Erick Erickson's Blog, page 209

I Guess the RNC Is Clueless

I wasn't going to go there, but after this piece went up, I got an email from RNC Spokesman Doug Heye, who wrote:

We in fact did have a 72 hour program. Not sure why you would claim that we didn't.

Well Doug, I go it from you. See this Roll Call article.

The RNC traditionally runs the GOTV operation for Capitol Hill, which includes recruiting and registering staff that want to help the GOP at the state level.

But this year the committee canceled the deployment program to cut costs ahead of the midterm elections.



Doug Heye, a spokesman for the RNC, said the money would instead be used to fund other parts of its "72-hour program," such as paid mail.

It's not really the 72-hour program when all the parts aren't funded.

In fact, there is near universal agreement that the most effective part of the 72-hour program was the boots on the ground aspect.

The cancellation of the deployment program comes as RNC Chairman Michael Steele has received criticism for low fundraising numbers and a cross-country bus tour that many campaign operatives have deemed unnecessary and ineffective.

"We have the best electoral climate since '94, and the RNC has no money for get out the vote? I hope Chairman Steele at least saved a few bucks to redecorate his office again," one House GOP aide quipped.

As one Senate aide noted,

"We will lose races because of this," said one senior Senate GOP aide, referring to the Republican National Committee's inability to coordinate the traditional 72-hour GOTV effort for House and Senate races.

And we did.

Doug and the RNC can say stuff like this:

Heye said the RNC will continue to run the 72-hour program, which includes voter registration call centers and 352 state-level Victory centers where volunteers can join the GOTV effort.

But the fact of the matter is that state parties, campaign organizations, and other national Republican entities had to pull a lot of extra weight because the key component of the 72 hour program was not funded and the RNC admits it.

You can't say you have the 72-hour program when the key part of it — national coordination of boots on the ground — is stripped from the program. And why was it stripped?

"With early and absentee voting becoming more prevalent — both in voters who use it and states that allow it — it was decided last year that a last-minute deployment was not cost-effective," [Heye said.]

Political Malpractice: The GOP Should Have Had Bigger House Gains

"Our success last Tuesday is covering up some very fundamental and institutional problems that will hurt us in 2012."

Just the facts. That's all I'm going to give you here — no blame game. No names.

Largely because I don't want RNC people calling and crying and trying to spin me when all I'm doing is pointing out some facts.

It has been suggested that the reason the GOP didn't take more Senate seats is because of conservatives. The facts show otherwise.

What the facts show is that while you and I are focused on the most House pickups since 1948, we probably should have made even bigger House gains. Likewise, we probably could have taken the Senate. Losing the Senate had nothing to do with conservative candidates and everything to do with GOTV.

Success has a way of covering up problems.

You can decide who to blame, all I am doing is giving you the facts.

First, consider this: A number of Republicans underperformed their polling by several points. Typically, polling leans slighting Democrat, so for the GOP to underperform that much indicates a real problem.

Now, consider this: Washington State and Colorado did not have gubernatorial contests. They were two of the closest Senate races. Well, okay, Colorado did, but not with the Republican being competitive. In other states, the race was so lopsided that last minute resources did not have to be spent on gubernatorial contests in several states.

The RNC did not have a 72 hour program this year. Instead, the RNC relied on the Republican Governors Association's get out the vote program.1

Guess what? Neither Washington State nor Colorado saw the RGA pouring significant sums into a GOTV program because in Washington there was no race and in Colorado the Republican was toast and everyone knew it.

In New York, the RGA spent no money and we have seen the GOP lose some House races narrowly. In Arizona, the RGA spent only $500,000.00 and we saw some House races go down in flames. The story played out across the nation. Where the RGA did not put a pile of money in, the Republicans had no significant ground game and lost races narrowly.

More troubling, even when the RGA did pour money in, there was no high level coordination for a last minute get out the vote program. The RGA program is largely an absentee ballot program, not a "get people to the polls" program — that requires the GOP's highly praised and highly successful 72 Hour program.

Except this year they did not use it.

Consider this from the Nevada GOP's website; it is an article from Roll Call:

Since the Senate adjourned Sept. 29, high-ranking Democratic staffers have hitched up with campaigns in West Virginia, Nevada and other battleground states, while many GOP aides are nervously idling in Washington, D.C., frustrated with their party's decision to suspend its last-minute get-out-the-vote deployment.

