(Junior John is a disgrace, let's do better for Texas with Rick Noriega. - promoted by boadicea)
This diary is an expanded and updated re-post of one I wrote previously on Texas Kaos. This updated version is also cross posted on The Burnt Orange Report.
As predicted, John Cornyn voted for the Wall St. bailout the other night. I never doubted for a moment that John Cornyn would ever in a day let down his buddies the fat cats. After all, the Republicans enabled Wall Street's financial melt down by voting for deregulation and lifting all "shackles," as they would call it, from their beloved soul mates on Wall Street.
Deregulate, Baby, Deregulate.
And boy did they ever do that big time.
Republicans dumbly believed Wall St. would police itself. Indeed, this is what a recently retired professor at the London School of Economics has to say about the U.S. financial melt down:
The political philosopher John Gray, who recently retired as a professor at the London School of Economics, wrote in the London paper The Observer: "Here is a historic geopolitical shift, in which the balance of power in the world is being altered irrevocably.
"The era of American global leadership, reaching back to the Second World War, is over... The American free-market creed has self-destructed while countries that retained overall control of markets have been vindicated."
"In a change as far-reaching in its implications as the fall of the Soviet Union, an entire model of government and the economy has collapsed."
And boy did they ever do that big time. And now the American people will have to pay the price.
Thank you GOP for your faith based free market economy.
While John Cornyn will do anything it takes to help the fat cats, let's examine the raw deals with which he has shafted his constituents, that would be you and me, during his tenure in the U.S. Senate.
His willing and relentless obedience to the Bush Administration and to his big moneyed corporate masters have dealt a lethal blow to some very basic, everyday needs and interests of hard working Texans and our families. Issues critical for the health, educational and/or financial well-being of our troops, veterans, consumers with regard to energy costs, first time home buyers, homeowners who struggle to hold on to their homes, college students, children, elderly patients and the doctors who treat them, have been systemically, if not criminally neglected by John Cornyn.
Following is John Cornyn's unprincipled record of desertion from his obligation, as an elected U.S. lawmaker, to serve the people he has sworn to represent.
1. The Troops In Texas we've all heard Senator Cornyn's verbal pontifications about how passionately he supports our troops. But when he is back in Washington and surrounded by the fat cats he serves, the junior Senator's actions rarely, if ever, match his words.
Cornyn Sided With Party Bosses To Block Funding For The Troops. No one, not even our troops in the field, have been spared from Cornyn's Senate filibuster. John Cornyn sided, again, with national Republican leaders to block legislation funding for a pay raise for our troops, improvements in health care for troops and their families, and an authorization for $3billion in combating improvised explosive devices. [S. 3001 Vote #195 7/31/08]
2. Texas Consumers We are addicted to oil and we will continue to pay outrageously high prices for gas, as far as our junior Senator is concerned. As expected of any irresponsible and out of touch lawmaker, John Cornyn blames Congress for the current energy mess. I guess having two oil boys in the White House has nothing to do with it. And Dick Cheney's open invitation to the Kenny Boy Lays in big oil to write our current national energy policy has nothing to do with today's energy nightmare either.
Cornyn: No Immediate Solution To High Gas Prices. According to The Brownsville Herald, "Don't expect a relief in high gas prices anytime soon. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said there aren't any immediate solutions that would help relieve the pain at the pump that motorists across the Rio Grande Valley and nation are experiencing...Cornyn discussed gasoline during a conference call with reporters, where he talked about the rising gas prices on Thursday. Cornyn said what American drivers are seeing is years of neglect by the Congress which is 'coming home to roost and there aren't any immediate solutions." [The Brownsville Herald (Texas), 4/25/08]
What is this all about Senator? Tough love for us while you bail out the fat cats on Wall St.?
While Oil Companies Reaped Record Profits, Cornyn Voted Against Repealing Taxpayer Funded Giveaways to Oil Companies. In 2008, Cornyn voted against a bill that would repeal tax benefits for oil companies worth $17 billion over 10 years that were enacted in 2004 and 2005, as well as direct the money to renewable energy. It also would impose a profits tax on the largest oil companies. The motion was rejected 51-43. Note: Three-fifths of the total Senate (60) is required to invoke cloture. [S 3044, Vote #146, 6/10/08]
Cornyn Claimed To Want to Lower Gas Prices But Sided With Big Oil and Voted AGAINST Eliminating Speculation That Drives Up The Cost of Gas. In voting to block legislation designed to rein in excessive energy speculation, John Cornyn continued a pattern of placing Big Oil interests ahead of those of Texas families. Cornyn, who has received more donations from oil and gas firms than nearly any other Senator, voted against moving forward on a bill to crack down on energy financial speculation and provide families with relief from record-high gas prices [S 3268 Vote #184 7/25/08]
Now we know for certain that John Cornyn supports big oil because it supports him. Predictably, when John Cornyn is back home in Texas, what he says has little to do with how he will vote in Washington. The dude must think we are all stupid. Check out the You Tube clip below to witness Cornyn's flip flopping on renewable sources, just a few months ago.
