Just Who Is John Carney Representing?

Congressman John Carney (D-DE) as Delaware's lone Congressman, is our only voice in the U.S. Congress.  But in his first term, he has failed to understand who he represents.  Based on the scorecards put out by the Club for Growth and the regional Independence Hall Tea Party Association, he has failed to protect to the general welfare of the citizens that put him in office.

In true form, John Carney has either put party, allegiance to Obama or self above the required service to his constituents in how he votes.  In a previous Blue Hen Conservative post, we commented on the coveted Club for Growth scorecard of which Carney failed.  He also failed the recent scorecard put out out by the Independence Hall Tea Party Association on votes related to Tea Party principles.

Both scorecards underline a problem with how John Carney views America and how the Democratic Party disconnects with the hard-working middle-class American.  Let's look at key votes that highlight a pattern of contempt for the Constitution of the United States of America:

• H.R. 2 - Repeal ObamaCare:  Congressman John Carney voted against the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Despite its benign name, the bill is unconstitutional due to the individual mandate and violation of the Tenth Amendment in how it is applied, Carney voted against the repeal.
• H.CON.RES 35 - Defund ObamaCare: Congressman John Carney voted against the de-funding of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
• H.R. 358 - ObamaCare Conscience Exemption:  Congressman John Carney voted against the passage of a conscience exemption for religious institutions.
• H.CON.RES 36 - Defund Planned Parenthood:  Congressman John Carney voted against the de-funding of Planned Parenthood at the federal level.  Planned Parenthood is the largest organization in America that aborts pre-born children.
• H.R. 1076 - Defund National Public Radio (NPR): Congressman John Carney voted against the de-funding of the NPR, in light of its media bias.
• H.R. 2560 - Cut, Cap & Balance:  Congressman John Carney voted against the resolution to address federal spending and balancing the federal budget.
• H.R. 1231 - Off-Shore Drilling:  Congressman John Carney voted against allowing off-shore drilling and American energy independence.
• H.ADMT 596 to H.R. 2354 - Energy Department Budget Cut:  Congressman John Carney voted against cutting the federal budge to the federal Energy Department.  The Energy Department does not produce energy and allocating funding for the Energy Department is misguided.
• H.R. 822 - Right-to-Carry Reciprocity:  Congressman John Carney voted against the allowing the federal government to recognize right-to-carry permits passed by the respective states. A vote against is a voted against the Second Amendment.

 As you can see, Congressman John Carney is no friend of the U.S. Constitution and in his first term has failed to uphold the oath he took to uphold the Constitution when he sworn in.  John Carney can no longer be trusted to be a servant to the citizens of the great state of Delaware.

John Carney is up for re-election this November and must be replaced.  New Castle County President Tom Kovach is seeking this office and deserves our support.  We cannot afford to give John Carney another term to further erode the U.S. Constitution and America' relevance.

Independence Hall Tea Party Association Releases 2012 Scorecard

The Independence Hall Tea Party Association released its 2012 Tri-State Area Congressional Scorecard.  The scorecard compiles votes of members of both the U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate and rates the members according to Tea Party principles.

For Delaware, lone Congressman John Carney (D-DE) scored a seven out of possible 100.  Delaware Senators Thomas Carper (D-DE) scored a nine out of 100 while is junior colleague Chris Coons (D-DE) scored the lowest amongst the Delaware delegation with a six out of possible 100.

Congressman John Carney and Senator Tom Carper are up for re-election in 2012 and analysis on this scorecard for each candidate will be done under separate posts.

Club for Growth Flunks Carper, Coons and Carney on Pro-Growth Votes

In case you missed it, the Club for Growth released its annual Congressional Scorecard for both U.S. House and U.S. Senate members on pro-growth votes.  The methodology Club For Growth used to score each member is found here.

Delaware's federal delegation did not fare all that well.  In fact, they flunked.

Senior U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) voted 14% of time in favor of pro-growth economic policies during 2011.  Throughout his entire tenure, he voted 10% of the time as pro-growth.  Junior Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) supported pro-growth policies 12% of the time and lone Congressman John Carney (D-DE) supported pro-growth policies only 8% of the time.

If anyone in Delaware is unemployed, they need to look no further than the Carper, Coons and Carney.  For Democrats, they sure are not looking out for their constituents.

