: (202) 224-3353 / Cleveland Office Phone: (216) 522-7095.
2. Please call Senator Mitch McConnell and thank him for opposing this bill and encourage him to continue: DC Office Phone: (202) 224-2541
3. Senators Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint are expected to make the Clerk of the Senate read the 1,924-page bill before a vote is taken. Please call and encourage them to do so.
Sen. Tom Coburn
DC Office Phone: 202-224-5754
Sen. Jim DeMint
DC Office Phone: 202-224-6121
Resources:
Senator Coburn has created a database of all earmarks in the bill:
The Hill article:
The Washington Post article:
Text for FY 2011 Omnibus Appropriations Act:
H.R. 4853 – Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010
(Obama Tax Compromise)
Information:
On Wednesday, the “tax deal” bill passed with overwhelming support (81-19) in the Senate. Surprisingly, Senator Voinovich voted against the bill. To view the complete roll call, visit: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00276.
“The House could start debate on the bill as early as Wednesday [December 15th], although House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said a vote in the House would not happen until Thursday at the earliest,” according to a CNBC article. This does not leave us much time to take action.
Actions to take:
1. If you have not done so already, please sign the “No Tax Compromise” petition by visiting http://notaxcompromise.com/.
2. We also urge you to call the following targeted Congress members in Ohio and ask them to vote NO on this compromise.
Rep. Steve Driehaus, OH-1
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-2216 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-3012
Note: We were unable to reach his office, so we are unsure of his stance.
Rep. Jean Schmidt, OH-2
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-3164 / Toll-free Number: (800) 784-6366 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-1992
Note: We were unable to reach her office, so we are unsure of her stance.
Rep. Mike Turner, OH-3
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-6465 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-6754
E-mail: http://turner.house.gov/Contact/
Note: Aide is unsure of Representative Turner’s stance.
Rep. Jim Jordan, OH-4
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-2676 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 226-0577
E-mail: http://jordan.house.gov/Contact/
Note: Aide said Representative Jordan is undecided. He has issues with some of the amendments.
Rep. Bob Latta, OH-5
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-6405 / Toll-free Number: 1-800-541-6446 (OHIO)
D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-1985 / Toll-free Fax Number: 1-800-278-8203
Note: Aide noted that Representative Latta is still undecided.
Rep. Charlie Wilson, OH-6
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-5705 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-5907
Note: Office is not sure how Representative Wilson is voting on the bill.
Rep. John Boehner, OH-8
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-6205 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-0704
Note: We need to tell Representative Boehner how we feel about his tax compromise with President Obama.
Rep. Marcia Fudge, OH-11
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-7032 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-1339
Note: According to her aide, Representative Fudge is voting NO; however, it is because of the “tax cuts” for the rich. While her reasoning is wrong, we need to encourage Representative Fudge to remain a NO vote.
Rep. Patrick Tiberi, OH-12
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-5355 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 226-4523
Note: Aide does not know how Representative Tiberi is voting.
Rep. Steven LaTourette, OH-14
D.C. Office Phone: (202) 225-5731 / D.C. Office Fax: (202) 225-3307
Notes: According to his aide, Representative LaTourette is undecided. His vote depends on the additional amendments that will be added to the bill.
The DREAM Act
Information:
Tea Party Patriots (TPP) has been working with different groups to help defeat this spending nightmare. Chad MacDonald of Immigration Action Report has been providing TPP with daily, and sometimes hourly, updates on the DREAM Act. It seems the Senate will vote on the House version of the DREAM Act either this weekend or early next week.
Here are some “vote tally” updates from Chad:
GOP confirmations
§ Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) will vote NO on the DREAM Act. He is with us on this one.
§ Senator Scott Brown (MA) is a NO vote. He says the DREAM Act is a backdoor amnesty.
§ Senator Mark Kirk (IL) is a NO vote.
§ Senator Dick Lugar (IN) will most likely vote YES. He will cross the GOP, because he is a sponsor of the DREAM Act bill.
Democrats leaning NO
§ Senator Ben Nelson (NE) will vote NO on the DREAM Act and anything that does not improve the economy, create jobs, or reduce debt.
§ Senator Mark Pryor (AR) is a NO on the DREAM Act as well. He is with us.
