For Immediate Release Contact: Valentina Weis 561-603-8188

Deerfield Beach, FL – 3/4/2010 – Republican Congressional candidate Allen West (FL-22) today proclaimed that only in Washington DC could someone support the current Administration’s out of control spending and still call themselves a fiscal conservative.

“Ron Klein’s recent claims to be a fiscal conservative [...]]]> PRESS RELEASE
March 4, 2010

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Valentina Weis
561-603-8188

Deerfield Beach, FL – 3/4/2010 – Republican Congressional candidate Allen West (FL-22) today proclaimed that only in Washington DC could someone support the current Administration’s out of control spending and still call themselves a fiscal conservative.

“Ron Klein’s recent claims to be a fiscal conservative only make sense within a Washington mindset that says up is down and black is white. Voting for increased spending and raising the debt limit to record levels is anything but fiscally conservative” West said.

Klein’s record includes support for massive expansion of government programs and spending–including President Obama’s health care takeover, Cap and Trade, and raising the debt limit by $1.9 billion. Despite all of this, Klein has recently taken to calling himself a fiscal conservative.

Nancy Pelosi, Ron Klein and Barney Frank, who recently did an event for Klein in South Florida, have all earned ratings of zero from the American Conservative Union for 2009, largely due to their support for higher government spending. Rep. Ron Klein sits on the House Financial Services committee with Chairman Barney Frank.

“You can’t vote lockstep with tax and spenders Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank and call yourself fiscally conservative,” West said. “It just doesn’t add up.”

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But as demonstrated by their top ranking on [...]]]> NRCC smiles on repeat GOP challengers

But as demonstrated by their top ranking on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program, the NRCC’s top tier of recruits, 2010 is looking a lot more promising for both Harris and West in their bids to be part of the next GOP freshman class.

Harris, a state senator, didn’t get any NRCC money in 2008 because of the committee’s limited resources and his own ability to partially self-finance the race. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poured in $1.8 million on behalf of Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), helping him eke out a narrow victory.

In Florida, Iraq war veteran Allen West was also largely ignored by Washington insiders when he challenged Democratic Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) two years ago and was outspent by more than a four-to-one margin. That’s not likely to happen again—aside from the NRCC, West has built a strong grassroots campaign operation, complimented by a skilled fundraising effort.

The two candidates, among the 10 selected for the GOP’s Young Gun program, met with political reporters Wednesday for a roundtable candidates meeting. All hold top billing in the program designed to assist highly competitive challengers. Two others on the list—Steve Stivers and former Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio—are also seeking rematches.

“One of the things in our district is that [Republicans are] applauding the NRCC now for recognizing me because they didn’t so much recognize me in 2008. Which I understood, because as a newcomer you have to prove yourself in this game.”

The candidates reiterated that they’re not expecting a massive cash infusion from the national party, since the NRCC ended last month with only $4.1 million to spend so far.

“The 2010 election is not about money, it’s about ideas,” said Harris, entering a rematch against Kratovil, who narrowly defeated him by a one-point margin in 2008.

“You don’t want to rely on anyone else,” added Vaughn Ward, one of the leading Republicans running against Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho). “You rely on what you can do through the people and campaign you build.”

The Washington Post By Chris Cillizza

A group of touted Republican House candidates expressed support for a 1994-style “Contract with America” in advance of the coming midterms elections during a sitdown with reporters today in Washington.

“I would very much would like to see a ‘Contract with America Two’,” said former Ohio [...]]]> Top Republican challengers support Contract with America

The Washington Post
By Chris Cillizza

A group of touted Republican House candidates expressed support for a 1994-style “Contract with America” in advance of the coming midterms elections during a sitdown with reporters today in Washington.

“I would very much would like to see a ‘Contract with America Two’,” said former Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot who is seeking to reclaim his Cincinnati-area 1st district and was a signer of the original “Contract” in 1994. A second “Contract” would lay out “core principles we’ll live up to,” he added.

Allen West, who is challenging Rep. Ron Klein (D) in Florida’s 22nd district, added that Republicans needed to “have a basic roadmap that shows people where we are going.”

The ten candidates, who hailed from districts in Alabama, Idaho and everywhere in between — were in Washington as part of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” program — a group aimed at rewarding top fundraising performers.

Their support for a new “Contract” comes amid an active, behind-the-scenes debate within Republican ranks about whether releasing a broad set of party principles in advance of the 2010 election is a smart strategy or a strategic blunder.

