Arkansas Blog

WHY WE ALL SHOULD VOTE DEMOCRAT IN NOV.

Republican Says We Need A Dem Congress

http://www.seeingtheforest.com/archives/2006/07/republican_says.htm

The following is a letter from former Republican Congressman and Presidential candidate Pete McCloskey.

THE NEED FOR A DEMOCRAT MAJORITY IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN 2007

I have found it difficult in the past several weeks to reach a conclusion as to what a citizen should do with respect to this fall's forthcoming congressional elections. I am a Republican, intend to remain a Republican, and am descended from three generations of California Republicans, active in Merced and San Bernardino Counties as well as in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have just engaged in an unsuccessful effort to defeat the Republican Chairman of the House Resources Committee, Richard Pombo, in the 11th Congressional District Republican primary, obtaining just over 32% of the Republican vote against Pombo's 62%.

The observation of Mr. Pombo's political consultant, Wayne Johnson, that I have been mired in the obsolete values of the 1970s, honesty, good ethics and balanced budgets, all rejected by today's modern Republicans, is only too accurate.

It has been difficult, nevertheless, to conclude as I have, that the Republican House leadership has been so unalterably corrupted by power and money that reasonable Republicans should support Democrats against DeLay-type Republican incumbents in 2006. Let me try to explain why.

I have decided to endorse Jerry McNerney and every other honorable Democrat now challenging those Republican incumbents who have acted to protect former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who have flatly reneged on their Contract With America promise in 1994 to restore high standards of ethical behavior in the House and who have combined to prevent investigation of the Cunningham and Abramoff/Pombo/DeLay scandals. These Republican incumbents have brought shame on the House, and have created a wide-spread view in the public at large that Republicans are more interested in obtaining campaign contributions from corporate lobbyists than they are in legislating in the public interest.

At the outset, let me say that in four months of campaigning I have learned that Jerry McNerney is an honorable man and that Richard Pombo is not. Mr. Pombo has used his position and power to shamelessly enrich his wife and family from campaign funds, has interfered with the federal investigation of men like Michael Hurwitz, he of the Savings & Loan frauds and ruthless clear-cutting of old growth California redwoods. Mr. Pombo has taken more money from Indian gaming lobbyist Jack Abramoff, his associates and Indian tribes interested in gaming than any other Member of Congress, in excess of $500,000. With his stated intent to gut the Endangered Species and Environmental Protection Acts, to privatize for development millions of acres of public land, including a number of National Parks, to give veto power to the Congress over constitutional decisions of the Supreme Court, his substantial contributions to DeLay's legal defense fund, and most particularly his refusal to investigate the Abramoff involvement in Indian gaming and the exploitation of women labor in the Marianas, both matters within the jurisdiction of his committee, Mr. Pombo in my view represents all that is wrong with the national government in Washington today.

It is clear that the forthcoming campaign will be a vicious one, with Mr. Pombo willing to stretch the truth as he has in the past with respect to the elderberry beetle, levee breaks, his steadfast opposition to veterans' health care, including prosthetics research for amputees from Iraq and other wars, the impact on Marine lives of endangered species protection at Camp Pendleton and other issues. That Mr. Pombo lied in testimony to the Senate in 1994 is an accepted fact. He testified that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service had designated his farm near Tracy as habitat for the endangered California kit fox. This was untrue, and Pombo admitted to the untruthfulness a few months later when questioned over public television, an agency for which he recently voted to cut federal funds.
Such a man should not be allowed to be in charge of the nation's public lands and waterways, a position to which he was elevated by the now-departed Tom DeLay.

Some 18 months ago, my former law partner, Lewis Butler, an Assistant Secretary of HEW in the Nixon Administration and subsequently the distinguished Chair of California Tomorrow and the Plowshares Foundation, and I initiated an effort we called The Revolt of the Elders. All of us were retired and in the latter years of Social Security entitlement. Most of us were Republicans who had served in the Congress or in former Republican administrations with men like Gerry Ford, John Rhodes, Bob Michel, Elliot Richardson, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and the president's father, George H. W. Bush, all men of impeccable integrity and ethics.

