Rick Crawford for Congress

U.S. Representative for Arkansas' 1st Congressional District

Desperate Causey Campaign Hit’s Veterans and Military Families

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“Causey Needs to Apologize to Veterans and Military Families Everywhere”

Jonesboro –  Washington lackey turned Congressional Candidate Chad Causey’s campaign is spending today trying to run damage control on a series of public polls showing him trailing Army Veteran and Small Businessman Rick Crawford.

Yesterday, in an apparent attempt to show why a 10 year Washington Insider might have a chance against a conservative small businessman in the race for congress Causey’s pollster released a memo in which they revealed that they polled the fact that Crawford spent his youth as a “Air Force Brat” and graduated from high school in New Hampshire.

From the Memo Released by Chad Causey’s Pollster:

Facts about Rick Crawford that do not resonate with Arkansans:

-He graduated high school in New Hampshire.

Crawford Campaign Manager Jonah Shumate commented, “This is truly sad and Chad Causey needs to apologize to veterans and their families everywhere. Rick’s father spent his career protecting this country and now Chad Causey thinks that because his son was part of a military family that should be used as some sort of political attack. That is the kind of cynical and wanton disrespect that only a Washington insider would show to military families. This is a sad development, but at the end of the day the voters of this district will understand the difference between someone who wants to serve their interests and serve this country as opposed to continuing Chad’s record of serving Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama”.

Obama says, “worst of the storm is over.” But is it?

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I think President Obama must live in a bubble.  In North Carolina today speaking about America’s economic conditions, he said the “worst of the storm is over” and pointed to the trillion dollar stimulus program as a huge success.  I’ll restrain myself from writing about how much tax money was wasted on so-called stimulus efforts.  Instead, I would like to discuss the real “storm” that the President apparently cannot see.

We know that our nation is on the hook for $56.5 trillion.  We know that hole is getting deeper each year by roughly $3 trillion—on autopilot.  But with these enormous liabilities on our books, Congress had the foresight to create a new entitlement program to provide taxpayer-funded health insurance for an additional 32 million people.

Was this a time to expand government and add trillions in additional liabilities to our nation’s books?  Of course not.  What will be the effect of such actions?  The mother of all economic storms, Mr. President.

Unfortunately, President Obama and Congress’ refusal to govern responsibly is only making matters worse.  They continue to expand government, push for more wasteful spending, and grow the long-term debt of our nation.  If we are to take corrective action as a nation, we need a more informed electorate.  Please join me in disseminating the truth about our country’s financial condition.  If people start to believe that the “worst of the storm is over,” then the professional politicians will be empowered to continue their spending binge at the expense of our children and grandchildren.

I encourage you to share my policy paper on the budget with others.

Democrats’ Opinion about Healthcare Entitlement Improves

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According to the Democratic polling firm Rasmussen Reports, Democrats attitudes toward President Obama’s healthcare entitlement program are improving.  The report states:

Sixty-five percent (65%) of Democrats now are optimistic about the nation’s current course, a 17-point jump from the week before. Thirty percent (30%) are not. A week ago, Democrats were almost evenly divided on the question: 48% said the country was headed in the right direction, and 44% felt it was going down the wrong track.

It is unclear if Democrats in Arkansas are also becoming more favorable toward the new law, but this poll is certainly a cause for concern to anyone who cares about the direction our country.

I believe many, if not most, Democrats in Arkansas do not favor giving taxpayer-funded health insurance to 32 million people when our government is on the hook for $56.5 trillion and growing at a rate of $340 million an hour.  When people understand the deep, deep financial hole our country is in, I have to believe there is overwhelming opposition to spending trillion more – regardless of party.

In less than 12 years, interest payments on the national debt will be more than what we spend on national defense.  It will be more than we repay in Social Security benefits.  It will even exceed what our government pays for Medicare.  In less than 12 years, our nation’s interest payments will be larger than any other single budget program in our entire government.

Join me is spreading this message throughout the First District and we will seize control of the House from Nancy Pelosi and start the long process of restoring fiscal responsibility.

Are President Obama and Congress Serious About U.S. Fiscal Crisis?