"We will lose races because of this," said one senior Senate GOP aide, referring to the Republican National Committee's inability to coordinate the traditional 72-hour GOTV effort for House and Senate races. Though its name implies a three-day deployment, in past years Capitol Hill staffers left as soon as Congress adjourned in order to help in tight races.

To recap: The GOP lost a significant number of very close House and Senate races. What do they all have in common? They were in states that the RGA was not heavily invested in and the RNC did not deploy a 72 Hour program to get people to the polls.

In addition, there was the $8 million last minute sum put into California by the National Republican Senatorial Committee instead of offsetting the ground game in Washington and Colorado that the RNC did not fund.

These are just the facts. You decide who to blame.

What's my point? It's simple. While Republicans relish having the Democrats keep Nancy Pelosi around, the Democrats are doing the same with Republicans who keeping around some of their leaders. Our success last Tuesday is covering up some very fundamental and institutional problems that will hurt us in 2012.

The RNC is pushing back saying they do have a 72 hour program, but as this Roll Call article notes the on the ground people in the field stuff was cancelled.

↩

'It's Not Me. It's You.'

Mr. Obama has made up his mind. The voters did not reject him or his policies on Tuesday. They just rejected the economy. Never mind that it is his policies that have made things worse.

We've heard this now since last Wednesday. Mr. Obama has taken it as his mantra that "it's the economy stupid" and also that people are too stupid to understand what awesome things he has been doing for them.

More significantly, Mr. Obama has taken to repeating that he was just responding to a crisis. He thinks there was no "overreach" just a "perception" of an overreach.

It was, therefore, the message not the policy.

Let's be clear here — this is the administration with the internal mantra of "never let a crisis go to waste."

Mr. Obama may believe he was just responding to a crisis, but much of what he did was not part of the crisis. Bailing out and expanding unions was not part of the crisis. Propping up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was not part of the crisis — heck, they caused the crisis.

Attacking American job creators with language harsher than that used to attack Al Qaeda, Iran, and North Korea was not part of the crisis.

And, most obviously, taking over the American health care system was not part of the crisis. That was part of not letting the crisis go to waste.

For two years now, the Democrats have told us that Barack Obama is the best communicator since God first said "Let there be light."

Today, they and Mr. Obama himself, would have you believe was a communications problem, not a policy repudiation.

According to Tuesday's exit polls, a majority of Americans blame Wall Street Bankers for causing the economic collapse. It looks like they got Barack Obama's message. The problem for Barack Obama is that those people voted overwhelmingly for the Republicans.

Morning Briefing for November 8, 2010

RedState Morning Briefing

For November 8, 2010

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. 'It's Not Me. It's You.'

2. Some Senate Republicans Push for Earmarks and Budget Busting Spending in Lame Duck

3. Killing the Private-Sector: What Democrats in Congress couldn't do for union bosses, the NLRB will

4. A Brief Word In Defense of Keith Olbermann

5. Looming Obama Tax Increases Will Hit Working Americans Right Where it Hurts Most

6. Hensarling-Bachmann

———————————————————————-

1. 'It's Not Me. It's You.'

Mr. Obama has made up his mind. The voters did not reject him or his policies on Tuesday. They just rejected the economy. Never mind that it is his policies that have made things worse.

We've heard this now since last Wednesday. Mr. Obama has taken it as his mantra that "it's the economy stupid" and also that people are too stupid to understand what awesome things he has been doing for them.

More significantly, Mr. Obama has taken to repeating that he was just responding to a crisis. He thinks there was no "overreach" just a "perception" of an overreach.

It was, therefore, the message not the policy.

Let's be clear here — this is the administration with the internal mantra of "never let a crisis go to waste."

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Some Senate Republicans Push for Earmarks and Budget Busting Spending in Lame Duck

It didn't take long for many in Congress to ignore the will of the American people on earmarking special projects for states and districts. The Tea Party movement has a long way to convince members of both parties that the corrupting and wasteful practice of earmarking has to end. Later this month, Senators Jim DeMint (R-SC), John McCain (R-AZ) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) are expected to have to fight against an Omnibus Appropriations bill on the Senate floor in the Lame Duck session that is expected to be loaded up with earmarks.

According to National Journal (subscription required), some Senate Democrats and Republicans are teaming up with House Democrats to earmark.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Killing the Private-Sector: What Democrats in Congress couldn't do for union bosses, the NLRB will

As unemployment continues to rise as a result of the Obama administration's anti-business climate, the union-controlled National Labor Relations Board is about do what a Democrat-controlled Congress could not do—give unions the ability to kill unionize more companies.

