The Republican Party rode a Koch-fuelled wave to victory in elections around the country this week, but don’t let them fool you: nothing about their extreme, Tea Party agenda has changed. The GOP has not moderated itself. It has not rid itself of “gaffe-prone” candidates. It has not adopted a milder, more palatable stance on key policy issues that impact the lives of women, immigrants, or working families. And the proof is in the pudding. A quick scan of some of the newest members of the House shows just how extreme this latest crop of Tea Party Republican members of Congress truly are.
From Georgia to Maine, Virginia to Wisconsin, Illinois to Iowa, extreme Tea Party Republicans have been elected to seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Take Glenn Grothman in Wisconsin’s 6th District to start. We’ve already detailed the long list of Grothman’s greatest extreme hits, but as a quick refresher, the Congressman-elect has: proselytized about the “war on men,” fought for a seven-day workweek, and proposed a law to formally consider single parenthood a contributing factor to child abuse.
In Georgia, Congressman-elect Jody Hice thinks it’s okay for women to run for public office, provided they do so with the permission of their husbands. Hice wrote a book in 2012 in which, according to Mother Jones, he “asserts that supporters of abortion rights are worse than Hitler and compares gay relationships to bestiality and incest.” In that same book, Hice “asserts the gay community has a secret plot to recruit and sodomize children,” and writes that Islam “does not deserve First Amendment protections.”
Virginia’s 7th District, former home of Eric Cantor, will now be represented by Tea Party upstart David Brat. Brat, a professor by trade, has a deep appreciation for and commitment to rigorous science and facts, as evidenced by his claim that he is not concerned with global climate change because “over time, rich countries solve their problems.” Brat has also argued that one of the largest factors in economic growth is “the Protestant religious establishment,” and in an olive branch of bipartisanship, claimed that “the left does not believe in diversity. They believe in top-down, I’m going to force my way onto you.”
Just up the road in Virginia’s 10th District, Congresswoman-elect Barbara Comstock has voted in favor of allowing Virginians to bring guns into bars (because that can only end well). She pushed anti-union bills as a state legislator while being paid by a right to work advocacy group. And to top it off, she supported personhood legislation and voted in favor of an extreme piece of legislation requiring Virginia women to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound before they could receive an abortion.
New York’s Lee Zeldin, First District, also wants to restrict women’s access to health care, and supports a tax break for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Lest you think those were Zeldin’s only extreme policy positions, the good Congressman-elect also supports an option to replace Social Security with private investment accounts. In Maine’s 2nd District, newly elected Bruce Poliquin opposes raising the federal minimum wage and likely violated the state’s constitution by being involved with businesses while serving as state treasurer.
It’s not just extreme policy positions and offensive rhetoric that defines this crop of Tea Party Republicans. Some prefer to put their Tea Party-patented obstructionism front and center. David Young from Iowa’s 3rd District is an admitted member of the anti-compromise caucus. He praised Cruz’s filibuster and the shutdown last year; supports abolishing government agencies like Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Education, as well as the EPA and IRS; and he opposes rape and incest exceptions for abortions.
Meanwhile, Illinois Republican Mike Bost (IL-02) once had an outburst while serving in the Illinois House over a pension reform bill in which he threw papers all over the floor and compared Republicans and his constituents to the Biblical flight of Jews from Egypt. The Chicago Tribune kindly referred to Bost as an “obstructionist.” Huffington Post reported that while Bost “made a name for himself” with outbursts like this, his aggressive temper has not been confined to legislative matters. With Mitch McConnell promising no more government shutdowns, maybe Ted Cruz could learn a thing or two from Bost’s antics.
This is just a snapshot of the Republican Party’s latest class of Tea Party House electees. Are they moderate? No. Has anything changed for the “rebranded” GOP? Definitely not.
Background
Glenn Grothman
Racially Charged Comments
Grothman Called Kwanzaa “A False Holiday” And Said The Holiday’s Founder Was “A Violent Person” Who Was Attempting To “Drive White And Black People Apart.” According to Fox 6, “Wisconsin state Senator Glenn Grothman has issued a press release in which he declares that Kwanzaa is a false holiday he says was conjured up by a racist college professor and perpetuated by hard-core liberals. Grothman, a Republican lawmaker from West Bend issued the press release during the week of Kwanzaa, calling it a ‘supposed African-American holiday celebration between Christmas and New Year’s.’ Grothman’s statement attacked the creator of the holiday, Dr. Ron Karenga — a professor at Long Beach State in California. Grothman calls Karenga a racist. ‘To promote a holiday formed by somebody who himself is a violent person and was specifically trying to drive white and black people apart is inappropriate,’ Grothman said.” [Fox 6,1/2/13]
Grothman: “Almost No Black People Today Care About Kwanzaa — Just White Left-Wingers Who Try To Shove This Down Black People’s Throats In An Effort To Divide Americans …[Kwanzaa Should Be] Slapped Down.” According to Fox 6, “In his press release, Grothman says ‘almost no black people today care about Kwanzaa — just white left-wingers who try to shove this down black people’s throats in an effort to divide Americans,’ and called for the holiday to be ‘slapped down.’ Grothman adds Karenga ‘didn’t like the idea that Christ died for all of our sins, so he felt blacks should have their own holiday — hence, Kwanzaa.’” [Fox 6, 1/2/13]
