I Was Right! Senator Mark Warner Is A Coward!

Yes! I said it! Mark Warner (D-VA) is a coward of the first order!

On May 24, 2010, I posted the following:

Letters To Webb And Warner Concerning The Applause Offered To Felipe Calderon By The Democrats
84rules
May 24, 2010

In my letter to Warner, I made the following points and mentioned that I did not expect him to have the courage or integrity to respond to any of them:

Why do you roll over like a submissive puppy when a foreign leader who has no integrity on the issue of illegal immigration maliciously insults the United States and you simply go along with your fellow Democrats because it somehow suits you to see the United States so wrongfully and viciously maligned? Why have you not called out your fellow Democrats and demanded to know why they rendered such honors to a man who oversees one of the worst human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere while criticizing a much more humane and lenient U.S. system? Why have you not called out Attorney General Eric Holder for offering unjustified criticism on a bill that he hadn’t even read and which only mirrors Federal law which he, as “top cop,” is obligated to uphold? Why have you not demanded that the Obama administration enforce Federal law rather than unjustly criticize a U.S. State for daring to enforce a law which the Federal government has been overtly failing to enforce?

Well, here is Warner's response:

Thank you for contacting me regarding our nation's immigration system. I appreciate the benefit of your views on this important issue. Our current immigration system is broken, which is why I believe Congress should work to pass bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform. Comprehensive immigration reform should include policies to secure our nation's borders, curb future illegal immigration, establish an effective employer verification system and find a practical solution for the millions of illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. I do not believe that illegal immigrants should gain an unfair advantage from their actions. Any effort to earn legal status must include paying back taxes, a fine or penalty and taking steps to learn English. Reform should also not penalize those individuals who have followed the law and are here legally. On April 23, 2010, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law Arizona State Bill 1070, which grants broad powers to local law enforcement officials to determine and request proof of legal status of anyone suspected of violating federal immigration laws. The enactment of this new law is yet another sign that the federal government needs to act to fix our broken immigration system rather than allowing for a state-by-state patchwork of laws and ordinances. I also believe Arizona's law raises civil rights concerns, fails to recognize the economic contributions of legal immigrant workers, and harms our nation's ability to attract entrepreneurs from around the world who create jobs here in the United States. Our nation faces many tough challenges. Immigration reform is a complicated and difficult issue but the current system is not working. We must put our differences aside to create a better system. Again, thank you for writing. As we move forward in the 111th Congress, please continue to contact me with your opinions and concerns. Sincerely, MARK R. WARNER United States Senator

He did not address one single point of my original letter. Instead, like a scared dog, he tucked his tail between his legs and simply rattled off a bunch of meaningless talking points. In his criticism of Arizona law, he completely ignored how Title 8 of the United States Code makes Arizona's law completely Constitutional, which I also pointed out to him in my original letter.

Clearly, Mark Warner is a coward who cannot be trusted to answer straightforward questions nor can he be the least bit expected to stand up to the corruption and wrong-doing of his own party, even when his own party applauds a foreign leader who is viciously and hypocritically maligning the United States.

Any supporters of Warner or members of his staff are strongly encouraged to respond to this post as a public debate on this issue will certainly go a long way to allowing a greater understanding of Warner's detachment from reality regarding this issue.

Now, it remains to be seen if Mr. Webb's cowardice will be the equal of Mr. Warner's.

Letters To Webb And Warner Concerning The Applause Offered To Felipe Calderon By The Democrats

And, here is the latest travel warning from the U.S. State Department regarding fake Mexican Checkpoints:

Travel Warning
U.S. State Department
May 24, 2010

If you were watching the news last week, then you know that when Mexican Presdient Felipe Calderon addressed a joint session of Congress and viciously and hypocritically maligned the United States, the Democrats jumped up and applauded his anti-American diatribe. I have written to both of my Senators, both of whom are Democrats and both of whom jumped up and applauded with their peers.

Feel free to use them as guides in writing your own Senators and Representatives and letting them know that you do not appreciate them applauding a foreign leader coming to America and making hypocritical criticisms.