§ Senator Max Baucus (MT) is leaning NO. He needs to hear from people in Montana only. He's not listening to those out-of-state from either side.
§ We are hoping Senator Joe Manchin (WV) will vote NO. He is just getting settled; this will be a major vote for him.
Here is the deal. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs to get to 60, which he does not have. We need all 42 GOP to stick together and hold a handful of Democrats to beat this thing. All fire power needs to be focused on the swing-vote Republicans!
Target Republicans are Collins, Murkowski, Voinovich, Snowe and LeMieux.
Actions to take:
1. Please make calls to the targeted Senators, even if you don't live in their state.
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-2523 / Local Office Phone: (207) 945-0417 (Bangor)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susancollins
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SenatorCollins
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-6665
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SenLisaMurkowski
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lisamurkowski
Senator George Voinovich (R-OH)
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-3353 / Local Office Phone: (216) 522-7095 (Cleveland)
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-5344 / Local Office Phone: (800) 432-1599 (toll-free in Maine)
Senator George LeMieux (R-FL)
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-3041 / Local Office Phone: (866) 630-7106 (toll-free in Florida)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/George_LeMieux
Some actions to turn up the heat
We are afraid that phone calls will not be enough. We know that it is a busy time of the season; however, the liberals are driving this country further into debt with their reckless legislation. If you are able to take any of the following actions, we would greatly appreciate it.
1. Visit your congressman's local district office. Tell them in person that you do not want these bills to pass. Leave a note – hand write it on the back of your Christmas shopping list if you have to – to tell them you are serious about not passing these bills.
2. Visit your senators' local district offices. Again, tell the staff at each office that you do not want these bills to pass. Leave a note at each of these offices.
3. Go online to your local newspaper's website. Find the articles about these bills and leave your comments about why your congressman and senators (use their names) should not vote for these bills. As unbelievable as it may seem, their staff gives this as much, if not more, credence than your personal phone calls and office visits. (Go figure!!)
Will the GOP Freshmen Take the Lead?
The below Op/Ed piece from TPP Co-Founders, Jenny Beth Martin & Mark Meckler ran in Politico --
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
A Victory against Obama Care in Virginia
The State of Virginia scored a huge victory yesterday against the federal mandate forcing people to purchase health care insurance under the new Obama Care bill. Below is a statement from Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli giving a brief overview of the case and what comes next...
From Ken Cuccinelli --
To read the official ruling of the health care lawsuit click here.
From Ken Cuccinelli --
As I told you earlier today, Virginia won the first round of the constitutional fight over the federal health care law. I also told you I'd get back to you with more details later in the day, and I'm keeping my promise. |
To read the official ruling of the health care lawsuit click here.
Tea Party Patriot Petition Slams Tax Compromise
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2010
Contact: Ralph King
clevelandteaparty@gmail.com
Cleveland - Today, the Tea Party Patriots launched a petition (http://notaxcompromise.com/) to supporters across the country denouncing the tax cut compromise forged in secret by the Obama Administration and Republican Leadership in Congress. The plan was negotiated without the consultation of newly-elected Members of Congress or the American people and violates several components of the Republican's "Pledge to America."
"Our members are outraged as our representatives continue to ignore the message we sent on Election Day," said Ralph King of Cleveland Tea Party Patriots. "We are watching how they vote, and they will be held accountable."
"This 'backroom deal' ignores those who voted for principled leadership on Election Day," said Mark Meckler, National Coordinator of Tea Party Patriots. "Americans demand transparency in the legislative process and policies that reflect fiscal responsibility-not secret negotiations and weak compromise."
"Republicans in Congress only have the leverage to negotiate for tax deals because of the support Americans gave them and principled candidates across the country," said Jenny Beth Martin, National Coordinator of Tea Party Patriots. "It is an insult to those who voted them into power to procrastinate on their pledge to honor conservative principles."
Following are excerpts of the petition:
Tea Party Patriots is a national grassroots coalition with more than 3,000 locally organized chapters and more than 15 million supporters nationwide. Tea Party Patriots is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free
markets. Visit Tea Party Patriots online at www.TeaPartyPatriots.org.