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President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform announced Tuesday that it would hold its first meeting on April 27th.  The purpose of the commission is to address our nation’s near- and long-term budget crisis, which has now reached near epic proportions.

The Congressional Budget Office recently revealed that interest on the national debt will become the single largest line item in the U.S. annual budget within 12 years.  This was before Congress passed the new entitlement program that will add billions more to our debt in the near-term.  It also assumes low interest rates, which most experts believe is improbable.

To put this in perspective, the best-case scenario is that in 12 years, and realistically in fewer years, interest payments on the debt will exceed expenditures for all other single purposes including national defense, Social Security, and Medicare.  How could this happen?  Because we have continually elected professional politicians who are more interested in cutting deals to get reelected than in implementing meaningful budget reform.

The creation of President Obama’s fiscal commission is a perfect example.  Senate Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi refused to establish a Congressional commission that would develop recommendations to present in a straight up or down vote before Congress.  President Obama declined to use his political capital to push this legislation through, instead focusing his attention on worsening our country’s financial condition by creating a new entitlement program for 32 million people.

President Obama’s commission will develop a plan and present it to Congress later this year – in time for the President to stand before the American people to proclaim he cares about this issue.  If only he were serious.  If only he had used his position to reduce the deficit instead of making it worse.

I have served in the military, held a top secret security clearance, and engaged in critical missions.  Our nation is in desperate need of leaders who will devote their lives to addressing the monumental issues that face us.  You have my duty-sworn pledge to attack the political pandering that has led to our great country being on the brink of self destruction.  You have my word that I will stand up to the professional politicians in both parties who put self interest before the people’s interest.  We as citizens must take back our country by force at the election box, and you have my word that I will carry through with the mission until the job is complete.

Crawford Chides State Democratic Party for Lurching to Change Subject from Healthcare

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Rick Crawford today called Gabe Holmstrom’s PR stunt a blatant attempt to divert attention away from President Obama’s creation of a massive new entitlement program.  “Gabe is an incredibly clever political operative,” said Crawford.  “Changing the subject is something our politicians and their spinsters have been doing for far too long.  Instead of talking about the fact that every man, woman, and child in America each owes $184,000 as their share of the unfunded promises our politicians have made, Mr. Holmstrom wants to talk about the President’s birth certificate.”

“The sad fact is that Congressman Berry, who voted for and against this massive new entitlement program, wants to avoid addressing the long-term financial problem facing our country,” continued Crawford.  “While he talks about balancing the budget back home, he has enabled Speaker Pelosi and President Obama to push through a massive new entitlement program that will use taxpayer money to pay health insurance premiums for 32 million Americans.  We need elected officials who will stand up and say, ‘STOP!  Stop digging the hole deeper.’  We need an elected official who will stand up to say our government will not expand or create any new government programs until we restore fiscal soundness.  If we do not do this, our children and grandchildren will pay taxes that are double or triple what we pay today…and that is the best-case scenario.”

Members of Arkansas Delegation Complicit in Nationalized Healthcare

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Congressmen Berry, Ross and Snyder, who all refused to support a measure to block the House of Representatives from “deeming” the Senate healthcare bill as passed, are guaranteeing passage of the healthcare bill this year.  “Even though Congressmen Berry and Ross have pledged to vote against the healthcare bill unless it has substantial changes, their refusal to block the “deeming” process will ensure its passage this year,” said Rick Crawford, candidate for the First Congressional District.

While the House will amend the Senate bill once it has been “deemed” to pass, which would require additional Senate action on the bill, if either effort fails, the President will still be able to sign the Senate bill.  In order for a bill to become law, it must pass each chamber in identical form.  Once the House “deems” the Senate bill as passed, it can be sent to President Obama for his signature.

“President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid have really pulled a quick one over on the American people,” said Crawford.  “The media has yet to pick up on the fact that Pelosi’s move to deem the Senate bill as passed will mean that the Senate bill, in its current form, can immediately become law.  I call upon all candidates in the First Congressional District to condemn this move immediately and demand that Congressman Berry offer a privileged resolution calling on the House to take an “up or down” vote on the Senate bill instead of deeming it as passed without a vote.”

