DC's Inside Scoop

Republicans Going Purple Tonight?

2005-02-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

In the latest sign that the G.O.P. is intent on politicizing everything Iraq-related, Congressional Republicans are reportedly planning to show up at tonight's State of the Union address with purple ink on their fingers to send the message that they support Iraqi voters.

Santorum Might Be Subject to $5000 Fine Over Website

2005-02-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

Rick Santorum might be subject to a $5,000 fine over his use of Social Security symbols on his Senate website. The American Prospect exposed Santorum's efforts to present his spin of Social Security being in crisis as an official product of the Social Security Adminsitration. The only problem is that the way Santorum presented his case could get him fined.

Here's what the law says: http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title11/1140.htm

Here are some choice quotes and a link to their story:

“This is not ours, and we did not provide it to them,” said Social Security Administration spokesman Mark Hinkle, adding that he had not seen the presentation before it was forwarded to him by a reporter last week.

“Some of the facts are from the Social Security Administration’s Web site, or the Social Security trustees’ report,” he said, but added that the document’s heavy dose of spin “reflects the view of Senator Santorum.”

“Obviously, we would rather not have our logo on it,” said Hinkle. “I think it is understood that using the logo gives it a different connotation than we would like. We wouldn’t want any outside group using our logo, whether it be a congressman, a think tank, or other group.”

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=9133

Santorum Takes $$$ From Cable Porn Providers - Should He Give It Back?

2005-02-03T07:52:00.001-08:00

Rick Santorum likes to think of himself as Mr. Values but he's got no problem taking money from companies that air pornography. The LA Times today: "Adelphia Communications Corp. has quietly become the nation's only leading cable operator to offer the most explicit category of hard-core porn."

David Sirota points out that Adelphia has given more than $100,000 to the GOP in soft money contributions, and thousands more in PAC contributions, and contributions from the company's executives. This money has gone to people like Santorum, one of the most outspoken moralizers in the Senate. Will he return these contributions?

CALL HIS OFFICE AND TELL HIM WHETHER YOU THINK HE SHOULD GIVE IT BACK: 202-224-6324

Adelphia executive contributions to Sen. Santorum: http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=Adelphia&txtCand=Santorum&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&txt2000=Y&Order=N

For more info, go to:
http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/02/will-moral-values-gop-refund-money.html

BUSH SOTU RIPS OFF FDR SOTU

2005-02-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

According to advance excerpts the White House is putting out, Bush's speech rips off FDR's 1941 State of the Union :

BUSH: "Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy - and chief among them is freedom from fear."

This is lifted from FDR's "Four Freedoms" SOTU in 1941.
FDR: "The fourth is freedom from fear...."

Social Security Privatization = New Birth Tax

2005-02-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Democrats are saying that Social Security privatization will levy a Birth Tax on all Americans that will saddle every American with over $30,000 in debt....

Bush's plan to divert payroll taxes into private accounts will add trillions in additional debt that future generations will have to repay.

This added burden is a "birth tax" that each newborn American and all Americans will have to pay back with interest. It will increase the per capita debt to close to $30,000 by 2015 - up 150% from the 2001 per capita debt of $12,000.

GOP is running away from Bush Social Security Plan

2005-02-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

Republicans are running away from the Bush Social Security en masse. Missouri Senator Jim Talent put out a statement responding to the State of the Union that touched on every issue mentioned in the speech except for Social Security. Mike DeWine backed off comments he made in suppoort of Bush's plan.

George Allen: Trying to Hide His "Racial Insensitivity"

2005-02-01T07:57:00.001-08:00

Sen. George Allen is spending today trying to cover up his history of racial insensitivy by holding a news conference to apologize for the Senate's failure to pass anti-lynching laws. On the first day of Black History Month, Allen joins Democrat Mary Landrieu in introducing a Senate resolution apologizing for the Senate's filibustering of House-passed anti-lynching laws in the 20th century.

WHEN HE WAS GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ALLEN DISPLAYED A NOOSE IN HIS OFFICE! AS A SENATOR, HE JUMPED TO TRENT LOTT'S DEFENSE. Check it out:

http://zinos.com/f/z/scan/se=AR006039/sp=view_article/rs=yes/go.html

Editorial Note: The Scoop applauds the introduction of this resolution but believes VA should be represented in the Senate by someone without Allen's record of racial insensitivity.

Allen's Greatest Hits on Race

2005-02-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

With VA Senator George Allen trying to cover up his past positions today, here are some of George Allen's greatest hits on race:

- Allen hung a confederate flag in his home and a noose in his law office. The noose was displayed on a tree outside his law office.

- Allen voted against a separate holiday for civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. when he was in the General Assembly. Allen also opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

- Allen created Confederate History Month while he was governor of Virgnina.

(Virginian Pilot, 11/1/00)

FLASHBACK: U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote:Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror

2005-02-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote:"Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror"
by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times -- Sept. 4, 1967

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3-- United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.

"According to reports from Saigon, 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the Vietcong.

"The size of the popular vote and the inability of the Vietcong to destroy the election machinery were the two salient facts in a preliminary assessment of the nation election based on the incomplete returns reaching here.

"A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in President Johnson's policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in South Vietnam.

"The purpose of the voting was to give legitimacy to the Saigon Government."

As we know, the last U.S. helicopter took off from Saigon more than seven years later, on April 30, 1975, and the nascent government fell shortly thereafter.

New Report: Bush Social Security Plan Would Increase Senior Poverty Rate

2005-02-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

Senator Max Baucus is releasing a new non-partisan report today showing that if the Social Security proposal being considered by White House had been in effect in 1940, seven million seniors would have fallen into poverty this year. This information was contained in a new report Baucus requested from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Currently, there are 3.5 million seniors who are living in poverty in the U.S. The report indicates, however, that 10.5 million seniors would be in poverty this year if the plan being considered by the White House had been initiated in 1940, the first year in which Social Security benefits were issued.

http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/baucus.htm

Bush-Grassley Rift Over Social Security???

2005-01-31T07:58:00.000-08:00

Capitol Hill staffers are buzzing about President Bush's trip to the Midwest this week. Although the trip is being billed as an effort to pressure Democrats to get behind the President's Social Security ideas, Bush's visit to Omaha is almost certainly a shot at Chuck Grassley, the Chairman of Senate Finance Committee, as well. The Omaha media market reaches into Iowa and Grassley has been lukewarm about Bush's ideas.

Ghosts: Santorum's Silence on Social Security

2005-01-30T07:59:00.000-08:00

Will Sen. Rick Santorum continue to be silent about Social Security this week? Will he comment on what Bush says in his State of the Union? Flashback to 1994 when Santorum almost lost his first Senate race over the fact that he advocated pushing the retirement age to 70.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5santorumjan18,0,5770770.story?coll=all-newslocal-hed

GOP Senators Refuse To Condemn Basing Social Security on Race & Gender

2005-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

A number of Republican Senators, including several who are up for re-election in 2006, are refusing to disavow the idea of basing Social Security on race and gender, an idea floated by a House Committee Chairman over the weekend. Developing...

Norm Coleman's Smile

2005-01-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

We always knew Norm Coleman's smile was fake - now we have proof! Click here to learn more:

http://www.milnardds.com/enhanced_smiles/featured_smiles/page_3.html