Economic Pain

ELECTION 2008

Voters say Obama's tax plan will hurt. Poll shows expectations are Dem would create 'personal economic pain'. Click link for article.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75604

Idiot quote of the day:

"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Biden said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

Americans can voluntarily pay more taxes if they feel like being more "patriotic" than the government requires. However, the "voluntary" account only receives approximately $2,000,000 a year. Where are the Kennedy's, the Kerry's, George Soros, the Clinton's, the Obama's, and Joe Biden (who gave on average over the last ten years less than $400 a year to charity)?

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Sign for audience members to hold up during any speech given by any democrat:

Roll Call -- The Sequel

Ted Stevens (R) Alaska

When we do our Roll Call series, we like to take the information directly from each senator’s website. Senator Stevens website set-up is difficult to copy and paste so the below links will take you to his website. The first link is Senator Stevens’ voting record and the second link is his dealings with issues.

http://stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=IssuesLegislation.VotingRecord

http://stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=IssueStatements.Home

The following information is taken from Wikipedia. Since anyone can post to Wikipedia, it’s possible that there could be errors in the provided information. That’s our disclaimer to the following post. If you want to know more or would like to check the accuracy of the below information, we’ll leave that search up to you.

Theodore Fulton Stevens is the longest serving Republican in the Senate. Stevens has had a six-decade career in government, beginning with his service in World War II. In the 1950s, he held senior positions in the Eisenhower Interior Department. He has served continuously in the Senate since December 1968. He is known for his sponsorship of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, which resulted in the establishment of the United States Olympic Committee.

On July 29, 2008, Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts of failing to report gifts received from VECO Corporation and its CEO Bill Allen on his Senate financial disclosure forms. Stevens is specifically charged with violating provisions of the Ethics in Government Act.

Stevens is running for re-election for his Senate seat in 2008. He won the Republican primary in August and will face Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich in the general election. (Blogger Comment: okay, this is a hard one for us. We have stated several times that we do not believe in career politicians and that the people need to use their vote to term limit their politicians. As the longest serving Republican in the Senate, Senator Stevens definitely falls in that category. It’s time for him to go. However, his opponent is a Democrat and we are really opposed to adding to the roster of Senate Democrats and giving Harry Reid a filibuster-proof Senate. Oh, what to do, what to do…)

Abortion

Stevens considers himself "pro-choice". According to Ontheissues.org and NARAL, Ted Stevens has a mildly pro-life voting record, despite some notable pro-choice votes.

However, as a former member of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership, Stevens presumably supported human embryonic stem cell research.

Global Warming

Stevens, once an avowed critic of anthropogenic climate change, began actively supporting legislation to combat climate change in early 2007. "Global climate change is a very serious problem for us, becoming more so every day," he said at a Senate hearing, adding that he was "concerned about the human impacts on our climate."

However, in September 2007, Stevens said:
“We're at the end of a long, long term of warming. 700 to 900 years of increased temperature, a very slow increase. We think we're close to the end of that. If we're close to the end of that, that means that we'll starting getting cooler gradually, not very rapidly, but cooler once again and stability might come to this region for a period of another 900 years.”

The following is taken directly from Senator Landrieu's website:

Mary Landrieu (D) Louisiana
I firmly believe that the best investment we can make in our future is in the education of our children.
As we bring the 109th Congress to a close and prepare for the 110th Congress, there are many education issues that we must focus on:

Finish What We Started in No Child Left Behind...
Two years ago, Congress laid down a plan for change. One of the founding principles of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was a commitment to hold States and school districts accountable for closing the achievement gap. Among other things, the No Child Left Behind Act requires states to provide a high quality education for every child and to place a highly qualified teacher in every classroom. In exchange for their commitment to reform, states were promised the funding necessary to do so.

If the promise of No Child Left Behind is to be fulfilled, we must not only continue the reforms begun under NCLB, we must fully invest in them. Since we made the commitment to go in this new direction, this Administration has left States to deal with $26.4 billion shortfall in education funding. While investments in education without accountability are a waste of tax-payer dollars, accountability without strategic investments in education are a waste of time. As a member of the committee on Appropriations, I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our schools have the tools they need to help every child. (Blogger Comment: “whatever is necessary” translates into more taxes. Why do politicians think that they can keep throwing money at issues that aren’t working? More money doesn’t make up for poor legislation or the lack of parental involvement in their child's education.)

