Friday at WCCO-AM's State Fair booth, Congressional Candidate Coleen Rowley had just finished a one hour interview with Jack Rice. Jack's next guest was Rep. John Kline. Rowley reached over the booth's railing to Rep. Kline and asked him if he'd like to debate right now on WCCO. The Representative quickly DeKlined Rowley's request, saying "wait until you're the nominee". Rowley then pointed out it was to Kline's advantage to debate her now before she finished reading up on all the issues. Kline just shook his head and walked away.
On the show, Kline fessed up that the Bush administration had made several tactical and strategic errors in Iraq (such as giving Iraqis weapons and not really training them). But he said that doesn't matter now because we're in Iraq and we need to "support the troops". He also DeKlined to say the U.S. should send more troops to secure the country... even after Jack Rice pointed out that as soon as the U.S. moves troops into an area, the enemy just moves someplace else. Kline said the U.S. Military is killing large numbers of the enemy, it just doesn't get reported in the media. He also denied that the U.S. invasion of Iraq is helping recruit more terrorists. Jack Rice, who is a former CIA agent, was pretty skeptical of that statement.
So John Kline admits the Bush administration which he supports 98% of the time with his votes has messed things up, but shouldn't do anything different now to get us out of this mess.
What do psychiatrists call it when you keep doing the same thing, but somehow expecting a different result? Insanity!
Friday, August 26, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
John Kline offers Resolution Instead of Adequate Support or Equipment
On March 20, 2004, Senator John Kline spoke in favor of a resolution to commend our troops. “The men and women engaged in the struggle against the War on Terrorism face a difficult challenge.”
Mr. Kline went on to say, “There are those who may have debated the U.S. role in this conflict, but now is the time to rise above divisive partisanship and send one clear message to the men and women of our armed forces. Our message is one of gratitude for what they have done and will continue to do to advance the cause of peace and protect national security. Our prayer is one for fortitude that they can persevere throughout the battle, and return safely to their families and loved ones. We commend our troops for their service as we pray for their safety.”
While Kline (like Bush) speaks pretty words, they lack substances. Our troops need more than prayers for their safety and fortitude. What our troops needed (and still do) is support and equipment to protect them. When Kline voted to send our troops into harms way, he should have also voted to make sure they were adequately armored and protected.
Many of America's 1,800 dead and 14,000 wounded were killed because they were riding in unarmored or lightly armored vehicles that are totally inappropriate to the nature of the war in Iraq. Many of the US troop families had to purchase their own loved one's body armor as our government was unable to adequately equip them. Tens of thousands of troops arrived in Iraq to find that with danger around every corner there wasn't enough body armor to protect them.
Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee testified before Congress that US forces were "not prepared" for the present conflict in Iraq and they didn't have "the preparation and hardware they needed" to fight as effectively as they could. "I also regret that we were not more farsighted here. We simply were not prepared for that kind of a counterinsurgency that attacked our convoys and our soldiers in the rear, as it has proven to be,” stated Brownlee.
This while the heaviest and deadliest divisions in the world's best Army were being ordered to leave most of their best equipment - the M1A2 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles - parked at their home bases in orderly ranks. The crews of these vehicles were ordered to abandon them and become infantry to patrol the most dangerous streets and roads in the world in unarmored Humvees. These are the same unarmored Humvees that fall victim daily to roadside bombs and small-arms fire. Their crews also are falling victim to the greed of our leaders who haven’t ensured that they were protected adequately.
Sure John Kline speaks of ‘operation enduring freedom’ but instead it’s really ‘operation enduring fear’. The fear that comes from fighting a war while being totally unprepared and inadequately equipped by our government.
This administration (Bush et al...Kline) waited through months after months of ambushes before they started manufacturing armored kits. Still today many Humvees in Iraq are protected by make shift armory that the troops have inserted and welded onto them.
