ECDP Discussion

[discussion] FW: Show your support for State Rep. John Hornaman

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:50:00 GMT

<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left> <HR tabIndex=-1> From: Ryan Bizzarro [mailto:rabizzarro@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 11:33 AM To: erie-steering-committee@googlegroups.com; Gayle Wright; Fred O. Rush; Rubye Jenkins-Husband; Rosann Barker; triley@crfwlaw.com; Terry & Judy Lynch; Tyrone Clark; Tom Fuhrman; Izzy Brennan; Brian McGrath; mikeh@northshoretech.net; Michael Mahler; Pat Cappabianca; NANCY PLACIDI; Paula Hayes; pfriedman@crfwlaw.com; alicen14@verizon.net; Sumner Nichols; Dr. Bridget Jeffery; da2ma@aol.com; Gary Horton; Dan Harmon; Jessica Horan-Kunco; JoAnn Hornaman; Jeanine McCreary; kozak001@gannon.edu; Casimir Kwitowski; Linda McCabe; Chris Mong; MJ Campbell; cazny@verizon.net; Bill Cole; MOSKI001@gannon.edu; Joe Mifsud; Joe Sinnott; jmorgan@eriecountygov.org Subject: Show your support for State Rep. John Hornaman </DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>Please support State Representative John Hornaman at his quest for re-election by attending a fundraising event on the evening of September 9, 2010 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.  Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested in attending. Thank you. </DIV> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>See event details below. </DIV>   <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal> </DIV> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>Join State Representative John Hornaman for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres </DIV>   at   The Erie Yacht Club Foot of Virginia Avenue   from   six o’clock pm – nine o’clock pm   Cost:   $75 per person <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>            EVENT HOST: $250 (includes couples)</DIV> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal> </DIV> If you cannot attend the event but would like to contribute to the campaign, please remit all contributions to:   Committee to elect John Hornaman 4837 Summer Street Erie, Pennsylvania 16509   For more information please visit <A href="http://www.johnhornaman.org/" target=_blank>www.johnhornaman.org</A>

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[discussion] Why Democrats Will Not Be Routed in November