We've known this was coming for a while now, but after union bosses blew a few hundred million of their members' money trying to save what Democrats they could on Tuesday, they now know that their number one legislative agenda item, the Employee Free ANTI-Choice Act is all but dead. Union bosses don't seem to be too upset though. Why should they? After all, they've already engineered Plan B and, now, they're ready to implement it.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. A Brief Word In Defense of Keith Olbermann

What Olbermann did is not out of line with what he does regularly on television.

Here's the thing though — rules is rules. There was a clear rule. Olbermann violated the rule. He will now suffer the penalty. A lesser MSNBC "talent" would have been fired.

I may not like the rule, but it is there. I frankly believe that this was just an excuse. Olbermann has been running roughshod over the network for a while, bullying his way around the office, and even hilariously refusing to lean forward for the camera when participating in the "Lean Forward" ad campaign for MSNBC.

In a week when the GOP took back the House and made historic gains nationwide, it is almost more excitement than any conservative can bear to witness Olbermann's suspension at MSNBC.

Thanks Keith! You made our already awesome week even more awesome.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Looming Obama Tax Increases Will Hit Working Americans Right Where it Hurts Most

Talking of "Bush tax cuts" at this point, as so many seem to do when discussing the change in tax policy set to go into force this coming New Years Day, is beyond absurd. What's coming on Jan. 1, 2011 is the Obama Tax Increase — no less than the largest tax increase in our history, courtesy of a president who, last Tax Day, declared that working Americans should be "saying thank you" for the hefty check they had to write Uncle Sam in order to support the eternally vacationing president and his increasingly out-of-control federal bureaucracy.

At a time when copious amounts of smoke and mirrors are required to even create the illusion of an economic recovery in this country, the Obama tax increases are a disaster in the making that will drive the "progressive" knife further into the backs of the American working man and woman.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Hensarling-Bachmann

I think having Jeb Hensarling as Conference Chair and Michelle Bachmann as Vice Chair would be a powerful duo. Hensarling is a very substantive policy guy. Michelle Bachmann gave up campaigning for herself to go all over the country for Republicans this year. She deserves a seat at the table.

Tom Price, a doctor, at Policy would be huge. I know him well. Having a doctor there would send a strong signal that the GOP is serious.

Also, Fred Upton as Chairman of Energy & Commerce is unacceptable to every single conservative I know. He is a union lackey and bad on virtually every fiscal issue. Shimkus, Stearns, or Pitts would be far better.

On Appropriations, not only do we need a guy like Jack Kingston who, by the way, was the only Appropriations Cardinal to turn in budgets balanced or in surplus. But that's not all. There need to be a sizable number of fiscal conservatives put on the committee. Start with Jeff Flake, but don't stop there. Tom Graves or Lynn Westmoreland from Georgia, other solid folks, etc. We need new blood on Appropriations.

Last, but absolutely not least, the Rules Committee absolutely must stop being a proxy for the Speaker. NO WAIVERS and load up Rules with good conservatives who are not tokens or proxies.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

A Brief Word In Defense of Keith Olbermann

As you know, Keith Olbermann was suspended from MSNBC for giving political contributions to three Democrats.

For the past several years, Olbermann has been giving in-kind contributions to various Democrats by putting them on the air to let them go unchallenged and unhinged. See e.g. Alan Grayson.

I was shocked that Olbermann got booted for giving money, considering he has for some time given aid and comfort to the ragtag group of socialists just repudiated by the public.

For MSNBC to say Olbermann is somehow an objective reporter does a grand disservice to both objectivity and reporters. It is sheer and utter nonsense. Neither Olbermann, Maddow, Matthews, or any of the others over there make any pretense at objectivity — but they sure did hide behind it Friday night when discussing Olbermann as if they were somehow better than everyone else.

What Olbermann did is not out of line with what he does regularly on television.

Here's the thing though — rules is rules. There was a clear rule. Olbermann violated the rule. He will now suffer the penalty. A lesser MSNBC "talent" would have been fired.

I may not like the rule, but it is there. I frankly believe that this was just an excuse. Olbermann has been running roughshod over the network for a while, bullying his way around the office, and even hilariously refusing to lean forward for the camera when participating in the "Lean Forward" ad campaign for MSNBC.

In a week when the GOP took back the House and made historic gains nationwide, it is almost more excitement than any conservative can bear to witness Olbermann's suspension at MSNBC.

Thanks Keith! You made our already awesome week even more awesome.

From the Mail Bag

Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you now a mailbag post from a Mr. Alastair Hastings sent to me at 1:48 a.m. this morning.

