November - December, 2010 Campaign Update

ELECTION SUMMARY

            OVERVIEW -  This issue of the Campaign Update was delayed so we could publish complete results for the candidates we supported. A couple of our elections went to recounts and the last one was not decided until the last week of November when Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY), first elected from New York's 25th Congressional District in 2008, conceded to Ann Marie Buerkle (R).  The final margin of victory for our candidate was just 567 votes out of more than 209,000 cast. Buerkle did not have the support of the GOP establishment; she was deemed to be too conservative to win. The GOP has picked up six seats in New York state so far. The 1^st congressional district located on Long Island is still in dispute, and will probably be decided in court sometime next year.

            The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has set up an interactive map at its Internet site that reveals the 63 picked up in the House so far in the November election. This is a good tool that I recommend and it can be found at: http://www.nrcc.org/news/Election-Results-Map

THE SENATE

            Overall we did not do as well in the Senate as we had hoped. Our original candidate in Colorado, Jane Norton, is the former Lt. Governor and could have easily won in the General Election, but she was defeated by Ken Buck, a Tea Party favorite who was little known outside of just one Colorado county. Both were social conservatives and both pro-life. After Norton lost the GOP primary, we backed Ken Buck who just was never able to gain the statewide backing that Jane Nortan had. The result was a victory by the left. And in Nevada, Sharron Angle whom we had worked with for more than two years lost to Harry Reid. Sharron won virtually every county except for Las Vegas, where union bosses and the mafia controlled the ballot boxes. We also lost in California, Washington and West Virginia.

On the upside Marco Rubio, whom we backed well before any other national PAC, won in Florida. Marco stunned the media during his victory speech by spending the first five minutes talking about the Lord and how important God was to him and his family. Marco Rubio loves our Lord and our nation, and I believe he will be one of the most powerful political forces in the nation in the decade to come.

Two other powerful social conservatives who are pro-life won in the Mid-West. We backed Roy Blunt in Missouri and Dan Coats in Indiana. We can count on both of these men to be champions of pro-life and religious liberty issues.

While Lisa Murkowski has declared victory in Alaska, the Miller campaign has filed lawsuits to try to change the outcome of the election. I like Joe Miller, but he lost because he took advantage for his own family of social services he publicly criticized.  

THE HOUSE

MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE: In January either 63 or 64 Republicans will take over seats which had been held by Democrats in the House. Many of the Republicans who won ran against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her radical economic and social agenda. The defeat for the left was stunning in more than one way. During the “Republican Revolution” led by Newt Gingrich in 1994 the GOP had a net gain of 54 seats, or ten less than in the 2010 cycle. More important is the quality and conviction of those elected in the 2010 cycle and three GING-PAC victories in Florida exemplify that.

In Florida we backed David Rivera in the 25^th, Daniel Webster in the 8^th and Allen West in the 22^nd. Rivera is a strong pro-life social conservative whose ancestry is Cuban. Webster is a former preacher in the same vein as Gov. Mike Huckabee. He defeated the radical far left loon Alan Grayson who constantly embarrassed Congress with his outrageous floor statements. Allen West is a true American hero. You may recall that he was punished by the Army for firing a gun over the head of an Iraqi to obtain information on enemy movements. He was a field commander, a Lt. Colonel respected by his men and who got the job done. The left hates men like Allen West who love their country, particually when they are African-Americans. In the mind of leftists, African-Americans should be plantation slaves of the Democrat Party.  

Tom Marino in Pennsylvania is yet another example of a strong social conservative backed by GING-PAC, who won his race. We also had some very painful losses in the house such as Glen Urquhart in Delaware. There is only one House seat in Delaware and it had been held by Mike Castle who stepped down to run for Senate. Although very popular in the state among both Democrats and Republcians, Castle lost in the primary to Christine O’Donnell who in turn ran one of the worst statewide races for Senate I have ever seen. When O’Donnell lost, she took Urquhart down with her.

On the incumbent side GING-PAC won in all races, including Eric Cantor in Virginia and Michele Bachmann in Minnesota. The far left went all out to knock off Bachmann because she had become a symbol of the Tea Party. It was Bachmann who called for Tea party demonstrations in Washingon, DC before the ObamaCare votes. Bachmann has become a lightning rod for attacks from the far left and a target of the “mainstream” media. At left is a photo of Michele Bachmann holding a copy of one of my books, The Pledge: One Nation Under God. Bachmann has been a champion of traditional values.

A complete list of GING-PAC candiates and their election outcomes is enclosed with this update. As mentioned about the only election we were involved in that has not been certified is the Senate race in Alaska. While Joe Miller is the more conservative of the two, Lisa Murkowski has told GOP leaders that she will caucus with Republicans next year.

