http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/ en Copyright 2012 2012-05-16T17:40:17+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php?/political/comments/former_ncw_eileen_slocum_inducted_into_rhode_island_heritage_hall_of_fame/ http://www.gop.com/index.php?/political/comments/former_ncw_eileen_slocum_inducted_into_rhode_island_heritage_hall_of_fame/#When:17:40:17Z On May 5, Rhode Islanders honored the life and legacy of longtime National Committeewoman Eileen Slocum with her induction into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Many Republicans, especially those who served alongside her, remember her dedication to the party, both during her tenure from 1992 to 2007 and long before.  As the Honorable Carol Mumford, Rhode Island’s current National Committeewoman, observed, “Of course all Republicans knew Mrs. Slocum. But in a greater sense all Rhode Islanders knew her, too. Eileen stood out in our little state, as she would have in any other.”  And she stood out in our party. At her Newport home, she played host to President Gerald Ford, Senator Elizabeth Dole, Vice President Cheney, and other Republican leaders over the years. She was Vice Chairman of the Republican State Central Committee and a delegate to multiple Republican National Conventions.  Eileen Slocum passed away in 2008, but her memory lives on at the RNC—as so many committee members will attest. Her induction into the Hall of Fame is a testament to the mark she left and to the impact she had on her party and her state.   The Rhode Island Republican Party noted in a press release, “The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame was founded in March 1965 to honor the contributions of those whose efforts, in any line of endeavor, have added significantly to the heritage of the State of Rhode Island.”  It is only fitting that a woman who spent much of her time preserving the history of her community has herself earned a place in history.   ### 2012-05-16T17:40:17+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/the_fight_for_wisconsin/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/the_fight_for_wisconsin/#When:17:07:02Z Memo To: Interested Parties From: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus RE: The Fight for Wisconsin   Tomorrow, Wisconsin Republicans will go to the polls to cast their first ballots to end Barack Obama's presidency. Obama might have felt safe in Wisconsin after an impressive 400,000 vote victory in 2008, but a closer look shows Wisconsin's 10 Electoral Votes in 2012 very much in play.   First of all, Obama's margin of victory in 2008 was the exception rather than the rule in recent presidential elections. President George W. Bush came within a hair of winning Wisconsin each time he tried--narrowly losing by just over 5,000 votes in 2000 and just over 11,000 votes in 2004. In 2008, many Wisconsin voters, like voters across the country, bought the "hope and change" message that Candidate Obama was selling. But President Obama's results haven't provided the kind of change that voters were looking for, and Wisconsinites took notice. 2010 was a disaster for Democrats across Wisconsin, and much of the anger directed at them was fueled by what Obama was doing (and not doing) from Washington. Frustrated Wisconsinites sent Republicans to Madison and to Washington with a mandate to end the policies of tax-and-spend Democrats. It was a tremendously successful campaign for the GOP that brought in new volunteers and new leaders and energized the grassroots. 2011 brought new tests for our new GOP organization and leadership. After Governor Scott Walker bravely made the tough decisions necessary to put Wisconsin back on track, Big Labor began waging an all-out assault on good governance and fiscal responsibility.  The result, after everything Big Labor could throw at us? Republican victories at every turn. Supreme Court Justice David Prosser won his reelection last April. And our Republican majority was upheld in the State Senate after recall elections last August. How did we do this? We did it on the ground, with sound investments and the sweat of our volunteers and grassroots activists. We invested in our voter databases, and we refined our microtargeting. Our volunteers made countless phone calls and knocked on countless doors. Now we're doing it again--helping Governor Walker prevail in Big Labor's latest attempt to recall someone. So far in 2012 our volunteers have made over a million calls to Wisconsin voters. They're collecting voter ID information and helping voters see this special interest interference for what it is. We're opening new victory centers across the state each month; we're making more investments into our data; and we've set the wheels in motion on a sophisticated and aggressive turnout program that will leave no stone unturned. By June, when Governor Walker is victorious again, we'll have a confident and battle-tested ground organization with four straight victories under our belts. That organization will be ready to pounce on the president and other Democrats on the ballot with him in November. What will the Democrats have? They'll have the remnants of a dispirited, losing 2010 operation--and special interests who poured tens of millions of dollars outside cash into the state with nothing to show for it. We're excited about where the GOP stands today, just as we're excited about where the state stands. Wisconsin is better off, thanks to a reform-minded governor and leaders in the State Assembly and Senate who understand why they were elected. The state budget is balanced. The business environment is more hospitable--creating jobs and helping families. Were it not for Obama's regulations and policies, Wisconsin would be even stronger. And with the primary tomorrow, we will also be focused on the president and his failed record. With job approval ratings and ballot match-ups under 50 percent, Obama is not in the same place he was when he took office and enjoyed 60 percent approval or higher. His base is not in the same place they were in 2008, either. Just like everyone else, they haven't seen Obama deliver on his promises, and they've seen their party suffer defeat after defeat under Obama's leadership.  