Any supporters of Jim Webb or Mark Warner are especially encouraged to respond to this post. I would love a public debate about how these two humiliated the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Letter to Webb:

Mr. Webb, I am writing this letter to express my extreme disappointment, not to mention disgust, in the way you and your fellow Democrats applauded Mexican President Felipe Calderon as he hypocritically criticized a sovereign U.S. State, namely Arizona, for enacting a law meant to protect its citizens from a known threat. This display of anti-Americanism is not only inappropriate coming from a foreign leader addressing the National Legislature, but to have watched elected officials of the United States Congress applaud such hypocrisy was completely insulting. A little background is in order here. As you know, Attorney General Eric Holder admitted before a Senate committee that he had not read the Arizona law before he offered criticism of it. He further admitted that he only knew what he heard on TV news shows or read in newspapers. Well, we know that the major networks and major newspapers are more for pushing agendas than they are for reporting real news, thus it is easy to understand why Mr. Holder was so far off base in making his unfounded charges. Had Mr. Holder (and the various Democrat members of Congress, including yourself) done due diligence, he would have discovered that the Arizona law simply mirrors Federal law. According to Michael A. Zuckerman, a lawyer writing for CBS, “tucked away in Title 8 of the U.S. Code is a provision that expressly authorizes federal immigration officers, without a warrant, ‘to interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or to remain in the United States.’ (See 8 U.S.C. 1357). This is eerily similar to the Arizona law.” Enforcement of U.S. immigration law is among the most lenient in the Americas. It is certainly more lenient than the immigration law enforcement in Mexico, and U.S. law enforcement officials are much more humane in the execution of their duties than are their Mexican counter-parts. For example: Amnesty International released a report on Mexico’s treatment of illegal aliens coming through its own southern border. Rupert Knox, Amnesty’s Mexico Researcher reported: “Migrants in Mexico are facing a major human rights crisis leaving them with virtually no access to justice, fearing reprisals and deportation if they complain of abuses. Persistent failure by the authorities to tackle abuses carried out against irregular migrants has made their journey through Mexico one of the most dangerous in the world." These abuses include kidnapping for ransom, robbery and rape. Mexico's National Human Rights Commission reported in 2009 that nearly 10,000 were abducted over a six month period. Half of those victims indicated that public officials were involved in their kidnapping. Estimates are that six out of 10 migrant women and girls experience sexual violence at the hands of Mexican authorities. And yet, the man who oversees all of this saw fit to criticize United States immigration policy in front of a joint session of Congress? How bewildering is that? Even more bewildering is that you and your fellow Democrats gave this man approval of his hypocrisy by applauding him! I cannot think of anything more offensive or disgusting in regards to illegal immigration. I also cannot think of any reason why you Democrats would assume that average Americans like me wouldn’t see through the sham and not feel that our intelligence is being insulted. You claim to be a man who was “Born Fightin’” and yet, you roll over like a submissive puppy when a foreign leader who has no integrity on the issue of illegal immigration maliciously insults the United States and you simply go along with your fellow Democrats because it somehow suits you to see the United States so wrongfully and viciously maligned. If you were truly “Born Fightin’” you would be calling out your fellow Democrats and demanding to know why they rendered such honors to a man who oversees one of the worst human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere while criticizing a much more humane U.S. system. If you were truly “Born Fightin’” you would call out Attorney General Eric Holder for offering unjustified criticism on a bill that he hadn’t even read and which only mirrors Federal law which he, as “top cop,” is obligated to uphold. If you were truly “Born Fightin’” you would demand that the Obama administration enforce Federal law rather than unjustly criticize a U.S. State for daring to enforce a law which the Federal government has been overtly failing to enforce. I know that as a Democrat you will not do these things since your record clearly shows that you put party above principle and that the concerns of leftist special interests are more important to you than the concerns of the Commonwealth of Virginia. If I am wrong in this assumption, please prove it by publically stating your own disgust at the way the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress reacted to such a brutal display of anti-Americanism from President Calderon. Personally, I do not believe that you possess the courage or integrity to do any of these things and if you did anything at all, it would be mere lip-service and ultimately inconsequential. You haven’t shown any courage in the past when it comes to standing up to the wrong-doings of your own party and it doesn’t look like you will in the near future. I do not even believe that you will directly address any of the points I made in this letter in your response to me, that is, if you even respond at all. Also, I know that the major talking point of the Democrats is to say that “the Republicans did it.” This is a cop-out. The Democrats are in power now and, after applauding the hypocrite Calderon, own this issue completely. 2012 is little more than two years away and we are watching you. We are taking note of every time you do something to insult our intelligence, humiliate the Commonwealth or put party above the concerns and wishes of the people of Virginia.

