Thursday, November 05, 2009
by Dana Ritter, CBN News Producer
Some parties require a lot of planning and preparation. You know the kind, with formal invitations and RSVPs and official head counts and what not.
Today's "House Call" on Congress was anything but that. In fact, it was less than a week ago that Rep. Michele Bachmann, a Republican from Minnesota, urged people to come. She brought it up during an appearance she made on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News Channel. Six days ago.
Some people apparently got the invitation. Thousands showed up on the West Front of the United States Capitol. I was surprised at the size of the crowd when I first saw it out the window of the taxi cab. I didn't really know what to expect, I mean how many people could there be on a random Thursday in the middle of November, with less than a week's notice, right?
But, they came. And these people were passionate, too. I saw lots of home made signs that said things like "No Obamacare" and "Hands off my health care." There were people dressed in colonial attire, people waving American flags and "Don't Tread On Me" flags. I could literally hear people calling their Congressmen on their cell phones as I walked through the crowd.
I heard people chanting "Kill the bill!" and "U-S-A!" I saw a guy playing bagpipes and another man playing a saxaphone.
I met people from Virginia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas and Ohio. It was definitely a lively crowd!
When the press conference with Members of Congress started, the crowd quieted down to listen. Rep. Tom Price, a Republican from Georgia and also a Physician started things off saying he had a diagnosis "Legislative malpractice."
The crowd went wild. They cheered Rep. Bachmann as she quoted Thomas Jefferson, "A revolution every now and then is a good thing." They booed when she brought up House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's name - so loudly that I couldn't catch what it was that Bachmann said about Pelosi.
House Minority Leader John Boehner made a surprise appearance. Other attenders included Tony Perkins of Family Research Council and conservative celebrities John Voight and John Ratzenberger.
After the event, activists were encouraged to go find their Congressmen's offices. I don't know how each and every one of those thousands of people would have done that, but I wouldn't be surprised if many of them did. I know one thing for sure, I wouldn't want to be standing in that line to go through security! I'm happily back at the office now, writing this blog for you. Hopefully that's a little taste of what it was like to be there today. *I'm working on getting some video up here on the Beltway Buzz, check back for that!
I heard about counter protests, but I didn't see any of those people from where I was. Like I said, it was quite a crowd. Don't ask me to put a number on it though, I could more accurately guess the number of jelly beans in a jar. I'm not a good judge of things like that.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
He's probably not the first person nor will he be the last to have a religious experience while running the 26 mile Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. However, House Republican Conference Chairman, Rep. Mike Pence says the experience gave him a much deeper understanding of Scripture.
Here's what Pence wrote on his Facebook page after the race:
Mrs. Pence and I just finished 26.2 miles in the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon and we have the limp to prove it!
Karen was running to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children and I was running to support her and to see if I could do it. Our inspiration for the race came in Hebrews 12:1, which tells us to "run the race marked out for you with endurance."
Faith and the encouragement of family and friends carried us the length of the race and although current world records are still in place, we finished the race with a deep sense of accomplishment. There is much to be learned between 15 and 26.2 miles. Each mile marker brings with it a sense of relief but when you cross the bridge in 5 hours you are assured you will be able to finish the race because they close the bridge at 5 hours 15 mins. They call it "beating the bridge". We crossed it at 5 hours 5 minutes.
But with 6.2 miles to go, it's no longer the adrenaline, the crowd, or the training. It is perseverance. Whether you are a world class runner like our niece and nephew or whether you are a duffer like me, it just starts to hurt...a lot. That's when another truth becomes real. In Romans 5, the Bible says, "we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
In the midst of the blur of those final 6 miles there is suffering, but in the perseverance you sense a strength that you didn't really know was there...and, in that, you experience genuine hope. Not the cliche' hope of these days that comes in the promises of politicians but the kind of hope that springs from knowing who you are, where you've been and that by His grace you have the mettle to make it through. That is real hope. It's the kind of hope we could all use a lot more of these days.
Thanks for the many good wishes and thanks for supporting Mrs. Pence's efforts to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children. Whatever race you are running, run through the pain because you really can and in so doing you will find the hope that resides in God's boundless grace.