Making the Dream of a College Education a Reality for All...
In today's world economy, having a college degree is fast becoming a necessary pre-requisite to long-term success. For too many American's, the rising cost of a college education has made graduating from college a dream instead of a goal. One of the most pressing issues before Congress is how to make college more affordable. (Blogger Comment: that’s not the role of government, nor is it any of their business.) There are many federal programs in place to help students pay for college, such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and ROTC, but these programs do not go as far as they used to in covering a student's tuition. In addition, outdated regulations and conflicting special interests serve as barriers for students trying to get help in paying for college.

I believe that the federal government can and should do more to help families afford for their children to go to college. (Blogger Comment: Here’s a tip – give us back our tax money and we can afford to pay for our own education.) As state treasurer, I worked with the Governor and the Legislature to begin the "Student Tuition Assistance Revenue Trust Program" (START). (Blogger Comment: Are you kidding? Were the people of Louisiana asleep when they passed this?)

In this next year, Congress will begin to look at issues affecting our colleges and universities and the students they serve. (Blogger Comment: Thanks for the warning. We’ll be all over that.)

Giving children a head start in life...
Over the last ten years, research on the development of the human brain has helped to us to reach a very important conclusion: if children are going to reach their full potential as adults, they must have access to early childhood education. With this in mind, each year, the federal government spends nearly $8 billion in early childhood programs that are designed to ensure that all children come to school ready to learn. This year, Congress will be taking a second look at these programs and hopes to strengthen and improve their impact on our nation's children (Blogger Comment: Since when is the federal government the expert on childhood education? Where does it say in the U.S. Constitution that the federal government is in charge of children reaching their full potential? And how would they know what that full potential is or what path is correct for each person to take to achieve that potential? Someone needs to pass legislation on saving common sense because it's becoming extinct! Geez…).

I would like to see more state involvement and community leadership in the area of early childhood education (Blogger Comment: Warning – conservative heads exploding all over the place. Why would parents want more state involvement in their child’s education? Everything the government touches, at either the state or federal level, ends up worse than when it started. The day is coming when the government will require that parents just turn their children over to the federal government to raise. Government-mandated education and curriculum is already molding the way children think. It's just a more subtle method of government raising children than actually taking the children out of the home.). Hospitals, universities and community based programs can play a vital role in extending the opportunity of a high quality education to all children. In Louisiana, we have seen that it pays to make this early investment. Through programs like LA-4 and Smart Start, communities across our state are giving the children of our state a chance to succeed.

Civil Rights
As part of her unwavering support for Civil Rights, Sen. Landrieu has called for the full reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act in 2007, saying, "The best way for us to honor the brave men and women who fought so hard for the right to vote is to ensure that the right is never taken away."

Believing that every family has a right to a quality education, better jobs, and affordable and accessible health care, Sen. Landrieu has sponsored and supported countless pieces of legislation expanding opportunities for all Americans. (Blogger Comment: This is a HUGE mistake that some Americans make. No one has a “right” to a quality education, health care, or a better job. Those are things that people work for – the “right” that Americans have is being free to pursue their dreams and goals. In fact, this kind of legislation ends up punishing others as they lose more of their hard-earned money and freedom to pay for someone else’s dream. We can all dream big, but we do it on our own time and money. The only time a person's dream can impose on someone else’s is when the giver does the giving freely. And why does anyone think that the government offers a "quality" education?!)

Anti-Lynching Resolution
Sen. Landrieu also believes that in order to move forward, we must recognize and learn from mistakes of the past. Because of Sen. Landrieu's vision, the United States Senate made history in 2005 when that body apologized to lynching victims and their families for the Senate's failure to enact federal anti-lynching legislation during the first part of the 20th century, when nearly 5,000 Americans have been documented as having been lynched.