Letter to Warner:

Mr. Warner, I am writing this letter to express my extreme disappointment, not to mention disgust, in the way you and your fellow Democrats applauded Mexican President Felipe Calderon as he hypocritically criticized a sovereign U.S. State, namely Arizona, for enacting a law meant to protect its citizens from a known threat. This display of anti-Americanism is not only inappropriate coming from a foreign leader addressing the National Legislature, but to have watched elected officials of the United States Congress applaud such hypocrisy was completely insulting. A little background is in order here. As you know, Attorney General Eric Holder admitted before a Senate committee that he had not read the Arizona law before he offered criticism of it. He further admitted that he only knew what he heard on TV news shows or read in newspapers. Well, we know that the major networks and major newspapers are more for pushing agendas than they are for reporting real news, thus it is easy to understand why Mr. Holder was so far off base in making his unfounded charges. Had Mr. Holder (and the various Democrat members of Congress, including yourself) done due diligence, he would have discovered that the Arizona law simply mirrors Federal law. According to Michael A. Zuckerman, a lawyer writing for CBS, “tucked away in Title 8 of the U.S. Code is a provision that expressly authorizes federal immigration officers, without a warrant, ‘to interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or to remain in the United States.’ (See 8 U.S.C. 1357). This is eerily similar to the Arizona law.” Enforcement of U.S. immigration law is among the most lenient in the Americas. It is certainly more lenient than the immigration law enforcement in Mexico, and U.S. law enforcement officials are much more humane in the execution of their duties than are their Mexican counter-parts. For example: Amnesty International released a report on Mexico’s treatment of illegal aliens coming through its own southern border. Rupert Knox, Amnesty’s Mexico Researcher reported: “Migrants in Mexico are facing a major human rights crisis leaving them with virtually no access to justice, fearing reprisals and deportation if they complain of abuses. Persistent failure by the authorities to tackle abuses carried out against irregular migrants has made their journey through Mexico one of the most dangerous in the world." These abuses include kidnapping for ransom, robbery and rape. Mexico's National Human Rights Commission reported in 2009 that nearly 10,000 were abducted over a six month period. Half of those victims indicated that public officials were involved in their kidnapping. Estimates are that six out of 10 migrant women and girls experience sexual violence at the hands of Mexican authorities. And yet, the man who oversees all of this saw fit to criticize United States immigration policy in front of a joint session of Congress? How bewildering is that? Even more bewildering is that you and your fellow Democrats gave this man approval of his hypocrisy by applauding him! I cannot think of anything more offensive or disgusting in regards to illegal immigration. I also cannot think of any reason why you Democrats would assume that average Americans like me wouldn’t see through the sham and not feel that our intelligence is being insulted. Why do you roll over like a submissive puppy when a foreign leader who has no integrity on the issue of illegal immigration maliciously insults the United States and you simply go along with your fellow Democrats because it somehow suits you to see the United States so wrongfully and viciously maligned? Why have you not called out your fellow Democrats and demanded to know why they rendered such honors to a man who oversees one of the worst human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere while criticizing a much more humane and lenient U.S. system? Why have you not called out Attorney General Eric Holder for offering unjustified criticism on a bill that he hadn’t even read and which only mirrors Federal law which he, as “top cop,” is obligated to uphold? Why have you not demanded that the Obama administration enforce Federal law rather than unjustly criticize a U.S. State for daring to enforce a law which the Federal government has been overtly failing to enforce? I know that as a Democrat you will not do these things since your record clearly shows that you put party above principle and that the concerns of leftist special interests are more important to you than the concerns of the Commonwealth of Virginia. If I am wrong in this assumption, please prove it by publically stating your own disgust at the way the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress reacted to such a brutal display of anti-Americanism from President Calderon. Personally, I do not believe that you possess the courage or integrity to do any of these things and if you did anything at all, it would be mere lip-service and ultimately inconsequential. You haven’t shown any courage in the past when it comes to standing up to the wrong-doings of your own party and it doesn’t look like you will in the near future. I do not even believe that you will directly address any of the questions I ask in this letter in your response to me, that is, if you even respond at all. Also, I know that the major talking point of the Democrats is to say that “the Republicans did it.” This is a cop-out. The Democrats are in power now and, after applauding the hypocrite Calderon, own this issue completely. 2014 is not far away and we are watching you. We are taking note of every time you do something to insult our intelligence, humiliate the Commonwealth or put party above the concerns and wishes of the people of Virginia.

I'm not holding my breath for any kind of meaningful response from either one of these cowards.

