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Congressman Flake Issues Statement on Congresswoman Giffords’ Resignation from Congress

January 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 22, 2012
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Mesa, Arizona – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today issued the following statement regarding Congresswoman Giffords’ announcement of her resignation from Congress:

“Gabby is a class act whose accomplishments and dedication to bettering our state and nation will continue in the years to come. She has been and will continue to be an effective advocate for the issues and causes that she cares deeply about,” said Flake.

“I want to be sure to pass along thanks to Gabby’s amazing staff. They have done a remarkable job in continuing to faithfully and respectfully serve the people of Arizona’s 8th District over the last year.” 

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Government, Press Release Tagged With: ,

Rep. Jeff Flake: So Just How Broke Are We?

January 17, 2012 By 3 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 17, 2012
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today illustrated the size and scope of the growing national debt.

For a $2 fee and by placing a minimum order of either $8 or $10, some residents in the greater Washington, D.C. area could enjoy home delivery from fast food giant Burger King. It was announced over the weekend that Burger King has been testing home delivery for its menu items from four of its locations in the D.C. suburbs.

The U.S. is so broke that even adding the $2 delivery fee and based on a minimum purchase of $10, our $15.2 trillion federal debt could pay for $1.3 billion at-home Burger King deliveries.

“The level our debt has reached is a real Whopper,” said Flake.

Along with Senators McCain and Rubio, Congressman Flake introduced H.R. 634, the Debt Buy-Down Act, which allows taxpayers to designate up to 10 percent of their federal income tax liability to reduce the national debt. The bill then requires Congress to reduce federal spending by that amount. More information on the Debt Buy-Down Act can be found here.

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Press Release, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Congressman Flake Criticizes Obama Administration Decision to Ban New Uranium Mining Claims in Northern Arizona

January 9, 2012 By 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2012

Mining Can Stimulate Economy without Jeopardizing Natural Beauty of the Grand Canyon

Mesa, Arizona – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today condemned the Obama Administration’s decision to implement a 20-year ban on new mining claims on 1 million acres of federal land outside of Grand Canyon National park in an area known as the Arizona Strip.

In 2009, Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar halted new mining claims for two years. In extending the ban on new claims for another six months in July of 2011, the Secretary announced that the preferred alternative is to implement a 20-year withdrawal.

“Uranium mining in northern Arizona occurs well outside Grand Canyon National Park and poses no threat to the Grand Canyon or the tourism industry in northern Arizona. This withdrawal is simply another example of the Obama Administration’s overreach that will stymie local economic growth and local job creation,” said Flake. “The Grand Canyon is a treasure, so if I believed that uranium mining in parts of northern Arizona posed a threat to the Canyon, I would not support it.”

Congressman Flake has worked to prevent this withdrawal from being put in place. In July of 2011, he added language to the House Interior Appropriations bill that prevents the Interior Department from moving ahead with a withdrawal plan. Congressman Flake’s language wasn’t included in a final FY2012 spending bill. In October of 2011, along with Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02), Congressman Flake introduced in the House the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act, which would prohibit the Department of the Interior from implementing the withdrawal. Senators John McCain (R,-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced the legislation in the Senate.

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Filed Under: Economic Development, Elected Officials, Environment, Federal Government, Jobs/Labor, Legislation, Press Release Tagged With: ,

Jeff Flake in Iowa, Campaigning for Mitt Romney

January 2, 2012 By 5 Comments

Senator John Thune, Governor Mitt Romney, Congressman Jason Chaffetz and Congressman Jeff Flake campaigning for Romney in Iowa.

Going out on a limb prediction: Senator Rick Santorum wins Iowa Caucuses tomorrow.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections Tagged With: ,

Rep Jeff Flake: Why should politicians use taxpayer funds to get their name to pop up in Google searches?

December 22, 2011 By 5 Comments

Reposted from the Wall Street Journal.

By Congressman Jeff Flake

Some would say it’s Grinch-like that members of Congress cannot send any mail pieces from their offices wishing constituents a “Merry Christmas.” But read a little deeper into this issue, and chances are you’ll be siding with the bah-humbug crowd.

Members of Congress can, of course, extend any holiday wishes they desire on a personal basis: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Kwanzaa or even, with a nod to George Costanza, Happy Festivus. Members of Congress just can’t use taxpayer dollars to send these season’s greetings if extending such greetings “is the primary purpose of the communication.”

