ThinkRight AZ on hiatus 'til November 2008…see you then! PolitickerAZ & Scarpinato have the details.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
On hiatus ‘til November
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Republican Professionals – March 6th event
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2008 Contact: Ryan Ducharme, Executive Vice President of Development Phone: 480-643-0910 E-mail: Ryan@republicanprofessionals.org 9/11 WTC SURVIVOR TO HEADLINE REPUBLICAN PROFESSIONALS EVENT (9/11 WTC Survivor Mark Finelli and AZ State Rep. Jonathan Paton to Speak About Their Iraq War Experiences) SCOTTSDALE, AZ –Republican Professionals (RP) announced today that they will be hosting Mark Finelli, a 9/11 World Trade Center survivor who gave up a 6-figure job with Morgan Stanley to enlist in the Marines and fight in Iraq and AZ State Representative Jonathan Paton, a "rising star" in the Republican Party and Iraq war veteran. Both speakers will appear at the organization's upcoming March 6, 2008 free networking event at 6 Lounge in Scottsdale. "We are pleased to have Mark Finelli speak at our event. He is a true American hero and the only 9/11 World Trade Center survivor to enlist in the marines and fight in Iraq. His story is an inspiring tale of honor, courage and steely leadership. It will be insightful to learn about his 'in the trenches' account of his experiences in Iraq and his assessment of the current situation," said RP President Charles A. Jensen. Mark Finelli has been a featured guest on Fox, CNN and "Hardball with Chris Mathews" on MSNBC. He's also appeared on popular radio programs, such as "The Sean Hannity Show" and been written about in major publications like Newsweek and National Review. Jensen also expressed his enthusiasm for hosting Jonathan Paton, a popular member of the Arizona House of Representatives and Iraq war veteran: "Representative Paton is a gifted public speaker and admired public servant. We look forward to hearing about his background and recent experience in Iraq." (Paton volunteered for active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from September of '06 until February '07.) Doors open at 6:00 P.M. at 6 Lounge, a chic and atmospheric Scottsdale nightclub. Given the popularity of past events and limited space available, Republican Professionals highly encourages all interested in attending the March 6th event to RSVP at www.republicanprofessionals.org Republican Professionals hosts its free networking events the first Thursday of each month at 6:00 P.M. at the Six Lounge in Scottsdale. Between 150 and 270 professionals consistently attend RP events. For more information about Republican Professionals, please contact Charles Jensen at 602-403-5535 or charles@republicanprofessionals.org The purpose of Republican Professionals is to link like-minded professionals together in a monthly happy hour where they can network, socialize, and hear directly from prominent politicians and successful business leaders. Founded in the fall of 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona, Republican Professionals has already branched off to other cities across the nation.
Finelli will also be appearing in a documentary by two-time Oscar winner and trooper supporter John Voight.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Kyl: Intelligence Community Unable to Monitor Terrorists
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS Intelligence Community Unable to Monitor Terrorists Kyl: "Every day that this law remains expired is ground we cede to our enemy on the battlefield." WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives recently allowed a law governing foreign intelligence surveillance to expire, seriously jeopardizing the nation's ability to monitor terrorist communications. U.S. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) released the following statement today: "America is far less secure now than it was just this time last month. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, gaping holes in our ability to monitor terrorist activities were exposed, and Congress acted quickly to modernize our laws to ensure that our intelligence community could keep up with the way terrorists communicate. Because Democratic House leaders allowed a previous law to lapse, U.S. intelligence agents now lack the authority to effectively monitor the communications of new foreign-terrorist targets, even when those terrorists are located overseas. So long as a call is routed through a U.S. telecommunications network – which virtually all calls are these days because of changes in technology – U.S. agents now need to obtain a warrant in order to monitor a call between a Taliban chief in Pakistan and an al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan. This is highly impractical and all but ensures that the bulk of such calls cannot be monitored. "U.S. intelligence agencies need to be allowed to monitor calls between foreign terrorists. And Congress must protect the private companies who cooperate with our intelligence agencies to collect the information. Allowing litigation against these companies not only will promote highly damaging leaks about terrorist surveillance programs; it also will ensure that U.S. agents will not receive full cooperation from the telecommunications companies they rely on for access to these calls. "Over the last several years, congressional Democrats repeatedly stated that they want U.S. intelligence agencies to have full authority to monitor al Qaeda communications. They argue that they simply want such surveillance to be conducted under statutory authority. That authority is now granted by a bipartisan, Senate-passed bill, which provides statutory authority to monitor terrorists, and also provides ample oversight of U.S. intelligence activities. House Democratic leaders have refused to even allow a vote on that bill. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 68 to 29 on February 12. "I strongly urge House Democratic leaders to quickly take up consideration of the bipartisan, Senate-passed bill, and allow its members to register their support or opposition to the bill. Every day that this law remains expired is ground we cede to our enemy on the battlefield. In our war against radical Islamic terrorists, intelligence collection is our number one weapon against stopping attacks before they occur in the first place." FISA, which was first enacted in 1978, created a court to oversee collection of foreign intelligence. The law was amended after 9/11 to tear down the wall between criminal and intelligence investigations, and again in 2007 under the Protect America Act, to conform the legal procedures to the evolving technology of intelligence collection. Sen. Jon Kyl is the Senate Republican Whip and serves on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees. Visit his website at www.kyl.senate.gov.
