Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 31, 2009 

RNC CHAIRMAN MICHAEL STEELE STATEMENT ON NEW YORK 23 SPECIAL ELECTION

WASHINGTON – RNC Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement on Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava suspending her campaign in NY-23.

“The Republican National Committee respects Dede’s decision to suspend her campaign.  This selfless act of releasing her supporters provides voters with the opportunity to unite around a candidate who shares Republican principles and will serve the interests of his constituents in Congress by standing in opposition to the liberal policies of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi.

“Effective immediately, the RNC will endorse and support the conservative candidate in the race, Doug Hoffman.  Doug’s campaign will receive the financial backing of the RNC, and get-out-the-vote efforts to defeat Bill Owens on Tuesday.

“I appreciate the hard work Dede put into her campaign, and for understanding the political reality of this race.  By releasing ... more

The current H1N1 vaccine shortage offers a glimpse into what it would be like to have government run health care as is being proposed by Democrats in Congress and the White House.

The New York Times points out that even with advance notice of a possible crisis the government has been unable to manage the situation effectively and we now have a supply shortage.

According to the NYT, Secretary Sebelius’ response is that the matter is beyond the government’s control. “If we could wave a magic wand or have the tools in our government shop to fix this, I think there would be a different expectation,” Sebelius is quoted as saying.

One wonders whether government officials would have the same answer in a future scenario where bureaucrat’s responsibilities would be much more far-reaching with dire consequences.

Something you certainly do not want to hear if government controls access to your health care is “The matter is beyond our control.”

The White House has had a couple days now to explain how the president’s promise to clean up the “muddy water” of Washington squares with recent revelations that high donors are gaining special access to the administration. Instead of providing answers, the White House arrogantly shrugged off the reports and refused to give a straight and honest answer to the American public.

Want to know more about what Democrat Creigh Deeds is promising the Virginian voter this election season? Take a virtual tour at http://www.discoverdeeds.com/.

Deputy White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, "This Administration has across the board set the toughest ethics standards in history.”

Washington Times reports about special White House invitations being provided to high-dollar donors, including access to the WH bowling alley and movie theatre.

White House’s Dan Pfeiffer, “[W]e have reduced special-interest influence over the policymaking process to promote merit-based decision-making.”

Washington Times reports high ranking officials were flown to provide in-person briefings to high dollar donors on major policy issues.

White House’s Dan Pfeiffer holds up as an example their decision to release records of WH visitors recently.

Oh wait, that isn't as transparent as it sounds either.

Press reports pointed out the exceptions to that pledge of transparency too.

As the AP reported, “Some names will be kept private, though…The White House will not release records related to ‘purely personal guests’ of the president's family ... more

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today announced that his health care legislation will include the “public option,” also known as government-run health insurance. 

Reid claims that public opinion polls show widespread support for a public option.

Speaker Pelosi doesn’t seem so sure though.

Speaking in Florida, Pelosi admitted that the idea of a health care plan paid for by taxpayers is not very popular. She suggests a change in terminology to a “Consumer Option” will help the public overcome any doubts.

Call it what you want, but Pelosi’s government-run health care plan is not likely to fool the public or the “consumer.” Perhaps if she writes the bill in a different font the public will get on board. 

According to AP, Christina Romer, the chair of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, has said that economic stimulus has already had its biggest impact on economic growth.

The Obama administration claims the stimulus has created or saved 1 million jobs so far and is on track for saving or creating 3.5 million jobs by later next year.

But a look at government data tells a different story.

Since the $787 billion stimulus passed in February:

 Over 2.6 million Americans have lost their jobs,

49 States and the District of Columbia have lost jobs,

And the national unemployment rate has risen to 9.8% (with an admission from the White House that it will likely rise higher still).

No wonder the Democrats are talking about passing more stimulus.

President Barack Obama: “So just to make sure you're clear, here’s what you need to know about our plan…It will slow the growth of health care costs for our families and our businesses and our government.”

Not so, says the president’s own department of Health and Human Services.

According to AP, the department found that the “additional demand for health services could be difficult to meet initially with existing health provider resources and could lead to price increases, cost-shifting and/or changes in providers’ willingness to treat patients with low-reimbursement health coverage” under the House Democrat’s bill.

Apparently Speaker Pelosi has not heard the news either. In an interview with CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo this afternoon, Pelosi claimed the Democrat’s bill would lower the costs of health care. 

A WSJ piece today brings us the good news that the Obama Administration is looking to tackle the deficit…

…NEXT year that is.

After spending $787 billion on a stimulus bill that hasn’t added jobs, and billions on an auto bailout that will not likely repay taxpayers, and now, proposing a trillion dollar government-run health care plan.

If the White House is waiting until next year to become serious about fiscal responsibility, what was the point of the “Fiscal Responsibility Summit” held by the administration in February?

Remember that?  Just days after signing the $787 billion “stimulus” plan into law, the president held the “summit” where he declared:

“I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay -- and that means taking responsibility right now, in this administration, for getting our spending under control.”

The White House must have seen that the 2009 federal deficit hit $1.42 trillion and decided to take another stab at addressing the issue before midterm ... more

Over the weekend White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett dismissed talk of a second stimulus but then went on to describe several measures aimed at creating jobs.

Last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that House Democrats would host an economic forum, “focusing specifically on the creation of jobs.”

And recently the White House invited Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid over to discuss ways to promote job growth.

"The president, leader Reid, and I all agree that we must respond to the urgent need to promote the creation of good jobs, rebuild our work force,” Speaker Pelosi told reporters after the White House meeting.

But haven’t the Democrats insisted all along that the recovery act passed in February has been creating jobs?

Despite their best attempts to convince Americans otherwise, Democrats must see what we see in the government’s monthly job reports, that the “stimulus” is not stimulating job growth.

Any true economic stimulus measures aimed at ... more