Thank God she’s feeling the heat. She should feel more than that. She should feel the force of voters voting her out of office.

Mary Bono Mack, unlike some of her Republican colleagues who voted for cap-and-trade ( see e.g. Dave Reichert), does not live in a district that would punish her for cap-and-trade opposition. She was perfectly safe to vote no.

That she did not means she should now be targeted.

Redemption? Vote against it should it come back from the Senate via Conference and actively oppose Obamacare.

Otherwise, we beat her and her husband at the polls.

Yes, you heard me. We can get at Mary Bono Mack in two ways — her district and that of her husband. He should feel the heat just as much as her.

The National Rifle Association, whose oft stated aim is to protect our Second Amendment rights, is missing in action in the confirmation battle over Sonia Sotomayor, the most anti-gun nominee that President Obama could have nominated to the Supreme Court. In the two cases to come before her on the Second Circuit (an unpublished opinion and the more recent Maloney v. Cuomo case), she made clear her “fundamental” view that unlike all of the other amendments contained in the Bill of Rights, the right to keep and bear arms “is clearly not a fundamental right” and a restrictive New York weapons law did not “interfere[] with a fundamental right. Even the infamously liberal Ninth Circuit disagreed with her.

In the Maloney case, Sotomayor’s ruling would allow the states to completely ban the possession of guns, a radical view that should scare the living daylights out of the NRA and its membership. After all, the Heller decision by the Supreme Court striking down the District of Columbia’s gun ban was decided by only one vote. In other words, the Court came within one vote of completely writing the Second Amendment out of the Constitution.

This matter is likely to come up before the Supreme Court in its very next term. The NRA is appealing the decision of the Seventh Circuit in NRA v. Chicago, a case over the City of Chicago’s restrictions on handguns. This case will decide whether the individual right to bear arms that the Supreme Court recognized in Heller as applying to the federal government in the District of Columbia also applies to the states through the incorporation doctrine of the Fourteenth Amendment. If this case is lost through a close vote on the Supreme Court, the constitutional gun rights of Americans will vanish in the foreseeable future – except in the District of Columbia.

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Despite the spin being applied to this polling, Marco Rubio is making significant gains on Charlie Crist more than a year before the Florida Primary.

The Mason-Dixon Florida Poll, conducted last week among 625 registered voters, indicated 51 percent support for Crist — compared to 23 percent for Rubio. But that was largely a factor of Crist being far better known statewide than the former West Miami legislator.

What, that doesn’t sound good to you? Well, consider the relevant part:

Among Republicans who recognized both names, Crist’s lead was 33 percent to 31 percent. With an error margin of 6 percent, and 36 percent of GOP voters saying they are undecided, the figures were encouraging for Rubio.

“Half of the Republicans have never heard of Rubio but among the half that have, the race is essentially tied,” said Brad Coker, director of the Mason-Dixon poll. “If Rubio gets a little money and gets a little momentum going, it’s a dead heat.”

The Governor of Florida and Speaker of the Florida House, among those who know them, are essentially tied.

And the race is more than a year away — plus it will be a closed primary.

Charlie Crist has taken to Twitter to peddle his lies. Here’s the latest:

Tomorrow is the last day of our fund raising quarter. Please support our campaign for LESS TAXES, LESS GOVERNMENT, AND MORE FREEDOM.

Charlie Crist just signed a budget raising taxes on Floridians.

Charlie Crist supported and said he would vote for the Obama stimulus plan that expands the size of government, creating new agencies, new oversight, and new regulations.

As for Freedom, a man who wants to roll back efforts to end affirmative action, undo educational reforms that give Florida children greater access to the education of their choosing, and who supports the expansive spending policies of Barack Obama neither knows nor deserves freedom.

Stop the liar Charlie Crist.

The Wall Street Journal calls him the “Republican Barney Frank.”

Support Marco Rubio and support freedom.

Matthew Cunningham, over at Red County, has a post worth reading about Barack Obama’s disastrous foreign policy.

We need to pay attention to Obama’s foreign policy. It is shaping up to be fatal to American interests.