February 25, 2008
Andrew Wilder (602) 840-0385
Ryan Patmintra (202) 224-2206
Defense of Democracies’ Terrorist Surveillance bill ad
In case you missed Defense of Democracies' Terrorist surveillance bill ad, here it is. & the official press release New Ad Urges Congress to Pass Law Needed to Monitor Terrorist Communications Failure of House of Representatives to Act on Bipartisan Bill Endangers American Lives Washington, D.C. (February 21, 2008) – Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, is calling on the US House of Representatives to pass a bi-partisan bill that will allow U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor communications between suspected terrorists outside of the United States. This national ad buy will be seen on cable and satellite stations throughout the country and is also seen locally in 17 media markets across the United States. "Terrorists could be plotting a major attack now, but without this legislation, our intelligence agencies may not be able to listen in," said Clifford D. May, president of Defense of Democracies. "Regrettably, the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives has put our lives in more danger by playing politics with this bill." Under the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives refused to take up a bi-partisan Senate bill to close dangerous gaps in U.S. intelligence law, including critical surveillance authority that was due to lapse February 16. Instead, it left for a recess, leaving America's espionage capabilities severely weakened. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell – a retired Vice Admiral in the Navy who served as Director of the National Security Agency under President Bill Clinton – says that the country is in "increased danger" as a result, and that the danger will increase "more and more as time goes on." DNI McConnell has further explained that before Congress acted to provide the surveillance authority that lapsed this weekend, the U.S. intelligence community "lost … about two-thirds of our capability" to collect information. Andrew C. McCarthy, a former Federal terrorism prosecutor and director of the Center for Law and Counterterrorism at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said: "The expiration of the Protect America Act has opened a huge gap in surveillance coverage. Previously, our intelligence agencies were permitted to collect foreign-to-foreign communications without restrictions. As of February 16, they must seek court authorization by proving probable-cause, a standard that is not required by the Constitution and will in many instances be impossible to meet. It is absurd to suggest that this huge drop-off in collection will have no impact on our security." "Democrats and Republicans in the Senate joined together to pass a sensible intelligence reform bill that preserves essential surveillance authority. President Bush is prepared to sign it," added Cliff May. "Only the House of Representatives stands in the way." Defense of Democracies is running ads calling on Democratic members of Congress to immediately reverse course and pass the bipartisan Senate bill restoring the full power of our intelligence agents to monitor overseas terrorist communications. Defense of Democracies is affiliated with the non-profit, non-partisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a policy institute focused on defeating terrorism and promoting democratic values. A transcript of the ad is below: FINAL DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES TV: 30 – "MIDNIGHT-NATIONAL" Midnight. February 16th. The law that lets intelligence agencies intercept Al-Qaeda communications….expires. Senate Democrats and Republicans vote overwhelmingly to extend terrorist surveillance. But the House refuses to vote and instead….goes on vacation. So new surveillance against terrorists … is crippled. Tell the House of Representatives to do its job and pass the Senate's Terror Surveillance Bill… to keep us all safe.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Mt St Helens’ lava dome growth
The figure on the left is a digital perspective view of Mount St. Helens as it appeared on September 22, 2003, one year before the start of its latest eruption, showing the 1980-86 lava dome and Crater Glacier. The figure on the right is a digital perspective view of Mount St. Helens on July 5, 2007 showing the new lava dome, 1980-86 lava dome, and deformed Crater Glacier.