This is a good thing. Do you really need to pay for Congressman X’s awkward family photo featuring a dozen grandchildren and the family dog in matching sweaters with the U.S. Capitol photoshopped into the background?

While we’re on the subject of taxpayer-funded salutations, you may be interested to know that Congress is moving beyond the standard campaign-esque glossy mailers. Elected officials have begun touting their feats of strength on the right-hand column of your Facebook page and Google searches—and you’re paying for it!

Since members seeking to pay for these Internet advertisements with taxpayer-funded office budgets are required to file such advertisements with the House Franking Office, my staff and I examined a few of them. What we found may surprise you—or, given Congress’s 9% approval rating, perhaps not.

“Congressman X is Fighting the Madness,” screams one Facebook ad, “Fighting Plans to End Medicare, Government Shutdown, Giveaways to Big Oil.” “Rep. X is working to lower gas prices by increasing American energy production. Find out more and like my page today!” says another. “Congressman X is Committed to Creating Jobs, Driving Down Spending and Shrinking the Size of the Federal Government.” Well, apparently not all spending.

Each click on these ads costs taxpayers additional money, as each click-through drives up a member’s ad bill.

Members of Congress can also use taxpayer funds to make sure their name pops up when someone does a Google search. As a general example, clicking on the member’s name that was primed to pop up with a Google search for the phrase “raising debt ceiling” would cost taxpayers approximately $4.70 per click. Ouch.

Then there are the political hijinks that members of Congress can play using taxpayer dollars. A member trying to lure conservation voters can use taxpayer funds to buy ads on conservation-themed websites. A member with an eye on a governor’s mansion can use taxpayer money to purchase ads that will pop up when a person in the member’s state searches for “governor” on Google.

So what do all of these ads cost taxpayers every year? The truth is, we don’t yet know. The current practice of the House is to shield the actual cost of these ads from public view. And this practice probably won’t change any time soon: Both parties engage in this ad buying, so both parties tend to look the other way when it comes to policing the practice.

Sitting members of Congress have abundant opportunities for earned media and press secretaries to ensure that our accomplishments, such as they are, are trumpeted far and wide. Social media have become a useful tool to promote ideas and policies, and many such media are free—or at least don’t cost the public anything. Why, then, should members be able to use taxpayer funds to purchase additional name ID for themselves?

Mr. Flake, a Republican, is a congressman from Arizona.

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Freedom of Speech, Government Reform, Guest Opinion, Media Tagged With: ,

Jeff Flake: Payroll-tax gimmicks hinder serious reform

December 19, 2011 By 3 Comments

By Jeff Flake (reposted from The Arizona Republic)

House Republicans have worked hard this year to prove to Americans that we recognize the extent of our fiscal crisis. With tremendous political risk, Republicans passed a budget crafted by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan that made tough, but necessary, decisions to corral out-of-control federal spending and bring about much-needed reforms to entitlement programs.

So after leading by example by embracing the Ryan budget, why are Republicans ending this year’s congressional session by passing another “now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t” temporary payroll-tax holiday? Because politics is dictating policy.

A year ago, Americans were told that a temporary reduction in payroll taxes would jump-start economic growth, improve the economy and put people back to work. This was misguided from the beginning. To begin with, temporary tax reductions don’t improve economic conditions. And make no mistake, this temporary reduction was always sold as a 12-month tax holiday. When short-term tax cuts expire, taxes go back up and the net result is effectively a non-stimulus. Don’t just take my word for it. Economic growth has been hovering between an anemic 1 and 2 percent.

How the payroll-tax holiday is “paid for” is another example in the art of congressional budgeting. Senate Democrats favored raising taxes on high-income earners as a spending offset. But they couldn’t get 60 votes in the Senate to pass it (thank goodness). House Republicans, on the other hand, opted for subterfuge, telling Americans that budget cuts will pay for a new payroll-tax holiday. Non-binding budget cuts that is, spread out over 10 years. That’s right, Congress is proposing to pay for one year’s worth of non-stimulative tax cuts with 10 years’ worth of budget cuts. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for budget cuts. But budget cuts that kick in years from now aren’t really budget cuts. We’ve been down that road before.

Because payroll taxes fund the Social Security Trust Fund, another short-term tax holiday exacerbates the insolvency of the fund. It is pretty remarkable to see Democrats, self-proclaimed protectors of Social Security, so forcefully embrace blowing a huge hole in the Trust Fund, and Republicans, fierce critics of deficit spending (at least rhetorically), so willing to resort to gimmicks to mask larger deficits.