All of this is bad news for Democrats. And that's good news for Republicans--and more importantly, for Wisconsin.     ### 2012-04-01T17:07:02+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/rnc_chairman_priebus_memo_not_better_off/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/rnc_chairman_priebus_memo_not_better_off/#When:22:13:58Z MEMO FROM: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus @ReincePriebus TO: Interested Parties RE: “Not Better Off” "The real question is, 'Will this country be better off four years from now.'" --Barack Obama, October 2008.         The RNC is happy to hold President Obama to his own standard. So, nearly four years later, how are we doing? Is the country better off?        For most American families, the answer is an unambiguous no.  Gas prices have skyrocketed, but Obama won't pursue commonsense energy policies.        Incomes are down. Poverty is up. Food prices are higher. And more Americans are forced to depend on food stamps.        Healthcare costs are higher, despite the passage of the "Affordable Care Act" -- the Democrats' unfortunately ironic name for Obamacare.  College is more expensive.          Housing is still in crisis. "There are almost as many houses underwater as there were at the beginning of the administration," CNN's Jessica Yellin reported, at the unveiling of the White House's latest ineffectual housing initiative. More Americans are out of work, without enough work, or are no longer looking for work.          Who, then, is better off?        Not the average American. Not those who hoped so desperately for change in 2008.         The well-connected--Obama's political allies and big-money donors--are, however, doing much better.Writes the Washington Post's T.W. Farnam, "More than half of Obama’s 47 biggest fundraisers, those who collected at least $500,000 for his campaign, have been given administration jobs. Nine more have been appointed to presidential boards and committees."The Post has also reported that "$3.9 billion in taxpayer money went to 21 companies backed by firms with connections to Obama staffers and advisors." Other supporters, like Steve Westly and Steve Spinner, were involved with the Energy Department program that dolled out much of that money through loans to companies like Solyndra.The Crony-in-Chief has taken care of his friends. And they, unlike most Americans, are decidedly better off.  Expect to hear more of this from now till Election Day. Obama himself said this was the "real question" we must ask. And we will keep asking.    2012-03-11T22:13:58+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/rnc_chairman_reince_priebus_memo_on_the_supercommittee_and_our_national_deb/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/rnc_chairman_reince_priebus_memo_on_the_supercommittee_and_our_national_deb/#When:12:59:16Z MEMO FROM: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus TO: Republican State Party Chairs RE: The Supercommittee and our National Debt   Since we’re just days away from the much-awaited report from the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the Supercommittee), I want to highlight for you a few important points on the subject as it relates to our 2012 message. The six Republicans on the twelve member committee have worked around the clock to offer a pragmatic, responsible solution. In addition to making significant spending cuts, they’ve also put tax reform on the table in order to achieve the target $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction. Their plan reforms the tax code to close loopholes and induce growth through lower marginal rates. Republicans understand that we can grow the economy and raise revenue if we focus on policies that create jobs. It’s actually pretty simple: the more Americans that go back to work, the more taxes the government brings in.  It’s a time-tested method of jump-starting the economy. It worked under President Kennedy and under President Reagan. But at this time, it seems the Democrats will have none of it. They’re intent on pushing a deal that includes significant tax increases and more stimulus money. Leave it to the Democrats to include more government spending in their ‘solution’ to a problem created by out-of-control government spending. While I’m hopeful the Supercommittee will come to an agreement, it is possible they will reach an impasse and simply find a way to further delay. Make no mistake, the Republicans on the committee have negotiated in good faith, offered up reasonable proposals, and shown a willingness to make the tough choices that deficit reduction requires. And we must not let anyone forget: we are in this predicament because of President Obama’s failed promises. He promised to cut the deficit in half by the end of his term. Instead, we’ve had three years of record budget deficits fueled by his massive spending binge and financed by loans from China and other nations. No modern President has had an appetite for deficit spending like President Obama’s. Very soon the United States debt will exceed $15 trillion. It’s an unthinkable sum, and we’ve reached that threshold at alarming speed thanks to the Democrats. Since taking office, President Obama’s policies have increased the debt over 40 percent. If nothing is done, that growth will only