Mike Pence
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
For years Virginia politicians have battled over how to address the transportation needs of the Commonwealth's sprawling northern and eastern regions while keeping its existing roads from crumbling. In fact, Governor Tim Kaine, who is also chairman of the Democratic National Committee, spent the first half of his term trying to convince state legislators to increase funding for roads. Reforms were made, but Kaine came up mostly empty when it came to new funding.
That's why Virginia's newest ranking as slowest to put federal highway stimulus cash to use is so ironic. Representative James Oberstar, chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, wrote Kaine a letter last week pointing out Virginia's dubious distinction.
Kaine responded by saying falling state revenues in recent years left the state without a list of projects waiting to be completed. However, he says Virginia is making progress putting stimulus dollars to work and has already approved projects worth $389 million.
Virginia's ranking has only fueled criticism by Republicans who say Kaine spends too much time outside the state fulfilling his role as DNC chairman leaving the needs of the Commonwealth unattended.
Transportation funding is also a big issue in the current Virginia governor's race. The Democratic candidate hoping to replace Kaine in the governor's mansion, Creigh Deeds, appaers to be in trouble and historical winds aren't on his side. The Commonwealth has elected governors that represent the party opposite of that represented in the White House since the 1970's. A Deeds loss would further embarrass Kaine. However, he wouldn't be the first national party chairman from the Old Dominion to get stung in his own state come election day. In 2002, then Governor Jim Gilmore was chairman of the Republican National Committee when he was replaced as Virginia's top executive by Democrat Mark Warner (now a U.S. Senator).
One think Kaine may not be able to spend a lot of time practicing, but loves to play is his harmonica. Beltway Buzz recently caught him jamming in the back of a pickup truck with a bluegrass band while rolling down a parade route in the small town of Buena Vista. It's a good example of the folksy charm that sustains his political career, despite his troubles when it comes to moving Virginia's all important transportation system forward.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak tells the Beltway Buzz he's "confident" he has the votes to block the rule that allows H.R. 3200 onto the floor for debate. However, he says he's not taking anything for granted.
As co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, the Democrat wants Speaker Nancy Pelosi to allow an up or down vote on the Hyde Amendment. That's an amendment Democrats and Republicans have historically added to legislation that deals with health care funding. It basically prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortions.
H.R. 3200 is currently silent on abortion. In the past, when that has occurred, courts have ruled the controversial procedure can be covered and paid for with taxpayer money.
Stupak has told the Speaker without a clean up or down vote he'll lead as many as 39 Democrats, with Republicans to block the legislation.
And, even if the Speaker allows the vote, Stupak isn't promising he'll support the bill. Here's why....
Friday, September 04, 2009
Republican candidate for Virginia governor, Bob McDonnell, made headlines this week for a thesis he wrote while earning his masters degree at Regent University 20 years ago.
The paper entitled "The Republican Party's Vision for the Family: The Compelling Issue of the Decade" can be read in its entirety here. McDonnell came under fire for his views on everything from abortion to women in the work place for passages like, "Further expenditures would be used to subsidize a dynamic new trend of working women and feminists that is ultimately detrimental to the family by entrenching status-quo of nonparental primary nurture of children."
McDonnell told the Washington Post, "Like everybody, my views on many issues have changed as I have gotten older."
Some Republicans immediately fired back saying McDonnell shouldn't back too far away from his conservative values.
Beltway Buzz recently asked McDonnell about his paper. He says he sticks by his support of traditional family values and reaffirmed his support for working women.
"My daughter has been in Iraq, was in Iraq when I was elected Attorney General," he said. "My two other daughters have masters degrees, my wife has worked most of our marriage. I strongly support women's tremendous contributions to our economy. "
He also believes his views on family are in line with those of most Virginians. Take a listen.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
How will Senator Ted Kennedy's passing affect the future of health care reform? Kennedy was the strongest advocate of affordable health care for all in the U.S. Senate. Now, Democrats have lost his convincing voice and his vote.
