The 35 Largest U.S. Private Companies
Club for Growth
May 15 - 11:11 am
Fortune has the list. I've got a huge beef with #3. How exactly is the USPS a private company'
Should We Call It 'Freedomchusetts' Now'
Club for Growth
May 15 - 10:45 am
I don't know what I like more about this article. The fact that Massachusetts citizens are pushing for a repeal of the income tax, or the fact that bureaucrats are going bonkers with the prospect that they might succeed. From the Boston Globe:
A group of antitax activists launched a campaign over the weekend to abolish the state income tax, setting the stage for a contentious public battle if the measure is added to the ballot this fall.
After pushing a similar initiative that almost passed six years ago, a group called the Committee for Small Government is back for another round, asking v
New Earmark Scandal (Yet Again)'
Club for Growth
May 15 - 10:25 am
Rep. Rob Andrews (NJ-01) has dished out more than $2 million to his wife's employer since 2001.
Staff Spotlight: Jessi Knight
United States Senator - Jim DeMint
May 15 - 10:00 am
Letters to the WSJ Editor
Club for Growth
May 15 - 9:54 am
Below are two letters published in the Wall Street Journal in response to Club President Pat Toomey's op-ed from last week.
Are RINOs an Endangered Species'
May 15, 2008; Page A16
Pat Toomey could not be more to the point in "In Defense of RINO Hunting" (op-ed, May 8). The GOP got beaten in 2006 because it was "not Republican enough" as opposed to "too Republican." There is no reason to vote for Republicans if they won't vote for lower taxes, entitlement reform, constructionist judges, small government, school vouchers and against farm subsidies, campaign finance "reform," pork and the recen
Club Condemns Farm Bill
Club for Growth
May 15 - 7:53 am
Club for Growth Condemns Farm Bill Vote
Washington – With the passage of the Farm Bill today in the House of Representatives, 218 Democrats and 100 Republicans told the American people they care more about shoveling money at the special interests than saving taxpayers’ hard-earned money.
“Congress should be embarrassed when such a large majority votes to throw taxpayer dollars at millionaire farmers, increase subsidy payments at a time of record-high crop prices; and give special tax breaks to horse racers,” said Club for Growth President. “If members of Congress are trying to fi
DAILY FISCAL POLICY REPORT -- May 15, 2008
OMBWatch Blogs
May 15 - 12:00 am
War Supplemental -- House and Senate Action Today: The House is scheduled to vote on a $183.7 billion war supplemental spending package today. The Senate Appropriations Committee will begin work on marking up companion legislation also today. but it's unlikely a bill will reach President Bush by the Memorial Day break. House Amendments to Bill.
Unemployment Insurance -- House, Senate Approps Votes Slated: The full House and the Senate Appropriations Committee are scheduled to vote on an amendment to the war supplemental to extend UI benefits. The House bill provides a 13-week extension in
The House Passes the Farm Bill
Club for Growth
May 14 - 6:45 pm
They passed it by a veto-proof majority, 318-106.
Republican leadership was split, which is emblematic of the party's vision for the future:
GOP Leader Boehner: NO
GOP Whip Blunt: YES
Conference Chair Putnam: YES
Conference Vice-Chair Granger: NO
Policy Chairman McCotter: YES
Conference Secretary Carter: YES
NRCC Chairman Cole: YES
Chief Deputy Whip Cantor: NO
HOUSE Key Vote Alert - 'Patriot Tax'
Club for Growth
May 14 - 4:27 pm
KEY VOTE ALERT
"NO" on Domestic Spending Amendment to the Fiscal 2008 War Supplemental (Amdt. 3)
The Club for Growth urges all House members to vote "NO" on the domestic spending amendment (Amdt. 3) to the war supplemental. This key vote will be part of our 2008 Congressional Scorecard.
The amendment has several provisions that are anti-growth. It extends unemployment benefits and prevents cost-cutting Medicare rules from being implemented. However, the most troublesome provision is the absurdly named "Patriot Tax", which is a 0.5% surcharge on gross income on earnings over $500,000 a y
CCAGW Statement on Tanker for Defense Authorization Mark-up
The Swine Line
May 14 - 3:07 pm
CCAGW Statement Submitted for the Record before the House Armed Services Committee
Committee Mark-Up of H.R. 5658, The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
May 14, 2008
According to the May 2 Congressional Quarterly, some members of the House Armed Services Committee are considering challenging the Air Force's $35 billion contract award to Northrop Grumman for its
Headline of the Day
Club for Growth
May 14 - 2:48 pm
"Michigan's revenue will decrease, budget experts predict" -- The Detroit Free Press
But wait, I thought Michigan's wise leaders raised taxes last year, but now tax revenue is expected to go down' What are the odds that the wise leaders will raises taxes again to make up the new budget shortfall'
Doug Ose's Extreme Makeover
Club for Growth
May 14 - 1:45 pm
Doug Ose’s Extreme Makeover—Political Edition
Washington – In today’s Sacramento Bee, former Rep. Doug Ose is trying to hide his liberal voting record. When Ose represented California’s Third Congressional District in Congress, his liberal record consistently ranked him in the bottom half of the Republican Caucus (see NTU scores). Now that Ose is running in the conservative Fourth District, he is trying to spin a conservative image out of whole cloth.