The men and women engaged in this struggle as Kline stated "do face a difficult challenge". A challenged made worse by the complete lack of regard for their welfare as demostrated by the inadequate equipment and lack of protection provided to them in doing their job. Instead of words, prayers or resolutions, John Kline should have been providing armored protection and ensuring adequate support.
At $5 billion a month for this war -most of it siphoned away and sucked up by private contractors - we can't send our soldiers and Marines to war with the best equipment in the world - the equipment we already own and know how to use to great effect. Since when does it make sense to send our people into harm’s way without adequate support? I guess that decision was made at the same time we were told the decision to go to war was based on the missing WMD. In other words, lies all around.
If Mr. Kline wanted to send 'one clear message' then he should have provided for the safety of our service men and women instead of allowing them to go into war without adequate protection.
Now tell me Mr. Kline how you are going to do everything you can, spend whatever it takes, to give our sons and daughters what they need to fight and survive and prevail even in a war that makes no sense. Tell me you can at least do that. Tell me that you made some serious mistakes, Congressman John Kline, but that you are willing to do anything to correct those mistakes, straighten the record, and protect our troops.
Mr. Kline went on to say, “There are those who may have debated the U.S. role in this conflict, but now is the time to rise above divisive partisanship and send one clear message to the men and women of our armed forces. Our message is one of gratitude for what they have done and will continue to do to advance the cause of peace and protect national security. Our prayer is one for fortitude that they can persevere throughout the battle, and return safely to their families and loved ones. We commend our troops for their service as we pray for their safety.”
While Kline (like Bush) speaks pretty words, they lack substances. Our troops need more than prayers for their safety and fortitude. What our troops needed (and still do) is support and equipment to protect them. When Kline voted to send our troops into harms way, he should have also voted to make sure they were adequately armored and protected.
Many of America's 1,800 dead and 14,000 wounded were killed because they were riding in unarmored or lightly armored vehicles that are totally inappropriate to the nature of the war in Iraq. Many of the US troop families had to purchase their own loved one's body armor as our government was unable to adequately equip them. Tens of thousands of troops arrived in Iraq to find that with danger around every corner there wasn't enough body armor to protect them.
Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee testified before Congress that US forces were "not prepared" for the present conflict in Iraq and they didn't have "the preparation and hardware they needed" to fight as effectively as they could. "I also regret that we were not more farsighted here. We simply were not prepared for that kind of a counterinsurgency that attacked our convoys and our soldiers in the rear, as it has proven to be,” stated Brownlee.
This while the heaviest and deadliest divisions in the world's best Army were being ordered to leave most of their best equipment - the M1A2 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles - parked at their home bases in orderly ranks. The crews of these vehicles were ordered to abandon them and become infantry to patrol the most dangerous streets and roads in the world in unarmored Humvees. These are the same unarmored Humvees that fall victim daily to roadside bombs and small-arms fire. Their crews also are falling victim to the greed of our leaders who haven’t ensured that they were protected adequately.
Sure John Kline speaks of ‘operation enduring freedom’ but instead it’s really ‘operation enduring fear’. The fear that comes from fighting a war while being totally unprepared and inadequately equipped by our government.
This administration (Bush et al...Kline) waited through months after months of ambushes before they started manufacturing armored kits. Still today many Humvees in Iraq are protected by make shift armory that the troops have inserted and welded onto them.
The men and women engaged in this struggle as Kline stated "do face a difficult challenge". A challenged made worse by the complete lack of regard for their welfare as demostrated by the inadequate equipment and lack of protection provided to them in doing their job. Instead of words, prayers or resolutions, John Kline should have been providing armored protection and ensuring adequate support.
At $5 billion a month for this war -most of it siphoned away and sucked up by private contractors - we can't send our soldiers and Marines to war with the best equipment in the world - the equipment we already own and know how to use to great effect. Since when does it make sense to send our people into harm’s way without adequate support? I guess that decision was made at the same time we were told the decision to go to war was based on the missing WMD. In other words, lies all around.