We had become appalled at the House Republican leadership's decision in early 2005 to effectively emasculate the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct by changing the rules to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay had been admonished three times by the Committee for abuse of power and unethical conduct. It was our hope to persuade Speaker Hastert and the Republican leadership, of which Northern California Congressman Richard Pombo and John Doolittle were prominent members, to rescind the rules changes and to act in accord with the promise of high ethical standards contained in Speaker Gingrich's Contract With America which brought the Republicans majority control in 1994. We failed. Letters to the Speaker from an increasing number of former Republican Members were ignored and remained unanswered. Then, only a few weeks ago, the House leadership refused to allow even a vote on what could have become an effective independent ethics monitor. Instead of repudiating the infamous â?oPay to Playâ?? program put in place by DeLay to extract maximum corporate campaign contributions to â?oRetain Our Majority Partyâ?? (ROMP), DeLay's successor as Majority Leader called for a continuance of the free luxury airline trips, mammoth campaign contributions to the so-called â?oLeadership PACsâ?? and the continuing stalemate on the Ethics Committee. Strangely, even after the guilty pleas of Abramoff, Duke Cunningham and a number of former House staffers who had been sent to work for Abramoff and other lobbyists. The Republican House leaders don't see this as corruption worthy of investigation or change. That their former staff members and Abramoff were granted preference in access to the legislative process is not seen as a problem if it helps Republicans retain control of the House. It reminds one of the contentions of Haldeman and Ehrlichman long ago that the national security justified wire-tapping and burglary of Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office and the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate. Republicans are happy with this new corporate lobby/House complex, which is far more dangerous that the Industry/Defense complex we were long ago warned about by President Eisenhower.

I have therefore reluctantly concluded that party loyalty should be set aside, and that it is in the best interests of the nation, and indeed the future of the Republican Party itself, to return control of the House to temporary Democrat control, if only to return the House for a time to the kind of ethics standards practiced by Republicans in former years. I say reluctantly, having no great illusion that Democrats or any other kind of politician will long resist the allure of campaign funds and benefits offered by the richest and most profitable of the Halliburtons, oil companies, tobacco companies, developers and Indian gaming tribes whose contributions so heavily dominate the contributions to Congressmen Pombo and Doolittle.

As an aside, it seems to me that the Abramoff and Cunningham scandals make it timely for the Congress to consider public matching funds for small contributions to congressional candidates, the same type of system we adopted some time ago for presidential elections. It may be cheaper for the taxpayer to fund congressional elections than to bear the cost of lobbyist-controlled legislation like the recent Medicaid/Medicare drug bill.

There is another strong reason, I believe, for Republicans to work this fall for Democrat challengers against the DeLay-type Republicans like Pombo and Doolittle. That is the clear abdication by the House over the past five years of the Congress' constitutional power and duty to exercise oversight over abuses of power, cronyism, incompetence and excessive secrecy on the part of the Executive Branch. When does anyone remember House Committee hearings to examine into the patent failures of the Bush Administration to adhere to laws like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, or to the arrogant refusal of the President to accept the congressionally-enacted limits on torture of prisoners? When can anyone remember the House's use of the subpoena power to compel answers from Administration officials? Why have there been no oversight hearings into the Cunningham bribery affair or Abramoff's Indian gaming and exploitation of women labor in the Marianas?

When three former congressional staff aides join Abramoff in pleading guilty to attempting to bribe Congressmen, and a fourth takes the 5th Amendment rather than answer Senator McCain's questions about his relationship with Abramoff and Indian gaming, with all five having given substantial campaign contributions to Mr. Pombo, with Indian tribes alone having given more than $500,000 to Pombo, would it not seem reasonable to ask him to conduct an appropriate oversight committee
Hearing into these matters, as long demanded by members of both parties, notably including his neighbor, George Miller?

For all of these reasons, I believe and hope that the Republicans who voted for me on June 6 will vote for Mr. McNerney and against Mr. Pombo in November.

The checks and balances of our Constitution are an essential part of our system of government, as is the public faith that can be obtained only by good ethical conduct on the part of our elected leaders.

If the Republicans in the House won't honor these principles, then the Democrats should be challenged to do so. And if they decline to exercise that privilege, we can turn them out too. I appreciate that I had serious deficiencies as a candidate, and that four months of campaigning and the expenditure of $500,000 of the funds contributed by old friends and supporters were unsuccessful in convincing Republicans of the 11th District to end the continuing corruption in Washington. I hope, however, to partially redeem my electoral failure by working, as a simple private citizen, to rekindle a Republican sense of civic duty to participate in the electoral process this fall. The goal of The Revolt of the Elders was and is to educate voters to the need for a return of ethics and honesty in Washington. That goal was right 18 months ago, and seems even more worthwhile today.

Pete McCloskey, Dublin, California. July 26, 2006

I just saw Rick Calhoun on TV. Man what a sharp guy. Any thoughts on his appearance?

As I am sure many of you have noticed...

The New York Times have endorsed Ned Lamont over Sen. Joe Lieberman...

Question...will our Senator "73 With The GOP" stand by his buddy Joe when he loses the primary? Or will he support his party?!

The proposed county sales tax increase to fund the county jail would have a much better chance of passage if some of those funds could be earmarked to fund a county animal shelter. At present we have a fully equipped animal control department but they have no shelter to hold any animals they might pick up.

Congressman Pete McCloskey was the one who exposed fellow Republican (Rev) Pat Robertson's false Korean War claims years ago.

Pulaski county goverment is a complete and total mess. It's like watching SNL (when it was funny) it is so messed up. I am a lifelong democrat, although I haved voted for republicans in the past. I do feel that we would be better served to have a two party system here. Vilines and anybody in the current administration should be voted out. The problem is the republicans have put up two total losers. I will vote for Holiday for sheriff but my county judge vote will be left blank.
Raise taxes while you are spending millions on trollies and bridges...what a joke.