The argument for a new “Contract” centers on the idea that in a national election, which almost everyone believes this fall’s midterm to be, Republicans need to be singing from the same song book — if you will — in order to maximize their gains.

“In the months ahead we’re going to tell the nation exactly what we’d do differently if we’re entrusted with power,” promised House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) during a speech last week at CPAC. “But it won’t be a document handed down from on high by politicians, because something like that would land with a big thud. It’s going to be built by listening.”

Boehner has already appointed California Rep. Kevin McCarthy to begin constructing a second “Contract” in advance of the fall election.

Among the tenets outlined by Boehner include: a 72-hour “reading period” (our words, not his) to examine legislation before votes, cameras in the Rules Committee, which, in the House, determines the way in which debate will proceed, and more transparency in the earmarking process — during his CPAC speech last week.

The biggest argument against such a move is that voters are looking for the minority party to stand against what they believe to be President Obama’s wrong-headed agenda rather than offer an entire alternative set of policies and, by unifying behind a “Contract”, Republicans will be handing Democrats something to shoot at this fall.

“I wouldn’t have a party agenda at this stage of the process,” said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, one of the architects of the original “Contract”, said in an interview last week.

Our guess on who wins the debate? Momentum within the Republican party appears to be moving toward some sort of broad statement of principles. The “what” and the “when” of that second “Contract” remain very much up in the air, however.

Hotline On Call

Vowing to run their campaigns locally instead of relying on DC, 10 candidates who have made the NRCC’s “Young Guns” tier met reporters in DC today after being feted before GOP members of Congress.

The 10 candidates, 9 of whom the NRCC sees as some of their best [...]]]> Young Guns Meet The Press

Hotline On Call

Vowing to run their campaigns locally instead of relying on DC, 10 candidates who have made the NRCC’s “Young Guns” tier met reporters in DC today after being feted before GOP members of Congress.

The 10 candidates, 9 of whom the NRCC sees as some of their best hopes of taking back Dem-held House seats this year, at once associated themselves with each other while distancing themselves from a national party they said they would come to DC to fix.

“I am a Republican, but I am a conservative first,” said ex-US Atty Tim Griffin (R), who is running for an open seat held by Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR). Added Iraq war vet Allen West (R), who is running against Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL): “The Republican Party has not completely regained the trust” of the American people.

“We will have enough clout in the freshman class to have a major impact,” said OH state Sen. Steve Stivers (R), who is waging a second battle against Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D). Ex-Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) predicted a “new paradigm” if GOPers retake the House: “The discussions I’m having with leadership indicate a very strong understanding of what went wrong.”

The candidates said they all want to see a second Contract with America, or something very like the set of issues on which members of the class of ‘94 promised to vote if they retook Congress. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who recruited many of the Young Gun contenders, is beginning work on just such a proposal, with House GOP support.

“We should have a set of principles, and I think we probably will,” said ex-Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), who is running for the seat he lost in ‘08. Chabot said he wants to see the GOP plan contain a balanced budget proposal and a series of tax cuts.

West said he would like to see broader conservative principles like promoting limited government, national security and personal responsibility. Stivers, in the meantime, said he wanted to see “process” aspects of a new contract — promoting transparency and the way the GOP would operate the House.

The GOPers acknowledged that their party may not have the money to compete with Dems. The NRCC faces a tremendous cash disadvantage when matched against the DCCC, but candidates said any recognition they get, and cash they raise, will come from their
independent efforts, not from DC.

“All the ads in the world don’t sell a broken product to the American people,” said MD state Sen. Andy Harris (R), who is taking a second run against Rep. Frank Kratovil (D).

And, GOPers said, Dems’ positions have hurt more than any ads could save them — even as they seek to challenge incumbents who voted against key Dem initiatives.

“More people have read the 2,000-page health care bill than have read the Bible in my district, I will guarantee you that,” Pearce said.

“39 Democrats voted against the health care bill. Zero Democrats voted for the GOP alternative. What happened?” Asked Vaughn Ward (R), an Iraq war vet running against Rep. Walt Minnick (D-ID). Minnick voted against both bills. “Walt Minnick stands at the crossroads for nothing,” Ward said.

Human Events by  Jed Babbin 

While the mainstream media bemoans our “broken government,” the tools to repair it were on display last weekend at the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference.

As Florida senate hopeful Marco Rubio said, “Yes, Americans want leaders in Washington willing to work together to get things done. But that comes with [...]]]> Previewing Conservatives for 2010

Human Events
by  Jed Babbin 

While the mainstream media bemoans our “broken government,” the tools to repair it were on display last weekend at the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference.

