"Sellout" Stacey Armato Went Dem For Political, Not Principled Reasons

 Stacey Armato, Hermosa Beach City Councilmember, gave the following story to the Easy Reader News about why she joined the Democratic Party:

When she first got involved in the battle over oil drilling in Hermosa Beach in 2012, Stacey Armato was a registered Republican, and had been all her life.

“At that point, I hadn’t thoughtfully dissected why I was a registered Republican. It was more that my parents were small business owners, and they were registered Republicans. My husband is the same story: small business owner parents, registered Republicans. There was just never a thought about it,” Armato said.

Armato, who is now a city councilmember in Hermosa, said that during the oil campaign she began to recognize her priorities on environmental issues were out of step with those of Republicans. But she didn’t plan on changing her registration. “I didn’t think it defined me, I didn’t think it defined other people,” she said.

Since when did the Measure O issue have anything to do with Republican or Democrat? Then Councilman Michael DiVirgilio, a Democrat, supported Measure O. There were registered Republicans in the city who opposed Measure O, did not want the drilling. It was not a cut and dried issue at all.

Eventually it became impossible for her to reconcile her values with those of the national party. Her son Massimo was born with cystic fibrosis and required multiple invasive surgeries before he was a year old. The 2010 Affordable Care Act, which for the first time guaranteed coverage for those with preexisting conditions, had been a lifesaver, and Republican attempts to repeal it in 2017 left her dumbfounded. She switched her registration to Democrat.

We are talking about five years later, Stacey Armato decided that she did not want to be a Republican anymore.

This had nothing to do with Obamacare. This had nothing to do with seeing the national party drift away from her. This had EVERTYHING to do with the growing Democratic machine contingent that has been taking over Hermosa Beach for the last five years. 

There was nothing principled about Stacey Armato's decision to leave the GOP. She did it for politics, pure and simple, or should I say "impure and simple".

“I quietly changed it. I didn’t think I needed to make a big deal of it, but I did, and my husband changed his. There are multiple layers to it, each significant in its own way, and I stand by it,” she said.

She thought that she did not have to make a big deal about it, and yet here she is, in an interview with the Easy Reader News, telling them that she is no longer a Republican.

What it really amounts to is a lack of principles. People want power, and some people are willing to give up whatever principles they have to get some of that power. Why is anyone surprised by this?

I do resent Armato's insisting that she jumped the GOP ship because of environmental or healthcare concerns. Give me a break!

John McCain: Opportunist, Not a Maverick

US Senator John McCain has died. I imagine that many writers will pile on the praises for the recently-deceased “maverick” US Senator from the Grand Canyon State.

Sorry, but I will not be joining the chorus of eulogies. Perhaps he was a saint in combat, but as an elected official he was one of the dregs. As Thomas Sowell once commented, being a veteran is not a “Get Out of Criticism Free” card. For any veteran’s service, we should be grateful. Their prior efforts in the military, however, do not cover for their failures, fallouts, sins, and betrayals once in office. In 2005, Randy “Duke” Cunningham, a Congressman from the San Diego area, was convicted of multiple bribery charges in 2005. He didn’t get off easy just because he was a veteran. The same standard should hold true for anyone else, regardless of their service in the American Military.

Was McCain a crook? He weathered considerable scandal in the late 1980’s following the Savings and Loan collapse, but was never charged with anything. I have no interest in pursuing allegations, aspersions, or conspiracy theories. On his votes, on his rhetoric, on his policies, I appraise him, and John McCain is found wanting.

It’s hard to imagine someone like this guy replacing Barry Goldwater. Both were Presidential candidates, but Goldwater was a gold standard conservative. With a consistent libertarian streak, Goldwater stood by his principles, demanding a clean sweep of the D.C. Swamp long before such calls were popular. When President Richard Nixon was foundering under credible obstruction of justice charges, Goldwater joined with then House minority leader Ben Rhodes (also of Arizona) to urge Nixon’s resignation.

In stark contrast, John McCain was not a principled maverick, but a Swampy opportunist, a big government militarian who shamed those who wanted measured military ventures. He also slammed anyone else who skeptically opposed sudden interventionist campaigns. Even anti-Trump, pro-K Street conservative contrarian took offense when McCain questioned the patriotism of his anti-war critics.

