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Donate Online | February 8, 2010 | Printer-Friendly Version |
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Action Alert: Call Speaker Denney; GOP and MinnickThe Idaho Affiliate of the American Family Association
Monday, April 27, 2009
Bryan Fischer, Executive Director
IVA ACTION ALERT: THANK SPEAKER DENNEY TODAY The leadership of the Idaho House is standing firm against any increase in the gasoline tax, telling the tax-increase-obsessed governor in a widely published letter that “this is not the day or the time” to raise taxes. Further the House leadership points out in the letter that there is over $1 billion – that’s “billion” with a  “B” - available right now for Idaho’s transportation needs without raising taxes by a single penny.It’s critically important that we let House Speaker Lawerence Denney know we appreciate his firm stance to protect the wallets of ordinary Idaho families during a recession. Legislators tell me there is nothing quite as effective as a lawmaker receiving a bunch of call slips from constituents. Emails can be deleted, but phone messages that are left with the Legislative Services Office are delivered to lawmakers in printed form. It will strengthen the Speaker’s hand if he can wave a raft of call slips from supportive Idahoans in front of the House and in front of reporters. This will be compelling visual evidence that the people stand with the Speaker and truly believe in the message of the Tea Party movement, that we are “Taxed Enough Already.” Let’s ring the phones off the hook. Please forward this message to everyone you know in Idaho, and let’s nail this thing to the floor. Please call 208-332-1000 with this message: “Please let Speaker Lawerence Denney know we support his stance against raising our gas taxes in a recession.” MESSAGE TO GOP ON MINNICK: HONE YOUR MESSAGE ON SOCIAL AGENDA The Idaho Statesman devoted its feature story today to the efforts of the GOP to retake the congressional seat captured by Walt Minnick in 2008. Vaughn Ward has already declared, but he is clearly a long shot with little name I.D. and an endorsement from John McCain that has little cachet among genuine conservatives. Sources tell me that State Treasurer Ron Crane is virtually certain to run. Crane is a likeable candidate but has not been tested in a campaign in quite a while, and in his role as Treasurer there has been little call for him to weigh in on social issues. Crane, it should be noted, did contribute to the IVA’s effort to pass the marriage amendment in 2006 by helping us send a mailer out to 125,000 households shortly before the election. Bill Sali indicated in a widely released letter over the weekend that he is giving thought  to running again, and his conservative bona fides are well-established. He has proven that, when it comes to conservative issues, he does not just talk the talk but walks the walk.If the GOP candidate is to have a shot against Minnick, he will need to brush up on the GOP message of social conservatism and become comfortable, confident and fluid in defending the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage and the dangers to civil liberties represented by the aggressive homosexual agenda. Any candidate who cannot clearly and persuasively distinguish himself from Minnick on these issues will be toast in the general election. Minnick has cast himself as a fiscal conservative, and is receiving high marks even from Republicans such as Phil Batt for voting against Obama’s stimulus bill and budget. (However, Minnick voted for the budget-busting SCHIP bill which raises taxes – mostly on the poor – by $32 billion so that families in New York making $80,000 can get Idaho taxpayers to help them foot the family health bill.) Minnick is actually more fiscally conservative than Idaho’s Republican congressman, Mike Simpson, who is proud of his earmarks while Minnick has disavowed them entirely. In short, it will be difficult for a GOP to get himself, at least in public perception, to the right of Minnick on fiscal policy and perhaps even on Second Amendment issues. Minnick will shortly be handing the GOP candidate some golden opportunities. The House may vote as early as Wednesday on the so-called “Hate Crimes Prevention” bill, which is a perfectly terrible piece of legislation. It creates a caste system in legal protection by giving some victims of violent crimes more protection than others, creates the likelihood that religious groups will be discriminated against, silenced and punished, and is in essence a “thought crimes” bill since it tacks on additional penalties based on what a perp was thinking instead of what he was doing. Pastors, as they have in Canada and Europe, could soon be prosecuted for hate speech violations under this  horrid law.Any GOP candidate against Minnick who cannot clearly articulate the case against “Hate Crimes” laws, same-sex marriage, discrimination laws that give special protections based on homosexual and transgender sexual behaviors, and abortion on demand will lose. The GOP message to voters, if it wants to retake Minnick’s seat, is simple: Do you want a representative in D.C. who shares some of your values or all of your values? The GOP is likely to work very hard at narrowing its field to one candidate to avoid repetition of the crowded six-horse primary race in 2006 so it can keep its powder dry for the general election run against Minnick. Many maneuvers and back-channel conversations are sure to take place in the near future. But the message to GOP leadership is this: you’d better find a candidate who is confident, unapologetic and articulate on social issues or he’ll get his hat handed to him in 2010. And if Idaho’s GOP needs an illustration, they need look no further than the trouble Michael Steele got himself into by trying to triangulate on social issues. He since seems since to have gotten his mind right, but Idaho’s GOP cannot afford to have a congressional candidate who stumbles out of the gate on these critical social and moral issues. If you value the work of the IVA, please consider a donation today. Information on how to donate, including making a secure online donation, may be found here. Thank you!
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productivity" by 25%. Oh what to do?