WHAT NOW

            For the rest of the year the radical left is still in charge of the White House and both houses of Congress. Democrat leader Senator Harry Reid said his first priorities are to allow homosexuals to openly serve in the military and to pass the Dream Act to allow the children of illegal aliens to receive subsidized college educations. Because the GOP does not control the Senate it will be difficult to stop a lot of the spending that has caused 40% of the federal budget to be covered with borrowed money that our kids and grandkids must repay.

To really change America we must change the occupant of the White House. America simply can’t afford Barack Obama! In the 2012 election cycle GING-PAC can make a difference, but only with your help. If we are going to have a GOP nominee for the presidency who is a strong pro-life social conservative we need to have cash on hand. In January the race will begin and GING-PAC must be a part of deciding who wins the GOP nomination. Please send a check to help today, or give an online gift at www.gingpac.org.

March 2010 Campaign Update

THE SENATE

 

COLORADO: There is a very good chance that Colorado, which was a red state turning blue, may be mo v ing back to the conservative side. In late February I met with a very strong social conservative who is running for th e Senate slot on the Republican ticket. The election process in Colorado is very convoluted. On March 16th precinct caucuses are held to elect delegates to the county conventions. The county conventions are held in April to elect delegates to the state convention. At the state convention candidates receiving more than 30% of the votes of delegates are then placed on the primary ballot which is held in August. Thus, the c andidates must work to get their delegates elected at the precinct and county level to win the 30% plus votes needed at the state convention to even appear on the primary ballot. Got that?

In any event, I have met with former Lt. Governor Jane Norton who is running for the very winnable Senate seat in Colorado. I can report that she is 100% pro-life and an ideal social conservative candidate. Norton believes that life begins at conception and that marriage is an institution ordained by God as a union between one man and one woman. She is also an economic conservative who would be well suited to the ranching and mining interests in Colorado.

Government Is Not God - PAC has endorsed Jane Norton for Senate in Colorado, and our first check to her for $1,000 was issued in February. As additional funds are raised we will do our best to support Jane Norton in both the primary and general elections. (In photo above GING-PAC chairman William J. Murray presents Jane Norton an offical "Government Is Not God" bumper sticker.)

CALIFORNIA: In California there are two very strong candidates who are running in the GOP primary. Senator Jim DeMint formed the Senate Conservatives Fund to assist conservatives running for the Senate. In Florida he has backed Marco Rubio, as has GING-PAC. In California Senator DeMint’s PAC has backed Chuck DeVore who is a member of the California State Assembly. He ended a twenty-four year career in the military as a Lt. Colonel and served as a Reagan White House appointee in the Pentagon as a Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs. He is 100% pro-life. The rest of the GOP Senate establishment, even pro-life Senators such as my friend Senator Jim Inhofe, are supporting Carly Fiorina. As mentioned above, DeMint also bucked the establishment and backed Marco Rubio in Florida.

The establishment theory is that a “true conservative” can’t win in California and a more moderate candidate is needed to beat Senator Barbara Boxer in November. I have not as yet met with Chuck DeVore, but I did meet with Carly Fiorina during her last trip to Washington, DC in late February and talked with her extensively. The establishment has a problem if they are supporting Carly because they think she is a moderate. She is pro-life and believes that marriage should be only between one man and one woman. On the life issue she publicly sides with the official Republican party platform that is against abortion “except in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother.” She does, however, believe that life begins at conception. While this is a contradiction, it is not the point I am trying to make. (Left photo of William and Nancy Murray at a social event in Washington, DC with Carly Fiorina.)

The Republican establishment is no more going to be able to sell Fiorina to Californians as a “moderate” than they would be able to sell Chuck DeVore as a “moderate.” Real conservatives can win in California and there is no need to label someone a “moderate” to win. After all, Ronald Reagan was the governor of California before he was President of the United States.

I am not promoting Carly Fiorina, and GING-PAC has not endorsed her. GING-PAC will probably stay out of the California primary, but I can proclaim that either Chuck DeVore or Carly Fiorina would be a welcome replacement for the far left, people-hating environmentalist, Senator Barbara Boxer. Boxer has helped destroy tens of thousands of lives in California by helping take water from farms to support a fish less than an inch long. Boxer needs to go.

THE HOUSE

FLORIDA: We have now added Colonel Allen West for Congress in Florida’s 22nd District. We have supported Allen West in previous campaigns. He would have won in 2008 had it not been for the Democrat landslide in the House because of the economy. Now people realize that the economic problems were far deeper than politics, and the Democrat controlled Congress’ wild spending did nothing but create debt for our children and grandchildren to pay.