More than anything, the economy needs serious tax and regulatory reform, reform that would result in a permanent reduction in marginal rates for all income earners brought about by removing credits, deductions, loopholes and tax expenditures (like that envisioned by the Simpson-Bowles Commission). Ideally, capital-gains taxes would be eliminated for everyone, but at a minimum, the tax rates cannot increase.

America’s corporate-tax rate, currently the second-highest in the world, should immediately be reduced to 25 percent. Permanent reforms like these would unleash a torrent of economic activity and move the economy and unemployment rate in positive directions. Another round of a nickel-and-dime “now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t” tax holiday is misguided.

Jeff Flake is the U.S. representative for Congressional District 6, which includes parts of Mesa and Chandler and all of Gilbert, Queen Creek and Apache Junction.

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Congressman Flake Votes Against Omnibus Spending Bill

December 16, 2011 By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 16, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Spending Levels Simply Too High

Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, today voted against H.R. 2055, the Conference Report for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012.

“Aside from spending levels being simply too high, this is a 1,200-page bill that we’re voting on only a few hours after it was finalized. We’ll be discovering for months to come what’s actually in it,” said Flake. “This is unacceptable. We promised to do better.”

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Congressman Flake Votes for a Tax Hike and Against American Jobs

December 13, 2011 By 7 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2011
CONTACT: Katie Martin

Phoenix, Arizona – Congressman Flake voted Tuesday to increase taxes by an average of $1000 a year for all American working families and voted against a new oil pipeline project that would create more than 20,000 new jobs. The Congressman voted against H.R. 3630, which will extend the payroll tax holiday and allow for the Keystone XL Pipeline to be constructed.

“Congressman Flake has been in Washington so long that he doesn’t understand Arizonans need lower, not higher taxes and America needs jobs,” said Wil Cardon, candidate for U.S. Senate. “Career politicians like Congressman Flake just don’t get it.

“The Congressman’s vote to deny working Arizonans more take home pay will continue to hurt working families in this bad economy. Additionally, Congressman Flake’s vote against creating 20,000 new jobs is unconscionable. But what can you expect from a politician who has never spent a day in the private sector, nor ever created a single job.

“In the Senate, I will fight every day to grow our economy by cutting taxes, reducing spending and promoting pro-growth policies that help businesses create jobs. That’s why I am running for the U.S. Senate.”

Last week, Cardon called for comprehensive pro-growth tax reform to fix the country’s dire economic situation and create a stable environment for job creators.

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Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Government Reform, Press Release, Taxation Tagged With: , ,

Rep Flake: Future Congresses Unlikely to Pay for this Congress’ Payroll Tax Cut Extension

December 13, 2011 By 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Broken Entitlement System Must be Reformed Before Reducing Dedicated Revenue Sources

Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today voted against H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax relief and Jobs Creation Act of 2011.

“Simply put, we can’t keep passing one-year extensions and promising to pay for them over 10 years,” said Flake. “We’re unable to compel future Congresses to carry out any budgetary measures put in place now, so there’s nothing to ensure that this extension is paid for in the future.”

“We all concede that our entitlement system is broken. If we don’t have the courage to reform entitlement programs, we shouldn’t be siphoning off their dedicated revenue.”

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Entitlements, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release, Spending Tagged With: ,

Rep. Flake Organizes Bipartisan Letter Urging House Leaders to Let Ethanol Subsidies Expire

December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Letter to Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi Stresses that Ethanol Industry Should Stand on Its Own

Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, along with 73 House Members, sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging them to resist calls to continue, expand, or create new ethanol subsidies in any of the remaining legislative proposals this year.

The volumetric ethanol excise tax credit and the prohibitive import tariff are both set to expire at the end of this year.

“Handing out billions of dollars in federal subsidies to an industry that ought to be capable of standing on its own is fiscally irresponsible,” said Flake. “The ethanol industry has cost taxpayers billions of dollars and been shielded from competition for long enough.” 

A copy of the letter can be found here.

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release, Spending Tagged With: , ,

Congressman Flake Praises Senate Passage of Kirk-Menendez Amendment

December 1, 2011 By 3 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Congressman Flake Praises Senate Passage of Kirk-Menendez Amendment Targeting Central Bank of Iran
Flake Has Introduced Similar Legislation in the House

Washington, D.C., Dec 1 – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today praised the passage of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (S.1867) offered by Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons by prohibiting foreign financial institutions that do business with the Central Bank of Iran – the financier primarily responsible for facilitating Iran’s illicit activities – from opening or maintaining correspondent operations in the United States.