accelerate. While Republicans in Congress have passed plans for a balanced budget, spending restraint, entitlement reform, and tax reform, President Obama has been effectively AWOL. He ignored his own deficit commission, and he has yet to put forward a serious proposal to rein in spending. He exacerbated America’s debt problem but has done nothing to remedy it. As we head to 2012, take this message to voters in your state. Remind them that the massive debt we face is a direct result of President Obama’s failure to govern like he campaigned. Let them know that Republicans have taken the task of deficit reduction seriously. Voters must remember we are in this precarious situation due to the Democrats’ irresponsible spending. Over the last three years, their unwillingness to change their ways has made a long-term solution impossible. Americans know this is unsustainable. And in 2012, voters in your state must also know that Republicans will offer a solution.    ### Text "RECLAIM" To 91919 To Join The GOP Mobile Army 2011-11-16T12:59:16+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/the_west_cant_wait/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/the_west_cant_wait/#When:13:12:34Z Yesterday afternoon, President Obama arrived in Las Vegas for a re-election stop.  He picked up some cash from major donors and rallied his disaffected supporters at a campaign event. Tonight, he heads off to Colorado to do the same. In between his trips, he jetted off to Los Angeles to hobnob with his Hollywood buddies. But, did he take the time to notice what his policies have done to Nevada families?  Will he bother to notice the struggling Colorado economy between his two fundraisers at Denver’s Pepsi Center? The numbers say it all: --Since Obama became President, Nevada has lost 79,600 jobs. Colorado has lost 66,800. --The unemployment rate in Nevada has increased from 9.9 percent to 13.4—the highest in the nation. --Nevada also has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation. Las Vegas has the highest rate among metropolitan areas. --In Colorado, 104,000 properties have received foreclosure filings since Obama took office. President Obama promised the stimulus would save or create 34,000 jobs in Nevada.  Since the first stimulus was passed, Nevada has lost 65,900 jobs. Colorado was promised 59,000 jobs, but they lost 47,700. The first stimulus failed both states, and, yet, he’s trying to sell a second one. The first three years of the Obama administration have brought nothing but pain, and he has the audacity to ask for another term.  This week, the president and his team are unveiling a new slogan, “We Can’t Wait.” Supposedly, it’s to galvanize support for a new package of policy proposals, but it sounds more like something that would come out of his Chicago-based campaign headquarters.  It’s too bad it took plummeting poll numbers for him to adopt this new mantra. Americans have been waiting for years for action from this White House—from housing policy to a comprehensive jobs plan.  Instead, we’ve gotten little more than warmed-over liberal leftovers: more taxes, more spending and more regulation. The result has been a stagnant economy. In any case, though, they do have a point.  We can’t wait anymore.  Nevadans can’t wait, and Coloradans can’t wait—till 2012.   Text "ENLIST" 91919 to join the GOP Mobile Army and get exclusive campaign updates. 2011-10-25T13:12:34+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/19_days_and_counting_how_long_will_obama_keep_america_in_the_dark_on_solynd/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/19_days_and_counting_how_long_will_obama_keep_america_in_the_dark_on_solynd/#When:20:06:12Z It’s been 19 days since the FBI raided the headquarters of Solyndra, the bankrupt stimulus-back solar energy company.  For nineteen days the President’s advisers have decided to keep him in the dark about what led the company to squander $535 million of taxpayer money.   But there was one briefing about the mismanaged loan program—in October 2010, that is.  Yes, news broke today that the President’s advisers—namely Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and then-National Economic Council Director Larry Summers—warned the President that funds might land in the hands of unworthy companies. As the Los Angeles Times reported, Geithner and Summers feared the selection process was not sufficiently rigorous.  In their view, that meant stimulus money might end up in the hands of companies unable to pay it back.  They took their concerns directly to President Obama.  He listened to their warnings, but the loan program continued.  Less than a year later, Solyndra went bankrupt. Americans deserve answers.  It’s time for the President to take responsibility. It’s bad enough that his advisers haven’t briefed him about Solyndra’s bankruptcy, but it’s even worse that the President has not demanded answers.  Instead of spending his time leading campaign rallies in chanting “pass this bill,” he should tell the American people why he passed the buck.  Then there’s a bigger question: How many more Solyndras are there?  To how many other failing companies did the White House funnel money?  The President must learn the lessons of this latest stimulus failure, lest he be doomed to repeat them.    On GOP.com, you can keep track of how long it’s been since those FBI raids—and how long President Obama has avoided answering the tough questions.     