September, 2008 - Campaign Update

A TRUE DO NOTHING CONGRESS

For the last 18 months the majority of Americans have blamed the Republicans for the mess in Congress. As of August 1st most Americans believed the Republicans were in charge of Congress. But thanks to radical left House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that has changed. When she announced the she and she alone would block a vote on offshore drilling to “save the planet” Americans started to wake up to the fact that Republicans were not in charge regardless of a Republican being in the White House. Just two months ago generic polls showed the Republicans double digits behind Democrats. The latest Gallup Poll shows Republicans 5 points up! What a turn around and it has mostly to do with oil.

Americans are fed up with the Obama - Democrat plan for energy which is NO to drilling, NO to coal mining and NO to nuclear. The liberals promoted “wind power,” but now oppose building power lines from the areas with a lot of wind to the big cities, saying that they are “bad for the environment.” The liberal solution is to raise the tax on energy, so people will use less of it.

Just after Congress returned from their summer break, the day after Labor Day, I had lunch with Congressman Adam Putnam. He is Chairman of the House Republican Conference and third in line in the House Republican leadership. The Conference Chairman is charged with articulating his party's message, and with building the agenda for Republicans in the House. He was elected to lead the Republican Conference by his fellow congressmen. This man knows what is going on.

Congressman Putnam told me that leftist Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had scheduled just 15 work days for the rest of year. That is 15 total works days between Labor Day and the New Year. By the time you get this Campaign Update half of those will be over! She scheduled so few days despite the fact that most of the government's funding bills, which are already months late, need to be passed. Even bills to fund the military have not been passed. She has finally promised a bill on “offshore drilling” but it is a joke. All drilling within 50 miles of the shore will still be banned. That is where 90% of the oil is and she is aware of that.

The candidates we are supporting are looking better every day to the electorate. Seats the Democrats thought they were sure of winning are moving back to conservatives.

We are now very confident that our candidate in Florida’s 22nd district will become the first black Republican in Congress since J.C. Watts of Oklahoma resigned to go back to private business. Lt. Col. Alan West retired from the military in 2004, and was a civilian advisory to the Afghan Army until 2007. In his Army career, Col. West has been honored many times.

Lt. Col. West received a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals (one with Valor), and a Valorous Unit Award. He received his valor award as a Captain in Desert Shield/Storm.

As with all the candidates GING-PAC supports, I have spent one-on-one time with Lt. Col. West and I can assure you that he is a pro-life social conservative. His school age children attend a Christian school, and he is endorsed by pro-life groups in Florida. GING-PAC has already sent funds to his campaign, but you can help him directly. You can give contributions directly to the West for Congress campaign at: www.allenwestforcongress.com .

Further north we have endorsed Bob Straniere who is running for the House in New York's 13th congressional district. I talked at length with him and I asked him directly about his pro-life credentials. He immediately told me he had run for state office on the Pro-Life Party ticket and had the endorsements of just about every pro-life organization and leader in New York. He is also endorsed by my good friend Duane Motley, who heads New York’s Family Research Foundation.

My research shows that Bob Straniere is one of the good guys, a real social conservative leader who we need on Capitol Hill. Straniere is running for the seat of Congressman Vito Fossella who is "retiring." Fossella is yet another Republican figure who was caught up in the scandal days of former Speaker Dennis Hastert. If elected, Bob Straniere will be the only Republican congressman from New York City. This is a must win seat because he would be “the” social conservative from New York City.

Bob Straniere has an extensive background in American government and politics, serving as a member of the New York State Assembly for 24 years representing the south shore of Staten Island. Bob served for 10 years (1995-2004) as the Floor Leader for the Assembly Republican Conference and as the Assistant Minority Leader. GING-PAC has sent funds to his campaign, but you can assist directly at: www.straniereforcongress.com .

Other House candidates we are funding are: Todd Akin of Missouri; Michele Bachmann of Minnesota; Dr. Paul Broun of Georgia; Jim Jordan of Ohio; Bob Latta of Ohio; Melissa Hart of Pennsylvania; Bill Sali of Idaho and Rob Wittman of Virginia. In the last 30 days of the race we will assist others as well.

THE SENATE

Just a few days before mailing this Campaign Update, I met once again with our Senate candidate in Colorado, former Congressman Bob Schaffer who continues to do well in the polls. This race is extremely important because it could help to determine the outcome of the presidential race. Colorado is a key “battle ground” and that is why the Democrats chose Denver for their Greek Temple crowning of Barack Obama as king of all that is far fetched and meaningless.