Massachusetts law requires waiting nearly five months to hold a special election. Kennedy recently wrote the legislature asking members to amend the law and allow Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to appointment a temporary replacement to fill his seat until the special election.
Beltway Buzz asked Dr. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, to weigh in.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Conservative columnist Robert Novak died this morning, a little more than a year after being diagnosed with brain cancer. His wife made the announcement Monday. The veteran Washington journalist for the Chicago Sun Times was 78 years old. Here's a sampling of what conservative leaders had to say about his death.
"Bob made remarkable contributions in the field of journalism and to the American political landscape. He gave us a lifetime of dedication to the work he loved, and it is hard to imagine Washington without him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time."
-Rep. John Boehner, Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
"For more than half a century, Robert Novak explained the politics and the personalities of Washington to readers across the country through a mix of tireless shoe leather reporting and the kind of keen insight that can only be gained through years and years of dedication to a craft. He was a Washington institution who could turn an idea into the most discussed story around kitchen tables, Congressional offices, the White House, and everywhere in between. Elaine and I extend our deepest sympathies to the entire Novak family."
-Sen. Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
We've all heard the term "movers and shakers." Washington, D.C. certainly has its fair share of them, but Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) is about to put an entirely new twist to the original meaning. DeLay announced, by Twitter, that he will be one of 16 celebrities vying for the coveted yet slightly chintzy-looking "Mirror Ball" trophy in the upcoming season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." The "Hammer," as he was known on Capitol Hill, has some pretty stiff competition - going up against the likes of Michael Irvin, Donny Osmond, Macy Gray, Kathy Ireland and Kelly Osbourne, to name a few. Think he doesn't stand a chance? Think again. The former Texas Congressman has a long list of factors working in his favor. First, he's a natural competitor who worked his way up from a successful Texas exterminator to the second highest ranking position in the U.S. House of Representatives. His take no prisoners political style may serve him equally as well in competitive ballroom. A savvy entrepreneur, he already launched a website cleverly dubbed, "Dancing with DeLay," which will no doubt drum up some grassroots support. Finally, DeLay says he loves dancing and claims he was quite the dancer growing up in Venezuela. DeLay will bust a move with his dancing debut Monday, September 21st.
By the way, his fist Tweet Monday morning showed some apprehension. It read, "Headed to studio for my first rehearsal and hope to meet my partner. Hoping it's not Nancy Pelosi :)"
Pretty sure he has nothing to worry about there - at least not this season.
Monday, July 27, 2009
"Don't Ask, Don't tell" the U. S. Military's policy on homosexual troops will be debated in Congress this Fall. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand posted the following on her website today.
Armed Services Committee Chairman Levin Agrees to Hold A Senate Hearing on the Policy This Fall
July 27, 2009
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is announcing that the Senate Armed Services Committee is agreeing to hold a Senate hearing on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy in the Armed Forces this fall. According to a report from the Center for American Progress released last month, since President Barack Obama took office, 265 men and women have been dismissed from the Armed Forces because of the DADT policy.
"This policy is wrong for our national security and wrong for the moral foundation upon which our country was founded,'" Senator Gillibrand said. "I thank Chairman Levin for agreeing to hold this important hearing. Numerous military leaders are telling us that the times have changed. ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is an unfair, outdated measure that violates the civil rights of some of our bravest, most heroic men and women. By repealing this policy, we will increase America's strength - both militarily and morally."
Nearly 13,000 service members have been discharged for their sexual orientation since 1993, when the policy was first instituted. The Government Accountability Office estimates that the policy cost the Armed Forces approximately $95.4 million in recruiting costs and $95.1 million for training replacements for the 9,488 troops that were discharged from 1994 through 2003.
According to a Gallup Poll from May of this year, 69 percent of Americans favor military service by openly gay men and lesbians.
More than 100 retired U.S. military leaders - including the former head of the Naval Academy -signed on to a statement last November calling for an end to DADT policy.
Last month, Senator Gillibrand met with Lt. Dan Choi, a constituent, who was dismissed from the Armed Forces because of the DADT policy. Senator Gillibrand pledged to work with him to repair the damage that has been done to his career and spare thousands of innocent, brave men and women from the same injustice.