He has given only tepid support to democratic protestors in Iran — and only after much needling and pushing by Republicans.

He has burned bridges with the French, something no one thought possible.

He has insulted the British and refuses to embrace the idea of it being our strongest alliance.

He refuses to take on the North Koreans despite their intentions to launch a missile toward Hawaii.

And now Barack Obama is standing with Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and a host of communist regimes and sympathizers in Central and South America on the issue of Honduras.

To recap: The Honduran President decided, like Hugo Chavez, to have an “election” in order to keep himself in office longer than the law allowed.

The Honduran Constitution requires that Presidents serve one term. Given Latin American history, it is a good thing. The Constitution also requires that referenda be approved by the Honduran Congress.

The President of Honduras decided to have a referendum on giving him more time in office, which the Congress blocked. He went ahead anyway. The Honduran Supreme Court told him to stop. He ignored them.

So the Congress and the Supreme Court ordered the military to remove the President of Honduras. It was no coup. It was an attempt by two co-equal branches of government from preventing the third co-equal branch from becoming a dictator.

Nonetheless, Barack Obama sees it differently. He is supporting the democratically ousted President of Honduras. He joins Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.

Meanwhile, people are still dying on the streets of Iran.

Marathon Pundit went to a Cap and Trade inspired tea party at Mark Kirk’s office. The email about this is timely as we’re having heated discussion among the contributors right now regarding Kirk.

All things being equal, I’m happy to support Kirk for Senate because I think he can win statewide and is at least 50% better than what’s there. I don’t want to chase windmills if I don’t have to and I’m not convinced someone of my liking can win in Illinois, if only because the Illinois GOP and the Democrats would both do the person in.

But Kirk needs to know his vote was unnecessary and unacceptable.

By the way folks, this is a great example of offline activism we should all be doing more of.

After a few minutes outside waving signs on Skokie Bouleverd, Leary and I, accompanied by couple of other protesters, took an elevator up to Kirk’s office.

A polite staffer named Eric met with us for twenty minutes–we all expressed feelings, negative ones, about Kirk’s vote.

Well done!

Florida Speaker Marco Rubio, the RedState endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate in Florida, is trying to reach his quarterly fundraising goal. You can use this widget from the campaign to help him if you are so inclined. I am.

Go here.

And be sure to be at the RedState Gathering on August 1st to see Marco.

Stu Rothenberg, a paragon of Inside the Beltway Conventional Wisdom, really screwed up some very basic facts in his story on Georgia.

First of all, in a Republican primary where the clear front runner in the most recent polling is the Insurance Commissioner, John Oxendine, Rothenberg calls Ox and the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia Senate, Eric Johnson, “long shots.”

Who does Stu think is the front runner? Why the Congressman, of course. Only in Washington, D.C. would a Beltway Pundit survey the landscape in Georgia and conclude that the guy who lives closest to him is the guy most likely to win.

But more egregious, Stu uses Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel’s opponents’ talking points to dismiss her. When he finds out the talking points aren’t true, he does not correct them.

This passes for credible political journalism in Washington.

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There is a rumor in Washington that Senator John Cornyn is desperately trying to get Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner to jump into the California Senate race against Chuck Devore in the GOP Primary.

Poizner is running for Governor currently.

Right now, the only Republican in the race is Chuck Devore. He is battling Mrs. “Ma’am” Boxer, the little lady who likes to be called Senator by men in uniform.

Chuck needs to have a good fundraising showing with the FEC. You can help. The more Chuck has, the less likely it becomes that the NRSC recruits some squishy leftist.

Oh to be fickle and used. The gay rights movement must really like to be that girl (or guy as you might have it) that gets picked up at the bar, slept with, then kicked out before sun up without so much as a kiss.

Now, just like that girl who stands in the hallway of the apartment building knocking on the door demanding a bit more attention, the Democrats are going to open the door, give a peck on the cheek, then close the door again.

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There are some calls out there right now to boycott the NRCC over the 8 cap-and-trade votes cast by the GOP.