The Israeli bombing of Lebanon continues and the latest outrage is the killing of 60 civilians including many children. I don't deny Israel's right to defend itself and the need to disarm Hezbollah. However I fail to see how the continued destruction of Lebanon's infra-structure and the killing of it's citizens can bring about peace in the middle east. Israel is often referred to as America's ally. That seems to me not a fair description of our relationship with them. They are more a client state than an ally. Our continued encouragement of their actions in Lebanon can't but harm our efforts in Iraq and elsewhere.

Yeah, I watched it too. We should get him to serve somehow. Smart, articulate and I hear friends with Billy Bob Thornton.

The other night I was surveyed by Opinion Research Associates about the county sales tax. It was almost a 'push poll'. They asked if I supported the tax - No. Then they stated all these statistics about the dire consequences of not increasing it, then they asked again if I supported it - again no.

I am sick to death of the sales tax, and I'm a liberal who "never met a tax he didn't like".

Yeah, I watched Rick Calhoun too. We should get him to serve somehow. Smart, articulate and I hear friends with Billy Bob Thornton.

You friggin idiots need to learn what a push poll is.

All I saw Calhoun do was make some stupid comparison between Warwick and Karl Marx. This from the guy that used to bring all the doped out rock groups to town.

Yep. Lots of children in the Hizbollah.

QANA, Lebanon (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike killed at least 54 Lebanese civilians, including 37 children, on Sunday, fuelling world pressure for a ceasefire in Israel's war in Lebanon against Hizbollah guerrillas.

The Israeli bombing of Lebanon continues and the latest outrage is the killing of 60 civilians including many children. - Posted by: LAJ
-------
Hexbollah hides behind women, children and innocent people. Where is the outrage abut that?

When Hezbollah locates its missile launchers in civilian areas there will be civilian casualties. When the Lebanese people kick Hezbollah out of civilian areas, there will be fewer casualties.

If I was living in Lebanon and Hezbollah located a missile launcher next to my house, I think I would move.

In a war, lots of civilians die. This is a war. Lots of civilians will die. On both sides. Both Lebanese and Israelis.

That was the first time I ever heard Colhoun speak. I was impressed. Is he the same guy that ran Lt Governor for a couple of weeks?

Is it Rick or Patrick?

Holy crap, who can believe this guy (McCloskey)? This is the most blatant political hit piece I have ever seen. This guy has an agenda, and it is to get back at the man who beat him fair and square. Thank Goodness McCloskey did not win that primary. Can you imagine what it would be like if Lieberman did this to our Party? We do not need people in politics like McCloskey; he only makes things worse. For the love of Pete, argue on the issues but stop making personal ad hominem attacks McCloskey; it makes you look bad. And the people who drink that koolaid look like kooks and make our Party look bad. Who is paying McCloskey, Howard Dean (the man who will be the end of the Democrat Party as we know it)??

McCloskey is a well-known nutcase. I agree with Still a Dem.

Thoughts from November: Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Lt. Governor Jim Holt.
U.S. Congressman Andy Mayberry.
Sec of State LaGrone.
...Sure sounds good the the REAL people of Arkansas....the people who will vote...the Arkansans who do count. Taxes will come down. The Death Tax will be gone. The State Income tax will be on it's way out. Demlibs? Get over it or leave.

Patrick Calhoun is the Republican Party's Drew Pritt -- in more ways than one.

Patrick Calhoun is the Republican Party's Drew Pritt -- in more ways than one.

Ahhh...anony$taffer has enlightened us once again with his predictions for the future...from the past...wait a minute..."Thoughts from November"...from last November? Uh-oh...confusion...

Anon 5:22

You're just plain nuts! Damn boy, drink your Kool-Aid and everything'll be alright.

Ahhh - refreshing to see the self-delusional out this evening.

Come Nov 7th - son, lick your wounds, get over it...or leave.

Ahhh - refreshing to see the self-delusional out this evening.

Come Nov 7th - son, lick your wounds, get over it...or leave.

Asa will be Governor. I'll learn how to fly. The Royals will win the world series.

Funeral Protest act worked great this weekend. WBC were 150 feet out from the service that was held at the high school. WBC got just about zero media coverage and the focus was on the loss of the soldier and his family. The family also did not have to see the WBC group.

Anonymous 5:22, who are these "REAL" people you are referring towards?

You want to elect a Governor who as Congressman spends millions of dollars investigating whether a married President got a blowjob from a female staffer, while his brother (whom he shared an apartment with) was doing the same thing.

A candidate for Lt. Governor who compares school lunch programs and any form of progress to Sovietism. In addition as the most prominent State Senator has made a career of pissing off your party's leadership.

A candidate for Secretary of State who attacks his opponent with all the class of a cheap hooker talking about morality.