BlueHenConservative will evaluate the scorecard in further detail for specific votes and provide further analysis in a future post.  It is important to note that Sen. Tom Carper and Rep. John Carney are up for re-election in November 2012.  Clearly, given the meager results for improving the economy, neither can be re-elected.  Remember, elections matter, and there are consequences.

Stop the Insanity

Not one person in the U.S. Congress nor liberal media is willing to admit that the accumulated federal debt is unsustainable.  Not one person, except may Ron Paul.

Karl Denninger at Market-Ticker.org has put out a pretty damning chart that is just down right frightening.  Here is the chart, and then we will discuss what it means.

In his own words, "Over 20 years, from 1980 to 2000, the slope of the line of debt accumulation was approximately 12 degrees.  From 2000 to 2008, or approximately 9 years, it was 26 degrees (more than double the slope over less than half the time) and from 2008 to today it was 64 degrees or again more than double the slope over less than half the time.  Note that this is just the public debt -- the problems in entitlement programs (internal debt) are even worse!"

 You see while, Greece is burning (literally), Washington is asleep deciding how to spend our money.  Despite the empty rhetoric (even from the Republicans), there is no serious effort to reign in federal spending.  In the current Presidential race, both current GOP candidate Ron Paul and former Presidential candidate and Governor Rick Perry have outlined ways to reign in spending.  Both have calls for the elimination of at least three federal cabinet agencies. 

While Athens burns, and Washington is gathering the kindling NO ONE is even remotely looking at the how our government spends money.  Any sane member of either chamber in Congress would draft legislation on day one of office asking for an independent review of all federal agencies and departments to determine fit or purpose (are they really needed any longer) and what resources (budget allocation, staff, equipment, etc) are required to make them efficient and beneficial to the American public.

With the billions spent on pet earmarks, surely members of Congress can find a thousands ways to cut federal spending without breaking a sweat.  But I am sure as every well-intended member of Congress, the city corrupts and the power overwhelms the desire to do good.

The time to use a scalpel of trying to reign in spending is over.  It has failed.  It's time to bring out the machete.  Because doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results is not working.  Stop the insanity.

Godfrey Bloom: Time for Fiscal Crimes Tribunal

I could not agree more with Godfrey Bloom.

Speech at EU Parliament:




Godfrey Bloom, MEP for UK's Yorkshire Dales region is on the right track.  Sadly he can only speak for the EU. 

It is now time for an American Godfrey Bloom to stand up in either chamber of Congress and proclaim the same thing.  It is time that a full investigation to address the HOW, WHY and WHO involved with the 2008 mortgage crisis and overprinting at the Federal Reserve.  The follow as Mr. Bloom suggested and throw them in the slammer until they expire. 

Seriously.  Catalog and review every piece of legislation such as the Community Reinvestment Acts of 1997 and 1993; and action by the U.S. Federal Reserve to artificially lower interest rates to support such acts to create housing bubbles.

More than four years after the start of the collapse, the housing sector is no where near where it once once and millions of homeowners have either been forced into foreclosure or see their homes go underwater.  Those homeowners were lied to, deceived at every turn and deserve answers.

CPAC 2012: The Capitol Hill Edition

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) would not be a success without the insight of Senators and members of Congress who walk the talk on Capitol Hill. This year, as in year's past the best of best share insight on the upcoming 2012 election and current issues.  

The Leadership

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) addresses CPAC



Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell addresses CPAC

 

The Voice of Reason from Congress

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) addresses CPAC 




Congressman Steve King (R-IA) addresses CPAC 




Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) addresses CPAC 

\  

Words from the 2010 Victory Superstars

Congressman Allen West (R-FL) addresses CPAC



Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) addresses CPAC 




Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) addresses CPAC 




At the time of this blog post, videos of CPAC speeches given by Senators Jim DeMint (R-SC), Jim Cornyn (R-TX), James Inhofe (R-OK) and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) were not available.

John McCain Attacks Tea Party, Conservative Principles

Senator John McCain has lost it.  He has shown his true colors in a  Wall Street Journal editorial where he attacked the Tea Party and conservatives for holding to their principles in the debt ceiling debate.

Before we get into why John McCain is wrong, it's important to note that John McCain is no conservative. John McCain has been part of the combine (h/t to Ann Barnhardt) for that one.  Throughout his Senate career he has shown that he is a big government Republican.

