Wednesday, October 04, 2006
More on the Northup Record from Tim Saler at The Stakeholder
Since Anne won't share her record, we'll try our best to seek it out for you.
This appeared on the Stakeholder.
Congressional Cronies: Anne Northup (KY-03)
Posted by
Monday, October 31, 2005 at 2:59 PM
Ed. Note: Welcome Tim Saler to the Stakeholder, who will be popping in to post in depth on particularly interesting and intense races across the country.
When Anne Northup was running for re-election to Congress in 2004, her campaign told voters that she was not afraid to take on the tough issues. What she didn't tell the voters of Kentucky's Third Congressional District is that her idea of taking on the tough issues is to play follow-the-leader.
Anne Northup has failed in her mission to be an independent voice for Kentuckians. When she was faced with the tough decisions, she caved. When push came to shove, Northup voted with recently-indicted Congressman Tom DeLay 94 percent of the time, often to the detriment of Kentucky families. She doesn't just vote with DeLay; she's in his pocket too.
Anne Northup is among the top ten recipients of dirty money from Tom DeLay's political action committee, ARMPAC. She has received $42,000 from DeLay, even while over half of her constituents earn less than that a year. When she had to choose, she put Tom DeLay and the Republican money machine ahead of average Kentuckians.
The disparity between Northup's record and the needs of her constituents is shocking to say the least. With over 41,000 acres of farm land in her district, she has voted consistently against agricultural legislation that would provide support for family farmers. As a case in point, the National Farmers Union gave Anne Northup a 20 percent ranking for the period of 2003 through 2004. Does Anne Northup care about anyone who actually tries to make a decent, honest living in her district? All signs point to no.
She has tried to act like a Democrat come election time, telling senior citizens that she will not take away their Social Security. But, when it came time to decide between the Republican machine and her constituents, she sided with big money yet again. She voted against strengthening the Social Security lockbox, and she supports the President's plan to privatize Social Security, even when it's crystal clear that it would hurt Kentucky families. The Alliance for Retired Americans gave Northup an abysmal 13 percent rating for 2004, demonstrating in short her complete lack of commitment to the issues affecting senior citizens. The Republicans claim to be the party of family values, but what family teaches its children to say one thing and do another? It's time for Anne Northup to come clean.
Kentuckians are hurting in the pocketbook. They long for the days when Democrats controlled the White House. Democrats balanced the budget, grew the economy, and created widespread prosperity. The Republicans took record budget surpluses in 2001 and flushed them down the toilet, showering the ultra-wealthy with tax handouts. Anne Northup and the Republicans should be ashamed. They have no problem telling the needy in society that they don't deserve a little help, but those who have the most could always use a little more. These are not Kentucky values.
When Kentucky families are struggling to make mortgage payments and send their kids to college, Anne Northup put the interests of the wealthy ahead of the interests of average folks. Rather than cutting taxes for the middle class like Democrats do, Anne Northup and the Republicans slashed the capital gains tax so that wealthy fat-cat money manipulators can buy a third home in the Hamptons. Republicans must answer a fundamental question: where are your morals?
When her district's public schools are performing below the state average across the board, Anne Northup's solution is the same as it's always been: what does Tom DeLay think? Tom DeLay and the corrupt Republican leadership want to de-fund public education. It wasn't too long ago when the Republicans planned to abolish the Department of Education. Now they've got a new message, but they have the same intention.
Anne Northup and the Republicans want to destroy the public education system. Anne Northup has voted in favor of school vouchers, which would strip funding away from public schools in your neighborhood and decrease the quality of education for kids who can't go somewhere else. The National Parent Teacher Association knows the truth about Anne Northup. They gave her a pitiful 0 percent rating for the period of 2003 through 2004. These are not Kentucky values.
Anne Northup and the Republicans say they're for our brave men and women fighting overseas, but they are anything but. The Disabled American Veterans gave Anne Northup a 0 percent rating in 2004, highlighting her failure to support our troops, especially when they come home and need our support the most. Democrats know that you have to support the troops all the time, not just when the television cameras are rolling. That's why they've been fighting for years to expand Veterans Administration health care coverage and benefits. Anne Northup and the Republicans are on the side of the big HMOs and against regular Kentuckians.
Gas prices have shot up through the roof in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and the Republican reaction has been to repeal environmental protections and give handouts to oil companies. We are supposed to feel bad for oil companies, whose refineries were damaged by the hurricane, and reward them with tax handouts and repealed regulations that Anne Northup and the Republicans voted for. Now it's come out that the oil companies have made record profit in the past quarter, yet the average gas price in Anne Northup's district is still around $2.30 a gallon. Anne Northup has demonstrated her priorities. She cares more about big oil companies making record profits than her own constituents struggling to heat their homes and drive to work.
Anne Northup doesn't care about workers either. She voted to eliminate essential regulations that would improve the safety and health of workers who are exposed to potential injuries on the job. The AFL-CIO, UAW, SEIU, CWA, AFSCME, and IBEW all gave Anne Northup failing grades in 2003 and 2004. When her district is losing good-paying jobs, Anne Northup is more concerned with how she can deliver tax handouts to financiers and speculators on Wall Street.
Kentucky knows it's time for a new direction. That new direction isn't coming from Anne Northup and the crooked politicians she supports, like Ernie Fletcher and Tom DeLay. In 2006, Kentuckians will send the Republican machine a message: we demand better, because we deserve better!
The path to peace and prosperity is in view, and it is found in the Democratic program for America. The Republicans have had their chance to lead, and they have failed.