Grothman: “The Rest Of Us Should Treat Kwanzaa With The Contempt It Deserves Before It Becomes A Permanent Part Of Our Culture.” According to Isthmus, “On holidays: ‘Hallmark sells Kwanzaa cards. The Post Office sells Kwanzaa stamps. The rest of us should treat Kwanzaa with the contempt it deserves before it becomes a permanent part of our culture.’ (Opinion column, Dec. 9, 2003)” [Isthmus, 3/3/11]
Grothman: “I Think There Is Pressure, Sadly, On Black Politicians To Become Race-Hustlers.” According to Isthmus, “As Grothman explained for his readers, ‘LGBT means lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (men who dress like women).’ In January, Grothman made his staff work on Martin Luther King Day, saying the holiday is nothing more than an opportunity for state employees to take off while most of the private sector has to work. He sees racism as a myth that those in power use to distract people from more important issues. ‘I think there is pressure, sadly, on black politicians to become race-hustlers,’ he says. ‘I think it is a lot easier today for a black politician to say that the problems on the north side of Milwaukee are because of racism than the problems are because of the breakdown of the family.’” [Isthmus, 3/3/11]
LGBT
Grothman Criticized Secretary Of State John Kerry’s Efforts To Prevent Legislation That Criminalized Homosexuality In Uganda. According to Huffington Post, “A Republican state senator and congressional candidate is nostalgic for the days when the United States would send just missionaries to African countries rather than scientific experts hoping to prevent LGBT discrimination. Wisconsin state Sen. Glenn Grothman, who is running to unseat Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), thinks God is upset that Secretary of State John Kerry announced plans to send ‘experts’ to discuss Uganda’s new anti-gay bill with President Yoweri Museveni.” [Huffington Post, 4/29/14]
Grothman: “What Must God Think Of Our Country? … If Now, Rather Than Sending People To Uganda To Explain Better Agricultural Techniques … We Send Scientists To Africa To Say How Wonderful The Homosexual Lifestyle Is. It Is Just Unbelievable What Has Become Of Our Country.” According to Huffington Post, “Grothman decried Kerry’s efforts to the Voice of Christian Youth America, an evangelical radio network, earlier this month: Now, usually I associate the United States with being a positive influence on Africa … you associate the United States with sending missionaries to Africa … Instead what we have is the secretary of state going to Africa and educating Ugandans or saying he is going to send American scientists to Uganda to explain how normal homosexuality is. I mean, think about that. I mean, what must God think of our country? … If now, rather than sending people to Uganda to explain better agricultural techniques … we send scientists to Africa to say how wonderful the homosexual lifestyle is. It is just unbelievable what has become of our country.” [Huffington Post, 4/29/14]
Grothman Said He Was Concerned That Schools Acknowledging Different Sexual Orientations Was Part Of An “Agenda” To Convince Students To Become Gay. According to Capital Times, “Grothman’s opposition to discussing and recognizing different sexual orientations in schools seems to come his belief that instructors who lead these talks would have what he called an ‘agenda’ to persuade students to become gay. I had called Grothman to ask him about a hot-potato subject —sex ed. You got to hand it to him—-he is not one of these wimpy politicians afraid to open his mouth. What comes out wins him some admirers, especially from his conservative corner of Wisconsin, and plenty of critics. There’s even a blog called What Did Glenn Grothman Get Wrong This Week.” [Capital Times, 2/11/10]
Grothman Tried To Remove An Amendment That Protected Gay Students From Bias. According to Capital Times, “In addition, teachers and programs would be prohibited from promoting ‘bias against pupils of any race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnic or cultural background or against sexually active students or pupils with disabilities.’ This part of the bill really got Grothman’s goat, especially the bit that protects gay students from bias. Grothman attempted to remove this protection with an amendment that failed to get enough votes to pass.” [Capital Times, 2/11/10]
Grothman Said Homosexuality Was “Not On Anybody’s Radar” When He Grew Up And That Was A “Good Thing.” According to Capital Times, “‘Homosexuality,’ Grothman remembered, ‘was not on anybody’s radar. And that’s a good thing.’ That’s also how it should be today, he said. Grothman has long insisted that sexual orientation is a choice, not a matter of genetics. ‘Why sit down with 7th graders and say to some you will be heterosexual, some homosexual? Part of that agenda which is left unsaid is that some of those who throw it out as an option would like it if more kids became homosexuals, ‘ he said.” [Capital Times, 2/11/10]
Railed Against Single Mothers, Planned Parenthood, And Introduced Legislation To Make Single Parenting A Contributing Factor To Child Abuse
Grothman Introduced A Bill To Address The Risks Of Single Parents Raising Children, Said Children Of Single Mothers Were More Likely To Be Abused. According to Fox 6, “State Sen. Glen Grothman (R-West Bend) has introduced a bill that he said would educate potential parents of the risks of single parenthood, while critics say the bill’s language targets and trashes single mothers. Grothman said the traditional two-parent family is ‘falling apart.’ He cites studies showing the number of children born to single-parent homes is increasing. He said there is a statistical link between those homes and abused children. Grothman says the state-funded Child Abuse Prevention Board is failing to teach what he says is the best way to raise kids. ‘A child is 20 times more likely to be sexually abused if they are raised by say, a mother and a boyfriend, than their mother and father,’ Grothman said.” [Fox 6, 3/11/12]
Grothman’s Bill Sought To Mandate That The Education Board Teach Parents That “Non-Marital Parenthood” Was “A Contributing Factor To Child Abuse And Neglect.” According to Fox 6, “Grothman has introduced Senate Bill 507, which would mandate that a state-funded education board emphasize ‘non-marital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect’ in education programs.” [Fox 6, 3/11/12]