More interesting video on the lava dome's growth in Mt. St. Helens…
Animation showing 3 year growth of St. Helens' lava dome
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Bee legislation will ease education challenges for military children
Bee legislation will ease education challenges for military children (STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX) – Senate President Tim Bee, R-Tucson, has introduced legislation that will make it easier for military children to transfer and assimilate in a new school after a parent's transfer. Senate Bill 1334 creates an interstate compact on educational opportunity for military children to remove barriers to educational success during frequent moves. "Most military children will switch schools an average of six to nine times," Bee said. "These transfers can be very stressful academically and psychologically. This compact will provide a comprehensive policy and a sense of consistency that they desperately need." The interstate compact is an agreement between states to facilitate timely transfer of records, enrollment in classes, participation in extracurricular activities and on-time graduation. It will also provide for the uniform collection and sharing of information among participating states and promote coordination and flexibility between the education system, parents and students to achieve educational success. The Council of State Governments' National Center for Interstate Compacts worked with the U.S. Department of Defense, educators and organizations that work with military families to draft the compact. Twelve states that are home to the majority military families impacted have introduced similar legislation this year. The compact needs approval in 10 states before it takes effect.
For more information and background on the compact, go to the Council of State Governments' website: http://www.csg.org/programs/ncic/EducatingMilitaryChildrenCompact.aspx.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Bee bill toughens law on teachers who have sexual contact with students
Feb. 14, 2008 Bee bill toughens law on teachers who have (STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX) – Responding to the unacceptable number of cases where teachers have sexual contact with the children they are entrusted to protect and educate, Senate President Tim Bee has introduced legislation that will toughen the sexual conduct with a minor law. Senate Bill 1336 will increase the punishment to a Class 2 felony for an educator who has sexual conduct with a minor 15 years old or older. "Teachers are in the ultimate position of trust," Bee said. We need to send a strong message that those who take advantage of the trust of their students and engage in sexual activities will face severe consequences." A local paper reported recently that since 1995, 176 educators gave up or had their teaching licenses revoked for sexual incidents. An average 15 teachers in Arizona lose their jobs each year for sexual misconduct. Currently, sexual conduct with a minor under age 15 is a Class 2 felony and sexual conduct with a minor 15 years or older by a parent, stepparent, guardian or foster parent is also a Class 2 felony. But sexual conduct by a teacher with a student over age 15 is only a Class 6 felony, which can be plead down to a misdemeanor. Bee's legislation changes that and also ensures offenders will serve a flat time with no early release.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
sexual contact with students
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Arizona, with just under 2% reporting…
With just under 2% in, McCain 46.5%, Romney 34.9%...Coconino, Graham & Yavapai counties are those reporting so far… Obama 51.2%, Clinton 41.8%
Less than 1% in…McCain 55%, Mitt 22%...Obama 53%, Clinton 39%
Early results from Arizona's Presidential Preference election… With less than 1% in… McCain 55%, Romney 22%, Huckabee 11% & Paul 4.5% With the Dems, Obama 53%, Clinton 39%
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Primary tracking tools
The Los Angeles Times provides a nice primary tracking tool that shows which states are on which dates & the percentage of delegates race-to-date…GOP has about 10% of the delegates selected & on Super Tuesday, 45% of the delegates will be chosen. ..here are some other tracker-type pages…
Sunday, January 27, 2008
AZ Daily Star readers react to Bee/Gabby coverage
AZ Daily Star: Reaction to coverage of Bee & Giffords articles in last Sunday's paper. Debbie Kornmiller explains the paper's dilemma.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Explorer: Bee’s chance to foster change
Northwest Explorer: Bee sees challenge to Giffords a chance to foster change
Roll Call weighs in on Tim Bee
Roll Call: GOP Gets Bee Team in Arizona Arizona's 8th Congressional District is a big deal…nationally… Some excerpts from David Drucker's piece: "Arizona Senate President Tim Bee's (R) announcement Saturday that he will challenge Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in the Grand Canyon State's Republican-leaning 8th district immediately erases some key advantages the freshman incumbent carried into her successful 2006 Congressional campaign. "Republicans — who have long described Bee as their dream candidate to challenge Giffords this cycle — argue that he is well-positioned to beat the Congresswoman because of who he is, rather than who he isn't. "The Bee name is gold in Tucson," said one Republican insider based in Arizona. "He is the ideal candidate to put up against Giffords ... She's not that moderate. I think that will get exposed."
