Culture of corruption continued by Democrats
Everyone remembers how the Democrats promised to clean up the “culture of corruption” in Washington DC. Nancy Pelosi famously promised that she would “Drain the Swamp” when she took over as the Speaker of the House.
I have written several posts expressing my anger at the Democrats for failing to follow through on their promises. Here are some of the promises Democrats need to answer for:
1. We have more troops in Iraq today then when the Democrats swept to power in November of 2006. When the Democrats were running in 2006 they repeatedly promised to draw down troop levels in Iraq. As the readers of this blog know I opposed going into Iraq in 2003 and I think we need to start pulling our troops out of Iraq today. I also do not want us to continue wasting American taxpayer dollars rebuilding Iraq. We are the largest debtor nation in the world and have no business going further in debt to rebuild Iraq.
2. The Democrats just caved in and not only extended the unconstitutional wiretapping powers granted by the Patriot Act; they expanded those powers while granting immunity to the telecommunications companies at the same time. (Note the Republicans have always been wrong on this issue; however, almost half of the Democrats joined with the Republicans to expand the wiretapping program.)
3. The Democrats promised a new energy policy. Since they have taken power oil and gas have increased in price and we still do not have a reasonable comprehensive energy policy (The only thing the Democrats have done right on the energy front is that they increased the CAFE standards which was a good idea).
The Democrats still oppose expanding domestic drilling and they have failed to join President Bush in his desire to expand nuclear power.
4. Currently the Democrats are trying to push through a housing bill that will bail out lenders like Countrywide who got greedy and made questionable loans to homeowners. This bill will likely bail out some homeowners and will put the taxpayers on the hook for these bad loans. It is shameful that the Democrats want to make the US taxpayer subsidize large lending companies and people who bought more house then they should have bought.
My real anger right now is directed at Democratic Senator Kent Conrad and Democratic Senator Chris Dodd. You really should take the time to read the below article at National Review Online:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmEwYzQ1NmY2NDc1ZGIzNTIzZDVkMTRhMzg4ZTA5ZGY=#more
The two Democratic Senators received loans at below market rates from Countrywide since they are V.I.P’s. This is shameful and should be investigated.
The Senate recently voted not to investigate Dodd or Conrad. All of the Democrats voted to not investigate Dodd and Conrad… Not a single Democrat who voted saw a problem with these below market loans.
The Democrats are no different than the Republicans they replaced. They prove it on issue after issue.
We need to elect a lot of new people to Congress…
Mike Sylvester
More On FISA Capitulation
After my previous diatribe about the Democrats caving to President Bush on the FISA amendment bill I thought I should write something more coherent and thought out. However, Hunter at Daily Kos (the best writer there IMO) already wrote something that captured my feelings exactly and probably in a way that’s more eloquent than I could hope to achieve. You can read the whole thing but here’s an excerpt:
Because of all the issues we’ve faced, in the last few years, this one was an absolute no-brainer, the one thing that the Democrats, no matter how stunningly incompetent, humiliatingly ineffective or bafflingly capitulating they may be, could manage to win simply by sitting on their damn hands. But no; it took serious work to lose on this one. Serious, burning-the-midnight-oil work to manage to quite so cravenly negate their own oversight duties.
[...]
We can understand that voting against funding for the war could be risky, if we were to presume that Bush would simply keep the troops in the Iraqi desert to rot regardless of funding. But this one? This petty, stinking issue of granting retroactive immunity to companies that violated the law, such that they need not even say how they violated the law, or when they violated the law, or how often, or against who, and the whole thing started before 9/11 so it is clear that terrorism wasn’t even a prime factor for doing it — that whole mess is now absolved, no lawsuits, no discovery, no evidence allowed to be presented?
No, that one is indefensible. It is indefensible because it requires not just passive acceptance of a corrupt administration performing illegal acts, but legislators actively condoning those acts with the stroke of a pen. The Democrats are determined to set themselves as partners in committing crimes, then absolving them; there should be nothing but contempt for such acts.
Democratic State Convention - Part 2
Andre Carson leads off the convention by making a grand entrance with some rap music in the background - not something you hear at most political events but it was kinda cool. Next there was some mundane business to go through and then the nominee for the Superintendent of Public Intstruction, Richard Wood, spoke.
Some guy in the crowd keeps playing a cowbell when each speaker is introduced. Every time I hear it I have to laugh because all I can think of is the classic SNL Blue Oyster Cult skit - MORE COWBELL.
Next came an extremely effective campaign video giving a bio on Linda Pence, nominee for attorney general. The video talked about her career fighting big oil companies and polluters. Whoever made that video should be doing more of that for all the candidates. Pence comes out and tells everyone she’s a tireless and relentless worker and will continue to do that for the citizens of Indiana. She tells the crowd she prosecuted greedy corporate executives who stole from American investors. She emphatically adds “I put them behind bars!”
Unfortunately I have to leave early but you can check out Left in Aboite and Left of Centrist for more convention coverage.
Democratic State Convention
Last night I had a great time going from room to room hamming it up with the rest of the politicos and delegates. There were several hospitality suites on a variety of floors. Congressmen Donnelly and Ellsworth had a hospitality suite and I went there to ask about their sellout FISA vote but by the time I made it to their room they were gone. I did get a chance to thank congressman Baron Hill for his vote against the FISA amendment and I spent the majority of my time in that room.
At 11:30pm the hotel management shut us down because things were too loud but we were allowed to go hang out in the lobby. Somehow I ended up with all the beer - and at midnight that is where the real political power is, heh.
This morning we elected our national delegates for the 3rd district. The Obama winners were Graham Richard and Sofia Rodriguez. Rick Stevenson wasn’t present for the vote which surprised me given he campaigned for the position although he did show up later. I’m not sure why the 3rd District got the shaft but our meeting room was ridiculously small and only about half the people could fit in with the other half having to wait in the hallway.