There was a time, however, when John McCain stood for principle, bucking his party because he thought it was the right thing to do. In 2000 he ran against George W. Bush, the so-called Establishment favorite, capturing the outsider momentum in the New Hampshire primary with double-digit victory. When Texas Governor George W. Bush realized that he couldn’t follow his father’s centrist globalism to win the nomination, he turned right, slammed McCain with controversial smears (or at least his supporters did), and swept South Carolina. Of course, McCain’s blasting the “religious right” didn’t endear him to conservatives, either.

After Bush’s election, the maverick became a fly-by-night statist. Big Government “Compassionate conservatism” was the way to win big money for a political future, so McCain began voting that way. He had a penchant for voting against his political rivals’ agendas, too. He voted against Bush’s tax cuts. He pushed for McCain-Feingold campaign finance “reform.” He was willing to work with moderate pro-military Democrat Joseph Lieberman to combat climate change.

The greatest betrayal, of course, came with his ongoing dance with Democrats and other Chamber of Commerce Republicans for comprehensive immigration “reform”, i.e. amnesty. Thankfully, these proposals failed many times, and yet McCain insisted on this disastrous agenda, while representing a border state where one of his potential successors has called for building a wall between Arizona and California.

As a Presidential candidate, he was never my first choice. I lined up behind firebrand Congressman Tom Tancredo, then Romney for one reason: immigration. McCain did win the nomination in spite of massive opposition within the GOP, so I supported him in the general election. It’s remarkable, then and now, how little McCain wanted to fight back. Once in a while, he mocked his upstart opponent, Junior Senator Barack Obama. This historic first-time black nominee, however, hindered McCain’s capacity to campaign vigorously. Did the county want to bring in a nationalized health care system? A corrupt cap and trade program? Obama was planning to change the country and the world, but McCain spent more time distancing himself from Bush, all while suspending his campaign to bail out the Big Banks.

McCain the Swamp Thing embraced greater odium when he ran for re-election as a US Senator. Campaigning against his amnesty pandering, he fought hard to veer right during the 2010 Tea Party primary. “Build the Dang Fence” he growled. Two years later, he was building more bridges with amnesty proponents, playing both sides to make himself the star of the show in the middle.

Granted, John McCain was a hero. As a war prisoner in Hanoi, he refused to be released before others who had been imprisoned longer than he. For the record, Trump had acquiesced that McCain was a hero: "He's a war hero because he was captured," Trump had said, "I like people that weren't captured."  I also like veterans who do not get captured by bitterness and grandstanding. McCain hated Trump, and I hated McCain’s disdain. Shameful. Like so many Washington fixtures, McCain couldn’t stand that Trump, who wasn’t “one of them” had captured the White House, something that the privileged son of two naval officers couldn’t do.

The culmination of McCain’s personal opprobrium broke out not with the leaked Steele Dossier, but his “No” vote on against the Obamacare skinny repeal. Never have I witnessed such self-serving grandstanding. With arm raised high, after fifteen minutes of fraternizing with both sides of the aisle, he killed a real chance at repeal of that terrible bill, not because it wouldn’t serve Arizonans, but because his legacy of bipartisan double-dealing had come to an end with Trump’s ascension, and McCain was going to frustrate as many as he could with him.

Cancer is a terrible thing, and it must have been a tough decision for McCain and family to see him renounce further treatment. I recognize his service as a soldier, but as a representative, as a politician he was another self-serving opportunist, and I feel no remorse that he is gone.