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:20:00 GMT

<div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div>Friends Here is another great article from Huffington Post's Robert Creamer: "Why Democrats Will Not Be Routed in November" that takes a more positive, though by no means complacent, view on where we stand for the upcoming elections.  My friend Dave Ninehouser of Penn Action pointed it to me.  I attach this article below without any long commentary since it complements nicely what I sent out yesterday (9/8) under the title: ''Republicans Slip from Unprecedented Lead to Tie with Democrats in Gallup Survey"  . The article's main point is that there are a number of factors which provide support to the argument that we have a good fighting chance to retain our majorities in the House and the Senate on Nov 2.   Specifically, six major factors will work to limit Democratic losses: 1). The voters do not view Republicans as the answer to America's problems. 2).The Republicans' major institutional allies are viewed with even more approbation than the Party itself. 3). There is not a large-scale inclination among voters to reject progressive-Democratic values and adopt conservative-Republican values in their place. 4). Elections are not simply referenda on the state of the country or the economy. They are choices between two candidates. 5). The enthusiasm gap between Republicans and Democrats will almost certainly narrow. 6). Democratic Campaigns will be better organized and in many cases have more resources. The author provides detailed and valid arguments for all these points.  But he also warns Democrats that: ``To make certain we win this fall, Democrats have to shake off the doomsaying, and take the offensive.  If we act like winners, we'll win November 2nd"...   I couldn't agree more,  we must (1) take the offensive by spreading out our Message and blasting the GOP Message and Agenda and (2) step up, mobilize and put out our strongest GOTV effort ever for a Mid Term Election !!! Evan Geraniotis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <h1><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/time-for-the-pundits-to-t_b_708721.html" title="Permalink" id="title_permalink">Time for the Pundits to Take a Deep Breath -- Why Democrats Will Not Be Routed In November</a> </h1><h1>By Robert Creamer</h1><h1>Posted on Sept 8, 2010 in the Huffington Post</h1><h1 style="font-weight: normal;">Two years ago today, just two months before the 2008 Election, John McCain led Barack Obama for president in the compilation of national polls assembled by <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.pollster.com/">Pollster.com</a>. The Democratic polling project at Democracy Corps had McCain up by two points. As everyone knows, on Election Day Obama beat McCain 53% to 46%. A lot can change in 56 days.</h1><h1 style="font-weight: normal;">Time for the pundits and prognosticators to take a deep breath. Despite all of their dire predictions of Democratic demise, the Republicans have not yet seized control of either chamber and I, for one, predict that they won't any time soon. </h1><h1 style="font-weight: normal;">Democrats will certainly take losses in the coming Midterms. But the odds are good that they will emerge from the elections with working majorities in both houses.</h1><h1 style="font-weight: normal;">No one doubts that pulling the economy out of the massive ditch into which it careened under George Bush has, and continues to be, a Herculean task. It is, of course, a task that has been made much more difficult by the virtually unified opposition of Republicans to Democratic initiatives to energize the economy. Two years of economic pain have made voters unhappy.</h1><h1 style="font-weight: normal;">And this difficulty is compounded by the natural tendency of voters to turn out Members of Congress from the President's party in the first Mid-term after his inauguration. </h1>However, six major factors will work to limit Democratic losses. 1). The voters do not view Republicans as the answer to America's problems. And in fact, a late August NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed that they actually have a less favorable view of Republicans than Democrats. It is true that only 36% viewed Democrats positively compared with 43% who view Democrats negatively. But a mere 30% view Republicans positively compared with 43% who view them negatively. In the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, voters were split down the middle (43% to 43%) as to whether they preferred Republican or Democratic control of Congress. There is every indication that this will be the Republican high water mark as voters begin to focus in on the race and Democrats begin to introduce them -- and their beliefs -- to their Republican opponents. 2).The Republicans' major institutional allies are viewed with even more approbation than the Party itself. The economy has made voters sour on elites of all sorts. They are furious with Wall Street (10% positive to 53% negative), Corporate America (12% positive to 42% negative), and the Health Insurance Industry (12% positive to 56% negative). If Democratic candidates do their job of connecting their Republican opponents with their base constituencies, their support will plummet. The critical issue for Democrats is to establish that they are populist outsiders, not elitist insiders. That dynamic is much more important in the coming election than whether a candidate is a Republican or Democrat. 3). There is not a large-scale inclination among voters to reject progressive-Democratic values and adopt conservative-Republican values in their place. When the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll asked if Government should do more, or whether it is doing too many things, voters divided evenly 47% to 47%. When presented a core Democratic and core Republican message, the same number of voters (25% ) found the Democratic message very convincing as those who found the Republican message very convincing. 4). Elections are not simply referenda on the state of the country or the economy. They are choices between two candidates. In a generic context, voters can be angry and dismissive about a current officeholder if they are unhappy with the current state of their lives. But if Democrats do their jobs right, each race will be turned into a choice between two living, breathing people. The more that voters focus on the Republican alternative, the less abstract that choice will become -- the more they will become acquainted with the qualities of the alternative. Whereas once they might have been happy to throw the incumbent out, they will become increasingly focused on the fact that he or she will be replaced by someone else who has negatives of his own. Voters cast their ballots for people - not concepts. One of the big advantages for Democrats this cycle is that many Republican nominees are politically inexperienced radical extremists whose views -- once voters learn them -- are completely outside of the mainstream of American politics. The best known are Tea Party-Republican Senate candidates like Sharron Angle in Nevada who wants to replace Medicare with vouchers for private insurance, Rand Paul in Kentucky who opposes the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Joe Miller in Alaska who wants to phase out Social Security, and then there is the potential nominee in Delaware, Christine O'Donnell, who opposes masturbation. And there are many lesser-known House candidates who are just as extreme in their views - and who have no economic program other than the proposals that were put in place by President Bush, that yielded the worst economic collapse in sixty years and cost eight million Americans their jobs. Some of the positions these candidates take are downright radioactive. The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that only 21% of voters were either totally enthusiastic or comfortable with privatizing Social Security, whereas 68% were either very uncomfortable or had some reservations about it -- a difference of 47%. And feelings were intense. Forty-nine percent said they felt very uncomfortable about privatization, while only 9% were enthusiastic. As they come to know these people -- and their views, and other negatives that will be exposed in the course of