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BUNNING (AND AMERICA) BETRAYED! Harry Reid Reneges on Promise to Pay for $10 Billion Mandate (Guest in Eastern Time)
The world waited and watched as Senator Jim Bunning and Harry Reid cut a deal to allow Bunning to unfreeze the $10 Billion to pay for government workers, unemployment, etc., in exchange for Reid’s promise to have an up-or-down vote on Bunning’s amendment to fully pay for the unemployment extension and other federal programs.
But before the political ink dried on the deal, Reid pulled a procedural cheat to betray Bunning and America.
Instead of honoring their end of the bargain, Majority Leader Reid and Senate Democrats used a procedural gimmick so they would not have to vote on Bunning’s pay-for amendment.
Once again, the only thing we seem to learn from history is that we don’t learn from history. A Zebra doesn’t often change his stripes.
Available for interviews on site (or later today after the rally or in the morning) is Ned Ryun, President of American Majority, an organization that has trained more than 5000 people in the political process of running for office.
Ned puts the matter of ethics into perspective with the question of: Whatever happened to sacred honor and that a man’s word is his bond? And what should be done is such cases of blatant betrayal?
See reference articles below bio.
ABOUT NED RYUN…
A former presidential writer for George W. Bush and son of former U.S. Congressman Jim Ryun, Ned Ryun is currently the President of American Majority, a national organization committed to identifying and training liberty‐minded leaders. Ned was the co‐founder and former director of the Generation Joshua program.
Ned earned degrees in English and History from the University of Kansas and has co‐authored Heroes Among Us and The Courage to Run with his father and his twin brother, Drew. Ned and his wife, Becca, reside in Northern Virginia with their sons, Nathaniel and James and their daughter, Chatlotte “Lottie.”
When asked which Founding Father he relates to most with, and why?, Ryun answered, “Roger Sherman. I am fascinated by a man who is not well known, but who signed the Articles of Confederation, helped draft and then signed the Declaration of Independence, and then also signed the Constitution and was a member of the First Congress, sitting on the committee that helped draft the Bill of Rights. He had a tremendous impact on the founding of this country.”
ABOUT THE AMERICAN MAJORITY…
At American Majority, we believe that real political change begins at the local level. It is going to take engaged citizens working together in their communities to effectively implement freedom on a national level. We believe that individual liberty will only be achieved through limited government and free markets and that by training candidates and activists to be effective towards those goals today, we will enhance tomorrow.
American Majority is a national non-profit, non-partisan political training institute whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market. Headquartered in Purcellville, Virginia, we currently have state offices in Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas, with plans to open additional state offices in 2010.
Our organizational philosophy remains centered around the grassroots. We work hard to ensure our premier training programs are accessible to activists and candidates around the country. Since our inception in 2008, we conducted hundreds of training sessions in dozens of states, providing resources and education to more than 5000 candidates and grassroots activists.
NEWS RELEASE FROM SENATOR JIM BUNNING:
DEMOCRATS CONTINUE THE HYPOCRISY
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 2, 2010)-- U.S. Senator Jim Bunning issued the following statement after Senate Democrats used a procedural gimmick to oppose the Bunning amendment that would have paid for the unemployment extension legislation and other federal programs.
“Democrats tonight showed their true colors by going back on their word on the agreement I had reached with Majority Leader Reid to have an up-or-down vote on my amendment to fully pay for the unemployment extension and other federal programs. Instead, Senate Democrats used a procedural gimmick so they would not have to vote on my pay-for amendment. What are they so afraid of?
“For too long Congresses controlled by both Republican and Democrat majorities have not done a good enough job of controlling the spending of the taxpayers’ money. My stand over the last couple of days was not against those Kentuckians who are on the unemployment line. I support the underlying legislation and support those who are out of work and need a helping hand. What I do not support is the hypocrisy displayed by Senate Democrats. Just over a month ago Democrats passed pay-go legislation and then turned around and waived it for the next two major pieces of legislation that were considered by the Senate. What was the point of passing pay-go legislation? If Democrats continue to ignore their own rules I will oppose future legislation that is not paid for.”
BLUEGRASSBULLETIN.COM/ March 2, 2010
BUNNING BETRAYED
By Marcus Carey, former Finance Director for Senator Jim Bunning
Folks, You Are NOT Going To Believe What Happened Tonight In The Senate.
First of all, I was reporting on the voting as it took place. I reported that Senator Bunning had reached an agreement with Harry Reid to bring the extension bill up for a vote, BUT, Jim insisted that there be some way to pay for it.
Harry muscled him pretty hard and after some very tough negotiations during which I'm told by reliable sources, that Jim got very little help from the other Republicans, nevertheless in the end he got Harry Reid to agree with him.
Jim had proposed that he get three votes. One on an amendment which would have paid for the extension of benefits out of the $400 BILLION in dormant stimulus money, OR, an amendment to pay for the bill out of other spending, OR an amendment to basically let the Democrats find the money to pay for the bill in any way they wanted, so long as it was paid for.
Reid pulled rank and told Jim NO to his first two proposals, but agreed to put up an amendment giving the democrats a chance to find the spending somewhere and a way to comply with "Pay as you Go". Jim agreed, withdrew his objection and the matter moved forward.
Then those ‘snakes in the grass’ pulled a parliamentary procedure and denied the amendment, despite Reid's promise, and reneged on their word. They tricked Bunning once again showing that they can't be trusted. The extension bill then moved to a vote with Jim's objection having been withdrawn, and passed 78-19.
Now here's the real kicker. As you have seen over the last few days a ton of scared little Republicans have been pressing Jim to cave in. But today Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and many others have been calling for the troops to rally around Jim Bunning. Today two of the three Republicans who want to succeed him rallied around Bunning in Lexington.
But through it all I kept wondering, "where is the leader of the GOP in the Senate, Kentucky's other senator, Mitch McConnell when Jim needed him?
As it turns out he was in his customary position, far enough from the battle field to keep from soiling his fancy uniform but always at the ready to gallop onto the field and claim victory should the mood of those he cared to impress seem worthy of his presence.
Here's how it came down. After Jim took a beating in the press standing tall for our country's financial security, after he found very few of his presumed colleagues in the Republican caucus standing with him, after America got a very clear picture of the differences between a principled Jim Bunning and the rest of the bunch (And "bunch" describes them very well because they couldn't have had less of a spine if they'd been carved out of bananas) the bill came up for a vote, without the "pay go" provisions Reid had promised, and it passed.
Now you might wonder, what weasels in the Senate voted for it. Wait until you hear this.
Fast forward to about the time when only 6 or so votes are left to be cast, and guess who was among them. You got it, Mitch McConnell. He waited until he knew his vote didn't count, until his colleague Jim Bunning had been crucified in the press, hoodwinked by the snakes in the majority, tricked by presumably honorable men and subjected to what we Northern Kentucky Boys know as "dirty pool" until he sideled up and cast his vote. Only then did Benedict McConnell vote AGAINST the bill.
They say you don't want to watch as they make legislation or sausage. But as for me, if they expect me to swallow the wretched thing, I want to see what goes into it and I have to admit that watching this one take shape makes me sick. In fact, I think it ought to make you sick too.
Elephants have long memories. America is watching. America is taking names, and come November we are planning to kick some of the biggest Democrats in Congress and the Senate, out of there.
If not now, when? If not us, who?
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