Red State Rebels

Idaho GOP wants to abolish Federal Reserve

Idaho Democratic Party executive director Jim Hansen reminds us all at the state party website that the state Republican Party is on record as wanting to abolish the Federal Reserve. A snip:

There are few people alive who remember the 1929 stock market crash and the devastating depression that followed. If Idaho Republicans got their way, a crash of similar or greater impact would have happened this month.

It is clear that years of irresponsible lending fueled by Republican economic deregulation policies has accelerated into a dizzying series of near-disasters in the global economy. To put on the brakes and prevent the economy from completely derailing, our government must turn to a tool that Franklin D. Roosevelt created during the Depression: The Federal Reserve.

Read it all here. Jim raises an interesting question: Do Bill Sali, Jim Risch, Mike Simpson, Mike Crapo, Larry Craig, Butch Otter, and other Idaho Republicans actually stand behind this plank in the state GOP platform? Also, isn't it interesting how 1st CD candidate Bill Sali lashed out against the financial market bailout package before he knew anything about it - and now he's having to promise he'll keep an open mind? In complex times like this, we need leaders who think before they talk.

Update 9/24/08: Check out what Kos pointed out Tuesday afternoon (h/t Jill) ... this passage from the Republican Party Platform adopted mere weeks ago:

We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself.

I can only imagine the moral confusion that free-market zealots are experiencing this week, as they realize that their black-and-white positions don't work in the modern world.

Holmes announces endorsement, coming events

Contribute via Actblue! Check out Debbie's website!

Debbie Holmes, idaho's 2nd District candidate for Congress, has been endorsed by the Alliance for Retired Americans.  The Alliance represents more than 3.5 million retirees, older Americans and community activists, including more than 6,900 members in Idaho. From the endorsement letter:

"Your positions demonstrate a strong commitment to improve the quality of life for older Americans.  Your leadership on issues such as fighting social security privatization and strengthening the Social Security and Medicare systems exhibits that commitment.  In addition, our members can support your candidacy because of your belief in the need to provide more affordable health care for older Americans, to create a Medicare drug program that benefits seniors, not insurance and drug companies, as well as the need for stronger retirement and pension security, and quality long term and nursing home care."

Debbie Holmes is pleased to receive the support of this prestigious organization which has been a strong voice for retired American workers since its foundation. She looks forward to working with them in Washington as a strong voice for the protection of retiree benefits.

Debbie has also had some media coverage:

In Pocatello: Channel 6 covered "Meet and Potatoes" http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=8956515,

Video: http://www.kpvi.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=2880352&h1=Local%20Democrats%20Converge%20in%20Bannock%20County%3B%20Cecil%20Andrus%20Keynote%20Speaker&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=87233&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=80800597

Debbie also went to Political Soup and was covered by the Idaho State Journal:
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/2008/09/11/news/local/4.txt

Also, please mark your calendar for the debate between Debbie Holmes and Mike Simpson on October 12 in Boise. The debate is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Idaho and Idaho Public Television, which will air it.

Last but not least Debbie's schedule for next week:

Monday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m., Idaho Humane Society, Boise, Volunteer Spay/neuter clinic.

Thursday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Mini-Cassia Town Hall Meeting at the Best Western Burley Inn.  

Friday, Sept. 26, 4 p.m., House Party in Teton County (Victor); call Ann 1208-520-4946 for info.

Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Steelworkers union hall 1955 W, 17^th St, Idaho Falls, Meet the Candidates (all of the locals too).

Saturday, Sept 27, 3 to 5 p.m., meet and greet at the Oregon Trail Restaurant in Fort Hall.

Saturday, Sept 27, 6 p.m., Bonneville Democrats Harvest Festival ($30 donation), for more info call Dino Zeman, 208-523-8742.

