Ryan B calls for Investigations and Accountability of TARP Funds

Investigations and Accountability – WHERE DID THE MONEY REALLY GO

VOTE BRIAN “RYAN B” FOR INVESTIGATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY

I am calling on Congress and the Department of Justice to investigate former Treasury Secretary Paulson and the Corporations that received TARP Funds.

It seems that we and the Federal Reserve gave trillions of tax payer dollars to wealthy corporations only to have it disappear without any benefits being realized by us.  We gave away enough money to pay off every home mortgage in the country.  Now that would have been a stimulus.  The banks would be paid, the “derivative” problem would be solved and the American people and our economy would have a real stimulus.  Families who don’t have a mortgage to pay off could receive an income tax credit so they would be stimulated too.

The executives are still getting their huge bonuses, with our tax money.  I want to see an investigation concerning how much of the TARP money made its way back into the pockets of the same greedy politicians who gave away in the form of campaign contributions and other “pac” money. We have seen hard working citizens’ retirement savings and benefits disappear overnight.  People worked hard every day for their life saving only to see executives on Wall Street and banks and mortgage companies motivated only by greed cause one of the greatest collapses in American history.

Now where I’m from to mislead and steal from people is a crime!  I notice that our now Treasury Secretary has yet to call on the Justice Department to investigate how and why Americans were “raped” at the hands of Executives.

My first day in office I will call for investigation to see where, when and how these funds were used and why tougher restrictions were not issued controlling where our money went.   Geithner has failed us.  He has allowed the American people’s money to be stolen and given to big executives’ as a flat out gift in the form of undeserved bonuses and he has failed to turn this over to the Justice Department for a full investigation of Executive wrongdoing.

CTI Corporation received $2 billion dollars of our money with no accountability only to come back to the treasury to ask for more before filing bankruptcy after being denied additional funds.

Where is the accountability for the $2 billion dollars?  WHERE DID IT GO???   Where are the independent audits and investigations into the spending of taxpayers’ money by these banks and investment groups?  Where is our Treasury Secretary? Who’s guarding the hen house? It’s clear to me that the bankers are guarding the bankers.

I will not stand for the misuse of the our tax dollars and I demand full and complete investigations.  I hope that none of our elected officials in Washington are embarrassed when it turns out they received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the very people who got our money and did nothing to help us with it.

www.briandoyleforcongress.com

Percy Sutton, A World Leader, dies at 89

NEW YORK (AP) – Percy Sutton, the pioneering civil rights attorney who represented Malcolm X before launching successful careers as a political power broker and media mogul, has died. He was 89.

Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson, confirmed that Sutton died Saturday. She did not know the cause. His daughter, Cheryl Sutton, declined to comment Saturday when reached by phone at her New York City home.

The son of a former slave, Percy Sutton became a fixture on 125th Street in Harlem after moving to New York City following his service with the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. His Harlem law office, founded in 1953, represented Malcolm X and the slain activist’s family for decades.

The consummate politician, Sutton served in the New York State Assembly before taking over as Manhattan borough president in 1966, becoming the highest-ranking black elected official in the state.

Sutton also mounted unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and mayor of New York, and served as political mentor for the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s two presidential races.

Jackson recalled Sutton talking about electing a black president as early as 1972. Sutton was influential in getting his 1984 campaign going, he said.

“He never stopped building bridges and laying the groundwork,” Jackson said Sunday. “We are very glad to be the beneficiaries of his work.”

In a statement released Saturday night, Gov. David Paterson called Sutton a mentor and “one of New York’s and this nation’s most influential African-American leaders.”

“Percy was fiercely loyal, compassionate and a truly kind soul,” Paterson said. “He will be missed but his legacy lives on through the next generations of African-Americans he inspired to pursue and fulfill their own dreams and ambitions.”

President Barack Obama called Sutton “a true hero” to African-Americans across the country.

“His life-long dedication to the fight for civil rights and his career as an entrepreneur and public servant made the rise of countless young African-Americans possible,” Obama said in a statement.

In 1971, with his brother Oliver, Sutton purchased WLIB-AM, making it the first black-owned radio station in New York City. His Inner City Broadcasting Corp. eventually picked up WBLS-FM, which reigned for years as New York’s top-rated radio station, before buying stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit and San Antonio between 1978-85.

The Texas purchase marked a homecoming for the suave and sophisticated Sutton, born in San Antonio on Nov. 24, 1920, the youngest of 15 children.

Among Sutton’s other endeavors was his purchase and renovation of the famed Apollo Theater when the Harlem landmark’s demise appeared imminent.

“The Apollo and its staff stand on the shoulders of Mr. Sutton as the theater continues to flourish,” said Jonelle Procope, president and CEO of Apollo Theater Foundation Inc. “(He) will be greatly missed and will always be an integral part of the Apollo legacy.”