OK, so now we know Big Flip Flopping John supports big oil because it pays him big bucks to order to buy his votes.
Despite Being In Senate Only One Term, Cornyn Is The Fifth Highest Recipient Of Oil Money. Cornyn has taken $830,725 in only one term in office; this puts him at number five on the all time list of recipients. He has taken $1,144,035 in donations from the energy industry as a whole. [Center for Responsive Politics, 10/11/07]
3. Our Veterans It certainly comes as no surprise to me that Vietnam War draft evading John Cornyn would show such cold hearted contempt for our veterans. Shame on him.
Cornyn Chose Partisanship Over Veterans And Voted Against A Much Needed New GI Bill To Expand Education For Veterans. The Bill Passed Anyway. Cornyn voted against an amendment that would provide a permanent expansion of education benefits for post-Sept. 11 veterans, temporarily extend unemployment insurance benefits, and place a moratorium through March 2009 on seven Medicaid regulations proposed by the administration.
John Cornyn obviously does not give a flying flip about victims of natural disasters, or starving human beings either, for that matter. Let the people eat cake and/or drown if it saves or makes a buck for the corrupted lawmakers and their masters in Washington.
Will we see you in church on Sunday, Senator?
It would provide $10.4 billion for hurricane recovery and other natural disasters. It also would provide $1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and $1.25 billion for global food aid. The motion was agreed to 75-22. [HR 2642, Vote #137, 5/22/08]
4.Texas Families and Students. According to Cornyn and Republican doctrine, tax cuts are OK for the upper 2% but the same is not acceptable for hard working average Texans. And who cares if tuition costs for college students continue to rise. Let 'em stay home or drop out.
Cornyn Chose Partisanship over Tax Breaks for Texans, Child Tax Credits, and Reducing The Cost Of College For Students. Taking more marching orders from Mitch McConnell, Senator Cornyn voted against bill that would have allowed Texans to deduct their state sales tax from their federal taxes. The bill also would have increased the child tax credit for nearly 1.2 million Texas children, lowering their families' tax burden. The bill also would have lowered college costs for Texas families. Partisanship has a cost. [HR 6049 Vote #147 6/10/08; Tax Policy Center national estimate, distributed by state based on CBPP analysis of the 2005 American Community Survey]
5. First Time Homebuyers. Remember the American dream to own one's home, folks? Our junior Senator from the great state of Texas obviously does not believe in it, at least for those who earn less than $250,000 I suppose. Cornyn Doctrine shows no mercy, either, for the victims of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown. Let them lose the house, those irresponsible creatures! And those who own homes in the same neighborhoods as the foreclosures shall be damned as well! I do not suppose the junior Senator from the great state of Texas happened to see a CNN special that included economist Paul Krugman, among others, that revealed the role certain mortgage lending predators played in a "reverse red lining" strategy.
Cornyn voted against legislation that would provide tax breaks for first-time homebuyers and for homebuilders, overhaul Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, modernize the Federal Housing Administration and provide a $300 billion expansion of the FHA's insurance programs to help struggling borrowers refinance their mortgages. It would provide about $14.5 billion in housing-focused tax credits, including a one-time refundable tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers who purchase a home between April 9, 2008, and April 1, 2009. It would authorize $3.92 billion in Community Development Block Grants to purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed properties. It would also give members of the armed forces returning from service more time before lenders could start foreclosure proceedings and one year of relief from rising interest rates. The motion passed 79-16. [HR 3221, Vote #157, 6/25/08]
6. The Health of Texas Patients. I disclosed Cornyn's vote against the Medicare Bill in Part III of this diary series. After Cornyn's initial vote on Medicare Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Rick Noriega http://www.ricknoriega.com/ and the Texas Medical Association shamed the Senator into a change of heart.
