The Top 10 Reasons Walt Minnick Shouldn’t Be Elected to Congress
By Adam Graham (11/01/08)
Walt Minnick is running for Congress in Idaho as a conservative Democrat. The problem it’s that it’s not true, and Idaho needs the facts. They won’t get them from the local news media which is in the tank for Minnick. Why should voters choose to re-elect Congressman Bill Sali instead of his Democratic rival? I have 10 reasons.
10. Supported by Planned Parenthood:
Congressman Bill Sali (R-Id.) believes Planned Parenthood should not be funded by your tax dollars. Planned Parenthood bills itself as the Lenscrafters of Family Planning. Great, but we don’t give tax subsidies to LensCrafters. LensCrafters also hasn’t been under criminal investigation for helping to cover up the abuse of underage girls.
Minnick is endorsed by not only Planned Parenthood, but also NARAL Pro-Choice America. Based on to the money poured into the race, Big Abortion expects to get a big boost if Walt Minnick is elected to Congress.
9. Endorsed Barack Obama-in January
One can’t take down a Democrat solely for supporting Obama except that Minnick made his endorsement in January. Minnick could have supported Hillary Clinton, who was more moderate, or stayed neutral. Instead, Minnick urged the Democrats to select the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate as its nominee when there were other viable choices. How then can Minnick claim to be a “conservative” Democrat? How can he claim fiscal conservatism with his support for a candidate that James Pethokoukis of U.S. News and World Report declared would bring “Half billion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see.”
8. Fool Me Once…
Minnick is taking the line that he’ll go to Washington and stop earmarks and balance the budget. Wait? Haven’t we heard that line before? Yes, we did. In 2006, House Democratic Candidates ran as Conservative Populists and won on similar themes throughout the country. Yet, too a person, the House Freshman class has turned out to be absolutely worthless on fiscal issues. In 2007, there were anti-Pork Amendments brought up in the U.S. House, your average House Democrat voted to cut the pork only 2% of the time It’s easy to talk the fiscal conservative talk, it’s hard to actually govern. Why should we believe Minnick when 50+ House Democratic Freshman failed to keep their promise in 2006?
7. Charlie Rangel
While the media has rapped Congressman Sali for support from out of state conservatives, the liberal press in Idaho remains characteristically uncurious about Minnick’s out of state fundraising. A chief example is the National Leadership of Congressman Charlie Rangel.
If Minnick is the scourge of earmarks, Rangel certainly didn’t know it as his PAC sent $10,000 to Minnick’s campaign.
Rangel obtained an earmark for the Charlie Rangel Center for public service in New York City, the Monument to Me. Congressman Sali opposed this earmark while not a single House Democratic Freshman did. Subsequently, Rangel came under investigation for raising $12 million for the center, much of it from businesses with issues before his committee. To top it all of as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rangel failed to pay taxes on income he earned from a rental property. As embarrassing scandals mounted, the New York Times called for Rangel to resign as Ways and Means Committee Chairman.
Up in Alaska, the Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate, Mark Begitch (D) realized that running as a government reformer and taking Rangel’s money didn’t mix, so he donated all of Rangel’s donation to charity. Meanwhile, Walt Minnick is clinging to Rangel’s donation like his Presidential Candidate said rural folks cling to guns and religion.
6. Amnesty for Illegal Aliens
Minnick declared his support for amnesty for illegal aliens as proposed by President Bush, but like Bush he’d rather not call it amnesty.
5. Bankrolling the Left
For someone who claims to be a conservative Democrat, Minnick supports a lot of liberals for high office in-state and out. If I were a conservative Democrat who wanted to support candidates out of state, I would probably give to guys like Rep. Scott Mattheson (D-UT) or Gene Taylor (D-Ms.) who are fairly conservative. Instead, Minnick gave money to the Senate re-election campaign of John Kerry in 1996. He supported the House Campaign of Department of Peace supporter Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO), and he contributed to Senator Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA.) campaign.
In Idaho, he’s supported such far left members of the State Legislature as State Representative Nicole LeFavour who is so far to the left she opposed a bill to make it a crime to physically coerce a woman to have an abortion. Another Minnick beneficiary was Mike Burkett, who fought against a bill that required legal status be verified before the state gives out any non-emergency benefits.
In addition to this, Minnick gave money to defeat our State’s Marriage Amendment at the polls in 2008 and also gave money in support an initiative that would force the State to $210 million in taxes any way that it chose. The money was to be used for whatever educational expenses school districts wanted. What was that about fiscal responsibility?
You can tell a lot about someone by where they invest their personal resources. Minnick’s support for the far left in Idaho and across the nation speaks volumes.
4. Extreme Environmentalist
Idaho’s resource industry has been devastated by closing lands off to resource management and logging. In addition, there has been an incessant hue and cry for breaching of Idaho dams. Minnick has been a big part of this environmental movement that has hurt our state. He served on the Governing Board of the Wilderness Society for 16 years, and was a big donor to EarthJustice, a legal group that uses litigation to force far left environmental policies through the courts, while destroying good paying jobs.
3. Its What We Don’t Know
In this top 10 list, we’ve hit some of the top issues. However, much of Minnick’s issue positions are unknown. On the issue of card check, I e-mailed Minnick’s campaign more than 3 months ago for information on where Minnick stands on the Employer Free Choice Act, a bill that would allow unions to intimidate workers by eliminating the secret ballot in union elections. As of this date, I don’t know where Walt Minnick stands on that issue, but I do know Walt Minnick has raised nearly $100,000 from Labor Unions including $5,000 from the National Education Association, and that he’s raised $165,000 from New York City in Individual Itemized contributions.
Ultimately, we don’t just elect Congressman to handle issues that we’re up to speed on, but those that we don’t have either time or inclination to follow. That’s where the question, “What’s this guy’s real philosophy?” becomes so critical. Can Idaho trust him to be a Conservative? The record says no.
2. D+ From the NRA
Minnick scored a D+ from the NRA for answering that all guns that didn’t support the ownership of guns that are “not used for sporting purposes.” Minnick backs the Brady law. Minnick D+ rating is astounding in Idaho.
The NRA is a not a partisan organization. Democratic Senate Nominee Larry LaRocco scored an A. Our neighboring Senator Max Baucus received an A+ from the NRA. Even Colorado Senate Candidate Mark Udall scored a C, while his brother Tom scored a C- in New Mexico.
Minnick is touting the endorsement of a phony gun organization called American Hunters and Shooters Association, which has also endorsed gun control proponent Obama for President.
1. Bill Sali
The #1 reason that Walt Minnick should go to Congress is that the first district already has a great Congressman. Bill Sali received a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union and was ranked a Taxpayer Hero by the National Taxpayers Union. While Walt Minnick talks about fighting government waste, Bill Sali has actually been endorsed by Citizens Against Government Waste.
Bill Sali has receivd an A+ rating not only from the NRA, but from the more stringent Gun Owners of America. He’s been recognized by the Family Research Council for his leadership on pro-family issues.
Of course, the narrative is that people might agree with Sali on the issues, but that he’s a bombastic counterproductive Congressman who alienates around him. The only problem? It’s not true.
The Idaho Statesman, which is owned by McClatchy, has only endorsed Bill Sali once in his political career (when his opponent skipped the interview.) The Statesman has to report that McClatchy’s Washington reporter failed to find anyone Congressman Sali had alienated during his tenure. In fact, Sali has received some compliments from Democrats and Republicans alike on the Hill.
Idaho has a great Congressman who, stands as a voice of sanity in a madhouse we call Washington. He has a compass and it points True North.
Idaho shouldn’t throw that away to elect a dime store Democrat.
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