A candidate for Attorney General who is the cousin of Tom DeLay and who has not the slightest understanding of what the AG does.

As for your candidate for U.S. Congress, if his name was Andy Smith and not Andy Mayberry he would have no schtick at all. Either way, Vic Snyder, a decorated Marine veteran does well for Central Arkansas in Congress.

With that said - lower taxes. Get a grip. This present Republican Administration who controls all three branches of government has given us higher taxes, lower wages, a deficit, and a war that has taken almost 3,000 U.S. Service members lives, including over thirty Arkansans.

GET A GRIP and stop drinking your party's kool-aid. Your party is a group of overpromising, underperforming, lying S.O.B.'s that the American (versus the "real") People will vote out of office en masse this November.

Its about results and on that, Republicans cannot compete with the Democratic Party.

"Hexbollah hides behind women, children and innocent people. Where is the outrage abut that?"

Echoes of the Japanese in China, the Germans in Russia and the Americans in Vietnam.

"In a war, lots of civilians die. This is a war. Lots of civilians will die. On both sides. Both Lebanese and Israelis."

Sad but true. In modern warfare the safest place to be is in uniform. It's as if the military of the world got together and made an unholy alliance to kill each other's civilians and leave the military alone. World War One started it and it continues into the 21st century.

Whew! Thank God Drew dropped in for a post. I was beginning to worry about him.

Max,

Any word as to why the Governor was a "no-show" at the Southern Legislative Conference in Louisville, KY today? Program segment had to be cut in half because he "had" to cancel.

Max,

Any word as to why the Governor was a "no-show" at the Southern Legislative Conference in Louisville, KY today? Program segment had to be cut in half because he "had" to cancel.

Drew,

Asa investigated Clinton because he lied under oath. Tim, who you were fired by, never lied under oath. Who are you judge someone you disgusting sodomite?

A candidate for Lt. Governor in a race were all you did was talk a bunch of sh*t, get embarrassed, piss your own party officials off, and couldn't make the ballot. Who are you to judge?

A candidate for Attorney General who has been a senator and a state rep and has a Doctorate degree when you can't even get graduate from college or get elected for Bradley County City Council. Who are you to judge?

A candidate for U.S congress who is a successful businessman and father with high morals. Who are you to judge?

Lying S.O.B.? This from a person who steals from campaigns he works on, writes hot checks, doesn't pay his debts, gets called in front of the ethics commission and has been caught on this blog lying his ass off. O Drew who are you to judge anyone of any party?

Andrew,

Did you run for Lt Governor?

How many times did you run for State Rep in Bradley County?

I'm not a fan of Hezbollah and I'm not an expert in the geography of Lebanon, but from what I can see on my TV the only way to avoid being in the middle of a sea of people would be to put all missile installations right out on the beach in plain sight.

I'm not military expert, but seems to me it would be pretty stupid to hide your rocket launchers out in the open...maybe they should put neon on them so they'd really stand out.

It doesn't matter what any of us say or think, Bush and Israel have a plan. The fact that no one in our bunch can even say the words cease fire proves there is ethnic cleansing underway. And so you'll know, I don't find a good guy with a white hat in Hezbollah, Israel or the Palestinians. They're all terrorist organizations.

I just returned from 3 days at my lovely wife's lovely auntie's house. Auntie watches Fox News 24/7, so we all know how badly misinformed she is. When the subject of the new war between Israel and Lebanon came up.....as I knew it would....she starts quoting Biblical hocus pocus out the wazoo.

As chilling as this may sound, I do not need the Bible at this point to know the difference between right and wrong. I do not need some 2000 year old mumbo jumbo used as an excuse for killing women and children. If one leaves the spiritual crap out of it, the situation in that part of the Middle East is deadly and dangerous to the whole world. For the life of me, if I can live peacefully with Okies, blacks, Vietnamese, Mexicans, Baptists, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, why can't the Palestinians, and the Israelis live together in peace, be forced to live together in peace?

The Bush administration should be horse whipped for looking the other direction, pretending to look for navel lint, while hundreds of innocent people are dying in Israel and Lebanon. Is this how far the US has fallen? When did we quit being the good guy. Oh wait, was it right after we invaded a nasty, but innocent country? Was it after we started torturing people in secret prisons? Was it after Congress was bought off by Abramoff? Was it after 2 stolen elections? Was it after watching black people drown in New Orleans? Was it after the neo-con plan to keep the poor and the black out of the rebuilt Disney New New Orleans? Was it after 750 signing statements?

Shame, shame on the US. The whole world again is watching and recording our inhumanity to our fellow men. We're making more enemies than Wal-Mart is making money. It will come back to haunt us. Auntie will not be so pleased with Bush-Cheney should she live to a ripe old age....should we all live to a ripe old age.

I am not rooting for anyone in the Middle East. I just want peace and the end of the killing of the innocents. We should sit on all of them and make them play nice, or get the hell out and may the best man win. One thing for sure, we're not fooling anyone with our inaction.