Polls Apart: Democrats Should Not Bank On Obama In November

This Congress has been under more scrutiny than any other Congress in modern history. That means that Representatives and Senators will not be able to hide their voting records behind rhetoic or spin without the general population being able to identify them as either ignorant or liars. A year ago, the Democrats didn't seem very worried about that. But they better be worried about it now. In fact, it is a wonder that many of the freshmen Dems who won seats from traditionally Republican districts are even bothering to run for re-election after the disaster they have created for themselves by following Barack Obama off of a cliff.

And even though the next Virginia Senate race isn't until 2012, Jim Webb is already beginning his campaign by sending out emails filled with lies about Tea Party supporters and insults towards the Republicans. Apparently Webb knows better than to highlight his own unpopular voting record. But people like me will be there to remind everyone of exactly what type of leftist Jim Webb is. Again, it is a wonder why he is even considering running for re-election since he cannot hide from his voting record which will clearly show how he has helped to run up a debt that our grand-children won't be able to pay and how he is in favor of more unwanted government intrusion into our lives. Warner will be gone two years behind Webb.

Writing for the Weekly Standard, Jonathan V. Last tells us why:

When the president took office in January 2009, Gallup measured his overall job approval at 67 percent, with 86 percent of blacks approving. Since then, blacks have shown an increasingly favorable opinion of him. ... Using Gallup’s data, blacks push Obama’s overall number up by about 5 points; using Rasmussen’s by roughly 7 points. ... The median congressional district has a black population of only 6.41 percent. This uneven dispersal magnifies the disparity of approval between Obama’s base and the rest of the country. If relatively few congressional districts look like America, then in most congressional districts Obama’s job approval is likely to be lower—anywhere from 2 to 7 points lower—than the national average.

That will spell major difficulties for the Dems this November. They might want to seriously rethink that thunderous applause they gave when they shoved Nationalized Health Care down our throats.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Polls Apart: Why Imperiled Congressional Democrats Can Take No Solace From Obama’s Approval Ratings
Jonathan V. Last
The Weekly Standard
March 29, 2010

The New Tax Rebellion Has Begun

So, how have you benefitted from the 67,500 word document known as the U.S. Tax Code? Probably not at all. In fact, just having a job and living here in the U.S. means that it has touched you in multiple negative ways although you may not have realized it. Do you think that the prices you pay for goods and services are not artificially inflated by that tax code? If so, you think wrong.

But there is good news coming from middle America. People everywhere are starting to wake up to the fact that our tax code is destructive to everyday taxpayers while only being beneficial to Congress and a few wealthy people who have enough money to make Congress listen to them. That's why the current rebellion is underway. If you wish to become one of the rebels, just go to the following website:

On-Line Tax Revolt

Here is what Micheal Reagan has to say:

Tea Party patriots, FairTaxers, Flat Taxers, and most Americans of every political persuasion understand that the federal tax system fuels unchecked government spending, hides the cost of government from the American taxpayer and has become corrupted into indecipherability by Congressional profits and power. Citizens are coming together from across the political spectrum and across the nation to wake Washington up to the voice of the American people. Citizens are rejecting the idea that huge government borrowing and debt has been secured by pledging the future earnings of generations of Americans not yet born.

That is where Obama, Pelosi and Reid made their mistake and where charlatans like Jim Webb and Mark Warner exposed themselves for what they really are: Socialists who think nothing of stealing the futures of our children and grandchildren.

I do not recall one single person during the last election cycle who said that they wanted to pass along trillions of dollars worth of debt to succeeding generations. But somewhere in there, the Dems have convinced themselves that this is what they heard.

This November, we need to send a message back to D.C. that our children and granchildren are worht fighting for, and if Congress won't fight for them, then we will replace our Representatives and Senators with people who will.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

The Next American Tax Rebbellion Has Begun
Michael Reagan
TownHall.com
March 1, 2010

Messages To Senators Webb And Warner Regarding The Socialized Health Care Bill Vote Today

Here is the text I sent to them:

I am writing to ask you to please vote "Nay" on the upcoming cloiture vote regarding the socialized Health Care package that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are trying to push through Congress. This bill is a disaster waiting to happen, just as similar measures became disasters in countries like Great Britain and Canada whose Health Care systems have suffered immeasuraby under similar legislation. Further, this bill will only serve to undermine the freedom of choice that we Americans enjoy in our current Health Care system and it may very well be a violation of the 4th Amendment. Under the 4th Amendment, Americans are guaranteed freedom from unwarranted searches and siezures, yet this bill authorizes the Internal Revenue Service to arbitrarily look into the private bank accounts of American citizens and even to take money out of those accounts without the accounts holder's knowledge or permission, all without warrant or probable cause. That alone is reason enough to vote "Nay." America does want reform for Health care, but not the currently proposed bill which will ultimately result in a government take-over. We want tort reform that will prevent ambulance chasing lawyers like John Edwards (D-NC) from becoming millionaires overnight from junk-science lawsuits which end up forcing people to pay higher incurance premiums to cover the losses. We want greater choice in health insurance by lifting the ban on inter-state insurance plans. None of this is addressed in the Reid-Pelosi versions of these bills. Further, we want to choice to "opt-out" of the government run "public option" that has been such a dismal failure in Canada and Great Britain. The current "opt-out" language is a joke as no governor of any state will ever deny benefits to his/her citizens if they still have to pay the taxes for it. The current "opt-out" language is an insult to our intelligence and again, is more than sufficient reason to vote "Nay." Other options for Health Care reform are on the table if the Democrats would simply stop negotiating in secret behind closed doors and would instead start to allow opposing views to be brought out, considered and discussed. Remember that Harry Reid crafted this bill in secret and completely broke the 2006 Democrat promise of the "most open and transparent Congress in history." Please follow the will of the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia and vote "Nay." The election results of Novemeber 3, 2009 showed clearly where we stand on the issue of more government intervention in our lives. We do not want it and you should not be promoting it in any way, shape or form. Thank you.

I'll let you know if they even respond and whether or not they address the issues of tort reform, inter-state insurance choice and transparency. My guess is they will ignore those issues and go off on some socialist tangent.

An Open Letter To Rep. Frank Wolf Concerning The Wall Street Bailout

Frank Wolf
241 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515

Subj: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act

Mr. Wolf,

As you already know, Senators Warner and Webb have voted “Yes” to bailing out the Wall Street Banks and Institutions that got themselves into a serious mess by engaging in extremely poor business practices. This bailout amounts to the Federal Government using my hard earned money to give a huge payday to a group of Wall Street executives while completely failing to hold accountable any of the people who caused this whole situation to begin with.

Further, this bill is being shoved down our collective throats since there have been no hearings, no debates and no investigations into the exact cause of the problem.

I recommend that at least four people be brought before Congress and put under oath to explain their exact roles in this matter. These four are Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Franklin Raines, who made $90 million in personal income off of Fannie and Jim Johnson who made over $20 million. I, for one, would like to know how these last two made money while everyone else lost money.

Beyond all of this is the pork that has been tacked onto this bailout. Main Street is going to bail out Wall Street for some Puerto Rican Rum and maybe some NASCAR tracks? How about that “Wool Research?” God knows we can never have too much of that now, can we? And what about those “Wooden Arrows designed for use by children?” Maybe we can line the Wall Street CEOs up against the wall and shoot them with the arrows!

This $700 billion legislation just went up to $850 billion, and now the House is talking about tacking even more pork onto this!

It doesn’t matter whether this bill is 3 pages or 3000 pages. It is still a socialist bailout that will saddle me and my children with bills that will take decades to pay off, if we can even pay them off at all.

Perhaps you should take the time to read through the entire bill before voting to require the American Taxpayer to handle more debt than we can afford.

Also, you should know that the contributions made to you in gratitude for your “Yes” vote on the original bill have not gone unnoticed. To wit:

Securities brokers & investment companies: $28,150
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate: $27,250
Commercial banks & bank holding companies: $21,700
Credit Unions: $13,250
Investment banking: $11,800
Credit agencies & finance companies: $11,250
Private Equity & Investment Firms: $7,800
Venture capital: $7,500
Banks & lending institutions: $6,000
Stock exchanges: $1,950
Savings banks & Savings and loans: $400
Commodity brokers/dealers: $250

The total you received from entities who support this bailout is $137,300. That is how much you have effectively been paid to hand me and my children this huge debt of at least $850 billion plus whatever other pork you and your peers decide to put into this thing. The latest estimate I saw was a final bill of $905 billion.

There is a reason these banks and lending institutions are failing. It is because the market is dictating that the fail. Once they do, businesses that engage in wiser practices will step up and take their place.

Please do the right thing and vote “No” on this bailout bill, or if you cannot do that, please explain to me why I have to provide a huge payday to Wall Street while those who got us into this mess get to walk away with no accountability and at the same time, are shoving my money into their pockets.

Thank you.