2011-09-27T20:06:12+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/cut_cap_and_balance_will_take_away_obamas_blank_check/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/cut_cap_and_balance_will_take_away_obamas_blank_check/#When:22:34:24Z Our nation’s staggering $14.3 trillion debt, mainly from spending under President Obama, is holding us hostage from a strong and prosperous recovery. As we continue to debate the President’s failed leadership, it is important to keep in mind that Republicans have outlined numerous solutions including the “Cut, Cap and Balance” plan to put our fiscal house in order. We must make substantial cuts in the out of control spending that has become commonplace under President Obama. We must then cap spending so that our great nation is no longer saddled with dangerously high debts and deficits. Lastly, and most importantly, we must pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution immediately so that we can promise an economic vitality we once enjoyed to our future generations. If you have not already, please sign the RNC’s Balanced Budget Amendment petition and stand up behind our strong Republican leaders: http://www.gop.com/BalancedBudget   2011-07-15T22:34:24+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/for_barack_obama_and_his_union_bosses_not_all_jobs_are_created_equal/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/for_barack_obama_and_his_union_bosses_not_all_jobs_are_created_equal/#When:14:33:50Z   This week Congressional Republicans are scheduled to hold hearings over a brazen assault on private industry by President Obama’s labor union committee, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB, which is controlled by Democrats, filed a lawsuit attempting to prevent Boeing from building its new line of planes in Right-to-Work South Carolina that would have created 1,000 new manufacturing jobs in one of the states hardest hit by the Obama Economy. With national unemployment ticking up to 9.1 percent and long term joblessness at record levels, one might think President Obama would jump at the opportunity to boost job creation before an election that will be a referendum on his handling of the economy. Not so. Unfortunately when it comes to Barack Obama and his union bosses, not all jobs are created equal. This is the latest example of executive overreach from an Administration that has been flexing its regulatory enforcement muscles in an effort to benefit labor unions allies which form the core of Obama’s reelection effort. At the heart of the matter are federal Right-to-Work laws, which allow states like South Carolina to ban the practice of forcing workers to join and support a union as a condition of being hired. And with such a key Democrat political constituency in decline and lukewarm enthusiasm coming from labor leaders, this Administration has made Right-to-Work a top political target ahead of what is guaranteed to be a very tough campaign for the President. While that strategy may curry favor with the liberal base, the Administration’s actions against Boeing are setting a dangerous precedent that is causing additional uncertainty for businesses looking to expand and grow while the economy remains in a fragile state. Moreover, the lawsuit is another example of overreach by this Administration which has in essence told an iconic American company how to run its business and has intimidated its corporate officers. These bullying tactics will only further stifle job creation and could even force some companies overseas. Even Washington State’s (the state where the Administration is seeking to have the planes be built) top newspapers say the NLRB’s actions have crossed the line.  With the American manufacturing sector shedding 5,000 jobs in May, this latest assault on American job creators could not have come at worse time. It is nothing short of hypocritical for President Obama to travel the country telling businesses to start “betting on American workers” while his Administration squashes thousands of good paying American jobs solely for political reasons. Sadly, this stunt is par for the course for the Obama Administration and the latest in a long line of White House policies specifically designed to benefit Democrat special interests. Democrats understand that President Obama doesn’t stand a chance winning a second term without energizing Big Labor, so they are circling the wagons and doling out political favors without any regard to the economic consequences. The White House has become so focused on the next election that even job creation has been reduced to a political calculation. If this is the kind of economic leadership the President plans on continuing for a second term, there is little question that the American people will deny him the opportunity.   2011-06-14T14:33:50+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/stand_strong_with_israel/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/stand_strong_with_israel/#When:18:55:03Z   In recent months, Israel's struggles to negotiate with a Palestinian Authority have been marred by Palestinian decisions. Chief among these challenges is the decision by the Palestinian Authority to bring Hamas representatives into their leadership.  If that did not present enough challenges, last week President Obama increased the pressure on Israel by unleashing new parameters for Israel-Palestinian negotiations based on pre-1967 borders.  All supporters of Israel have to be alarmed and concerned at this new explicit position the U.S. has taken.  Following Obama’s expression that negotiations be based on pre-1967 borders, supporters of Israel from across the political spectrum have condemned the idea. Despite the caveats President Obama portends to place on these factors, this is no place to start a negotiation. President Obama insists that the parameters of pre-1967 borders were always a starting point for prior U.S. administrations pointing to the Clinton administration. This is nonsense.  