In more than 200 years, the United States Senate has rarely found an occasion to apologize. But through the work of Senator Landrieu, the body apologized to lynching victims and their families for the Senate's failure to enact federal anti-lynching legislation during the first part of the 20th century (Blogger Comment: It’s very sad that we even need anti-lynching legislation. What happened to the Bible and loving your neighbor?).

Small Business
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, one of my top priorities has been assisting affected small businesses in Louisiana. These businesses will be key to the economic recovery of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast and there are numerous ways that I am working to help these businesses:
Gulf Coast Open for Business Act of 2006

The Gulf Coast Open for Business Act is meant to address the needs of small businesses along the Gulf Coast, focus on the long-term recovery of the region, and aid victims of future disasters. I introduced this bill to create new tools, bolster existing programs that work, and ensure accountability at all levels so we can help the people of the Gulf Coast reopen their small businesses which will in turn help all of us reopen our homes. This legislation calls for:
· Critical provisions to ensure oversight of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) disaster loan program and contracting practices.
· Authorizes the SBA to pay banks to process disaster loans.
· Changes the Stafford Act to require local firms to get preference for 10 percent of contracts.
· Requires the SBA to develop a comprehensive disaster response plan by the start of the hurricane season (June 1).
The Gulf Coast Open for Business Act also includes some provisions from bipartisan legislation (S. 1807) championed by Sens. Landrieu, Kerry, and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, last fall, including:
· Authorizing $50 million in grants to states for Bridge loans to get immediate financial assistance to those devastated by a disaster.
· Providing authority to SBA to back disaster loans for non-profits located or operating in the disaster area or helping evacuees.
· Declaring the disaster areas as Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones) giving small businesses in the disaster area preference for contracts.
· Extending the deadline for applying for disaster loans and granting borrowers a one-year grace period after receiving a loan to begin repaying, including interest.
· Increasing disaster mitigation loan amounts so borrowers can apply for 20 percent of the total assessed damage.
· Waiving the cap on grants to Small Business Development Centers.

I have heard from countless Louisiana businesses that they are frustrated by the Federal Government's response following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (Blogger Comment: This is classic Democrat. Democrats want bigger government to legislate more social programs, yet they complain about the very assistance they demand. This one sentence by Senator Landrieu explains why Republicans want the government to get out of our business and let us handle our communities without government red tape. The first responders to Katrina were private organizations and churches – not the government. Let’s get the government out of the way of these private organizations so that they can provide relief and emergency help. Can any Democrat explain why they want government help from a government who rarely comes through for them?) In Small Business Committee hearings, floor speeches, and through legislation since these disasters, I have focused on creating a more responsive and transparent Small Business Administration. Without this important agency, our businesses cannot fully recover so I want to ensure that it is doing everything it can to help our affected businesses as well as that the SBA is better prepared and more accountable for future disasters.

Appropriations
The Appropriations Committee of which Sen. Landrieu is a member writes legislation allocating federal funds to the numerous government agencies, departments and organizations on an annual basis. Some of this funding is spent directly by the agency, department or organization, and some is then distributed to states, municipalities and local organizations. (Blogger Comment: Why don’t they appropriate less taxes?)

Roll Call - Revisited

Another installment of Roll Call. Get to know your Senators. Information on the senators was taken directly from their websites.


Pat Roberts (R) Kansas

Energy - In order to stabilize energy prices, we need to find new energy resources at home to increase our supply. With this in mind, I support the exploration and production of our oil and natural gas resources in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Furthermore, I support additional exploration and production in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off our shores.

In addition to finding new sources of fossil fuels, we need to look to renewable resources to help meet our energy needs. Kansas plays a vital role in the renewable energy industry. Kansas is home to 7 operating ethanol plants with many more in development. Currently ranked 7th in the nation, Kansas produces 170 million gallons of ethanol per year with an additional 40 million per year scheduled to come on line soon. As most Kansans know, the Great Plains and prairies provide a plentiful amount of wind. Several utility companies have come to realize this and have invested in wind energy in Kansas.