If Mr. Kline wanted to send 'one clear message' then he should have provided for the safety of our service men and women instead of allowing them to go into war without adequate protection.
Now tell me Mr. Kline how you are going to do everything you can, spend whatever it takes, to give our sons and daughters what they need to fight and survive and prevail even in a war that makes no sense. Tell me you can at least do that. Tell me that you made some serious mistakes, Congressman John Kline, but that you are willing to do anything to correct those mistakes, straighten the record, and protect our troops.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Robertson's Coalition of Extremist rates Kline at 92%
Dr. Pat Robertson, head of the 700 club and the Christian Coalition, on Monday called for the assassination of Venezuela’s President, Hugo Chavez.
The Christian Coalition’s Five-Fold Mission:
1. Represent the pro-family point of view before local councils, school boards, state legislatures, and Congress
2. Speak out in the public arena and in the media
3. Train leaders for effective social and political action
4. Inform pro-family voters about timely issues and legislation
5. Protest anti-Christian bigotry and defend the rights of people of faith.
I’m assuming number 6 is:
6. Kill anyone that stands in our way.
Now there’s a good pro-family point of view! BTW, the Christian Coalition rated Congressman Kline 92%.
The Christian Coalition’s Five-Fold Mission:
1. Represent the pro-family point of view before local councils, school boards, state legislatures, and Congress
2. Speak out in the public arena and in the media
3. Train leaders for effective social and political action
4. Inform pro-family voters about timely issues and legislation
5. Protest anti-Christian bigotry and defend the rights of people of faith.
I’m assuming number 6 is:
6. Kill anyone that stands in our way.
Now there’s a good pro-family point of view! BTW, the Christian Coalition rated Congressman Kline 92%.
Friday, August 19, 2005
De'Klining Economy
Last week in his newsletter John Kline bragged about how great the economy is under his leadership....This week I found some facts he seemed to 'overlook'. When will John Kline stop following the disinformation provide by the Bush Administration and start speaking the truth?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment report states that since the last economic peak in March 2001, the only group whose employment rates have grown are the least-educated workers - those who failed to complete high school - which are up by 2.7 percentage points. This compares to the overall rate, which is still down by 1.5 points.
High school graduates employed remains down by 1.5 points, those with some college but no degree is down 2.9 points, and those with college degrees is down 1.8 point.
What this means is we are bursting at the seams with unemployed computer engineers and well-educated professionals who are now displaced by outsourcing and H-1B visas. During Bush's entire first term, there was a net loss of American private sector jobs. Today there are 760,000 fewer private sector jobs in the US economy than when Bush was first inaugurated in January 2001
Manufacturing is also losing ground… even though July's losses were slight (employment in the sector was only down 4,000, but production-worker employment was off by 10,000, suggesting larger losses among blue-collar workers). It is widely recognized that manufacturing is in the midst of a long-term structural decline as opposed to a strictly cyclical slump. The increase in the magnitude of job loss in the sector is quite dramatic and, given the importance of the sector to both living standards and innovation, our government should be fighting the war of lost jobs instead of the war in Iraq.
The loss of higher end US jobs to India and China is having a real impact on our security unlike the weapons of mass delusion. The only jobs that Kline and the Bush administration have created has been for domestic services. In other words, do you want ketchup with those fries? working poor jobs!
Until recent years, American companies employed Americans to produce the goods that Americans consumed. Employment supported sales, and sales supported employment. No more. The shortsighted policy of the current administration (that would be Bush with John Kline!) in moving US jobs abroad are destroying the American markets and destroying Americas financial security.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported on August 5 that jobseekers are competing for fewer employment opportunities compared to last year. Job vacancies in the state were down by 9.9 percent in second quarter 2005 from one year ago. This means that there were 5.0 job vacancies for every 10 unemployed people. So not only do you have only lower end jobs with openings, you also have to compete with more over experienced applicants.