Obama’s declaration last week was the first explicit statement by a U.S. President that pre-1967 borders would be the parameters of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  Perhaps Prime Minister Netanyahu’s terse phone call with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prior to Thursday’s speech should have tipped the President off that this indeed would be viewed as new ground.    Further, Israel would be foolish to accept these conditions and rightly rebuked Obama for his position.  Israel would be foolish to give up the Golan Heights along the Syrian border, foolish to pull its military presence out of the West Bank, and foolish to walk into a negotiation under the unnecessary pressures and concessions President Obama chose to place on the only true democracy in the Middle East.  As the Prime Minister aptly put it, the pre-1967 Israeli borders, “were not the boundaries of peace; they were the boundaries of repeated wars, because the attack on Israel was so attractive from them.” Never again, will Israel return to these indefensible borders regardless of the unnecessary pressure President Obama chooses to place on Israel. In early 2008, President Obama called for the U.S. to preside over a Muslim Summit including leaders of Syria and Iran, not understanding that elevating their criticism of Israel with a United States moderator would have been a dangerous development for Israel.  Recently, Obama’s Secretary of State Clinton referred to Syrian President Assad as a “reformer”.  In April 2011, Assad’s regime fired live ammunition on protesters. And Assad has repeatedly supported Hamas and Hezbollah in fomenting violence towards Israel.  With reformers like Assad, who needs reform?  Mr. President, I would ask you to stop putting unnecessary pressure on Israel and start demanding more of these autocratic regimes that stifle democracy and threaten the only democracy in the Middle East—Israel.  I would ask you to start resembling your recent predecessors who had both actions and words which carried an unwavering support for Israel.  Each and every day, Israel remains on the frontline along with the United States in the War on Terror and is nothing but an unabashed ally of pro-democratic and pro-American policy. Mr. President, stop putting undue pressure on Israel and start providing more support.    2011-05-27T18:55:03+00:00 http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/barack_obama_continues_to_put_politics_above_leadership/ http://www.gop.com/index.php/political/comments/barack_obama_continues_to_put_politics_above_leadership/#When:16:41:28Z Yesterday, troubling reports surfaced that the Obama Administration had drafted an executive order that would allow the White House to review a company’s political donations during the application process for federal contracts. This raises serious questions about whether the White House is seeking to politicize the government contracting system in order to intimidate its political opponents. If true, this would represent an unprecedented abuse of executive authority and infringes upon the rights of political free speech. It appears to be an attempt by the Obama Administration to implement portions of the DISCLOSE Act. Obama and the Democrats failed to pass this in Congress and then lost the battle in the Supreme Court. So now the President is attempting an end run through executive fiat. Naturally, Democrat special interests such as labor unions would be exempt from these reviews. What’s even more remarkable is that the Obama White House is sanctioning this Chicago-style power grab under the guise of ‘transparency.’ Never mind this is an Administration that bills itself as the ‘most transparent in history,’ yet routinely hides its meetings with lobbyists from the public, stonewalls against Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and has pursued a “very destructive and damaging” campaign to silence government whistleblowers. Even more stunning is the revelation that as the Campaigner-in-Chief hits the fundraising circuit in California today, his administration said it will not disclose its own political contributions. CBS News reports: “Pres. Obama's re-election campaign won't be disclosing how much money is taken in at the individual fundraising events attended by Pres. Obama. Neither will the Democratic National Committee … The Obama Campaign thinks the release of such information might be akin to divulging strategic political information that opponents could use to discern levels of support. Pres. Obama often trumpets that his White House is more transparent and open than any other. But it's clear he does not apply that approach to his political fund-raising.” So it’s ok for the White House to hide its fundraising data, but if you or your company would like to do business with the government, they have no problem rifling through your personal records to ‘discern your level of support’ for their administration. The hypocrisy is stunning. At the end of the day no administration, Republican or Democrat, should be allowed to review political party affiliation before deciding on awarding a government contract. Our nation’s democratic process would be placed in serious jeopardy if individuals and companies feared retribution or expected special treatment from the federal government as a consequence of their political leanings. Whether it’s trying to exert influence or going after its political opponents, the Obama White House is clearly more focused on politics than leading. This is an embarrassing indictment of their priorities while the rest of the nation faces high unemployment and soaring food and gas prices. The alarming First Amendment implications of this latest power grab warrant a full and complete explanation by Obama Administration to the American people, and I eagerly await their response.   2011-04-21T16:41:28+00:00