The Bill, SB 507, Would Have Made Single Parenthood A Factor That Contributed To Child Abuse By Law. According to Huffington Post, “A controversial bill targeting single parents came to the table at the Senate Committee on Public Health, Human Services and Revenue public hearing in Wisconsin this week. State senator Glenn Grothman, an admitted opponent of the social welfare establishment that he believes encourages women to have children out of wedlock, introduced Senate Bill 507, which would formally consider single parenthood a contributing factor to child abuse, if passed into law.” [Huffington Post, 3/2/12]
Grothman Called Planned Parenthood “The Most Racist Organization” In The Country And Said They Had A History Of “Not Liking People Who Are Not White.” According to Huffington Post, “A controversial Republican legislator, infamous for his extreme anti-abortion views, is again making headlines after an interview on a conservative Christian talk show. Glenn Grothman, a state senator from Wisconsin, told Jim Schneider of ‘Voice of Christian Youth America’ that Planned Parenthood is ‘the most racist organization’ in the nation and has a tradition of ‘not liking people who are not white.’ He also charged that the non-profit health services group aggressively targets the Asian-American community for ‘sex-selective abortions,’ a practice that Planned Parenthood has repeatedly condemned.” [Huffington Post, 1/25/13]
Grothman: “A Lot Of Women Are Adopting The Single Motherhood Lifestyle Because The Government Creates A Situation In Which It Is Almost Preferred.” According to Huffington Post, “Grothman, an aggressive anti-abortion crusader and proponent of the nuclear family in Wisconsin, has made no secret of his often controversial opinions in the past. In March, he drew widespread criticism after a proposing a bill that would have classified single parenthood a contributing factor to child abuse. He has also said that unwanted pregnancies are the fault of the mothers, and that many mothers lie about the circumstances of their pregnancies. ‘I think a lot of women are adopting the single motherhood lifestyle because the government creates a situation in which it is almost preferred,’ he said, according to Right Wing Watch.” [Huffington Post, 1/25/13]
Proposed A Seven Day Workweek
Grothman Proposed A Bill To Allow Workers In Wisconsin To Work Seven Days A Week; Said “All Sorts Of People Want To Work Seven Days A Week.” According to Huffington Post, “Wisconsin state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R) is attempting to roll back one of the state’s progressive labor laws, arguing that workers should be allowed to work without a day off if they so choose. ‘Right now in Wisconsin, you’re not supposed to work seven days in a row, which is a little ridiculous because all sorts of people want to work seven days a week,’ he told The Huffington Post in an interview.” [Huffington Post, 1/3/14]
Grothman Also Argued That Government Employees Should Work On MLK Day. According to Huffington Post, “Grothman has argued in the past that government employees should have to work on MLK Day. He has taken a significant amount of heat from progressives for sponsoring other bills as well, including one repealing the state’s Equal Pay Enforcement Act and another that would have considered single parenthood ‘a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.’” [Huffington Post, 1/3/14]
Opposed Equal Pay
Grothman Justified Opposing Equal Pay For Women; Said Women Were More Focused On Raising Children Than Their Careers. According to New York Daily News, “A Republican lawmaker in Wisconsin has an eyebrow-raising theory for the chasm between men and women’s salaries: Men care more about money. State Sen. Glenn Grothman made the remarks following GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s recent decision to repeal his state’s equal pay law, a move that makes it more difficult for victims of wage discrimination to file lawsuits for lost earnings and back wages.” He argued to the Daily Beast that whatever wage gap exists is because women are more focused on raising children. ‘Take a hypothetical husband and wife who are both lawyers,’ Grothman told the website. ‘But the husband is working 50 or 60 hours a week, going all out, making 200 grand a year. The woman takes time off, raises kids, is not go, go, go. Now they’re 50 years old. The husband is making 200 grand a year, the woman is making 40 grand a year. It wasn’t discrimination. There was a different sense of urgency in each person.’ He then argued wage differences did not result from discrimination but because men care more about money.” [New York Daily News, 4/11/12]
Grothman Said Money Was “More Important For Men” And That Workplace Bias Was “Not True.” According to New York Daily News, “‘You could argue that money is more important for men,’ he said. ‘I think a guy in their first job, maybe because they expect to be a breadwinner someday, may be a little more money-conscious. To attribute everything to a so-called bias in the workplace is just not true.’” [New York Daily News, 4/11/12]
Extreme Statements
Grothman Said He Did Not Know Why Public Employees Even Needed Collective Bargaining. According to Isthmus, “‘It’s a compromise,’ he’s said of Walker’s plan for curbing the power of public employees, which he feels does not go far enough. ‘If it were up to me, it would have included police and firefighters. In fact, I don’t know why they [public employees] need collective bargaining at all.’ Such inflammatory talk has prompted Grothman’s fellow Republicans to put him in his place – as the Senate’s assistant majority leader. He’s a guy they want out there, fighting their battles.” [Isthmus, 3/3/11]
Grothman Implied That Women Were Not Marrying In Order To Get More Benefits From The Government. According to Isthmus, “Even worse, Grothman believes government encourages women not to marry. Last month, his office put out a pamphlet detailing the benefits available to a single mother of two who makes $15,000 a year. It estimated that she was eligible for $38,036 in benefits, which would not be available to her if she married a man making $35,000 a year. The implication was that many such women avoid marriage in order to extract benefits from the government.” [Isthmus, 3/3/11]