Additionally only 14% of Minnesota firms expect to increase their employment levels in the next six months. That’s a marked decline in the numbers projected in prior years. If people are feeling vulnerable to global economic conditions and a sense that they lack clout in commanding a highter wage, it’s because that’s exactly what has happened in todays labor market.
A study released this month by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) focuses on "unprecedented" declines in the workforce in the wake of the 2001 recession that continues even now. Job growth in this economic recovery has been substantially slower than previous recoveries. Including a budget deficit of $308 billion during the first 10 months of fiscal year 2005.
John Kline doesn’t present all the facts on the current economy because it not good news. All the facts speak for themselves, America and it’s job market is deklining under Kline.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment report states that since the last economic peak in March 2001, the only group whose employment rates have grown are the least-educated workers - those who failed to complete high school - which are up by 2.7 percentage points. This compares to the overall rate, which is still down by 1.5 points.
High school graduates employed remains down by 1.5 points, those with some college but no degree is down 2.9 points, and those with college degrees is down 1.8 point.
What this means is we are bursting at the seams with unemployed computer engineers and well-educated professionals who are now displaced by outsourcing and H-1B visas. During Bush's entire first term, there was a net loss of American private sector jobs. Today there are 760,000 fewer private sector jobs in the US economy than when Bush was first inaugurated in January 2001
Manufacturing is also losing ground… even though July's losses were slight (employment in the sector was only down 4,000, but production-worker employment was off by 10,000, suggesting larger losses among blue-collar workers). It is widely recognized that manufacturing is in the midst of a long-term structural decline as opposed to a strictly cyclical slump. The increase in the magnitude of job loss in the sector is quite dramatic and, given the importance of the sector to both living standards and innovation, our government should be fighting the war of lost jobs instead of the war in Iraq.
The loss of higher end US jobs to India and China is having a real impact on our security unlike the weapons of mass delusion. The only jobs that Kline and the Bush administration have created has been for domestic services. In other words, do you want ketchup with those fries? working poor jobs!
Until recent years, American companies employed Americans to produce the goods that Americans consumed. Employment supported sales, and sales supported employment. No more. The shortsighted policy of the current administration (that would be Bush with John Kline!) in moving US jobs abroad are destroying the American markets and destroying Americas financial security.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported on August 5 that jobseekers are competing for fewer employment opportunities compared to last year. Job vacancies in the state were down by 9.9 percent in second quarter 2005 from one year ago. This means that there were 5.0 job vacancies for every 10 unemployed people. So not only do you have only lower end jobs with openings, you also have to compete with more over experienced applicants.
Additionally only 14% of Minnesota firms expect to increase their employment levels in the next six months. That’s a marked decline in the numbers projected in prior years. If people are feeling vulnerable to global economic conditions and a sense that they lack clout in commanding a highter wage, it’s because that’s exactly what has happened in todays labor market.
A study released this month by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) focuses on "unprecedented" declines in the workforce in the wake of the 2001 recession that continues even now. Job growth in this economic recovery has been substantially slower than previous recoveries. Including a budget deficit of $308 billion during the first 10 months of fiscal year 2005.
John Kline doesn’t present all the facts on the current economy because it not good news. All the facts speak for themselves, America and it’s job market is deklining under Kline.
Friday, August 12, 2005
John Kline says growing number of bartenders is encouraging economic news
From John Kline's latest newsletter:
(with information he forgot to include in red)
(with information he forgot to include in red)
The most recent report from the U.S. Labor Department revealed more encouraging news about the ongoing job creation occurring throughout the United States. Another 200,000 jobs were created in July (the vast majority of them in the domestic service sector including 30,000 jobs bartending or waiting on tables) - bringing the total jobs created over the past year to 2 million.