When outraged physicians got wind of John Cornyn's vote to gut their pay, they un-endorsed him. As the Dallas Morning News reported "Doctors gave nearly $100,000 to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the second quarter, then watched in fury as he voted against delaying a cut in their Medicare pay... The Texas Medical Association's political arm withdrew its endorsement of Mr. Cornyn on June 27, which gave an opening to his Democratic opponent, Rick Noriega....He later voted twice for a bill to undo the pay cut." [Dallas Morning News, 7/15/08]
7. Texas Homeowners
Cornyn Voted Against Comprehensive Housing Reform Bill. Cornyn was one of just 13 Senators to vote against a housing bill to provide relief to millions of Americans affected by the disastrous housing market. It also would create an independent agency to regulate the two mortgage entities as well as the Federal Home Loan Bank System. It would overhaul the Federal Housing Administration and provide $300 billion in new loan guarantee authority for the FHA to help refinance borrowers in danger of losing their homes. It would create a $7,500 tax credit to some first-time homebuyers, raise loan limits for FHA-backed loans, and provide a standard tax deduction of $500 for single filers and $1,000 for joint filers on property taxes. [HR 3221, Vote #186, 7/26/08]
Housing Bill Provides Relief to Millions Affected by Crisis. "The bill would provide help to millions of borrowers, lenders and others coping with the worst housing market since the Great Depression. [Dallas Morning News, 7/23/08]
Cornyn Sided With Partisan Republicans To Block Relief For Millions Affected By Disastrous Housing Market. Cornyn parroted Republican talking points about irresponsible borrowers when he was asked about the housing bill "Cornyn says while he supports commonsense measures to encourage responsible home ownership, he believes the government should not be in the business of bailing out those who made bad business decisions or freeing homeowners from their financial obligations, absent evidence of a fraud." [One News Now, 7/28/08]
Are we seeing a pattern here, folks?
8. Low Income Earner's Utility Bills. You've guessed Cornyn's cold and hard hearted operating strategy by now, folks. Let the economically disadvantaged suffocate in heat in the summer or freeze to death in the winter. We know where the Senator's allegiances lie.
Cornyn Voted Against Home Energy Assistance, Which Would Have Provided $134M to Texas for Energy Assistance. As Texans struggle with soaring electricity and heating bills, Cornyn voted against a bill that would provide $2.5 billion in emergency relief for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income families pay home heating and cooling costs. The bill would have provided $134 million to Texas for energy assistance to families in need. Without this funding, Texas will either leave families without help paying heating and cooling bills, be forced to raise taxes, or will cut other programs like health care and education. [S 3186, Vote #187, 7/26/08; Senator Sanders's staff, based on historical distribution of funding, 7/23/08]
9. Women
Cornyn Chose Politics Over Women, Children's Health. Cornyn Voted Against the Advancing America's Priorities Act. Cornyn voted against bill that contained the provisions of nearly three dozen measures. It included proposals that would have; protected children from Internet predators; expanded paralysis research at the National Institutes of Health; and expanded research on postpartum depression.[S 3297, Vote #189, 7/28/08]
In addition, Cornyn rejects a woman's reproductive right to choose and he undoubtedly embraced Governor Jeb Bush's, Senators Frist's and Delay's attempted intervention in the Terri Shiavro case in which her husband decided to have her feeding tube removed. These Republican goons are really scary in their almost Talibanesque ideology where women are concerned.
10. Journalists
Cornyn Derailed "Media Shield" Legislation Because of Oil Drilling. Cornyn voted against the "media shield" law that would protect reporters from being forced to reveal their sources in court. [S 2035, Vote #191, 7/30/08]
Cornyn Sided Again With National Republicans To Kill Legislation that Has Nothing To Do With Gas Prices, Oil Drilling. According to the Associated Press, the media shield bill is the latest to fall victim to Washington gridlock, "A bill to protect journalists from having to reveal their sources in some federal courts stalled in the Senate on Wednesday, the latest victim of a partisan fight over what to do about gas prices. Republicans blocked the measure, saying the Senate should act instead on an energy bill that would promote more domestic oil and gas production." [Associated Press, 7/30/08]
Given its track record the last 7 ½ years, I can appreciate why the Republicans in Congress would like to completely muzzle journalists. These boys and girls in Washington have a hard time dealing with the truth, especially when it reveals their appalling greed, corruption and criminal behavior.
Hopefully voters in Texas are waking up to the hard and painful reality of John Cornyn and most Texas Republicans. As revealed by their voting patterns, their contempt for everyday hard working Texans is unashamedly obvious.
We had the power to vote these sorry excuses for human beings into office. We also have the power to fire them for their abysmal failure to uphold their oath of office and obligation to serve the people. I don't know about you but I am sick to death of Republican raw deals and yes dudes like John Cornyn.
