Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is John Kline

Although there was absolutely nothing to clap for in the State of the Union, gung ho supporters like John Kline dutifully put their hands together to try and bolster Bush’s (and their own) sagging ratings. Kline’s voting partner in pearls, Michele Bachmann went a step further, physically grabbing and kissing her President, since, as her press secretary explained, Bush could use a “pat on the back.” Experts say all that show of affection may temporarily give Bush a 2% bump. But what can our GOP cheerleaders possibly do for an encore?

Essentially thumbing his nose at the people of the 2nd District, Congressman John Kline has been doing his level best to continue supporting President Bush’s misguided and unpopular war in Iraq. Ironically, his latest way of backing Bush’s call for a surge in troops in Iraq is by parroting, almost word for word, VP Cheney’s criticisms of Congress for trying to micromanage the president's war powers. On January 8th, Kline was quoted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune saying, "As I recently told the president, it's important for Congress to maintain oversight, but we can't run this war by committee. The last thing our country needs is 535 members of Congress assuming the role of armchair generals."

And so the hypocrisy exhibited by a former marine colonel reaches new heights! Think about it. For starters, here’s Kline, who served in the Vietnam War, taking his cue from Dick Cheney, a guy who obtained five— count them... five—draft deferments to AVOID military service in Vietnam. In the same fell swoop, Kline denigrates hundreds of his colleagues in Congress who possess valuable military experience, like newly elected Senator Jim Webb, a former Secretary of the Navy, as “armchair generals.” This comes after he, John Kline, based his five campaigns for Congress almost solely on HIS OWN military experience, essentially consisting of his having carried the “nuclear football” for President Reagan.

Nor did Kline ever have a previous problem playing armchair general in constantly referring to his own military expertise in order to shore up support for Bush’s reckless decision to invade Iraq, the Bush-Rumsfeld handling of prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib, or the whole series of horrible missteps Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have thus far made in almost four years of debacle in Iraq.

Expert opinions of real military generals like Eric Shinseki, Anthony Zinni, Wesley Clark, Barry McCaffrey, Joseph Hoar, and William Odom, to name just a few, have seemingly never mattered to Kline. Other real generals have repeatedly testified that our military has been stretched to the breaking point and has been terribly weakened by Bush-Cheney’s fiasco in Iraq. But John Kline, regardless of his military background, always puts loyalty to the President, Karl Rove, the GOP and his corporate special interests first and so remains oblivious to the damage they have done to our country’s national security.

The final hypocrisy lies in Kline’s unqualified support for the continuing unethical (if not illegal) detentions at Guantanamo and his voting this last fall for the torture condoned in the Military Commissions Act. It should be noted that the strongest criticism of this Administration’s violation of the Geneva Convention and the use of torture has come from the military itself and especially from former military POWs like Senator John McCain and Phil Butler (who was more decorated and held even longer as a POW in Vietnam than McCain - see his recent compelling commentary in the Monterey Herald).

In abdicating the interest of our own country’s service men and women in not being subjected, upon capture, to similar torture, Kline has shown where his true loyalties lie. He couldn’t have said it better with a kiss.

_submitted by DJK staffer

Kline to cut Fiscal Fat, One Voter at a Time

Kline is going to cut fiscal fat....only he's going to do it from you instead of the wealthy corporations and big business. In Kline's latest newsletter he states:

The new Congress faces exciting and difficult issues, and I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to pass even more fiscally responsible reforms for students, workers, retirees and employers.

Personally, students, workers, and retirees have had the 'fiscal fat' cut to the point there's nothing left. Maybe Kline could work on making Big Business and Big Corporations more fiscally responsible through reform...

Congressman Kline could start with campaign finance reform. You know, where BIG business gives money to a politican who just happens to vote for big business's best interests... oh that's right, Kline has already this session (three weeks in) voted against all of the following:

• Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act 01/18/2007
• College Student Relief Act 01/17/2007
• Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act 01/12/2007
• Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act 01/11/2007
• Fair Minimum Wage Act 01/10/2007
• Implementing the 9/11Commission Recommendations Act 01/09/2007
• Adopting the Rules of the House, Title 4 01/05/2007
  

So much for 'bipartisan' reforms! Expect more of the same from Kline...He'll vote to cut your programs, wages, earnings, and spending power while helping out the rich and wealthy.