The moderate Republican is a better fit for the district…, enters the 2008 race as a consensus candidate, and has secured the strong backing of Republican Jim Kolbe, the popular former 8th district Congressman. In 2006, Kolbe and his political machine sat on the sidelines and refused to endorse Graf, who entered the general election with little institutional support after winning a divisive September primary."
"The 8th district sent Kolbe to Congress for 11 consecutive terms, delivered 53 percent of its vote for President Bush in 2004, and supported Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) over Democratic businessman Jim Pederson in 2006.
And with the possibility that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) might top the 2008 Republican ticket as the presidential nominee, Bee could benefit from a favorable political headwind even if Republicans are still struggling nationally."
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
More Tim Bee coverage…
Monday, January 21, 2008
Martin Luther King Jr "I have a dream" video
Here is the entire speech of Dr. King's famous "I have a dream" speech.
Beeing around CD 8
Here are a few articles from around the 8th Congressional District regarding Senate President Tim Bee's announcement on Saturday… Ted Morris, with the Sierra Vista Herald – well written article that covers all angles… Politics heat up: State Senate President Tim Bee launches congressional candidacy Jim Lamb, Green Valley News – another very well written article that provides clear & concise information for the reader… Election 2008: BEE launches campaign GOP State Senate president challenges Democrat Giffords Nice photo by Mario Aguilar, Green Valley News... Tucson Citizen's Blake Morlock - Bee has $300K in war chest The Arizona Daily Star's Daniel Scarpinato gave Tim Bee a little love … Bee running for House seat because 'Congress is broken' But nothing like this Gabby story. [To be fair, Daniel had much more time to author the Gabby piece & it is very well written.] Let's hope the Star responds in kind & gives Daniel the latitude to write about Tim Bee, his wonderful life, Bee's accomplishments, his challenges in this session in Phoenix & the campaign ahead… We'll see…
KVOA - Senate President announces run for Congress
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Excerpts from Tim Bee announcement speech
Tim Bee Launches Campaign for Congress Joined by family and supporters, Bee stresses his proven record of accomplishment for Arizona as he throws hat into ring for Arizona Congressional District 8 TUCSON – Surrounded by his wife, Grace, and their six children and dozens of supporters including former longtime southern Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe, Arizona State Senate President Tim Bee today announced that he is running for Congress in District 8. Sen. Bee made the announcement at Tucson's Palo Verde High School, the same school from which he graduated and was valedictorian. Rep. Kolbe will serve as the honorary campaign chair, with Tucson business leader Jim Click serving as campaign chair and former National Rifle Association President Sandy Froman serving as campaign co-chair. EXCERPTED REMARKS AS PREPARED On being State Senate President: "Serving as the first Senate President from Southern Arizona since 1974 has been a tremendous honor. I have used the opportunity to make a difference by highlighting southern Arizona at the state capitol. For too long our concerns had been overlooked." "I have learned that when we put people before politics it is amazing what we can accomplish." On the current state of Congress: "Leaders of both parties have turned important issues into talking points and made policy decisions based on polls. The result: broken promises and poor public policy. "Congress' continued failures are not only dividing our nation, but placing it in a perilous situation." On Tim Bee's approach to solving problems: "What I offer is not based on political platitudes but rather on my proven record." "I brought people together from both sides of the aisle to find solutions to the problems facing our state. I have worked to set the example that we can disagree without being disagreeable." "Washington needs leaders willing to reach beyond partisan politics. Leaders willing to bring people together. Build consensus. Get things done. That is my record in Arizona. "That is what I will do in Washington." "Being a leader is not always easy. Standing for principle in the face of partisan pressure is not always easy. But it's what must be done." On the issues: "Amnesty is not the answer to our immigration problem. Securing our border is." "Cutting taxes grows our economy. Less regulation and less government demands on small business will create jobs and spur innovation." "Moving towards energy independence is an absolute necessity. There are alternative energy sources that we can, and should tap into today, that will accelerate our energy independence. "Terrorists are at war with America and we must defend our people, our freedoms and defeat the enemy." On his plan for his campaign: "Our journey begins here today. I will begin to layout my agenda, travel every corner of the district, meet with families, seniors, small businesses, ranchers, and veterans to talk about how we can bring about honest change that puts people before politics and solutions before partisanship. # # #
