When Republicans were completely shut out of power a few years ago, they railed against the absurd policies of Pelosi and Reid and the out of control spending proposed by Obama.  The Tea Party rallied to the cause of freedom and limited government, and helped elect a Republican majority to the House just two years after they were relegated to the ash heap of history.

Upon assumption of power, conservatives and tea partiers turned to the new Republican majority in anticipation that they would pull the trigger on the pledges that they so stridently pronounced during the campaign season.  At that point many leaders within the party looked at us as if we were from Mars.  They impugned our motives, marginalized us, and referred to us as “extremist” “purists” and “intransigent.” We were subjected to all sorts of ridicule and contumely: “You would have opposed Reagan too.”  You’re not team players.”  “You’re going to call him a RINO too?”

In reality, all we wanted from Republicans was consistency; a commitment to continue fighting alongside us against the Democrats’ socialist agenda – an agenda Republicans so emphatically condemned during the elections.  Instead, we got results that were antithetical to the agenda and the pledge that buoyed them into office in the first place.

While they talked incessantly about the unsustainable Obama debt, Republicans agreed to grant Obama another $2.1 trillion in debt issuance for nothing.  As a result, we are now on pace to incur the largest amount of debt ever amassed over a 12-month period.  We’ve already racked up over $1.1 trillion in additional debt in less than 7 months since the debt ceiling was raised.

During the elections, Republicans mocked Democrats for their failed stimulus and bailout programs, yet they support a highway bill that is being advertised as a Keynesian jobs stimulus, and that will require a massive general fund bailout.

They rebuked the Democrats for passing 1000-page omnibus bills without ever reading them, yet they did just that when they jettisoned the Ryan budget in favor of Harry Reid’s minibus and megabus bills, even though they weren’t posted online for 72 hours.

They warned the American people at every turn that if Obamacare is implemented, our economy and healthcare system will suffer irreversible damage.  Yet, when presented with the only opportunity to ensure that the program is thwarted (we can’t rely on the Supreme Court or taking back the White House and Senate), Republicans cowered and passed several budget bills funding Obamacare.

They mocked Obama for picking winners and losers in the market and for his “Solyndra economy,” yet many of them support subsidies for ethanol, Boone Pickens/Soros natural gas cars, and Big Wind.  Don’t even start with the Import-Export Bank.

Throughout the elections, Republicans laughed at the idea of super long-term unemployment benefits, yet they agreed to extend them.

As conservatives, we merely want Republicans to remain consistent, and not support things that they opposed during the elections.  We are not looking for purity; we are looking for consistency.  Unfortunately, they view us as mere pawns in their plans to assume power for power’s sake.  They want us to join them in feigning outrage over big government during the elections, but then they eschew our principles after the elections in order to keep cheering the red team.  Well, we’ve had it with the red vs. blue game.  We’re not going to sit on the sidelines and reelect members for 30 years just because they are incumbent Republicans.

On the surface, it is quite perplexing why Obama is not condemned to inevitable defeat, given the state of the economy and the extremist bent of his policies.  Additionally, Republicans should be a shoo-in to win back the Senate, possibly with a supermajority, given the political climate and the one-sided nature of the Senate election map this year.  Yet, Republicans are struggling to eke out enough wins for a simple majority.

However, in reality, the political landscape is no enigma.  Republicans are not offering a bold contrast to Obama on most issues.  They are muddling their message by supporting their own forms of stimulus, bailouts, and corporate welfare.  Voters see Republicans advancing the same budgets, the same debt, the same policies; albeit, with less alacrity.

The American people will always choose the more definitive path; they will ignore the pale pastels amidst the bold colors.

All we ask for is some consistency and a bold contrast from the party we are all supposed to be fighting.  If that is too much to ask for, we will find new members in the primaries.

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

When Republicans were completely shut out of power a few years ago, they railed against the absurd policies of Pelosi and Reid and the out of control spending proposed by Obama.  The Tea Party rallied to the cause of freedom and limited government, and helped elect a Republican majority to the House just two years after they were relegated to the ash heap of history.

Upon assumption of power, conservatives and tea partiers turned to the new Republican majority in anticipation that they would pull the trigger on the pledges that they so stridently pronounced during the campaign season.  At that point many leaders within the party looked at us as if we were from Mars.  They impugned our motives, marginalized us, and referred to us as “extremist” “purists” and “intransigent.” We were subjected to all sorts of ridicule and contumely: “You would have opposed Reagan too.”  You’re not team players.”  “You’re going to call him a RINO too?”

