Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Truth


****  Even though Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), a former bank lobbyist, hasn't created one job in his district, he has learned how to collect money from the movers and shakers in DC. 


.....Since Election Day, first-term members of Congress have held more than 40 events on K Street, Capitol Hill and around town to schmooze and raise money from lobbyists, political action committees and other representatives of Washington interest groups eager to establish relationships with the new class....

.....The result: In just the first three weeks after Election Day — traditionally a slow time in the fundraising world — PACs contributed more than $444,000 to dozens of the 96 incoming members of Congress, according to Federal Election Commission filings analyzed by POLITICO.....

.....The Ohio Five — a joint fundraising committee established to benefit the Buckeye State’s newly elected Republicans, Reps. Steve Chabot, Bob Gibbs, Bill Johnson, Jim Renacci and Steve Stivers — held an event in Washington at the prompting of the state’s veteran House members, all of whom helped to headline the event..... 

We may have missed this fundraiser for Steve Stivers (information provided by Sunlight Foundation's Party Time): 

Nov. 18th, 2010 (7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
  • For: Sen. Steve Stivers (R, OH)
  • When: Nov. 18th, 2010 (7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
  • Where: Capitol Hill Club - 300 First Street SE
  • Type of Event: Reception
  • Contribution Information: $5,000 PAC Gold Level; $2,500 PAC Silver Level; $1,000 Individual Silver Level; $1,000 PAC Bronze Level; $500 Individual Bronze Level
  • Make Checks Payable To: Stivers for Congress.....
 
 
Then again, we can't forget that Stivers has another fundraiser next week, according to the Sunlight Foundation's Party Time


 

According to Open Secrets, the Tuesday Group PAC contributes only to Republicans.  Besides some individual contributors, Open Secrets provides the names of other PAC donors, including PACs for bankers, pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, etc.  


Stivers and those banking PACs are just too, too cozy and I fear for us consumers.





*  John Boehner and the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have called the new health care reform law a "job-killer."  However, they are wrong.  The Republicans are also altering the facts and doing some creating editing.

In the article by McClatchy, Republicans use old data as their supporting evidence:

-- The report says that a study by the National Federation of Independent Business, "the nation's largest small business association, found that an employer mandate alone could lead to the elimination of 1.6 million jobs between 2009 and 2014, with 66 percent of those coming from small businesses."

But that study was released on Jan. 28, 2009, well before the law was written. It studied a model, not the law that was enacted eventually, and it was based on a different set of assumptions....

Even using some editing by Republicans changes the meaning of a sentence, according to McClatchy:
...The GOP report says: "Economic theory suggests the penalty should ultimately be passed through (as) lower wages (to an employee)," quoting a Congressional Research Service report....

But the Republicans leave out the rest of the information ----
....the CRS version goes on to say that the penalty for not offering coverage "would not be a burden on small business owners."

The Republicans just can't handle the truth so they edit it out of their report. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.