USD College Republicans

Republicans rally; Democrats leave after photo op

Tonight, 20 College Republicans rallied outside the Neuharth Building in support of Chris Lien for Congress. Of course, he's debating incumbent Democrat Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin.

I arrived at 7:00 PM and the Dems were in full force. State Senator Ben Nesselhuf was in attendance- not surprising, as he has no classes to take and no formal work to do. The Democrats were excited and chuckling at the fact that I was the only CR present. The joke was on them. I had told the CRs to arrive at 7:30.

So three Lien staffers and myself stood around the Democrats until Herseth arrived. They scurried up to the parking lot for a pat on the back and a photo op. Of course, as soon as the photo op concluded, they scattered.

Not the College Republicans! More and more CRs showed up and we eventually covered the area from the corner of Cherry and Dakota to the Dakota Street door of the Neuharth Building.

We will have video from the event as soon as it is available from the Lien campaign.

-Matt Hittle

Posted at 08:14PM Oct 21, 2008 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[20]

Tim Johnson: Wall Street's second favorite

The blog South Dakota War College reports that SD Senator Tim Johnson received the second-highest amount of money from Wall Street:

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Senate incumbents receiving the largest percentage of total from the finance sector

Jack Reed (D) ---Rhode Island---$1,240,655---31.3%
Tim Johnson (D) ---South Dakota---$1,330,004---30.6%
John E. Sununu (R) ---New Hampshire---$2,060,274---30.4%
Mike Enzi (R) ---Wyoming---$483,200---25.1%
Frank R. Lautenberg (D) ---New Jersey---$1,536,819---22.4%

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Pretty sweet for Johnson, even after he rants about "CEO accountability."

-Matt Hittle

Posted at 09:09AM Oct 14, 2008 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]

Victory...or not?

Congressional Democrats have finally admitted defeat and are going to allow the moratorium on offshore oil drilling expire. Unfortunately, the ridiculous legislation passed last week that denies the US to drill 90% of its offshore reserves still stands.

Here is the entire article

HT: Drudge

-Matt Hittle

Posted at 07:22PM Sep 23, 2008 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]

Why are Pelosi and company being so secretive?

Nancy Pelosi and company have been writing the most recent appropriations legislation in unprecedented secrecy.

Why?

Earmarks.

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The unusual process means thousands of lawmakers' pet projects of the very sort blasted by GOP presidential nominee John McCain on the campaign trail would escape scrutiny, including up to $5 billion worth of such "earmarks" in the defense budget alone.

Congressional leaders hope to pass the budget legislation this week, but several issues remained undecided Monday. For starters, it wasn't clear how much the White House would be willing to accept.

Bush has threatened to veto bills that don't cut the number and cost of earmarks in half or cause agency operating budgets, taken together, to exceed his request.

While top-level congressional leaders haven't made final decisions, elements of the year-end budget package are likely to include:

_Stopgap government funding. Most federal agencies would see their budgets frozen at current levels for several weeks or even into March. Lawmakers want to avoid a postelection "lame duck" session, but fear the White House will force them to return to session in November in hopes Congress would approve a free trade pact with Colombia.

_Security-related budgets. More than $600 billion to fund the 2009 budgets for the Pentagon, Homeland Security Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

_Disaster aid. Up to $25 billion in emergency funding for victims of Gulf Coast hurricanes, midwestern floods and other natural disasters.

_Automaker loans. More than $7 billion is provided to subsidize $25 billion in loans to help the "Big Three" U.S. automakers retool their plants to build cleaner, more energy efficient cars.

_Heating subsidies. Democrats want to double the budget to $5.1 billion for a popular program providing heating subsidies for the poor.

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Ahhhhhhh the Democratic Party! Champions of open and honest governance! NOT.

-Matt Hittle

Posted at 07:50AM Sep 23, 2008 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]

Pelosi hypocritical on earmarks

Nancy Pelosi has made an about-face on earmarks.

