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20 Responses to “SAXBY SELLS OUT!”

1. JohnKonop Says:
   May 17th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

   Dr. Coburn Rejects $300 Billion Giveaway to Bureaucrats and Lobbyists Masked as a Farm Bill
   House, Senate Remove Coburn Amendments Behind Closed Doors

   May 15, 2008

   (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement today after voting against the Farm Bill. The bill was passed by 81-15 and will likely be vetoed by the President.

   “As food and gas prices reach record highs and families are feeling the strain on their budgets, this bill does nothing to help improve the quality of life for farmers and hard-working families. Rather, this bill gives billions to huge conglomerates, special interest groups and inefficient nutrition programs. Congress has put their elections and parochial interests ahead of traditional farmers and middle class families,” Dr. Coburn said.

   The final version of the legislation expands subsidies to many non-essential crops such as strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, increases sugar costs by $2 billion annually for taxpayers and does nothing to remove wasteful, duplicative and unnecessary programs at the already bloated United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill also does little to address payments to deceased farmers and limit subsidies to non-farming land owners.

   “After more than a year of negotiations on the Farm Bill, Congress has produced a bill that is bad for American agriculture, consumers and taxpayers. It is clear that elected leaders in Washington have lost sight of what this bill means to so many making an honest living providing food for our nation. Congress has put the priorities of special interest non-farm lobbyists over the long-term interests of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. This is not a farm bill. It is a nutrition/social programs bill, with a few farm programs thrown in,” said Dr. Coburn.

   Coburn amendments that were eliminated behind closed doors include:

   • A provision Coburn offered was removed that prohibited federal funds for the construction of the water garden (a “gift” from China), and required an annual report that would detail costs of operating the Arboretum.
   • Coburn’s provision prohibiting payments to farmers who have been deceased for more than two years was removed.
   • Coburn’s amendment that would have kept non-farming land owners from receiving subsidies and grants, leaving more scarce dollars for real farmers and ranchers.
   • Coburn’s amendment to require GAO to study and report on federal hunger programs effectiveness measurements for several overlapping and duplicative programs and grants.

   Examples of waste and misplaced priorities within the bill include:

   · $170 million to be distributed to commercial and recreational members of the fishing communities affected by the salmon fishery failure in the States of California, Oregon, and Washington.
   · $2.5 billion for “specialty crops” which include: strawberries, blueberries, grapes for wine, citrus fruits, figs, herbs, pistachios and 100 other “specialty crops.”
   · The bill extends and enhances support for domestic sugar and sugar beet monopolies.
   · The bill increases spending for duplicative and inefficient nutrition programs by over $10 billion.
   · The ethanol subsidies and import tariffs are extended when food prices are skyrocketing.
   · The Nature Conservancy will be the beneficiary of $250 million in taxpayer funds for the purchase of property in Montana and protecting “native fish habitat.”
   · The bill will give grants to local governments, non-profits and tribes to “acquire private forest land” that may be threatened by development which could infringe on private property rights.
   · “Such sums” as necessary for historic barn preservation.
   · Does nothing to address the fact that the USDA, if a private company, would be the 6th largest in the United States.
   · Funds necessary for Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.
   · $3.75 million for the University of the District of Columbia to upgrade agriculture and food science facilities.
   · $15 million market loss assistance for asparagus growers resulting from imports during the 2004-2007 crop years.
   · $50 million for the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (a two person office) in Washington, DC.

2. John McCain » SAXBY SELLS OUT! Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 4:45 am

   […] Best Video wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt…said he’s warned President Bush that vetoing the farm bill could hurt presumptive GOP nominee John McCain in reliably Republican states this… […]

3. SAXBY SELLS OUT! | Politics in America Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 4:51 am

   […] lebanonnewsnetwork.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptWe must put aside partisan politics and go after any lawmaker who sells us out! Also if we disagree with people in the past and they do the… […]

4. JohnKonop Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 6:49 am

   Chambliss: Bush veto of farm bill a ‘huge mistake’ that could hurt McCain

   The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

   Columbus, Ga. — U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss said he’s told President Bush that vetoing the $300 billion farm bill would be a “huge mistake” that could hurt Republican presidential candidate John McCain in November.

   “He and I have had a couple personal conversations about that. I think it’s a huge mistake for him, politically and otherwise,” said Chambliss, a Republican who himself faces re-election this year.

   Chambliss said he pointed out to Bush that the states in the South and West that gave him his strongest support all had agricultural economies.

   “These are people that want to vote for John McCain. If they get turned off by Republicans, it’s going to make it tough,” Chambliss told reporters after a speech to

   The House and Senate both passed the massive bill this week by veto-proof margins. Both Chambliss and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson have promised to help override a presidential veto.

   But in the House, five of Georgia’s seven Republican House members voted against the bill. And more conservative Republicans in Georgia have balked at the spending.

   Last year, Chambliss faced the state GOP convention just as an immigration bill was unveiled in Washington. He and Isakson had participated in the negotiations, and Chambliss received a round of boos from delegates.

   On Friday, at a sparsely attended afternoon session, Chambliss took no chance that the farm bill might also provoke the crowd’s displeasure. He made no mention of the farm bill, or immigration.

   READ COMMENTS

5. Sgt Mac Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 6:56 am

   Sadly, Saxby and the other RINOs have forgotten what the founders envisioned. That seems to be the problem with the entire Nation INCLUDING the electorate.