In the editorial found here, John McCain derails conservatives and members of the Tea Party Caucus for criticizing House Speaker John Boehner's recent bills.  McCain incorrectly states that the the conservatives have no alternatives.  When in fact they do - it's called Cut, Cap and Balance.  It's important to note that John McCain was absent or didn't vote on Cut Cap and Balance last Friday evening.


McCain's poor use of comedic humor while attacking the Tea Party proves he is out of touch with the mandate the voters gave by giving the Republicans the House last November.  His attack on Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell, both 2010 U.S. Senate Republican nominees is beyond pale:

"This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into GOP Senate nominees."

Really, John McCain.  Was this really necessary?

You prove what a lot of conservatives knew about you during the 2008 Presidential Election.  We voted for you only because Sarah Palin was on the ticket.  But with this, you prove that you are no different than Barack Obama and your progressive stripes are glowing louder and louder.

Perhaps if you voted last Friday in support of Cut, Cap and Balance and exemplified leadership to get a few more on-board, we would have have a winning solution to the debt crisis. Get on board, or leave running the country for the adults.

Shutdown Averted, but...

At the eleventh hour, Congressional leaders and President Obama agreed to a deal that would prevent the shutdown of the federal government.  The deal consists of $38.5 Billion dollars in cuts, mere crumbs given the multi-trillion dollar budget and over $14 Trillion in accumularted federal deficit.  Given the mandate given to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), and the House Republicans we could have done better.  Much better.

To be honest, Boehner caved when the Democrats balked about defunding Planned Parenthood.  Many Democrats accused the Republicans as "trying to kill women" and other childish attacks just so the Democrats can continue to murder innocent babies.

And the Republicans were not forceful enough in defunding Obamacare, which takes affect today, now that the federal government has a FY2011 budget.   Let's not forget that the Republicans took back the House on the promise to do what ever was necessary to defund and repeal Obamacare.  By not agreeing to defund Obamacare, Congress kicked the can down the road to the upcoming debt ceiling and FY2012 budget debates.  The longer we stall, the harder it is to remain strong and focused on the mission at hand.

As Congress marches towards its next battle of deciding whether or not to approve an increase to the federal debt ceiling, let's hope Boehner & Co. use more force and reject an increase.  Republicans must realize that we cannot continue to make deals where the interest on the national debt paid daily exceeds the cost of the deal made to appease the Democrats.  Remember, we are dealing with crumbs here.  Mere window dressing.

Senate Ignores Constitution over War Powers Vote

Despite the valiant effort by constitutional conservative Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), the United States Senate rejects a war powers amendment 90-10.  The vote signaled a clear rejection that the sole power to declare war and appropriate funds for war rests sole with the United States Congress.  Rand Paul in his floor speech did cite three exceptions to where American armed forces may be deployed for combat missions without a declaration of war. 

Rand Paul cited the three hurdles that must occur to to put American troops in harms way:

• Declaration of War
• Authorization of force (approved by Congress
• Imminent danger upon the nation

Neither of these criteria was met with the situation in Libya. 

Furthermore, Rand Paul noted that after the attacks on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 Congress convened within 24 hours to declare on Japan.  Because there was not attack, there was no reason why President Obama could not reach out to the leaders of the Congress to have a vote on use of force in Libya. 

What is more ironic is the that Senator Barack Obama chided former President Bush in December 2007 by stating that "the President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military in a situation that does not stopping an imminent threat to the nation".

Well, Mr. President was the United States under an imminent threat from Libya.  Of course not.  So the words against President George W. Bush in 2007 were just words.  For when the table is turned and you are in the Oval Office, you do not practice what you preach. 

An interesting close to Rand Paul's floor speech was “The new motto of Congress appears to be, ‘Tread on me. Please, tread on me.’”  Paul is a quick study for only having been an Senator for about three months and realizing that the Congress is just a rubber stamp AGAINST the Constitution.

GOP-Controlled House Passes $1.2 Trillion Budget

The GOP-controlled U.S. House passed a $1.2 Trillion budget yesterday 235-189.  The budget which covers every federal department funds the government through the end of the 2011 fiscal year, which ends September 30th. 