As Florida senate hopeful Marco Rubio said, “Yes, Americans want leaders in Washington willing to work together to get things done. But that comes with one major caveat — it depends on what they are trying to do.” Bipartisanship isn’t an end unto itself: it has to be a means to the right end.

CPAC functioned simultaneously on two levels. On one, young conservatives were able to hear directly from the leaders and experts whose free market, smaller government and secure America alternatives provide the basis to fix America’s problems instead of remaking the nation on the model of the failing states of Europe.

On another level many new conservative candidates were working hard to get the attention and support they deserve this year.

I was wrapping up a chat with conservative businessman Tim Burns — one of two candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the May special election to replace the late John Murtha — when Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell responded to my welcoming wave by stopping by to talk. When Burns showed McDonnell a map of Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district — which resembles some strange rune Indiana Jones found carved in the wall of an ancient temple — McDonnell joked, “Wow. Maybe there is something to be said for bipartisan redistricting.”

Then, from behind me, came a familiar voice saying, “Hi, Bob.” We turned to see a smiling Jim Gilmore, former Virginia governor (now the head of the late Paul Weyrich’s Free Congress Foundation.)

The two governors were soon lost in conversation about the coming budget debate in Richmond, and the indefatigable Katie O’Malley was ushering me off to talk with another candidate.

Some, like Marco Rubio, didn’t need an introduction. Others – unknowns who need conservative help – began to get the national exposure they needed.

FLORIDA: Marco Rubio, the conservative contesting the Florida Republican US Senate nomination against purebred RINO Gov. Charlie Crist, gave the best speech of the event. In an exclusive interview with him later, Rubio made clear the stark choice America faces this year.

Rubio is a political natural. He has charisma, but he’s no Hollywood type: he’s a thoughtful man who gave plain-spoken knowledgeable answers to everything I threw at him. Rubio believes that the 2010 election is a referendum on America’s future, a clear choice between free-market capitalism, effective national defense and American exceptionalism on one hand and the loss of personal freedoms that necessarily results from government expansion.

Rubio’s campaign is now leading Crist’s in the polls. (The last Rasmussen poll, now a week old, showed Rubio leading by 12 points.) But Crist’s handpicked man — James Thrasher — has now been installed as the new state party chairman. Rubio isn’t taking anything for granted. It’s essential that every conservative support Rubio’s campaign now and in the fall. The first Rubio-Crist debate — now scheduled for March 28 — is a must-watch event.

As Rubio said in his speech, we already have one too many Arlen Specters in the Senate. We don’t need another, and that’s what Charlie Crist would be.

Rubio’s fellow Floridian Allen West — former Army lieutenant colonel and (in the interest of full disclosure) a friend of mine — is running in Florida’s 22nd District against Pelosicrat Ron Klein. Allen has devoted his life to defending America and now that he’s no longer on active duty, his drive to continue that service to his country is in stark contrast to his opponent’s pure-as-Ivory-Soap liberal record.

Allen’s devotion to national security (which he’s proven in combat), to reducing government control of our economy — and staunch opposition to Obama’s spending tsunami — would make him a great congressman. Adding Rubio and West, it’s enough to make you want to move to Florida just to vote for these guys.

PENNSYLVANIA: Businessman Tim Burns didn’t get lost in the McDonnell visit. Burns wants to replace the late John Murtha in Pennsylvania’s weirdly-shaped 12th district. (It was gerrymandered ten years ago to protect Murtha. It looks like the claw of an alien from some cheesy movie, snaking through and grasping parts of eight counties.) Burns is a solid conservative in a west state district that should elect a Republican. He told me that there are a great number of voters who are still “Reagan Democrats” and his campaign will assure them that the Obama spending spree won’t be allowed to bankrupt their children. Burns is contesting the nomination against another conservative, William Russell, who ran against Murtha in 2008. The special election is May 18. The Pennsylvania Republicans need to get their act together quickly to decide between Burns and Russell. Every day they delay, the race will get tougher.

ARIZONA: My old friend J.D. Hayworth is running for the Republican Senate nomination against John McCain. The contrast couldn’t be more clear. One of the reasons the Republican Party lost its way is McCainism, which boils down to a battle for the hearts and minds of the New York Times editorial board, running erratically from right to left. J.D. may pull it off. Arizonans are tired of McCain and so are we.

Brian Miller — an Air Force A-10 pilot who flew combat missions over Afghanistan — is now targeting Arizona’s 8th congressional district, the southeast corner that includes Tucson. He’s running against liberal Gabrielle Giffords, another “Blue Dog” Democrat who – like the rest of them — is really a Pelosi lapdog. (Giffords, for example, supports healthcare nationalization.) Miller is sharp, personable and entirely conservative.