the campaign -- many of voters who might have considered voting against a Democratic incumbent in the abstract will reconsider. What's more, many Democrats begin with sizeable positives with voters that they have developed over many years of constituent services, and personal relationships. Republicans were almost certain they would take the southwest Pennsylvania 12th CD in the special election last May after longtime Congressman Jack Murtha died. But in the end Democrat Mark Critz defeated Republican Tim Burns 53% to 46% -- largely on the strength of the personal relationships he had developed over years of working on the Murtha district staff. You see the same thing in many districts that are in play - or were expected to be in play - this November: <ul><li class="first">Democrat Mike Arcuri in NY-24 leads Republican challenger Richard Hanna by 13 points in a Benenson Strategy Group poll. </li><li>Congressman Tom Perriello - who represents the tough VA-5th CD that went heavily for McCain -- is tied with his Republican rival. </li><li>Representative Larry Kissell of North Carolina -- who was considered a political dead man walking -- leads Republican challenger Harold Johnson by 12 points in a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll. </li><li>An Anzalone Liszt Research poll shows Stephanie Herseth Sandlin is leading Republican challenger Kristi Noem by 9 points in South Dakota, where Social Security has emerged as a big issue in the race. </li><li>Democrat Travis Childers leads his challenger Alan Nunnelee by five points in Mississippi's conservative 5th CD. </li><li>A Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll shows Democrat John Adler leading his opponent, John Runyan, by a whopping 17 points. </li><li>A Lake Research Partners poll shows Oregon's Representative Kurt Schrader leading Republican Scott Bruun by 11%. </li><li>North Carolina's Heath Shuler leads his challenger by 17% in western North Carolina's 11th CD. </li><li>Alabama's Bobby Bright leads Republican Martha Roby by 9% according to Greenberg Quinlan Rosner. </li><li>A Garin-Hart-Yang Research poll shows Chad Causey in a dead heat with Republican Rick Crawford to win Northeast Arkansas's 1st CD. </li><li>Democrat Rick Boucher of southwest Virginia leads his opponent by 23%. </li><li>And Jason Altmire of western Pennsylvania leads Keith Rothfus by a massive 27% according to Anzalone Liszt Research. </li><li class="last">In some districts Republicans are hampered by late primaries. In Wisconsin's 8th CD, for instance, Republicans will battle until next week to decide who takes on Democratic Congressman Dr. Steve Kagen. Kagen has had a well oiled campaign operation in place for months and a sharp populist message that resonates with the sprawling Greenbay and Appleton based district.</li></ul> Democrats will also likely capture a number of formerly Republican and open seats in November. <ul><li class="first">Democrat Dan Seals leads his Republican opponent Robert Dold by 13% in the Republican seat left vacant when Republican incumbent Mark Kirk decided to abandon his suburban Illinois seat to run for Senate. </li><li>Democrat Joe Garcia is poised to win Florida's 25th CD after incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart decided to run in a neighboring seat after his brother Lincoln decided to retire from the seat. Garcia made a strong challenge to Mario Diaz-Balart last cycle - and has a well-organized campaign with a robust field operation. What's more he faces an opponent who has been accused in a police report of running a direct mail delivery truck off a busy expressway to prevent it from meeting a mail deadline at the post office. It seems that the mail he did not want delivered, in a previous campaign for State Assembly, accused him of domestic violence. </li><li>In Illinois 13th CD, Democratic challenger Scott Harper is given a chance to beat long-time incumbent Judy Biggert, who has soft support among the suburban district's voters. A Global Strategies poll shows Biggert an early favorite, but after one comparative paragraph describing the two candidates, Biggert falls behind and never catches up. </li><li>In New Orleans' predominantly African American 2nd CD, accidental incumbent Joseph Cao, who came to office after Congressman Bill Jefferson's conviction in Federal Court, will almost certainly be defeated by Democrat Cedric Richmond. </li><li class="last">Many pundits have written off the rest of Louisiana where Barack Obama did not score well in 2008. But Ravi Sangisetty may prove them wrong in Louisiana's 3rd CD, where the combination of a large African American population and white Democrats is more than adequate to allow him to succeed, Democrat Charlie Melancon, who is now running for the Senate. And while polls show Melancon behind incumbent Senator David Vitter, recall that the sitting Senator has spent more than a little time explaining proclivity to utilize the services of prostitutes. </li></ul> 5). The enthusiasm gap between Republicans and Democrats will almost certainly narrow.  Many commentators point to the "enthusiasm gap" that indicates that Republican base voters are more likely to turn out than Democrats. That gap will narrow as it becomes increasingly clear to base Democratic constituencies what is at stake in the election. Progressives will become more and more engaged as they understand the consequences of a big business, radical right victory in the fall. African Americans will be especially energized by the attack on the first African American President. Hispanic turn out will be turbo-charged by the outrageous disrespect shown the Hispanic community by Republicans who propose the elimination of the 14th Amendment to keep Hispanic children from becoming citizens -- and the "papers please" law passed by Republicans in the Arizona legislature. Young people will step up as they see the specter of the Empire Striking Back. And turnout will be boosted by far superior Democratic Get Out the Vote operations being mounted by the Democratic Committees. 6). Democratic Campaigns will be better organized and in many cases have more resources.  Under Michael Steele, the Republican National Committee is a mess. While the Republican Senate and House Committees are better organized, both have been hamstrung by their dependence on the RNC. The Democratic National Committee has been well managed and includes Obama's Organize for America (OFA) operation that has been systematically reaching out to first time Obama voters for months. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has one of the best field operations in years and is staffed with highly-skilled political operatives. The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee is also well organized and has been blessed with extremist Tea Party candidates that can be introduced in all of their blazing glory to the voters in the 56 days that remain. And in most cases, Democratic Senate candidates have the financial muscle to deliver their message. The Bottom Line It ain't over 'til it's over. While Democrats and progressives have a great deal to do in the next two months; while we should be ever mindful of the tragedy that could befall us if we let down our guard; I believe that Democrats will emerge from the November elections in much better shape than the doomsayers and prognosticators are predicting. In 1994 Democrats were caught flat-footed by the Republican onslaught. We were completely unprepared to mount a defense. This year there is a danger that the opposite will be true -- that fear and defeatism turn into self-fulfilling prophesies. Voters don't support losers. They don't support candidates or parties who are always on the defense. To make certain we win this fall, Democrats have to shake off the doomsaying, and take the offensive. If we act like winners, we'll win November 2nd. Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist, and author of the recent book: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win, available on <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979585295/?tag=adaptiveblue-20">Amazon.com</a>. <div id="huff_modal_common" class="light_box_modal" style="visibility: hidden;"> <div id="huff_modal_common_inner" class="light_box_modal_inner"> Your request is being processed... </div> </div></div> </div></div></div></div>