In 2006, right after winning back Congress, Pelosi said of Republican earmarks: "Personally, myself, I'd get rid of all of them."

NOW, she says that they're "wonderful investments in infrastructure and the education of our children."

This happens to every politician- praise something one day and decry it the next. But I think that Pelosi and the Democrats really have an obligation to let the American people know where and how their money is being spent. Those Congressional Democrats need to work with Republicans like Jeff Flake, who are working hard to get rid of earmarks.

-Matt Hittle

Posted at 01:05PM Feb 02, 2008 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[2]

Congressional Republicans' New Year's resolutions

Happy New Year to all you readers!
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2008 will be an interesting year, with the election and all, but we can't forget about Congress.
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Congressional Republicans are doing a good job, but have faltered, as humans are known to do. So, I've got a few New Year's resolutions for them.
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1) Keep curbing Democratic spending
2) Keep striving to eliminate earmarks
3) Keep free market, limited government ideals intact
4) Keep opposing the Democrats' misguided legislation
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As you can see, most of these begin with "keep." This means that Congressional Reps are on the right track, but it's up to us to keep our Members honest!
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I hope you all have a great 2008!
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-Matt Hittle

Posted at 04:29PM Jan 01, 2008 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]

Harry Reid: hypocritical to the max

Harry Reid seems to be on the verge of tears these days.
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"We hear a lot of Republicans boasting ... because of their unprecedented obstruction," Reid said.

Indeed, Republicans have gotten their way in the battle over spending, have forced Democrats to jettison rollbacks of tax breaks for oil companies, and have beaten back attempts to pay for expanded children's health care programs with a tobacco tax increase. Even though they're in the minority, the GOP, backed by President Bush, has used the filibuster to block Democratic priorities over and over this fall.

"Who's winning?" Reid asked a group of reporters. "Big oil, big tobacco. ... Al Qaeda has regrouped and is able to fight a civil war in Iraq. ... The American people are losing."
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I agree with the first commenter in the comments section. Harry was fine with obstructing the Republican agenda a few years ago, but now those big, bad, evil Republicans are killing America! Get a life, Harry.
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-Matt Hittle

Posted at 02:42PM Dec 18, 2007 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]

The Democratic Congress = Animal House

The WSJ editorial board thinks that the Democratically controlled 110th Congress is like Animal House.
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The reasoning is quite sound:
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"In the movie "Animal House," the fraternity brother known as Otter reacts to the Delta House's closure with the classic line, "I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part." To which Bluto, played by John Belushi, replies, "We're just the guys to do it." The movie ends by noting that Bluto becomes a Senator, so perhaps this explains the meltdown among Democrats on Capitol Hill."
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The WSJ editorial board states that Congressional Democrats are trying to push an agenda that's too far left for most Americans. I'm inclined to agree. Moreover, they say that many of the legislation Dems have tried to pass are merely exercises in futility. They seem to think that empty action and good intentions can solve the policy dilemmas that are facing the country.
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The editorial board also gives a laundry list of issues on which Congressional Democrats have played the hand that would best satisfy the ultra-left base of the party.
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"We could keep calling this roll: farm subsidies that are as egregious as anything the DeLay Republicans passed, the Schip health-care bill and its budget gimmicks, eliminating secret ballots for union organizing, spending bills that keep courting vetoes because they exceed Mr. Bush's targets. On nearly every issue, Democrats have been intent not on getting something done but on making a stupid, futile gesture to please their base."
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Finally, the WSJ suggests Republicans leave the Democrats to flounder in their own mistakes.
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"We hope GOP leaders on Capitol Hill don't give Democrats a last minute reprieve on spending in order to be able to collect their own "earmarks." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell looked shaky on that score earlier this week. The best GOP strategy is to put the responsibility to govern squarely on the Democratic majority, and support Mr. Bush's vetoes as a tool for improving policy. If Democrats keep following Delta House rules, Republicans will be back in the majority sooner than they ever imagined."
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On this last point, I agree as well. The Democrats of the 110th Congress rode into town on their white horses, claiming a mandate from the American people, and also that they'd clean up Washington. They've not delivered on their promise, and I think that, if things continue on their present course during the second half of the term, Republicans might just find themselves in the majority in 2009.
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-Matt Hittle