As an interesting aside I spoke with Graham Richard and he told me he’s considering blogging from the national convention. I told him that was a fantastic idea and I hope he ultimately decides to do that. Also of note Sandy Kennedy mentioned she will not be running for City Clerk in 2011.
The main convention meeting and speeches are just now starting up…
House Democrats - Great Work Today
It isn’t everyday you can vote to expand the President’s warrantless wiretapping program AND give immunity to companies that have admittedly violated the US Constitution.
I can’t say much about this right now because I’m simply too pissed off. I just want to say thanks to all the House Democrats who sold out their party and their country today by caving to the criminal Bush cabal and passing the draconian FISA amendment bill. Thanks for weakening the 4th amendment, expanding presidential power and granting amnesty to all the telecom companies that knowingly and willingly violated our constitutional rights by illegally spying on American citizens.
Congratulations for passing a bill the Republican controlled congress couldn’t get through. And you should all be very proud that Republicans actually have a higher favorable rating of you than Democrats. Awful jackasses.
And a big shout out to two of our new Democratic representatives in Indiana, Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth. I’m so glad that Democrats in this state worked so hard to send you to Washington. I don’t know what we’d do without you. I can’t wait to stop by your hospitality suite tonight before the State Democratic convention and ask why you sold us all out. Looking forward to your bullshit answers.
In all seriousness, a sincere thank you to Baron Hill and Andre Carson for standing up for civil liberties and putting our rights ahead of the major telecom campaign contributors.
See, I’ve probably said too much. Never blog while steaming mad…
Canyon Cliffs Moves To July 10
Subdivison goes to full panel
July 10 hearing for Canyon Cliffs (
Journal Gazette)
Supporters and opponents will have another chance to debate the merits of a northern Allen County luxury home development proposed on the Allen County Plan Commission president’s property.
The plan commission’s executive committee could not come to a unanimous decision Thursday, so the project will be sent back to the full plan commission for another public hearing July 10.
Allen County Commissioner Bill Brown cast the lone vote against the 28-home subdivision proposed northeast of Coldwater and Chapman roads. Brown said he wanted the entire plan commission to review plans for the Canyon Cliffs subdivision.
Charles Langley Is Back
Readers of the local blogosphere probably remember Charles Langley’s original blog Ad Fontes. Langley shut that down and disappeared for a while (from the internet anyway) but now he’s back with his new blog Deliberation. The new site seems to focus on the intersection of religion and politics among other things. Charles is an excellent writer and has always taken the time to try and start a dialog with his readers. I would encourage everyone to check it out…
Fort Wayne’s Manifest Destiny
The city administration continues to publicly support and promote Harrison Square and downtown development every chance they get. Unfortunately their policy of urban manifest destiny and suburban sprawl completely undermines their message. You simply cannot promote development in all corners of the city simultaneously.
Look at their current policies - provide tax abatements for suburban businesses, support Maplecrest Extension, expand sewer services to the northern edge of the county in support of the Canyon Cliffs development. Each and every one of these goes against their other stated policy of revitalizing the urban core.
The Canyon Cliffs sewage expansion is baffling on many levels. Now the city’s water expert, Ted Nitza, has joined the PR campaign. In Kevin Leininger’s column he states:
“I’m an environmentalist, too, but there are two kinds of environmentalists: preservationists who don’t want development no matter what, and people who realize that development will happen and want to use it to take care of yesterday’s and today’s problems
What a false choice. What Nitza has described is not an environmentalist perspective but an engineering one. Rational environmentalists understand development will always occur. But they look to re-use areas that have been neglected or areas that have little environmental value. No environmentalist in their right mind would look to develop the most cherished land in all of Allen County. His next statement is even more off-the-mark:
You Can Stop The Boondoggle Extension
Citizens routinely face an uphill battle when trying to lobby their local government officials but today presents a genuine opportunity to kill the wasteful $55 million Maplecrest Extension once and for all. Four of the seven county councilmembers are leaning towards voting against the project but you can bet the county commissioners, especially Nelson Peters, will be lobbying them hard until next Tuesday’s vote.
So now is our chance. Blogs are obviously nice to voice opinions and criticisms but we can also use them to organize. Five e-mails on a particular topic might catch the interest of a local official but can you imagine what 500 will do? I know that if you’re reading this site then you’re at least somewhat interested in local government. I strongly urge each and every one of you to take 5 minutes out of your day and send an e-mail to the 4 councilmembers that can kill this project.
You know this project makes no sense and is based on a bogus economic impact study. You can either act now or complain later. We can kill this project. Write an e-mail and ask others to do the same. Or write an e-mail and ask others to sign their name onto yours. Do whatever you can to let the county council know you do not support this wasteful project.
We’ve lost some battles in the past and we’ve won a few but do not let Nelson Peters beat us this time…
Darren Vogt - darrenvogt@allstate.com
Paul Moss - pmoss@lutheran-hosp.com
Roy Buskirk - rbuskirk@comcast.net
Cal Miller - csm@millermurphymiller.com
If you need a few ideas for your e-mail just think about these:
Boondoggle Road Lacks County Council Support
Council skeptical about Maplecrest
4 of 7 members lean against voting for $50 million project (News-Sentinel)
“With less than a week to go before the anticipated vote, it appears a sales job will be needed to persuade Allen County Council to support one of the largest and most-debated road projects in local history.
Although three Council members are solidly in favor of extending Maplecrest Road from Lake Avenue 1.5 miles south to Adams Center Road, the four remaining members said Tuesday they are leaning against the $50 million project, and will need to be persuaded with realistic financial data if they are to support it.”