For those who don't monitor the NYTimes, here's a tidbit that will make you sick. But if you're an Iraqi child, don't even think about getting sick. Bechtel is 273 days behind schedule on a hospital project, has spent nearly twice what the initial cost projection was and now cannot complete the project as envisioned because of deteriorating security. (Damn, didn't someone tell us we won that war several years ago?)
Or how about the power station which has overhead costs running more than 400%, yes 400%, over the actual project cost. Usual overhead figures run at about 30%. I know. I know. It's a war zone over there so we have to shell out the big bucks. Riiiight. So why are the books being cooked?

Audit Finds U.S. Hid Cost of Iraq Projects
By JAMES GLANZ
The State Department agency in charge of $1.4 billion in
reconstruction money used an accounting shell game to hide
ballooning cost overruns.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/world/middleeast/30reconstruct.html?th&emc=th

"A candidate for Attorney General who is the cousin of Tom DeLay and who has not the slightest understanding of what the AG does."

Speaking of AG candidates, I have been seeing Dustin McDaniels hitting the club scene a lot lately in Little Rock. Pretty cool guy. Even bought me a drink. Buy me a martini and you've got me vote any day.

In a war, lots of civilians die. This is a war. Lots of civilians will die. On both sides. Both Lebanese and Israelis.
Posted by: Don Keyhotay

So true, innocent civilians do die in war.
Tonight the Sundance Chanel (#166 on Comcast digital) showed a 30 minute program titled Aftershock. It featured two former Israeli soldiers who recounted their experiences policing towns in the West Bank. The inhumanity of these soldiers and their remorse over their actions were an example of what brutality does to a man.

...which is why a guy like Ned Lamont in CT. is going to beat Lieberman in the Dem. primary...Iraq.

Oh yeah, and don't bring up that pesky accounting thing with the State Dept. agency "A.I.D."

And will Pryor support his pal, Lieberman? No matter what? Independent Lieberman?

"A candidate for Attorney General who has been a senator and a state rep and has a Doctorate degree"
Posted by: Anonymous 09:02 PM

Just what sort of "Doctorate" degree does Delay have?

Rick Calhoun definitely has those supply-side economics talking points and catch phrases down. Unfortunately, he opened with a statement that was misleading at best.

"...and we have years, nearly 70, 80 years of data to prove that when you lower taxes, you increase revenue...and we have data to prove that."

Gosh, he really went out of his way to imply that the increased revenue was a result of the lower taxes. On the other hand, he was careful not to say that at all. Because if he did, and then claimed he has the data supporting that, then he knows that would be a bald faced lie. In the end, he had little to offer except rhetoric.

Drew..President Bush saved our family $103,600 in taxes since 2001....so...you swung and missed again dick----!!!!

Yea, he missd the ballot again.

Andrew how many times is that you lying SOB.

You can always tell when you hit a nerve with Republicans, blog readers, because they attack with the viciousness of a snake. Anonymous 9:02 p.m. you ask who am I to judge? I am a voter and therefore, empowered and commanded to judge between the candidates, just as are all the voters in Arkansas.

You compare each of those candidates to me, but I notice you rather attack me than the stellar, experienced, and proven records of their actual opponents.

I do not steal from campaigns I worked on or any of that other b.s. Also, love the sodomite line. That shows how ignorant you happen to be. One more thing, get a new line, because this line of attack is old, stupid, worn out, and filled with nothing but vindictiveness fueled by ignorance.

Also, anonymous 9:08 yes I ran for Lt. Governor and recieved 72 write-in votes for State Representative. I did not have an active campaign. So to answer your question - once, but I was not a candidate.

President Bush saved our family $103,600 in taxes since 2001
Posted by: Anonymous 09:59 PM

That's just wonderful that the Pres. saved your family all that money. Of course what actually happened is that he just transferred a bunch of the national debt from you to your children. You repulsicans are truly short-run thinkers. And BTW there sure are a lot of repulsicans on this blog named Anonymous. Are all of you related?

Last I heard Pritt was stranded downtown calling people for a ride home. Apparently he has no money. Not even cab fair.

Pritt has many tactics. I think most people miss his most common one. He attacks himself on this bog - and others - to get sympathy from people. He plays on that sympathy. Usually to get some money.

of course I could just be him attacking myself....

Drew,
Your definition of running for office is confusing. "I did not have an active campaign"? Come on man we are not stupid. That is the kind of crap people are always attacking you for. "Active campaign" you can't change the definition of running for an elected office because you are ashamed of all the races you have lost. Arkansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee we all know you have ran half a dozen times for offices all over the country. You are not fooling anybody with your lies. It is widely reported in the media and on this blog. It is a FACT and no amount of lying or spinning is going to change it. You are only embarrassing your self even further. That kind of stuff (besides your legal and ethical problems) is why people don't take you serious. Double speak like that is what gives politics bad name, and worst than that the Democratic Party a bad name. Go away! My party is on the verge of taking back the capitol and ALL the elected statewide offices. We don't need this right now

Andrew Pritt is a lying son of a bitch.

