I've written here at Burnt Orange before, but because some of the personal information I have to disclose to complete this diary, I've decided that I'll forgo my usual handle. Enough people have been hurt by the actual events I'll be describing...and I hope to be able to shield those who deserve protection.
The initial action that forced my hand on this was Randy Neugebauer (Tx-19) yelling, "Baby killer!" at Bart Stupak during the debate on health care. I'm generally a tolerant person, and I understand that some very good people are on the other side of the abortion issue. But it's time those of us who are pro-choice begin to explain, in no uncertain terms, why it is so important to have access to abortion. To wax Shakespearean, there are more things on heaven and earth than are dreamt of in the conservative ideology.
I was just poking around and found recent Congressional votes listed on a Lubbock website. It's enlightening to see exactly how much of a Neaderthal Randy Neugebauer really is.
I'm not a fan of either Kay Bailey Hutchison or John Cornyn - but they both had the common sense and decency to vote "YES" on the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. Randy Neugebauer voted against it. Why would he oppose this measure?
The College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 introduced by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, proposes the largest investment in college education since the 1944 GI Bill, according to the committee's website. If passed, this legislation will help students and families pay for college at no extra cost to U.S. taxpayers.
The legislation provides for almost $20 billion in additional funding over the next five years for college education. The funds would be raised by reductions in federal subsidies to lenders in the education loan industry. The legislation also includes provisions to reduce the federal budget deficit by $750 million.
Here's the inescapable truth of Randy Neugebauer's faux conservatism - it's for sale. There is no way a true conservative would vote against reducing the federal budget deficit - so claimed both Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. No "free market" adherent would vote against the reduction of subsidies to industry. No decent human being would vote against increasing financial aid to poor students who are trying to improve their lives by going to college.
Where does that leave Randy? A naked partisan whose vote is literally for sale to the highest bidding PAC.
Blue 19th isn't all about Lubbock - we recently found Abilene setting itself up to waste $30,000 on a slogan. How about "Abilene: We Dumb Enough to Pay for This"?
But since we brought up Lubbock - Randy Neugebauer's constituents want to know why he's so transparently sold-out and doesn't give a damn about them. Answer: Because he knows the sheeple won't revolt.
Meanwhile, no one in Plainview knows about date rape. I can't imagine why else they would be printing a fictional account of it in the NEWSpaper - I guess everyone in Plainview has insurance...
In Sweetwater, the big news is that the grand jury indicted nine people - none of which was named Randy Neugebauer, Rick Perry, or George Asshat Bush. The people of Sweetwater may lay bleeding at home unable to get to the hospital, but, by God, they'll know that you can't evade arrest with a vehicle in Sweetwater!
This is why I say the people of Tx-19 aren't really to blame for the nut-swinger they send to DC. If your newspaper won't tell you that you are being shafted from a thousand miles away, how can you demand accountability?
Blue 19th has three new posts today about Randy Neugebauer's perfidy - and they are doozies.
First, Randy is investing in terrorism. Sure, he claims that he has no control over his "blind trust". If it is a trust just for him, though, he can tell his stock manager not to invest in terrorism. If it's owned through a mutual fund, then he can ask to be transferred into funds that down own those particular stocks.
Or he could use his influence as a member of Congress to push for "terror free investing" across the board. After all, why should we invest in Iran who will only train militants to kill our soldiers? Why should we help N. Korea build roads to move their illegal weapons with greater ease?
Second, Randy lives up to his name ("randy") by endorsing every possible chance to kill animals in the most inhumane manner possible.
Finally, Randy lies through his teeth about the farm bill. But then the only thing Randy knows about farms is that you foreclose on them to build houses.
Tx-19 used to be Democratic turf. Both Kent Hance and Charlie Stenholm were from what is now District 19. This district was specifically redrawn to get rid of Democrats - and there is no better way to restore democracy to Texas than to erase the mistake that is Randy Neugebauer.
Folks in this area now have been brainwashed to think they are Republicans - and they need your help to learn the truth. They supported George W. Bush, but both Rick Perry and Randy Neugebauer faired much worse than Senor Arbusto. They are beatable, if you help get out the word. A strong Democratic turn-out all the way up and down the ticket will sweep a new generation of Democrats into power and break the back of the TXGOP.
Help make the GOTV work - please give to Robert Ricketts and to all of our fine Democratic candidates.
Blue 19th, is $30 from breaking the $500 mark for Robert Ricketts this campaign cycle. Please help us reach our goal - donate today.
Sarah Kleiner Varble of the Abilene Reporter-Newstells us:
''Congressman Neugebauer is proud of his voting record to support veterans' interests,'' his office said in a statement. ''He has proven to be an advocate for veterans' rights and benefits and will continue to vote in support of the men and women who so bravely defend our country and our freedom.''
Proud? From the same article:
Neugebauer received a ''zero'' rating from Disabled American Veterans in 2003, 2004 and 2005 for voting against eight bills championed by the DAV. But this year, he received a score of ''66'' for voting in favor of two of three bills supported by the organization, according to the DAV Web site.
He's proud that in three years he found it within his heart to support veterans twice? He's proud of that?
Here is a full picture of Neugebauer's support of veterans - in 2003, he was rated "0" by both American Veterans and Disabled American Veterans; in 2004, he was rated "33" by the Retired Enlisted Association and again received a "0" by Disabled American Veterans; in 2005, DAV rated him "0" again; and this year, the DAV gave him a 66 while Iran and Afghanistan Veterans in America gave him a "D".
That isn't a record to be proud of - unless your goal is to demoralize our troops and let them know that you would rather that they die in combat than come back and impose a burden on taxpayers.
But don't look to Neugebauer to do anything at all - he can't even be bothered to make a new campaign commercial:
Neugebauer didn't produce any new television ads this election season because the campaign is being frugal with contributions and because issues from the 2004 election are pertinent today, Allen said.
What a freaking lie! Neugebauer has raised $1.2 million dollars and spent $828,476 of it. That means he's spent almost 70% of the money he's raised.
Allen encouraged residents of the 19th District to visit www.congress.gov to research Neugebauer's record. However, the campaign declined to provide scripts of the congressman's advertisements to the Reporter-News.
Yeah - the Congressman is suggesting that his constituents search the Library of Congress if they are interested in finding out what he votes for. How generous! Why not just tell them to go to a university research library? Why can't they provide ANY proof of supporting our disabled veterans?
I'm looking for ten people to donate twenty dollars to make sure our veterans are taken care of when they get back home.
The San Angelo Standard-Times is not known as a Democratic screed. How could it be? Stuck out on the High Plains of Texas where Democrats are as rare as Congressional ethics (ooh, did I really go there?), the SAST tends to be moderate at best. So it's a bit of a surprise to hear it say this:
Not to judge individual congressional races, but it would be no bad thing for the country if one or both houses of Congress changed hands in the November elections. Ours is a system of checks and balances, and in six years of largely one-party rule, we have had neither checks nor balances.
The Abilene Reporter-News' Sarah Kleiner Varble exposes the depth of Randy Neugebauer's ignorance - or the extent to which he is willing to stretch the truth: Source:
U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer thanked the members of the Big Country Home Builders Association on Thursday for contributing to the record number of people who own homes across the country.
''More people today, thanks to you, own a home than at any other time in the history of our nation,'' Neugebauer said during the association's annual luncheon at the Abilene Country Club.
For what it's worth (not much at all) Randy is telling the truth - he just isn't telling all of it:
Blue 19th isn't all about Lubbock - we recently found Abilene setting itself up to 