I Gotcha

As chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, CommieTommie Harkin held a hearing yesterday on Obamacare.

The hearing’s witness was Marilyn Tavenner, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is overseeing the healthcare.gov website.

Harkin was heard trying to get Republicans to kowtow by stating --

I hope we’re here for a constructive discussion, not a game of ‘gotcha.’”

CommieTommie's career began on a "gotcha" and the scientific community is united in that fact.

In 1969 Harkin began work in the office of longtime Iowa Democratic Congressman Neal Smith. As a staff aide to the House Select Committee on United States Involvement in Southeast Asia, Harkin accompanied a fact-finding mission to South Vietnam in 1970. As part of this mission, during a 30-minute visit to Con Son Prison he snapped photographs of Communist prisoners in “tiger cages.”

When the mission returned, Harkin declared that these photographs were “too important” to be turned over to Congress and to the House Select Committee. Instead he sold the photos, some to anti-American foreign outlets, and others to Life Magazine for $10,000.

CONee Tommie Harkin!

In 1972 Harkin's first run for Congress was a race that showcased Harkin’s combative style. During one of his Republican opponent’s speeches, Harkin forced his way onto the stage and shouted that the incumbent congressman was telling “a pack of lies.” 

CommieTommie further chastised -- “There are many who have spent the past three years doing nothing but trying to tear this law down. Quite frankly, I feel they’ve kind of surrendered their right to express indignation that it’s not working flawlessly.”

C'mon CommieTommie that's completely un-American, nobody has to surrender their right to free speech.

Besides I thought Dummycrats believed, Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

Remember?

"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say, "We are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration!"

CommieTommie concluded -- “Before we get into the details, I think everyone should take a deep breath. This is, after all, a website. This is a machine that will be fixed.”

Harkin's retirement can't come quick enough.

I'll Back You Up

Supporting his second candidate of the week (You Said), CommieTommie Harkin at least twice went against his word and is attempting to “hand pick” his successor by endorsing CONgressman Bruce Braley.

As recently as February 7, Harkin reaffirmed a pledge he made in January that he does not intend to endorse a successor. “Right now, I’m not endorsing anyone. I just want to make that statement because I mean it”.

It's not news that CommieTommie can't keep his word (Harkin Lies) and the scientific community is united in that fact.

On January 26, when he announced his retirement, CommieTommie claimed he would not endorse a Democrat successor.“I don’t think that it’s my job to try to pick somebody. That’s up to the Democrats to do”. 

I do have to wonder if the togetherness for this public endorsement is the change in the senator’s schedule that had Harkin cancelling a roundtable on college affordability.

Lies

Iowa's junior Senator, CommieTommie Harkin, is trying to rile up the elderly while spreading lies about any possible government shutdown.

Harkin says GOP spending cuts will hit Main Street Iowa

Harkin said if a government shutdown did occur, Social Security and disability payments would stop, employees of the federal government wouldn’t be able to go to work, the Internal Revenue Service would halt, and there would be interruptions to veteran’s programs.

BUZZ--WRONG!

As the Liter noted earlier (Misinformation)...

Social Security checks would still go out.

The air traffic control system, food inspection, Medicare, veterans' health care and many other essential government programs would run as usual. The Social Security Administration would not only send out benefits but would continue to take applications. The Postal Service, which is self-funded, would keep delivering the mail. Federal courts would remain open.

Troops would remain at their posts.

And virtually every essential government agency, like the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard, would remain open.

Here's more from CommieTommie --

“You’ve got some people on the House side...who are being totally unreasonable.”

Harkin added --

“I just don’t think I can support any kind of a bill that just makes spending cuts without also raising revenue...".

That's unreasonable and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Fine, if you want to raise revenue then let's sell $767 billion in land, $421 billion in “mineral rights” and $1.17 trillion in fixed reproducible capital (things like buildings and machinery) and $290 billion in inventory owned by the federal government.

Need more?