December 14, 2010
Contact: Ralph King
clevelandteaparty@gmail.com
TEA PARTY PETITION SLAMS
TAX COMPROMISE AS 'BACKROOM DEAL'
Americans Demand Promised
Americans Demand Promised
Transparency, Adherence to 'Pledge to America'
Cleveland - Today, the Tea Party Patriots launched a petition (http://notaxcompromise.com/) to supporters across the country denouncing the tax cut compromise forged in secret by the Obama Administration and Republican Leadership in Congress. The plan was negotiated without the consultation of newly-elected Members of Congress or the American people and violates several components of the Republican's "Pledge to America."
"Our members are outraged as our representatives continue to ignore the message we sent on Election Day," said Ralph King of Cleveland Tea Party Patriots. "We are watching how they vote, and they will be held accountable."
"This 'backroom deal' ignores those who voted for principled leadership on Election Day," said Mark Meckler, National Coordinator of Tea Party Patriots. "Americans demand transparency in the legislative process and policies that reflect fiscal responsibility-not secret negotiations and weak compromise."
"Republicans in Congress only have the leverage to negotiate for tax deals because of the support Americans gave them and principled candidates across the country," said Jenny Beth Martin, National Coordinator of Tea Party Patriots. "It is an insult to those who voted them into power to procrastinate on their pledge to honor conservative principles."
Following are excerpts of the petition:
- Do not let Congress compromise with President Obama. "The Compromise" is against everything the House Republican Leadership agreed to in the "Pledge to America." This type of behind closed door politics is not what "We the People" voted for in November.
- "The Deal" was forged in secret, without consultation with the scores of new representatives and senators who campaigned on a much different agenda.
- "The Deal" like Obamacare, isn't reduced to writing even now. Like Obamacare, we are being told we will have to pass the bill to find out what is in it.
- "The Deal" revives the death tax, an immoral "vampire tax" that sucks the blood from the dead, ruins family businesses and double taxes savings that were accumulated over a lifetime.
- "The Deal" spends billions and billions of dollars that the country does not have in order to prevent a tax hike that the country voted against...the GOP bribed the president to follow the will of the people.
- There are at least five provisions of the Pledge that are violated by "The Deal."
Tea Party Patriots is a national grassroots coalition with more than 3,000 locally organized chapters and more than 15 million supporters nationwide. Tea Party Patriots is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free
markets. Visit Tea Party Patriots online at www.TeaPartyPatriots.org.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Legislative Updates
A big thanks to Amy & Jeff with the Medina Tea Party Patriots for the below updates on key legislation in the House & Senate --
Updates on key legislation
The past two days have been a voting whirlwind as the Democrats in the House and Senate try to push through their liberal agenda before the new Congress takes session. Some of the following results provide hope that the pressure we are putting on key senators is working.
Senate: Public Safety
Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2010 (S. 3991)
For those who need a refresher, this “forced unionization” bill unconstitutionally subjects state and local public-safety workers to compulsory union “representation” and eliminates local government control over the labor relations of their own workers.
Fortunately, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was unable to reach cloture in the Senate on Wednesday, blocking the bill from moving forward. The vote was 55 (YEAs) and 43 (NAYs); 60 votes were needed for cloture. For the complete roll call, visit: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00266.
Senate: DREAM Act
After delaying the DREAM Act vote until Thursday morning, Senator Harry Reid made a motion to table the consideration of the DREAM Act. The motion to table the bill passed with a 59 to 40 margin.
It is obvious that Senator Reid does not have the votes yet. However, we fully expect him to bring it to the floor again. With that said, we must continue to remind our senators (especially Senator George Voinovich) that we cannot afford this spending nightmare.
For more information on the motion-to-table vote, visit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101209/ap_on_go_co/us_immigration_students.
Senate: Defense Authorization Bill, which included repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
According to The Hill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) failed to garner the necessary 60 votes for a procedural motion to start considering the 2011 defense authorization bill, which contains a provision to repeal the ban on openly gay people serving in the military. The final vote was 57-40.” To read the entire article, visit: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/132745-senate-fails-on-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell.
To view the entire roll call, please visit: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00270.
House: DREAM Act
As you know, the DREAM Act passed in the House last night with a 216 to 198 margin, with 208 Democrats and 8 Republicans voting for the bill, and 160 Republicans and 38 Democrats voting against it.