Are we going to seriously punish Dave Reichert for voting for cap-and-trade when he barely won his district in 2008 and something like 70% of his district both supports cap-and-trade and thinks environmental issues are the most important issues in Congress? If so, don’t delude yourself into ever thinking we’ll get the majority back.

Some Republicans have to vote in ways the majority of us find detestable in order to stay in Congress.

But then there is Bono Mack, Castle, and Kirk. They did not have to vote that way. I am most troubled by Congresswoman Mack and think we should beat both her and her useless husband.

Of note, and one reason I do not think we should do to the NRCC what we are doing to the NRSC (in addition to a boycott of the NRCC totally obscuring exactly why we need to punish the NRSC), even the House GOP leadership quickly threw the eight yes votes under the bus.

When is the last time you have seen the Senate GOP do that?

On Friday night, the House GOP sent out a press release blasting the passage of H.R. 2454 and listed the names of all eight Republicans who voted for it. The Senate GOP would never do that.

Not only that, but John Boehner took to the floor of the House to engage in a quasi-filibuster of the legislation. Please note that those criticizing Boehner for not making it a full filibuster are under the impression that he could have done so. Boeher was speaking with “unlimited” time, which actually meant he was speaking for as long as the Speaker would allow him — a big difference and something he cannot afford to abuse.

Boehner tied up the House for an hour by daring to read the legislation and then the House GOP Leadership sent out a release blasting the eight Republicans who voted for cap-and-trade. I dare Mitch McConnell to be so bold.

McConnell’s typical idea on something like this would be to get an amendment allowing drilling for oil in one square inch of ANWR, then declare compromise a success and vote for the thing. Hopefully, in this battle, he will be a fighter not a squish. He should remember what John Boehner did both before and after the vote, then act the same way.

Rooms are still available. REGISTER HERE. We get together the night of July 31st, then go all day on August 1st with Marco, Jim DeMint, and several others to be announced.

I’ll add the updates as I get them to the top of this post.

UPDATE at 7:04 p.m.

Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) is non-commital either way. Call him at (202) 225-7742.

————————-

UPDATE at 5:43 p.m.

NM 2nd District - Harry Teague (D) is now leaning undecided on #capandtrade. (202) 225-2365.

————————-

UPDATE at 4:31 p.m.

Leonard Lance from NJ is leaning yes. Call him at (202) 225-5361.

Mike Castle from DE is leaning yes. His number is 202.225.4165.

Mark Kirk from IL is leaning yes. His number is 202-225-4835.

Alan Grayson (D-FL) bribed to support cap and trade. Caught on tape. Henry Waxman supports $50 million for Grayson’s district in exchange for Grayson’s support of Waxman-Markey.

—————————

UPDATE at 2:35 p.m.:

Democrats are starting a rumor that they’ve yanked cap and trade from the floor. I’m hearing it is a ruse. They are short votes and stalling to get more.
—————————-

Updated at 2:22 p.m.:

Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) still is undecided. Her number is (202) 225-2315.

U.S. Representative John Spratt (D-SC) is undecided. His number is 202-225-5501.

U.S. Representative Ed Pastor (D-AZ) is undecided. His number is (202) 225-4065.
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Updated at 1:15 p.m.:

Bart Stupak (D-MI) remains undecided on cap and trade. Call him at (202) 225 4735.

Add Betsy Markey (D-CO 4th) to your list of reps to contact. Her number is 202-225-4676.
——————————

Rep. Connolly (D-VA) is refusing to say how he’ll vote on cap and trade. Call him at 202-0225-1492.

Congressman Perriello’s (D-VA) office told a caller that Congressman Perriello wants there to be enough votes to pass Cap & Trade so he can vote no on it.

Call and demand Congressman Periello vote no on H.R. 2454. His number is (202) 225-4711.

Congressman Jim Marshall (D-GA) is refusing to commit on a position. Call him at 202-225-6531.

Congressman Sanford Bishop (D-GA) is keeping a tally of callers and his office says he’ll vote based on the number of callers for or against cap and trade. Call him at (202) 225-3631.

Congressman Mark Schauer (D-MI) is still undecided on Cap and Trade. Call him at 202-225-6276.

