English Only

Will 'English Only' be John Kline's platform for November. Besides being easy to sell in Minnesota, it's isn’t as difficult as dodging all those pesky reoccurring questions about failed policy in Iraq, the budget and increasing gas prices, soaring American health care costs, under funed senior retirement and social security, education cuts, out of control government spending and the deficit, lack of leadership and vision, etc

A Coment On A Coment

Minvolved.com wants to know if Captain’s Quarters, Power Line and KvM will take Colonel Kline (MN- R) to task for slandering these Marines before we know the results of the investigation? Will they accuse Colonel Kline of “not being able to help himself” by blabbing on about the preliminary results of an unfinished investigation?

For those who don’t know, they took Congressman Murtha to task for commenting before the official release of information…just like Kline…regarding Marines killing civilians.

DeKlining Action At The Gas Pump

Big oil and gas industries have given Rep. Kline $74,955.

Five years ago, Vice President Cheney met with Big Oil lobbyists in a secretive energy task force where the Bush Administration's energy policy was crafted. At the meeting were officials from Shell Oil Co., Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Conoco and BP America Inc. Missing and uninvited from the meeting were environmentalists or representatives without one's hand already in the cookie jar.

From the secret meeting, President Bush unveiled the Administration's new energy plan that Representative John Kline (MN-R) has continued to support and vote with 100 % of the time. Five years later over 96% of the recommendations in the energy plan have been implemented:

• Oil prices have increasedstaggeringing 240 percent.
• Crude oil prices have increased by 143%
• Gasoline prices by 71%
• Natural gas by 46%
• ExxonMobil like the other Oil Companies that help craft the policy, has enjoyed profits of $110 billion

Now faced with record windfall profits by oil companies and the economic hardship that it creates for working families, one might assume that Representative John Kline and the White House would take action.

You'd be wrong.

In August 2005, John Kline voted for and President Bush signed into law the most expensive energy legislation in our nation's history. This energy bill adopted most of the May 2001 recommendations of Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force, which, you may remember, relied solely upon the input of energy company CEOs and their lobbyists to write up a report that's, surprise! concludes that America must provide bigger incentives to oil and gas producers.

And Just how does John Kline respond to your HIGH ENERGY PRICES

• Rep. Kline voted against cracking down on the oil and gas industries price gouging.
• Rep. Kline voted for the GOP energy bill that gave billions to oil, gas and nuclear industries. (Billions in tax breaks to oil companies)
• Rep. Kline voted against taxing windfall profits for Oil Companies

Remember big oil and gas industries have given Rep. Kline $74,955.

Any surprise?

John Kline Votes To Continue 7 Billion in Tax Give-Aways To Oil Companies Earning Record High Profits.

Today's oil and gas companies are recording record-setting profits while ordinary Americans struggle to meet the high costs of energy. Many can no longer afford to heat/cool their homes or just put gas in their cars in order to get to work!

Hearing the pleads from Americans, the House last Thursday approved a measure H.R.5386 that pressures companies to re-negotiate more than 1,000 leases for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Currently, these leases represent a $65 billion dollars in give-aways to oil and gas companies experiencing record breaking windfall profits. To give the government bargaining power, the bill also prohibit the Interior Department from awarding any new leases to companies that refuse to revisit their leases industry is itself divided on the issue. Some of the bigger companies, like Exxon Mobil, have already declared that they see no need for incentives in today's environment of high prices.

However, Minnesota's Congressman John Kline, sided with Oil & Gas Companies now swimming in a sea of record-breaking profits, voted against the amendment (H.R.5386). While consumers and taxpayers are being pumped dry by record high gas prices, John Kline wants to continue giving them tax breaks on royalties!

In 2005, the world's biggest oil companies reported a combined $111 billion in profits:

• ExxonMobil - $36.1 billion - for 43 percent
• Royal Dutch Shell - $25.3 billion - for 37 percent
• BP -$22.3 billion - for 30 percent
• ConocoPhillips - $13.52 billion - for 66 percent
• Chevron Texaco - $14.1 billion - for 6 percent

Recent reports indicate that as a result of loosened royalty requirements, including a wide variety of provisions in last year's energy bill, oil and gas companies will receive a giant federal hand-out at a cost of nearly $7 billion.

By his vote John Kline has essentially said:

It's fair that Big Oil and Gas reap record profits while Minnesotans pay the price at the pumps.