Debbie Holmes: Lack of oversight causes Fannie and Freddie to fail

This week, the irresponsibility of the federal government's housing policy has come to a head with the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As a real estate agent, I've seen this coming for a long time. The government was propping up an entire market that was giving loans to individuals at rates they could never afford to pay back. You can hardly blame the industry; it's hard to see any downside to your bad corporate policies if the government will fully back you, however badly you perform. It's the worst of both worlds; the leaders of the mortgage industry didn't have responsibility to voters, as would a public official, and didn't see any reason to worry about their shareholders, as they had every reason to believe that the government would bail them out if their accounts were in any real peril. They were, in effect, accountable to no one.

Congress had every opportunity to establish oversight of the mortgage industry, but for the 14 years the Republican dominance, they've hardly even tried. My opponent was a member of that do-nothing Congress for 8 years. Mike Simpson has supported a lot of band-aids, but never looked into a long-term solution to avoid the all too predictable situation we find ourselves in today. I've seen this crisis growing from the ground, and I have watched my clients and the clients of my colleagues suffer. It's what got me into this race. Idaho can't afford to let Mike Simpson continue to support the same old shell-game as American families lose their homes.

Donate to the campaign via ActBlue and visit our website to learn more about the issues at stake in this election.

Debbie Holmes: Why I'm running

I'm giving this address tomorrow to air on KTVB, and I thought I'd let you take a look at it first!

-Debbie

Hello, I'm Debbie Holmes and I am running for Congress in the Second District. I understand that to some of you I'm a new face. So let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm a trained chemist, mother of three and a real estate agent. We moved to Idaho 17 years ago. It seems like yesterday that my husband and I went past Mountain Home in my old Cutlass Sierra over those stark brown hills with a giant box of toys squeezed between our two young children, and saw the city in which we plan to spend the rest of our lives.

Since I moved here, I've taught chemistry labs at Boise State University, had my youngest child, volunteered in my community, and taken up a career in real estate to pay for college tuition. But mostly I have raised my three children. Real estate sometimes gets a bad rap, but it's a large part of what got me into this race. Throughout my entire life, I have always stood up for what I believe in. I believe that every American should have, if they work hard, a chance at the American dream. That every child should have a first class education from the slowest learner to the most gifted. That decent health care shouldn't be treated as a commodity but as the right of every citizen. That the people of this country need good paying jobs, and shouldn't be undercut by outsourcing. That we should only go to war for just causes. I have always believed these things.

But working in real estate, I saw the American Dream beginning to fade for my clients. Some were selling their houses because they couldn't afford their medical bill and the mortgage. Some had lost their jobs in layoffs and could no longer support their families in their own homes. I've seen people whose finances have collapsed, and who are trying to sell their houses to pay the bills, but can't get it off the market.

You have to ask yourself; why is this happening? I'll tell you why: Idaho Republicans, while promising to put money in your pocket and protect your individual well-being, have deregulated the financial sector to the point that these industries have gotten away with behavior that would once have been considered criminal, They allowed abusive loans to be given that never should have been offered. They've allowed health care reform to be pushed off the table, believing that the insurance companies would solve these problems in good faith, instead they take 31 cent of every health care dollar spent in this country. Mike Simpson and his colleagues are lock step with the Bush administration, working and voting against the people and for big oil and special interests

Mike Simpson will tell you of his record of bipartisanship, yet he called the leadership in Congress an "iron fisted dictatorship and prefers political grandstanding to compromise. He'll talk about his record on education, but Idaho's schools are crumbling, and our state is still tied for last in education spending." He has not been half as effective on the Hill as he claims. And he has been a part of the rubber-stamp Congress that is largely responsible for the disastrous war in Iraq. I would never have supported a war into which we went unprepared and with insufficient evidence. It is time to bring our troops, who have done an extraordinary job and deserve our utmost respect, home.

I've been all over this district during the campaign, and I understand the root of the problems that worry Idahoans, because I've been trying to solve them, not from the government, but on the ground. If you elect me as your congresswoman, I will be a strong voice to address these problems rather than another congressperson who ignores them or worse, causes them, as my opponent has done. It's time to give Idaho Democrats a chance to fix the mistakes of Simpson and the state's political establishment. Please let me help solve these problems by giving me your vote on Nov. 4.

Simpson skips debate

This press release will be going out to Idaho papers tomorrow.

