Rick Crawford for Congress

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

Jobless Numbers Prove We Can’t Afford More of Pelosi and Obama

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New Jobless Numbers Prove America and Arkansas Can’t Afford More of the Pelosi/Obama Agenda

“Causey Needs to Explain Why His First Vote in Congress Will Be to Extend Their Tenure”

Jonesboro- With today’s release of new national unemployment numbers showing that the jobless rate went up and that the US lost jobs for the third straight month, Republican Congressional Candidate Rick Crawford again called for drastic changes in Washington.

Crawford Stated, “The Washington politicians may just see these unemployment numbers as stats on a sheet, but here in the First District I see everyday these folks and the hard time they are having because of the misguided leadership in Congress. While the Obama/Pelosi economic quagmire continues, families across Arkansas are losing their jobs, farms and businesses. The liberals in Washington are out of control and if there isn’t a serious change in direction at once even more people are going to be in real trouble. The next Congress must start on day one by extending the 01 and 03 small business tax cuts and aggressively cutting back Washington’s intrusion into our families’ lives.”

Today’s Jobless numbers came at the end of what many in the Obama administration had termed as the “summer recovery months”. August also became the 16th straight month where unemployment has remained above 9%.

Crawford Campaign Manager Jonah Shumate added “These numbers again prove that the Washington Chad Causey has been working in for the last 10 years is broken. Chad needs to explain to all the people in Arkansas why his first vote as a member of Congress would be for continuing the failed agenda of the Obama/Pelosi leadership team. It’s high time he started taking principled stands on these issues and stopped using slick Washington doublespeak to duck the issues.”

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”.

Causey Needs to be Honest About 9/11 Mosque and Nancy Pelosi

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Jonesboro – The Campaign of Congressional Candidate Rick Crawford has again asked Democrat Chad Causey to tell us whether or not he stands with his liberal leaders Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama on building a Mosque just blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks. This repeated call for honesty from Causey comes the day after Nancy Pelosi called for an investigation into those who are standing against building the proposed Mosque at ground zero.

“Chad Causey has worked in Washington hand-in-hand with Nancy Pelosi and her liberal leadership for more than 10 years. Now that he’s running for Congress he needs to let the people of Arkansas’ First district know where he stands. It’s inexcusable that he hasn’t stood up against those that would seek to build a Mosque where thousands of Americans were murdered. We are taking this opportunity to ask him again to be straight with those he seeks to represent. If he can’t do it on a clear issue like this, how can we expect him to be a leader in Congress?” asked Crawford Campaign Manager Jonah Shumate.
The proposed Mosque has been a hotly-debated issue nationwide with leaders from both parties condemning the project due to its complete insensitivity to those who lost their loved ones at the hands of Islamic extremists.

Shumate continued “Chad Causey’s first vote in Congress would be for Nancy Pelosi. It’s sad that he hasn’t been elected yet and he is already kowtowing to their liberal leadership. Arkansas deserves better!  That’s why Rick Crawford is the clear choice for those who want a congressman who will stand up to the Obama-Pelosi agenda.”

Is Nancy Pelosi’s agenda good for farmers, businesses, or families?

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National Journal reports today that several reporters who closely follow national elections believe momentum is growing for Nancy Pelosi to lose control of the House of Representatives.  You can read the brief article at this link:

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/04/where_the_house.php

What does this mean for you, your family, our state and our country?  For starters it will enable us to begin the process of repealing the multi-trillion healthcare entitlement.  The bill’s major thrust was to create a permanent guarantee, much like food stamps, for health insurance.  While states and the federal government currently provide Medicaid coverage for the poorest Americans, this new entitlement expands the coverage to an additional 32 million people.

So while our country suffocates under a financial burden of $56.5 trillion for programs for which there is not sufficient revenue, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama’s solution is to saddle our nation with trillions in additional costs.  This irresponsible behavior will have significant adverse ramifications in the not-so-distant future.

Excluding the recently-passed healthcare entitlement program, every man, woman, and child would have to pay $184,000 to cover his or her share of the $56.5 trillion shortfall.  Unfortunately, our financial hole is getting deeper at a rate of about $3 trillion annually as our elected officials do nothing to stop the problem.  To cover the shortfall, budget watchers estimate that taxes will have to double or triple for all Americans.  Can you imagine the job-killing impact this would have?

Before you dismiss this as nonsense, consider that the top marginal tax rate throughout the 1970s was 70 percent.  That’s right, a person in the upper income bracket only kept 30 cents of every dollar he or she earned.  Let’s assume that this applied to the top 10 percent of all income earners (joint returns included).  A person–or couple filing jointly–at the bottom of the top ten percent, according to the IRS, makes roughly $119,000.  The federal government would take $83,300 and the taxpayer would be allowed to keep $35,700 (before state and local taxes, of course).

A sobering thought on the day after Tax Day.

Of course, the problem with raising taxes back to the level of the 1970s is that it would crush our economy.  However, Congress spends as if it has ample money in its pocket.  Apparently Congress’ “money” has burned a hole through its pocket, through the floor, and halfway through the planet!

If this troubles you and you are interested in becoming involved in taking back our country, I urge you to join my campaign team and share this article with others.  As the National Journal story indicates, there is a growing sentiment in America that it is time to boot Speaker Pelosi and her liberal agenda.  But we cannot do it without you and others emailing and calling friends to share the facts and contributing to our campaign so that we can continue to run a strong race that will end Speaker Pelosi’s control of the House of Representatives.  Remember, a government by the people requires active participation by “We the People.”

You can read more of my thoughts about the budget at my website: http://www.MeetRickCrawford.com/issues/americas-budget-crisis

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.