It's okay that oil executives receive pay bonus in the millions, while working families cut back on necessities to put gas in the car.

As billions in record quarterly profits are rushing into oil company coffers, it's fine by John Kline that the Americans are losing out on royalty payments totally at least $65 billion dollars.

Last week John Kline voted against legislation aimed at saving taxpayers billions of dollars now slated for large companies already earning record profits. With the national deficit at a record high increasing an average of $1.78 billion per day, Kline votes against collecting historically established royalties that cost all Americans. Kline continues to vote against the interests of working families and for big oil and gas companies. Ever wonder why? Had enough yet?

Kline Five Years Of Budget Failures

After cutting services, benefits, education, healthcare and programs for all Americans, Minnesota's Congressman John Kline via the new budget is giving billions in tax breaks to the wealthy elite and handing Americans the largest deficit in history. In the past John Kline has said that such tax breaks helps stimulate the economy because the wealthy will use the money toward businesses with jobs. But this has been proven false over the last five years.

In the last five years, the overall job growth has been a net zero except for defense related jobs. As this EPI study details, subtract out the government-funded jobs in the defense sector, and NO net jobs have been added under Bush's watch. So that means tax cuts have accomplished ZILCH in encouraging private sector job creation. It's all been increased government spending. It’s worth noting that while the private sector is static, many more of those jobs are now on the lower end of the spectrum then before Bush took office.

If the primary objective of the Bush Republicans is to transfer a bigger percentage of tax revenue into the pockets of the weathly favored few, they have succeeded beyond their fondest dreams, thanks to the lock step votes of John Kline.

The DeKline Of Our Seniors

Congressman John Kline (MN -R) has done several mailings, meetings and emailings urging seniors to 'pick their plan' as the Medicare Part D deadline loomed. With the deadline now passed for signing up for a Medicare Part D Insurer (aka: insurance company scams masquerading as Medicare Part D) it appears that many American seniors, confused by the array of competing plans or unaware of the cutoff date, have missed the deadline.

While Kline continues to supports and vote with the Bu$hCo administration to changing a working program into what will eventually work only for the wealthy or big insurance companies, a percentage of our seniors will now pay the price for not opting into the scam by both loss of services and money.

Paul Krugman has a great piece in the NY Times regarding the problems with this 'D' is for Debacle . Or like Amy Klobuchar often says about this deficient program, "they sure did name the program right because 'D' is about the right grade for it!"

I have some observations regarding this scam (and believe me it is a scam when (1) It enriches companies at the expense of our seniors and their health (2) Companies can change their drug coverage and pricing at any time but (3) YOU must stay with them for at least a year before opting out for another scam company. And finally (4) there is nothing to regulate their practices for charging or regarding what drugs they will (or will not) cover.

All in all, any savings now through this scam, will be short term. Look for price gauging and quick profits through cutting coverages and types of drugs offered through plans. Be sure to thank Representative Kline for helping line the pockets of a few powerful insurance companies at the expense of our seniors. Once again, Kline votes profits over people. But what do you expect from someone who takes as much money (almost $20,000 this year so far!) from Pharmaceuticals/Health Products?

Kline Caught Red-Handed at Noon Today

mnpACT! has teamed up with Moveon.org to sponsor a Caught Red-Handed Check Delivery to the Office of U.S. Representative John Kline today (Thursday), Noon at Representative Kline's Office, Burnsville Parkway & Nicollet Ave in Burnsville.

Details Below and online, Please register online if you are planning to attend

Caught Red-Handed Check Delivery
John Kline had been caught red-handed! MoveOn members from the Second Congressional District need to let him know that we are not going to stand for this type of corruption that gives us horrible pieces of legislation like the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.

This Thursday we'll gather outside of Rep. Kline's office in Burnsville for a short statement to the media before ripping up a giant check and delivering it to his office.

Come make your voice heard by joining us for this "Caught Red-Handed Check Delivery."
Event URL: http://political.moveon.org/event/medicare/8464

Time For Change In MN CD2

Good News:
A majority of Americans say they want Democrats rather than Republicans to control Congress (51 percent to 34 percent). That's the largest gap recorded by AP-Ipsos since Bush took office. Even 31 percent of conservatives want Republicans out of power.