More Americans have jobs today than at any other time in history. (Could that be because we have more people than anytime in history? That might also explain why we "own more homes" than any time in history or "produce more fecal matter" than any time in history) Over the past two decades the U.S. has created more than 40 million jobs. (Most of those jobs were created during the Clinton administration) This is more than twice the number of jobs created in Europe and Japan combined - hardly the "jobless recovery" bemoaned by partisans just last year. (Job wise we're now treading water because of new grads entering the market and losing ground on wages vs. inflation)
In the past 24 months 3.5 million more Americans have found work. Every single job that was lost during the bursting of the technology bubble and stock-market collapse of 2000-2001 has been matched by a new job - often in a new industry (I'm sorry, that's an outright lie.) . A unique feature of the U.S. economy is that Americans move in and out of jobs at a rapid and persistent pace. (Especially if you're a bartender or waitress) This is the key to America's consistent job creation and a reason to be optimistic about continued economic growth. (Please put money in the tip jar so I can send my kids to college so they can get an engineering degree and then wait tables)
Kline paid for running "improperly functioning" tax scam
What do Cheri Pierson Yecke, State Sen. Michele Bachmann, and John Kline have in common? Yes, they're Republicans. And yes they're all current or former government employees... but there's something else.
They've all been paid employees of the Center Of The American Experiment.
Notably, John Kline was an Executive Vice President of the group, giving him a job inbetween the times he ran unsuccessfully against Bill Luther for Congress.
The Star Tribune reports:
They've all been paid employees of the Center Of The American Experiment.
Notably, John Kline was an Executive Vice President of the group, giving him a job inbetween the times he ran unsuccessfully against Bill Luther for Congress.
The Star Tribune reports:
The center has its share of moderate and liberal critics, but few have been as doggedly watchful as Rob Levine, a Twin Cities writer and founder of the media watchdog website cursor.org. Levine has written several detailed critiques arguing that the center is a poorly disguised arm of the Republican Party and that it is improperly functioning as a 501(c)(3) organization, which allows donors to get tax deductions."The center is part of a huge, well-funded national movement pursuing the interests of corporations and inherited wealth, and they have a natural bottomless pool of capital to draw from," Levine said.
The center was one of the first state-based conservative think tanks and it has been a model for others. Now all but a half-dozen states have think tanks linked to a national group called the State Policy Network, based in Virginia.
The center purports to be a serious nonpartisan policy analyst but invariably supports conservative dogma ranging from school choice to privatizing Social Security, Levine contends, and says the media too often parrot the center's propaganda because it's packaged in a sophisticated wrapper.
"The CAE has played its role perfectly by inviting dozens of the [conservative] movement's political, ideological and media figures to speak. Often, these speakers have their voices amplified, without rebuttal, by media outlets such as public television and radio, and local newspapers," Levine wrote on the website mediatransparency.org.
Rob Levine, a longtime critic of the center, contends that it's an arm of the Republican Party and shouldn't have nonprofit status, which lets donors take tax deductions. Even though it portrays its work as nonpartisan policy analysis, the organization reliably supports orthodox conservative positions such as school choice and Social Security privatization, he added.
"The center is part of a huge, well-funded national movement pursuing the interests of corporations and inherited wealth, and they have a natural bottomless pool of capital to draw from,'' said Levine, a Twin Cities writer who founded the media watchdog web site cursor.org.
Kline is Rated 0% by Alliance for Retired Americans
Kline scores 0% by the ARA on senior issues
The mission of the Alliance for Retired Americans is to ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens so that they may enjoy lives of dignity, personal and family fulfillment and security. The Alliance believes that all older and retired persons have a responsibility to strive to create a society that incorporates these goals and rights and that retirement provides them with opportunities to pursue new and expanded activities with their unions, civic organizations and their communities.
As this weekend is the 70th anniversity of Social Security, it seemed fitting to talk about Kline's dismal record in supporting seniors and Social Security.
John Kline advocates having individually controlled retirement investment accounts (which implies investment in the Stock Market, Bond Market, and Money market). Basically John Kline is supporting Wall Street Financers over working Minnesotans, seniors and the disabled.