Thursday, January 17, 2008
CQ on Bee
Congressional Quarterly on Bee: The Arizona Republic reports that state Senate President Tim Bee, a Republican, will announce Saturday in Tucson that he will challenge freshman Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , D-Ariz., ending months of speculation. Bee, who said he has raised $300,000 since starting to explore a run in August, said support from people in the 8th District encouraged him to become the first Republican in the race. "I've just had a tremendous amount of support from the district," he said. Giffords however has raised nearly $1.2 million by the end of September and had $1 million cash on hand, according to campaign finance reports. "There's no question it will be challenging," Bee said. "But I love challenges."
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
AZ Capitol Times: Bee to announce intentions Saturday
AZ Capitol Times: Bee to announce intentions Saturday "The voters of southern Arizona are making clear that they believe in and support Tim Bee and want him to throw his hat into the ring for Congressional District 8," according to the statement. "I am excited and grateful for the level of enthusiasm our exploratory committee has generated," Bee stated. "Clearly this outpouring of financial and grassroots support for my candidacy says the people of southern Arizona support the leadership I have demonstrated and how strongly the desire to change the partisan tone is throughout the district. This early and unprecedented support and success will be a major factor in my decision whether to enter the race for CD-8."
Tucson Citizen: Bee to run for Congress
Tucson Citizen's Blake Morlock: GOP's Bee to run for Giffords' Seat in Congress "Last year, Bee helped spearhead a rare bipartisan state budget and has been credited with restoring civility to what had been a partisan Senate. "What he's done for the people of southern Arizona is prove he can get things done by working across the aisle," MegEcon said."
Bee: Fixing budget shouldn’t burden taxpayers
Tucson Citizen: Tim Bee - Fixing budget shouldn't burden taxpayers It definitely is not business as usual at the state Capitol. With our state facing a budget shortfall in 2008 of nearly $1 billion and fiscal 2009 looking more ominous, there has never been a clearer call to action for those of us in the executive and legislative branches. This year, more than ever, it is important that we work cooperatively to ensure Arizona's fiscal well-being. I can say with certainty that the budget solution I support will not rely on increasing taxes. After all, in the midst of a depressed economy, the last thing lawmakers should consider is raiding the pockets of Arizona's taxpayers. We cannot, and will not, right this ship on the backs of working families. I also want to ensure that with the recent slowdown in our state's housing market, Arizona homeowners will have predictability and stability when it comes to property taxes. Senate Republicans will continue our tax relief efforts by supporting legislation to make last year's property tax cuts permanent. This will provide much-needed relief to our state's overtaxed homeowners. Despite current economic turbulence, we must continue the framework necessary to attract the best and brightest to our state. We must ensure that Arizona continues to be an incubator of innovation that allows our economy to grow and thrive. We can do this through our continued commitment to higher education and fiscal policies that encourage people to lay a blueprint for future generations. We need a stronger infrastructure to support this growth. This session we will work to improve our congested transportation system, resolve long-standing state trust land issues, and promote public safety. Last year I passed domestic violence legislation that lessened the financial burden for victims who have to break their lease to escape abusers. A second new law charges abusers with aggravated domestic violence if they have previous offenses in the last seven years, extended from five years. I will continue to advocate this session for victims of this horrible and pervasive crime. While Congress has chosen the path of fiscal irresponsibility, playing games with tax rates and delaying refunds, passing a budget with thousands of earmarks and hinting of tax increases, the Arizona Legislature is committed to balancing the state's budget. Rather than the business-as-usual approach of Washington politicians, we have completely revamped the legislative budget process to more expeditiously and efficiently address our state's needs. Like all sessions, this one will be challenging. As Senate president, I will keep alive last year's cooperative spirit without sacrificing the Republican principals of a responsible and responsive government. By doing so, we can ensure a prosperous future for all Arizonans. Tim Bee, a Republican representing southern Arizona's District 30, is president of the state Senate.