This Colorado Senate seat has been Republican for some time; however, hundreds of thousands of liberal Democrats have fled the high taxes of California and moved to Colorado. Now they want to make Colorado just like the state they fled. Republican Wayne Allard has retired, making this an open seat. This is a must win. GING-PAC will send additional funds to Bob Schaffer as they become available.

THE PRESIDENCY

As a political action committee, GING-PAC can spend as much money as we can raise to promote the election of the McCain/Palin ticket. Gov. Sarah Palin has changed the character of this election and moved social conservatives back to the Republican ticket. We love the selection of Gov. Palin and will do all we can to assist the ticket.

William J. Murray, Chairman

Government Is Not God - PAC

PO Box 77237, Washington, DC 20013

Mid-September Campaign Update

THE PRESIDENCY

MCCAIN AND OBAMA TAKE BREAK FOR 9-11 - The John McCain and Barack Obama campaigns set aside most of their campaigns on the seventh anniversary of the Jihad attack against the United States. The liberal media blitz against Gov. Sarah Palin did not pause . Liberals are accusing her of trying to ban books at a library (untrue); teach creationism in Alaskan public schools (untrue), and posing in a bikini with an assault rifle (also untrue despite the fact that CNN reported it). However, I did sort of like the cartoon of the Moose saying, "Be afraid, be very afraid.
I was driving past the Pentagon on 9-11 just as flight 77 hit. My remembrance of that day was published a year later. Click here to read my personal account of 9-11.

THE PALIN FACTOR - Polls of Europeans, particularly the British, had Barack Obama the three to one favorite over John McCain; that was before Sarah Palin entered the picture and reminded the Brits of their beloved first ever female prime minister, Margaret Thacher. The tone of the British press has changed somewhat as can be seen from a recent article in the Daily Mail titled, A pistol-packin' Looby Loo: the Left's worst nightmare.

THE CONGRESS

JUST 15 DAYS TO LEGISLATE? - This week I had lunch with Congressman Adam Putnam. As Chairman of the House Republican Conference, Putnam is third in line in the House Republican leadership. The Conference Chairman is charged with articulating his party's message, and with building the agenda for Republicans in the House. He was elected to lead the Republican Conference by his fellow congressmen.


Congressman Putnam told me that leftist Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had scheduled only 15 work days for the rest of year for the House. Of those days, only 14 are before the election and there is just one day of work after the election. She scheduled so few days despite the fact that most of the government's funding bills, which are already months late, need to be passed. Even bills to fund the military have not been passed. Meanwhile, Rep. Putnam said he does expect Pelosi to file dozens of bills to name post office buildings. Boy that sounds important!

SENATOR REID HAS PLANS? - Not much to report in the Senate at all. The Majority Leader of the Senate, Harry Reid, is not going to advance any legislation without the permission of Comrad Obama who is on the campaign trail and falling further behind the McCain/Palin ticket every day. Obama was going to showcase himself on the Senate floor with "education bills" but now does not have the time to come to Washington.

SENATOR BIDEN IN TROUBLE WITH BISHOPS - Two prominent U.S. Catholic bishops this week said that Democratic vice presidential nominee, Senator Joe Biden contradicted church teaching. He said on a TV interview that determining when human life begins is a "personal and private" matter of religious faith not to be imposed on others. Read more. He is just one of many pro-abortion Catholics such as Nancy Pelosi in the Democrat Party.

PALIN: GOP'S JOAN OF AK

This Op-ed by GING-PAC chairman William J. Murray was first published by the Free Lance Star on 9/5/2009

GRASS ROOTS AWAKEN 'TEAM TO FIGHT FOR' St. Joan of AK rallies a disorganized GOP

September 5, 2008 12:21 am

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ST. PAUL, Minn.--

Before Ronald Reagan, Republican presidential campaigns were about two things: defense and lower taxes. The only grass roots workers the Grand Old Party had were military veterans. Almost all the funding for campaign advertising came from big American corporations, not individuals.

Because the party was about only defense and taxes, it was virtually impossible for it to control either the House or the Senate, so both remained for decades in Democratic hands. With enough national advertising paid for by Wall Street, the Republicans occasionally won the White House.

Then came Reagan with a coalition that included evangelicals and blue-collar pro-life Catholics. The Republican Party grew and grew, winning everything from judgeships in Texas and mayoral elections in Alabama to most governorships. Soon the GOP, with the help of the evangelicals and the pro-lifers, controlled almost two-thirds of all elected offices in the United States.

