Tag Archives: Barbara Boxer

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barbara boxer has spent 28 years in washington representing radical ideas

United States Senator Barbara Boxer — she insists on being called by the full title — not only doesn’t work with Republicans in Washington, she doesn’t work very well with members of her own Democratic Party.  Unlike our other U.S. Senator, Diane Feinstein, Boxer consistently advocates for radical views and fringe issues.  Boxer is antagonistic towards California’s business community, votes exactly the way the unions instruct her, rarely meets with people and groups she disagrees with and is known for her grand ego and mean-spirited temper.  Boxer has spent 28 years in Washington and is considered by many to be the consummate self-serving politician insulated from everyday people.  If you think Washington, DC, is broken, Barbara Boxer’s radical tenure is one of the main reasons. 

Boxer has for years blocked oil drilling on land and in shallow waters.  It was Boxer who helped lead the effort to push oil drilling into deep waters — so far out that it was next to impossible to stop wells from leaking or do necessary repairs in the ocean.  But for Boxer, as long as her radical environmentalist friends couldn’t actually see the drills then she was ok with drilling.  Boxer’s policy wasn’t based on philosophical beliefs or actual concerns for the environment; she just wanted it out of sight.  Sadly, we saw the repercussions of Boxer’s radical drilling views during the BP Gulf Coast oil disaster when even the government couldn’t make the necessary repairs to the oil rig because of the depth of the ocean waters it was in. 

Boxer has also not just been pro-choice but has worked to make abortions federally funded.  Boxer has advocated the use of tax dollars to support women who want their abortions paid for by others.  Boxer hasn’t just wanted healthcare reform to better serve those that get sick and can’t pay for healthcare, she has advocated and worked hard for a public option to replace our current system.  Boxer has pushed for a federally run healthcare system similar to how the federal government runs the post office — federal control with local service centers.  Boxer also continues to believe in an economic plan that is based around more federal spending and higher taxes to pay for the spending.  Boxer is advocating for even more stimulus money than the $900 billion already spent by the Obama Administration. 

Californians who expect politicians to work with others to find solutions to our problems must not support Boxer for re-election.  And moderate and independent voters who believe we must stop the bickering in Washington and end partisan roadblocks must recognize that Boxer is abig part of the problem.  The San Francisco Chronicle, the most liberal newspaper in the state and Boxer’s hometown newspaper, said it best when it decided NOT to endorse Boxer for re-election.  The editorial read:

“The incumbent, Democrat Barbara Boxer, has failed to distinguish herself during her 18 years in office. There is no reason to believe that another six-year term would bring anything but more of the same uninspired representation. … Her most famous moments on Capitol Hill have not been ones of legislative accomplishment, but of delivering partisan shots. … (Californians) deserve a senator who is accessible, effective and willing and able to reach across party lines to achieve progress on the great issues of our times. Boxer falls short on those counts. … Boxer’s campaign, playing to resentment over (Carly) Fiorina’s wealth, is not only an example of the personalized pettiness that has infected too much of modern politics, it is also a clear sign of desperation.”

It is time to change Washington and that means making sure the bitter and partisan Barbara Boxer is not there representing the largest of the United States.  Each state gets only two people to represent it in Congress. Boxer has done nothing to suggest she’ll serve the people of California any better in the next six years than she has in the last 18, which is not at all.   Californians should step out and be the first to send the message that Washington politicians must stop being bitter partisans and start working together.  Defeating Boxer will send that message.

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new republican congress should stop funding npr

Juan Williams’ firing sends a wake-up call just in time for the mid-term elections.  Voters should demand to know if candidates will continue funding NPR.  It’s time to stop putting government funding into programs that compete with the private sector.  Tax dollars, after all, should be used to fund initiatives that take care of the needy or provide services that the private sector can’t or isn’t willing to provide.  Information radio in the United States is hardly something that our government should think is a top priority, especially when we have budget deficits, sky-rocketing unemployment, falling government revenue and critical public programs being cut.  There is also a healthy and vibrant private sector news radio industry and, therefore, no need to prop up one funded with tax dollars.  Government money given to NPR means government sponsored radio competing with the private sector – a uniquely un-American idea. If private sector citizens want to fund NPR then they should step up and do it with more commitment.  Coercing the rest of us to pay for NPR’s elite radio programming through our taxes is clearly a subsidy for the wealthy. 

NPR and its executives are to blame for the reaction to this alarm bell going off.  NPR’s intolerance of conservative opinions is well-known.  There are very few voices allowed on NPR programs that represent opinions outside the traditional liberal and elite viewpoints.  When NPR does allow a conservative voice air-time, it is limited and usually preceded by a condescending question or commentary.  Juan Williams firing by NPR was only a matter of time because the liberal executives running the shows at NPR never liked the fact that Williams was on Fox News.  It’s clear that NPR would rather play consistently to the left than reach a balanced audience.  And for that, they deserve to be pushed away from the public trough.