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[discussion] Votor Registration Form

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:50:00 GMT

This is so everyone has them available as we head down the final stretch.  Christine Mitchell  Secretary Erie County Democratic Party ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

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[discussion] Republicans Slip From Unprecedented Lead to a Tie in Gallup Survey

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

<div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt;color:#000000;"><div>Friends I attach a recent article from Roll Call that discuss the results of the recent Gallup survey, according to this Democrats and Republicans are again tied in the generic ballot.  Though, this is a piece of good news given the unprecedented 10 point advantage for GOP shown in a previous Gallup Poll, it is hardly a cause for celebration.  Remember the Republicans usually do a better job than us during the midterms.  Their voters tend to be older and more white, a more typical profile of the likely mid-term voters.   Moreover,  Republicans hold a 25-point advantage in enthusiasm over Democrats We must reclaim the message, emphasize the Democratic accomplishments and agenda  for improving the lives of our middle class, our efforts to bring the country out of the deep and wide ditch that Bush and the GOP brought us in.  As for the Republicans we must expose that they are not viable, they wish to privatize Social Security and replace Medicare, they only bring gridlock and inaction as the party of NO, and they wish to roll back all the accomplishments of our President and the Democratic Congress, all that their Agenda for America is a return to the Failed Policies of the Bush Years !!! [I will come back to this later today or tomorrow, I am finishing an essay about the Democratic Strategy and Message for 2010 with my commentary on what was recently articulated by Tim Kaine, Chairman of DNC, and David Plouffe, the President's campaign manager for 2008 and Head of OFA] The only way to win, to elect our Democratic Candidates, to keep the House and Senate as well as many Governorships in Democratic Hands is by launching an unprecedented GOTV Effort !!!  I end again with a call to action:  It is our responsibility to rise to the occasion, explain the Democratic accomplishments and expose the Republican falsehoods and agenda, talk to our families, friends and co-workers, knock on doors, make phone calls, donate, organize and participate in fundraising events, attend rallies, write letters to the Newspapers, volunteer ourselves and motivate others to volunteer.  Let us re-energize our Base and inspire again the sixty eight or so millions of Americans who believed in the President's message (of hope,  intelligent efficient government and compassion for all our people) to come out again and support the Democratic Agenda and our Candidates with their vote on November 2 !!! There are only 55 Days left to Nov 2 !!!   Are we doing our best ?   Don't we believe that there is no they, only us ? At the end we will have only ourselves to congratulate or to blame ... Evan Geraniotis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ <h3>Republicans Slip From Unprecedented Lead to a Tie in Gallup Survey</h3> Sept. 7, 2010, 7:33 p.m. By Melanie Starkey Roll Call Staff <img id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://cdn.rollcall.com/media/ui/clearpixel.gif" width="1" height="9"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> </div> Democrats and Republicans are now tied in Gallup’s weekly tracking of voter preferences, just a week after Republicans took an unprecedented l0-point lead. Last week’s survey results showed that 51 percent of registered voters preferred Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections, while 41 percent preferred Democrats. This week’s survey shows the parties tied at 46 percent, ending Republicans’ five consecutive weeks in the lead. The 10-point gap last week was the largest lead for the GOP since Gallup began tracking the midterm generic ballot in 1942. This week’s “results reflect more competitive voting intentions than has been the case recently,” Gallup said in releasing its data. However, the Gallup report said, even the tie bodes well for Republicans because of the party’s typically higher voter turnout in midterm elections. Gallup also has registered no change in the enthusiasm gap among voters, with the GOP maintaining a 25-point lead on the question of how motivated people are to go to the polls in November. The survey was taken Aug. 30 to Sunday and polled a random sample of more than 1,650 registered voters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The tied generic ballot was a slice of good news for Democrats on Tuesday, the same day that a new Washington Post/ABC News poll provided further evidence that the party faces an increasingly tough political climate. The Post/ABC poll found Republicans statistically tied with Democrats on the question of which party voters trust more to run the country. It was the first time that has happened in four years and came just three months after a poll found Democrats with a 12-point advantage. The poll also found the GOP ahead by a 13-point margin in the generic ballot test. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee circulated the new Gallup numbers Tuesday evening, calling them a reality check for prognosticators who spent the Labor Day weekend fueling talk of an increasingly gloomy political outlook for House Democrats. Earlier Tuesday, the committee released new polling data in several top races that showed Democratic incumbents in relatively good standing. “With eight weeks until Election Day, Republicans and Beltway pundits may want to hold off on calling the race for the House before voters cast their ballots,” DCCC spokeswoman Jennifer Crider said. </div> </div>

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[discussion] Tea Party Manifesto for GOP Candidates

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:10:00 GMT

<div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"> <div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div>Friends The following scary article from ThinkProgress cites what came out of the Freedom Institute of Erie County OH, a local Tea Party outfit in our neighboring State.  It describes  the Tea Party Manifesto and the litmus test that Ohio Republicans must pass to get the support of the Tea Party.   Pay attention to items 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14.  They get rid of abortion rights and gay rights, leave Climate Change to God, repeal Health Care Reform, do not allow Gays in the military, expose Government workers to free market tantrums, deny Unions card checks, and abolish the Fed Reserve.  It seems that John Boehner (House Minority Leader, R-OH) who aspires to become the next Speaker of the House, (God save us from this calamity)  subscribes to it !!!  And of course the real beauty the GOP Manifesto is coming up soon.   I can not wait to feast my eyes on it ... and tear it to pieces... If this is the future for America that the Tea Party and the GOP aspire to, Is it not worth fighting to the end with all our strength and ability to prevent them ? Only 59 Dates Left !!!  Fight Back !!! Elect our Democratic Candidates !!! Evan Geraniotis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <h2 class="title"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/31/tea-party-boehner-ohio/" title="Permanent link to 'Ohio Tea Party Survey To Candidates: Reject Gay Rights, Let God Deal With Climate Change'">Ohio Tea Party Survey To Candidates: Reject Gay Rights, Let God Deal With Climate Change</a></h2>Source: Think Progress Date: August 31 Author: Tanya Somanader Yesterday, after <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0IbRkCR7Cs">soliciting input</a> from the GOP base, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced that “<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/116471-boehner-gop-election-document-coming-shortly-after-recess">the long-awaited Republican manifesto</a>” will be released after lawmakers return to Washington in September. One part of that base that has been particularly vocal and influential is the Tea Party. But while some Republicans view the Tea Party as <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082405001.html">toxic to the GOP</a>, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/21/boehner-gop-should-walk-amongst-tea-party/?page=1">fully embraced</a> the Tea Party’s input, stating that members “represent the same values, concerns” of “tens of millions of other Americans” and that “we should listen to them, we should work with them and we should walk amongst them.” If Boehner “walked among” Tea Party members in Erie County, OH, they may provide interesting insight for his new “manifesto.” As the Guardian’s Leo Hickman <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/aug/31/tea-party-candidates-climate-change">reports</a>, a local Ohio newspaper the Sandusky Register <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sanduskyregister.com/sandusky/2010/aug/30/tea-party-cooks-candidate-questionnaire">obtained an email</a> sent out last week by a local Tea party group called The Freedom Institute of Erie County. According to the email, the Tea Party group is creating a “<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sanduskyregister.com/files/www2.sanduskyregister.com/file_attach/2010/August/TeaPartyQuestions.pdf">Conservative voter guide</a>” on the positions of candidates seeking office in upcoming elections in order to “rate, recommend, and endorse candidates” based on how they answer 15 questions. While such surveys may be fairly “mundane,” it’s the questions outlining the group’s priorities that provide, as Hickman <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sanduskyregister.com/sandusky/2010/aug/30/tea-party-cooks-candidate-questionnaire">puts it</a>, “a hearty serving of insight with a side order of jaw drop”: <blockquote>Now let’s hear those 15 questions. (The document states that the respondents should give one of the following answers: A = Agree; D = Disagree; U = Undecided; A* = Pro-life with exceptions of Rape or Incest, * = Added comments; NR = No Response; CR = Incumbents Conservative Rating.) 1. The Right to Life is a Constitutional right, therefore innocent human beings should have legal protection from conception until natural death. If you hold any exceptions please state them. 2. The regulation of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere should be left to God and not government and I oppose all measures of Cap and Trade as well as the teaching of global warming theory in our schools. 3. Marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman, any other type of Union is not marriage. 4. Children should not be placed into foster homes where the parents are homosexual, bisexual, or transgender. 5. Parental consent should be required for sex education that teaches more than direct abstinence. 6. The second Amendment to the Constitution [the right to keep and bear arms] should not be weakened in any way. 7. Only US citizens should be allowed to vote and a photo ID should always be required to vote. (The Mexican government requires a photo ID and fingerprint). 8. I oppose Ohio’s State Income Tax. 9. I oppose the Obama Health Care Reform and would like to see more affordable healthcare through a competitive, open, and transparent system. 10. I oppose the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy of the military and believe that all same sex partners should be banned from combat duty in the military because of the propensity to transmit blood-borne diseases in the theatre of battle. 11. I support a law that will allow the people to place on a ballot all collective bargaining agreements of all government associations, unions, and guilds, for their expressed approval. Defeat of such an agreement would mean government workers would not be immune from the free market system. 12. I oppose card check for voting to implement a Union as this could give unions an unfair intimidation tactic to implement unionisation. 13. I am not an economic pacifist. I believe that we need to protect our economic borders in order to ensure free and fair trade. Tariffs should be used to stop the wealth and jobs of Americans from leaving her borders. 14. The Federal Reserve as it is currently conceived needs to be abolished or at the very least audited. 15. I advocated moving our currency to a debt-free supply-side labour-based currency.</blockquote> The <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sanduskyregister.com/sandusky/2010/aug/30/tea-party-cooks-candidate-questionnaire">email’s author</a>, the Freedom Institute of Erie County (OH) Steering Committee member Jon P. Morrow, tells candidates to “please keep it short sweet and simple” as their answers will “reach 1,000+ Republicans and at least 4.000+ Independents that have a history of voting conservatively.” According to its <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.americaslastbesthope.org/">website</a>, the Freedom Institute’s purpose is to act as the government’s watchdog and to “raise funds to advocate, advertise, educate, and inform the public on constitutionally conservative positions and conservative candidates we endorse.” Membership only requires taking “<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.americaslastbesthope.org/">the Patriots Oath</a>” constructed by Iran Contra operative Oliver North and right-wing Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. But ab endorsement, it seems, requires a rejection of LGBT rights and that environmental regulation be “left to God.” While Boehner has not outright endorsed the group’s principles listed in the survey, significant bastions of the conservative establishment, including the Heritage Foundation and the Koch-funded Cato Institute, are listed as “<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.americaslastbesthope.org/">partners</a>” of the group. President Obama, however, gets his own separate tab and title: “<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.americaslastbesthope.org/">the enemy</a>.” </div> </div></div>