Drew is just mad at Tim Hutchinson because he fired his ass. Drew what did he fire you for? I hear you were looking up gay porn at work. Is that true?

Once more, some internet trolls get on here and lie, lie, lie. They make this thread about something it is not. And whats funny is someone claims I attack myself.

I know Warwick and Max can prove that there is conflicting I.P. addresses. It doesn't come from me. Furthermore, the writing styles vary.

This is old and stupid and lacking in anything short of some idiots mumbling the same stuff over and over and over again.

My wife pointed this out on Atrios tonight. It's important to remember that our own Senator Mark Pryor was/is a proud member of the Gang of 14. Wonder how his primary election will go in 2008?

One of the Gang

Not enough has been said recently about Lieberman's membership in the "gang of 14," a bipartisan group of Republcian bullies and Democratic losers. Basically the Democrats in this group endorsed the very important principle put forth by the Republicans that the Republicans had the right to cheat. The principled Democrats in the gang managed to get the very important compromise which basically got the Republicans to promise to not cheat as long as the Democrats didn't give them a reason to ever want to.

Some principles.

Losers.

Funeral Protest act worked great this weekend. WBC were 150 feet out from the service that was held at the high school. WBC got just about zero media coverage and the focus was on the loss of the soldier and his family. The family also did not have to see the WBC group.
Posted by: Woo Hoo | July 30, 2006 07:17 PM

And the loss of the soldier was for what? What has been accomplished through his ultimate sacrifice? Go ahead, point to just one thing. There's no getting around it--the war profiteers have wasted another young life. "Woo-hoo" all you will, you idiot. But, you're missing the big picture here.

I hear that the reason Huckabee cancelled his appearance yesterday in Louisville at the SLC meeting was because Ted Suhl's (of the Lord's Ranch fame) plane broke down once again

Drew..President Bush saved our family $103,600 in taxes since 2001....Posted by: Anonymous |
-----------
Yeah, and I caught a bass that was this loo. . . no it was THHHIIISSS LOONNG and weighed almost half a gazillion pounds . . .
When I hear someone talk about how much tax they paid, or how little tax they paid, I always think of fish stories . . . lotsa claims that are rarely backed up with any proof.

Don I completely agree. Considering most of the "REAL" Arkansans the Republicans are talking about on here only make roughly $40,000 a year, I wonder how this supposed skillful Arkansas family saved $100,000+

Besides, I would glad turn in every tax refund I ever got, if it would have spared the lives of the almost 3,000 American servicemembers who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. To add insult to injury, have you noticed, Don that this supposed "Compassionate Conservative" President has provided tax refunds on the backs of the working poor?

Drew for a guy who never does anything wrong you sure do get accused of a lot of ethical and criminal lapses. How do you explain this?
Is it wise for someone in your situation no call others unethical?

Also you have never answer the post at 11:58 and 12:06. Please respond.

Drew

Wern't you in the Army?
Weren't you a Republican?
Weren't you stright?

Anonymous 10:22 a.m., the key words in your statement are accused. And quite honestly I have been accused of a lot on this board. But the accusations rarely are borne up by facts. Rarely does anyone provide any credibility. It's easy to attack me because at least I have the integrity to place my name and my contact info with my posts. Some have posted using that name before to try to slander me further. This is a one-sided argument that greatly proves nothing.

Anonymous 11:55 a.m. - I attempted to serve in the military. Physical and medical limitations prevented that from being a reality. As such I was given an honorable medical discharge.

No, I never was a Republican. I have from time to time supported Republicans. Normally that proves to be a bad thing. The Republican Party of Sheffield Nelson and Win Paul Rockefeller is one to be proud of in this state. However, they are merely aberrations in a party filled with the Hutchinsons, Huckabees, Holts, and DeLays!

And no, I never was "straight". I was born homosexual and its part of my genetic makeup.

May I further suggest you use spellcheck as it takes away further credibility from a loaded and meaningless question!

I am confused again.

Were you in the United States Army or not?

Drew have you ever ran for office as a republican?

Drew what were you fired for when you worked for Republican (although you say you were never one) Tim Hutchinson?

My side! My Side!

Drew Pritt is calling someone's credibility into question!!!

How funny!

Stop being ambiguous and have some courage to confront me with your true name and contact info.

1.) I am NOT a Republican.

2.) I did not run for office as a Republican....ever.

3.) If you mean was I in the United States Army in the status of either training or training recieved before active, then yes I was.

I never made it past training because of medical and physical limitations.

In terms of Tim Hutchinson, I applied to be an intern for the summer. Blanche Lincoln, who was elected recently in 1998, was limited in spaces. I impetuously chose to accept a position, as advised by my late professor, Dr. Jerry Young, on Hutchinson's staff. It was to be a U.S. Senate intern for a United States Senator.