Ethics Not On Kline's Radar

Despite the lack of any substantial information, you can really learn a lot about Congressman John Kline by visiting his website. What's telling is the way he has set up his constituent email area. In it, Kline asks you to choose from a pull down menu of topics to categorize your email. Topics include "Crime", "Guns" "Welfare" "Defense/Military" and so on. There are 41 topics in all. Not at all an exhaustive list of issues that come up in Congress, but one can assume these are the issues Congressman Kline thinks are important or are "hot buttons"

Missing from the list:
Ethics -- I guess that's not an issue for a Congressman who takes a lot of money from oil interests when there isn't a single oil well in his district. It's a coincidence that Kline voted against the ethics bill.

Take a look at the list yourself. What else is missing? Post your comments.

Kline: Mr. No - Status Quo

Congressman John Kline (aka Mr. NO) would rather keep the culture of corruption in Washington rather than change it. He was given ample opportunity to vote for change this month, but every time he voted NO in support of the status quo. He'd rather NOT implement recommendations to make our country safer. He'd rather NOT lower drug prices by allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies.

Here is his record from congress.org

Implementing the 9/11Commission Recommendations Act - Vote Passed (299-128, 8 Not Voting)
This House bill is intended to implement the remaining 9/11 Commission homeland security recommendations.
Rep. John Kline voted NO......send e-mail

Fair Minimum Wage Act - Vote Passed (315-116, 4 Not Voting)
This House bill would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 over the next two years.
Rep. John Kline voted NO......send e-mail

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act - Vote Passed (253-174, 8 Not Voting)
This House bill would expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
Rep. John Kline voted NO......send e-mail

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act - Vote Passed (255-170, 10 Not Voting)
This House bill would require the government to negotiate Medicare prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.
Rep. John Kline voted NO......send e-mail

Americans sent a clear message in the last election that we're tired of the status quo. Even though Congressman NO won reelection, he's not taking note of that message. Lesson is, if you're tired of the status quo, get rid of Congressman NO (aka John Kline) in 2008.

Kline's Blind Leadership

John Kline doesn't see a lot of things...

• Kline fails to even see a poor working class…so he voted against a minimum wage hike…and why not, he’s gotten a raise every year since being in office (although the GOP did try and hide last year’s pay hike.) Well I guess the poor must suffer for Kline’s Iraq War and someone has to pay for Kline’s yearly increase…

• Kline failed to notice the Abu Ghraib torture or prisioner abuse even though he was pretty much there in the area when the abuses were going on…at tax payers expense.
  
  The only thing he mentioned is how great things are going in Iraq…Naturally, it’s so great we’re sending in more troops to enjoy a scenic tour?! For the next two years (at least) the chance of the war expanding to include Iran is growing. For some like Kline it’s the best way out of defeat - muddy the waters through expansion of the war.

• Kline didn’t notice that there were no WMD and voted to go to war. He’s a general so of course he’ll vote for war…over and over and over and over the last four years and now he’s standing behind Bush’s surge (escalation) of troops into the quagmire Vietnam-like Iraq War. More manpower won’t improve a poor decision. It will just cost taxpayers more

Kline should think about looking around instead of having a myopic leadership vision.

Kline Refuses To Speak With Voters

John Kline who has taken several ‘fact finding’ trips to Iraq at taxpayers expense has now decided to “sit this one out”. How interesting that a public servant elected for office and paid by the taxpayers can suddenly decide to clam up “for no particular reason”. It's shows both Kline's arrogance and his abuse of office.

The only member of the Minnesota delegation who declined to discuss with Minnesota Public Radio News what should be done about Iraq was Republican 2nd District Congressman John Kline. After repeated requests for an interview, a Kline staffer said Kline will, "sit this one out for no particular reason."

What’s next? Can we expect Kline to 'stay numb' on his vote against earmark reform even though he’s campaigned just last year on reform? What’s that you say? You’ll have to speak up Mr. Kline…I can’t hear you over your flip flopping…