Unfortunately, control of Capitol Hill gave the GOP old guard and the K Street lobbyists a green light for corruption. After dumping reformer Newt Gingrich as House speaker, they installed one of their own, Dennis Hastert. He looked away from financial scandals and ignored sexual impropriety--even attempts at homosexual seduction of pages. In 2006, sex and financial scandals made a bleak election year even bleaker for the Republicans, and they lost control of both House and Senate.

It didn't help that President George W. Bush was distracted by a war going badly due to the poor advice of two Nixon-era Republicans--Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Meanwhile, the big corporate types wanted evangelicals out of the party because their country-club cronies disdained the new emphasis on family values.

With the party teetering near the edge, Mitt Romney came on the national stage with his scorched-earth brand of politics. During the 2007-08 primary season, he attacked fellow Republican candidates with campaign mudslinging and dirty tricks, including the use of paid surrogates, at a level never seen before. Virtually every segment of the party was injured, and evangelicals and pro-lifers prepared to sit out the entire election year.

The Republican Party, already in steep decline, was left with a candidate, John McCain, so damaged by Romney that he was unable to raise funds to defend himself against the far-left moveon.org machine candidate, Barack Obama.

Then Gov. Sarah Palin entered the picture.

In August, the McCain campaign raised $16 million on the Internet. More than half came on a single day--the day McCain introduced Palin as his VP choice.

Palin brings in the support of hundreds of thousands of small donors and millions of campaign workers. She is a social conservative and a populist who does not tolerate corruption. Wall Street doesn't like her because she forced Big Oil to pay higher royalties for Alaskan oil, but people love her. In Alaska she has 80 percent approval.

The number of volunteers at McCain's regional offices has doubled since the announcement. Republican phone-bank workers who had not been heard from in years have showed up to help. The mood at the convention here changed from one of "we have to support this guy" to "we've got a winning team to fight for."

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Far Left is afraid of Palin because she is just like the average working mom in America. Her husband is a blue-collar oil worker, and her teenage kids get into trouble just like other moms' kids. She has one son in the Army headed to Iraq and a teen daughter who got pregnant before marriage. Those two kids alone bring millions of voters to the McCain-Palin camp.

Palin can also help the McCain ticket in a way nether Mike Huckabee nor Fred Thompson could: Romney and his surrogates had no opportunity to spend millions of dollars tarnishing her reputation during the primaries as he did theirs. The left-leaning media may try to do that job, but, again, Palin is too much the American mother to bash without a backlash.

With Palin the Republicans have a chance to stay in the White House for another four years, something that otherwise would be unthinkable with a president of the same party with only a 30 percent approval rating. Thus, the political party that has the image of the "white male party" may well be saved in 2008 by a female governor.

To boot, Palin can shoot a gun more accurately than Vice President Dick Cheney, or most other male members of the GOP.

The Sarah Palin Factor

(This is a small portion of an Op-ed that will appear in Newspapers on 9/5/2008)

Can Sarah Palin Fix the GOP?

In August the John McCain campaign raised $16 Million on the Internet. More than half of that was raised on one single day, the day that McCain introduced Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP choice. Mitt Romney had the help of some millionaire buddies who cared nothing about social issues, but Gov. Sarah Palin brings the support of hundreds of thousands of small donors and millions of campaign workers. She is a social conservative and a populist who does not tolerate corruption. Wall Street doesn’t like her because she forced Big Oil to pay higher royalties for Alaskan oil that is owned by the people of that state.

The far left is afraid of Gov. Palin because she is just like the average working mom in America. Her husband is a blue collar oil worker and her teenage kids get into trouble just like their kids. She has one son in the Army headed to Iraq and a teen daughter who got pregnant before marriage. Those two kids alone bring millions of voters to the McCain – Palin camp.

Sarah Palin can also help the McCain ticket in a way nether Mike Huckabee or Fred Thompson could: Mitt Romney and his surrogates had no opportunity to spend millions of dollars tarnishing her reputation during the primaries as he had others. The left leaning media may try to do the job for him, but again, she is too much the American mother to bash without a backlash.

With Gov. Sarah Palin the Republicans have a chance to stay in the White House for another four years, something that would be unthinkable with a President of the same party that has only a 30% approval rating. It appears that the political party which has the image of being the “white male party” may well be saved in 2008 by a female governor. And, she can shoot a gun more accurately than Vice President Dick Cheney or most other male members of the GOP.