   Our illustrious senator is one of the “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” Gang as well. He’s on board with the socialists from the Republic of Mexifornia (Boxer and Feinstein) with the new Ag Bill that gives these criminal aliens a path to citizenship. Perhaps ALL of you should read the following…….

   How Long Do We Have?

   About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

   “A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.”

   “A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.”

   “From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”

   “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years”

   “During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

   1. from bondage to spiritual faith;

   2. from spiritual faith to great courage;

   3. from courage to liberty;

   4. from liberty to abundance;

   5. from abundance to complacency;

   6. from complacency to apathy;

   7. from apathy to dependence;

   8. from dependence back into bondage”

   Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

   Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29

   Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000

   Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million

   Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1

   Professor Olson adds: “In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare…” Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the “complacency and apathy” phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation’s population already having reached the “governmental dependency” phase.

   If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

   It’s high time we got away from the “democracy” argument and got back to our TRUE form of Government which is a Constitutional Republic……and while we’re at it, get rid of the elitists like Chambliss, Obama, McCain, Clinton, Boxer, Feinstein and the rest.

6. Bill Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 8:41 am

   Are there any fiscal conservatives left in DC? And of course we can’t keep the politicians out of the liquor cabinet but why don’t they KEEP THE HELL AWAY FROM ETHANOL?? It’s a total fiasco. Or haven’t they heard? Do they have internet access in DC or just Fox News and perhaps a “team of experts” (Pollsters and lobbyists)

7. Bill Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 9:02 am

   Let’s get the government out of food, energy, medicine, and anything else that pads the pockets of the politicians. If we don’t we’re looking at a Soviet style nightmare around the corner. Whenever they set foot in the marketplace bad things happen.

8. Bill Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 11:44 am

   Have they ended the subsidies for ethanol yet? Methinks this would be a good starting point. Right now getting the current crop of Republicans re-elected ain’t very high on people’s list of priorities (if they don’t stick to principle what’s the point?) Anyhow cutting subsidies to agriculture is something I like to call BSTC (baby steps toward conservatism)

9. GA Patriot Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

   They insist we need illegals for agriculture to keep the prices down, and then the very same people provide subsidies to the agricultural business people. So the American citizens have to pay for healthcare, food stamps, schooling, social and security services, while also paying for subsidies and resulting higher food costs.

   Can we just cut out the middleman here? I would be willing to pay for subsidies if they had to pay a living wage to their employees and did not bring in illegals.

10. JohnKonop Says:
    May 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm

    GP

    I agree!

11. bb Says:
    May 19th, 2008 at 7:02 pm

    John,

    Thanks for making this a headline…I posted the story on the previous thread about the bloated Ag bill.

    Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have both challenged GOP leadership on this BS piece of legislation. Saxby Chambliss is a huge disappointment and deserves to be knocked out of office.

    GaP and John…subsidies no matter their intent are not a function of this constitutional government.

12. JohnKonop Says:
    May 19th, 2008 at 7:08 pm

    Bart

    I am sorry that I forgot about that when I saw it on the PP.

    Please accept my apology I did not mean not to mention you posted it here first.

13. bb Says:
    May 19th, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    John,

    No problem…it was a compliment…other than your agreement with GaP about supporting continued subsidies with conditions.

14. JohnKonop Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 4:49 am

    Bart

    I am confused by your statement. You are for tax payers paying for an illegal work force via schools, healthcare…. Instead of having the real price of the product via a legal work force?

15. bb Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 7:42 am

    No John, I have never supported that…but you just advocated subsidies which most would characterize as pork.

16. Bill Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 8:30 am

    We need some real conservatives with some principles. Some NGN (nobody gets nothin’) conservatives. I know it’s a difficult concept for many to grasp but when NOBODY GETS NUTHIN’ from DC everybody has more. And of course 99 out of 100 Americans are all too willing to throw ideology out the window when they see a problem that supposedly government can fix with a new program.

17. GA Patriot Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 8:45 am

    I can’t speak for John, but I, too, don’t agree with subsidies. However, I feel more control can be exerted if we keep the subsidies and wean them down, but require only legal workers, period. No legal workforce (audited by a citizen watchgroup), then no subsidies and serious fines. It will be infinitely cheaper than supporting the uneducated castoffs sneaking across our southern border. And when my husband has chest pain, we don’t have to pray that it doesn’t happen until 4am so we can actually use an emergency room for its intended purpose. No longer paying school taxes for non-English speaking gang bangers would be another bonus.

18. Bill Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 8:46 am

    And nobody understands this less than Bush and his chronies. Bush is a third generation political animal where the lines of distinction between government, banks, and multinational corporations are practically non-existent. The story of the Texas Rangers should have been a wakeup call to real conservatives, but too many were busy with the coronation. And the people who surround him are all textbook examples of the revolving door and conflicts of interest. Utterly deplorable. The elephant in the room is so massive few have the cajones to even check it out. Too many Republicans have been defending this financial orgy. And if they haven’t raised hell by now they’re just liars and cowards.

19. Bill Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 9:26 am

    And while large areas of the country are experiencing hard times in the real estate market the fastest growing county in the U.S. just happens to be just outside of DC. (Loudoun County) Looks like a town full of happy fascists. Don’t expect these folks to raise a stink about corporate fascism, public private partnerships, revolving doors, globalism, or anything else that upsets the apple cart. I found out about this because I just met a guy who lives in this area. And a very shallow individual too I might add. How does this happen with Republicans in charge?
    http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2005/04/nations_fastest_growing_counties/

20. Bill Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 10:49 am

    Money to the University of the District of Columbia? How much does Miss Firebird get?
    http://www.udc.edu/