Even Better News:
Last weekend Coleen Rowley won the DFL endorsement in CD2! The 'Time for Change' has arrived. Coleen will be challenging an out-of-touch Kline with an irresponsible voting record that steadfastly supports Bu$h along with big business and their agenda.

I haven't seen recent polling but back in January, Kline's approval was in the low 30%, so I'm not the only one to say it's time to Kick Kline to the Kurb.

Kline Is Not Serious About Reform, But Come November, There Will Be Consequences!

I was skeptical that John Kline wouldn't have the stomach for true reform when the candidate that Kline supported to succeed Rep. DeLay as majority leader had his own lobbying problems. Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, who won the job with John Kline's support, once passed out checks from tobacco lobbyists on the House floor. In addition, John Kline has received money from Boehner and his PAC!

I had hope that the scandals had become so blatant that Congress would have to do something meaningful. That hope was misplaced with John Kline and his corrupted cronies in Congress.

The U.S. House spent the last several weeks gutting the reform bill. Gone is any mention of an independent Office of Public Integrity, gone is a ban on accepting free private, chartered flights or other gifts from lobbyists, and gone is extending the time that former members have to sit out before accepting high paying lobbyist positions and returning through the revolving door to lobby their former colleagues.

It's hard to believe that members of Congress including John Kline, mindful of voters' diminishing respect, would attempt to con voters during an election-year. One Republican proponent had the gall to argue that we mustn't ''chill'' the right of lobbyists, the ultimate insiders, to petition government

The bill does promises to ban privately funded travel starting in November - but the ban expires in December. The G.O.P. leaders can't even marshal the courage to rein in the shameful use of corporate jets by pliant lawmakers!

It requires lobbyists to disclose fundraising events - but then defines fundraising events so narrowly (only events specifically billed "to honor" a member of Congress) so the provision is meaningless. As a result, lobbyists banned from paying $100 for a congressman's restaurant dinner would remain free to pay $25,000 or $50,000 to underwrite a fundraising party to "honor" the member. (What's that you say, there's no honor among thieves?).

About all the House bill does is slightly increase disclosure of lobbying activities and "earmarks" in spending bills. Instead of two times a year, lobbyist must file disclosures four times a year and will pay a larger fine for not doing so.

Earmarks (better known as PORK!) isn't banned but must be disclosed. Although there's been extensive talk about bringing special-interest earmarks under control, the bill merely makes it out of order for an appropriations bill not to include a list of such projects and their sponsors. And nothing is done about earmarks hidden in authorization bills.

Turns out it doesn't pay to bet on the honor of lawmakers like John Kline. He's used to getting paid by lobbyists who expect him to have none.

The fact that this bill was passed all but shouts to voters that the GOP is not serious about reform and that it values its ties to K Street more than the public's trust. One of the provisions is mandatory 'ethics' training for House members. I recommend that Kline attend at least twice. Still, come November, there will be consequences.

Restoring Minnesota Values

Nov. 13, 2005

BAGHDAD -- U.S. soldiers found 173 incarcerated men, some of them emaciated and showing signs of torture, in a secret bunker in an Interior Ministry compound in central Baghdad. The soldiers immediately transferred the men to a separate detention facility to protect them from further abuse, the U.S. military reported.

Since then, there have been at least six joint U.S.-Iraqi inspections of detention centers, most of them run by Iraq's Shiite Muslim-dominated Interior Ministry. Two sources involved with the inspections, one Iraqi official and one U.S. official, said abuse of prisoners was found at all the sites visited through February. U.S. military authorities confirmed that signs of severe abuse were observed at two of the detention centers.

November 25, 2005
John Kline and Mark Kennedy return from their Iraq visit. This is the third trip for Kline. Both reported that the U.S. military strategy in Iraq is effective:

"We began our visit to Iraq with a briefing from General George Casey, Commander of Military Operations in Iraq, at his office in the Al Faw Palace in Camp Victory, near Baghdad. I told him that since I was briefed by him in that same office in August, 2004, dramatic progress had been made."

WTF@!? Thier report sounds more like a day trip to Disneyland. Neither Kline nor Kennedy did any looking behind the curtain. There never has been nor should there be an American policy regarding the freedom to torture. Where did these guys go and what/who did they see? Apparently it was for show with no real substance or reality.

November 6, 2006
Vote to take back our country, our flag, our dollars and establish real American values like freedom from torture.

2389 Americans have given their lives in Iraq to keep this promise.