I am leaving it formatted exactly as it was sent.

WHAT IS ALL THIS S**T ERICK?

ONCE I WAS KICKED OFF REDSTATE.COM AFTER I LEFT A COMMENT ABOUT HOW THE REPUBS WERE AS GUILTY OF SCREWING OUR COUNTRY AS THE DEMS WERE… ETC… THEY SAID MY ACCOUNT WAS 'REMOVED BY ORDER OF THE BUILDERBERGS.'.. IT WAS KINDA CREEPY…

SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE ONE OF THESE BAS***DS!


Here's a List of the Bilderberg Maggot Slime Bast**ds who want to Rule the World!


The following is a list of prominent persons who have attended one or more conferences organized by the Bilderberg Group . The list is currently organized by category. It is not a complete list and it includes both living and deceased people. Where known, the year(s) they attended are denoted in brackets.


You will be familiar with many!!!

THIS LIST OF "RATS" IS IN NO MEANS COMPLETE! Super-Slut Clinton, O-stinking- Bama, and a few other TRAITORS are MISSING!


Royalty




Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld in 1942.



Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1997, 2000, 2010)
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1954, 1975)
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, United Kingdom (1986)   (WHAT A JOKE!)
Juan Carlos I of Spain, King of Spain (2004)
Prince Philippe, Prince of Belgium (2007)
Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (1965, 1967)
Queen Sofía of Spain (2009, 2010)


Politics


United States


George W. Ball (1954, 1993), Under Secretary of State 1961-1968, Ambassador to U.N. 1968
Sandy Berger (1999), National Security Advisor, 1997–2001
Timothy Geithner(2009), Treasury Secretary
Lee H. Hamilton (1997), former US Congressman
Christian Herter, (1961, 1963, 1964, 1966), 53rd United States Secretary of State
Charles Douglas Jackson (1957, 1958, 1960), Special Assistant to the President
Joseph E. Johnson (1954), President Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Henry Kissinger (1957, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 2008), 56th United States Secretary of State
Colin Powell (1997), 65th United States Secretary of State
Lawrence Summers, Director of the National Economic Council
Paul Volcker, Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board and Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1979–1987
Roger Altman (2009), Deputy Treasury Secretary from 1993–1994, Founder and Chairman of Evercore Partners


Presidents


Bill Clinton (1991), President 1993-2001
Gerald Ford (1964, 1966), President 1974-1977


Senators


John Edwards (2004), Senator from North Carolina 1999-2005
Chuck Hagel (1999, 2000), Senator from Nebraska 1997-2009
Sam Nunn (1996, 1997), Senator from Georgia 1972-1997


Governors


Rick Perry (2007), Governor of Texas 2000-current
Mark Sanford (2008), Governor of South Carolina


United Kingdom


Rt Hon the Baroness Shirley Williams ( at least 2010), stateswoman and member, House of Lords; Harvard University Professor; Past President, Chatham House; int'l member, Council on Foreign Relations.
Paddy Ashdown (1989), former leader of Liberal Democrats, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ed Balls (2006), former Economic Secretary to the Treasury and advisor to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and wasSecretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (2007–2010)
Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (Steering Committee member) , former Foreign Secretary
Kenneth Clarke (1993, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, Chancellor of the Exchequer1993-1997, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 2008-2010, Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice 2010-current
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (Viscount Cranborne) (1997), Leader of the House of Lords 94-97
Denis Arthur Greenhill, Lord Greenhill of Harrow (deceased) (1974),) former Head of Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Denis Healey (founder and Steering Committee member), former Chancellor of the Exchequer
Peter Mandelson (1999, 2009 Business Secretary (2008–2010)
John Monks (1996), former TUC General Secretary
George Osborne (2006, 2007, 2008 2009) Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (2004–2010), Chancellor of the Exchequer 2010-current
David Owen (1982), former British Foreign Secretary and leader of the Social Democratic Party
Enoch Powell, (deceased) (1968), MP and Ulster Unionist
Malcolm Rifkind (1996), former Foreign Secretary
Eric Roll (1964, 1966, 1967, 1973–1975, 1977–1999) (Bilderberg Steering Committee), Department of Economic Affairs, 1964, later Bilderberg Group Chairman
David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick (1995), Diplomatic posts at European Union and United Nations.
John Smith (1989) (deceased), Labour Party leade

Prime Ministers

Tony Blair (1993), Prime Minister 1997-2007
Gordon Brown (1991), Prime Minister 2007- 2010
Edward Heath, Prime Minister 1970-1974
Alec Douglas-Home (1977–1980), Chairman of the Bilderberg Group , Prime Minister 1963-1964
Margaret Thatcher (1975), Prime Minister 1979-1990


