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Archive for the ‘Jim DeMint’

Wisconsin Governor Coming to Best Political Fund Raiser

August 11, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Family PAC, Jim DeMint, Scott Walker, Tom Coburn, Wisconsin

My favorite political fund raiser is the cruise that Family PAC puts on each summer.

The scenery is stunning whether the boat goes out from a mooring near Navy Pier on Lake Michigan as the sun is setting or up the Chicago River where the reflections from glass skyscrapers are stunning in a different way.

Jim DeMint

Tom Coburn

And Executive Director Paul Caprio manages to draw top-flight speakers.

Both conservative United States Senators Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina have spoken to the summer gathering.

This year, the main attraction will be Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Having just preserved his Wisconsin Senate majority from the threat of recall elections, even if just barely, I have no doubt that Walker will have lots of interesting things to say.

I also suspect that the boat may fill up sooner than usual.

The details of the August 23rd event can be found below.  The cost is $90 a person or $175 per couple.

Walsh in Early on Debt Ceiling Show Down

June 21, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Debt Ceiling, Jim DeMint, Joe Walsh

Jim DeMint at the 2010 Family PAC Cruise

A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh:

 

Members Join Advocacy Groups to Force Pledge on Debt Limit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 22, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, joined by over 30 public policy and advocacy groups representing millions of Americans, will hold a press conference to announce the formation of a coalition to urge lawmakers and candidates for federal office to make a public pledge not to support an increase in the debt limit unless a Cut, Cap, Balance plan is passed.

The pledge, which can be found at www.cutcapbalancepledge.com, has been signed by over 10 current and hopeful Members of Congress, as well as thousands of Americans.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHO:

  • Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)
  • Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
  • Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)
  • Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)
  • Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
  • Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)
  • Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman, Republican Study Committee
  • Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.)

"We're got to cut up this credit card."

WHERE:

Cannon Caucus Room (Third Floor)
Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

WHEN:

Wednesday, June 22, 4 p.m. ET

2010 Family PAC Cruise – Part 3

August 22, 2010 By: Cal Skinner Category: Bill Brady, Dan Sugrue, Family PAC, Jim DeMint, Joe Scheidler, John Curry, Kirk Dillard, Sandy Rios, Tom Morrison

When we left my Family PAC cruise experience yesterday, I hadn’t even gotten on the boat.

I saw Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman talking to someone on the pier.

Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman

Sandy Rios isn’t a politician, but since she is well-known and has attended so many Family PAC cruises, I include her photo, too.

Sandy Rios

Pro-Life Action League Founder Joe Scheidler and Sandy Rios had a heart-to-heart talk.

Sandy Rios talks with Joe Scheidler.

Finally, I made it on board.

Maria Rodriguez and Bill Brady hold a spirited conversation on board while 32nd Ward Republican Committeeman observes.

It’s a good thing gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady stayed for the cruise, because a lot of people wanted to talk with him.

State Senators Bill Brady and Randy Hultgren talk before the boat left the dock. Compare the tans. Who do you think has knocked on more doors?

Paul Caprio talked to State Senator Kirk Dillard prior to Dillard’s introduction of the man who barely beat him for the Republican Party nomination for governor.

Family PAC Executive Director Paul Caprio and State Senator Kirk Dillard conversed as, in the background, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint talked to State Rep. candidate Tom Morrison.

After the introduction, Brady addressed the crowd.

2010 Republican Party nominee for govenor Bill Brady gave an upbeat message to those on the Family PAC cruise.

Who else did I see?

Dan Sugrue, candidate for state representative in a Lake County district with an appointed incumbent.

Dan Sugrue, candidate for state rep., poses with former State Rep. Penny Pullen.

More tomorrow.

2010 Family PAC Cruise – Part 1

August 20, 2010 By: Cal Skinner Category: Cedra Crenshaw, Chicago, Chicago River, CTA, Family PAC, Jim DeMint, John O'Neill, Maria Rodriguez, Skyscrapers, Steve Baer, Tom Morrison, William Kelly, WIND Radio, WIND-AM

It was August 10th and we were off to the annual Family PAC cruise.

This CTA train was heading toward us.

As usual, I took pictures of Kennedy Expressway traffic and CTA trains.

And, once in Chicago, skyscrapers.

Pretty amazing the shots one can get from a car when one is not driving.

Having been the last people on the boat one year, we were determined not to be in that position again.

The boat was docked on the Chicago River near the elevated track.

This year we were first.

John O'Neill and Tom Morrison re-acquaint themselves. Dan Patlak is seen behind Morrison.

The first candidates to appear were state representative candidates Tom Morrison from Palatine and John O’Neill from McHenry.  Morrison seems to have driven in with Dan Patlak, who is running for the Cook County Board of (Tax) Appeals.