As all conservatives already know, NPR consistently frames stories in a slanted way to aid and comfort its overwhelming left listenership.  For instance, the current rising unemployment rate is not portrayed as an Obama Administration problem.  It is usually reported by NPR without an Obama angle and more times than not, as a total spin job.  Conversely, every month the unemployment rate went up during the Bush Administration it was portrayed as an announcement from the Bush White House or Bush Team followed by an evaluation of Bush’s economic policies.  The NPR diatribe was clear: unemployment is rising and Bush’s policies are not working.

This past Labor Day, the traditional start of election season, NPR reported the rising 9.6 unemployment rate as a recovery in the making.  And I’m not joking.  Shockingly, commentators and story selections were spinning that a recovery was happening, just slowly.  NPR even highlighted a story suggesting that more people were traveling for Labor Day and feeling good about the economy.  But in fact, a recovery wasn’t happening and the unemployment rate has risen. 

Conservatives have seethed for years as NPR hosts mock conservative ideas, poke fun at conservative candidates’ mistakes and run stories over several days when there is a negative story to tell about a Republican.  Every conservative scandal receives multiple days of commentary and a thorough analysis, while Democrats caught in mishaps either get little coverage, no mentions at all or one hit. 

My local NPR station in Los Angeles just yesterday ran a LIVE extended interview with one of the most liberal members of the County Board of Supervisors (15 days before the mid-term elections) where he lauded Senator Barbara Boxer’s leadership on public transportation issues.  He praised Boxer for something she hasn’t even taken credit for.  He went on to give additional credit to only Democrats for bringing a new rail line to the people of LA.  The host of the interview never pushed back or asked a question of the Supervisor’s claim that Boxer brought the rail line to LA – it was just assumed that Boxer delivered to the people.  Boxer’s new rail line, by the way, doesn’t even extend to the airport – which happens to be the number one transportation concern for residents – so if she did bring this project to LA it’s a colossal waste of tax dollars.  Sadly, it was an expected and typical interview from NPR.

But thanks to Juan Williams being fired, the rest of us might be able to keep a little more money in our paychecks.  Voters everywhere should ask their congressional candidates to commit to stop publicly funding NPR before they cast their ballots on November 2.  My mom used to take the ball away from us when someone cheated.  She would say, “If you can’t play fair then you can’t play at all”.  It’s time voters took the ball away from NPR.

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female CEO’s to the rescue in california

Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina didn’t think it would be so easy. Both women fought hard and campaigned like champions. Both Women had Republican challengers that ran aggressive campaigns against them. But both Carly and Meg won big. And both races were over shortly after 9 PM.

Meg Whitman seemed to have a scary primary race developing when Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner ran a series of immigration ads in the last few weeks that made the race tense and close. Meg quickly responded with tough ads of her own to correct her record. More importantly, she never lost her cool. Meg proved she was a tough leader that knows how to fight. She showed California voters that she can handle the rough and tumble world of politics. Poizner’s aggressive campaign ultimately made Meg a better candidate. While she may have started as a soft spoken CEO, Poizner forced Meg into finishing as a sturdy leader that is focused in her message and comfortable in her abilities.

Carly Fiorina also had a tough primary battle. While Tom Campbell had little money, his message hit Carly hard. But Carly responded with both brilliant campaign ads and old fashion retail politics. Carly worked hard to criss-cross the state and campaign vigorously. She seemed to enjoy one on one conversations with everyday Californians in a way many pundits didn’t think possible. Carly knows the issues and is surprisingly and genuinely personable. Carly, too, is a better candidate because of Tom Campbell.

For Meg, Jerry Brown is the perfect opponent. And for Carly, running against Barbara Boxer presents voters with drastically different choices. Brown is all talk with very little to show for his decades of political activity. The last time Jerry Brown was Governor, he left the state with record unemployment and a budget deficit of more than $1 billion. Meg is soft spoken with a lifetime of business success. While voters across the country are tired of career politicians like Brown and Boxer, Californians in particular are wary of self-serving politicians that have left the state near fiscal collapse. Barbara Boxer, who is known as mean-spirited and difficult to get along with, is the poster-child for out-of-touch politicians with stale ideas. Boxer has many detractors who are energized to throw her out of office but few vocal supporters outside of the traditional union members that support all democrats. Carly, on the other hand, is smart, new to the scene and optimistic.

While east coasters erroneously think California voters are overwhelmingly liberal, Golden State residents are consistently anti-tax and fiercely independent. Californians are progressive and willing to try creative solutions to problems. Unlike other risk-adverse states, California tries everything out. How else can you explain a state that elected Hollywood icon Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor and overwhelmingly passed Proposition 8, the anti-gay state-wide ballot initiative? Solidly liberal states would never have voted for Arnold and Prop 8. The current political climate for incumbents, combined with California’s penchant for continuous improvement and inventive ideas, spells trouble for old guards like Brown and Boxer.

This November, California voters have a clear choice – Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer who are uber-liberal career politicians with a history of support from special interests or Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, female Chief Executive Officers with decades of business experience and new ideas to try and turn around California’s dwindling future.

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