The eight Republicans who went against the tide of common sense were:
Joseph Cao (LA)
Mike Castle (DE)
Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Charles Djou (HI)
Vernon Ehlers (MI)
Bob Inglis (SC)
Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)
For the complete roll call, visit: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll625.xml.
House: H.R.3082
which included the “food safety” bill (S. 510)
Instead of making the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act a separate vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi tucked it into H.R. 3082, a continuing resolution (CR), which provides temporary funding for the government while budget bills are worked out.
With a 212 to 206 vote, the House passed H.R. 3082. Since the “food safety” bill language was put in the CR, it goes back to the Senate, which is expected to be voted on by the middle of next week. According to one advocacy group, Alliance for Natural Health USA, “the rumor is that instead of dealing with the CR directly, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) will introduce the Senate’s own omnibus bill (even larger than the CR) that will also contain the food safety language along and who knows what else.”
To remind you of the dangers of this bill, revisit Sen. Coburn’s list of detailed concerns: http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2010/9/detailed-concerns-with-s-510-the-fda-food-safety-modernization-act-of-2010.
We must continue to voice our concerns about this bill, which allows the government once again to overstep its powers.
The Deal
The extension of the current tax rates, or “The Deal”, as it is becoming known around the country between President Obama and Congressional Leadership, is problematic. It is a deal that needs to be opposed.
Call the following people today:
Sen. George Voinovich
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-3353 / no fax provided
Cleveland Office: (216) 522-7095/ Cleveland Fax: (216) 522-7097
Speaker-Elect John Boehner
DC Office Phone: 202-225-6205 / DC Office Fax: 202-225-0704
Senator Mitch McConnell
DC Office Phone: 202-224-2541 / DC Office Fax: fax: 202-224-2249
Keeping the Pledge
A couple of months ago, the Republicans signed "The Pledge" which were several legislative and principled commitments they made to Americans. This “Deal” violates several commitments from The Pledge.
Here are the reasons why this tax bill must be opposed as outlined by Hugh Hewitt in TownHall.com, http://townhall.com/columnists/HughHewitt/2010/12/09/kill_the_deal/page/full/:
"The deal" was forged in secret, without consultation with the scores of new representatives and senators who campaigned on a much different agenda much less with their supporters and contributors who worked for two years and gave vast sums of money so that a new start could be made, one built on transparency and principle.
"The deal" like Obamacare, isn't reduced to writing even now, when Senator Reid says a vote could be held on Saturday. Like Obamacare, we are being told we will have to pass the bill to find out what is in it.
"The deal" revives the death tax, an immoral "vampire tax" that sucks the blood from the dead, ruins family businesses and double taxes savings that were accumulated over a lifetime. It took ten years of gradual step downs to eliminate the tax, and now "the deal" revives it at 35% with a $5 million dollar exemption, a rate that looks and feels permanent and which will immediately impact tens of thousands of families in 2011 and when inflation works its way into the system, thousands more over time. The GOP has spent years making the case against the death tax on moral and economic grounds, and in the course of a weekend of secret meetings, it gave that issue away.
"The deal" spends billions and billions of dollars that the country does not have in order to prevent a tax hike that the country voted against. In essence the GOP bribed the president to follow the will of the people. There is at least $75 billion in new spending in the plan, agreed to by the GOP less than 5 weeks after the country fairly screamed "Stop Spending Our Children's Money!"
On September 23, all of the House GOP leadership agreed to the "Pledge to America." A photo op was arranged at the Tart Lumber store in Sterling, Virginia, and the senior leaders of the would-be majority, with their shirt sleeves rolled up, took the pledge and asked America for the majority back. There are at least five provisions of the Pledge that are breached by "the deal." In September the House GOP promised
"Permanently Stop All Job-Killing Tax Hikes" (p. 16)
"Act immediately to Reduce Spending" (p. 21)
"Cut Government Spending to Pre-Stimulus, Pre-Bailout Levels" (p. 21)
"Read the Bill" (p. 33)
"Advance Legislative Issues One at a Time" (p. 33)
"The deal's" assault on "The Pledge" will make the latter a joke, and instantly impacts the credibility of all future efforts to propose agendas to the electorate.
The idea that this massive tax and spend bill has not yet even been written but may be voted on by the Senate this weekend is appalling, and has rightfully drawn the anger of the TeaPartyPatriots.org and other Tea Party activists, an anger that will not diminish.”
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