The question of partisanship rests with Tim Hutchinson and his staff. I chose to attend over the weekend a College Democrats National Convention which was convening in D.C. at that time. I was advised if I chose to go, it would make the Senator look bad. I ignored this advisement because Tim Hutchinson was elected to be a United States Senator not a Republican Senator. I was fired because I attended the convention even though Hutchinson's D.C. staff basically ordered me not to go.

So, lets review. Do we want a Governor whose brother believes in partisan politics over people and who hypocritically is cheating on his wife with a staffer while attacking a fellow Arkansan for the same sort of behavior?

But once again, you attack me, and ignore the facts and fallacies of your own nominees.

If you did not complete basic trainiing and AIT then it would be dishonest to say you were a member of the United States Army.

Do you agree?

You deserved to be fired if they told you not to go and you did anyway.

Drew,
Your definition of running for office is confusing. "I did not have an active campaign"? Come on man we are not stupid. That is the kind of crap people are always attacking you for. "Active campaign" you can't change the definition of running for an elected office because you are ashamed of all the races you have lost. Arkansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee we all know you have ran half a dozen times for offices all over the country. You are not fooling anybody with your lies. It is widely reported in the media and on this blog. It is a FACT and no amount of lying or spinning is going to change it. You are only embarrassing your self even further. That kind of stuff (besides your legal and ethical problems) is why people don't take you serious.

Anonymous 2:27 its the pot calling the kettle black about dishonesty when you refuse to identify yourself but you make inflammatory and misleading questions on a public board.

No, its not dishonest, when I took the oath, I went through training, and I attempted to serve. I do not claim veterans benefits or veterans status. But the fact is, I took the oath, and I did wear the uniform. So I did serve in some capacity for not once but three attempts at service. Each time I was honorably medically discharged. I also was awarded the National Defense Service medal, which is all noted on my DD-214.

****

Maybe so, Anonymous 2:29, and I'll be fired by a Republican for exercising my God-given rights as an American citizen any day of the week.

Also it should be noted that Tim Hutchinson subsequently was fired by the voters of Arkansas, which was a much more relevant and bigger deal.

Besides, I would glad turn in every tax refund I ever got, if it would have spared the lives of the almost 3,000 American servicemembers who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. "

Please explain the following article

http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A7079

Sounds like Little Andrew Pritt was all for the war untill his fat ass was to big of a pussy to finish basic training!!

You are discusting

Wow, that is eye opening as to the character of Pritt.

Mental illness, that is all it can be.

Ask Drew about the time he got caught outside Woodruff Elementary School and investigated for "inappropriate contact with minors".

FYI I found it while doing research on cimes against children in the Little Rock area searching for "incidents" as pposed to arrests.

Oh Drew, adding pedophilia to your resume now? What's wrong stud, the hairline holding back your sex life?

He was for the war when he thought he could capitalize on it.
Man this guy is something. What a terrible person. I wish they would ban him from this blog.

Pritt Watch how can I research that myself?

The question of partisanship rests with Tim Hutchinson and his staff. I chose to attend over the weekend a College Democrats National Convention which was convening in D.C. at that time. I was advised if I chose to go, it would make the Senator look bad. I ignored this advisement because Tim Hutchinson was elected to be a United States Senator not a Republican Senator. I was fired because I attended the convention even though Hutchinson's D.C. staff basically ordered me not to go.

This account has one glaring lie and two significant ommissions.

First, it wasn't a weekend. Drew asked for time off to attend the College Democrats national convention. He was refused time off, so he called in sick that day. The intern coordinator sent a coupld of his fellow interns over to the hotel where the meeting was being held, to see if he was there. He was. He was fired that very afternoon for insubordination.

Now the ommissions: what Pritt doesn't tell you is that he was a PAID intern. He was actually put on the payroll, as were all interns in Hutchinson's office at that time. This is how he got that magnificent checking account at the Senate Federal Credit Union, where he proceeded to bounce over $2,000 worth of checks after being fired. As a paid staffer for the United States Senate, Drew was bound by the same rules as other salaried employees of the federal government. One of those rules is that you don't attend partisan political events on Uncle Sam's time.

The other ommission: Pritt doesn't tell you that the reason he was so hellbent to attend the CDNC was that he was running for president of the College Democrats of America (he lost quite badly.) He asked his Republican employer to allow him time off from work for this. That request wouldn't be honored in ANY Capitol Hill office.

How do I know all of this? I worked there too.

As Paul Harvey would say, "Now you know the rest of the story."

Yea I would vote for this guy. How can the dems attack Asa on ethics when their fellow democrat has ALL of these ethical problems?

How can A$a! followers attack Democrats on ethics wiwth Tom DeLay and Bill Frist as members of their party?

You have Jessie Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Robert Byrd. That's how.