Grothman’s Office Released Literature Entitled “Affirmative Action Will Destroy America.” According to Isthmus, “Grothman believes other government programs work in conjunction with welfare benefits to cover up the real problems in society. ‘AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WILL DESTROY AMERICA,’ reads the headline on a piece of literature put out by his office. The pamphlet expresses outrage over a number of state and local government diversity policies. It includes a column Grothman wrote in 2008, in which he chastised then-UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley (‘who makes $300,000,’ Grothman groused) for boasting of a dorm floor in which ‘everyone is different…African Americans, Asians, LGBTs.’” [Isthmus, 3/3/11]
Grothman On Food Stamps: “I’ve Interviewed Over A Dozen People Who Check Out People Who Pay With Food Stamps And All Felt People On Food Stamps Ate Better – Or At Least More Costly – Than They Did.” According to Isthmus, “On government waste: ‘I’ve interviewed over a dozen people who check out people who pay with food stamps and all felt people on food stamps ate better – or at least more costly – than they did.’ (Grothman opinion column, April 14, 2004)” [Isthmus, 3/3/11]
Grothman Warned Of A “War On Men.” According to Isthmus, “On the threat to America: ‘In this country, can we continue to exist if we have a government that is actively discouraging businesses from hiring men? Our country is not going to survive if we continue this war on men.’ (Tea Party speech, Aug. 7, 2010)” [Isthmus, 3/3/11]
David Brat
Supported Radically Altering The American Health Care System
Brat Supported Radically Altering The American Health Care System, Said “‘We Need To Also Scrap Employer-Based Health Insurance.” According to Culpeper Star-Exponent “Of course, the first question I asked him was what should be done with Obamacare? ‘It needs to be scrapped,’ he replied without hesitation. ‘Completely.’ So I asked him what should take Obamacare’s place, and to understand his answer, you have to know some history… When I asked him what should take Obamacare’s place, his answer was, ‘We need to also scrap employer-based health insurance, and give those incentives to individuals to carry their own portable health insurance.’ He went on to say, ‘If we did that, the issue of pre-existing conditions largely goes away.’” [Culpeper Star-Exponent, 3/31/14]
Called Bankers “The Solution, Not The Problem” In Regards To The Financial Crisis
Brat On The Financial Crisis: ‘Bankers Are The Solution, Not The Problem,’ According to The News & Advance “David Brat says that’s the state of today’s economy, and says everything we know about what is being termed a recession is wrong… The global economy is overleveraged. Ultimately, he said, pointing to the European debt crisis, the country’s economy is headed for disaster if changes aren’t quickly made. And the answer, he said, is not in economics, but ethics. ‘Bankers are the solution, not the problem,’ he said, adding, ‘[Washington] D.C. knows this.’” [The News & Advance, 1/25/13]
Radical On Immigration
Brat Opposed Any Kind Of Immigration Reform; Ran To The Right On Eric Cantor On Border Security.According to Watchdog.org, “Cantor, in Brat’s view, is flunking badly on border security. Indeed, the congressman even applauded President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address outlining a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. On Friday, Cantor said on the House floor that ‘immigration reform could be an economic boon to this country.’ Brat is having none of it. He calls the imminent GOP cave-in on immigration an exercise in ‘crony capitalism.’” [Watchdog.org, 2/6/14]
Brat: “A Change In Immigration Policy Means Amnesty.”According to Watchdog.org “‘At every turn, the GOP establishment is favoring the elites,’ Brat declares. ‘A change in immigration policy means amnesty.’” [Watchdog.org, 2/6/14]
Wanted To Cut Social Security And Force Seniors To Work Longer Before Receiving Benefits
Brat Wanted To Make “Major” Cuts To Social Security. According to Politifact, “Brat said Social Security and other programs need big cuts: ‘And it’s not just little marginal changes, right, in order to avoid those insolvency issues with Medicare and Social Security, you’re going to have to do some major cuts,’ Brat told the crowd. ‘And so that’s what politicians aren’t willing to say, right? We’re going to have to take some bad medicine coming up. And so we’re going to at least have to just balance the budget.’” [Politifact, 11/2/14]
Brat Wanted Seniors To Work Longer Before Receiving Federal Benefits. According to Politifact, “Brat went on to say people will have to work longer before receiving benefits from the major federal entitlement programs. ‘And then you’re going to have to increase the working age, right? Social Security and Medicare and these weren’t intended to be retirement programs. These were intended to be disaster prevention for seniors, and I’m all for that. Right? But it’s in the worst case scenario. It’s not been 65, get to retirement – the average death age back then was 65, so it broke even. Now the average death age is 80. Right? So can you pay everyone in the country a huge chunk of money for 15 additional years? No. That’s why it’s insolvent. That’s the beginning.’” [Politifact, 11/2/14]
Jody Hice
Abortion
Hice Said Supporters Of Abortion Rights Are Worse Than Hitler And Compares Gay Relationships To Bestiality And Incest.” According to Mother Jones, “In a 2012 book, that candidate—pastor and talk radio host Jody Hice—alleges the gay community has a secret plot to recruit and sodomize children. In It’s Now or Never: A Call to Reclaim America, Hice also asserts that supporters of abortion rights are worse than Hitler and compares gay relationships to bestiality and incest. He proposes that Muslims be stripped of their First Amendment rights.” [Mother Jones, 7/23/14]
Civil War
Hice Said The United States Took A Turn For The Worse After The Civil War And “Essentially Ruined The Original Idea Of America.” According to Mother Jones, “In Hice’s view, the United States took a turn for the worse after the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln stripped away the hallowed rights of states. He says ‘the technical reasons for the War are still being debated,’ but he mentions that the war—by undermining states rights—essentially ruined the original idea of America.” [Mother Jones, 7/23/14]
LGBT
Hice “Likened Being Born Gay With Being Born Violent.” According to the Washington Post, “Get to know the name Jody Hice. Unless something very surprising happens, he’s going to be a member of Congress next year. Hice, a Baptist minister and conservative radio show host, has also said the First Amendment should not cover Islam, once likened being born gay with being born violent and said it is okay for women to hold positions of power in politics, so long they are within their husband’s authority.” [Washington Post, 7/23/14]
Hice Said “To Say That A Person Is Born Gay, If We Are Going To Go Down That Path, Then What Is Going To Stop Us From Saying A Person Is Just Born Violent, And So We’re Going To Give Them A Pass And Protect Them From Having Any Intervention Therapy Preventing Violence?” According to the Washington Post, “Hice asked on the radio last year: ‘To say that a person is born gay, if we are going to go down that path, then what is going to stop us from saying that a person is just born violent, and so we’re going to give them a pass and protect them from having any intervention therapy preventing that violence?’” [Washington Post, 7/23/14]
Hice Said “Homosexuals Have The Right To Be Married Just Not To One Another.” According to the Washington Post, “He once also said ‘homosexuals have the right to be married’ just not ‘to one another.’” [Washington Post, 7/23/14]
Hice Said The Gay Community Has A Secret Plot To Recruit And Sodomize Children. According to Mother Jones, “In a 2012 book, that candidate—pastor and talk radio host Jody Hice—alleges the gay community has a secret plot to recruit and sodomize children. In It’s Now or Never: A Call to Reclaim America, Hice also asserts that supporters of abortion rights are worse than Hitler and compares gay relationships to bestiality and incest. He proposes that Muslims be stripped of their First Amendment rights.” [Mother Jones, 7/23/14]
Hice Said Same-Sex Couples Cannot Raise Healthy Children And Threatens Other Marriages Like A “Trashy Neighborhood” Affects Other Neighborhoods. According to Mother Jones, “Hice claims homosexuality causes shorter life spans and depression, and he insists same-sex couples cannot raise healthy children. He writes, ‘Some ask the question, ‘How does same-sex ‘marriage’ threaten your marriage?’,’ he writes. ‘The answer is similar to asking, ‘How does a trashy neighborhood affect you?’ It might not affect you at all on a personal level. But, we are not talking about ‘a’ same-sex marriage. We are talking about an effort to redefine marriage, and that would have drastic results and irreversible consequences!’” [Mother Jones, 7/23/14]
Hice Said Love Was Not Sufficient Reason For Marriage. According to Mother Jones, “Hice emphasizes that ‘love’ is a shallow and insufficient basis for marriage. ‘The concept of ‘love’ is not the issue when it comes to marriage!’ he writes. ‘People love all kinds of other people and things, but that does not grant permission for marriage. It is illegal to marry a child or a sibling. It is illegal to marry a pet, which many people love dearly.’ He claims that Christians who speak out against the evils of homosexuality are persecuted—and as a result of gay manipulation, ‘the nation’s entire system of justice is being destroyed.’” [Mother Jones, 7/23/14]
Hice Said The First Amendment Should Not Cover Islam. According to the Washington Post, “Get to know the name Jody Hice. Unless something very surprising happens, he’s going to be a member of Congress next year. Hice, a Baptist minister and conservative radio show host, has also said the First Amendment should not cover Islam, once likened being born gay with being born violent and said it is okay for women to hold positions of power in politics, so long they are within their husband’s authority.” [Washington Post, 7/23/14]
Hice Said Islam “Is A Complete Geo-Political Structure, And As Such, Does Not Deserve First Amendment Protection.” According to the Washington Post, “In Hice’s 2012 book ‘It’s Now Or Never: A Call to Reclaim America,’ Hice writes: ‘Although Islam has a religious component, it is much more than a simple religious ideology. It is a complete geo-political structure, and as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection.’” [Washington Post,7/23/14]
Hice Said When The Judeo-Christian Worldview Is Removed “You Get Exactly What We’re Witnessing At Penn State, The Absence Of The Ability To Govern One’s Life Based Upon Right And Wrong, And You Have Things Like Pedophilia Taking Place And Other People Seeing It, Witnessing, Turning Their Back, Because There’s No Core Values Of Right And Wrong, And We Are Now Suffering As A Nation For That.” According to the Huffington Post, “Republican Jody Hice, a conservative radio host and candidate for Georgia’s 10th District, suggested the removal of the Bible and prayer from schools led to the Penn State scandal, in which former football coach Jerry Sandusky molested multiple young boys over a period of 15 years. Hice made the comments during an interview on the radio show ‘Trunews,’ according to Right Wing Watch. Hice claimed the United States has ‘been going downhill’ since removing religion from educational institutions: ‘The whole issue is a morally bankrupt nation is where we are. You can go back decades as we first kicked the Bible out of schools and prayer out of schools, and we’ve just basically been going downhill since then. You get what you get, you know, you kick God out and, people need to understand, the Judeo-Christian worldview that this country was founded upon places within the heart of individuals and the culture at large the capacity to self-govern their lives on the basis of right and wrong. When that is removed, you get exactly what we’re witnessing at Penn State, the absence of the ability to govern one’s life based upon right and wrong, and you have things like pedophilia taking place and other people seeing it, witnessing, turning their back, because there’s no core values of right and wrong, and we are now suffering as a nation for that. Unless we experience a spiritual awakening, I don’t see any light in the immediate horizon that’s going to turn this around.’” [Huffington Post, 10/29/14]
Women
Hice Approved Of Women Holding Positions Of Power In Politics, So Long As They Are Within Their Husband’s Authority.” According to the Washington Post, “Get to know the name Jody Hice. Unless something very surprising happens, he’s going to be a member of Congress next year. Hice, a Baptist minister and conservative radio show host, has also said the First Amendment should not cover Islam, once likened being born gay with being born violent and said it is okay for women to hold positions of power in politics, so long they are within their husband’s authority.” [Washington Post, 7/23/14]
Hice Said “If The Woman’s Within The Authority Of Her Husband, I Don’t See A Problem.” According to the Athens Banner Herald, “‘If the woman’s within the authority of her husband, I don’t see a problem,’ Dr. Jody Hice of the Bethlehem First Baptist church in Barrow County said of women in positions of political power.” [Athens Banner Herald, 2/15/04]
David Young
Refusal To Compromise
Young Said He Would Not “Compromise On Anything.” According to the IDP YouTube Channel, “REPORTER: A lot of political gridlock in the Senate. Do you believe that you can be a bipartisan candidate, work with the people who are currently in Washington? YOUNG: Well I have no problem reaching across the aisle, but I’m not going to give up my principles and compromise on anything.” [IDP YouTube Channel, 6/4/13]
Debt Ceiling/Government Shutdown
Young Said He Would Have Voted Against The Government Shutdown/Debt Ceiling Deal. According to Quad City Times Report Ed Tibbetts, “Senate candidates David Young and (via @smg_lynch) Matt Whitaker said today they would have voted against govt shutdown/debt ceiling deal.” [Ed Tibbetts Twitter, 10/17/13]
Young Praised Cruz’s Filibuster. According to Radio Iowa, “The forum sponsored by Americans For Prosperity and National Review was the first time the candidates have stood together on the same stage at the same time and faced questions. When asked whether the recent federal government shut-down was a smart strategy for Republicans, David Young was the only one of the candidates to directly defend it. ‘I was proud to watch the House of Representatives and the Senate fight ObamaCare — defunding it, delaying it, repealing it,’ Young said. ‘You know, Ted Cruz was on the floor for 21 hours and it was so nice to see, finally, the senate deliberating…We need to do more of that.’” [Radio Iowa, 10/23/13]
Abortion
Young Opposed Rape And Incest Exemptions For Abortion. According to the Daily Times Herald, “A spokesperson for Republican U.S. Senate candidate David Young says he believes abortion should only be a legal option in cases where the life of the pregnant mother is in jeopardy. Heather Swift, the communications director for the candidate, a former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said this has been Young’s long-standing position on abortion policy.” [Daily Times Herald, 8/12/13]
Abolish Government Agencies
Young Said He Would Support The Abolition Government Agencies. According to a David Young County GOP Q&A, “Conway: Would you support the abolition of the IRS? Young: I would, I would support abolition of a few agencies.” [David Young Polk County GOP Q&A, 9/8/13]
Young Said He Would Cut The Department Of Energy, EPA, Department Of Commerce, And The IRS. According to a David Young County GOP Q&A, “You’re going to have to cut a lot more than three things to balance the budget, that’s for sure, but you can start with the Department of Energy, EPA, Department of Commerce, the IRS as we know it. I mean, maybe it’s just one person who gets the envelope.” [David Young Polk County GOP Q&A, 9/8/13]
Young Said He Would Get Rid Of The Department Of Education. According to a David Young County GOP Q&A, “Conway: Would you get rid of the Department of Education. Young: I’d get rid of it as we know it of course.” [David Young Polk County GOP Q&A, 9/8/13]
Mike Bost
Incidents “Portray Bost As An Aggressive Man Whose Actions Often Put Him In Conflict With Others”
Huffington Post: Police Files And Other Incidents “Portray Bost As An Aggressive Man Whose Actions Often Put Him In Conflict With Others.” According to the Huffington Post, “- Illinois state Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) has made a name for himself throwing extraordinary tantrums during legislative sessions. But he doesn’t appear to have contained his notorious temper to the statehouse, according to a review of court and police records obtained by The Huffington Post. […]Other incidents found in the files are less distressing, but similarly portray Bost as an aggressive man whose actions often put him in conflict with others.” [Huffington Post, 9/26/14]
Huffington Post: “Several People Who Encountered The Lawmaker Seem To Have Responded Especially Poorly To Him.” According to the Huffington Post, “Other incidents found in the files are less distressing, but similarly portray Bost as an aggressive man whose actions often put him in conflict with others. […]Several people who encountered the lawmaker seem to have responded especially poorly to him, though the records do not indicate why. According to one report, in 1999 someone kicked in Bost’s front door looking for him, but left when they encountered only his wife. Bost reported the incident to police. He also called the cops in 2009 after someone left a note on his car that was described as suspicious, along with a copy of the ‘Narcotics Anonymous’ pamphlet.” [Huffington Post, 9/26/14]
Bost Killed A 10-Year Old Beagle And Then Joked About Killing His Own Dog, Betty, In Front Of A Politico Reporter
1986: Bost Shot And Killed A Neighborhood Beagle Who Had Bit His Daughter. According to the Huffington Post, “Bost, who is running for Congress this fall under the slogan “Passionate Leadership for Southern Illinois,” has a lengthy history with local authorities, including some incidents that suggest “passionate” is a bit of an understatement. The earliest episode dates back to 1986, when a neighborhood beagle named Rusty bit Bost’s 4-year-old daughter. The report filed by animal control officials indicates that the girl provoked the attack by chasing the dog. She ultimately had to get 19 stitches on her face.” [Huffington Post, 9/26/14]
Bost Got His Handgun And Drove To The Dog’s Owners House To Shoot It Because Bost Became “Displeased” After Animal Control Would Not Deal With The Dog. According to the Huffington Post, “According to court records, Bost was displeased that authorities would not be able to deal with the 10-year-old dog immediately. So he got his handgun, drove to Rusty’s owner’s home, and shot the dog to death while it was penned in an enclosure.” [Huffington Post, 9/26/14]
Neighbors Of Bost Were “Very Alarmed And Disturbed,” But Bost Was Found Not Guilty Of Breaking Any Laws By A Jury. According to the Huffington Post, “Bost, who is running for Congress this fall under the slogan ‘Passionate Leadership for Southern Illinois,’ has a lengthy history with local authorities, including some incidents that suggest “passionate” is a bit of an understatement. The earliest episode dates back to 1986, when a neighborhood beagle named Rusty bit Bost’s 4-year-old daughter. The report filed by animal control officials indicates that the girl provoked the attack by chasing the dog. She ultimately had to get 19 stitches on her face. […]Neighbors were ‘very alarmed and disturbed,’ according to the police report, but a jury eventually found Bost not guilty of breaking any laws. The local paper reported the case under the headline ‘Area man acquitted in dog killing trial.’” [Huffington Post, 9/26/14]
“What If Killed A Second Dog In Front Of A Reporter”
After Showing A Politico Reporter Around His Neighborhood, Bost Joked, “What If I Killed A Second Dog In Front Of A Reporter?” After His Labradoodle Ran In Front Of His Car. According to Politico, “For all the focus on his fiery behavior, Bost insists he doesn’t have a temper problem. He says he’s never taken an anger management class. He simply becomes passionate, he says, when he feels he or those close to him have been wronged. […]He’s preoccupied by the scrutiny into what’s become known simply as “the dog story” — the resurfacing of which, he insists, is the work of Democrats trying to damage him. As he pulled into his driveway on Sunday afternoon, after showing a POLITICO reporter around his neighborhood, his Labradoodle, Betty, darted in front of his car. ‘What if I killed a second dog in front of a reporter?’ he joked darkly as Betty scampered up the steps to his house.” [Politico, 10/24/14]
2006: Bost’s .357 Revolver Was Stolen From His Safe Without His Knowledge And Was Used To Threaten Another Person. According to the Huffington Post, “The documents also detail another alarming, more mysterious incident. Bost, a gun-rights defender who in 2008 voted against a bill to require the prompt reporting of stolen guns, did not report a gun that was stolen from his own home. In 2006, Bost’s nickel-plated special edition .357 Rossi revolver was stolen from his gun safe. According to police records, Bost did not know about the theft until police showed up at his door to inform him that the gun had been used to threaten another man’s life. Bost led investigators to the safe, and the firearm was indeed missing. It is unclear who stole the weapon and how it was removed from the safe, but Bost and family members suspected that the thief may have been connected to a 17-year-old girl who had stayed briefly in Bost’s house. Bost told police that he usually did not lock the side door to the room that contained the safe.” [Huffington Post, 9/26/14]
Bost Had An Outburst On The Illinois House Floor Over A Pension Reform Bill, Throwing Papers All Over The Floor And Compared Republicans And His Constituents To Biblical Flight Of Jews From Egypt. According to Politico, “Then came May 30, 2012. In Bost’s telling, he was heading to the House floor that morning when an aide informed him that Democrat Michael Madigan, the powerful Illinois House speaker who for decades has ruled the chamber with an iron fist, had made a last-minute overhaul to a pension reform bill. It gave Republicans, who are in the minority, little time to consider the legislation. Bost went back to his office and decided he was going to say something but then got carried away. ‘These damn bills that come out here all the damn time, come out here at the last second!’ he bellowed at the outset of the floor speech, throwing a snowstorm of papers into the air. […]Then, in what became the trademark line of the rant, he threw in a reference to Moses: ‘Enough! I feel like somebody trying to be released from Egypt! Let my people go!’” [Politico, 10/24/14]
Bost Was Listed As An “Obstructionist” On Illinois Pension Reform. According to an editorial by the Chicago Tribune, “The lawmakers who voted “no” on Michael Madigan’s pension bill span the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, from Chicago, the suburbs and Downstate. Some of them have hopscotched from excuse to excuse to justify their vote against real pension reform. The one thing they have in common: They’d rather let the state burn than cast a politically risky vote. Call them out. Do your own dramatic reading. You’ll find their names and phone numbers at http://www.ilga.gov. Here are the members of the House and Senate who voted “no” on the Madigan pension reform bill. Here are the obstructionists. In the House: Daniel Beiser, Mike Bost” [Chicago Tribune Editorial, 6/18/13]
Barbara Comstock
Ban Abortion
Comstock Believed Roe V. Wade Should Be Overturned And States Should Decide Abortion Laws. According to a transcript of Hardball with Chris Matthews on NBC News, “MATTHEWS: … do you think that court-the court should get rid of the health exception in Roe v. Wade? COMSTOCK: The court-listen, the-I think-yes, I think Roe vs. Wade should be overturned and the states should decide it. But let’s-Barack Obama thinks that we should overturn all of the state laws we have right now that allow-that-he’s for federal funding of abortion, taxpayer funding of abortion. He was against that Born Alive Act. He has the most extreme position. He wanted to let-if a baby is born alive, he said-and I quote-’If this is a child,’ the baby born alive, ‘well, then it’s an anti-abortion statute, so we have to be against it.’” [NBC News, 10/16/08]
Comstock Voted In Favor Of Personhood Legislation. According to Virginia’s Legislative Information System, Comstock voted in favor of “HB 1 Unborn children; construing the word ‘person’ under Virginia law to include” which according to the Washington Post, “The Republican-led House of Delegates gave preliminary approval Monday to a so-called personhood bill , despite strenuous opposition by Democrats who argued that the broad measure could prohibit birth control. The bill provides that ‘unborn children at every stage of development enjoy all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of the commonwealth, subject only to the laws and constitutions of Virginia and the United States, precedents of the United States Supreme Court, and provisions to the contrary in the statutes of the commonwealth.’” [Virginia House Roll Call, HB 1, 2/14/12; Washington Post, 2/13/12]
Transvaginal Ultrasounds
Comstock Supported Requiring Transvaginal Ultrasounds Before A Woman Could Get An Abortion. According to the Washington Post, “A new ad from John W. Foust, the Democratic nominee for the open seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R) , paints his Republican opponent as an extremist who supported a bill in the state legislature that would have required an invasive procedure known as a transvaginal ultrasounds for some women seeking abortions. ‘Barbara Comstock wants to make abortion illegal, even in cases of rape and incest, just like the right-wing Republicans in Congress,’ says the narrator, a well-dressed middle-aged woman sitting in a darkened home. ‘They want to overturn Roe v. Wade — so does she. . . . Barbara Comstock even voted with right-wing Republicans to require women seeking an abortion to undergo transvaginal ultrasounds. That’s all I need to know.’ […] The bill that requires ultrasounds before an abortion passed out of the Virginia House of Delegates, where Comstock currently represents portions of Fairfax and Loudoun counties, in 2012. But Democratic lawmakers in the state Senate seized on the potential invasiveness of the procedure. The vast majority of abortions take place in the first trimester of pregnancy, when a fetus is too small to be detected by a ‘jelly on the belly’ ultrasound. Thus, Democratic lawmakers realized, an ultrasound using a vaginal probe would be required.” [Washington Post, 9/15/14]
Guns
Comstock Voted To Allow People To Bring Guns Into Bars. According to Virginia’s Legislative Information System, Comstock voted in favor of “Concealed handguns; prohibits person who carries into restaurant from consuming alcoholic beverage” wich according to the Washington Post, “That was cause enough for Dahm to celebrate at the Reston restaurant with about 80 other members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights organization that had long pushed for the new law, which allows people with concealed-weapon permits to go armed in places that serve alcohol as long as they don’t imbibe. […] The measure, popularly known as “guns-in-bars,” took effect Thursday. After years of trying, the VCDL pushed the bill through the General Assembly this year and onto the desk of Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), who signed it.” [Virginia House Roll Call, 3/2/10; Washington Post, 7/2/10]
Right To Work
Comstock Supported Right To Work. According to MSNBC, “The Comstock campaign defended the candidate, saying she did everything required by Virginia law. ‘John Foust’s false ad is just one more negative attack because he has no issues to run on except his long record of raising our taxes,’ campaign manager Susan Falconer told msnbc in a statement. ‘It is no secret that Barbara Comstock has worked in a public and open fashion – on TV, radio, and in print – advocating right to work policies. John Foust is just shilling for his union boss cronies who got him to oppose Delegate Comstock’s right to work and competitive bidding legislation even though it has saved taxpayers $400 million dollars.’” [MSNBC, 10/13/14]
Comstock Pushed Anti-Union Bills As A Legislator While Being Paid As A Consultant By Workforce Fairness Institute. According to MSNBC, “State Del. Barbara Comstock, running to replace Republican Rep. Frank Wolf in the Virginia exurbs of Washington, D.C., has benefited from her deep connections to national Republican political operatives, which date back to her time as a congressional investigator digging into Clinton White House scandals. But now those connections are coming back to bite her, after it was revealed that she pushed bills in the state legislature while being paid by an advocacy group that wanted those bills passed. Comstock shepherded three bills to curtail union rights in Virginia between 2011 and 2013 while being paid as a consultant for the Workforce Fairness Institute, a right-to-work advocacy group that listed the bills among its legislative priorities, Politico reported last week. That revelation came after The Washington Post reported that Comstock failed to report tens of thousands of dollars in income, including at least $5,000 from Workforce Fairness Institute.” [MSNBC, 10/13/14]
Bruce Poliquin
Opposed To Raising Federal Minimum Wage
Poliquin Was Opposed To Raising The Federal Minimum Wage. According to Bangor Daily News’ Meaine elections Page, “Should Congress raise the federal minimum wage? No. Our 2nd District families need better-paying careers, not just minimum wage jobs. Within the past year alone, about 1,000 hard-working fellow Mainers lost their good-paying jobs with benefits when the paper mills closed in East Millinocket, Old Town, and most recently Bucksport. During the past 20 years, thousands of other Maine families lost their good-paying jobs when textile mills and shoe factories shut down. Career politicians in Washington and Augusta have contributed to the closure of these previously thriving industries.” [Bangor Daily News, Maine Elections, Accessed 11/4/14]
Poliquin Was Involved In Businesses While State Treasurer, Which Was In Conflict With The Maine State Constitution
Poliquin Was Involved In A Private Beach Club And A Real Estate Company While State Treasurer, Which Was In Conflict With The Maine State Constitution, Which Prohibited A “Constitutional Officer From Engaging In Commerce While Holding Office.” According to the Bangor Daily News, “Maine’s highest court has declined to issue a ruling on a complaint that state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin violated the state Constitution by engaging in commerce while in office. Poliquin — a former Republican gubernatorial candidate who is now running for U.S. Senate — has faced scrutiny for weeks about whether his real estate holdings and his connection to a private beach club constitute commerce. Article V, Part 3 Sec. 3 of the Maine Constitution says a constitutional officer cannot engage in commerce while in office. Poliquin directly has been involved in both the Popham Beach Club, a private club in Phippsburg, and Dirigo Holdings LLC, a real estate company, since he was elected as state treasurer.” [Bangor Daily Newss, 3/29/12]
Maine State House Voted Unanimously To Ask The Maine Supreme Court Over The Matter Involving Poliquin’s Bus