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[discussion] Study Credits Federal Intervention in Preserving Jobs

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:05:00 GMT

<div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"> <div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div><div class="story_headline">Friends I forward a short and to the point article from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that echos the detailed Article from Newsweek ``Fewer Jobs, Larger Deficits if Republicans were in Charge" that I sent out (together with my commentary) on Tue 8/31.  Dave Ninehouser of PennAction sent me the article. Evan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Study Credits Federal Intervention in Preserving Jobs </div> <div class="story_lastupdate">Thursday, September 02, 2010</div> <div class="story_byline">By Tim Grant, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette </div> <div class="story_body"> A non-profit economic research group today released an annual report on the state of workers in Pennsylvania that concluded that, absent policy actions taken by the federal government in the wake of the recession, Pennsylvania and the nation would be looking at double digit unemployment rates today. Economists at the Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg estimate that, without the economic policy action of the Federal Reserve and the Bush and Obama administrations, national unemployment would be approaching 16 percent and the state unemployment rate would be in the neighborhood of 14 percent. "Our economy is a product of conscious policy choices," said Dr. Mark Price, labor economist for the KRC. "Federal policy stopped the economic free fall. And policy choices at the national and state level will powerfully shape the future health of the economy for middle class families." <div class="story_first_published">First published on September 2, 2010 at 2:53 pm</div> </div></div> </div></div></div>

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[discussion] ATTEND 2 big events to support Kathy Dahlkemper and Dan Onorato on Thursday Sept 2

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:15:00 GMT

<div>1.) Show up and support Dan Onorato at a press conference, here in Erie at 11:30Am Onorato Headquarters at 29 W 5th St, Erie PA 16501....info call 814.273.0450 </div> <div>2.) Show up and support our Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper at 3pm at the Gazebo in Perry Square. Time 3PM. for info call 814-520-8012</div> <div> </div> <div>Come on ERIE lets get FIRED uP we have 2 months to the election. Don't let Sarah and her Tea party buddies win. </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>2 media Advisories for your reading.........</div> <div>*** Media Advisory *** Dan Onorato To Discuss Marcellus Shale, Protecting Pennsylvania Taxpayers ERIE: TOMORROW, September 2, 2010, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato will hold a press conference to discuss his vision for Marcellus shale development and describe why Tom Corbett's position is bad for Pennsylvania taxpayers. EVENT: Dan Onorato will discuss his plans for Marcellus shale. DATE/TIME: TOMORROW, September 2, 2010 11:30 AM LOCATION: Onorato Headquarters 29 W. 5th Street Erie PA, 16501</div> <div> -- Chris Fetterman Deputy Press Secretary, North/Central Pennsylvania Onorato for Governor 412-281-5678 (office) 610-554-2346 (mobile) <a href="mailto:chrisfetterman@voteonorato.com">chrisfetterman@voteonorato.com</a></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, September 2** Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.: Local Teachers and Erie County Sheriff to Thank Congresswoman Dahlkemper for Saving Erie Education and Public Safety Jobs Philadelphia—Local educators and Erie County Sheriff Bob Merski will hold a press conference tomorrow, Thursday, September 2, to thank Congresswoman Dahlkemper for saving hundreds of public safety and education jobs in Erie County. Congresswoman Dahlkemper will be on hand at the event to discuss her recent vote. The Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) extension approved last month will save the jobs of 12,500 Pennsylvanians including hundreds in Erie County, assist local communities still reeling from the economic crisis, and reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion. The legislation is fully paid for in part by ending tax giveaways for corporations that ship American jobs overseas. While President Obama and Democrats in Congress fought to save jobs for Pennsylvanians, Republicans like Mike Kelly, have instead stood up for corporations who ship jobs overseas over teachers, firefighters and police officers. The press conference is hosted by Organizing for America-Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Who: Local Teachers, Erie County Sheriff Bob Merski and Congresswoman Dahlkemper What: Thank You Press Conference When: Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. Where: Perry Square 570 State Street Erie, PA 16501 (Press conference will be in the Gazebo) Visual: Local educators and Erie County Sheriff thanking Congresswoman Dalhkemper</div>