In reality, all we wanted from Republicans was consistency; a commitment to continue fighting alongside us against the Democrats’ socialist agenda – an agenda Republicans so emphatically condemned during the elections.  Instead, we got results that were antithetical to the agenda and the pledge that buoyed them into office in the first place.

While they talked incessantly about the unsustainable Obama debt, Republicans agreed to grant Obama another $2.1 trillion in debt issuance for nothing.  As a result, we are now on pace to incur the largest amount of debt ever amassed over a 12-month period.  We’ve already racked up over $1.1 trillion in additional debt in less than 7 months since the debt ceiling was raised.

During the elections, Republicans mocked Democrats for their failed stimulus and bailout programs, yet they support a highway bill that is being advertised as a Keynesian jobs stimulus, and that will require a massive general fund bailout.

They rebuked the Democrats for passing 1000-page omnibus bills without ever reading them, yet they did just that when they jettisoned the Ryan budget in favor of Harry Reid’s minibus and megabus bills, even though they weren’t posted online for 72 hours.

They warned the American people at every turn that if Obamacare is implemented, our economy and healthcare system will suffer irreversible damage.  Yet, when presented with the only opportunity to ensure that the program is thwarted (we can’t rely on the Supreme Court or taking back the White House and Senate), Republicans cowered and passed several budget bills funding Obamacare.

They mocked Obama for picking winners and losers in the market and for his “Solyndra economy,” yet many of them support subsidies for ethanol, Boone Pickens/Soros natural gas cars, and Big Wind.  Don’t even start with the Import-Export Bank.

Throughout the elections, Republicans laughed at the idea of super long-term unemployment benefits, yet they agreed to extend them.

As conservatives, we merely want Republicans to remain consistent, and not support things that they opposed during the elections.  We are not looking for purity; we are looking for consistency.  Unfortunately, they view us as mere pawns in their plans to assume power for power’s sake.  They want us to join them in feigning outrage over big government during the elections, but then they eschew our principles after the elections in order to keep cheering the red team.  Well, we’ve had it with the red vs. blue game.  We’re not going to sit on the sidelines and reelect members for 30 years just because they are incumbent Republicans.

On the surface, it is quite perplexing why Obama is not condemned to inevitable defeat, given the state of the economy and the extremist bent of his policies.  Additionally, Republicans should be a shoo-in to win back the Senate, possibly with a supermajority, given the political climate and the one-sided nature of the Senate election map this year.  Yet, Republicans are struggling to eke out enough wins for a simple majority.

However, in reality, the political landscape is no enigma.  Republicans are not offering a bold contrast to Obama on most issues.  They are muddling their message by supporting their own forms of stimulus, bailouts, and corporate welfare.  Voters see Republicans advancing the same budgets, the same debt, the same policies; albeit, with less alacrity.

The American people will always choose the more definitive path; they will ignore the pale pastels amidst the bold colors.

All we ask for is some consistency and a bold contrast from the party we are all supposed to be fighting.  If that is too much to ask for, we will find new members in the primaries.

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Update: All 4 amendments were defeated, meaning we won 2 and lost 2. DeMint’s devolution amendment failed 30-67; Stabenow’s green energy pork amendment failed 49-49; DeMint’s repeal of all energy subsidies failed 26-72; the Menendez-Burr handouts for natural gas cars failed 51-47.  We’ll provide links to the roll calls later.  This might seem like a stalemate, but the natural gas subsidies only failed due to the 60-vote threshold.  It is also appalling that only 26 Republicans support the free-market in the energy sector.

Today is D-day for the Senate highway bill and all its amendments.  We must oppose this highway bill, which will raise taxes, engender future bailouts, and preclude much-needed devolution of transportation responsibility to the states.  Before voting on final passage of the bill tonight, the Senate will vote on several other important amendments.  We should support the two DeMint amendments and oppose the other amendments.

• DeMint #1756: At noon today the Senate will vote on DeMint’s amendment to abolish the federal gas tax and devolve transportation spending to the states.  His amendment will only need 51 votes to pass.  This is a seminal vote for conservatives.

After 2:15, the Senate will vote on 20 amendments.  Here are the amendments related to energy subsidies that conservatives must watch carefully.  Each amendment will require 60 votes to pass.

• DeMint #1589: This amendment would repeal all subsidies and tax credits for all energy companies.  This amendment would not only prevent the expired green energy tax credits from being reinstated, it would repeal existing ones as well.  This is one of the most important votes for conservatives.  It will separate the men from the boys.
• Stabenow #1812: This amendment is the antithesis of DeMint’s bill.  Her amendment would extend all of the green energy credits and subsidies, including many of the new provisions enacted in the 2009 Stimulus.
• Menendez-Burr #1782: This amendment would pass the T. Boone Pickens natural gas subsidies.  Boone Pickens’s plan would grant a $4,000 tax credit per car produced by all manufacturers of natural gas vehicles.  It would also give consumers a $7,500 tax credit for purchasing one of these vehicles.  Companies that install commercial fueling stations for these vehicles would be entitled to a $100,000 subsidy per station!