Oro Valley blogger’s free speech fight
AZ Star: Oro Valley Blogger faces own free speech fight with the Town of Oro Valley. The blog - LOVE: Let Oro Valley Excel monitors proceedings taking place in Oro Valley specifically with the Town Council. If a citizen is going to take the time & provide personal commentary on local issues, of course his opinions may not agree with the Town Council's actions…he is welcomed to it without harassment. I don't agree with the opinions of all of us in the blogosphere, but agree that we all have the right to voice them without government interference. Now, the Star didn't give too much of the Town's side of the story, (which is confidential), so the entire details of the incident have not been provided. They may have simply been following up on a citizen complaint over zealously. But they clearly did cross a line that shouldn't have been crossed. With the threat of Clint Bolick on the case, I'm sure the Town doesn't want to waste the resources on a sure-fire defeat & the issue will go away.
Monday, January 07, 2008
AZ Chamber: The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line Business Plan 2008 January 7, 2008 Tomorrow the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry will hold its annual Legislative Forecast Luncheon and present the 2008 Business Agenda. The outlook is different in 2008 where the state faces a billion dollar budget shortfall instead of a surplus. To replenish revenues, the immediate instinct of some is to raise taxes. However, tightening citizens' budgets to balance the state's is never the best answer. In 2008, a top legislative priority of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be to permanently eliminate the state equalization rate. Many of the leading trade associations and advocacy groups in Arizona have also made its repeal a top priority. This property tax was suspended in 2006 and is scheduled to return in 2009. If it does, it will cost Arizona property owners $250 million more in annual taxes. Arizona's commercial property tax burden is already among the top six worst in the nation. This hefty hike would harm our ability to compete with other states and nations for jobs. In addition, the Arizona Chamber will focus this year on making legislative improvements to the state's new employer sanctions law. When the Governor signed the bill she acknowledged several flaws in the legislation. Many in the legislature also agree there are improvements that could make the law less harmful to legitimate business. The Arizona Chamber will encourage a safe harbor provision to protect businesses that comply with the I-9 and E-Verify systems. And we will advocate eliminating the anonymous complaint provision in the law to protect companies from harmful investigations. These two issues, along with concerns about the state's budget, are likely to dominate the political discussion over the next five months. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry moves into the upcoming year ready to represent Arizona's business community and make our state a better place to live and work. This year our voice will be even stronger as we present an agenda that reflects the merger of the Arizona Association of Industries with the Arizona Chamber through the formation of the Arizona Manufacturers' Council.