As I mentioned in the February campaign update, GING-PAC will also step forward to defend great conservative spokesmen who will be under attack from wealthy far left organizations such as Moveon.org this year. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota is going to be a major target of the far left. In Virginia radical left organizations have already begun a campaign against my good friend Eric Cantor who is the Republican Whip in the House. We want to get more conservative congressmen elected but we have to watch our backs and make sure that some of the conservative workhorses we have in the House are not defeated by the far left with their huge cash reserves.

PLEASE HELP

To have impact in these races GING-PAC must have funds. It is crucial that we have at least an additional $50,000 as primaries begin in earnest. Please send a check to help today, or give an online gift.

William J. Murray, Chairman
Government Is Not God - PACP.O. Box 77237,  Washington, DC 20013

February, 2010 Campaign Update

JOHN MCCAIN IN 2010 AND 2012

REALLY BAD NEWS: Senator John McCain has every intention of a rematch with Barack Obama in 2012. He has kept his presidential committee intact and when asked about Gov. Sarah Palin running in 2012 he said, “I’m not dead yet.” Nothing could be worse for the conservative cause and the Republican Party in 2012 than to have Senator John McCain at the top of the ticket again. The Senator will be 74 years old this year and 76 when he runs in 2012. The oldest man ever elected to the presidency was Ronald Reagan; he was 70 years old the day we was sworn in as the 41st president of the United States. Am I saying McCain is too old to be president? No, but I do remember Senator Bob Dole running for president in his seventies against a vigorous, younger Bill Clinton. In 1996 just about anyone could have beat Bill Clinton -- except Bob Dole. I believe the error is about to be repeated with an aging Senator running against a vigorous young president. I believe just about any Republican can beat Barack Obama in 2012 -- except John McCain.

That brings us back to 2010 and the Senate race in Arizona. My good friend Congressman J.D. Hayworth has decided to run against John McCain in the Republican Primary. The race shows what kind of man John McCain really is. Before Hayworth even made the decision to run, John McCain began running hateful negative ads against him. He demanded that the radio station that employed Hayworth as a commentator should fire him. He complained to the FEC about Hayworth having a radio show even though he (Hayworth) was not an announced candidate.

I have seen the vindictiveness of John McCain before. I have watched him turn red-faced and explode on the subway that runs under the Capitol between the various office building. McCain has a vicious temper which has not been tempered with age. On the other hand in his announcement for his run for the Senate, J. D. Hayworth said that John McCain had served the nation with honor, but that it was time for him to go.

THE TALE OF THE TAPE: J. D. Hayworth is far more conservative than John McCain in every area, including social issues. The American Conservative Union shows Hayworth in the top 4% of elected officials, but McCain only in the top 32%. That is a huge difference. Then there is this: McCain sponsored the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act. The law prohibited conservative non-profit groups from campaigning but allowed Barack Obama to raise three quarters of a billion dollars for his presidential campaign. Much of that law has now been found unconstitutional. McCain sponsored the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act, which would have capped CO2 emissions at the 2000 level. He also sponsored the McCain-Kennedy comprehensive immigration bill in 2005. McCain also voted in favor of the $850-billion TARP bailout one month prior to the 2008 elections, sealing the fate of his presidential campaign.

GING-PAC will back the conservative in this race and that is J. D. Hayworth.

OTHER SENATE ACTION: I had not planned on GING-PAC being involved in many Senate races not only because of the expense, but also because for a while it seemed hopeless for conservatives to take back the Senate in 2010. There are eight Republican seats vacant because of retirements and Senators running for other offices, such as governor. Our favorite Senator, Sam Brownback, is running for governor of Kansas. GING-PAC is supporting Todd Tiahrt to replace Sam Brownback in the Senate. Todd has personally promised me that he will take over the Senate Values Action Team and actively promote social conservative legislation, as Sam Brownback has. Dr. James Dobson, among many others, has endorsed Todd Tiahrt for the Senate.

With eight Republicans leaving, things looked a little bleak, that is until several high ranking Democrats also decided to step down. The latest is Senator Evan Bayh in Indiana. Indiana is a red state that has in the past gone blue for the Bayh family. Both Evan and his dad were governors and Senators in Indiana. Without a Bayh in the race, the seat will probably go to a Republican. GING-PAC does not have a candidate in that race as yet. Bayh’s decision comes after Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CT, and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND, announced their retirements in January. Democrats also have to defend the seats of Barack Obama in Illinois and Joe Biden in Delaware. There are also vulnerable Democrat seats in other states.

In Missouri GING-PAC is supporting Congressman Roy Blunt who stepped out of his leadership roll as House Whip to run for Senate. Roy’s son was a popular governor of Missouri who did not seek reelection, but the Blunt name has a very good reputation in Missouri. Congressman Blunt is very conservative and 100% pro-life.

In my position as chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition I have worked numerous times on pro-life and other social conservative legislative issues with Congressman Blunt. This is a man who will help social conservatives once he is in the Senate. The most likely match-up in November appears to be pro-life Roy Blunt against pro-abortion Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.

THE HOUSE

On the House side we have added another candidate to the endorsed list. Tim Walberg was a true activist for social conservative and pro-life issues who lost his Michigan seat last year to a far left leaning liberal who was swept in with Barack Obama. Tim Walberg has a good chance at getting this seat back. A National Research Inc. poll has Walberg leading Schauer 46-37, and 50-40 with "leaners." It appears that voters in the conservative leaning 7th district of Michigan are having buyer’s remorse after watching Mark Schauer vote consistently with Nancy Pelosi in the House.

GING-PAC will also step forward to defend great conservative spokesmen who will be under attack by wealthy far left organizations such as Moveon-org this year. These include Michele Bachmann in Minnesota, Dr. Paul Broun in Georgia, Trent Franks in Arizona and Todd Akin in Missouri. While we want to get more conservative congressmen elected, we have to watch our back and make sure that some of the conservative workhorses we have in the House keep their seats.

OUR NEW INTERNET SITE

Last year Government Is Not God - PAC’s new Internet site went up. The old site was at www.govnotgod.org, and to archive our old material we kept that site. The new site is located at www.gingpac.org and is friendlier to use and has modern features. As we get closer to elections I urge you to check the site for information and the latest candidates we support.

To have impact in these races GING-PAC must have funds. It is crucial that we have at least an additional $50,000 as primaries begin in earnest. 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

New Freshman Republicans

THERE ARE NEW HOUSE REPUBLICANS - On Thursday evening I met with several of the "freshman class" of House Republicans. Earlier in the day the group elected Rep.-elect Steve Austria of Ohio to be president of their class in the 111th Congress. Of those present at the meeting Thursday evening, the political action committee I am chairman of had helped to elect three. GING-PAC assisted in the elections of congressmen-elect Duncan Hunter Jr. of California, Pete Olson of Texas and Tom Rooney of Florida. (Photo of myself with Duncan Hunter Jr.)

ROY BLUNT STEPS DOWN --For eight years Congressman Roy Blunt has served as Majority Whip in the House and for the last two years in the more difficult position as Minority Whip. During that time he has been an advocate of social conservative causes and has met almost weekly with conservative activists including me. This week I and other conservative leaders met with Congressman Blunt before he stepped down from the leadership position. He is replaced by his former deputy whip, Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia. Congressman Cantor is also a champion of social conservative values.

LAME DUCKS TO RETURN - This week was to be the last for the 110th Congress, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that she will call a special session in December to revisit loans to the automotive industry. NOTE: Mitt Romney may believe that Chinese and Indian car companies can replace GM and Ford, but the millions of Americans associated with the auto industry don't. Republicans blocking the loans at the request of radical pro-China free-market traders such as Mitt Romney will kill any chance of future Republican gains in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois where the bulk of American owned auto parts makers live. By stopping these loans to automakers the GOP told the Reagan Democrats to pack up and go home to Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

What is a Conservative Populist?

Government Is Not God - PAC chairman William J. Murray recently wrote an Op-ed which appeared in several newspapers on conservative populism. The Op-ed explains why both the Democrat and Republican parties fear conservative populists such as former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Read Op-ed here

GING-PAC Sponsors New Hampshire Event

Government Is Not God – PAC will co-sponsor the New Hampshire Republican Party’s “First in the Nation” Presidential Brunch in New Hampshire. The brunch will be held Sunday, January 6^th just two days before the first presidential primary of the political season.

GING-PAC will run a half page ad in the program of the “First in the Nation” brunch as a co-sponsor. In that half page ad GING-PAC endorsing Governor Mike Huckabee for president. GING-PAC has already contributed thousands of dollars to Governor Huckabee’s campaign. Our half page ad also points out that GING-PAC is the oldest purely social conservative political action committee. The very presence of the GING-PAC chairman, William J. Murray, at this event as a co-sponsor indicates the real influence of social conservatives in the Republican Party.

The “First in the Nation” brunch is a major press event which occurs the weekend that the national media representatives arrive in New Hampshire to cover the primary which is held on Tuesday. Government Is Not God – PAC will have an influence on the news coverage and at least some effect on the outcome of the election with our endorsement of Governor Mike Huckabee.

The “First in the Nation” Presidential Brunch will be held at Hampshire Hills in Milford, NH on Sunday the 6^th between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Media calls are welcome at 202.554.2358.