Environment - With my support, in 2005 and 2007 Congress passed and the president signed into law two bills (P.L.109-58 and P.L.110-140), which begin to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of energy and increase our supply of domestic energy resources. Among other things, the bills promote the development and use of renewable energy resources produced and harvested in Kansas, including ethanol and wind power. For example, the 2005 law provides incentives for Kansas oil and gas producers to explore resources within our own country.

Small Business - I have long supported efforts to help small businesses grow and expand. Small businesses are America's job creators. They create hope and opportunity for our entrepreneurs and workers, and are essential to our nation's economic prosperity. In the past decade, more than 60 percent of all jobs were created by small businesses. These businesses employ more than half of the nation's private-sector workforce. According to the Small Business Administration, 69,241 businesses with employees in Kansas, an estimated 96.6 percent, or 67,120, are small firms.

I support tax policies to encourage small business growth and to reduce the regulatory burden on these businesses.

Although most working Americans receive health insurance from their employers, small businesses find it particularly difficult to offer benefits because of the high cost. Small businesses should not have to choose between staying in business or offering health insurance to their employees. This is why I am a cosponsor of S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act. This legislation allows small businesses to pool together and purchase health insurance, giving these businesses better purchasing power, much like large businesses such as Microsoft or Ford have long enjoyed. These plans, known as Small Business Health Plans (SBHPs), will give small businesses an affordable choice for health care and will allow these businesses to choose a health plan that best fits their needs. (Blogger Comment: As long as it isn't socialized medicine and doesn't involve federal funds, we're for the Small Business Health Plans.)

Second Amendment - I am a strong supporter of congressional efforts to preserve our Second Amendment right to bear arms. Furthermore, I am opposed to actions that infringe on those rights and do not effectively reduce crime and violence. Firearm laws should only be enacted with the intent to punish criminal activity. Rather than chipping away at fundamental liberties backed by the Constitution, we should target the real problem-mainly crime. Attempts to reduce violent crime must focus on punishing criminals, not punishing law-abiding citizens and businesses.

Immigration - I have and will continue to support legislation that strengthens the security of our borders and reduces illegal immigration. I will carefully scrutinize proposals that affect our nation's immigration policies and will work to ensure that Americans are first in line for available jobs and that those remaining jobs go to a legal workforce.

With the growing diversity of our work force in Kansas, it is essential for our continued economic growth that official business is conducted in English. I have long supported declaring English as the national language of the United States. We have an obligation to ensure that non-English speaking citizens have an opportunity to learn English and fully share all the economic, social and political opportunities existing in Kansas and the rest of the nation.

Family - Throughout my years as a public servant I have consistently supported efforts that promote strong family values based on a strong moral foundation. I believe that every life is a precious gift that we all have a responsibility to protect. As my record clearly shows, I oppose abortion on demand and the federal funding of abortions. In addition, I continue to oppose the use of tax dollars to fund abortion services at home and overseas.

Along this line, I am a cosponsor of the Marriage Protection Act. The resolution proposes to amend the Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. I support this legislation because I believe it is wrong for a select minority to impose their definition of marriage on the nation, as we have witnessed through the actions of some state supreme courts.

Kansas adheres to a longstanding policy that does not recognize same sex marriages. That policy was confirmed in April 2005 when seventy percent of Kansans voted overwhelmingly in favor to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. I continue to support efforts that preserve the institution of marriage as a cornerstone of our society.


Carl Levin (D) Michigan

Education - Senator Levin has worked consistently to make the federal government an effective partner in helping Michigan communities meet new and growing challenges to our public education system.

In 1979, his first year in the Senate, (Blogger Comment: The people of Michigan need to consider replacing Senator Levin. Thirty years in one political office makes a career politician, which is never a good idea, regardless of how much the politician is liked. Career politicians eventually lose sight of the state and people they represent and get lost in their personal power and ambitions, and many times involve their politics in the political maneuverings of lobbyists. There may not be a term limit law, but the American people can impose term limits by voting the person out of office. We feel this way about all politicians, Republican or Democrat.) Senator Levin supported congressional efforts to create the U.S. Department of Education, making it a cabinet level agency, with a mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout our nation's schools (Blogger Comment: this is not the role of government, especially at the federal level). Today, the department's elementary and secondary programs serve over 15,000 school districts and more than 50 million students attending over 92,000 public schools (Blogger Comment: Yet, education is still not “equal” throughout the nation. That’s because equality can’t be achieved by an agency in Washington, D.C. There are stories across the nation of inner city schools not receiving the attention and funding that higher economic areas receive. The local communities, parents especially, need to be involved in the education of local youth. They are the ones who have the most to gain with educating their children.). The department also provides grants, loans and work-study assistance to more than eight million higher education students.