Belgium


Paul-Henri Spaak, Former Prime Minister (1963)


Netherlands


Ruud Lubbers, Former Prime Minister
Wim Kok, Former Prime Minister
Jan-Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister


France


Gaston Defferre (1964), member of National Assembly and mayor of Marseille (at the time)
Georges Pompidou, Former Prime Minister of France, Former President of the French Republic[55

Portugal

Francisco Pinto Balsemão (1981, 1983–1985, 1987–2008), former Prime Minister of Portugal, 1981–1983 and CEO of Impresamedia group
Manuel Pinho (2009), former Minister of Economy and Innovation
José Sócrates (2004), current Prime Minister of Portugal
José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, former Minister of Justice
Santana Lopes (2004), former Prime Minister of Portugal
José Manuel Durão Barroso (1994, 2003, 2005), former Prime Minister of Portugal and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and current President of the European Commission
Nuno Morais Sarmento, former Minister of Presidency and Minister of Parliament Affairs
António Costa (2008), former Minister of Interior and current Mayor of Lisbon
Rui Rio (2008), current Mayor of Porto
Manuela Ferreira Leite (2009), former Minister of Education and Minister of Finance and Public Administration
Augusto Santos Silva, former Minister of Education, Minister of Culture, Minister of Parliament Affairs, and current Minister of National Defence
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (1998), former Minister of Parliament Affairs
António Guterres (1994), former Prime Minister of Portugal, former President of the Socialist International and currentUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Ferro Rodrigues, former Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity and Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications
Jorge Sampaio, former President of Portugal
Luís Mira Amaral (1995), former Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, chairman of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and CEO of Banco Português de Investimento
Vítor Constâncio (1988), governor of the Banco de Portugal
Manuel Ferreira de Oliveira, CEO of Galp Energia
Ricardo Salgado, CEO of Banco Espírito Santo
Fernando Teixeira dos Santos (2010), currrent Minister of Finance
José Medeiros Ferreira (1977, 1980), former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral (1999), former Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications
António Miguel Morais Barreto (1992), former Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries
João Cravinho, former Minister for Environment, Spatial Planning and Regional Development
Artur Santos Silva, former vice-governor of the Banco de Portugal, chairman of Banco Português de Investimento and current non-executive chairman of Jerónimo Martins
Francisco Luís Murteira Nabo, former chairman of Portugal Telecom, Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications, and current chairman of Galp Energia and president of the Portuguese Economists Association


Norway


Siv Jensen (2006) Leader for The Norwegian political party, "Fremskrittspartiet". (Progress Party (Norway))


Finland


Eero Heinäluoma (2006), former Chairman of the Finnish Social Democratic Party and he was the Minister of Financebetween 2005 and 2007
Jyrki Katainen (2007, 2009), chairman of Finnish National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) and the current Minister of Finance
Sauli Niinistö (1997), former Minister of Finance (Finland), Speaker of Parliament
Matti Vanhanen (2009), Prime Minister chairman of Suomen Keskusta


Iceland


Bjarni Benediktsson (1965, 1967, 1970), Mayor of Reykjavík 1940-47, Foreign Minister 1947-55, editor of The Morning Paper 1956-59, Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs 1959-63, Prime Minister 1963-70
Björn Bjarnason (1974, 1977), Assistant editor of The Morning Paper 1984-1991, Minister of Education 1995-2002,Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs 2003, 2009
Davíð Oddsson (ca. 1991-1999), Mayor of Reykjavík 1982-1991, Prime Minister 1991-2004, Foreign Minister 2004-2005,Central Bank governor 2005-2009, editor of The Morning Paper as of September 2009
Einar Benediktsson (ca. 1970), ambassador: OECD 1956-60, UK 1982-1986, European Union et al. 1986-1991, NATO 1986-1990, United States et al. 1993-1997, etc.
Geir Haarde, Central Bank economist 1977-1983, member and chairman of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee1991-1998, Minister of Finance 1998-2005, Foreign Minister 2005-2006, Prime Minister 2006-2009
Geir Hallgrímsson (ca. 1974-1977, 1980), Mayor of Reykjavík 1959-72, Prime Minister 1974-78, Foreign Minister 1983-1986, Central Bank governor 1986-1990
Hörður Sigurgestsson, former CEO of shipping line Eimskip, former chairman and CFO of Icelandair
Jón Sigurðsson (1993), IMF Board of Directors 1974-1987, Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs 1987-88, Industry and Commerce 1988-93, Central Bank governor 1993-94, Nordic Investment Bank governor 1994-2005