A weekly commentary from inside the business community
by Glenn Hamer
Glenn Hamer is president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Capitol Times: Bee polling “winnable”
AZ Capitol Times: Bee Polling shows race "winnable" "An unverified poll conducted on Dec.3-4 among 300 voters showed that in a match-up between Bee and U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the incumbent would hold a 36-percent-to-30-percent advantage, according to data released by Bee's exploratory team, which has been active for months." These are outstanding numbers considering the amount of unearned media that Gabby gets locally. State Senators don't get nearly the coverage as a Congressman & Bee's basically even. This tells me that the District is still in "throw the bums out" mode from 2006. The Congress has lower approval ratings than President Bush, not much was accomplished by the 2007 version of the "Do nothing" Congress, Gabby voted with Pelosi every time it was an important vote.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Kyl – AMT Relief “better late than never”
Kyl on AMT Relief: "Better Late than Never" WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Congress today approved temporary relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for 2007. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement: "In previous years under Republican-led Congresses, temporary legislation to shield millions of middle-income families from the AMT was always passed by June of the tax year in question. It is unconscionable that this year Congress has waited until late-December. Senate Republicans have forced votes on five separate amendments to address the AMT throughout 2007 in an effort to persuade the Democrat-led Congress to act responsibly, but each amendment was defeated largely along party lines. "By finally passing legislation in the eleventh hour, over 50 million American families will have delayed refunds because the Internal Revenue Service will need to update its systems. Many American families count on these refunds in the early part of the year. By ensuring that 19 million middle-class families will not have this tax liability, the temporary relief is better late than never. I will continue to seek a permanent solution to shield middle-class Americans from a tax that was never supposed to affect them." The AMT was first enacted in 1969 to prevent a small number of very wealthy individuals from using legitimate deductions and credits to eliminate their tax liability. At the time of its enactment, the tax was only intended to capture 155 people. But because the AMT is not adjusted for inflation, it now ensnares roughly 4 million Americans, and would have captured an additional 19 million middle-class families this year if Congress did not act. Congress repealed the AMT permanently in 1999, but then-President Bill Clinton vetoed the bill. Since then, Congress has passed annual, temporary AMT-relief bills.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Quiet rise of Jon Kyl
Fred Barnes: The Quiet Rise of Jon Kyl Here are some excerpts on Senator Jon Kyl (see above for entire article by Fred Barnes): "When Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona learned on the Sunday after Thanksgiving that Senate Republican whip Trent Lott would announce his retirement the next day, he moved swiftly. It was mid-afternoon. By the end of the evening, he had 20 of the 25 votes needed to succeed Lott as the number two Republican in the Senate. And that was just by making phone calls from his home in Phoenix. By midday Monday, Kyl had locked up a solid majority of Republican senators. Twenty-four hours later, his chief rival for the whip post, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, backed out of the race. Alexander had to settle for succeeding Kyl as chairman of the Senate Republican conference. And last week, Kyl was formally elected whip. The media labeled him the "consensus" choice. "What Kyl calls "my greatest legislative achievement" was the result of his no-press-conferences style. It was the defeat in 1999 of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). When President Clinton submitted the treaty to the Senate in 1997, Kyl says he "could see the handwriting on the wall." The treaty was going to be ratified.
But calling Kyl the winner by consensus doesn't quite capture what happened. By acting unobtrusively but decisively, Kyl created a consensus rather than waiting for the possibility that it might form on its own. This is the way Kyl, 65, has worked since he was elected to the House in 1986, then the Senate in 1994, and he has done so with remarkable effectiveness."
"He is not a pragmatist in search of compromise or popular applause. Kyl is a conservative--probably the smartest one in the Senate--in search of conservative victories."
"You can do so much by following that practice," Kyl told me. "I have never had the need to get a lot of publicity. I've found I can be a lot more effective if I'm not in the limelight." His style fits with the whip's job, McCain's with running for president."
AND LISTEN TO THE DETAILS ON KYL'S GREATEST LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENT…
While Jesse Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, kept the measure from reaching the floor, Kyl studied the details of the treaty, assembled a group of experts opposed to it, and took them to meet with individual senators. This went on for months.
When he had the 34 votes required to defeat ratification, he asked Helms to allow a floor vote. Helms told Kyl to line up more votes, which he did. Meanwhile, Clinton and Democrats were clamoring for a vote. Democratic senator Byron Dorgan finally threatened "to plant myself on the floor like a potted plant" until a vote was scheduled. Lott, then Senate majority leader, said yes. We'll vote next week.
To their surprise, Democrats discovered they lacked the votes for passage. Kyl, operating inconspicuously, had outfoxed them. Desperate, Clinton called Lott and begged him to call off the vote. Lott was reluctant to dismiss Clinton's plea out of hand. He summoned Kyl and the late Senator Paul Coverdell of Georgia, one of Lott's chief advisers, to his office. Kyl made the case for killing the CTBT. "Jon's right," Coverdell said. The Senate shot down the treaty, 51-48. Kyl had single-handedly put together a majority against it."