Senator Levin believes federal funds for education should be targeted to help recruit and train quality teachers, reduce class size, repair aging school buildings, integrate technology into the classroom, provide after-school activities for all children and help establish a system that holds schools (Blogger Comment: what about parents?) accountable for children's academic progress. (Blogger Comment: while these ideas sound good, federal funding for education is not the role of the federal government. Furthermore, part of the reason we have parents who are disconnected from their childrens’ education is because the federal government is trying to assume the parents' responsibility. First and foremost, family should be involved in education and next should be the local communities. Just because they hold public office doesn’t mean that the members of Congress or the President know anything about educating children.)

Minimum Wage - Senator Levin is an original cosponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would raise the minimum wage by $0.70 in three increments, with an end result of a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. On January 10, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the minimum wage increase. The Senate passed the minimum wage bill on February 1, 2007.

Senator Levin believes that a full-time minimum wage job should provide a minimum standard of living in addition to giving workers the dignity that comes with a paycheck. These lower paid workers, many of whom have entered the workforce due to the welfare reform, should be rewarded for going to work, not penalized by a poverty level wage.

A higher minimum wage has the potential to ensure that lower paid workers will be protected from falling into poverty and possibly back on the welfare rolls. (Blogger Comment: In addition to not being professional educators, elected officials are also not economists. It would be wonderful if everyone could live above the poverty level. It’s a shame that there are people who have to work so hard for so little. Unfortunately, significant minimum wage increases would shut down small businesses and lay off workers at larger businesses since neither could afford the pay increases. We would see a huge increase in inflation and joblessness. There is no quick or easy way to fix this problem. However, low wage jobs can be used to provide needed experience to move to more stable businesses with higher wages.)

Prescription Drugs - While prescription drugs hold the promise of healthier lives for the American people, the high cost of those drugs puts them out of the reach of too many. In the worst cases, our citizens go without these drugs; or they try to make their prescription last longer by only taking one pill when they should take two; or they skip a day. For many seniors, prescription medications are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in the United States at affordable prices. Far too often, seniors must choose between paying their utility bill or paying for their prescription.

Senator Levin has traveled throughout Michigan and listened to the stories of citizens who are trying to pay for expensive prescriptions. They wonder why our neighbors in Canada are able to buy the exact same drug, manufactured in the United States, for half the price. Senator Levin's office conducted a survey in July 2003 of ten of the most commonly prescribed prescription drugs. In every case, the prescription cost significantly less in Canada than the same drug in the United States. A survey done by the Associated Press in November 2003 found that prices for ten of the most popular drugs are 33% to 80% less expensive in Canada than in the United States.

Senator Levin has long been a supporter of drug re-importation legislation, allowing Americans to buy U.S.-made drugs at Canadian prices. In 2005, he co-sponsored a bipartisan bill, the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act (S.334), that would allow U.S. licensed pharmacists and drug wholesalers to import FDA-approved medications from Canada. (Blogger Comment: There are two issues here. The first is that Canada has socialized medicine which means that the Canadians are still paying high prices for their drugs; they are just paying the majority of it through their approximately 35% or more income tax, not to mention Canada’s 15% sales tax. It just appears that they are paying half price for prescriptions at the counter. The second issue is that America has a problem with insurance companies. Insurance companies monopolize and control American medicine. Before we entertain the idea of socializing our own medicine, we need to address the monopoly that insurance companies have on our health care.)