Ireland


Garret FitzGerald, former Taoiseach
Michael McDowell, former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Peter Sutherland, Director General of the WTO and former Attorney General of Ireland


Germany


Angela Merkel (2010), German Chancellor
Guido Westerwelle (2007), Chairman of the Free Democratic Party of Germany and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany.
Helmut Schmidt, West German Chancellor


Poland


Józef Retinger (1954 to 1960), Founder and secretary of Bilderberg Group


Canada


Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, 1968-1979, 1980-1984
Jean Chretien (1996), Prime Minister of Canada, 1993–2003
Stephen Harper (2003), Prime Minister of Canada, 2006-current
Mike Harris, Premier of Ontario 1995-2002
Bernard Lord, Premier of New Brunswick 1999-2006
Paul Martin (1996), Prime Minister of Canada, 2003–2006
Frank McKenna (2006, 2010), Deputy Chair of TD Bank Financial Group, Canadian Ambassador to the United States 2005-2006, Premier of New Brunswick 1987-1997
Gordon Campbell (2010), Premier of British Columbia, 2001–Present


Sweden


Carl Bildt (2006), (2008), (2009), Minister of Foreign Affairs 2006-
Anders Borg (2007), Minister of Finance 2006-
Thorbjörn Fälldin (1978), Prime Minister 1976-1978
Maud Olofsson [2008), Minister of Industry 2006-
Fredrik Reinfeldt (2006), Prime Minister 2006-
Mona Sahlin (1996), Head of the Swedish social democratic party 2007-


Austria


Werner Faymann (2009,, Chancellor 2008–present
Andreas Treichl (2009), CEO of Erste Bank


EU Commissioners

European Union Commissioners who have attended include:

Frederik Bolkestein (1996, 2003), former European Commissioner
Pascal Lamy (2003, 2010), former European Commissioner for Trade, Director-General of the World Trade Organization 2005–present
Peter Mandelson (1999), (2009), former European Commissioner for Trade 2004-2008
Pedro Solbes (2010), former European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, former Second Vice President of Spain, former Minister of Economy and Finance


UN, WTO, NATO and other International Organizations


Alexander Haig (1978), NATO Commander 1974-1979 (US Secretary of State 1981-1982)
Lyman Lemnitzer (1963), Supreme Allied Commander NATO 1963-1969


Military


Colin Gubbins (1955, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), head of the British SOE
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (2010), former Secretary General of NATO


Financial institutions


Ben Bernanke (2008, 2009), Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve
Wim Duisenberg, former European Central Bank President
Gordon Richardson,(1966, 1975) former Governor of the Bank of England
William J McDonough (1997), former President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Jean-Claude Trichet (2009, 2010) President of the European Central Bank 2003-current
Paul Volcker (1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1997), former Chairman of the Federal Reserve
Siegmund Warburg (1977)


Major corporations


Percy Barnevik (1992–1996, 1997, 2001), former CEO of ASEA
Michel Bon, former CEO of France Telecom
Lord Browne of Madingley (1995, 1997, 2004), Chief Executive BP
Bill Gates (2010), Chairman of Microsoft
Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., IBM Chairman
H. J. Heinz II (1954), CEO of H. J. Heinz Company
André Lévy-Lang, (French) former CEO of Paribas
Jorma Ollila (1997, 2005, 2008), Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell and Nokia Corporation
Paul Rijkens (Dutch) Former Chairman of Unilever
Josef Ackermann (2010), CEO Deutsche Bank
Jürgen E. Schrempp (1994–1996, 1997), 1998, 1999, 2001–2005, 2006, 2007), former CEO of DaimlerChrysler
Hans Stråberg (2006), CEO of Electrolux
Peter Sutherland (1989–1996, 1997, 2005), former Chairman of BP
Martin Taylor (1993–1996, 1997), former CEO, Barclays
Otto Wolff von Amerongen, Chairman Otto Wolff GmbH.
Jacob Wallenberg (2006), Chairman of Investor AB


University, institute and other academic


C. Fred Bergsten (1971, 1974, 1984, 1997), President, Peterson Institute
Thierry de Montbrial, Director of the Institut Français des Relations Internationales


Media


Nicolas Beytout, (French) Editor of Le Figaro (France)
Conrad Black (1981, 1983, 1985–1996)(1997), Hollinger International, Inc.
William F. Buckley, Jr. (1996), columnist and founder of National Review
Will Hutton (1997), former CEO of The Work Foundation and editor-in-chief for The Observer
Andrew Knight (1996), journalist, editor, and media baron
George Stephanopoulos (1996, 1997), Former Communications Director of the Clinton Administration (1993–1996), now ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent
Peter Mansbridge (2010), Chief Correspondent, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

FOR GOD'S SAKE

WAKE UP AMERICA!