Selling off shares of General Motors could bring in an estimated $18 billion.

Then there's always the $100 billion and $200 billion in duplicative spending CONgress could clean up.

A few Billion here and a few Trillion there, now we're getting somewhere.

I Cut Like A Buffalo

In an Op-Ed for the Ragister, CommieTommie Harkin lies about cuts to food stamps (SNAP).

CommieTommie chides the House of Representatives for passing extreme cuts to food assistance.

Those "cuts" are in actuality an increase of 57%.

Harkin harps on it as a cut because the House spends $725 billion while the Senate wants to spend $764 billion. 

CommieTommie continued --

One particularly damaging feature of that bill would offer states a financial incentive to throw poor households, including kids, off of food assistance if a parent cannot find a job or job training.

Not completely true CommieTommie, it allows states to participate in a pilot program that would apply federal welfare work requirements to the SNAP program.

Continuing on, CommieTommie stated -- Another provision in the House bill would throw childless adults off SNAP if they are not working 20 hours per week, regardless of whether jobs are available.

Again, not completely true CommieTommie.

Here's what the provision does --

Renew work requirements, so able-bodied food stamp recipients who are not responsible for dependents would have to have a paid job, or do volunteer work, be enrolled in a qualified training program, or at least sign up for work when it becomes available in order to qualify for food stamps

One cut I would like Washington to make, cut the crap!

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

I'd trust a Used Car Salesman

Before I'd believe anything that came out of CommieTommie Harkin's mouth.

CommieTommie, pictured with CIETC's Ramona Cunningham (whom he never met), responded with his usual lies in his press release regarding President Bush's veto of the so called Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

"...The American people should not be fooled - there is no substitute for this type of research..."

"...there is no alternative to the promise offered by embryonic stem cell research."

No substitute? No alternative?

Dr. Mary Davenport, obstetrician-gynecologist, and a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology said last fall...

The plain fact is that embryonic stem cell research is proving to be a bust. There are currently 72 therapies showing human benefits using adult stem cells and zero using embryonic stem cells.

The fact is that adult stem cells have already produced remarkable cures, whereas embryonic stem cells have failed.

What I wrote after the last veto still stands...

George Bush is the first president to approve federal funding for stem cell research. There are lines of stem cells now available. There is no ban, President Bush vetoed expanding federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. If embryonic stem cell research was so promising it would attract private investment, like Adult stem cell research.

The only fools, Senator, are the ones who keep voting for you and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Shamelessly CommieTommie had to drag out another family member for his dog & pony show...

"...legislation that offered hope to millions of Americans....and in my nephew's case, spinal cord injuries."

"...We will continue to pursue expanded stem cell research funding until it becomes law -- for my nephew, Kelly...".

It reminds me of every election campaign when he would put his deaf brother Frank in his commercials.

Anything for a vote.

They don't know the meaning of IS either

It never ceases to amaze me how thoroughly incompetent the media, the Ragister in particular, can be.

Case in point, a Ragister article written by Farm Editor Jerry Perkins...

A federal conservation program that pays farmers to leave cropland idle drew bipartisan support Saturday in Des Moines from two congressional leaders who will help form agriculture policy.

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., and U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., chairmen of the Senate and House agriculture committees...

...U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Ia., a member of the House agriculture committee...

(Bipartisan was highlighted by me)

Naming and quoting 3 Dummycrats doesn't make it BIPARTISAN!

Conveniently checking Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary I found...

BIPARTISAN: of, relating to, or involving members of two parties bipartisan commission>; specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties <bipartisan support for the bill>.

This is not only Perkins' error, blame lies also with the chain of command in the editors who review the article.

I e-mailed Jerry Perkins and we'll see if he replies.

As I've said before about the media...If you can't trust them on the simple things, how can you trust them on the big issues?

The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's daughter summed it up best in her appearance at Washington's National Press Club.

She was asked how she compared snakes and reporters.

"I really think I like poisonous snakes".

Out of the mouth of babes.