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[discussion] Dahlkemper Yard Signs

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Friends,  We will have folks out this weekend putting up yard signs so if you would like one please email me back with the address(es) of the locations where we can place a sign.   With only 62 days left until the election it?s time for us to start making some noise.     Thank you all for your past help and hope we can count on you in the coming days! Thanks,, Tina Mengine Campaign Manager Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

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[discussion] Dahlkemper Thank you event tomorrow

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:15:00 GMT

<div> "Thank you" event for Kathy Dahlkemper </div> <div>   </div> <div> Kathy Dahlkemper supported legislation President Obama has now signed into law to provide $26 billion in federal aid to assist communities still dealing with the economic crisis and help states keep teachers in the classroom and safety officials on the streets. The legislation is fully paid for and will reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion over the next ten years in part by ending tax giveaways for corporations that ship American jobs overseas. </div> <div> Speakers: </div> <div> </div> <div> Jodie Abbott, Teacher at East High School in the Erie School District </div> <div> Bob Merski, Sheriff of Erie County </div> <div> Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper </div> <div> </div> <div> Thursday, September 2, 2010, 3:00 PM,  at the Perry Square Gazebo </div> <div> </div> <div> For further information, feel free to contact me (Bob Merski) at 490-2194. </div> <div> </div> <div> Respectfully, </div> <div> </div> <div> Bob Merski Jr Sargent-at-arms and Christine Mitchell Secretary </div> ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

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[discussion] Media Advisory: Tomorrow 9/2 at 11:30am Press Conference in Erie: Dan Onorato to Discuss Marcellus Shale

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:25:00 GMT

<div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div> *** Media Advisory ***   Dan Onorato To Discuss Marcellus Shale, Protecting Pennsylvania Taxpayers   ERIE:  TOMORROW, September 2, 2010, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato will hold a press conference to discuss his vision for Marcellus shale development and describe why Tom Corbett's position is bad for Pennsylvania taxpayers.     EVENT:                      Dan Onorato will discuss his plans for Marcellus shale.   DATE/TIME:            TOMORROW, September 2, 2010                                     11:30 AM                                     LOCATION:              Onorato Headquarters                                     29 W. 5th Street                                     Erie PA, 16501 -- Chris Fetterman Deputy Press Secretary, North/Central Pennsylvania Onorato for Governor 412-281-5678 (office) 610-554-2346 (mobile) <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:chrisfetterman@voteonorato.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:chrisfetterman@voteonorato.com">chrisfetterman@voteonorato.com</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.voteonorato.com/">www.voteonorato.com</a> Follow Dan on Facebook: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Dan-Onorato/95368733976?ref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dan-Onorato/95368733976?ref=ts</a> Dan's Youtube Channel: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/DanOnorato2010">http://www.youtube.com/DanOnorato2010</a> </div> </div>

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[discussion] Fewer Jobs, Larger Deficits if Republicans Were in Charge