THINK ABOUT WHO IS DESTROYING AMERICA!

LOOK HERE:- http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33

WHERE THAT MAGGOT-**S, ANTI-CHRISTIAN, FILTHY, MUSLIM LIAR, ILLEGAL SLIME GET'S HIS ORDERS FROM!!!

Hensarling-Bachmann

Quickly, I want to follow up on this earlier post to make sure the key nuggets get eyeballs.

I think having Jeb Hensarling as Conference Chair and Michelle Bachmann as Vice Chair would be a powerful duo. Hensarling is a very substantive policy guy. Michelle Bachmann gave up campaigning for herself to go all over the country for Republicans this year. She deserves a seat at the table.

Tom Price, a doctor, at Policy would be huge. I know him well. Having a doctor there would send a strong signal that the GOP is serious.

Also, Fred Upton as Chairman of Energy & Commerce is unacceptable to every single conservative I know. He is a union lackey and bad on virtually every fiscal issue. Shimkus, Stearns, or Pitts would be far better.

On Appropriations, not only do we need a guy like Jack Kingston who, by the way, was the only Appropriations Cardinal to turn in budgets balanced or in surplus. But that's not all. There need to be a sizable number of fiscal conservatives put on the committee. Start with Jeff Flake, but don't stop there. Tom Graves or Lynn Westmoreland from Georgia, other solid folks, etc. We need new blood on Appropriations.

Last, but absolutely not least, the Rules Committee absolutely must stop being a proxy for the Speaker. NO WAIVERS and load up Rules with good conservatives who are not tokens or proxies. Rules absolutely must start showing some independence with a conservative spine if the GOP wants to make a real difference.

Will The House GOP Break Apart the GOP-Tea Party Coalition

It is undisputed that the Tea Party Movement helped drive the renewed Republican momentum this past year. But for that energy, the Republicans would not have seen the gains they saw. The exit polls reflect that data.

So now the House Republicans have some crucial decisions to make. They, unlike the Senate GOP, which appears to have learned nothing and forgotten nothing from their 2006 defeat, are going to embrace an earmarks moratorium. Incoming Speaker Boehner, man I love the sound of that, announced the House will definitely have an earmarks moratorium. Mitch McConnell says no way in the Senate.

But an earmarks moratorium is only one sign that the GOP gets it in the House. It is time for some fresh faces.

Jeb Hensarling as Conference Chair is a great start given his conservative bona fides and economics based background. I am hearing today that MIchelle Bachmann wants that too, but I hope she might be pursued to go for Vice-Chair and tag team with Hensarling. Having Rep. Bachmann in that position over Cathy McZero Rogers would be a wonderful thing.

A good fit at Policy would be Dr. Tom Price. Given that healthcare helped elect Republicans, having a doctor in that position over Connie Mack, whose wife voted for Cap & Trade, would be a good sign the GOP is serious about getting us out of the Obamacare hole.

Then there is the matter of the Appropriations Committee. Jerry Lewis is term limited. They should give him no waiver and consider instead someone like Jack Kingston. The alternative would probably be someone like Harold Rogers of Kentucky, who would not, given his record, be a good shift right from Lewis. Likewise, Kingston is the only man on the committee who, as an Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman, delivered a balanced budget, or one in surplus.

But that's not enough. With new seats open, tea party backed members like Jeff Flake, Tom Graves, and others should have seats on the Appropriations Committee.

Then, of course, there is the House Energy and Commerce Committee. I do not believe in Committee waivers, which means Joe Barton should not be allowed to stick around.

Unfortunately, Fred Upton is lobbying heavily for the seat and that choice would be absolutely atrocious. Upton is a union lackey. As Powerline notes

His voting record leaves no doubt of this. For example, Upton was one of only three Republicans to oppose extending the Bush tax cuts. He also voted with the Democrats in their effort to make future tax cuts harder to pass. And he opposed Republican amendments to the stimulus bill which would have substituted tax cuts for stimulus money. Upton also voted against an amendment to cut $355 billion out of the stimulus legislation.