Rick Crawford Blasts House Congressional Leaders for Intimidation Tactics

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Rick Crawford today called on Speaker Pelosi and other Congressional Democrats to cease employing abusive intimidation tactics against American companies that are required by law to report adverse financial conditions to pension funds, mutual funds, individual stockholders, and other investors that own company shares.

“At Speaker Pelosi’s direction, House Democratic committee chairmen are lining up public interrogation sessions for some of our nation’s leading job creators, including John Deere, Caterpillar, AT&T, and Verizon Communications,” said Crawford.  “Instead of attacking the great American companies who provide tens of thousands of jobs, Congress should be taking a hard look at the true costs of the new healthcare entitlement program.”

Friday House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman and Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak wrote to the heads of John Deere, Caterpillar, AT&T, and Verizon Communications requesting that the companies testify in sworn statements before Congress.  The letters request specific information about accounting methods, emails among senior company officials, and comes with the implicit threat that subpoenas would be issued for companies that refuse to comply with the Congressional request.  The information is due by April 9, 2010, and the hearings are set for April 21, 2010.

Waxman’s call for hearings came after Speaker Pelosi told Democrats to go on the “offensive” in defending and calming public doubts about the new entitlement program.

“This liberal Congress seems to be friendlier toward prisoners at Guantanamo than American job creators,” concluded Crawford.  “Especially during an once-in-a-lifetime economic recession, we should be seeking to work with businesses, not trying to cripple and intimidate them.  I believe that we would have been much better served if Congrress would have focused on creating jobs and addressing the national fiscal crisis rather than spending money we do not have on a new entitlement program for 32 million people that will only put government between us and our doctors.”

Healthcare Vote Highlighted Leadership Void

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As I watched last night’s healthcare debate, and the final vote that will enact a new massive entitlement program, I couldn’t help but think about how we got here.Unfortunately, Republicans and Democrats alike have failed us in recent years. Ethical violations, special interest deal-making, and saying one thing while doing another has led to the lowest approval rating of Congress in the modern era.

The primary reason why Republicans were unable to prevent passage of this multi-trillion dollar entitlement program is because they had played the same games when they were in power. Simply put, when you are a two-faced hypocrite, people don’t care what you say.

Folks, we need leadership. We need people who will go to Washington swearing on their life that they will fight the budget and process gimmickry regardless which party seeks to employ it. Country first, party second…period.

Our nation is truly at a crossroad, and I am not sure many have an appreciation for the trouble in which our republic finds itself.  Yes we now have $12 trillion in debt that has been piled up by both political parties. Yes our deficit, the yearly shortfall that adds to our total debt, has been averaging more than $1.5 trillion.  But what our “leaders” rarely talk about is the $56.5 trillion we have in total unfunded promises.

Add it all up and it equates to $184,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. While anyone with common sense would know that we must stop digging the hole deeper, last night Congress used a nuclear bomb to blast the hole even deeper.  And guess who gets to pay for it?

As I pondered this question myself, I realized that what we are doing is quite disturbing. Each generation leaves an inheritance for the next – usually a house, some land, etc.  In our case, we are leaving a brand new, 20,000 square-foot multi-level mansion. In the basement, however, is a dirty bomb of unpaid bills that will obliterate our kids and grandkids not long after we have slipped into the by-and-by.  While some may draw comparisons to certain spine-less acts of war, it really boils down to the superlative form of Selfishness.

Our elected officials have abandoned the founding principles that made our country great. If we are to return to these principles, and avert devastation for our kids and grandkids, then we must not only vote the self-serving hypocrites out of office in November but replace them with men and women who will swear to restore fiscal discipline.

Three Reasons to Oppose the Healthcare “Reform” Bill

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I wanted to take a moment and articulate three reasons why I would vote against the healthcare reform bill that will be considered in the House of Representatives Sunday afternoon.

  • The United States simply cannot afford to enact a new entitlement program. Our government is currently saddled with a burden of $56.5 trillion in unfunded promises, which is a burden far too heavy for our long-term economic and political stability. Ringing up trillions more in bills that our kids and grandkids will have to repay is unacceptable. Excluding the price for a new entitlement program, our government will have to more than double current tax rates to pay for these unfunded promises. Do we really want to triple tax rates?
  • The “reform bill” will do nothing to control cost. Sure the bill provides a few Band-Aids that make a good snake-oil pitch to people who haven’t studied the issue. However, it is mathematically impossible to provide taxpayer-funded healthcare to 30 million people and expect the initiative to “save” money. Interestingly enough, the Congressional Budget Office didn’t point to any provision that would provide meaningful healthcare cost savings. Instead, the bill raises taxes to offset some of the bill’s price tag.
  • The bill currently provides taxpayer money to pay for abortions. This is unacceptable. Period. The executive order that President Obama and Speaker Pelosi are offering as a fig leaf to protect pro-life Democrats whom they are pressuring to support the bill is meaningless. An executive order can be rescinded at any time by any president. As I have stated previously, one of Obama’s first acts as president was to rescind several executive orders.

The Healthcare Games Continue

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Today Congressman Berry told the Tolbert Report that he remains undecided on the house healthcare measure that will be considered on Sunday. News reports that President Obama has proposed addressing concerns of abortion by signing an executive order to bar public funding of abortion. This is one of the weakest possible ways to address this issue.

The biggest problem with this approach is that he or any future president simply can sign another executive order to reverse the previous one. One of the first orders of business President Obama conducted was to reverse a number of Bush’s executive orders.

Anyone serious about protecting unborn lives would never agree to this sham “solution.”