The International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report on November 8th that found Iran has developed technologies and conducted research to produce nuclear weapons and deliver them. In response, the United Kingdom and Canada levied economic sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank.

“Every day that Iran has access to Western capital brings them closer to making their nuclear aspirations a reality. The Kirk-Menendez amendment will severely limit funding sources for Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and is one of the few steps remaining at our disposal to stymie this dangerous threat to the U.S., Israel and the rest of the Middle East,” said Flake. 

Last week, Congressman Flake along with Congressman Mike McIntyre of North Carolina introduced H.R. 3508 which, like the Kirk-Menendez amendment, would levy economic sanctions on foreign financial institutions that conduct business with the Central Bank of Iran.

These sanctions would include a prohibition on the opening or maintenance in the U.S. of an account by a foreign institution that does business with the Central Bank of Iran and would freeze any assets in the U.S of those institutions. In an effort to avoid a dangerous spike in oil prices, transactions pertaining to petroleum would be subject to sanctions six months after the legislation takes effect. The legislation also contains a national security waiver and a provision to ensure efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Iran are not hampered by the sanctions law.

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Government, Foreign Policy, Legislation, National Security, Press Release Tagged With: , ,

NFIB: Thanks to Congress for Keeping NLRB in Check

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

NFIB Key Votes Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act to protect small employer rights

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 30, 2011 — The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released the following statement by Senior Vice President for Federal Public Policy Susan Eckerly regarding today’s vote on H.R. 3094, the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act. The legislation was proposed in response to the National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) recent proposal on “ambush” elections and its decision in Specialty Healthcare to allow micro-unions, and is strongly supported by the NFIB.

“The NLRB is at it again. In an attempt to circumvent Congress—after it prevented the passage of card check legislation—the NLRB proposed the ‘ambush election rule,’ condensing the time period in which employers and employees have to prepare for a union election, so undermining the rights of both. And in its latest effort to blunt employer rights, the Board ruled in favor of so-called micro-unions, allowing unions to organize mini-bargaining units throughout a business. Unfortunately, the NLRB fails to realize that its pro-union actions will only create more uncertainty for small-business owners at a time when the country needs them to be creating more jobs.

“Fortunately, Congress has responded. In passing this bill, the House has demonstrated its understanding and concern for the unique demands that the NLRB’s irresponsible actions would place on small business. It is always a challenge for small business owners to keep current with new regulations and labor laws, especially in the current economic environment. It is the responsibility of our lawmakers to ensure that our nation’s job-creators are given the tools they need to succeed—not overwhelmed with rules and prohibitions that suppress growth and hiring. With so many small-business owners identifying economic and political uncertainty as their primary concern, NFIB is pleased that with its vote today, Congress has taken steps to renew small-business confidence.”

NFIB is the nation’s leading small-business advocacy organization, representing 350,000 small businesses around the country.

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NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists send their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

Filed Under: Federal Government, Jobs/Labor, Legislation, Roll Call, Small Business Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Congressman Flake: So Just How Broke Are We?

November 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 29, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Washington, D.C. - Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today illustrated the size and scope of the growing national debt.

According to a retail traffic counting service, $11.4 billion in retail purchases were made on “Black Friday” this year, which represents a 6.6 percent increase from last year’s busiest shopping day of the year.

The U.S. is so broke that even based on the huge amount of Black Friday sales this year, our outlandish federal debt of $15 trillion could pay for all the items purchased on 1,315 Black Friday shopping days.

“ ‘Shop ‘til you drop’ can’t be a mantra for offering plans to fix our fiscal woes,” said Flake.

Along with Senators McCain and Rubio, Congressman Flake introduced H.R. 634, the Debt Buy-Down Act, which allows taxpayers to designate up to 10 percent of their federal income tax liability to reduce the national debt.  The bill then requires Congress to reduce federal spending by that amount.  More information on the Debt Buy-Down Act can be found here.

 

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release, Spending Tagged With: ,

Congressman Jeff Flake: So Just How Broke Are We?

November 22, 2011 By 3 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November22, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

So Just How Broke Are We?