By the same token, Upton voted in favor of the Democrats' $409 billion Ominbus Appropriations Act of 2009, which increased federal spending by 8.4 percent and gave President Obama $19 billion more than he had requested. Twenty Democrats voted against this Act, but (as Hubert Humphrey might have said) not Congressman Upton.

If a man like Upton becomes Chairman, it will be a clear sign that the House GOP is all bluster.

Lastly, the new House leaders need to make themselves less powerful. A willingness to give up power will be a positive sign.

Morning Briefing for November 5, 2010

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For November 5, 2010

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1. Will The House GOP Break Apart the GOP-Tea Party Coalition

2. The Civil War

3. So, about that union job security…

4. 54 of 99.

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1. Will The House GOP Break Apart the GOP-Tea Party Coalition

It is undisputed that the Tea Party Movement helped drive the renewed Republican momentum this past year. But for that energy, the Republicans would not have seen the gains they saw. The exit polls reflect that data.

So now the House Republicans have some crucial decisions to make. They, unlike the Senate GOP, which appears to have learned nothing and forgotten nothing from their 2006 defeat, are going to embrace an earmarks moratorium. Incoming Speaker Boehner, man I love the sound of that, announced the House will definitely have an earmarks moratorium. Mitch McConnell says no way in the Senate.

But an earmarks moratorium is only one sign that the GOP gets it in the House. It is time for some fresh faces.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. The Civil War

veryone in the media wants to talk about a Republican civil war. There are certainly feuds, but now that the election, the civil war that mostly played itself out in primaries between NRSC backed candidates and the eventual winners of most of the primaries is largely over, other than a few Senate aides and Senators upset about not being in the majority.

What the media is largely ignoring is the Democrat Civil War, a sign of which is Heath Shuler stepping forward to oppose Nancy Pelosi as Minority Leader. . . .

There is, of course, a much greater reason that the media and left, but I repeat myself, want to talk about a Republican Civil War. Very simply put, there are not enough Democrats left in office to have a full on civil war, but there are a great deal many more — vastly more — Republicans in office today who are both more ideologically and ethnically diverse than ever before.

Yes, Republicans can win in New England. And pretty much everywhere else too. But Democrats? They are persona non-grata in pretty much every middle class and blue collar congressional district across the country.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. So, about that union job security…

Talk about a rocky relationship ending badly…

First, the union boss scolded his members for sharing information with their co-workers about what was going on behind closed doors at the bargaining table. Then, a couple of weeks ago, some individual(s) beat up the union boss.

Now, things are going to get a lot more tense in East Alton, Illinois. On Wednesday, after workers represented by the International Association of Machinists voted down a contract offer for the second time, they learned that their employer was not bluffing about moving their jobs to Mississippi.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. 54 of 99.

That's the current number of state legislative chambers that the GOP will be controlling, starting next year: there are still five state legislative chambers still undecided, so the number could go as high as 59 of 99. That represents a flip of eighteen state chambers (and the gain of both houses in the state legislature in six states) by the GOP; couple that with a +7 to +10 gain in governorships and it was a good night for the Republicans on the state level.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

The Civil War

Everyone in the media wants to talk about a Republican civil war. There are certainly feuds, but now that the election, the civil war that mostly played itself out in primaries between NRSC backed candidates and the eventual winners of most of the primaries is largely over, other than a few Senate aides and Senators upset about not being in the majority. Note to them: suck eggs.

What the media is largely ignoring is the Democrat Civil War, a sign of which is Heath Shuler stepping forward to oppose Nancy Pelosi as Minority Leader.

This will end quickly for a number of reasons, including the fact that most of the Blue Dog Democrats and conservative Democrats who held back the Democrats from going full on communist over the last few years have been destroyed, wiped out, and eradicated by the voters.

So the Democrats are left with a geriatric lot of old socialists who live among coastal elites, largely decaying urban cores, or in majority-minority districts that blot the South looking like caterpillars on crystal meth. These people will not be amenable to one of the surviving Lap Blue Dogs serving as their Speaker when their growing conventional wisdom is that they lost by failing to go further left; oh, and having a bad message.

There is, of course, a much greater reason that the media and left, but I repeat myself, want to talk about a Republican Civil War. Very simply put, there are not enough Democrats left in office to have a full on civil war, but there are a great deal many more — vastly more — Republicans in office today who are both more ideologically and ethnically diverse than ever before.

Yes, Republicans can win in New England. And pretty much everywhere else too. But Democrats? They are persona non-grata in pretty much every middle class and blue collar congressional district across the country.