Please call your senators  and kindly request that they support the DeMint amendments and oppose the Stabenow and Menendez amendments -  if they are really sincere about ending corporate welfare.

Finally, let’s urge all senators to vote no on the underlying highway bill.  Democrats admit that they don’t even know how they will pay for the deficit in the Highway Trust Fund (they won’t).  Moreover, by helping Democrats pass the Obama/Boxer stimulus, Senate Republicans will help jam House conservatives by putting them on the hook to pass this terrible bill before the March 31 reauthorization deadline.  Unfortunately, Minority Whip Jon Kyl would only commit to not whipping up votes in support for the bill.  They won’t do the right thing by whipping up opposition to the bill and coalescing around DeMint’s devolution plan.

We’ll keep you posted on the vote tallies and take names at the end of the day.

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Update: All 4 amendments were defeated, meaning we won 2 and lost 2. DeMint’s devolution amendment failed 30-67; Stabenow’s green energy pork amendment failed 49-49; DeMint’s repeal of all energy subsidies failed 26-72; the Menendez-Burr handouts for natural gas cars failed 51-47.  We’ll provide links to the roll calls later.  This might seem like a stalemate, but the natural gas subsidies only failed due to the 60-vote threshold.  It is also appalling that only 26 Republicans support the free-market in the energy sector.

Today is D-day for the Senate highway bill and all its amendments.  We must oppose this highway bill, which will raise taxes, engender future bailouts, and preclude much-needed devolution of transportation responsibility to the states.  Before voting on final passage of the bill tonight, the Senate will vote on several other important amendments.  We should support the two DeMint amendments and oppose the other amendments.

• DeMint #1756: At noon today the Senate will vote on DeMint’s amendment to abolish the federal gas tax and devolve transportation spending to the states.  His amendment will only need 51 votes to pass.  This is a seminal vote for conservatives.

After 2:15, the Senate will vote on 20 amendments.  Here are the amendments related to energy subsidies that conservatives must watch carefully.  Each amendment will require 60 votes to pass.

• DeMint #1589: This amendment would repeal all subsidies and tax credits for all energy companies.  This amendment would not only prevent the expired green energy tax credits from being reinstated, it would repeal existing ones as well.  This is one of the most important votes for conservatives.  It will separate the men from the boys.
• Stabenow #1812: This amendment is the antithesis of DeMint’s bill.  Her amendment would extend all of the green energy credits and subsidies, including many of the new provisions enacted in the 2009 Stimulus.
• Menendez-Burr #1782: This amendment would pass the T. Boone Pickens natural gas subsidies.  Boone Pickens’s plan would grant a $4,000 tax credit per car produced by all manufacturers of natural gas vehicles.  It would also give consumers a $7,500 tax credit for purchasing one of these vehicles.  Companies that install commercial fueling stations for these vehicles would be entitled to a $100,000 subsidy per station!

Please call your senators  and kindly request that they support the DeMint amendments and oppose the Stabenow and Menendez amendments -  if they are really sincere about ending corporate welfare.

Finally, let’s urge all senators to vote no on the underlying highway bill.  Democrats admit that they don’t even know how they will pay for the deficit in the Highway Trust Fund (they won’t).  Moreover, by helping Democrats pass the Obama/Boxer stimulus, Senate Republicans will help jam House conservatives by putting them on the hook to pass this terrible bill before the March 31 reauthorization deadline.  Unfortunately, Minority Whip Jon Kyl would only commit to not whipping up votes in support for the bill.  They won’t do the right thing by whipping up opposition to the bill and coalescing around DeMint’s devolution plan.

We’ll keep you posted on the vote tallies and take names at the end of the day.

