October 17, 2008
The $700 billion bailout, referred to as TARP, was the wrong way to go and the world markets have given their opinion loud and clear that the bailout was not the way to go to free up. All we did was We the People are buying their bad debt which does nothing to give banks cash to lend. Now all the world financial leaders are telling us we need to start buying ownership in banks to give them the liquidity to begin loaning again.
There are two related events occurring that need different solutions: credit crunch and mortgage meltdown. To ease the credit crunch, cash needs to be infused into banks for them to lend. Our government has decided to partially nationalize our banks to give them cash. Not sure I agree with that. The more our Congress controls our economy the worse the results.
As for the mortgage meltdown, we have obligated $700 billion that would have been better used to infuse cash into banks with low or no interest loans until the credit crunch eases. A far better solution would have been to suspend mark to market accounting temporarily until the mortgage crisis passed and assets recovered their valuation. Combine that with a Federal mortgage insurance program to cover the bad mortgages that are out there. It has been estimated that the cost of the new insurance to the taxpayers would be between $30 and $50 billion, a far cry from $700 billion of our grandchildren’s money.
If elected, I would do all I can to steer us away from the $700 billion price tag towards an insurance backstop to protect our pocketbooks. Even if the bailout goes forward, I will fight to protect you and your family from our money being given to special interests. We need regular people watching our $700 billion and not allow Reverend Cleaver who gave it away to decide where it goes.
Politics must change. We are the change.
September 25, 2006
On Border Enforcement (Passed 277-140)
Emanuel Cleaver Voted NO
On Voter ID (Passed 223-196)
Emanuel Cleaver Voted NO
September 21, 2006
On Earmark Reform (Passed 245-171)
Emanuel Cleaver Voted NO
On Construction of the Border Fence (Passed 283-138)
Emanuel Cleaver Didn’t Even Vote
September 20, 2006
From the Kansas City Star:
As a political newcomer taking on one of Missouri’s most durable Democrats, Republican Jacob Turk believes he’s found the formula for winning the state’s 5th Congressional District away from freshman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
Step 1: Contrast their positions – Cleaver a liberal, Turk the conservative – on abortion, tax cuts, fighting terrorism and other critical issues.
Step 2: Paint Cleaver, a former two-term Kansas City mayor, as an insulated career politician out of touch with “regular folks” like Turk himself, a 50-year-old suburbanite and computer programmer by profession.
Step 3: Portray Cleaver as having achieved little for the 5th District 20-plus months into his first two-year term.
“My incumbent opponent is defeating himself,” declared Turk, whose bare-bones campaign consists mainly of his Web site, his Lee’s Summit home phone, public appearances and the hope of riding “a wave of anti-incumbency.” He quit a job with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners several months ago to campaign full time.
September 18, 2006
Liberal Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) described the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as an organization “which we know has ties to terrorism.” According to Project Vote Smart, Emanuel Cleaver supported the interests of CAIR 100 percent in 2005.
Five CAIR employees and board members have been arrested, convicted, deported, or otherwise linked to terrorism-related charges and activities. This is why Congressmen Roy Blunt, Todd Akin, and Sam Graves received a 0% rating.
They don’t think Americans should be supporting terrorist organizations or sympathizers… Does Emanuel?
September 8, 2006
“One day after Hezbollah discontinued bombing Israel, Hezbollah was passing out $12,000 checks in Lebanon. [And] we couldn’t do it in New Orleans.” (Congressman Emanuel Cleaver)
Are you kidding?
When answering ridiculous comments such as these, one has three options. You can say nothing, as the ridiculous comments speak for themselves. You can laugh, as they deserve that reaction. Or, you can give the Congressman’s comments the response they so richly deserve.
Prior to Katrina, the United States government had not engaged in terrorism. They had not killed innocent civilians for twisted ideology. Nor had they expressed hatred against a group willing to make peace. These were the actions of Hezbollah.
The government response to Katrina was poor. However, it does not warrant comparison to a terrorist organization. We did nothing to provoke Katrina. It was a meteorological occurrence. Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others. They then condemned Israel, even as they killed civilians themselves.
Congressman Cleaver’s statement was ignorant. It was not worthy of a United States Representative. It was not worthy of a petulant child. The Congressman should not only be ashamed of making it. He should be ashamed for thinking it.
As I said, I had three options. Normally, I would dismiss the Congressman’s rant as a typical liberal attack. Not on this occasion. America deserves better than his hateful discourse. The fifth district deserves better than Congressman Cleaver.
September 1, 2006
From the Kansas City Star Buzz Blog:
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver said today he’s moving.
His downtown Kansas City office, at the (still) new federal courthouse, draws a paltry number of visitors a month, he told The Star’s editorial board this morning. That’s because of the security wall that makes easy access impossible, not to mention the tough parking situation.
Cleaver’s Independence office draws a steady stream of visitors each week, he said.
When your representative ranks behind three non-voting Congressman, why would you visit or ask for anything?
Meantime, the Democrat said he’s continuing his focus on restoring civility to Congress.
“You won’t hear nastier comments about al-Qaida than you will hear members say about each other,” Cleaver said.
Restoring civility? I knew there was a reason he is so ineffective.
From the The Source Blog:
Another move in obvious support of the gay rights agenda, Emanuel Cleaver has requested homosexual Congressman Barney Frank to visit Kansas City on his behalf. With recent actions by Cleaver it is obvious that he is attempting to portray himself as the Pro-Gay Agenda Congressman in Washington D.C.
