Tuesday, October 9, 2012

SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL 10/09/2012


THE OBAMA-NATION

“If you look back 60 years, and you look at all the months we had with unemployment above 8 percent before President Obama, there were 39 months in all 60 years with unemployment above 8 percent. With this president, there've been 43 months under one president alone." –Mitt Romney

WHEN DADDY COMES MARCHING HOME

I don’t care how tough you think you are, if this 2:58 second video doesn’t choke you up, then you must be a Vulcan; not a red-blooded American. (Hat tip: Morning Score)


GINGRICHES IN VEGAS TONIGHT!

Both Newt and Callista Gingrich will be in northwest Las Vegas on Tuesday evening, October 9, at 7:00 pm for a book-signing event at the Barnes & Noble store in the Rainbow Promenade at 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. 

Callista will be signing “Land of the Pilgrims' Pride: Ellis Discovers the 13 Colonies” and Newt will be signing “A Nation Like No Other: Why American Exceptionalism Matters.”  Stop by and say hello.


TAX-HIKING GUMBY REPUBLICANS
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Pardon me while I quote from the 2012 Nevada Republican Party Platform:

“We strongly support those in public office who resist higher taxes and fees, and seek to reduce the size, cost and scope of government at all levels.  We believe the residents of the State of Nevada are not under-taxed and that state government is not under-funded, and our current budget crisis is the result of years of overspending. We oppose raising taxes or fees of any kind to fund the current budget shortfall.”

Now, that’s in the official GOP platform.  So if I criticize any Republican candidates for taking a position contrary to this, get mad at THEM, not me.  And with that in mind…

Republican Sen. Michael Roberson has gone from saying in 2011 that “It’s the lazy legislator who says we can’t balance the budget and need to raise taxes,” to 2012 where he now supports re-imposing $600 million worth of tax hikes.

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

David McGrath Schwartz of the Las Vegas Sun reports that Republican state Sen. Greg Brower – who conveniently signed the Tax Pledge last year while running in a GOP primary race for Congress but has refused to sign it this year while running for re-election - has “promised not to cut education, even if that means raising taxes.”

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

In a separate story, Schwartz also reports that Republican state senate candidate Mari Nakishima St. Martin said she was willing to extend “some or all of the (tax hike) sunsets.”

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

Columnist Steve Sebelius noted on Sunday that Republican state senate candidate Steve Kirk “went out of his way” in his debate with his Democrat opponent last week to tell everybody he was not against raising taxes.  “If we determine that we need to raise taxes,” Kirk said, “let’s do our job.”

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

Sebelius also noted that Republican state senate candidate Mark Hutchison took a similar line in his own debate last week.  “Am I willing to talk about revenues?” he said at one point.  “Of course, I am.”

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

Assemblyman Scott Hammond, after giving verbal read-my-lips service to opposing tax hikes in 2010, is now running for the state senate.  He has neither signed the Tax Pledge nor taken a firm position against re-imposing the “sunsets.”  In other words, a typical Gumby Republican who will once again cave and vote for higher taxes next year.

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

And some still wonder why I left the GOP?

SLAMMING DEMOCRATS FOR VOTING LIKE RINOS
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In a mailer against Democrat state senate candidateJoyce Woodhouse, who’s running against RepublicanSteve Kirk, the Republican State Leadership Committee slams Woodhouse for “increas(ing) sales tax, payroll tax and vehicle registration as part of her big tax agenda.” 

The problem is, Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval and Sen. Michael Roberson now back that exact same “big tax agenda” as, apparently, do all of the other GOP state senate candidates who have refused to take a firm stand against extending those “sunsets.”

In a separate but similar RSLC mailer targeting Democrat state senate candidate Sheila Leslie, voters are warned: “Times are Tough.  Why Would You Vote for Someone Who Wants to Raise Your Taxes?” 

Good question.  Except that her Republican opponent, Sen. Greg Brower, now favors raising the exact same taxes Leslie has voted to raise.

The mailer also advises us to “Vote November 6th against Sheila Leslie’s higher taxes.” 

OK, fine.  But by definition, since Sen. Brower supports the same tax hike as Leslie, doesn’t that mean voters should vote against him, too?  Is it any wonder voters are confused as to what Republicans in Nevada stand for?

Seriously…how can Republicans with a straight face attack Democrats for voting for tax hikes that were also voted for last year by the following Republicans:
  • Sen. Ben Kieckhefer
  • Sen. Joe Hardy
  • Sen. Mike McGinness
  • Sen. Dean Rhoads
  • Assemblyman Pete “Tax My Meat” Goicoechea
  • Assemblyman Tom Grady
  • Assemblyman Scott Hammond
  • Assemblyman Ira Hansen
  • Assemblyman Pat Hickey
  • Assemblyman Randy Kirner
  • Assemblyman Kelly Kite
  • Assemblyman Mark Sure-Would
  • Assemblyman Lynn Stewart
  • Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury
So who’s the bad guy here?  Me (and others) for pointing out how some Republicans violate core principles of the GOP platform…or those Republicans who violate core principles of the GOP platform?

THE CONFUSION CONTINUES…

The National Republican Congressional Committee is slamming Democrat congressional candidate John Oceguera in a TV ad this week for voting for the “largest tax hikes” in Nevada history, saying that’s a bad thing. 

But the problem is a significant number of Republicans voted for those tax hikes, too!  Was it a bad thing for them to vote for higher taxes?  And if so, is it a bad thing for grassroots activists to say it’s a bad thing for Republicans to vote for higher taxes?

Seriously, how can Republican leaders and organizations and candidates slam Democrats for voting for tax hikes that so many Republicans themselves voted for without looking like major league hypocrites?  I mean, if it was wrong for Democrats to vote for higher taxes, then it was wrong for Republicans to do it, too. 

Maybe the tea partiers and Ron Paulers are right to be imposing a little party discipline on the Gumby Republicans?
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FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“If the parties would brand themselves, the way Coke and Pepsi and other products do, so that you knew what you were getting when you vote Republican, then Republicans who vote for a tax increases are rat heads in a Coke bottle.  They damage the brand for everyone else.” – Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform and “father” of the Tax Pledge

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