September 25, 2006
Reading the article in the Kansas City Star regarding Emanuel Cleaver’s frustration with the millions of Missourians concerned with the marriage amendment, I was struck by the lack of empathy Reverend Cleaver has for a large portion of his constituents here in the 5th District.
Hundreds of thousands of the folks in this district, myself included, believe marriage between a man and a woman to be a cornerstone of stability for raising children in our society. It is an issue which does matter and makes a difference in how our society operates. I was disappointed that it was the author of the article who had to point out that marriage is a social contract governed by the state. Mr. Cleaver’s point of view on the issue and its impact on our society is short sighted.
The illogical argument of “Why not just put all the sacraments in the Constitution?” shows a lack of knowledge of what has happened to the social fabric in the western European countries where gay marriage became the law of the land. Marriage as an institution has disintegrated in those countries. It has lost its meaning as a holy sacrament AND a social contract.
What we make legal we get more of. If gay marriage becomes the law of our land, we will get more of it and it will tear at the traditional fabric of our country, because it starts us down the path that all unions are equal, that a man and a woman coming together is just one of many combinations that are equivalent – man and man, woman and woman, man and 2 women, woman and dolphin (this has happened in England).
Western Europe has shown once this happens co-habitation increases dramatically and choas in the lives of children grows. Social science has shown children in gay and lesbian households have social problems at the same rate as those raised by singe parents. Being a single parent myself for over 12 years, I understand the struggles and how difficult it is to give children all they need when one gender is absent. Marriage between a man and woman has been set aside as a special institution by both God and man over thousands of years of human history. It deserves our protection as a cornerstone of stability for our democracy.
We need a representative who recognizes those who disagree with him do hold a valid viewpoint and deserve to be respected and listened to, not belittled as intolerant and being concerned about an unimportant issue.
While I will not agree with every constituent I represent in Congress, I believe my constituents deserve respect as thinking human beings with valid viewpoints.
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 19, 2006
Kansas City Star relates health insurance burden.
When Laura Lee Jones learned in May that the cost of health insurance for her 16-employee company was going up a whopping 19.6 percent, she was hardly surprised.
Jones said she is unsure how much longer she can keep absorbing the rising costs, but she is determined to keep offering health coverage as long as she can.
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 15, 2006
Kansas City Star conveys voter ID ruling.
A Cole County judge Thursday tossed out a new law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, saying the measure violated Missourians’ fundamental right to vote.
In his ruling, Circuit Judge Richard Callahan said that unlike photo ID laws in other states, Missouri’s law offers voters few alternatives to getting a state-issued ID, placing most of the burden to comply with the requirement on voters.
“The photo ID burden placed on the voter may seem minor or inconsequential to the mainstream of our society for whom automobiles, driver’s licenses and even passports are a natural part of everyday life,” Callahan wrote. “However, for the elderly, the poor, the undereducated or otherwise disadvantaged, the burden can be great if not insurmountable.”
September 13, 2006
The Wictory Wednesday campaign has officially endorsed Jacob Turk. Their endorsement highlights Jacob’s commitment to reform.
This week, Wictory Wednesday is highlighting the candidacy of Jacob Turk for the United States House of Representatives for the 5th District of Missouri. He is running against incumbent Emanuel Cleaver, a career politician and far left extremist.
Jacob Turk is a veteran of the US Marines and understands the difficulties and pressures faced by a military at war abroad and denigrated at home. Turk understands that the problem with the health care system is not because we don’t have socialized health care. The problem is that the patient is far removed from the decision-making process regarding the care they receive. HMOs, created by Senator Ted Kennedy (D), have largely removed the patient from the decision-making loop.
HMOs decide what doctors we see, what procedures we get, and often make getting claims impossible for both doctors and patients. The result is a health care system that doesn’t serve the patient. The solution is not to remove the patient even farther, but to put the patient back in control of their own health care.
Jacob Turk understands that a nation cannot sustain its economy by leaving its borders and ports open to whoever can sneak in. The discussion on immigration reform is rather meaningless. The current laws are sufficient, they just go unenforced. The result is that illegal immigrants are abused because they are cut off from society. The borders must be secured. No one will argue that terrorists should be able to sneak into the country unimpeded. We have already agreed on the laws, it’s time to enforce them.
Jacob Turk understands that children should not be molested and the evidence concealed. Parental notification makes good sense. Children are not considered legally able to make decisions in any other respect except abortion because parents are considered to have their best interests in mind (until proven otherwise).
With abortion, parents are considered as abusive to their children categorically and it leaves the rapist able to sneak little girls off to Planned Parenthood to cover up their crimes with abortion or birth control. That is the real sex abuse cover-up, tens of thousands of girls each year are raped and Planned Parenthood helps the rapists get away with it. Our greatest asset is our children and they deserve to be protected.
Please consider donating to Turk’s campaign or volunteering to help.
September 11, 2006
Today, as we watch the coverage of the 5th anniversary of the unprovoked terrorist attacks on America, our tears flow and our hearts are torn out anew. We, as Americans, need this reminder we are under attack and no amount of appeasement will change one terrorist’s mind. We must remember to remain strong, to honor all those who have fought and fallen. We must ignore the dividers among us who somehow believe we started this War, who would retreat under the guise of timetables and talk, endless talk. Americans of all beliefs and ideologies must realize we are the target because we are free, tolerant, great, not for any of the made up reasons created by apologists for the savages who attacked us and continue to attack the innocent around the world. Today, there are two types of people in this country and world, those who believe barbarians and murderers can be changed if somehow we change and those who know the heart of evil and realize we must stand up to evil when evil comes for us.
God bless and protect every one of you.
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.