Moreover, Miller is a forward-looking leader. He’s the founder of a PAC called “The Freshmen50”, aiming to help elect that number of new fiscally conservative congressmen this year. His campaign, and the Freshmen50, should be major conservative efforts this year. We need Brian Miller and all the Freshman50 in congress.

ALABAMA: Les Phillip is running against party-switcher Parker Griffith, who is pretty unpopular in Alabama’s 5th district. Griffith — best known for his statement that we have nothing to fear from radical Islam — may fall to Phillip in the late primary. It’s definitely a race worth watching.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Ovide Lamontagne wants to succeed retiring Sen. Judd Gregg, and faces a primary race against former state attorney general Kelly Ayotte. Lamontagne is a solid conservative, pro-life, anti-earmark and solidly against trying enemy combatants in civilian courts. Ayotte is supported by the Washington Republican establishment, and two red flags flying around her. First, the NRSC has intervened in the primary by contributing to her campaign like they did to Charlie Crist’s against Marco Rubio. And John McCain will campaign for her, which isn’t a testimonial to her conservatism. I like Lamontagne, but need to talk to Ayotte before I will be satisfied with either.

UTAH: Retired Navy pilot Mike Lee is challenging Sen. Bob Bennett for the Republican nomination this year. Lee seems like a great guy and some day may be a great candidate. But Bennett’s conservative credentials — though imperfect (he’s an earmark lover) are pretty solid. Hard to side with an opponent. If Bennett retired, Lee would be a good choice to replace him.

MARYLAND: Dr. Eric Wargotz, in a brief chat, seemed to be a solid conservative. But running against Sen. Barbara Mikulski seems like a suicide mission. Wargotz is sincere, and if Mikulski retires, could be the upset winner this year. If she stays in the race, he still has an outside chance. We never thought Scott Brown could win in Massachusetts. Maryland is just as liberal and — in this very odd political year — Wargotz could just pull it off.

CPAC, for me, was a race to get to know these up-and-comers better. America is angry, uncertain and fearful of the effects of Obama’s run amok liberalism. Conservatives were concerned that we didn’t have a sufficiently deep bench of potential candidates to recover our nation. But we do. Call the bull pen and tell them to send in the right-handers who throw heat.

Now if we can just get Larry Kudlow to run against Chuckie Schumer in New York…

There were plenty of House challengers milling around CPAC this weekend, but only Allen West (R) — an African-American ret. Colonel running an underdog campaign in S. FL — was given the honor of speaking to attendees.

West, who held Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL) to 55% in ‘08, has been [...]]]> Go West, CPAC

There were plenty of House challengers milling around CPAC this weekend, but only Allen West (R) — an African-American ret. Colonel running an underdog campaign in S. FL — was given the honor of speaking to attendees.

West, who held Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL) to 55% in ‘08, has been named to the NRCC’s “Young Guns” program, and has already raised $1.2M for a re-match this year. But while West is a solid challenger, Klein will be a tough out. He was caught a bit off guard in ‘08, and West won’t get that benefit this year. Pres. Obama took the CD with 52%, meaning this isn’t the most fertile territory.

But West has an interesting story to tell, and his profile means his bid will get plenty of media attention.

In his CPAC address on Saturday, West recounted his upbringing in GA, and the conservative values that his parents instilled in him.

He also told of attending services every Sunday at the local Methodist church, and appeared to compare his experience there to Pres. Obama’s. West, on his pastors: “I don’t recall a single time when they cursed our country.”

But he added that the dreams of his parents “are being challenged” by the “collective ideology of the liberal progressives.”

“When you understand their dream, it’s more of a nightmare because it’s the antithesis of who we are as Americans,” said West. “They are bringing forth the nightmare of Marx, of Engels, of Chairman Mao, of Fidel Castro, of Che Guevara, of Hugo Chavez. … They are bringing a dream that is enslaving the American people.”

To sustained applause, West ended his speech by asking the crowd to “join me in a new dream … to take our country back.”

With a continued strong fundraising effort, and a bit of luck, that effort could start by taking a Dem-leaning S. FL House seat back.

The Palm Beach Post By George Bennett

WASHINGTON — Republican congressional hopeful Allen West brought a crowd of 2,500 conservative activists to its feet this afternoon with a call to “join me in a new dream” of turning America to conservative principles.

