The Republicans are going online for twelve hours to talk about 12 truths on health care.
Having Sat on His Hands Refusing to Help the GOP In Its Suicide Bid, But Remaining a Loyal Lieutenant, Mike Pence is Finally Free to Do What He’s Always Wanted
Mike Pence refused to endorse Dede Scozzafava. Being, however, the Chairman of the House Republican Conference, it really would have been bad form of him to go all in with Hoffman. Being in that position demands some party loyalty. So behind the scenes Pence has made clear he was unhappy with this whole sordid mess and has refused to cooperate or fund the madness.
Today he can do what he has wanted to do the whole time — endorse Doug Hoffman.
Conservatives are now fully united and fighting. The race is not offer. We must fight for Hoffman now.
Pence’s statement is below the fold.
Step Into the Ring
Mike Pence offers a little pep talk to conservatives via YouTube. He’s ready to fight are you?
House Passes Iran Election Resolution
The House today voted to support Iranian dissidents and “all Iranians who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law.” The resolution
(H Res 560) passed with 405 yea votes and only one nay, and two members voting present.
As I said earlier, and as many of our Representatives emphasized today, this has nothing to do with supporting Mousavi. In fact it offers no commentary on Mousavi whatsoever. This resolution is about supporting the cause of freedom. As Congressman Pence stated “The cause of America is freedom.”
Click through for some other floor speech excerpts I thought noteworthy. And here are Pence’s full closing remarks:
Pence Stands With Iranian Dissidents
Today Congressman Mike Pence - a member of the House Republican Leadership - introduced a resolution to make clear that the US supports the brave dissidents who are risking their lives for democracy in Iran.
This ought to be a no-brainer. The United States has helped make the world’s most dangerous hot spot somewhat safer by supporting democracy in the Middle East. As Moe has pointed out, the emergence of a democracy in Iraq has encouraged other nations to demand the right to choose their own leaders. The world can only become safer if the people of Iran win their fight to choose the man who replaces Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Pence’s resolution says:
Whereas the United States supports the right of the citizens of Iran to have free and independent elections for the selection of their political leaders;
Whereas Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that ‘‘(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives; (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country; (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures’’;
Mike Pence on the GOP as the principled opposition
We Didn't have a marketing problem we had a principle problem.
I had the privilege of speaking with Congressman Mike Pence this morning. As I told him on the phone, I was excited to talk to a staunch conservative from Central Indiana having gone to high school and college there myself. He was just as eloquent an advocate for conservative ideas and principles as I expected him to be.
I decided that what I wanted to focus on for the short time I had was his conception of how the GOP would connect with voters as a minority party and thus begin the foundation for retaking the majority. So my questions were less about detailed policy and more about big picture policy; plus strategy and communication.
The first question I had was how does he - and the GOP in general - keep from getting focused on what you might call “inside-baseball” (the daily minutia and parliamentarian maneuvers of Congress) and get his message to the average voter.
The Congressman explained that he does that by staying in close touch with the people he represents. He does this through town hall meetings, regular radio interviews, etc. And he argued that this is the most effective way to build up what he called “anti-bodies to Potomac Fever.” Potomac fever defined as thinking like Washington and worrying about what Washington thinks.
The Congressman thinks the GOP is winning the argument over the budget in many ways because the issues they are raising resonate with what Americans thinks about running huge deficits and trying to spend our way out of this crisis.
House GOP Leaders Reach Across Aisle, Pledge to Support Obama if he will Attempt to Fulfill Promise of Fiscal Responsibility
Last Friday, ten House Republican leaders sent a letter to President Barack Obama. In it, they offered to work across party lines and Congressional divisions with the new president to achieve the latter’s stated commitment “to fiscal transparency and accountability and ensuring that [all] spending commitments are paid for without burdening our children and grandchildren with excessive debt,” and to “slash[ing] earmarks to no greater than 1994 levels and ensur[ing] all spending decisions are open to the public.”
The Republican leaders wrote:
In keeping with these pledges to the American people, we urge you to veto the so-called “omnibus” spending bill passed this week if the Senate fails to reject it.
Like the trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill that was rushed through Congress without any Member having read it, the $410 billion legislation passed this week openly defies your commendable objectives of fiscal transparency and accountability. It contains nearly 9,000 “airdropped” earmarks, most of which were not even considered in committee let alone on the House floor as is routine — compared to roughly 4,000 in 1994. …
Mike Pence at CPAC
One of the best decisions made this year by House Republicans was putting Mike Pence in charge of the House Republican Conference. Yesterday at CPAC, he proved it.
Pence was dynamic, powerful, focused, and absolutely willing to call out other Republicans who totally failed the party and the conservative movement.
His theme, from stage, was set early:
How we, as conservatives, respond to these challenges could determine whether America retains her place in the world as a beacon of freedom; or whether we slip into the abyss that has swallowed much of Europe in an avalanche of socialism.
While some are prepared to write the obituary on capitalism and our movement, I believe we are on the brink of a great American awakening.
The crowd really responded, understanding that the GOP needs conservatives and their ideas more than conservatives really need the GOP. The fight for freedom will be based on our ideas, not the left’s. Pence drove this point home with a line that left people in the exhibit hall frozen — absorbing the wisdom of the line:
Fighting for free enterprise means standing up for free markets. The freedom to succeed includes the freedom to fail. We must defend entrepreneurial capitalism against the onslaught of the American left.
Mike Pence gets it.
After the speech, I asked Congressmen Pence how he responds to those who say the GOP leadership failed the GOP. “Not me,” he said. I responded, “Yeah, but . . . what about the leadership? The same guys are there.” He admitted there were problems, but said they are working hard to fix the problems. He pointed to toeing the line on the stimulus. He pointed out Boehner and Cantor’s leadership holding the caucus together. He made a lot of sense.
Below the fold you can listen to his whole speech.