Why Privatization doesn’t work:
The privatization plan threatens workers and families now receiving disability payments.
It doesn’t resolve Social Security’s financing problems and in fact is projected to make them worse.
What you will receive will be dependent on if the market is up or down when you retire. This makes it more like a game of chance or gambling verse the current stable and established social security guidelines.
All the other countries that have done privatization have gotten disappointing and failing results.
The weakest among us, minorities and women stand to lose the most under privatization.
It would create a new government bureaucracy that cost more to substain that the current system.
There is nothing to hedge the new program against future inflation.
With minor changes the current program can meet all the future needs of our aging population.
Why Kline rates a ZERO:
John Kline is a lapdog. When there is a choice between serving Minnesotans or the man in the oval office, Rep. John Kline’s record speaks for itself. John Kline looks out for the interests of big business and Wall Street over Minnesotans.
Brokerage houses, banks, and mutual funds have been very active in the campaign to privatize Social Security. Small wonder, since they stand to gain enormous fees if billions of dollars are shifted each year from Social Security payments into accounts under Wall Street management. Of course, those fees must come from somewhere, namely from the balances in individual accounts. So is it really a surprise when one of the largest contributers to Kline in 2004 was Voyager Financial Services!
Among the one hundred best stock mutual funds, management fees range from 0.2 percent per year to 1.4 percent of the asset value of an account. The average is near the high end of that range, however, and many mutual funds charge substantially more. Smaller accounts require proportionately larger management fees because many costs such as gathering and mailing out information do not depend on account size. Indeed, most mutual funds actively discourage small accounts by setting a minimum opening deposit of $1,000 to $3,000.
Experience in the United Kingdom offers a warning about what the future could bring regarding management costs. Workers there have been allowed to open private accounts starting in 1988, since which time management fees and marketing costs among financial intermediaries have eaten up an average of 43 percent of the return on investment.
The mission of the Alliance for Retired Americans is to ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens so that they may enjoy lives of dignity, personal and family fulfillment and security. The Alliance believes that all older and retired persons have a responsibility to strive to create a society that incorporates these goals and rights and that retirement provides them with opportunities to pursue new and expanded activities with their unions, civic organizations and their communities.
As this weekend is the 70th anniversity of Social Security, it seemed fitting to talk about Kline's dismal record in supporting seniors and Social Security.
John Kline advocates having individually controlled retirement investment accounts (which implies investment in the Stock Market, Bond Market, and Money market). Basically John Kline is supporting Wall Street Financers over working Minnesotans, seniors and the disabled.
Why Privatization doesn’t work:
The privatization plan threatens workers and families now receiving disability payments.
It doesn’t resolve Social Security’s financing problems and in fact is projected to make them worse.
What you will receive will be dependent on if the market is up or down when you retire. This makes it more like a game of chance or gambling verse the current stable and established social security guidelines.
All the other countries that have done privatization have gotten disappointing and failing results.
The weakest among us, minorities and women stand to lose the most under privatization.
It would create a new government bureaucracy that cost more to substain that the current system.
There is nothing to hedge the new program against future inflation.
With minor changes the current program can meet all the future needs of our aging population.
Why Kline rates a ZERO:
John Kline is a lapdog. When there is a choice between serving Minnesotans or the man in the oval office, Rep. John Kline’s record speaks for itself. John Kline looks out for the interests of big business and Wall Street over Minnesotans.
Brokerage houses, banks, and mutual funds have been very active in the campaign to privatize Social Security. Small wonder, since they stand to gain enormous fees if billions of dollars are shifted each year from Social Security payments into accounts under Wall Street management. Of course, those fees must come from somewhere, namely from the balances in individual accounts. So is it really a surprise when one of the largest contributers to Kline in 2004 was Voyager Financial Services!