The House passed the bill, with $61 Billion is cuts which cut from Planned Parenthood, the new federal health care reform bill, domestic and foreign aid, partial school funding and even cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency.  The cuts came forty percent lower than the initial goal of cutting $100 Billion from the budget, but did cut $100 Billion from what Obama has proposed.

What was not cut was funding for the Department of Defense funding of NASCAR advertisements.  The Pentagon spends $7 Million annually to fund NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Randy Newman and other partnerships.  Given the U.S. federal deficit is over $14 Trillion, Congress should have passed the amendment to defund the Pentagon's funding of NASCAR.  The funding is not necessary to protect the United States, the core reason why the Department of Defense is funded in the first place.  Instead, Congress gave the green light to the funding by rejecting the Democrat submitted amendment 281-148, with Republicans largely voting against the measure. With this vote, the Republicans dropped the ball and failed to live up to their fiscal conservative calling card.

U.S. House Votes to Defund Nine Obama Czars, FCC Net Neutrality

In more breaking news from the U.S. House, they voted to defund nine czars from Obama's administration.  The vote passed and eliminates funding for the following czars: health-reform czar, climate-change envoy czar, the green jobs czar, Guantanamo Bay closure czar, the TARP oversight czar, and the auto manufacturing czar, and the FCC diversity czar.  The amendment sponsored by Rep. Stephen Scalise (R-LA), passed 249-179.

In another vote, the House voted 244-181 to defund FCC net neutrality rules.  The amendment was sponsored by Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL).

U.S. House Votes to Defund Obamacare

The U.S. House led by House Republicans voted 239-187 to defund the American Patient Protection and Affordability Act.  This vote marks the continual effort by House Republicans to defund the unconstitutional health care reform bill.

While the legal battle over the legitimacy over the over-reaching health care bill moves forward in the courts, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) make good on his word to defund Obamacare.   Twenty-eight states are also suing the federal government over the legitimacy over the individual mandate, NewMax reports.

A Day In History, We Should Not Celebrate

Today marks the 38th anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade (1973) decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that paved the way for millions of unborn children to be murdered.  The genocide against the unborn is stain on this nation's remarkable and storied history.  Because of this heinous decision by the U.S Supreme Court, abortion has become a landmark business, and one that should not be promoted. 

Some startling facts and unfortunate milestones since the Roe v Wade decision, according to the National Right to Life Commission:

• There have been over 50 million abortions since 1973.
• The annual number of abortions went from 744,600 in the first year of legalization, to a high of over 1.6 million in 1990. In 2003, there were 1,287,000.
• There were over 3,500 abortions per day in 2003, 146 per hour, about one every 25 seconds.
• For every 1,000 live births, there were 312 abortions in 2003.
• There were more that 148,000 second and third trimester abortions in 2003.
• In 2003, more children died from abortion than Americans died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars combined.
• A 2004 survey of women seeking abortions indicated that only about 7% of women cited typical “hard cases” (rape, incest, or some health concern with either the baby or the mother) as the primary reason they were seeking abortion.
• An April 2004 Zogby Poll found that 56% of respondents support legal abortion in only three or fewer circumstances: when the pregnancy results from rape or incest, or when it threatens the life of the mother.
• At an average cost of $372, the abortion business is a $400 million a year industry.
• Nearly half of all abortions are obtained by women who have already had at least one abortion.

Pro-Life Legislation Under Way

The 112th Congress, newly sworn-in and changed hands from the Democrats to the Republicans have made a commitment to defending the rights of the unborn.  They have already been hard and work and some key legislation is underway right now:

• No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3), which would make those policies part of permanent federal law rather than requiring them to be inserted into funding legislation every year. 
• The Protect Life Act (H.R. 358), which would apply long-standing federal policies on funding and conscience rights related to abortion to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
• Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 361), which would ban governmental discrimination against obstetrics/gynecology residency programs that do not provide abortion training and allow health care providers to sue a discriminating entity.
• Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 6570), which would protect the rights of insurance issuers, providers and purchasers to negotiate a health plan under the new reform law that would exclude items that are against their moral and/or religious convictions, even in the face of the new federal "mandated benefits" provisions.

We should support Congress and ask our local Representatives and Senators to ensure these bills are passed. We owe this to the unborn children who we hope will be part of America's long and storied history.