Sutton’s father, Samuel, was born into slavery just before the Civil War. The elder Sutton became principal at a segregated San Antonio high school, and he made education a family priority: All 12 of his surviving children attended college.

When he was 13, Percy Sutton endured a traumatic experience that drove him inexorably into the fight for racial equality. A police officer approached Sutton as the teen handed out NAACP pamphlets. “N—–, what are you doing out of your neighborhood?” he asked before beating the youth.

When World War II arrived, Sutton’s enlistment attempts were rebuffed by Southern white recruiters. The young man went to New York, where he was accepted and joined the Tuskegee Airmen.

After the war, Sutton earned a law degree in New York while working as a post office clerk and a subway conductor. He served again as an Air Force intelligence officer during the Korean War before returning to Harlem in 1953 and establishing his law office with brother Oliver and a third partner, George Covington.

In addition to representing Malcolm X for a decade until his 1965 assassination, the Sutton firm handled the cases of more than 200 defendants arrested in the South during the 1963-64 civil rights marches. Sutton was also elected to two terms as president of the New York office of the NAACP.

After Malcolm’s assassination, Sutton worked as lawyer for Malcolm’s widow, Betty Shabazz. He represented her grandson, 12-year-old Malcolm Shabazz, when the youth was accused of setting a 1997 fire that caused her death.

Sutton was elected to the state Legislature in 1965, and quickly emerged as spokesman for its 13 black members. His charisma and eloquence led to his selection as Manhattan borough president in 1966, completing the term of Constance Baker Motley, who was appointed federal judge.

Two years later, Sutton announced a run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jacob Javits, although he pulled out of the Democratic primary to back Paul O’Dwyer.

Sutton remained in his Manhattan job through 1977, the same year he launched a doomed campaign for mayor that ended with Edward I. Koch defeating six competitors for the Democratic nomination.

Sutton was among the first voices raised against the Vietnam War, surrendering his delegate’s seat at the 1968 Democratic convention in protest and supporting anti-war candidate George McGovern four years later against incumbent President Richard Nixon.

In addition to his radio holdings, Sutton also headed a group that owned The Amsterdam News, the second largest black weekly newspaper in the country. The paper was later sold.

Sutton’s devotion to Harlem and its people was rarely more evident than when he spent $250,000 to purchase the shuttered Apollo Theater in 1981. The Apollo turned 70 in 2004, a milestone that was unthinkable until Sutton stepped in to save the landmark.

Sutton “retired” in 1991, but his work as an adviser, mentor and confidante to politicians and businessmen never abated. He was among a group of American businessmen selected during the Clinton administration to attend meetings with the Group of Seven (G-7) Nations in 1995-96.

“He was a great man,” said Charles Warfield Jr., the president and chief operating officer of ICBC Broadcast Holdings Inc., when reached early Sunday. He declined to comment further out of respect for the wishes of Sutton’s family.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said he last visited Sutton in a nursing home Wednesday. He recalled meeting Sutton for the first time at age 12; Four years later, Sutton paid for his trip to a national black political convention because the teenage Sharpton couldn’t afford to go.

“He personified the black experience of the 20th century,” Sharpton said. “He started the century where blacks were victims. We ended as victors.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Sunday that flags on city buildings would be lowered in Sutton’s honor.

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York and M.L. Johnson in Chicago contributed to this report.

Doyle Expected to Run in 2010 US Congress Race South Carolina

Doyle Expected to Run in 2010

“He is what the 3rd Congressional District Needs”

The 3rd Congressional District has suffered greatly over the past ten (10) years.  This District includes the counties of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick and Oconee, Pickens, Saluda and approximately half of Aiken County.

The District is mostly rural.  However much of the District’s economy revolves around the manufacturing centers in the Anderson, Aiken and Greenwood areas.

Historically, the District was a Democratic stronghold and Democrats continued to hold most of the local offices well into 1990.  The United States Congress seat turned Republican in 1994 and has remained Republican since.  Doyle wants to change that.

As a result of the many manufacturing jobs sent overseas and to Mexico, the counties represented in the 3rd Congressional District have experienced a drastic  decline in their businesses and incomes.  “We must review the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in order to start restoring jobs to South Carolina and go to green jobs.  We must have real change that affects everyone, not just a select few”. Doyle said

Doyle believes the 3rd District must move from the minority to the majority. We must improve the status of our children’s education, jobs and business climate.  We must progress as a district without losing our moral values.  By working together we can make that happen in the District’s ten counties said Doyle.

Doyle has yet to decide if he will run as a Democrat or Independent.  “I’m a little concerned with a lot of the business of the Democrats in Washington right now,” Doyle said.  “However, I understand the 3rd Congressional District must get out of the minority and into the majority and get the peoples’ business in our state done for the betterment of all.” Doyle announced that he has two months to decide and pay his filing fee.