America can do better than Anne Northup, Tom DeLay, and corrupt congressional Republicans. Together, we will take this country back from the leaders who have betrayed our trust.
This appeared on the Stakeholder.
Congressional Cronies: Anne Northup (KY-03)
Posted by
Monday, October 31, 2005 at 2:59 PM
Ed. Note: Welcome Tim Saler to the Stakeholder, who will be popping in to post in depth on particularly interesting and intense races across the country.
When Anne Northup was running for re-election to Congress in 2004, her campaign told voters that she was not afraid to take on the tough issues. What she didn't tell the voters of Kentucky's Third Congressional District is that her idea of taking on the tough issues is to play follow-the-leader.
Anne Northup has failed in her mission to be an independent voice for Kentuckians. When she was faced with the tough decisions, she caved. When push came to shove, Northup voted with recently-indicted Congressman Tom DeLay 94 percent of the time, often to the detriment of Kentucky families. She doesn't just vote with DeLay; she's in his pocket too.
Anne Northup is among the top ten recipients of dirty money from Tom DeLay's political action committee, ARMPAC. She has received $42,000 from DeLay, even while over half of her constituents earn less than that a year. When she had to choose, she put Tom DeLay and the Republican money machine ahead of average Kentuckians.
The disparity between Northup's record and the needs of her constituents is shocking to say the least. With over 41,000 acres of farm land in her district, she has voted consistently against agricultural legislation that would provide support for family farmers. As a case in point, the National Farmers Union gave Anne Northup a 20 percent ranking for the period of 2003 through 2004. Does Anne Northup care about anyone who actually tries to make a decent, honest living in her district? All signs point to no.
She has tried to act like a Democrat come election time, telling senior citizens that she will not take away their Social Security. But, when it came time to decide between the Republican machine and her constituents, she sided with big money yet again. She voted against strengthening the Social Security lockbox, and she supports the President's plan to privatize Social Security, even when it's crystal clear that it would hurt Kentucky families. The Alliance for Retired Americans gave Northup an abysmal 13 percent rating for 2004, demonstrating in short her complete lack of commitment to the issues affecting senior citizens. The Republicans claim to be the party of family values, but what family teaches its children to say one thing and do another? It's time for Anne Northup to come clean.
Kentuckians are hurting in the pocketbook. They long for the days when Democrats controlled the White House. Democrats balanced the budget, grew the economy, and created widespread prosperity. The Republicans took record budget surpluses in 2001 and flushed them down the toilet, showering the ultra-wealthy with tax handouts. Anne Northup and the Republicans should be ashamed. They have no problem telling the needy in society that they don't deserve a little help, but those who have the most could always use a little more. These are not Kentucky values.
When Kentucky families are struggling to make mortgage payments and send their kids to college, Anne Northup put the interests of the wealthy ahead of the interests of average folks. Rather than cutting taxes for the middle class like Democrats do, Anne Northup and the Republicans slashed the capital gains tax so that wealthy fat-cat money manipulators can buy a third home in the Hamptons. Republicans must answer a fundamental question: where are your morals?
When her district's public schools are performing below the state average across the board, Anne Northup's solution is the same as it's always been: what does Tom DeLay think? Tom DeLay and the corrupt Republican leadership want to de-fund public education. It wasn't too long ago when the Republicans planned to abolish the Department of Education. Now they've got a new message, but they have the same intention.
Anne Northup and the Republicans want to destroy the public education system. Anne Northup has voted in favor of school vouchers, which would strip funding away from public schools in your neighborhood and decrease the quality of education for kids who can't go somewhere else. The National Parent Teacher Association knows the truth about Anne Northup. They gave her a pitiful 0 percent rating for the period of 2003 through 2004. These are not Kentucky values.
Anne Northup and the Republicans say they're for our brave men and women fighting overseas, but they are anything but. The Disabled American Veterans gave Anne Northup a 0 percent rating in 2004, highlighting her failure to support our troops, especially when they come home and need our support the most. Democrats know that you have to support the troops all the time, not just when the television cameras are rolling. That's why they've been fighting for years to expand Veterans Administration health care coverage and benefits. Anne Northup and the Republicans are on the side of the big HMOs and against regular Kentuckians.
Gas prices have shot up through the roof in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and the Republican reaction has been to repeal environmental protections and give handouts to oil companies. We are supposed to feel bad for oil companies, whose refineries were damaged by the hurricane, and reward them with tax handouts and repealed regulations that Anne Northup and the Republicans voted for. Now it's come out that the oil companies have made record profit in the past quarter, yet the average gas price in Anne Northup's district is still around $2.30 a gallon. Anne Northup has demonstrated her priorities. She cares more about big oil companies making record profits than her own constituents struggling to heat their homes and drive to work.
Anne Northup doesn't care about workers either. She voted to eliminate essential regulations that would improve the safety and health of workers who are exposed to potential injuries on the job. The AFL-CIO, UAW, SEIU, CWA, AFSCME, and IBEW all gave Anne Northup failing grades in 2003 and 2004. When her district is losing good-paying jobs, Anne Northup is more concerned with how she can deliver tax handouts to financiers and speculators on Wall Street.
Kentucky knows it's time for a new direction. That new direction isn't coming from Anne Northup and the crooked politicians she supports, like Ernie Fletcher and Tom DeLay. In 2006, Kentuckians will send the Republican machine a message: we demand better, because we deserve better!
The path to peace and prosperity is in view, and it is found in the Democratic program for America. The Republicans have had their chance to lead, and they have failed.
America can do better than Anne Northup, Tom DeLay, and corrupt congressional Republicans. Together, we will take this country back from the leaders who have betrayed our trust.