Posted at 01:19AM Dec 16, 2007 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]

Democrats finally decide to stop spending beyond their means

Congressional Democrats have finally realized that the US doesn't have an unlimited money supply.
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"The Democrats’ capitulation Wednesday on the total domestic spending level is the latest instance of Bush prevailing on a major policy showdown. Bush and his Senate Republican allies have repeatedly beat back efforts by Democrats to place restrictions on funding for the war in Iraq as well as Democratic attempts to expand funding of children’s health insurance by $35 billion."
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Everyone gets down on Bush for war spending, but the blame for increased spending should be set squarely at the feet of Congress- Congressional Democrats, more specifically. With the bloated SCHIP bill that was totally beyond the purview of the program's original intent (including adults and the upper-middle class), spending was off the deep end.
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I'm glad they finally gave up. It seems there's a lot of Democrats "giving up" in Congress these days.
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-Matt Hittle

Posted at 11:15AM Dec 13, 2007 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]

My response on Craig

In response to Bill of the College Democrats who said:
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"Just wondering when this research was going to be posted. At least admit when you are wrong.
His guilty plea can be found here (all of which took 5 minutes via a google search): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/27/AR2007082701235.html?hpid=topnews

or here
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/27/craig.arrest/

or here
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/19763-1.html

just admit it Matt, you were wrong, don't take the O'Reilly approach like many conservatives and spin it around this is the truth he plead guilty and resigned fron the Senate, then decided to come back to the Senate."
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First of all, I'm not a conservative. I'm a libertarian Republican.
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Second, Craig did not resign from the senate.
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Third, he made the plea- he says
- without the advice of a lawyer, as he hoped that the case would just "go away." A dumb move, yes, but under the surely stressful circumstances, it could be believed that those thoughts could very well have entered his mind.
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My point was not to debate the convoluted issues surrounding Craig's arrest. Indeed, if he broke the law, he should pay the consequences. Instead, my point was that it is his personal choice to reveal his sexual orientation when he chooses.
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We must remember, while we have the word of one police officer, (though I am no way trying to discount that officer's word), and Craig's alibi seems to hold up (ok this isn't a true source...it's funny, though).
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Larry Craig may be a hypocrite. We just don't know yet. If he's gay, then he might be. However, I think it's up to him- not us- to analyze his policy preferences in relation to his (assumed) sexual orientation.
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This isn't a right-and-wrong issue. Not many are. There are shades of gray here that one could discuss for innumerable posts. However, I'd rather not. Craig's iniquities, while mildly interesting, and something we might read on Perez Hilton's gossip website, they have no place in a forum of genuine political discourse. Let's forget about the "is-he-gay-is-he-straight" line of discussion and go with something more relevant.

Posted at 03:34PM Dec 04, 2007 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[3]

Larry Craig is exercising his personal choice.

The USD Dems are wrong on this one.
While our respective parties may not agree on the issue, the issue of outing himself is Craig's personal choice.
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While I'm not condoning anything Craig did- especially if he lied about breaking the law- he is simply not obliged to give us information about his sexual orientation simply because we read about it on the Internet.
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Craig's opposition to BIl Clinton's affair in the Oval Office has nothing to do with sexual orientation, and I'm not sure why the Dems included it in their discussion. A homosexual who is against certain Democratic policy proposals pertaining to gay rights is not unheard of, and the Dems would do well not to lump them all together.
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Matt Hittle

Posted at 07:01PM Dec 03, 2007 by College Republicans in Congress  |  Comments[0]