"Kyl has become a major force on three issues of particular concern to conservatives: foreign policy, defense, and the judiciary. As the leading expert on missile defense in Congress, he has impeded efforts by Democrats to slash spending and thus limit or prevent tests of anti-missile systems."
"One more thing: the kinder, gentler (and smarter) side of Jon Kyl. Though a leading conservative, Kyl has never become a lightning rod for attacks by liberals and leftists. This is not an accident. "I have made an effort not to be partisan in an in-your-face sense," he says. "Ordinarily I don't talk about Republicans and Democrats. I talk about ideas." Smart."
Friday, December 07, 2007
AZ Capitol Times Q&A with Kyl
The Arizona Capitol Times interviewed Senator Jon Kyl & has a very interesting and forthright Q & A session with the new Minority Whip.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Q&A with Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl
Q&A With New Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl "Part of the reason that Congress's ratings are so low is it's been terribly ineffective" Posted December 6, 2007 Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, is the new Senate GOP whip, elected by his party today to replace departing Sen. Trent Lott. As the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, Kyl will be ensuring that members toe the party line and vote the way Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky wants. Kyl, a staunch conservative who is often overshadowed by fellow Arizona Sen. John McCain, will now be more visible. Related News With the slim 51-to-49 Democratic majority in the Senate, many major bills are stalled, including most budget legislation. And with public approval ratings of Congress at 20 percent and six Senate Republicans retiring over the next year, Kyl has his work cut out for him. U.S. News congressional correspondent Danielle Knight spoke with the three-term senator about his plans for 2008. Excerpts: How will you approach your new position? Do you see your whip responsibilities differently, given the public's low approval ratings of Congress and Republicans? Some of the newer Senate conservatives are hoping that you'll be more aggressive than Minority Leader McConnell in highlighting the differences between Republicans and Democrats. What are some of the top issues you see coming up in 2008? Why are so many Republicans leaving Congress? After these retirements, the Senate will be a newer and, in some ways, less experienced Senate. Will that change the way you approac
The job of whip is sometimes misunderstood as twisting arms. More often than not, it involves shaping issues in such a way that people can comfortably come to the position, in this case, that would unify Republicans. That is something that I've been able to do in the past, and I would hope to use my skills in assisting the leader in accomplishing that result. Sometimes you do have to go out and find votes and try to get people to come along. But the real success in the job is when you don't have to do that because you've helped frame the issues and the language in such a way that most Republicans can be unified.
Part of the reason that Congress's ratings are so low is it's been terribly ineffective. To the extent that the ratings of Republicans are low, I think it is a holdover from Republicans' unwillingness to restrain spending when we were in power. The reality now is that we've been, for the better part of a year, trying to restrain the spending and our Democratic colleagues are not really cooperating with us in that regard. I think public opinion will eventually catch up to the reality that Republicans are now, perhaps belatedly, working to restrain spending.
We only have one leader, and I am not that leader; Sen. Mitch McConnell is. We have to acknowledge that. I hope to help him, and one of the ways I can is to help give voice to the concerns of some of the newer members who do bring a real spirit with them. Some of them came from the House, where you have to be real spirited to be heard. They bring energy. And as long as all of that can be channeled in a very constructive way, it can enhance our effort.
First will be the continuing saga of the funding of the troops. At best, I suspect we're going to get a temporary reprise with funding that will run out maybe in the spring. That's unclear at this moment. There isn't anything more important than ensuring that the troops in the field have what they need to carry out the mission. Secondly, as you've seen with this rather broken situation today, there was only one appropriation bill sent to the president [by the Senate]; none of them were done on time. And that's going to result in a giant omnibus appropriations bill.... So to try to work with Democrats to get them to do their job a little earlier and get the appropriation process done.... And third, and this is very, very important, constituents are telling us: Slow down the spending and stop any tax increases. We are at a time of economic uncertainty. We don't need tax rates to go up.
Each situation is different. I think the superficial, easy way to explain it is it must be some political thing, and that is totally false. Sen. Trent Lott is not leaving because of any situation in Washington. He almost didn't run for re-election because he wanted to do some other things in his life ... Sen. Pete Domenici's health is really not good ... same thing with Sen. John Warner.... Each person has reasons.