Mesa, Arizona – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today illustrated the size and scope of the growing national debt.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving Day dinner for 10 people will be $49.20, or $4.92 per person. The surveyed shopping list includes quantities of turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk sufficient to serve a family of 10.

The U.S. is so broke that based on the estimated cost per person of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, our outlandish debt of $15 trillion could feed approximately 3.05 trillion people. That’s more than 448 times the entire world’s population.

“Congress needs to talk turkey about our nation’s fiscal woes – we can’t keep riding the gravy train,” said Flake.

Along with Senators McCain and Rubio, Congressman Flake introduced H.R. 634, the Debt Buy-Down Act, which allows taxpayers to designate up to 10 percent of their federal income tax liability to reduce the national debt. The bill then requires Congress to reduce federal spending by that amount. More information on the Debt Buy-Down Act can be found here.

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Filed Under: Debt, Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Holiday, Press Release, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Congressman Flake to Introduce Legislation Targeting the Central Bank of Iran

November 21, 2011 By 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Bank is the Primary Financier Responsible for Iran’s Illicit Activities

Mesa, Arizona – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today along with Congressman Mike McIntyre of North Carolina will introduce a bill aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons by allowing the President to levy U.S. economic sanctions on foreign financial institutions that conduct business with the Central Bank of Iran, the financier primarily responsible for facilitating Iran’s illicit activities.

These sanctions would include a prohibition on the opening or maintenance in the U.S. of an account by a foreign institution that does business with the Central Bank of Iran and would freeze any assets in the U.S of those institutions. In an effort to avoid a dangerous spike in oil prices, transactions pertaining to petroleum would be subject to sanctions six months after the legislation takes effect. The legislation also contains a national security waiver and a provision to ensure efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Iran are not hampered by the sanctions law.

The International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report on November 8th that found Iran has developed technologies and conducted research to produce nuclear weapons and deliver them. It was announced today that the United Kingdom and Canada will be levying economic sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank.

“With Iran being so dangerously close to acquiring nuclear weapons, anything we can do to isolate the funding sources for the regime’s illicit activities could be meaningful,” said Flake. “The targeted sanctions in this bill have the potential to tie off funding for Iran’s nuclear programs and to stymie a growing threat to the Middle East.” 

Last week, Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois filed identical legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which is currently under consideration in the Senate.

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Foreign Policy, Press Release Tagged With: , ,

Congressman Flake Disappointed by Failure of Balanced Budget Amendment

November 18, 2011 By 4 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Congress Proves Once Again That It’s Not Serious About Fiscal Crisis

Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today expressed disappointment by the defeat of H.J. Res. 2, which proposes a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

“You’d think that the national debt hitting $15 trillion this week would have been enough of a wake-up call for Congress to address our fiscal crisis,” said Flake. “I still believe that it’s not too late for Congress to tackle our budget crisis and get the country back onto solid fiscal footing. But the longer Congress waits to act, the more inevitable a Greek-like collapse of our economy becomes.”

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Filed Under: Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Press Release, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: , ,

Republican Winning Equals Democrats Losing

November 17, 2011 By 18 Comments

By Jake Brown

How bad are things for the Arizona Democratic party these days? Apparently, it’s bad enough that they are celebrating Republican victories.

Democrat party chairman, Andrei Cherny, wrote of the recall of state Senator Russell Pearce, “Doesn’t it feel good to start winning again?” Sorry to rain on your parade, Andrei, but conservative Republican, Jerry Lewis, won that election. In fact, Democrats didn’t even bother to field a candidate against Russell Pearce.

I was always told you can’t win unless you play the game, but apparently that’s not how things work if you are an Arizona Democrat.

It is far-fetched to say the least that Democrats can claim this as a victory in Arizona, much less interpret the November 8th election results as foreshadowing Democratic victories in the 2012 election. No Democrat won in LD 18 because no Democrat ran in LD 18. Someone needs to help Andrei connect the dots.

Let’s be clear: Pearce lost because he’s an unlikeable guy who ran a lousy campaign fraught with dirty backroom games like recruiting sham candidate Olivia Cortez. Voters of all parties see through that—and no voter should stand for such tactics. Jerry Lewis’s victory was one for Republicans, who last week welcomed a thoughtful, fresh voice into their fold.

So, Andrei, celebrate our GOP state Senate victory all you want. We just hope you’ll be as thrilled when Jeff Flake gets elected to the U.S. Senate.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Guest Opinion, Liberals Tagged With: , , , ,
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