Q:       How do you feel about small business opportunity?

A:       Small businesses have suffered throughout the state but have been hit hard in the 3rd District.  The 3rd Congressional District has the ability to rebound.  However, we must lower taxes for the small businesses and offer more tax breaks and I would like to propose some plans and action to help reopen some of our closed plants and restore manufacturing jobs,

Some of these businesses can receive federal assistance to help produce green jobs and our State government can cap out-of-state well connected contractors from getting so much of our business and direct it to locally owned businesses.

I will place this item on the table my first day on the job and will not stop until we review and fix it.  This CAFTA and NAFTA have hurt many states including ours. I would like to see small businesses with gross incomes of $3,000,000.00 or be allowed take advantage of a plan that would give them a 40% tax break on the gross salary of all rehabilitated former convicts hired.  This could reduce our crime rate by 24.5%, making our communities safer and give the economy a read stimulus.

Q:       how do you feel about the bail-out of the private sector?

A:        I see much disappointment in the Federal Government’s bail-out of banks and private sector corporations.  I believe we must put forward more and stricter regulations over our banking industry as they have been allowed and encouraged to take advantage of us for too long.  We need better elected officials watching over the tax payers’ money and voting for the people and not for the powerful big business interests that pay them so well.

I’m against giving away the American taxpayers’ money to offer undeserved and unearned obscenely large bonuses to executives.  The government should have never have literally given away our money with no real controls or benefits for the people.  Too many people have lost everything due to the greed and non-concern of their so called elected officials.

Q:       Will you vote as a Republican or a Democrat?

A:       I don’t believe it is about parties anymore.  I believe it is about getting the right things done for the people in the 3rd Congressional District and other sections of our state.

I also believe it is about giving our young people a chance to stay home and not have to move away looking for jobs, and it is about giving small business owners an opportunity to hire workers and make a living.

Q:       Do you believe there has been much change in Washington?

A:        If there has been I have not seen it.  I see the same old people telling the same old stories taking the same money from the same big corporations ignoring what the people who elected them want and laughing all the way to the bank.  The same old way of doing business must change if the American people are going to have any faith in their government.

Q:       How do you feel about Healthcare Reform?

A:        I do believe we need some form of reform in this area.  However, I do not believe in socialism or government run healthcare.  I would like to see a single payer system or an extended state government program similar to the Medicaid plan for the un-insured that will allow those with pre-existing conditions to become insured.

I further believe a federally funded state plan would help the small business owner and the un-insured get the care they need.  I don’t support limited options or government run healthcare with our economy and debt today.

Q:       How do you propose to fix outsourcing and the Central and North American Free Trade Agreements?

A:        Congress and President Obama must first understand this form of business is not working for the American people in providing jobs and isn’t helping the American economy.  Therefore, we must pass laws that limit the amount of outsourcing American companies can do and the amount of tax breaks received for outsourcing.

I also feel the United States must limit the amount of goods allowed in from China and other places that use underpaid or virtually slave cheap labor.

We heard so much about this problem during the presidential election and now it has gone away.  I will not let it die again and I believe the government should offer loans to manufacturing plants closed by the failure of the congress and the Senate to protect America and allow them to re-open and provide green jobs.

Q:       How can we improve thing for our veterans in South Carolina and America?

A:        I am very concerned about the veterans and especially those here in South Carolina and I believe we must increase funding for the disabled and put an end to the bureaucratic boondoggles that are only designed to prevent them from obtaining their dearly earned benefits.

I also think there is room for another VA Hospital in our state within the 3rd Congressional District.

This would certainly benefit the veterans and create jobs in South Carolina. I would like to see the facility placed in the Greenwood or Anderson area.   This would help those injured returning from the wars.

Q:       You talked about true change for all the American people, please explain?

A:        I believe millions of Republicans and Democrats were excited about making a change in Washington.  However, I just personally do not believe we’ve made that much change.

We must look beyond family members, friends and colleagues in order to bring change to the American people.  Just research some of the deals made in South Carolina and observe who is getting contracts and who isn’t.  Then look at some of the elected officials family members or close friends.

I believe we cannot build a strong economy when those types of deals limit the jobs and limit how monies flow through the state.

Q:       How can we control spending in the Federal Government?

A:        I believe we need a hiring freeze on federal jobs until we can gain control over the economy.  I know for a fact there are thousands of federal employees who have the time but not the age to retire.

I believe Congress should lower the age for Federal workers allowing them to retire early which could reduce government size and spending by 19.7%.

We can save billions of dollars which we continue to spend wastefully in Washington.

Q:       What are your thoughts on the way education is provided in South Carolina and America?

A:        First, I believe education begins at home and we must ensure that parents and family members spend quality time understanding the importance of a good education.  Secondly, we must employ the most qualified people to teach our children and provide the resources they need to do the job.