Simpson Skips Debate

BOISE, ID - The AARP Candidates' Forum for the Idaho's Second District, which would have been broadcast across the district on CBS, has been cancelled, as Congressman Mike Simpson has refused to attend.

Debbie Holmes, the Democratic nominee for Congress, is not afraid to make her case to the people of Idaho. She is willing to meet Mike Simpson any place, any time, and discuss their different approaches for how to address Idaho issues.

At the beginning of this campaign, Mike Simpson said that he looked forward to illustrating the clear difference between himself and Holmes, so that the people of Idaho could make an informed decision. Now, he seems to be backpedaling on this pledge.

Therefore, Debbie is challenging Mike Simpson to appear in at least three debates over the course of the campaign; the League of Women Voters' debate, the KTVB debate, and a town hall forum in Eastern Idaho. If our congressman turns down another debate, the people of Idaho will know which candidate wants to represent them, and which one is hiding from them.

Debbie Holmes: Ideas mean more than money

Debbie Holmes: Idahoans will take Simpson's actions into account at polls

In the July 15 edition of the Statesman, an article was published in which my campaign against Mike Simpson was deemed a "longshot" bid, based on the amount of money that I have raised, compared to the amount of money that Congressman Simpson has raised. This seems like a sorry measure of viability; the fact is that some messages carry farther per dollar than others. I believe that Idaho is ready for the message of health care reform, protection of civil liberties and financial protection for American homeowners. Mike Simpson has a very mixed record on all three counts, and the people of Idaho deserve to be made aware of this.

I won my primary with 69 percent of the vote. I received more votes than Mike Simpson in two of the most populous counties in the district (Blaine County and Bannock County, which includes Pocatello). My primary opponent and I received 46 percent of the total Ada County vote, well within striking range, with similar margins in several other counties. In a state where the primary voters often strategically vote in the Republican primary, I consider this an extremely promising result.

I've always thought it was odd how the press judges a candidate by the amount of money they raise. This standard would make sense if candidates were businesses; they are not. They are out to spread a message, not to make a profit. I think that many Idahoans know what principles I stand for. With Mike Simpson, voters cannot be as sure. At the same time that he paints himself as a moderate, he votes with Bill Sali on major legislation much more often than he votes against him. At the same time that he calls for bipartisan leadership in Washington, he refers to the leadership of the House as an "iron-fisted dictatorship;" this is not the sort of language that will move our national discourse forward.

When he does make a stand, it is usually not in the interests of Idaho families. Simpson had the chance to move oil subsidies into failing Idaho schools. He declined to do so.

He had a chance to protect American homeowners though the Foreclosure Protection Act. Again, Simpson is on the wrong side. He is also staunchly against legislation providing for better labor conditions for Idaho's working families. These are the issues that Idaho voters will take into account in November, not the size of the candidates' pocketbooks.

Debbie Holmes, Democrat, is a candidate for Congress, District 2.

For an updated list of events at which I will be appearing, you can visit my website. We can also use funds so that we can continue to travel the state and meet Idaho voters; you can donate money to the campaign through ActBlue.

Protecting Idaho's farmers, and meet Mr. Teflon

Today, I spoke with members of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation (an insurance agency), giving me an opportunity to state my position on an issue that has been somewhat overlooked by members of both parties.

One of the more significant dangers to Idaho agriculture is the rising demand for the land upon which small family farms currently sit on the part of investors, large corporate farms, and developers. I don’t take issue with these groups; when they can offer farmers a good deal, it is their right to take it. But right now, our tax system is stacking the deck against small farmers who want to maintain their family’s lands. With the high demand for land bringing up prices, the amount of money that must be given as estate tax when these small farmers pass on their family tradition has increased to an unsustainable rate; because corporate interests want the land, it’s worth more, making the generational farm ownership unsustainable.

I don’t believe in a right to accrue vast fortunes that one did not earn. But I do support an estate tax exemption for small farmers; they are part of an important American tradition that is being endangered, in no small part as a result of the mismanagement of this tax. These people are not necessarily rich in any real sense; they are only nominally rich in land, which they cannot sell without changing their very way of life.

