Sen. Boxer

Prior to the passing of H.R. 1, A.K.A. "Porkulus Bill," I wrote Senator Boxer and asked her to vote no on the bill. I got a response after it passed as follows:

Dear Mr. Swanson:



Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R.1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. I appreciate hearing your views on this critical bill, which has passed Congress and was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.

There is a very simple, urgent reason for this legislation: We need to save jobs and we need to create jobs. We need to act quickly and boldly because at the rate we are shedding jobs, we are heading into deeper economic turmoil.

This is a time when the nation must come together. In my view, the Senate had three choices:

One was to do nothing. Doing that, to me, would be a hostile act because it continues the dangerous status quo. Our second choice was to wait for the perfect bill, and of course each Senator would write his or her perfect bill and we'd stall. Or our third choice was to pass the compromise; that is the choice Congress made, and I believe it was the only common-sense choice before us.

I also want to point out that without Republican votes in the Senate, a Republican leadership filibuster would have succeeded. The Republicans who voted for the bill did so out of a deep concern that doing nothing is unacceptable.

H.R.1 will inject $787 billion into our economy through tax cuts and spending on projects to save and create jobs. It will make significant investments in vital infrastructure projects, give much-needed aid to our states, and help to create and save millions of American jobs.

This legislation is far from perfect. But we are in a deepening economic crisis, and I believe it was necessary for Congress to move swiftly to stop it from sliding further. California's unemployment rate is an unacceptable 9.3 percent, and nearly 600,000 jobs were lost nationwide in January alone. Now is the time to invest in our country and our people.

We know that this package alone will not solve the entire problem; we must also address the housing and financial crises, and we will do so.

Again, thank you for writing to me on this important issue. Be assured that I will keep doing all I can to help get America's economy back on track. I will continue working with the Obama Administration and my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact legislation to stimulate growth, create jobs, and make American businesses more competitive in the global economy.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Please visit my website at http://boxer.senate.gov

I am not amused.

Rep. Devin Nunes and Twitter

Recently I e-mailed my congressman, Representative Devin Nunes, 21st District of California to let him know that I would like for him to join the conservative network on Twitter.

I've reproduced his response, verbatim, below.

Dear Mr. -------

Thank you for taking the time to email me to express your support for the use of twitter technology. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

In this age of information and technology, the world is a much smaller place than it was even a few years ago. People can see and talk with each other even if they are thousands of miles apart, breaking news is known instantly around the world, and our entertainment libraries are stored in our pockets. With social networking websites making the world even smaller, it's easy to understand why it's a growing phenomenon.

The "Top Conservatives on Twitter" is a noble and ambitious web community for the Conservative movement. I appreciate being made aware of your support and I will certainly look into joining this initiative to help strengthen conservative ideals in Congress.

I value any other suggestions you may have. I invite you to visit my website for updates on my work in Congress at www.nunes.house.gov. Keep in touch.

Sincerely,



Devin Nunes
Member of Congress

RNC YouTube Channel Feed

#TCOT

For those of you who don't know, #TCOT is an acronym for Top Conservatives On Twitter:

www.topconservativesontwitter.com/

This is something you must take part in if you have a heart in conservatism and the future of this country. You'll have the opportunity to delve in to the world of political technology and meet thousands of the finest conservatives on the Internet.

Please oblige.

American Crappy Idols versus Social Media Idiots

So often I hear people talk about how terrible particular auditioning singers are on American Idol. Most often due to the fact that no single person has ever let them know that they are not well adapted or even remotely versed in singing capability. One audition on American Idol and even I, who has zero singing capacity, realizes these people just plain suck. They continue their efforts without ever improving.

My point?

Having dabbled in "social media" as it's become known, I've run across thousands upon thousands of individuals and their ideas. Some are good some are bad. Social media outlets like Twitter are being used for individuals to promote their ideas, services and products. Again, some good. Some terrible. But the one paralleled facet across social media and American Idol is that sometimes you're pitched an idea or product/service good that is absolutely terrible! And who ever stops these people? No one.

Let's take for example a Twitter conversation:

Melinda123: Reading all of my followers and those I'm following and their blogs has inspired me to sum up my passion and skills with this (link to a terribly written e-book on how to write and publish books)

Problem: It's awful. Terribly awful. And no one ever says so. So this continues and Melinda123's confidence in her crappy e-book soars out of control and now she's charging $20.95 through PayPal for this masterpiece of crap and no one's eating it up.

To me, I sit in front of the computer, jaw to the floor, because I might as well be watching a thirty-something homeless guy belting out Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" ten octaves too low and three keys to the south. Somebody stop the madness. Tell these people it's not good. It's hard to tell someone their work isn't good, but someone has to. If Melinda123 was working for me, I'd fire her.

11 Democrats Worth a Note

Again, I just want to thank 11 very important Democrats in the House. You did a great thing and I support your effort in stopping an abomination of a "stimulus."

In no particular order:

1. Allen Boyd (D-FL)
2. Bobby Bright (D-AL)
3. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
4. Parker Griffith (D-AL)
5. Paule E. Kanjori (D-PA)
6. Frank M. Kratovil (D-MD)
7. Walt Minnick (D-ID)
8. Heath Shuler (D-NC)
9. Collin C. Peterson (D-MN)
10. Gene Taylor (D-MS)
11. Jim Cooper (D-TN)

Thank you.

A Congratulatory Note

Today the House of Representatives voted on the very liberal "stimulus" bill to delve billions of dollars into a gigantic, black sinkhole. It passed.

Typically this would be no time for congratulations, thanks or even a smirk (see "Nasty Pelosi"). But today, the GOP - as a whole - in the House of Representatives stood as one. No single Republican Congressman voted "yes" on this filthy piece of pork-laden, liberal, political smut.

Some say this is the beginning of the rebuilding of the party. I don't care. Not now, anyway. What I care is that the GOP stood as one to represent the thoughts, emotions and political views of their constituents across the United States totaling more than 46% of the public, according to the 2008 election.

To those congressman, I say, "Thank you and congratulations!" Today you've earned your pay, in my eyes.

And to those 11 Democrat congressman, I thank you as well. Thank you for having the intelligence, but more importantly the integrity to say no to something you know is wrong. This piece of legislative junk is intended to further the agenda of a few extremists running the country into the ground. Your foresight may be the key to this country returning to its true roots.

To those reading, and have a soul (conservative, of course), I urge you to write your GOP representative, or one who may not represent your geography, and thank them. Let them know there are millions of us who recognize their efforts as those of the people. This is a baby step, and we have more strides to come, but this is noteworthy, nonetheless. Make the GOP proud again. Make them proud to be conservative.

This is unity.