The guest of honor Jim DeMint talked with Maria Rodriguez before boarding time.

As the crowd gathered, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint talking to Maria Rodriguez, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the 8th District GOP nod.

WIND's William Kelly interviews Cedra Crenshaw.

As I was working my way to the check-in table I saw a woman being interviewed whom I didn’t know.  Turns out it was the Joliet State Senate candidate whom the Will County Democrats threw off the ballot, causing continuing Fox TV news coverage because of her TEA Party credentials, her gender and her race.

Not the type of Republican that a Joliet Democrat would want to face in a state senate race.

Although I did not know it at the time WIND’s William Kelly was interviewing Illinois political media star Cedra Crenshaw.

Steve Baer, the conservative who ran against Jim Edgar for governor, talks with Dan Patlak, GOP candidate for the Cook County Board of (Tax) Review.

Next I found former gubernatorial candidate Steve Baer talking with Dan Patlak.

More tomorrow.

A Visual Presentation of the New Health Care Bureaucracy

August 02, 2010 By: Cal Skinner Category: Cuba, Health Care, Health Care Refrom, Jim DeMint, Kevin Brady, Obama Care, Raúl Castro, Sam Brownback

The following is not McHenry County specific, but since we’ll be paying more per capita for Obama Care than your average United States taxpayer I thought it might interest you.

It’s a press release from Texas 8th District Congressman Kevin Brady and U.S Senator Sam Brownback.

Obama Care bureaucracy

Don’t you love the next Federal bureaucracies that will be created?

Meanwhile, moving in the opposite direction,

“Cuban President Raúl Castro announced a series of measures to gradually reduce the “considerably bulky” payrolls in the government sector, with excess estimated at around one-fifth of the economically active population.”

AMERICA’S NEW HEALTH CARE SYSTEM REVEALED

UPDATED CHART SHOWS OBAMACARE’S BEWILDERING COMPLEXITY

Washington, D.C. - Four months after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously declared

“We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it,”

a congressional panel has released the first chart illustrating the 2,801 page health care law President Obama signed into law in March.

Developed by the Joint Economic Committee minority, led by U.S Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas and Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the detailed organization chart displays a bewildering array of new government agencies, regulations and mandates.

“For Americans, as well as Congressional Democrats who didn’t bother to read the bill, this first look at the final health care law confirms what many fear, that reform morphed into a monstrosity of new bureaucracies, mandates, taxes and rationing that will drive up health care costs, hurt seniors and force our most intimate health care choices into the hands of Washington bureaucrats,”said Brady, the committee’s senior House Republican.

“If this is what passes for health care reform in America, then God help us all.”

Brownback, the committee’s ranking member, added,

“This updated chart illustrates the overwhelming expansion of government control over health choices and the bewildering complexity facing everyone affected by this law.  It doesn’t take long to see how the recently signed health care bill causes a hugely expensive and explosive expansion of federal control over health care. Personal choices that should be between a doctor and a patient will quickly be strangled in a never ending web of bureaucracy.”

Senate Steering Committee Chairman Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) called Obamacare

“a bureaucratic nightmare. The Democrats’ takeover of health care creates a byzantine network of 159 new federal programs and bureaucracies to make decisions that should be between just the patient and their doctor. It should concern everyone that at the center of this regulatory web is the new CMS chief, Donald Berwick, who has championed rationing and European socialized medicine. Americans were rightly outraged that this big government bill was rushed through Congress before anyone read or fully understood the bill’s consequences. Republicans will fight to repeal this reckless takeover and to ensure health care freedom to American families.”

In addition to capturing the massive expansion of government and the overwhelming complexity of new regulations and taxes, the chart portrays:

  • $569 billion in higher taxes;
  • $529 billion in cuts to Medicare;
  • swelling of the ranks of Medicaid by 16 million;
  • 17 major insurance mandates; and
  • the creation of two new bureaucracies with powers to impose future rationing:the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the Independent Payments Advisory Board.

Brady admits committee analysts could not fit the entire health care bill on one chart.

“This portrays only about one-third of the complexity of the final bill. It’s actually worse than this.”

Message of the Day – Angles

June 17, 2010 By: Cal Skinner Category: Chicago, Crane, Family PAC, Jim DeMint, Message of the Day, Skyscrapers

A Chicago crane.

On the way to the Family PAC Cruise in July of 2008 (cruise article are here), I got this photo of a crane against the backdrop of a skyscraper.  This year the cruise is August 10th and features U.S. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina.  Last year it was Oklahoma’s Tom Colburn.

You can find the invitation here.