The government shouldn’t be afraid to levy a good tax, but we do need tax reform; too many taxes are going to those who cannot afford it, as a result of oversight concerning real conditions on the ground. The burden of taxation should not be only on the poor and middle classes, and this reform of the estate tax would go a long way towards achieving that goal.

On another note, Kevin Richert recently branded Mike Simpson the 'Teflon congressman’, pointing out that he votes with Bill Sali much more often than he votes against him, but gets none of the flak. I need your help to ensure that Mike Simpson has to explain his votes to his constituents. I may be a newcomer, but I will always vote my conscience, and will be better for Idaho. You can help us by volunteering for our campaign, which you can do through our website, or by donating through ActBlue. Let’s show Idaho’s political establishment that we won’t put up with the same old nonsense anymore.

Playing catchup: VP Mitt, DCCC$, Radio Jill, etc.

Sorry for the long silences lately here at Red State Rebels. Since starting the blog in 2003, I've normally taken a week or two's hiatus each July. I didn't officially declare it this year since we're now officially a group blog, but ... enough excuses! I'm more or less back in the saddle, and here are some topics for us all to chew on:

What do you think? Is Mitt the man? If so, how much would that it hurt Barack Obama's already slim - but possible - chances in Idaho? And when will John McCain and Barack Obama name their VP picks, anyway? The pre-Olympics window is narrowing; my guess is that McCain will try to distract the media from Obama's trip abroad by tipping his hat this week, while Obama will keep his media mojo flowing by making his announcement sometime in the middle of next week.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Monday that it will spend $349,000 million in ad buys to help kick Bill Sali's sorry butt out of Congress. The Fix took notice (as did Bubblehead, in the comments of the previous thread), and DailyKos diarist mkilly has more links here, too, along with the juicy info that Sali can't seem to meet an FEC filing deadline, "and has issued nine amendments to earlier reports since June 1." Democratic challenger Walt Minnick, by contrast, continues to raise plenty of money, along with hopes that Sali will be kept to one term.

New West's Jill Kuraitis is the guest host tomorrow (Wednesday) on the 6 to 10 morning show on KFXD, 630 AM in southwestern Idaho and live online. Sens. Mike Crapo and Larry Craig will be among the guests in her first hour. Could be interesting ...

Other good recent reads you may have missed: Hate Speech vs. Free Speech at The Political Game, Nathaniel Hoffman's Mr Pro Life profile at Boise Weekly, and Kevin Richert's take on how Mike Simpson consistently manages to out-Teflon Ronald Reagan by getting free passes on the same votes for which Bill Sali gets hammered.

Earnest Earmarks?

I encourage you all to read 'Earnest Earmarks', co-written by Senator Larry Craig and Representative Mike Simpson several years ago, as well as the response to this editorial from Reason Magazine. I agree with Congressman Simpson that earmarks have a place in our system. And I notice that Craig and Simpson concede that some reform is necessary. But they continue to tear down every possible mechanism of reform as 'unconstitutional', effectively upholding unlimited and unregulated earmarking as the only legal option.

This is how Congressman Simpson has passed himself off as a moderate, by occasionally acknowledging the need for reform, but usually failing to take the initiative to make reform happen. On alternative energy, Simpson acknowledges global warming, but states that we will be using oil and coal as primary sources of fuel for the foreseeable future. He then fails to provide funding for strong alternative energy programs. On earmarks, he acknowledges the need for reform, but is clearly content with the unacceptable status quo. That's not moderation, that's triangulation, and it's not what Idaho needs.

You can visit my campaign's website here and donate at ActBlue.

Debbie Holmes: Simpson's oil stand

Last week, Mike Simpson voted against H.R. 6251, The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act, which discouraged oil and gas companies from buying leases in areas that they had no intention of utilizing. This is yet another sign that Mike Simpson is more interested in sustaining the status quo of the energy economy than fixing a system which is hurting his constituents. Tell Mike Simpson that you want a representative who will work for an energy plan that helps the American public, not a congressman who feels we should stay in the oil economy for another 50 years.

Visit our website and donate to the campaign on ActBlue.