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Earlier today, the Senate began voting on a series of 30 amendments to the highway bill (S.1813).  The three important amendments regarding energy subsidies that we referenced earlier (2 bad, 1 good) were postponed until next week.  However, here is a list of other commonsense amendments that were voted down by Democrats.  It is truly sad that at a time when gas prices are at a record high Democrats are willing to place the interests of the eco-radicals ahead of American consumers.  They also showed that, once again, they have no interest in creating jobs or cutting spending:

• Hoeven amendment no. 1537 that would provide for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline between Canada and the United States.  It was rejected 56-42 (60 votes were required).  Only 11 Democrats were willing to vote for Keystone, and even most of those only did so once they realized that the amendment would fail anyway.
• Collins amendment no. 1660 that would delay the implementation of EPA emission standards for industrial and commercial boilers, known as Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards, and grant the agency 15 months to propose new rules.  It was rejected 52-46 (60 votes were required).  8 Democrats voted for the amendment; Scott Brown voted against it.  Again, those Democrats got a hall pass to support an amendment that was destined to fail anyway.
• Vitter  amendment no. 1535 that would allow new oil and gas leases throughout the outer continental shelf. It was rejected 44-54 (60 votes were required).  3 Democrats voted for it; Brown, Collins, Murkowski, and Snowe voted against it.

• Coburn amendment no. 1738 that would direct the OMB to find at least $10 billion in spending recissions from eliminating and consolidating duplicative  programs.  It was rejected 52-46 (60 votes were required).  Only 7 Democrats were willing to eliminate duplicative programs; 6 of them are up for reelection this year.
• Senator Corker raised a budgetary point of order against the entire highway bill, charging that the spending levels in the bill breach the caps set forth in the Budget Control Act.  The Senate voted 66-31 on Barbabra Boxer’s motion to waive that point of order, thereby upholding the legitimacy of the highway bill.  14 Republicans joined Democrats in support of Barbabra Boxer.

What a day’s work for our esteemed members of the Senate!

We’ll do it all over again next week.  Remember that irrespective of the outcome of the amendment process, there will be no excuses for voting for the underlying bill next week.  And that goes for the House as well, where they will evidently agree to vote on whatever budget-busting bill the Democrats send them.

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Earlier today, the Senate began voting on a series of 30 amendments to the highway bill (S.1813).  The three important amendments regarding energy subsidies that we referenced earlier (2 bad, 1 good) were postponed until next week.  However, here is a list of other commonsense amendments that were voted down by Democrats.  It is truly sad that at a time when gas prices are at a record high Democrats are willing to place the interests of the eco-radicals ahead of American consumers.  They also showed that, once again, they have no interest in creating jobs or cutting spending:

• Hoeven amendment no. 1537 that would provide for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline between Canada and the United States.  It was rejected 56-42 (60 votes were required).  Only 11 Democrats were willing to vote for Keystone, and even most of those only did so once they realized that the amendment would fail anyway.
• Collins amendment no. 1660 that would delay the implementation of EPA emission standards for industrial and commercial boilers, known as Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards, and grant the agency 15 months to propose new rules.  It was rejected 52-46 (60 votes were required).  8 Democrats voted for the amendment; Scott Brown voted against it.  Again, those Democrats got a hall pass to support an amendment that was destined to fail anyway.
• Vitter  amendment no. 1535 that would allow new oil and gas leases throughout the outer continental shelf. It was rejected 44-54 (60 votes were required).  3 Democrats voted for it; Brown, Collins, Murkowski, and Snowe voted against it.

• Coburn amendment no. 1738 that would direct the OMB to find at least $10 billion in spending recissions from eliminating and consolidating duplicative  programs.  It was rejected 52-46 (60 votes were required).  Only 7 Democrats were willing to eliminate duplicative programs; 6 of them are up for reelection this year.
• Senator Corker raised a budgetary point of order against the entire highway bill, charging that the spending levels in the bill breach the caps set forth in the Budget Control Act.  The Senate voted 66-31 on Barbabra Boxer’s motion to waive that point of order, thereby upholding the legitimacy of the highway bill.  14 Republicans joined Democrats in support of Barbabra Boxer.

What a day’s work for our esteemed members of the Senate!

We’ll do it all over again next week.  Remember that irrespective of the outcome of the amendment process, there will be no excuses for voting for the underlying bill next week.  And that goes for the House as well, where they will evidently agree to vote on whatever budget-busting bill the Democrats send them.

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Folks, it’s not the amendments we should be focused on; it’s the underlying bill that we must block.

Yes, it’s another week in D.C., and that means it’s another week of work on the highway bill.  Throughout the past two weeks, there have been copious pages of ink spilled pontificating about the ramifications of the Blunt amendment and religious conscious issues.  Moreover, the Capitol Hill papers are filled with news about Republican Senators protesting Harry Reid’s “filling the amendment tree,” blocking their precious non-germane amendments from being considered on the Senate floor.  However, through it all, we are forgetting about the underlying bill; the tax and spend highway bill (S. 1813).

