Beach Peanuts

Thank These Republicans For Selling Out Floridians In Favor Of The Wealthy, Again

From President Obama's Friday statement on the sequester:

President Obama held a press conference this morning after meeting with Congressional leaders to talk about his plans to move the country forward in light of the severe budget cuts that will start to take effect today.

But none of this is necessary, President Obama said. These cuts are "happening because of a choice that Republicans in Congress have made."

 

In Florida, you can thank these House Republicans (phone numbers here)  for turning their backs on everyday Floridians and the country so they can protect millionaires and billionaires from having to pay their fair share of taxes.

To see how the sequester will hurt Florida, and what their constituents will have to give up so the wealthy (yes, many of whom are members listed below) can continue to pay less in taxes, see this earlier post.

Gus Bilirakis (R)

Jeff Miller (R)

Steve Southerland (R)

Ted Yoho (R)

Ander Crenshaw (R)

Corrine Brown (D)

Ron DeSantis (R)

John Mica (R)

Bill Posey (R)

Daniel Webster (R)

Rich Nugent (R)

Bill Young (R)

Dennis Ross (R)

Vern Buchanan (R)

Tom Rooney (R)

Trey Radel (R)

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)

 

House Republicans Should End The "Tyranny" And Give Up Their Own Government Health Care (Updated)

(Updated below.)

House Republicans voted again for the 33rd time to "repeal ObamaCare," the first time since the Supreme Court ruled nearly all of it Constitutional. Never mind their so-called love of the Constitution, their love for Supreme Court Justice Roberts who tipped the vote, nor their apparent fondness for the government health care that they enjoy at low rates and at our expense, and especially this: Never mind that it was all political theater and another way to waste money, time, and to distract from the fact that they have done virtually nothing since the 2008 election beyond blocking everything the President and Democrats have tried to do for all of us in the wake of the absolute disastrous eight years of George W. Bush and the tailspin they all sent the country into.

They. Don't. Care.

Nope. If they have anything to say about it, and if they take the White House, the House and the Senate, you will just have to die waiting before they'll grant you what is now constitutionally your right: Affordable health care, no discrimination from health insurance companies for pre-existing conditions, no children allowed to stay on their parents insurance until age 26, nor any of the rest.

They. Don't. Care.

If the Republicans really feel SO strongly that the Affordable Health Care Act should be repealed, I think it's about time they give up their own government health care. After all, we're paying for it, and isn't that just what they claim, that government health care is absolute tyranny? They compare it to the Nazis and the Gestapo, say it's unconstitutional in spite of the fact that their own Supreme Court Justice ruled it otherwise. Hey GOP, put up or shut up. End the tyranny. Give up yours. We the people "can't afford it" remember?

We Floridians who are living with cut, after cut, after cut from a governor who has made a career out of blocking us from getting good affordable health care, who refuses to implement Medicaid and thinks no court can tell him what to do, who ignores  the biggest tuberculosis outbreak in 20 years and closes the hospital that treats the victims, turning them out into the streets as the outbreak spreads across the state and people die, we are footing the bill for his actions and every one of his enablers below. And we're paying for a lot more than just that.

Guess what GOP, Americans like and need ObamaCare. Look at the polls.

Below are the Florida members who voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act for the 33rd time. Ask them if they intend to end the "tyranny" by giving up their government health care just as they expect us to do.

To Repeal ObamaCare: Yes Votes (244)

Sandra Adams    R    FL-24
Gus Bilirakis    R    FL-9
Vern Buchanan    R    FL-13
Ander Crenshaw    R    FL-4
Mario Diaz-Balart    R    FL-21
Connie Mack    R    FL-14
John L. Mica    R    FL-7
Jeff Miller    R    FL-1
Richard Nugent    R    FL-5
Bill Posey    R    FL-15
David Rivera    R    FL-25
Tom Rooney    R    FL-16
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen    R    FL-18
Dennis Ross    R    FL-12
Steve Southerland    R    FL-2
Cliff Stearns    R    FL-6
Daniel Webster    R    FL-8
Allen West    R    FL-22
C. W. Bill Young    R    FL-10

(Update)

From Karoli at Crooks and Liars:

The House defeated Democrats' motion to amend the repeal bill to require anyone voting for repeal to give up their own taxpayer-subsidized health care plan. They were joined by 8 Blue Dogs. 

So not only is there no question that Republicans and Blue Dogs are telling you "government health care for me,  just not for thee," it's now part of the Congressional record. As far as they're concerned, the rest of us can just stick it.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Cliff Stearns Joins Buchanan, Rivera, And Rubio On List Of Florida Republicans Under Investigation

Latest Member Of The Club

You can add another to the list of a group of Florida Republicans currently under investigation of one kind or another: Leader of the movement to defund Planned Parenthood, Cliff Stearns:

A private clash became public Wednesday when Clay Clerk of the Court James Jett accused U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns of plotting to buy him out of this fall’s Republican congressional primary. Stearns’ office turned the table, calling Jett’s actions a “contemptuous” ploy to solicit compensation.

Jett said the FBI wiretapped his phone and recorded conversations about offers to withdraw.

The FBI wouldn’t confirm or deny an investigation, and no one would corroborate Jett’s accusations.