The [...]]]> Republican congressional hopeful Allen West calls on conservative activists to ‘join me in a new dream’

The Palm Beach Post
By George Bennett

WASHINGTON — Republican congressional hopeful Allen West brought a crowd of 2,500 conservative activists to its feet this afternoon with a call to “join me in a new dream” of turning America to conservative principles.

The rousing reception at the Conservative Political Action Conference highlighted West’s recent success in getting national momentum behind his challenge of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein in a Palm Beach-Broward district.

West, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, got 45.3 percent against Klein in a 2008 race in which he had little support from state or national Republicans.

This time around, West is a rising star on the right, buoyed by a 2-million-hit YouTube video that helped him raise an impressive $677,347 during the fourth quarter of 2009. The invitation to speak at CPAC, where attendees occasionally stopped West in the lobby and asked him to pose for pictures, put West in front of the nation’s most influential conservatives.

West, who is black, used his 15-minute speaking slot today to highlight his upbringing in an inner-city Atlanta neighborhood, where he said his parents taught him to work hard, believe in God and country and reject the notion of victimhood.

West spoke of the “dreams of my father” — a reference President Obama’s book of the same title — and of his mother. But he said his parents’ quintessential American dream is challenged by “the collective ideology of the liberal progressives” and their “dream that is enslaving the American people, not empowering the American people.”

“Join me in a new dream,” West said. “Join me in a dream where we will recommit this nation to the constitutional principles and values that made us great, understanding who we are from the Declaration of Independence to the Federalist Papers to the United States constitution.”

Another South Florida Republican congressional candidate, Ed Lynch, got attention for his April 13 special election race today when he appeared in an afternoon panel discussion. Conservative pundit John Fund introduced Lynch as a candidate for “the seat vacated by that loudmouth Robert Wexler in Florida that you might remember from cable television.”

Hotline On Call By Beth Sussman

A group of Iraq War vets turned House candidates are banding together in ‘10 for what they hope will be a “surge” on Capitol Hill, and the candidates are unhappy with how both parties have handled national security issues.

“I want Congress to stop being disingenuous [...]]]> Iraq Vets Band Together For House Bids

Hotline On Call
By Beth Sussman

A group of Iraq War vets turned House candidates are banding together in ‘10 for what they hope will be a “surge” on Capitol Hill, and the candidates are unhappy with how both parties have handled national security issues.

“I want Congress to stop being disingenuous about (the Iraq War) and just put it out there,” Army vet/SC-01 candidate Katherine Jenerette (R) said in an interview at CPAC today. “We need to be honest with the American people about why we are where we are and that we’re going to be there indefinitely, or at least we’re going to have a footprint there indefinitely.”

Jenerette said she was “not happy” with the Bush admin.’s approach to national security issues. “Any soldier knows we didn’t go to Iraq for democracy,” she said.

But that doesn’t mean these vets are pleased with the Obama admin. Army vet/VA-08 candidate Patrick Murray (R) said in an interview at CPAC today that he supported Pres. Obama’s decision to send additional troops to Iraq, but he called Obama’s troop pull-out plan a “signal of weakness.”

Murray is also concerned about how the Obama admin. is dealing with captured alleged terrorists, specifically alleged Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab — a campaign trail message GOPers have latched on to in recent weeks. “We didn’t even both to ask this guy about what else is in the pipeline,” Murray said. “That is unconscionable.”

The candidates said voters have been receptive to their backgrounds in the military. “We’re starting to see the American people look for individuals who have put their lives on the line,” Army vet/FL-22 candidate Allen West (R) said. “We’re going to bring back that sense of commitment to the American people.”

“People know I’m a strong leader, and that’s something they look in for in political leadership just like they look for in their military leadership,” Murray said.

Jenerette, Murray and West are supported by Iraq Veterans for Congress, a PAC that is supporting about 25 conservative GOP veterans running for Congress in ‘10. Not surprisingly, the group is touting the victory of Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), a National Guard member, in explaining why conservative Iraq War vets will be successful this year.

Of the candidates the group backs, many are not considered front-runners in their GOP primaries, much less favorites to beat Dems. But some, like West, ex-US Atty/AR-01 candidate Tim Griffin (R), ex-state Sen./NV-02 candidate Joe Heck (R), IL-11 nominee Adam Kinzinger (R), construction exec./AZ-08 candidate Jesse Kelly (R), state Sen./OH-15 candidate Steve Stivers (R) and GOP activist/ID-01 contender Vaughn Ward (R) are all members of the NRCC’s “Young Guns” program.