Remember that most Republican senators are only lodging their protests over a chance to offer amendments that will invariably fail.  They evidently have no problem with the underlying highway bill.  We observed this a few weeks ago when just 9 Republicans voted against cloture on the motion to proceed with the bill.  Now Harry Reid has filed cloture to shut off debate, setting up a cloture vote on Tuesday and a vote on final passage later this week.  Will we coax more than 9 Republicans to oppose this behemoth?

It is appalling how many Republicans are willing to support Barbara Boxer’s highway bill – a monstrous piece of legislation that makes Boehner’s defunct House bill look conservative.  The 2-year $109 billion Senate bill (S.1813) offers no reform to mass transit and continues to mandate that states use 10% of their funding for wasteful “enhancement projects.”  The Senate bill will spawn even larger deficits in the long-run.  Even for the two-year authorization period of the bill, there will be a $35 billion deficit between trust fund outlays and gas tax revenue.  Additionally, the 1522-page bill contains $7 billion in tax increases, including onerous taxes on inherited IRAs.  It also continues the wasteful union handouts under Davis-Bacon.

Both Republicans and Democrats are touting the highway bill as a jobs bill (think stimulus), but even the Washington Post is pouring cold water on this Keynesian way of thinking.  In a random act of journalism, the Post observes something that we’ve espoused for decades.  “The [transportation] bills would simply shift spending that was creating jobs elsewhere in the economy to transportation industries. That means different jobs, but not necessarily additional ones.”

If Senate Republicans fail to block cloture, they will be complicit in helping Democrats jam House Republicans, placing pressure on conservatives to pass a terrible bill.  The vote this week will separate the men from the boys.  We will be taking names.

As Senator DeMint noted last month, “in order to avert a fiscal catastrophe in the near future, we’re going to have to get a lot more serious about curtailing unnecessary federal spending. These highway bills—both Democrat and Republican—are anything but serious.”

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Folks, it’s not the amendments we should be focused on; it’s the underlying bill that we must block.

Yes, it’s another week in D.C., and that means it’s another week of work on the highway bill.  Throughout the past two weeks, there have been copious pages of ink spilled pontificating about the ramifications of the Blunt amendment and religious conscious issues.  Moreover, the Capitol Hill papers are filled with news about Republican Senators protesting Harry Reid’s “filling the amendment tree,” blocking their precious non-germane amendments from being considered on the Senate floor.  However, through it all, we are forgetting about the underlying bill; the tax and spend highway bill (S. 1813).

Remember that most Republican senators are only lodging their protests over a chance to offer amendments that will invariably fail.  They evidently have no problem with the underlying highway bill.  We observed this a few weeks ago when just 9 Republicans voted against cloture on the motion to proceed with the bill.  Now Harry Reid has filed cloture to shut off debate, setting up a cloture vote on Tuesday and a vote on final passage later this week.  Will we coax more than 9 Republicans to oppose this behemoth?

It is appalling how many Republicans are willing to support Barbara Boxer’s highway bill – a monstrous piece of legislation that makes Boehner’s defunct House bill look conservative.  The 2-year $109 billion Senate bill (S.1813) offers no reform to mass transit and continues to mandate that states use 10% of their funding for wasteful “enhancement projects.”  The Senate bill will spawn even larger deficits in the long-run.  Even for the two-year authorization period of the bill, there will be a $35 billion deficit between trust fund outlays and gas tax revenue.  Additionally, the 1522-page bill contains $7 billion in tax increases, including onerous taxes on inherited IRAs.  It also continues the wasteful union handouts under Davis-Bacon.

Both Republicans and Democrats are touting the highway bill as a jobs bill (think stimulus), but even the Washington Post is pouring cold water on this Keynesian way of thinking.  In a random act of journalism, the Post observes something that we’ve espoused for decades.  “The [transportation] bills would simply shift spending that was creating jobs elsewhere in the economy to transportation industries. That means different jobs, but not necessarily additional ones.”

If Senate Republicans fail to block cloture, they will be complicit in helping Democrats jam House Republicans, placing pressure on conservatives to pass a terrible bill.  The vote this week will separate the men from the boys.  We will be taking names.

As Senator DeMint noted last month, “in order to avert a fiscal catastrophe in the near future, we’re going to have to get a lot more serious about curtailing unnecessary federal spending. These highway bills—both Democrat and Republican—are anything but serious.”

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Most Republicans (and some Democrats) were against past and future government stimulus package. Former GOP candidate Herman Cain is one of those who have been critical of the Bush and Obama stimulus packages, but his new website and first video from it may earn them a call from PETA, let alone others who might see it as “over the top.”

Here’s the video. It harkens to two older videos, the famous Daisy campaign ad for the Lyndon Johnson campaign and the Brain on Drugs PSA from the 80s.

Here are the other two videos referenced: