Congressional Candidate Mike Erickson Should Drop Out

Despite allegations of paying for an abortion for a former girlfriend in 2000, businessman Mike Erickson still managed to win the Republican primary for the open fifth district Congressional seat. Erickson, however, lost the support of Oregon Right to Life, even for the general election, and is not supported by his primary opponent Kevin Mannix, leaving him a weakened candidate against Democrat Kurt Schrader.

Today, the Oregonian had a detailed account of the accusations against Erickson. Reporter Jeff Mapes had this to say on his blog:

"If Republican Mike Erickson were a typical congressional nominee, he'd be under terrific pressure to drop out of the race...

... The Oregonian's account clears up any lingering doubt about whether there was an abortion and provides further corroborating evidence for the woman's story. In addition, the woman, who agreed to be identified only by her first name of Tawnya, told the paper that she pointedly asked Erickson if he wanted to have a baby and went ahead with the abortion only after he said no...."

Mapes goes on to explain that Erickson, since he is rich and is willing to self-finance his campaign, can stay in the race and cause problems for Kurt Schrader and the Democrats.

I disagree. Just because Erickson can self-finance his campaign shouldn't give him a pass on the pressure to get out. To me, it looks like the accusations are true, meaning Erickson lied about it. Also, many social conservatives will be a lot less likely to support him knowing that he once paid for an abortion.

It would not have been such an issue if he would have admitted to it to begin with, saying he had changed his position since then, and apologizing for any harm he had caused.

Erickson SHOULD drop out RIGHT NOW. Republican leaders and others should pressure him to get out. If Republicans want the seat in Congress back, they need an ethical candidate without the amount of baggage Erickson carries. We the people should also pressure Erickson to get out: you can contact Erickson's campaign at 503-367-5505, or info@ericksonfor congress.com.

There are several good candidates who could replace Erickson, Mannix might be willing to step in, there are three current State Reps who were mentioned before, but who are in their own races now. Fmr. State Rep and radio-show host Jeff Kropf could also be a good candidate if he stepped in. Yes, it would be a challenge for a candidate to win after joining four-and-a-half months from the election, but I think it would be less difficult than it would be for Erickson to win.

I have already emailed Erickson's campaign. I believe that dropping out would be the best thing for him to do, not only for the good of the party, but for his own good and the good of his family. It will be tough for them to undergo more of this for several months, only to see him lose in November.

Write Idea Rankings: Most Vulnerable Republican-Held House Seats

Last week, I ranked Democrat-held districts. This week it is Republican-held seats, of which there are likely to be a lot more potential losses.

While researching for this article, I found that the Fix's latest assessment of the races pretty much agreed with my own. The assessments come mostly from the Fix, with the addition of the latest fundraising numbers, which came out later, and Louisiana's 6th district, which is developing into a likely Democrat pickup.

Here are my top five seats that Democrats are most likely to gain (1 being the most likely for Dems to gain):

5. Louisiana's 6th: When Republican Congressman Richard Baker resigned from Congress, this seat was expected to be a fairly safe Republican hold, due to a conservative lean in this district. However, this race has proved difficult for Republicans, controversial former state Legislator Woody Jenkins, was nominated for Republicans, and was outraised by Democrat nominee state Rep. Don Cazayoux (sounds similiar to cashew, Ca-zhou) $565k to $291k in the first quarter. A poll was released by SurveyUSA showing Cazayoux leading 50%-41%. The special election will be held on May 3rd. If Cazayoux wins, it may be difficult for Republicans to defeat him when he is up again in November.

4. Arizona's 1st: Much like Illinois 11th district and New York's 25th, Republicans have struggled to recruit a top-tier challenger for this seat being vacated by scandal-plagued Rep. Rick Renzi (R). The only announced Republican candidate is trade association Sydney Hay, who raised $268k. There is some talk that former state Senate president Ken Bennett, who previously declined to run, might reconsider. Democrats have a primary of their own, but former state Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is the solid favorite. Kirkpatrick has raised $660k.

3. Ohio's 16th: National Democrats tout state Sen. John Boccieri as one of their top recruits; national Republicans say almost nothing about their nominee -- state Sen. Kirk Schuring. This is an open-seat race in this northeastern Ohio swing district -- President Bush carried it with 54 percent in 2004. Boccieri outraised Schuring $690k to $490k, and had a $150k cash-on-hand lead.

2. Illinois's 11th: Republicans finally settled on a replacement candidate for New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann, who abruptly dropped his bid earlier this year. The candidate, who was chosen by Republican county chairs at the end of April, is concrete magnate Marty Ozinga. Ozinga, however, is already being battered a bit over a series of past donations to Democrats, including Gov. Rod Blagojevich. State Sen. Debbie Halvorson has raised $864k, and has $673k to spend.

1. New York's 25th: The leading Republican candidate backed out of this race last month, leaving a likely Republican primary between second-choicers. Democrat Dan Maffei, who nearly upset retiring Rep. Jim Walsh in 2006, is running again and has the blessing of state and national party leaders. Maffei has raised $853k, and has $675k left. Three serious Republican candidates -- Assemblyman Bob Oaks, Manilus Village Trustee Paul Serafin and former Onondaga County legislature chair Dale Sweetland -- are in the race, but none have filed with the FEC yet.

My runners-up: MS-1, NJ-3, NJ-7, VA-11

I would highly suggest checking The Line every Friday for an interesting perspective.

America's Weirdest Real Laws...

Just for the fun of it, here are some of the best strange, and real laws in the United States (don't tell your lawyer friends).

It is illegal to...

...Pawn your dentures in Las Vegas.

...Tie your pet crocodile to a fire hydrant in Michigan.

...Walk your elephant without a leash in Wisconsin.

...Hunt whales from your automobile in California.

...Serve ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas.

...Draw funny faces on window shades in Garfield County, Montana.

...Serve on the jury if you are dead in Oregon.

...Hunt moths under streetlights in Los Angeles.

...Shave in the middle of Main Street in Tylertown, Mississippi.

...Push a live moose out of a moving airplane in Alaska.

...Open a can of food with a gun in Indiana.

...Drive a goat cart past a church "in ridiculous fashion" in Chaseville, New York.

...Charge a bald man more than twenty-five cents for a haircut in Louisiana.

...Blindfold cows on public highways in Arkansas.

...Sell ice after 6 p.m. in Newark, New Jersey without a prescription.

...Carry a concealed weapon longer than six feet in Seattle.

Those laws make certain members of Congress almost sound like good lawmakers.

Source: The BRI

Write Idea Rankings: Most Vulnerable Dem-Held House Seats

Though it's a difficult task, with almost no polls to be found amid the Presidential race, I am going to try to rank the most vulnerable House seats currently held by Democrats. Though Republicans do not seem to have as many good opportunities to pick up seats, and most pundits predict Democrats will make gains, Republicans certainly have some shots as well.

1. TX-22: District 22 in Texas is likely to be the Republicans best hope for a pickup. The district leans Republican, having voted for Bush 64%-36% in 2004, and sent Tom DeLay to congress for many years. The current Democratic Congressman, Nick Lampson, only won last election in a Democratic year after DeLay resigned and the GOP couldn't put a replacement on the ballot. This year, Pete Olson, a former aide to Senator John Cornyn, defeated Shelley Sekula-Gibbs in the primary runoff, a factor that looks like it will boost GOP chances in this district. Olson has raised $893K but only had $127K on hand at the beginning of April due to spending on the primary. Lampson, who had no primary competition, raised $1.3 million, and still has $1 million to spend.

2. OR-5: Oregon’s fifth district was left open due to the surprise retirement of Democratic Congresswoman Darlene Hooley. The district is a swing district, having gone 50%-49% for Bush in 2004. Mike Erickson, the Republican nominee in 2006, the only candidate who was in the race before Holley announced her retirement in February, has raised $634k so far, and has $332k left. His opponent in the primary, former legislator and state party chair Kevin Mannix raised $109k in his first month in less than a month. Democrats Kurt Schrader, a state Senator, and Steve Marks, chief of staff to former Governor John Kitzahber, have raised $56k and $26k respectively; both Democrats have also been in the race for about a month. This race looks like a tossup at this point, but it remains to see what effect divisive primaries could have.

3. AL-5: Another surprise retirement, this time by Democratic Congressman Bud Cramer, left this district looking like a great pickup opportunity for Republicans. Attorney Wayne Parker is running, and raised 177k in the first few days of his campaign. Running for the Democrats is state Senator Parker Griffith, who has raised $115k. For Democrats, it may be hard to win this district with no incumbent, when Bush carried it by 20% in 2004.

4. KS-2: Democrat Nancy Boyda pulled off one of the biggest upsets last election when she beat incumbent Republican Jim Ryun 51%-47% in a district that was carried by Bush 59%-39%. Ryun is running again, but is being challenged in the primary by state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, a more liberal Republican. Ryun has raised $1.2 million and has $459k left. Jenkins has raised $622k and has $459k cash on hand. Boyda, the incumbent, has raised $922k, and has $811k left. This district could be hard for Democrats to defend after the primary is over and Republicans can concentrate on Boyda.

5. CA-11: Democrat Jerry McNerney defeated Republican Congressman Richard Pombo, partly because he had ethical problems, and because the race was influenced by outside groups concerned for the environment. This year Republicans seem to have a better candidate in Assemblyman Dean Andal, who has raised $638k and has $531k cash-on-hand. McNerney has raised $1.6 million this year, and has $1.1 left.

Runners up: AZ-8, FL-16, GA-8, PA-4, PA-10

Rep. Paul Broun (GA) To Try to Stop the Sale of Pornography on Military Installations

Congressman Paul Broun, a Conservative Republican from Georgia has introduced a bill (H.R. 5821) that bans the sale of pornography on military installations. He says:

As the United States continues to lead the fight in the War on Terror, the welfare and morale of our troops is always of the utmost concern. Consequently, I have sponsored the Military Honor and Decency Act which would prevent the sale of sexually explicit material on military installations.

As a former Marine and Naval Medical officer, I am deeply concerned for the welfare of our troops and their mission. I understand the difficulties that are often associated with enduring high-stress situations while separated from loved ones; yet fostering the sale of pornography on military installations is a far cry from an acceptable solution. While filling the coffers of moguls like Hugh Hefner and Larry Flynt, the sale of pornography has only served to escalate the number of violent, sexual crimes in the U.S., feed a base addiction, and further erode the family as the primary building block of society.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 stated, in part, that “The Secretary of Defense may not permit the sale or rental of sexually explicit material on property under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense.” However, broad definitions in the statute have created a loophole which allows publications such as Playboy, Penthouse, and similar material that many (including myself) label as pornography to be distributed to and sold at military exchange stores. That is why I am sponsoring the Military Honor and Decency Act. My bill will close the statutory loophole and right a bureaucratic—and moral—wrong.

Paul C. Broun, M.D. (GA-10)

To see the bill text, go here

To contact your member of Congress go here.

Governmentium - Described as an Element on Periodic Table

The element, Governmentium (Gv),

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

--Anonymous

United States Should Boycott Olympics: Send Message to China and World

According the American Heritage dictionary, fascism is a system of government marked by 1) centralization of authority under a dictator, 2) stringent socioeconomic controls, 3) suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and 4) a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism. The Chinese autocratic regime gleefully fulfills this definition. China’s forced occupation of Tibet has led to the deaths of an estimated 1.2 million Tibetans. Additionally China’s direct support of the Sudan genocide blatantly continues. Within China's borders, compulsory family “planning” and forced abortions are universal. China has hundreds of forced-labor prisons, which hold political and religious dissidents. There are firsthand reports of physical and psychological torture, confessions forced by torture, live organ harvesting, and other inconceivable atrocities within these prisons.

America should send a message to China: we do not support you; we will not attend the Olympics.

The North American Union? One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago, Henry Clay Told Us it Would Not Work

Henry Clay: speech regarding the Mexican War (1846)

"…we believe the two nations [Mexico & America] could not be happily governed by one common authority, owing to their great difference of race, law, language and religion, and the vast extent of their respective territories, and large amount of their respective populations…."

"That we deprecate, therefore, such a union, as wholly incompatible with the genius of our Government, and with the character of free and liberal institutions; and we anxiously hope that each nation may be left in the undisturbed possession of its own laws, language, cherished religion and territory, to pursue its own happiness, according to what it may deem best for itself."

Henry Clay, The Papers of Henry Clay, vol. 10: Candidate, Compromiser, Elder Statesman, Melba Porter Hay, ed. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1991), pp. 361-376.

War for oil? No. Oil for war? Yes.

According to a MSNBC article from last year, the War in Iraq is costing the United States around $255 million per day. Iraq's sustainable oil production capacity is almost 3 million barrels per day. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Iraqi ground holds more than 112 billion barrels of oil—the world's second largest proven reserves— and unexplored regions could yield an additional 100 billion barrels. One million barrels of oil a day, is either 1/20 of the United States daily gas consumption or 100 Million dollars (calculated at $100 a barrel). America has liberated Iraqi’s from the torture chambers of Saddam, but in doing so we have gone billions of dollars further in debt.

The month that President Bush was sworn into office, gas was averaging $1.70 a gallon. Now, after five years of war in Iraq, gas is $3.60 a gallon. That is two dollars more to pay—because of the war on terror. Iraqi oil should be used to pay America back. It is a little known fact, but Kuwait (think Desert Storm) paid the United State $36 billion for its liberation. Iraq should do the same.

When is a Lie Not a Lie?

From Not Your Daddy

The left never seems to tire of reminding us that “Bush lied about Iraq having WMDs!” But was it really a lie? If so, how so? It is an established fact that Iraq had developed and used WMDs previously, against its own citizens, though the left seems to have conveniently forgotten this. In his 1998 State of the Union address, President William J. Clinton said:

Saddam Hussein has spent the better part of this decade, and much of his nation’s wealth, not on providing for the Iraqi people, but on developing nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and the missiles to deliver them.

John Murtha, Corrupt As They Come

Murtha: He is the very meaning of "pork." There is only one problem with this report: they forget to mention that Murtha is a Democrat....

A Murtha fundraiser

Murtha on supporting the troops



What a fellow Congresswomen thinks about it



Murhta and the Abscam scandal

The Entire Unedited Abscam Video

Congressman Paul Broun (GA) Urges Congress to Go On “Pork Free” Diet

Congressman Paul Broun is standing strong for the American Taxpayer.

“We must stop the spending. Earmarks are just the beginning of the process. Earmarks are a vehicle that Members of Congress can use that leads to fraud and abuse, and to government corruption. We must stop these ‘bridges to nowhere.'” --Congressman Paul Broun, M.D.

Consider these latest earmark statistics:

• 2008 included 11,610 projects ($17.2 billion)
• 337% increase in number of earmarks since last year (last year was 2,658)
• 30% increase in earmark spending since last year (last year was $13.2 billion)
• Total pork identified by Citizens Against Government Waste since 1991 adds up to $271 billion.

Congressman Broun was one of only 16 Members of Congress to achieve a perfect score. The Georgia delegation was further represented by Rep. Nathan Deal and Rep. Lynn Westmoreland who each earned a perfect score.

“I am committed to being a good steward of the taxpayer’s money,” said Broun. “As this perfect score shows, I am now, and will continue to be, a consistent vote to eliminate wasteful government spending. We simply have to stop the spending."

Congressman Broun’s 12 votes, when taken together, would have saved taxpayers over $57,000,000 in frivolous government spending in 2007. Examples of projects that Congressman Broun voted against funding include:

• $3,000,000 for the Lewis Center for Education Research in Apple Valley, California;
• $628,843 for grape genetics research in Geneva, New York;
• $250,000 for the East Coast Shellfish Research Institute in Toms River, New Jersey; and
• $200,000 for the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine.

Congressman Broun believes we should adopt such proposals as:

*No more “monuments to me.” Lawmakers should not use taxpayer money to fund projects named after themselves.

*No more “airdrops.” The process by which Congress spends the American people's money should be completely transparent. Members of Congress should not circumvent transparency by airdropping earmarks into bills in conference at the last minute.

*No more “fronts” or “pass-through” entities. Taxpayer funds should not be laundered through “front” operations that mask their true recipients.

*Members of Congress who request earmarks should put forth a plan detailing exactly how the money will be spent and why they believe the use of taxpayer funding is justified. Members of Congress who “secure” earmarks should place these plans in the Congressional Record well in advance of floor votes on those earmarks.

*The Executive Branch should be held accountable for its own earmark practices. The Executive Branch asks for earmarks, too, and has done so under administrations Democratic and Republican alike. Members of Congress should hold present and future Administrations accountable for the way in which taxpayer-funded earmarks are used.

For 15 months Democrats Have Been in Control of Congress...This Is What They Have Done:

Americans Say NO to Amnesty

From a Pulse Opinion Research Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters

Is the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country too high, too low, or about right?

8% - Too Low
55% - Too High
32% - About Right
5% - Not sure

5. Do we need to allow more immigrants into the country to fill the jobs that require relatively little education? Or, are there plenty of Americans already here to do those jobs, but employers just need to pay higher wages and treat workers better?

14% - We need immigrants to fill jobs
77% - There are plenty of Americans here to fill jobs, employers just need to pay higher wages and treat workers better
9% - Not sure

8. With regard to the 12 million illegal immigrants in the country, ideally would you prefer they go home or be allow to stay legally?

58% - Go home
30% - Be allowed to stay legally
13% - Not sure

To see the rest of the results click HERE

BUSH: Listen to the people!

House Minority Leader John Boehner Calls Immigration Bill 'Piece of S---'

Exactly what is is.

We lost the first skirmish in the 2007 Amnesty Battle

(May 22) Yesterday, the Senate voted for cloture on a motion to bring SB. 1348 to the floor for debate without going through a committee process. Approving the motion by a 69-23 margin, the Senate now subjects the bill to further debate and amendment. Debate will resume today after morning business is conducted. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that the Senate will not finish work on the bill prior to the Memorial Day recess.
(Above picture) From front left to right) Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Mel Martinez (R-FLA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MASS). NANCY PASTOR (THE WASHINGTON TIMES) laughing over there "victory".

Senators Smith and Wydon from Oregon both voted YES! Contact them and say NO AMNESTY!!!

Click HERE to see what the proposal would do.