Bill Clinton
Hilary Clinton
Jessie Jackson
Sandy Berger
Robert Byrd
James Traficant
Drew Pritt
Nick Wilson
Dan Harmon

Off of the top of my head...to name a few of the usual suspects.

Maybe if I wait long enough this thread will go away and I won't have to answer anything.

-Drew Pritt

Andrew it is taking you longer than usual to find a way to spin these most recent charges. Sounds to me like maybe there is no defense for them.
Just come clean and tell the truth Andrew. Here is your chance. Set the rcord straight.

The post by Pritt Watch on 4:35 p.m. is a goddamned lie.

Show some proof you liar. You know why you don't? You cannot and you know it!

In regards to the Memphis Flyer story, yes at the time I was gung ho not for a war. I was gung ho to serve and protect my country. I was gung ho for what we began, an attempt to erradicate al-Queda, but in 2001 that did not include IRAQ!

Secondly, I tried to go on active duty, and was denied because of a prior medical condition and physical limitations.

How is that a lie? How is that wrong?

Finally, the "Kris Knox" is a liar and he knows it. Its convient for him to say whatever he wants and try to make the truth stick. I may have been a paid intern but it was for the UNITED STATES SENATE, not the Republican Goddamned Party!

Anyone on the Blog can confirm that Pritt was a candidate for College Democrats of America national president in 1999. Just call them:

202-863-8018

It will be a matter of record.

Also ask what day the vote was (also a matter of record) and you'll determine Pritt is lying.

Pritt we will take this up another day. Today my heart is not in it.

I'll do you one better, "Kris Knox" since the vote was held on July 17th, 1999. I know this because that was also the same day that we waited on word of whether John F. Kennedy, Jr. had died, when his small plane disappeared the night before.

As to CDA, the ballots were long and tedious. Being a Republican bitch boy you are unaware that in CDA at that time, multiple ballots were taken. Candidates were not knocked off by lowest man out.

The balloting began with the other officer positions till it got to President. There were multiple ballots. I was trying to hold out and no, I didn't lose horribly. Three candidates ran.

Myself, a great guy out of Indiana who was filled with hope and promise, and the eventual winner, a guy from Minnesota who did nothing more than suffocate the organization and help to destroy it.

A number of delegations cast votes for me on multiple ballots and I distinctly remember D.C. stood by me and my candidacy. My vote varied, but I was attempting to be a fall back candidate, in case one of the two main candidates faltered.

As to whether I should have gone or not - I exercised my rights as an American citizen. Now trying to pull the Hatch Act on me won't work either. Because Senate interns on your side attend "conventions" and "seminars" by Republican think tanks all the time. In addition, when I interviewed for the position as an intern, I made them fully aware that I was a CDA Candidate for President and gave them the dates.

Look, as much as you lie and lie, it gets worse and worse. I provide credible evidence and you provide nothing more than hearsay and conjecture.

Since you seem to be a hot shot lawyer wannabe, you should learn that it's all about facts and the ability to back those facts up - not conjecture and hearsay, that is allowable.

Finally, I have to ask. What is medically or psychologically wrong with you?

I mean I am on here defending my good name as its smeared. You on the other hand waste time doing nothing but attacking, lying, and trying to prove a fallacy. You don't even know me.

Get a life and leave my life out of yours.

Good day sir!

Your heart never should be into harassing someone.

Incidentally July 17, 1999 was a Saturday.

So you deny that you were fired for calling in sick to attend a political event, at a time when your fellow interns were at work?

You bet I am! I was specifically told that if I attended a partisan political event such as the CDA Convention, it would embarass a Republican member of the U.S. Senate. I was told if I went, I would jeopardize my job. I was offended that anyone would take such a radical and almost fascist view and ignored the "warning."

I was fired because I attended the CDA Convention and you know what, I am not ashamed that a Republican would fire me as a Democrat for exercising my rights as an American citizen.

It's convient seven years later for this to suddenly develop as an alternate reason why I was let go. But if I was let go for what you claim, I would not have continued to work and be paid by Democratic members of the Senate and House, which I was and did.

My gosh Drew Paul Ells is dead. Have you no decency?

You are the most discusting person I have ever known.

Drew you claim to be a christian and sometimes a Jew and you quote the bible but you use the lords name in vain and call people Nazi's.

You are a horrible person, one of the worst I have ever heard of.

Barbara Lee fired you for stealing from her coffee fund. And let's not even go into your sad attempt to get a job with Sen. Landrieu. She called the Capitol Police to claim you were stalking her!

You can lie all you want but a lot of people know the truth. The story was ALL OVER Hutchinson's office.

Kris don't even bother. This guy is way below your level. Don't stoop so low.

Everybody knows Drew's story. He repulses democrats and Republicans alike.

He spins the races he has been in, spins his legal problems, spins his ethical problems, spins his work history, and worse than that he, during a time of war he is trying to spin his military service.

There is one thing that Republicans and Democrats can agree on. Drew Pritt is a lying disgusting piece of crap.