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:35:00 GMT

<div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div> Friends The attached  excellent article from Newsweek  (Aug 27)  is one of the most detailed and informative written so far on comparing the proposed economic policies of the GOP (if they held power from Jan 2009 forward) and the actions taken or planned by the Obama Administration.   I recommend it most strongly  for anyone who wishes to understand in depth what is going on with deficits, taxes and jobs as a result of  the policies of the two parties.   It  sheds bright  light on the Republican misinformation and outright lies that have characterized the GOP opposition during the last 19 months as well as the GOP message and agenda for the 2010 elections. With strong arguments, data and statistics the article presents a very clear picture of what the deficit and the jobs situation would be, if the policies the Republicans currently advocate had been enacted back in 2009.   This is very illuminating and I urge you to read it so that it sheds away any doubts or confusion that may have been caused by  the GOP propaganda and the Mainstream Media's laziness and lack of substance in information broadcasts these days.  Before attaching the Article I provide a brief summary of its conclusions.   The comparison is carried out first for the budget deficit (over the next 10 years) for (i) The Stimulus, (ii) Health Care,, (iii) the Bush Tax Cuts.   For the Stimulus (Recovery Act) the result of the comparison is: Administration  caused a $ 814 billion deficit and GOP $ 0 since they have advocated no stimulus to the economy.   The risk of doing nothing is of course penalized in the jobs comparison below.   Comparison: Admin $814 billion, GOP: $0 For Health Care the comparison shows that  the Administration will save $ 30 billion (over 10 years) while GOP will increase the deficit by $ 455 billion.   Comparison: Admin  - $30 billion, GOP $455 billion Extending the Bush tax cuts for only the middle class (incomes under $250,000), as the Administration wants to do, will increase the deficit by $ 3 trillion (over 10 years) while extending the tax cuts for all (including the wealthiest top 2%) as GOP wants will increase the deficit by $ 3.84 trillion.   Comparison: Admin $3 trillion, GOP  $3.84 trillion Comparison Totals for Deficit:  Admin $3.784 trillion, GOP $4.155 trillion.  That is the GOP plan would increase the deficit (over 10 years) by $371 billion, even if they had spent nothing to stimulate the economy after the 2008 Wall St meltdown.  Then the comparison is carried out for jobs.  It pertains to the Stimulus and the extension of the Bush Tax Cuts, since these are the two major items that John Boehner (R-OH, House Minority Leader) emphasized in his recent Cleveland speech about the "GOP Plan" for the economy. For the Stimulus the employment (new or retained jobs) estimates (by CBO, the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office) vary between 1.4 million and 3.3 million. The CBO info was sent to you  in my e-mail of Fri Aug 27  as part of my essay Stimulus Added Millions of Jobs.  Splitting the difference between the two numbers of the CBO report results in Comparison: Admin  2.35 million jobs, GOP  0 jobs.   Regarding the extension of Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which is the main difference between the Administration and the GOP proposals for taxes, the article after a very detailed and objective comparison reaches the conclusion that between 200,000 and 500,000 extra jobs may be created, if the tax cuts for the wealthy are extended.  Splitting the difference results in Comparison: Admin 0 jobs, GOP 350,00 jobs Comparison Totals for Jobs:  Admin 2.35 millions,  GOP 350,00 jobs.  That is the GOP plan would  produce significantly fewer jobs at a time that Americans face a tough economy anda  high unemployment rate.  Reality and facts have ceased to exist for the GOP and its followers, they are manufacturing their own facts !!!  This should not be surprising; after using Fox News and Conservative Radio to soften up the intelligence of their viewers (typically blue collar whites and other low information or uninformed viewers), anything they tell them, they will parrot it back without analyzing or questioning.   Why should they care about the truth ?    Truth is irrelevant, perceptions and gut feelings are everything !!!   Glen Beck, after the speech at the Lincoln Memorial this weekend, is now the tele-evangelist in chief, not just the liar-in-chief and a self-enriching demagogue.  This is what we have to fight against: ignorance, misinformation, outright lies and millions upon millions of corporate money spent by GOP and its Front Groups trying to make truths out of their distortions and falsehoods. Keep Fighting !!!  Help elect our Democratic Candidates !!! Only 62 Days Left to Nov 2 !!! Evan Geraniotis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Estimates Say Fewer Jobs, Larger Deficits if Republicans Were in Charge By Andrew Romano, Senior Editor Newsweek, Aug 27, 2010 Nothing is more important to Republican politicians these days than jobs and the deficit—at least  according to Republican politicians. As House Minority Leader John Boehner put it in a "major economic address" on Tuesday, President Obama is "doing everything possible to prevent jobs from being created" while refusing to do anything at all "about bringing down the deficits that threaten our economy." Elect Republicans in November, Boehner assured his audience, and we will put an end to this insanity. There's only one problem with Boehner's message: so far, the things that Republicans have said they want to do won't actually boost employment or reduce deficits. In fact, much the opposite. By combing through a variety of studies and projections from nonpartisan economic sources, we here at Gaggle headquarters have found that if Republicans were in charge from January 2009 onward—and if they were now given carte blanche to enact the proposals they want to—the projected 2010–2020 deficits would be larger than they are under Obama, and fewer people would probably be employed.   The math is pretty straightforward. Let's start with the deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office, Obama's stimulus plan is projected  to increase budget deficits over the next decade by $814 billion. That's a big number. But Republicans opposed the legislation refused to provide an alternative, and now insist that it's been a total failure. So let's be generous and subtract it from their side of the equation. The Obama deficit: $814 billion. The GOP deficit: $0. <div class="ad ad-300 left" data-inline="true" data-dartad="{size:"300x250"}" style="height: 250px;">  <noscript> <div style="position: relative; z-index: 1;" align="center"> <a href="%3Ca%20target=%27_blank%27%20href=%27http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3a06/3/0/%2a/s%3B226750211%3B0-0%3B4%3B32930014%3B4307-300/250%3B37616521/37634399/1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://www.eyewonderlabs.com/ct.cfm?ewbust=0&guid=0&ewadid=113774&eid=1317637&file=http://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/NOSCRIPTfailover.jpg&pnl=MainBanner&type=0&name=Clickthru-NOSCRIPT&num=1&time=0&diff=0&clkX=&clkY=&click=http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3a06/3/0/%2a/s%3B226750211%3B0-0%3B4%3B32930014%3B4307-300/250%3B37616521/37634399/1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;226715654;50464112;a%27%3Ehttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3a06/3/0/%2a/s%3B226750211%3B0-0%3B4%3B32930014%3B4307-300/250%3B37616521/37634399/1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://www.eyewonderlabs.com/ct.cfm?ewbust=0&guid=0&ewadid=113774&eid=1317637&file=http://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/NOSCRIPTfailover.jpg&pnl=MainBanner&type=0&name=Clickthru-NOSCRIPT&num =1&time=0&diff=0&clkX=&clkY=&click=http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3a06/3/0/%2a/s%3B226750211%3B0-0%3B4%3B32930014%3B4307-300/250%3B37616521/37634399/1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;226715654;50464112;a%3C/a%3E" target="_blank"> <img src="%3Ca%20target=%27_blank%27%20href=%27http://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/NOSCRIPTfailover.jpg%27%3Ehttp://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/NOSCRIPTfailover.jpg%3C/a%3E" alt="" width="300" border="0" height="250"> </a><div style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; z-index: 0;"> <img src="%3Ca%20target=%27_blank%27%20href=%27http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N3867.newsweek/B4664581.10;sz=1x1;ord=4903978%27%3Ehttp://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N3867.newsweek/B4664581.10;sz=1x1;ord=4903978%3C/a%3E?" width="1" border="0" height="1"></div> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; z-index: 2; display: none;"> <img src="%3Ca%20target=%27_blank%27%20href=%27http://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/ewtrack.gif?ewadid=113774%27%3Ehttp://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/ewtrack.gif?ewadid=113774%3C/a%3E" width="1" border="0" height="1"> </div> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; z-index: 3; display: none;"> <img src="%3Ca%20target=%27_blank%27%20href=%27http://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/ewtrack_f.gif?ewadid=113774%27%3Ehttp://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/764302/1317637/ewtrack_f.gif?ewadid=113774%3C/a%3E" width="1" border="0" height="1"> </div></div></noscript>Next up is health-care reform. Obama passed it; Republicans want to repeal it "lock, stock and barrel" The reason, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell explained in July, is that "we all know that it's going to increase the deficit." Unfortunately for the GOP, though, nonpartisan experts tend to disagree.  Just this Tuesday, for example, the CBO released a letter saying that Obama's health-care-reform legislation would "reduce the projected budget deficit by $30 billion over the next 10 years,” while repealing the law would generate "an increase in deficits ... of $455 billion ... over that [same] period." Factor those figures into the equation and the Obama deficit falls to $784 billion. The GOP deficit, meanwhile, rises to $455 billion. Getting warmer. The final piece of the puzzle is the Bush tax cuts. Obama wants to extend them for the 95 percent of taxpayers making less than $250,000 a year; Republicans want to extend them for everybody. How will these extensions affect the deficit? Glad you asked. According to data compiled by The Washington Post," the Democratic proposal  would add about $3 trillion to the deficit during the next decade, while the GOP plan would cost $ 3.84 trillion".<a style="background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" href="http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/domestic-taxes/115293-cbo-report-gives-both-sides-ammo-in-debate-over-bush-tax-cuts" target="_blank"></a> That brings the total Obama deficit to $3.784 trillion over 10 years, and its GOP counterpart to—drumroll, please—$4.155 trillion. That's right. Even if we assume that the Republicans would've spent $0 to stimulate the economy in the wake of the largest economic collapse since the Great Depression—an unlikely scenario, given the very real risks of inaction—their proposed policies would still produce a deficit $371 billion larger than President Obama's. (Or $335 billion; Boehner also says he'd like to freeze nondefense discretionary spending at 2008 levels, which would save a grand total of $36 billion).<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/25/boehners-fivepoint-plan-w_n_694540.html" target="_blank"> </a> On jobs, it's a similar story. So far, Republicans have only said they'd do—or that they would've done—two large-scale things the Democrats haven't: (1) scrap the stimulus, and (2) extend the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 so as not to (in Boehner's words) "impose job-killing tax hikes on families and small businesses." How would these measures affect employment? Regarding the stimulus, the answer is pretty clear. In a report out this week, the CBO estimates that between 1.4 million and 3.3 million fewer people would be employed right now if the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act had never made it through Congress. Split the difference, and the pro-stimulus Obama moves ahead of the anti-stimulus GOP by about 2.35 million jobs. (A more dramatic estimate by the economists Alan Blinder and Mark Zandi [a McCain 2008 adviser] puts the number at 2.7 million, but we'll stick with the CBO stats for now.) The effect of tax cuts on job creation is a little trickier to tally. Extending all of them, according to the CBO, would lower unemployment by 0.3 to 0.8 percent over the next year or so; extending them solely for people making less than $250,000 would produce a somewhat smaller effect, for a difference of roughly 200,000 to 500,000 people. The problem, as economist William G. Gale of the Brookings Institution has noted, is that "of 11 potential stimulus policies the CBO recently examined, an extension of all of the Bush tax cuts ties for lowest bang for the buck." In fact, he continues, "letting the high-income tax cuts expire and using the money for aid to the states, extensions of unemployment insurance benefits, [or] tax credits favoring job creation ... would have about three times the impact ... as continuing the Bush tax cuts."  In addition, it's unlikely that extending the cuts for the richest Americans would have much of an effect on small-business hiring, which is a claim that Republicans make with some regularity. Why? Because of the taxpayers that report running small businesses on their taxes, only 2 percent fall into the top two income brackets.  The other 98 percent of small-business owners make less than $250,000 a year and wouldn't pay higher taxes under Obama's plan. History isn't on the GOP's side, either. If keeping the top marginal tax rate at 35 percent—the rate under Bush, and the rate that Republicans are fighting to preserve—spurs so much hiring, why didn't America experience any job growth at all during Bush's time in office? And if a top marginal tax rate of 39.6 percent—the rate under Bill Clinton, and the rate that Democrats are fighting to restore—is such a job killer, why did payrolls grow by 20 percent during the 1990s ? The implication here isn't that higher tax rates equal more jobs. Far from it. But there's simply no evidence, either in the history books or the latest projections, to suggest that extending all of the Bush tax cuts would provide an employment boost large enough to offset the number of jobs that would've been lost if the GOP had succeeded in blocking the stimulus—let alone lasting enough to justify adding another $700 billion to the deficit.   The bottom line, then, is that recent GOP proposals would produce fewer jobs and far larger deficits than the plans Obama has already passed or currently wants to pass. This isn't to say that the Republicans couldn't create jobs or cut the deficit if restored to power—just that right now, they've chosen to support policies that would prove less effective in both respects than the Democratic programs they so vehemently criticize. On the trail, it's easy to talk about cutting pork, slashing taxes, and reducing "uncertainty." But if the party wants to provide voters with real alternatives on jobs and deficits, they should start talking about the sort of deep spending cuts and targeted tax incentives that might actually make a difference someday: reforming Medicare and Social Security, cutting defense spending, reducing payroll taxes, and creating tax credits for job creation. Otherwise, they're worse than what we have now.  </div> </div> </div>

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