According to the DCCC there are 67 House Republicans who voted against the stimulus package. But when these no voters are back in their home states they like to brag and swagger about bringing home the bacon. On a different level, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison joins these ranks. She voted against the stimulus bill and yet she criticized Rick Perry for turning down federal funding for extended unemployment benefits.
Texas has its fair share of outstanding hypocrites. Check the list below to see if your U.S. House Rep. is included in the GOP Hall of Hypocrites. I am not shocked to admit that my Rep. is among them. I betcha your's are too.
The Dem caucus was split between those who voted for it, and those who refused to continue funding the Iraq invasion and occupation.
You might guess that gleeful House Republicans jumped to vote with the first group to split the Dem caucus, right?
Wrong.
These brave chickenhawks are so wedded to their obstructionist agenda, they all chose to vote "present". Meaning, we're here, but we won't vote for or against this measure, which allowed it to die on the floor of Congress.
So, when you see the ad telling you Dems are going to strand our troops in Iraq without support, remember these names Texas.
RUIZ FOR CONGRESS Democratic Nominee for District 31
I started advising Brian last year, but recently was asked and I accepted the responsibility to become Campaign Manager. I have been on the campaign trail with Brian and have met several of you. I, personally, want to thank you for your continued support. If you haven't met me, let me tell you right now - I am to the point. I have committed myself to this campaign in order for Brian Ruiz to be elected as District 31's next Congressman. With that stated, let me apologize ahead of time if I come across slight abrupt.
Brian is also my brother. Although we are family, we are very different from each other. Just like many of you, we have different feelings and views on the Democratic Presidential candidates. But, we work well together in this campaign to unify the party and continue the momentum created this election year.
Brian is not a seasoned politician and doesn't claim to be one. He is running for Congress to represent ALL of Texas Congressional District 31.
We are extremely busy drafting positioning papers, making public appearances and securing financial contributions. We are working feverishly to meet or exceed our April goal of $20,000. We are doing our part to raise the money needed to win in November. All we are asking the voters of District 31 is $10 each. We understand the economic strain put upon you during these trying economic times.
Think about this: Congressman John Carter owns several million dollars of oil company stock. (I wanted to say, "Every time you fill up your car or truck...", but who does that these days?) Every time you pump gas into your vehicle, you are essentially contributing to Congressman Carter's campaign. Congressman Carter is dependent on the oil industry. He is personally invested. How does that represent you?
Brian believes in energy independence and wants to end the US foreign oil addiction.
As Campaign Manager, I have been going through all of Brian's writings and positions on various issues from his educational and professional years. Along with the original "Together We Can!" speech he gave in middle school, I also ran across some of Brian's radio projects - some of which were never aired. One of the projects I ran across was a radio tribute to Pat Tillman. Cpl. Tillman will have past away 4 years ago this Tuesday, April 22nd. I thought this should be released again to continue to raise awareness and concern for ALL our servicemen (active, reserve, veteran and deceased).
As a USAF veteran, I was moved by this tribute to a great "American Soldier." I asked Brian about the history of this tribute and believe his thoughts needed to be shared with all of you. I discovered a story that I didn't even know.
"...after I produced this tribute I seriously considered joining the service to do my part. I went into a Marines recruiting office on North Lamar (in Austin) and met an old high school classmate that was now a Marine recruiter. We spoke for a long time and he recommended that I go through ROTC. I started training so I could physically meet the requirements and had even longer conversations with my fiancé about this decision. I could enroll and do basic training during the summer of 2004 and be back for my wedding on September 4th and then leave two weeks later for active duty.
After hours of contemplation and prayer, I decided not to join based upon my emotions. A month later I learned about the lies of Tillman's death and it made me wonder, 'how many other young men and women signed on before learning the true story?'
About a year later, I found myself asking the same question regarding the misinformation we were told before invading Iraq. Today, I am noticing the lengths we go to for recruitment and retention and clever ways to ensure the goals are met, but inhibit the veterans of the Iraq war from being adequately compensated for their duty to this country."
Brian P. Ruiz
With so much going on Tuesday (Earth Day and Pennsylvania Democratic Primary), I thought we should take time to remember Cpl. Tillman and address the "war" in Iraq to remind the voters how Rep. Carter addresses this issue. You have probably heard Congressman Carter state,
This is a statement that he has used repeatedly over the last couple of years and continues to use it to this day. This is his way of justifying our occupation in Iraq and deflecting the focus away from the primary objective of "War On Terror" - Osama Bin Laden. This "war" cannot achieve victory without its primary objective being met.
This is the same person who claims to be consistent on his views on Iraq. How can he call Iraq a battle when he himself is on record referring it as a war? Also, 62% of District 31 is in favor of the war? I am not sure where is getting his numbers, but they probably need to be fired. If the voters of District 31 really believe this, then why did the Ruiz for Congress campaign receive approximately 12,000 more votes than Congressman Carter in the March 4th primary?
I understand many of you might perceive this to be negative towards Congressman Carter. I am only stating facts and referencing his statements. It is time for the voters to hold him accountable. I have committed to Brian and will publicly commit to the people of District 31, our message and campaign will not change. We will not accept PAC money! This campaign is about YOU! If you are ready for change, then contribute, donate, volunteer and most importantly - go vote.
I am a proponent of the political process - let the voters decide. If the sentiments from the voters are true, then in November, I am confident that Brian will be preparing to be inaugurated.
We are continuing to update our website to create a more interactive environment. If you haven't seen it lately, you may not even recognize it now. If anyone wants to donate their time to help us keep it updated, we would greatly appreciate it. Also, we have begun accepting resumes for full-time/part-time staffers.
Meet the Candidate: Brian Ruiz will be attending the upcoming events April 26-27 Red Poppy Festival Georgetown, TX If you would like to host a fundraiser for Brian, know of an event or meeting we should attend, please contact me:
(I recieved this email today and thought it imporatnt enough to post.)
John Carter Demonstrates DeLay Redrawn Districts
Prop-up Mediocre Members
When Rick Perry, Tom Craddick and David Dewhurst redrew Texas congressional boundaries, they crafted not only districts that favor Republicans but districts so skewed that plainly incompetent and ineffective Republican incumbents could withstand a strong challenge by a very capable and talented Democrat. In some cases, the Tom DeLay-inspired map has discouraged qualified challengers from even filing to run. However, in others, very good Democratic candidates who would make outstanding Members of Congress have emerged.
In a letter to her opponent, Mary Beth urged her opponent John Carter to accept the invitation from KNCT Public Television to participate in a candidates forum to be broadcast prior to the November election.