Roll Call

"There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him." ~ Robert Heinlein

We will be posting information on Congress members who are up for re-election in November. Even though you may not live in their state, it’s good to get to know the people who legislate in Washington, D.C. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have taught all of us that, regardless of the state he/she represents, their decisions and votes impact all of us.

Jeff Sessions (R) Alabama

Senator Jeff Sessions is a former U.S. Attorney and Attorney General for Alabama. He believes in appointing judges who refuse to legislate from the bench and are bound by the Constitution to interpret the rule of law as it is written.

Senator Sessions is a fiscal conservative who believes in low taxes and less spending. However, he has also worked to help Alabama receive over $51 million in federal environmental funding from the Department of Interior through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). That may be a problem for fiscal conservatives who want government funding and spending to be significantly decreased.

On July 24, 2008, Senator Sessions introduced an amendment to legislation pending in the Senate that would increase production of American energy by opening more than 800,000 acres of the Gulf of Mexico to new oil and gas exploration.

The following is from Senator Sessions’ website:
“We have an energy crisis in this country, and we need to pursue every avenue that leads to energy independence and lower prices for consumers,” Sessions said. “That includes more conservation, transitioning to alternative fuels, and producing more American energy here at home.”

The amendment would open a rectangular stretch of land, referred to as the stovepipe, that runs from approximately 25 to 100 miles due south of Alabama’s Gulf coast. The Mineral Management Service estimates the area contains 180 million barrels of oil and 1.42 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

The stovepipe is highly regarded by energy experts because its relatively shallow waters and close proximity to existing pipelines limit the need for new infrastructure, allowing production to come online more quickly than in some deepwater areas.

New drilling technology makes it possible to produce offshore energy safely. In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita moved through an area of the Gulf of Mexico that was home to more than 4,000 offshore rigs. Following the storms, Department of Interior Secretary Gale Norton reported that “Despite such intense winds and powerful waves offshore, we experienced no . . . significant spills from any offshore well on the outer continental shelf.”

The below link will take you to Senator Sessions voting record.
http://sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeResources.VotingRecord


Mark Pryor (D) Arkansas

Social Security: “ We must preserve and protect Social Security. To that end, I am strongly opposed to taking money out of the Social Security trust fund and investing it in the stock market.”

Taxes: “As Senator, I will work to lower taxes for working families and fight for the needs of everyday Arkansans, because the state's economy revolves around these individuals. I support updating and modernizing our tax laws to shield small business owners and family farmers from the estate tax. I am working toward a bipartisan solution to increase the estate tax exemption to $5 million ($10 million for married couples) and reduce the tax to a 35 percent marginal rate. For estates worth more than $30 million, the benefit of this exemption would be phased out. I do not believe full repeal of the estate tax is a fiscally responsible option at this time. However, my approach eases the estate tax burden for all families and most likely erases it entirely for virtually every small business owner and family farmer in Arkansas.” (Blogger comment: Does the Democrat party know about this guy? If he keeps talking about lowering taxes, he’ll be kicked out of the party.)

Education: “I support traditional ideas, like raising teachers’ salaries to keep our best and brightest educators in the state. I support providing our high school students with the opportunity to further their education at institutions of higher learning, regardless of their economic background. Also, I will work hard to increase Title I funding for disadvantaged children and reduce class size for students in first through third grades.

“But the system also needs an influx of new ideas, such as providing all young children with early developmental skills that are needed for future success. As your senator, I support increased funding to Arkansas schools for modernization and repair as well as investments in professional development for teachers so they can better educate their students.”

Health Care: “ I support tax credits to help employers obtain health insurance for their employees and tax credits for individuals who purchase coverage on their own. I also believe that Congress needs to make health care more accessible to rural families and help rural health care providers cope with rising costs and the difficulties of providing services in sparsely populated areas.” (Blogger comment: Ahhh… that sounds more like the Democrat party. Whew! We were starting to wonder what we were going to do with the extra money we would get from the tax cuts he supports. Evidently it’s going to go towards college tuition and health care.)

Incompetence

If you can cast doubt on the skills and abilities of others, there is no end to the things you can fail at without being noticed.

Harry Reid - Incompetence

Isn't that redundant?