Sorry Doug, the congressional record doesn’t lie.
Doug Ose consistently voted for wasteful projects, increased government s
Keating on the Radio
Club for Growth
May 14 - 1:30 pm
On Monday, Club for Growth Executive Director David Keating was interviewed on KENI 650 AM in Anchorage, Alaska. The subject was Rep. Don Young's recently announced desire to raise the gas tax. You can listen here (MP3 file).
Hyperconnectivity not Just Personal
Sunlight Foundation Feeds Blended
May 14 - 12:41 pm
(from Sunlight)
Ars Technica has an article up about the "hyperconnected"defined by the Interactive Data Corporation as those people for whom the line between work and personal has been blurred to the point that they're "willing to communicate with work on vacation, in restaurants, from bed, and even in places of worship."
The article offers some criticism
Gotta Love Sanford
Club for Growth
May 14 - 12:33 pm
Sometimes it's the small things that make a difference. Today, SC Governor (and possible VP candidate) Mark Sanford signed a state law removing the legal requirement for shampooers to receive the same state-mandated 1,500 hours of training that cosmetologists receive. While this may seem insignificant to some, Sanford is highlighting the problem of overregulation in South Carolina. In his press release, the governor listed the state's top 10 crazy laws or proposals:
Top 10 Crazy Laws or Proposals - Whatever happened to common sense'
1. State law requires an individual to complete 1,500 ho
Happy 25th Birthday!
Sunlight Foundation Feeds Blended
May 14 - 12:28 pm
The Center for Responsive Politics is celebrating its 25th birthday today. As its Executive Director for its first decade and a half, I couldn't be more proud of its breathtaking accomplishments over the years. As a birthday present for all of us, their Web site OpenSecrets.org has undergone a dramatic transformation. I've been playing around on the site for a few days and there are some fabulous improvements. According to CRP, here are some of the new features: The money-and-politics articles that we've published for years on CapitalEye.org are now front-and-
Legislation Languishes in Congress as Miners Fight for their Benefits
Sunlight Foundation Feeds Blended
May 14 - 12:28 pm
Glen Charles, who had been a miner in West Virginia for 42 years, was diagnosed as having black lung, for which he received benefits under the Black Lung Act up to the time of his death in August 2005. Under federal law, surviving spouses of miners who die from the disease are eligible to continue
Hyperconnectivity Not Just Personal
Sunlight Foundation Feeds Blended
May 14 - 12:20 pm
Ars Technica has an article up about the "hyperconnected"defined by the Interactive Data Corporation as those people for whom the line between work and personal has been blurred to the point that they're "willing to communicate with work on vacation, in restaurants, from bed, and even in places of worship."The article offers some criticism of the purportedly overworked, suggesting offhandly that the hyperconnected will pose new challenges for IT departments, and possibly have questionable effects on workers' personal lives.While these concerns over pr
Wednesday's Daily News
Club for Growth
May 14 - 11:09 am
THE DAILY NEWS
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' - Wall Street Journal Editorial
New Farm Bill Deserves Swift Veto by Bush - Orlando Sentinel Editorial
Farm Bill: Prevention Is Better than Cure - Sallie James, Cato
Dems Propose Tax Hike on Millionaires - Andrew Taylor, Associated Press
Getting the Right Picture on Free Trade - Don Boudreaux, Pittsburgh Trib-Review
Who Will Pay For Promises Of Politicians' - Walter Williams, IBD
Botswana and Zimbabwe: A Tale of Two Countries - M. Tupy, American.com
Government Stifles the Wisdom of Crowds - John Stossel, RCP
Economic Impacts of Sichuan Quake on Ch
GOOD Magazine Illustrates Transparency
Sunlight Foundation Feeds Blended
May 14 - 10:20 am
If you haven't discovered GOOD magazine yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. It bills itself as a venue "for people who give a damn." It's also a lot of fun. In the past couple of weeks, the magazine has published four political visualizations in its TRANSPARENCY section. The first is an amazing graph illustrating the amount of work accomplished and time spent by the U.S. Senate over each of the last 20 years. Another is a very cool three-minute video on where John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have received their campaign cash. They have a fascinati