Among the one hundred best stock mutual funds, management fees range from 0.2 percent per year to 1.4 percent of the asset value of an account. The average is near the high end of that range, however, and many mutual funds charge substantially more. Smaller accounts require proportionately larger management fees because many costs such as gathering and mailing out information do not depend on account size. Indeed, most mutual funds actively discourage small accounts by setting a minimum opening deposit of $1,000 to $3,000.
Experience in the United Kingdom offers a warning about what the future could bring regarding management costs. Workers there have been allowed to open private accounts starting in 1988, since which time management fees and marketing costs among financial intermediaries have eaten up an average of 43 percent of the return on investment.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
70 Year Old Successful Program Endangered by Rep. Kline
This weekend marks the 70th anniversity of Social Security, a great American accomplishment. It has allowed millions of Americans to retire in dignity, not poverty. About 159 million workers are earning Social Security protection, and about 48 million people receive retirement, survivors and disability benefits from Social Security.
The current Bush administration is trying to endanger if not totally dismantle Social Security. Retirees should receive the benefits they were promised. And they should recieve social security without heaping trillions onto our national debt or trying their retirements to the ups and DOWNS of wall street.
Our representatives should fight for genuine pension reform that protects working families from future abuse. A representative to work on new ways to help hard-working Americans create retirement savings and stand up to those special interests that want to gut the program for a quick profit. Unfortunately,our Representative John Kline won't be working to ensure our retirement. As a lapdog to the Bush Administration, 95% of the time with Bush!, John Kline will be voting to eliminate social security.
Want proof of John Kline's Social Security flip flop to 'stay the course' with those extremist wanting to dismantle social security? It was caught on tape!
Standing on both sides of the fence?
Flip: 2002 Ad "John Kline will protect Social Security. No cuts in benefits. No change in the retirement age, period."
Flop: 2004 "I very much agree that for young workers, some system of personal accounts, so they can build a personal nest egg, is a central component to make sure that Social Security is there for our kids and grandparents,"
http://www.gopcaughtontape.com/kline.html)
The current Bush administration is trying to endanger if not totally dismantle Social Security. Retirees should receive the benefits they were promised. And they should recieve social security without heaping trillions onto our national debt or trying their retirements to the ups and DOWNS of wall street.
Our representatives should fight for genuine pension reform that protects working families from future abuse. A representative to work on new ways to help hard-working Americans create retirement savings and stand up to those special interests that want to gut the program for a quick profit. Unfortunately,our Representative John Kline won't be working to ensure our retirement. As a lapdog to the Bush Administration, 95% of the time with Bush!, John Kline will be voting to eliminate social security.
Want proof of John Kline's Social Security flip flop to 'stay the course' with those extremist wanting to dismantle social security? It was caught on tape!
Standing on both sides of the fence?
Flip: 2002 Ad "John Kline will protect Social Security. No cuts in benefits. No change in the retirement age, period."
Flop: 2004 "I very much agree that for young workers, some system of personal accounts, so they can build a personal nest egg, is a central component to make sure that Social Security is there for our kids and grandparents,"
http://www.gopcaughtontape.com/kline.html)
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Meeting with Kline August 30
Dear HousingMinnesota Supporter:
The Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, HOME Line and the Minnesota Federal Housing Action Coalition are hosting a public meeting with Congressman Kline at 11 a.m., Tuesday August 30, at Dakota Woodlands, 3430 Wescott Woodlands, Eagan.
Constituents will present information about federal housing policy including public housing, Section 8 and GSE regulation policy. The event is open to the public. For more information go to http://www.housingminnesota.org/events.cfm?PageID=6 or contact Joanna Dornfeld at (651) 649-1710 ext. 108 or jdornfeld@mhponline.org.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Joanna Dornfeld
HousingMinnesota
(651) 649-1710 ext. 108
jdornfeld@mhponline.org
The Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, HOME Line and the Minnesota Federal Housing Action Coalition are hosting a public meeting with Congressman Kline at 11 a.m., Tuesday August 30, at Dakota Woodlands, 3430 Wescott Woodlands, Eagan.