Find your Congresman here and call now. Tell him to vote no on H.R. 2454, also called Waxman-Markey.

Greenpeace has now come out against Cap & Trade too. Why? Because the envirowackos say the legislation will do no good to solve global warming.

In other words, the Democrat leadership wants to strangle our economy for nothing.

Technorati Tags:
Cap and Trade, Global Warming

Congressman John Boehner is on the floor of the House of Representatives engaging in a rare House filibuster. Boehner, given unlimited speaking time, is reading the text of Henry Waxman’s 300 page amendment to the Cap and Trade legislation.

Here’s what I need you to do:

Go here right now to get your Congressman’s phone number.

Call your Congressman right now.

Tell him to vote no on Waxman-Markey, H.R. 2454, the cap and trade legislation.

Several Democrats who were voting yes are now undecided.

Call your member now.

It almost makes you wonder if Barney Frank isn’t just dating that dude from Fannie Mae, but Chris Dodd too.

Together, they brought us the financial crisis relating to Fannie and Freddie. Now they want to do the same to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. They’ll greatly enrich Mrs. Dodd too.

Michelle Malkin notes there is placeholder language in the cap and trade bill. In other words, Congressmen are being asked to vote on legislation that will be written after the vote. Frank says this “will deal with regulations of financial derivatives market associated with reducing carbon emissions.”

Over at the Next Right, Ironman points out that Mrs. Dodd will stand to make a killing on this. Mrs. Dodd has business interests related to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange that will profit from these new regulations.

Here is the list of swing Democrats on Cap and Trade.

Here is the list of swing Republicans on the issue.

If you don’t see your Congressman on the list, go
here, put in your zip-code, and find your Congressman.

You need to call right now. Tell your Congressman to vote no on the Cap & Trade legislation, H.R. 2454. It is coming to a vote today.

Brian notes in the comments that the legislation requires us to “unilaterally reduce our emissions without being contingent on China or India reducing theirs.”

It is also a giant tax increase on working families. Energy costs are going to soar.

Add these Republicans to the list of people to call about Cap and Trade.

Tell them to vote no on H.R. 2454.

Vern Buchanan (FL-13): 202-225-5015
Joseph Cao (LA-02): 202-225-6636
Vern Ehlers (MI-03): 202-225-3831
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11): 202-225-5034
Jim Gerlach (PA-06): 202-225-4315
Tim Johnson (IL-15): 202-225-2371
Mark Kirk (IL-10): 202-225-4835
Chris Smith (NJ-04): 202-225-3765

They are the swing votes on H.R. 2454, the Cap and Trade legislation.

If you live in their district, call now. If you don’t live in their district, go here to find your Congressman and call now.

Folks, watch the video below, then go here to call your Congressman to vote against Cap and Trade.

Go here now.

Well, what I wrote yesterday was wrong. Sanford’s lies spread through his office and out to the rest of us.

The left is linking to yesterday’s post to laugh at it. What they are missing is that most of us tend to give people the benefit of the doubt — even people like John Edwards.

We live in a fallen world and we ourselves are fallen. I am disappointed in Sanford, but not angry. The default for politicians seems to be unchaste. All we can do is work for ideas and try to find men of good character to fight for those ideas.

I think one thing I have noticed in the past five years is that Democrats and Republicans tend to elevate politicians to such a level that there is no accountability. It is insular. There is no support group, no small group of friends, and no authority that can guide, admonish, and correct politicians privately.

We have each other. I’m off in a bit to hang out with friends from my Bible Study. Sanford probably has none of that. I’m sure John Edwards did not. Nor Bill Clinton. Nor John Ensign.

What Mark Sanford did was wrong. He needs to go in a dark hole somewhere where no one can see him or hear him and rehabilitate himself. On the bright side, I doubt his indiscretions will affect the FisCon movement. The left is going to spend the next week making Sanford into the second coming of James Dobson to smear real marriage advocates and social conservatives — positions Sanford was rarely vocal on.

Blessed is the Lord God Jehovah who brings forth bread from heaven, water from rocks, and men like Mark Sanford from the dust of the earth. His will be done.