“Republicans and Democrats alike throughout Eastern Arkansas are appalled when I tell them about the games these folks are playing,” continued Crawford.  “Every man, woman and child in American currently owes $184,000 each to cover all of the unfunded promises our government has made.  Now is not the time to add a new massive government entitlement program.”

An Inconvenient Truth

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Christmas Day of this year will go down as a day that defined this Administration’s position on national security and the war on terror.  Christmas Day will also be noted as the day that American’s realized that no matter who is in the White House, Al Qaeda and its surrogates are determined to kill Americans and to destroy all that we stand for.  All of this shows an inconvenient truth for Barack Obama — you can not be weak in the face of those who want to destroy America.

We have all witnessed the President’s apology tour earlier this year. The President demonstrated that he believed by simply being apologetic and not being George W. Bush he would win us friends and allies in the Islamic world.  It’s that naïve approach and complete disregard for what history has taught us that has put our national security in a position to where there is no security at all.

In an op-ed piece in USA Today, Janet Napolitano states, “The administration is determined to find and fix the vulnerabilities in our systems that allowed this breach to happen.”  I find this incredibly appalling.  The Department of Homeland Security was established “to secure the nation from the many threats we face.”  And with this comment, it would appear that since this incident has taken place, suddenly Homeland Security will begin to look for where the lapse occurred.  This is a reactive approach to securing our nation rather than a proactive approach.

Al Qaeda wants to see our nation fall.  They want to see our way of life — our governing model, our economy, and our religious freedoms — eliminated.  Our President seems to be naïve or conveniently, to him, oblivious to what history has taught us about this vicious enemy.  And even in the last few months, there have been other steps our President has taken that have further eroded our national security.  These are very worrisome to me and should be to every person in this country.

During his campaign, candidate Obama promised the closure of Guantanimo Bay.  Gitmo serves a very important role in how we detain those who play a critical role in their attempts to attack our nation and our nation’s interests.  While there have been numerous attempts this year to treat these enemy combatants the same way we do American citizens – the reading of their Miranda rights once captured – this leaves me stunned and amazed at how national security for many in this administration has become what appears as an afterthought.  Our enemies want to kill Americans and destroy our way of life.  The President’s decision to close Gitmo will not change that view no matter how much he tries to sell it as such or appease those who hate us.  The closing of Gitmo will not change the enemy’s resolve.

If these terrorists are allowed to be imprisoned in American jails and detention facilities, it would be naïve to think they would not convert other prisoners to the same extreme views.  Do we need another attack like the one in Little Rock where Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, a prison convert to extremist Islamic beliefs, murdered Private William Long to realize how they can do even more damage?

Just last week President Obama signed an executive order giving Interpol all the same immunities of foreign powers.  What does this mean?  Since Interpol is governed by the United Nations, they can now investigate our law enforcement agencies (FBI, CIA, Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies) and subject our actions and efforts to the International Criminal Court system and other international efforts that would limit our abilities to secure and defend our nation.  Interpol will now not be subject to FOIA requests and its actions will now be concealed.  They will be able to investigate all that we do and we will never know about it.  Who does the ICC investigate?  Those who prosecute, investigate, and otherwise protect us from the likes of Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations.  American sovereignty just took a backseat to the United Nations and eventually the International Criminal Court.  And for what?  So the United States will look better in the world?  The only conclusion that can be drawn is that our President does not regard our sovereignty as an important issue to uphold and protect.

Non-citizens should be afforded no moral equivalent to rights of American citizens. This administration wants to equate the rights of American citizens to those of terrorists who want to destroy America and her people.  This administration is putting national security at significant risk, and putting the American people last and terrorists first. This administration is unwilling to do what is necessary to protect our country.  They are also subjecting our country to the international community in a way that has never been done before.  This administration is eroding our national security in the interests of reputation.  America, our national security, our interests, and our future come before anything else in this world.

As your next Congressman from the First District, I will do everything I can to ensure the security of every American citizen.  I will work diligently to ensure that we operate by the Constitution as well as all legal parameters that will protect us as much as possible from those who want to kill us and ruin our nation.  I will also work to ensure that this nation answers to no international court, agency, or government.  America answers to no one other than its people and the system of governance that we have in place.  That is my pledge to you as your next Congressman.