It is my feeling that the system must provide access to computers and internet service both at school and home and we must provide funding to those schools in rural communities.  I plan to work with South Carolina State Superintendent of Schools to make sure my ten counties are receiving the necessary funding to provide a good education to our children.  I would like to see laptops in the hands of all our students in the district from Grades 7 through 12 immediately.

Q:       how do you respond to the belief by some that you are too liberal and unfair?

A:       It is about the people of the 3rd Congressional District, no about me or my personal wishes.  It is about doing the business of the people.  I do no believe one should get more or receive more because of who they know.

If feel others should not have to take care of those who are unwilling to better their lives or conditions and I don’t believe in socialism or government control of every aspect of our lives.

Q:       How do you feel about gun control?

A:       I believe every citizen has the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment Rights and those rights must be protected by Congress and I will support and protect them to the fullest.

Q:       What is your view on abortions?

A:        This is a very sensitive area for me as my faith believes you should not kill.   I am personally against abortion but I do not believe in such a deeply personal area that I should be allowed to impose my beliefs on others.  I must respect, defend and protect a woman’s right to control her own life.  I may argue and lead by example but I do not believe that the government has any place in people’s bedrooms or their personal private lives.  By better education and giving better opportunities for mothers to successfully raise their children in a decent environment we can remove the factors which make some women believe that abortion is their only option.

Q:       what can be done to improve agricultural conditions in South Carolina?

A:        I believe Congress must make more funding available to farmers and especially in South Carolina because of our climate and land mass.  We have a great opportunity to move towards an energy saving state.  We can produce large amounts of food in our state.  But without funding from Congress our farmers will not be able to compete with foreign producers and large federally funded agribusinesses.

These things can only happen by making the right choice for South Carolina in 2010.

“I want to give control of the 3rd Congressional District back to the people of the District.  So I’m asking for your help and support in moving our district forward again”. Doyle said

Doyle Expected to Run in 2010 for US Congress South Carolina

Doyle Expected to Run in 2010
“ He is what the 3rd Congressional District Needs”

The 3rd Congressional District has suffered greatly over the past ten (10) years. This District includes the counties of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick and Oconee, Pickens, Saluda and approximately half of Aiken County.
The District is mostly rural. However much of the District’s economy revolves around the manufacturing centers in the Anderson, Aiken and Greenwood areas.
Historically, the District was a Democratic stronghold and Democrats continued to hold most of the local offices well into 1990. The United States Congress seat turned Republican in 1994 and has remained Republican since. Doyle wants to change that.
As a result of the many manufacturing jobs sent overseas and to Mexico, the counties represented in the 3rd Congressional District have experienced a drastic decline in their businesses and incomes. “We must review the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in order to start restoring jobs to South Carolina and go to green jobs. We must have real change that affects everyone, not just a select few”. Doyle said
Doyle believes the 3rd District must move from the minority to the majority. We must improve the status of our children’s education, jobs and businessclimate. We must progress as a district without losing our moral values. By working together we can make that happen in the District’s ten counties said Doyle.
Doyle has yet to decide if he will run as a Democrat or Independent. “I’m a little concerned with a lot of the business of the Democrats in Washington right now,” Doyle said. “However, I understand the 3rd Congressional District must get out of the minority and into the majority and get the peoples’ business in our state done for the betterment of all.” Doyle announced that he has two months to decide and pay his filing fee.

Q: How do you feel about small business opportunity?
A: Small businesses have suffered throughout the state but have been hit hard in the 3rd District. The 3rd Congressional District has the ability to rebound. However, we must lower taxes for the small businesses and offer more tax breaks and I would like to propose some plans and action to help reopen some of our closed plants and restore manufacturing jobs,
Some of these businesses can receive federal assistance to help produce green jobs and our State government can cap out-of-state well connected contractors from getting so much of our business and direct it to locally owned businesses.
I will place this item on the table my first day on the job and will not stop until we review and fix it. This CAFTA and NAFTA have hurt many states including ours. I would like to see small businesses with gross incomes of $3,000,000.00 or be allowed take advantage of a plan that would give them a 40% tax break on the gross salary of all rehabilitated former convicts hired. This could reduce our crime rate by 24.5%, making our communities safer and give the economy a read stimulus.
Q: how do you feel about the bail-out of the private sector?
A: I see much disappointment in the Federal Government’s bail-out of banks and private sector corporations. I believe we must put forward more and stricter regulations over our banking industry as they have been allowed and encouraged allowed to take advantage of us for too long. We need better elected officials watching over the tax payers’ money and voting for the people and not for the powerful big business interests that pay them so well.
I’m against giving away the American taxpayers’ money to offer undeserved and unearned obscenely large bonuses to executives. The government should have never have literally given away our money with no real controls or benefits for the people. Too many people have lost everything due to the greed and non-concern of their so called elected officials.

Q: Will you vote as a Republican or a Democrat?
A: I don’t believe it is about parties anymore. I believe it is about getting the right things done for the people in the 3rd Congressional District and other sections of our state.
I also believe it is about giving our young people a chance to stay home and not have to move away looking for jobs, and it is about giving small business owners an opportunity to hire workers and make a living.
Q: Do you believe there has been much change in Washington?

A: If there has been I have not seen it. I see the same old people telling the same old stories taking the same money from the same big corporations ignoring what the people who elected them want and laughing all the way to the bank. The same old way of doing business must change if the American people are going to have any faith in their government.

Q: How do you feel about Healthcare Reform?

A: I do believe we need some form of reform in this area. However, I do not believe in socialism or government run healthcare. I would like to see a single payer system or an extended state government program similar to the Medicaid plan for the un-insured that will allow those with pre-existing conditions to become insured.
I further believe a federally funded state plan would help the small business owner and the un-insured get the care they need. I don’t support limited options or government run healthcare with our economy and debt today.

Q: How do you propose to fix outsourcing and the Central and North American Free Trade Agreements?
A: Congress and President Obama must first understand this form of business is not working for the American people in providing jobs and isn’t helping the American economy. Therefore, we must pass laws that limit the amount of outsourcing American companies can do and the amount of tax breaks received for outsourcing.
I also feel the United States must limit the amount of goods allowed in from China and other places that use underpaid or virtually slave cheap labor.
We heard so much about this problem during the presidential election and now it has gone away. I will not let it die again and I believe the government should offer loans to manufacturing plants closed by the failure of the congress and the Senate to protect America and allow them to re-open and provide green jobs.

Q: How can we improve thing for our veterans in South Carolina and America?
A: I am very concerned about the veterans and especially those here in South Carolina and I believe we must increase funding for the disabled and put an end to the bureaucratic boondoggles that are only designed to prevent them from obtaining their dearly earned benefits.
I also think there is room for another VA Hospital in our state within the 3rd Congressional District.
This would certainly benefit the veterans and create jobs in South Carolina. I would like to see the facility placed in the Greenwood or Anderson area. This would help those injured returning from the wars.
Q: You talked about true change for all the American people, please explain?

A: I believe millions of Republicans and Democrats were excited about making a change in Washington. However, I just personally do not believe we’ve made that much change.
We must look beyond family members, friends and colleagues in order to bring change to the American people. Just research some of the deals made in South Carolina and observe who is getting contracts and who isn’t. Then look at some of the elected officials family members or close friends.
I believe we cannot build a strong economy when those types of deals limit the jobs and limit how monies flow through the state.
Q: How can we control spending in the Federal Government?
A: I believe we need a hiring freeze on federal jobs until we can gain control over the economy. I know for a fact there are thousands of federal employees who have the time but not the age to retire.
I believe Congress should lower the age for Federal workers allowing them to retire early which could reduce government size and spending by 19.7%.
We can save billions of dollars which we continue to spend wastefully in Washington.

Q: What are your thoughts on the way education is provided in South Carolina and America?
A: First, I believe education begins at home and we must ensure that parents and family members spend quality time understanding the importance of a good education. Secondly, we must employ the most qualified people to teach our children and provide the resources they need to do the job.
It is my feeling that the system must provide access to computers and internet service both at school and home and we must provide funding to those schools in rural communities. I plan to work with South Carolina State Superintendent of Schools to make sure my ten counties are receiving the necessary funding to provide a good education to our children. I would like to see laptops in the hands of all our students in the district from Grades 7 through 12 immediately.

Q: how do you respond to the belief by some that you are too liberal and unfair?
A: It is about the people of the 3rd Congressional District, no about me or my personal wishes. It is about doing the business of the people. I do no believe one should get more or receive more because of who they know.
If feel others should not have to take care of those who are unwilling to better their lives or conditions and I don’t believe in socialism or government control of every aspect of our lives.
Q: How do you feel about gun control?
A: I believe every citizen has the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment Rights and those rights must be protected by Congress and I will support and protect them to the fullest.

Q: What is your view on abortions?

A: This is a very sensitive area for me as my faith believes you should not kill. I am personally against abortion but I do not believe in such a deeply personal area that I should be allowed to impose my beliefs on others. I must respect, defend and protect a woman’s right to control her own life. I may argue and lead by example but I do not believe that the government has any place in people’s bedrooms or their personal private lives. By better education and giving better opportunities for mothers to successfully raise their children in a decent environment we can remove the factors which make some women believe that abortion is their only option.
Q: what can be done to improve agricultural conditions in South Carolina?

A: I believe Congress must make more funding available to farmers and especially in South Carolina because of our climate and land mass. We have a great opportunity to move towards an energy saving state. We can produce large amounts of food in our state. But without funding from Congress our farmers will not be able to compete with foreign producers and large federally funded agribusinesses.

These things can only happen by making the right choice for South Carolina in 2010.
“I want to give control of the 3rd Congressional District back to the people of the District. So I’m asking for your help and support in moving our district forward again”. Doyle said

Letter to President Obama from Candidate for Congress

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
FROM BRIAN “RYAN B” DOYLE for Congress

November 30, 2009

Hon. President Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20006

Fax and Mailed

RE: Suspending Payroll Taxes and Requiring Banks to make Loan to Small Business Owners

Hon. President Obama:

I am writing on behalf of the America people and small business owners across the country in need.

I am a candidate for Congress for the 3rd Congressional District of South Carolina. My district was hit hard due to the North American and Central Trade Agreements. We have lost thousands of jobs and small businesses are closing their doors. I believe it’s now time to review both agreements and make the necessary changes to save the few American jobs we have left in South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.

As a democratic candidate I am asking you Mr. President to order our treasury Secretary, Hon. Timothy F. Geithner to suspend payroll taxes as of Dec 31, 2009 for six months to help Americans and small business owners.

I believe this will help bail-out the real people who are suffering the tax payers. This will help simulate our economy and help our GDP. I know that you have been working hard to fix our financial crisis that you inherited. We need your help and support now more than ever.

I remember my two radio interview with you as an syndicated radio talk show host and you said “we have to get American back on the right track”.

I am also asking the administration to require banks and leading institutions that received government assistance to start lending money to small business owners. I believe it would only be fair to audit and confirm that banks loan or make available at least 25% of the monies they received from the tax payers.

In order to move forward and out of this financial crisis we can no longer allow the banks to use tax payer’s money to provide lavish bonuses nor buy or merge with other failing companies. We must demand real growth into our economy. Banks have failed to earn their bailouts and live up to the expectations of the American people.

I am working hard to bring more jobs and better opportunity to the people of the 3rd congressional district of South Carolina. I believe truly in my heart you want the best for all Americans and not only for large corporations and rich bankers. Now is the time to bail-out the American people and small businesses.

Please help me help the people of South Carolina and Americans. Please suspend payroll taxes for six months and give Americans and small businesses a chance to get back on their feet. God Bless you, your family and the United States of America.

Best Regards,
Brian “Ryan B” Doyle for Congress

Brian Doyle,
Candidate for Congress
3rd Congressional District South Carolina

Health Care Reform Town halls gone wild

Screaming constituents, protesters dragged out by the cops, congressmen fearful for their safety — welcome to the new town-hall-style meeting, the once-staid forum that is rapidly turning into a house of horrors for members of Congress.

On the eve of the August recess, members are reporting meetings that have gone terribly awry, marked by angry, sign-carrying mobs and disruptive behavior. In at least one case, a congressman has stopped holding town hall events because the situation has spiraled so far out of control.

“I had felt they would be pointless,” Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) told POLITICO, referring to his recent decision to suspend the events in his Long Island district. “There is no point in meeting with my constituents and [to] listen to them and have them listen to you if what is basically an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation.”

In Bishop’s case, his decision came on the heels of a June 22 event he held in Setauket, N.Y., in which protesters dominated the meeting by shouting criticisms at the congressman for his positions on energy policy, health care and the bailout of the auto industry.

Within an hour of the disruption, police were called in to escort the 59-year-old Democrat — who has held more than 100 town hall meetings since he was elected in 2002 — to his car safely.

“I have no problem with someone disagreeing with positions I hold,” Bishop said, noting that, for the time being, he was using other platforms to communicate with his constituents. “But I also believe no one is served if you can’t talk through differences.”

Bishop isn’t the only one confronted by boiling anger and rising incivility. At a health care town hall event in Syracuse, N.Y., earlier this month, police were called in to restore order, and at least one heckler was taken away by local police. Close to 100 sign-carrying protesters greeted Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) at a late June community college small-business development forum in Panama City, Fla. Last week, Danville, Va., anti-tax tea party activists claimed they were “refused an opportunity” to ask Rep. Thomas Perriello (D-Va.) a question at a town hall event and instructed by a plainclothes police officer to leave the property after they attempted to hold up protest signs.

The targets in most cases are House Democrats, who over the past few months have tackled controversial legislation including a $787 billion economic stimulus package, a landmark energy proposal and an overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

Democrats, acknowledging the increasing unruliness of the town-hall-style events, say the hot-button issues they are taking on have a lot to do with it.

“I think it’s just the fact that we are dealing with some of the most important public policy issues in a generation,” said Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), who was confronted by a protester angry about his position on health care reform at a town hall event several weeks ago.

“I think in general what is going on is we are tackling issues that have been ignored for a long time, and I think that is disruptive to a lot of people,” said Bishop, a four-term congressman. “We are trying, one by one, to deal with a set of issues that can’t be ignored, and I think that’s unsettling to a lot of people.”

Freshman Rep. Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.), whose event at a Syracuse middle school was disrupted, said that he still planned to hold additional town halls but that he was also thinking about other options.

“I think you’ve got to communicate through a variety of different ways. You should do the telephone town hall meetings. You should do the town hall meetings. You should do the smaller group meetings,” said Maffei. “It’s important to do things in a variety of ways, so you don’t have one mode of communication.”

“You’re going to have people of varying views, and in this case, you’ve got the two extremes who were the most vocal,” Maffei said of the flare-up at his July 12 event.

On Tuesday, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who handles incumbent retention duties for House Democrats in addition to chairing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, met with freshman members to discuss their plans for the monthlong August recess. While the specific issue of town hall protesters never came up, according to sources familiar with the meeting, he urged them not to back away from opponents.

“He said, ‘Go on offense. Stay on the offense. It’s really important that your constituents hear directly from you. You shouldn’t let a day go by [that] your constituents don’t hear from you,’” said one House Democratic leadership aide familiar with the meeting.

Some members profess to enjoy the give-and-take of the town halls, even if lately it’s become more take than give.

“Town halls are a favorite part of my job,” said Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.), a third-term congressman from St. Louis who noted that a “handful” of disruptions had taken place at his meetings. “It’s what I do. It’s what I will continue to do.”

“People have gotten fired up and all that, but I think that’s what makes town halls fun,” said Perriello, a freshman who is among the most vulnerable Democrats in 2010. “I think that most of the time when we get out there, it’s a good chance for people to vent and offer their thoughts. It’s been good.”

“I enjoy it, and people have a chance to speak their mind,” he said.

Both Carnahan and Perriello said they were plunging forward with plans to hold more town hall meetings.

Republicans, with an eye toward 2010, are keeping close track of the climate at Democratic events.

“We’ve seen Russ Carnahan, we’ve seen Tim Bishop, we’ve seen some other people face some very different crowds back home,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas). “The days of you having a town hall meeting where maybe 15 or 20 of your friends show up — they’re over. You’ve now got real people who are showing up — and that’s going to be a factor.”

Asked later how or whether the GOP would use the confrontations against Democrats, Sessions responded: “Wait till next year.”

But Democrats are quick to point out they’re not the only ones facing hostile audiences. They single out Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), who found himself in a confrontation earlier this month with a “birther” protester, and insist that Republicans face a backlash of their own if it appears the party is too closely aligned with tea party activists or other conservative-oriented protesters.

“It’s a risk that they align themselves with such a small minority in the party,” said Brian Smoot, who served as political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the past election cycle. “They risk alienating moderates.”

GOP weapon against health reform

In political combat, there are few more potent weapons than a single word or a catchy phrase that can be used to target a proposal and drive it into the ground.

For Republicans, “rationing” could be that poison-tipped arrow for the Democratic-led health care bill, much as “amnesty” was the club with which conservatives beat President Bush’s attempt at immigration reform into a bloody pulp in 2007.

“Governments ration care to control costs, and we’ve got stories from other countries where disabled children wait up to two years for wheelchairs. We’ve got a story that we found: a 76-year-old retiree pulled out their own teeth,” said Rep. Dave Camp, Michigan Republican and the ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee.

“Government rationing is a scary proposition,” he said.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, echoed this point during a conference call Wednesday, warning that the government could get into the business of rationing health care, deciding how much Americans can get or can spend on it and denying people health care that exceeds some rationed amount.

“The rationing problem is very real in all this and I think that as the American people learn more and more about the proposals as we are now being allowed more time for them to engage on this issue, they are very, very much concerned,” he said.

But Democrats say the insurance companies are already rationing care and that the reforms they want would cover all those who are being denied coverage under the current system, as well as keep down costs through an intensive focus on which medical procedures and products deliver care most effectively.

Republicans say that under a government-run system, which they argue will result from the proposed option to buy insurance from the government, cost will come to be the dominant factor that defines “efficient care,” and thus Americans will be denied care with no recourse.

House Democrats plan to introduce their health care overhaul measure Monday and consider amendments later in the week. On Sunday’s talk shows, there was disagreement on whether Congress will finish work on the bill before adjourning for the August recess.

Sen. Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Republican, said on CNN that meeting the deadline was “highly unlikely” because the Senate Finance Committee had not completed a draft. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Senate Republican whip, said flatly there was “no chance.”

Sotomayor vows ‘fidelity to the law’

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor responded to her critics publicly for the first time Monday, saying her judicial philosophy is “fidelity to the law” and saying her “career as an advocated ended” when she became a judge in 1992.

From her nomination by President Barack Obama in late May through today’s hearing, the task of defending Judge Sotomayor has largely fallen on Democratic senators and the White House.

The Capitol Hill hearing was interrupted several times by protesters, including a man who shouted shortly before the proceedings began: “What about the rights of the unborn?” About an hour later, U.S. Capitol Police removed a second protester, a younger man with his hair in a ponytail who shouted: “Abortion is murder, abortion is murder, abortion is murder.”

The proceedings were interrupted two more times after the lunch recess. “You’re wrong Sotomayor, you’re wrong about abortion,” a protester said before exiting the Hart Senate Office Building room. A fourth protester shouted an indiscernible phrase shortly before Judge Sotomayor testified.

Judge Sotomayor’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday afternoon marked the first time she directly responded to critiques that she let gender and ethnicity influence her decisions.

“In the past month, many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. It is simple: fidelity to the law,” Judge Sotomayor said. “The task of a judge is not to make the law — it is to apply the law. And it is clear, I believe, that my record in two courts reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms; interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congresss intent; and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and my Circuit Court.”

• Text of Sotomayor’s opening statement

The testimony marks the first time Judge Sotomayor has publicly addressed her critics since being nominated to the court by Mr. Obama. For the last month much of the debate has been limited to Judge Sotomayor’s speeches and bits of privae conversations senators talked about.

Republican senators, who are outnumbered 7-12 on the committee, focused much of their opening statements on Judge Sotomayor’s remarks that a “wise Latina woman” would make better judgments than a “white male” saying they could not vote for a nominee who could not be impartial on the bench.

“If I had said anything remotely like that, my career would have been over. That’s true of most people here. And you need to understand that, and I look forward to talking with you about that comment,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, told Judge Sotomayor.

Still, Mr. Graham said he was resigned to the political reality of the Democrat caucus controlling 60 of the Senate’s 100 seats.

“Unless you have a complete meltdown, you’re going to be confirmed,” he said.

Democrat and Republican lawmakers largely staked out the same positions on Judge Sotomayor they had developed in the month and a half since her nominations as the confirmation hearing continued Monday afternoon.

Judge Sotomayor also responded to critics who said her work for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund revealed her prejudices.

“My career as an advocate ended — and my career as a judge began — when I was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,” she said.

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Bill Clinton inducted by black fraternity Phi Beta Sigma

A historically black fraternity founded at Howard University has voted to induct former President Bill Clinton as an honorary member.

Phi Beta Sigma President Paul Griffin Jr. said Friday that Mr. Clinton is the first U.S. president to be inducted into a historically black fraternity.

The fraternity voted Tuesday for Mr. Clinton’s induction at its 95th Anniversary Conclave in New Orleans.

Stevie Wonder, Al Roker, the Rev. Al Sharpton and jazz musician Ramsey Lewis are also honorary members of Phi Beta Sigma.

The fraternity was founded in 1914.

Obama vows to keep health care promises

President Obama said Monday he stands by his pledge not to raise taxes on families making $250,000 or less and lashed out at “Washington thinking” and negative chatter questioning the fate of his health care plan while he was traveling abroad.

“During the campaign, I promised health care reform that would control costs, expand coverage and ensure choice, and I promised that Americans making $250,000 a year or less would not pay more in taxes. These are promises that we’re keeping as reform moves forward,” Mr. Obama said in the Rose Garden ceremony before naming Alabama family physician Dr. Regina Benjamin as his choice for surgeon general.

The White House had been dodging questions on whether Mr. Obama would be able to keep the $250,000 tax pledge from the campaign trail and still pay for the sweeping, expensive health care plan he’s seeking.

The remarks came as Democratic lawmakers were to reveal a new plan to pay for health care — taxing those earning more than $350,000 per year by an additional 1 percent and imposing a higher rate on people earning $500,000 to $1 million.

Mr. Obama challenged those in Washington he said are “scared” to change the health care status quo: “You know, the muscles in this town to bring about big changes are a little atrophied, but we’re whipping folks back into shape.”

Thumping his finger hard on the podium for emphasis, Mr. Obama warned “naysayers” who oppose his health care plan: “Don’t bet against us.” He also said the country is “closer than we have ever been” on passing health reform, even as House and Senate leaders have said they won’t meet his August deadline for drafting bills that could be ready for vote shortly after the August recess.

“So I just want to put everybody on notice, because there was a lot of chatter during the week that I was gone. We are going to get this done. Inaction is not an option,” he said.

The message was the same he’s been pushing all summer, but Mr. Obama struck a stern tone that has been mostly absent since he took office.

“If we step back from this challenge right now, we will leave our children a legacy of debt, a future of crushing costs that bankrupt our families, our businesses and, because we will have done nothing to bring down the costs of Medicare and Medicaid, will crush our government,” he said.

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