Constituents will present information about federal housing policy including public housing, Section 8 and GSE regulation policy. The event is open to the public. For more information go to http://www.housingminnesota.org/events.cfm?PageID=6 or contact Joanna Dornfeld at (651) 649-1710 ext. 108 or jdornfeld@mhponline.org.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Joanna Dornfeld
HousingMinnesota
(651) 649-1710 ext. 108
jdornfeld@mhponline.org
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Ohio Election Shows "Rubber Stamp" John Kline In Trouble
Rep. John Kline has voted with the Bush administration about 98% of the time. Take a look at this analysis of the surprising results from Ohio's recent special election and you'll see that the "rubber stamp" label can do to a Republican candidate even in one of the most solidly Republican districts in the nation.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Kline Scores Zero in Helping Minnesota Kids!
The Children's Defense Fund Give Kennedy and Kline scores of ZERO on legislation benefiting kids!
Except for election day, our elected officials don't often get a mid-term report card on their work. That's why the Children's Defense Fund Action Council Congressional Scorecard is so important.
It looks at how politicians vote on children's issues, like pre-school funding, health care, school lunches, and a wide variety of similar issues that can have a dramatic impact on the success or failure of our children's preparation for adulthood.
The Scorecard is also an indication of who influences our elected officials... special interests and corporate interests... or we the PEOPLE... we the VOTERS... we the TAXPAYERS...we the working Minnesota PARENTS.
The State of
Who were the leaders and the losers on children's issues for
The higher the score, the more votes for children's interests... the lower the score, the more votes against children:
92% Senator Mark Dayton (D)
92% Congressman Martin Sabo (D)
92% Congresswoman Betty McCullom (D)
85% Congressman James Oberstar (D)
46% Congressman Collin Peterson (D)
38% Senator Norm Coleman (R)
23% Congressman Jim Ramstad (R)
0% Congressman Mark Kennedy (R)
0% Congressman John Kline (R)
0% Congressman Gil Gutneckt (R)
For more information see the Children's Defense Fund website at www.cdfactioncouncil.org
Kline gets failing grades in looking out for the interests and welfare of our Minnesota children! Now it's time for us to flunk Kline out of congress.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Kline Sides with Oil Companies Against Working Minnesotans
John Kline voted YES on the Energy Policy Act of 2005 – and thereby failed to deliver a responsible energy policy to
The bill fails to reduce dependence on Saudi Arabian oil and amounts to giving taxpayers money to large energy companies, including wealthy oil giants reaping record profits with crude oil near $60 a barrel and gasoline averaging well over $2 a gallon.
John Kline sided with these big oil companies such as Exxon over working Minnesotans who are paying more and more for a gallon of gas to get to work. Instead of working on an energy bill that encourages alternative fuel sources and energy conservation, John Kline voted for a bill which offers billions in tax breaks to wealth corporations of which nearly 9 billion is earmarked for oil and gas production, electricity reliability and coal pollution projects.
While we pay more and more for gas and taxes John Kline passes a bill that will increase our burden. This bill is rift with royalty relief, tax breaks, and loan guarantees for energy companies even as they report the largest quarterly profits of any corporations in the history of the
Isn’t it time to send John Kline the message that Minnesotans deserve the same or better than the wealthy oil companies? John Kline’s support of this bill was morally wrong. It shows his blind support of the Bush Administration instead of believing in the values of the working Minnesotans who elected him.
Why we're here
Our blog title says it all. Rep. John Kline has got to go. As a former military man, he suffers from the "good soldier" syndrome. He follows orders without questioning them. He does what the Bush administration wants without considering the consequences.
This blog will detail the great divide between what Kline does, and what his constituents in Minnesota Congressional District 2 believe in, want and do.
This blog will detail the great divide between what Kline does, and what his constituents in Minnesota Congressional District 2 believe in, want and do.
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