***************************** Get It Off Your Chest Comments, suggestions, letters-to-the-editor, rants, chants, curses and verses should be sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ****************************** Paying Off the Debt Two weeks ago, I checked into the Ohana Reef Towers hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii for a little R&R and a somewhat curtailed work schedule. The first thing I did was unplug the TV, and turned it back on only once ... to watch ABC's "Stossel Goes to Washington." So for two weeks, I was mercifully ignorant of the "hot topics" the chattering class of talking head pundits were chattering about. Alas, all good things come to an end ... and the boob tube is back in my daily routine. And it seems the Democrats (who, I believe, are still being "bipartisan", aren't they?) are in high dudgeon over tax cuts, calling it a moral imperative to retire the country's debt first. Now, I know I've been out of the loop for a while ... and this is gonna sound pretty crazy ... but why aren't the Republicans seizing on this opportunity to have their cake and eat it too? We have an alleged budget surplus, so let's give at least some of it back to the taxpayers. Fine. Now, you want debt relief, too? OK. Let's cut the Commerce Department and earmark EVERY DIME saved to debt reduction. Same for the Energy Department. And how about the National Endowment for the Arts? Republicans could turn this whole debt reduction argument of the Democrats right back on them as the reason for dramatically cutting back a government which, as Ronald Reagan used to say, is still too big and still costs too much. Gosh, what the heck have I been smoking? - Chuck Muth, Editor ****************************** Too Little, Too Late? "We hate to be a spoilsport, just when President Bush's tax cut is gaining momentum. But someone has to point out the emerging danger that whatever passes Congress could be too small and especially too slow. We're referring to the fact, not well understood, that if passed as written the Bush proposal would be phased in over eight long years. That's right. The proposal that liberals have been denouncing as gargantuan might not be fully realized until 2009, or at the start of JEB Bush's first presidential term. (Just kidding.)" - Wall Street Journal editorial, 2/8/01 ******************************* Mr. President, Tear Down This Barricade! "The Secret Service, the agency charged with the primary security of the president, persuaded Bill Clinton that it was necessary to barricade the avenue in front of the White House in the aftermath of the attack on a federal building in Oklahoma. ... The (shooting) incident yesterday did not happen on Pennsylvania Avenue, or even near it, but on the opposite side of the White House, facing the National Mall and the Washington Monument. Closing the avenue did not deter this gunman. The Bush administration, like the president's party, has pledged to reopen Pennsylvania Avenue, as have members of Congress of both parties. The avenue should never have been closed, and indeed it may well be that the barricading of the avenue has made the White House a more attractive and challenging target to the bad, the ugly and the deranged among us. "The Secret Service stands alone in its zeal to keep the avenue closed and to keep the White House barricaded as if it were a dictator's palace in Pyongyang, Havana or Port-au-Prince. There is no overestimating the symbolism of an unbarricaded White House in a free America. ... The incident yesterday must not be allowed to become another excuse to keep Pennsylvania Avenue closed to the people who paid for it. All that remains to reopen the avenue is for President Bush, dedicated as he is to an open government, to listen to his own instincts and give the word to the Secret Service to clear the people's avenue." - Washington Times editorial, 2/8/01 **************************** "Pardon-gate" Keeps Getting Worse "Bill Clinton granted 47 last-minute pardons without applications first being fully examined by the Justice Department's pardon attorney's office, the Los Angeles Times reports. That's nearly twice as many as the two dozen originally reported." - OpinionJournal.com, 2/8/01 **************************** Bonnie & Clod Return Some Stolen Loot "Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton returned about $28,000 worth of sofas, lamps, a needlepoint rug and other furnishings Wednesday because of questions about whether the gifts were meant for them or the permanent White House collection." - Associated Press, 2/8/01 ****************************** Ex-Prez Hitting Rocky (White)Waters "Meanwhile, in Boca Raton, Mr. Clinton was supposed to kick off his post-presidential run on the gravy train - sorry, lecture circuit - with an easy, $100,000 speech at a Morgan Stanley Dean Witter convention. Turns out nothing's easy. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the investment company's 13,000 representatives had to be prepped with a scripted attempt to appease customers threatening to close their accounts. ('Please don't make emotional decisions on your finances based on this one event . . .' angry callers were told.) "Then, a rowdy band of protesters greeted the former president with signs saying, 'Leave the silverware,' 'Does Dean Witter need a pardon?' and 'Sell the penthouse and get a trailer - it's so you.' A man with a megaphone roamed about, shouting, 'Sexual predator alert - Bill Clinton in the neighborhood.' How, er, rude. Not that things were much better inside. Mr. Clinton is said to have become red-faced while being heckled about his pardon of Marc Rich. 