“FINGERS WERE BURNED AND LESSONS WERE LEARNED”

Those were the exact words of one of the GOP leaders in the House when he spoke about the GOP loss in New York’s 23rd congressional district. Republican leaders had pushed the district’s Republican voters to accept liberal Deidre Scozzafava as their candidate regardless of her strong support of abortion and same-sex marriage. Economic conservatives could not support her either because of her long voting record for profligate spending and higher taxes.

Scozzafava raised very little money from individuals, but had the support of the AFL-CIO and ACORN. As social and economic conservative groups rallied to support Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, she sank in the polls like a rock and was forced to withdraw just days before the election. Showing her true colors, she then endorsed Democrat Bill Owens. Even then, Doug Hoffman came within a point of winning and may yet be the victor.

The “mainstream media” claims that we conservatives sunk the chances of the “moderate” Republican, Scozzafava. That is untrue. Scozzafava voted to the left of 46 Democrats in the New York House. GOP leadership accepted the line that only a liberal can win in the Northeast. Conservatives could have worked with a real “moderate,” but Scozzafava was no “moderate.” Other than on the issue of gun ownership she was as far left as Nancy Pelosi.

Doug Hoffman would have won except for absentee ballots that had been cast for Scozzafava before Hoffman even entered the race. Had she not been the Republican candidate, Hoffman would have had an opening to win the seat. If he runs again next November, GING-PAC will be there to support him again.

MORE HOUSE ELECTIONS

Two “centrist” Democrats have announced that they will not run for reelection. While they gave various reasons, the truth is that polling shows Barack Obama has moved the Democrat Party so far to the left that they can’t get reelected in their districts. Dennis Moore in the Kansas-3rd, where Bush got 55% of the vote in 2004, has said he will not seek reelection. John Tanner in the  Tennessee – 8th also will not run. Tanner supported Pelosi 94.6% of the time. His district voted 53% for Bush in 2004 and 56% for McCain in 2008. Tanner had been so strong in the conservative 8th District that in previous races no Republican ran against him. Unless the Republican Party picks yet another Scozzafava type liberal to run, this seat can be won. GING-PAC is reviewing questionnaires from candidates to determine who to support.

I can not emphasize enough that there are 63 House seats currently held by Democrats in districts won by George W. Bush in 2004. There are an astonishing 40 Democrats in districts won by John McCain just last year.

Many of the Democrats in these conservative districts have supported Nancy Pelosi over 90% of the time. A case in point is Congressman John Spratt in South Carolina’s 5th District. Bush won the district with 57% and McCain with 53%, yet Spratt has supported radical Speaker Nancy Pelosi on 98.1% of votes. In Tennessee’s 6th District, John McCain received 62% of the vote yet Democrat Congressman Bart Gordon has voted 96.2%  of the time with San Francisco radical Nancy Pelosi. In Missouri’s 4th District, Congressman Ike Skelton has voted with Pelois 95.5% of the time, even though the 4th District went to McCain with 61% of the vote.

I am enclosing a chart showing all currently held Democrat seats in the House which went for Bush in 2004, McCain in 2008, or both. Names in bold indicate first term freshmen members.

There is also a lot of corruption in the Democrat Party that will hurt them in 2010.  Rep. Rangel of New York is just one example. He failed to disclose to the IRS $75,000 in rental income he made overseas since 1988, and that is not his only transgression. Then there is the mini marijuana farm belonging to Congressman Barnie Frank’s live-in gay lover. And yes, the lover does have a “spouse” congressional access ID and lapel pin. On the Senate side Senator Baucus, who is 68 years old, dumped his second wife for a young staffer. Then, as chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, he tried to appoint his mistress, Melodee Hanes, as a U.S. Attorney.

I am very impressed with Vaughn Ward, who is running for Bill Sali’s seat in Idaho’s 1st District.  Raised on a farm by a single mother, he graduated from college with a degree in political science and then served in the Marine Corps. He later served with the Marines as liaison to Capitol Hill and then went to the CIA. After the 9-11 Jihad attack on the USA, he left a promising career in the CIA and returned to the Marines to serve in Iraq. Reaching the rank of Major, he earned a Bronze Star. More about Major Ward can be read at www.vaughnward.com.

We must also play defense to help incumbents who are important to us. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota is a target for the far left. She is hated because she is a pro-life woman with five children, a good marriage and a successful career. GING-PAC stands behind Michele Bachmann and we have already supported her next campaign with a generous check. (In the photo Michele is holding a copy of my latest book.)

THE SENATE

Right now I am watching Senate races closely but have not gotten really involved. In several states there is more than one social conservative running. With our limited funds, I do not want Government Is Not God – PAC to commit funds in a primary where there is more than one good social conservative. Also, because of the cost of campaigns it is hard to tell who will stay in. A candidate I liked in Illinois has already dropped out.

California is interesting; businesswoman Carly Fiorina, former CEO of HP, is running for the Senate. While there is no mention of social issues at her Internet site, she told the Wall Street Journal that she is “proudly pro-life” and an opponent of taxpayer funding of abortions. On the other hand, while she led HP the company developed a strong “domestic partnership” program. That said, California and the nation would be far better served with Fiorina, than with Barbara Boxer in a Senate seat championing her extreme anti-people “environmental” agenda for yet another six years.

GING-PAC will probably spend most of its resources in 2010 on conservative House candidates running in the districts carried by both Bush in 2004 and McCain in 2008, and which now have Democrat congressmen.  In the last update I said that the elections were too far away for us to endorse any specific candidates, but that is beginning to change, as viable, godly candidates step forward.

Please send a check to help today, or give an online gift at www.gingpac.org

William J. Murray, Chairman

Government Is Not God – PAC

P.O. Box 77237,  Washington, DC 20013

www.gingpac.org