Jett is running against Stearns in newly drawn Florida District 3, which includes much of Clay County. Stearns now represents Clay in 6th District from his home in Ocala, but that city is now in U.S. Rep. Rich Nugent’s district. Stearns said he will move to Orange Park.]

[Jett said one offer included a job on Stearns’ campaign staff that would pay him to cover the approximately $25,000 he had spent on his congressional run. He also said he was told there could be a job heading the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or a U.S. marshal position once there are vacancies.]

[According to paperwork Jett provided to the Times-Union, he also gave Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll’s name to the FBI. Jett said Carroll, a former Clay County state representative, confirmed the job offer to his political consultant, Matt Justice.

Stearns has led the push in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood. Stearns is endorsing U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV in his bid for the Senate and will be fund raising for him.

Stearns joins the group of several Florida Republicans who are currently under investigation:

Rep. Vern Buchanan is under investigation over campaign contributions, an investigation that is widening. In spite of that, John Boehner recently held a fundraiser for Buchanan.

David Rivera and Marco Rubio have both been under investigations for their financial disclosure problems. Rubio recently also asked that an ethics investigation against him be closed, I suppose just in time for a hopeful VP run?

Let's hope the Stearns investigation will keep him busy enough to keep him from further policing women's unteri.

Photo: Cliff Stearns, U.S. House

Florida Republicans Vote To Reject Payroll Tax Cuts

Remember how Republicans have been telling you they're against raising taxes for Americans? Raising taxes of any kind? Even for corporations, millionaires and billionaires?

Well, funny thing about that. They've decided there IS at least one group who don't deserve a tax cut:

You.

The House Republicans today rejected a payroll tax cut for the average American. 

What that means for the average Floridian is that you'll have to pay about $1,000 more in payroll taxes. 

It also means that 277,640 people in Florida will be losing their unemployment benefits.

Except for the two Republicans who just didn't bother to vote at all: Vern Buchanan and Mario Diaz-Balart, every Florida Republican in the U. S. House voted to raise your taxes and cut unemployment benefits.

Happy Holidays from these members of the GOP:

	Miller, Jeff	R
	Southerland, Steve	R
	Crenshaw, Ander	R
	Nugent, Richard	R
	Stearns, Cliff	R
	Mica, John	R
	Webster, Daniel	R
	Bilirakis, Gus M.	R
	Young, C.W. Bill	R
	Ross, Dennis	R
	Mack, Connie	R
	Posey, Bill	R
	Rooney, Tom	R
	Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana	R
	West, Allen	R
	Adams, Sandy	R
	Rivera, David	R

CREW Asks FBI To Investigate Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)

Witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and bribery?

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has asked the FBI to investigate Sarasota Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan for witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and bribery over campaign contributions based on a deposition given by Buchanan's former auto dealership partner Sam Kazran. CREW also made a request to the House Office of Congressional Ethics to conduct an inquiry. 

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked the FBI to investigate Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) for witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and bribery.  CREW’s complaint is based largely on the deposition testimony of Rep. Buchanan’s former car dealership business partner Sam Kazran.  CREW also asked the House Office of Congressional Ethics to conduct an inquiry.

From CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan:

“The more you learn about Rep. Buchanan, the more morally bankrupt he appears.  “Not content with merely coercing employees to participate in a conduit contribution scheme, he offered a former business partner nearly $3 million to lie under oath about it.”

According to Mr. Kazran and several former employees of Rep. Buchanan’s dealerships, partners and employees who made contributions to Rep. Buchanan’s congressional campaigns were reimbursed with corporate funds.  CREW and two former Buchanan car dealership employees filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regarding these allegations in August 2008.

During the course of the investigation into those allegations, the FEC deposed Mr. Kazran under oath.  Mr. Kazran explained that sometime after Rep. Buchanan launched his first campaign for Congress in 2005, and after Mr. Kazran had contributed the legal maximum to the campaign, Rep. Buchanan suggested he have others write checks to the campaign and reimburse them through the car dealerships.

Mr. Kazran’s relationship with Rep. Buchanan soured in June 2008, and the two ended up in litigation.  As part of a proposed settlement, Rep. Buchanan agreed to pay Mr. Kazran $2.9 million and to buy out Mr. Kazran’s share of a Kia dealership they were in the process of buying.  A caveat to the agreement required Mr. Kazran to sign an affidavit -- under penalty of perjury -- attesting that Rep. Buchanan had no involvement in or knowledge of the contribution scheme.  Another paragraph said Mr. Kazran consented to Rep. Buchanan filing the affidavit with the FEC.  In his sworn deposition testimony, Mr. Kazran said because the information in the affidavit was untrue, he had refused to sign it and the settlement talks fell apart.

“There is no question Rep. Buchanan sought to have Mr. Kazran lie under oath.  It’s right there in black and white in the text of the affidavit,” said Ms. Sloan. “By offering Mr. Kazran almost $3 million to sign a false affidavit to undermine the FEC’s investigation, Rep. Buchanan may have illegally engaged in witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and bribery. The FEC may have let Rep. Buchanan get away with this, but that doesn’t mean the FBI has to.”

You can read CREW's letter to the FBI here.

Rep. Buchanan currently holds the number 10 spot in the list of the 50 richest members of Congress with assets in the neighborhood of $77 million.

Buchanan also has a 110-foot, four cabin motor yacht he'd like to sell you for a mere $4.9 million, if you're interested.....