'If you have a problem with the pardon, write John Ashcroft and have him sue Marc Rich,' Mr. Clinton replied. "He probably can't wait to get back to the Big Apple. Of course, as 'Pardongate' continues to fester, and as 'Penthousegate' continues to develop - with Mr. Clinton's office rent now expected to top $800,000, and his offer to pay $300,000 of the rent from his presidential library funds now raising both ethical and legal questions - New York may seem about as inviting as a purloined club chair." - Washington Times editorial, 2/8/01 ***************************** Campaign Hot Tips - FREE! For those of you in the trenches - as candidates, campaign managers, volunteers, consultants, party leaders, etc. - we're now publishing a new FREE e-newsletter called "Campaign Hot Tips." This short e-newsletter will go out just a couple times each month and will include helpful ideas, hints and tips on running political campaigns, party organizations or clubs. To subscribe and begin receiving your FREE "Campaign Hot Tips," just go to: http://www.CampaignTraining.com and sign up. It's that easy. Here's your first tip: Do it right now! ************************ Attention Goldwater Republicans Tired of mushy-moderate, go-along-to-get-along Republicans-In-Name-Only (RINOs)? Tired of Republican activists who are long on words but way short on actual deeds? Then join the GOP organization that both talks the talk and walks the walk - The Republican Liberty Caucus. We think like Goldwater and campaign like Atwater. Principle AND Action. What a concept. Join the growing movement to return our country to its constitutional, limited-government roots by going to: http://www.RepublicanLibertyCaucus.com. ************************ Help Spread the Word GOP News & Views has a subscriber base of Republican activists, political leaders and elected officials of over 17,000+ ... and growing each day. If you know someone who does not receive our FREE GOP News & Views briefings, you can sign them up at http://www.GOPNewsAndViews.com. ************************************ POLITICAL E-CLASSIFIEDS ************************************ * The 28th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) promises to be the biggest and the best ever. Confirmed participants include: Vice President Dick Cheney, Charlton Heston, Benjamin Netanyahu, Governor Jim Gilmore, Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, Senators Jesse Helms, Jim Inhofe, Mitch McConnell and Richard Shelby, Congressmen J.C. Watts, Chris Cox, Bob Barr, Steve Chabot, Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, Judge Robert Bork, Bob Novak, Ann Coulter, Star Parker, Jonah Goldberg, and many, many others. CPAC falls on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 15-17th, 2001 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. To make hotel reservations please call 703-920-3230 or 1-800-228-9290, and ask for the special CPAC rate. Register on-line now at www.cpac.org or call 1-800-752-4391 to register by phone. And of course, students with a valid college ID attend CPAC free! * The National Council for a Republican Congress (NCRC) is holding its national conference February 23-25 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas. Confirmed speakers include the legendary Charlton Heston, U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, Congresswoman Kay Granger, Texas GOP Chairman Susan Weddington, and Bush Advisor Fred Meyer. The Honorable former Vice President and NCRC Advisor Dan Quayle will be featured. The cost of the conference is only $15.00 for registration, $10.00 for breakfast and $25.00 for the luncheon for a total of $50.00. Additionally, for those traveling to Dallas, a special NCRC rate of $80.00 per night at the Fairmont is available. To reserve a room at the Fairmont in Dallas, you can call either (214) 720-2020 or (800) 527-4727 and ask for the special NCRC rate. For further information on the conference and NCRC, please email NCRC Chairman Mauricio Aguirre-Orcutt at [EMAIL PROTECTED], NCRC First Vice Chairman Marc Levin at [EMAIL PROTECTED], or NCRC Advocacy Director Ed Zenner at [EMAIL PROTECTED] * 50 State Ranking For Taxation & Enterpreneurship @ $2. This 67 page large booklet ranks the fifty states for tax burden and other factors. How does your state rank? Where should you retire or start a business? This excellent report from the Small Business Survival Committee should be in your reference library. Send $2 cash or check for postage to: Taxpayers Network Inc., W67 N222 Evergreen Blvd #202, Cedarburg, WI 53012-2645. Your booklet will be shipped within 2 business days per Michael Riley, TNI Founder. * The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, "If Al Gore had won his home state of Tennessee, he would be President-elect now - Florida or no Florida." Conquest Communications & Data is proud to have been the Tele-Contact consultant to the Tennessee Republican Party's VICTORY 2000 campaign. When the election's on the line, why not go for total, undeniable CONQUEST!!! http://www.conquestcd.org * NEIGHBORHOOD RESEARCH MOUNTAINTOP MEDIA. Polling and media for conservatives who have the guts to win. Contact Rick Shaftan 973-726-8114 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] * SOCIAL SECURITY: The Imperative For Financial And Political Reform. Order this 24 page minibook for $3. Unfunded liabilities of our Social Security System are now about $75,000 per fulltime employee in the USA. This minibook answers the questions: What's the problem? --- What's the fix? --- What can you do? "Read it and then mail it to your Congressman" says Michael Riley of Taxpayers Network. To order send $3 cash/check to: Taxpayers Network, W67 N222 Evergreen Blvd #202, Cedarburg, WI 53012. Your minibook will be mailed firstclass within 2 workdays. * ARENA COMMUNICATIONS is the only GOP direct mail firm to help defeat 3 Congressional Democrats during the last two cycles (only 4 were defeated nationally). Check out www.winningmail.com or call 801-595-8339. * Picture Perfect Campaigns. The nation's leading provider of voter contact mail for Republican candidates. Producing the most dynamic and talked about campaign mail, Picture Perfect has helped elect hundreds of Republicans on tight budgets. Picture Perfect is a turnkey direct mail provider for all levels of campaigns. They offer full creative, printing and mailhouse services for political mail. Because of their high year-round production of direct mail, they offer significant savings on four-color mail. Visit their web site at http://www.ppc2win.com or call (800) 730-3116 for samples and information. Mention GOP News & Views and you will receive 1,000 FREE brochures with any order of 10,000 or more pieces. * CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES WINNING MARGIN: Increasingly, more success stories are being told about close elections that are won with the help of AUTOMATED TELEPHONE TECHNOLOGY. To find out more about this powerful, inexpensive campaign tool, contact Jerry Dorchuck at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or Ted Hilliard at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Automated TeleSystems, Inc. Ted- 916-804-3966 or Jerry 215-370-5509. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Published by: Chuck Muth, Editor 3659 Scotwood Street Las Vegas, NV 89121 Phone: (702) 454-0350 Fax: (702) 454-7798 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web site: http://www.gopnewsandviews.com The opinions and views expressed in GOP News & Views reflect those of the writers, editors and columnists therein. 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