Senate Conservatives Fund: Update on Endorsed US Senate Candidates

Arthur: Our seven endorsed candidates for the U.S. Senate are all running strong, competitive campaigns, but they need help to win. Please read the updates below and then make a contribution to support their campaigns. MIKE BRAUN – Indiana Businessman Mike Braun (R-IN) raised $2.5 million in the past quarter and currently has a slight lead over Senator Joe Donnely (D-IN) in the polls. It's not surprising that Donnelly is now ducking debates with Braun and is spending millions on attacks against him. Braun released a new TV ad to set the record straight and he's working hard to spread his message as a conservative outsider. This race gives Republicans one of the best pick-up opportunities across the country. Donate to Mike Braun. PATRICK MORRISEY – West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is back to his old trick of pretending to be a centrist. In his latest act, he said Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) could "kiss my you know what" when asked about Schumer's efforts to pressure Manchin to oppose President Trump's Supreme Court nominee. It's clever posturing to get favorable headlines in West Virginia, but the truth is Manchin has benefited from millions of dollars from Schumer and his liberal campaign machine and will be a loyal supporter after the election. Morrisey currently trails Manchin by 6 points in the average of public polls, but he can close that gap if he has the funds to set the record straight. Donate to Patrick Morrisey. MARSHA BLACKBURN – Tennessee The new vacancy on the Supreme Court highlights the importance of the U.S. Senate race in Tennessee and shows why electing U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is critical. Former Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN) was hand-picked and personally courted by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to run for the Senate. There's no question that he will be bad on judges and must be defeated. Bredesen is well-known in the state and currently leads Blackburn by 5 points in the average of public polls. The Democrats will go all-out to win this race because they know it's the key to taking back the majority in the Senate. Meanwhile, many establishment donors within Tennessee think they can "work with" Bredesen and so they are backing their old pal instead of Blackburn. This goes to show how important conservative grassroots support will be in this race! Donate to Marsha Blackburn. TED CRUZ – Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) continues to keep his promises and fight for less government and more freedom. He's one of the leaders in the Senate when it comes to confirming good judges and he has vocally stood up for strong immigration enforcement at a time when many liberals want to abolish ICE and have open borders. Cruz's conservative leadership has made him a top target of the left, which is why his opponent, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), is raising tens of millions of dollars. Cruz leads O'Rourke by 8 points in the average of public polls, but conservatives cannot take this race for granted. Donate to Ted Cruz. JOHN JAMES – Michigan Combat veteran and businessman John James (R-MI) continues to gain support in the Republican primary election for U.S. Senate. But he faces a real challenge from Sandy Pensler (R-MI), a liberal “Republican” who first ran for Congress in 1992. He’s using $5 million of his own personal fortune to attack James on the airwaves and to drown out the voices of the conservative grassroots. Pensler is pro-choice, he favors government-run health care, and he is highly critical of President Trump. That's why conservatives must unite and help John James win this critical nomination. Donate to John James. MATT ROSENDALE – Montana Coming off the primary victory, State Auditor Matt Rosendale (R-MT) is raising money at a faster rate and is gaining in the polls. In June, he trailed Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) by eight points, but a month later he only trails by 3 points. Senator Tester continues to do everything he can to convince the voters that he's one of them, but his record is one of a very liberal politician. Vice President Mike Pence will be in Montana later this month to campaign for Rosendale in what is one of the biggest battleground races in the country. If voters learn the truth about "two-faced Tester," Rosendale will win. Donate to Matt Rosendale. JOSH HAWLEY – Missouri A new poll shows State Attorney General Josh Hawley overtaking Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) by two points (48% Hawley, 46% McCaskill). Hawley still trails McCaskill in the average of public polls by one point, but he's moving in the right direction. McCaskill continues to duck debates with Hawley and will likely oppose the nomination of Brett Kavanagh to the U.S. Supreme Court. This race gives conservatives a major pick-up opportunity, but Hawley will need a lot of help to make sure Missouri voters know the truth about McCaskill and her liberal record. Donate to Josh Hawley. The stakes are very high. Control of the Senate is on the line as well as the future of many important policy debates. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Fund @KenCuccinelli / @SCF

Government Satisfaction Poll: How's President Trump Doing?

Fellow American, I need to know if you're satisfied with your representation in the United States government. Can you take sixty seconds to answer any (or all) of these questions?
 

1. How would you rate the government’s performance?
2. Do you support our President?
3. What is the government doing right?
4. What is the government doing wrong?
5. What single issue is most important to you?

It’s no secret that politicians in Washington do too much talking and too little listening. You and I are going to change that starting RIGHT NOW.

Once a month, I want to check in with you about how satisfied you are with your government. If you’re happy, then let me know. If you’re unhappy, then let’s talk so we can do something about it!

We have a lot of work ahead of us in 2018 and a limited amount of time. It's important that we stay focused on your priorities, so please answer your Government Satisfaction Survey.

I’m excited to get to work on your advice because we know conservatives are strongest when we run the government from the grassroots level.

Thanks for your advice,

Steve Scalise

Answer The Government Satisfaction Survey

Senate Conservatives Fund: Uproot Obamacare, Don't Fertilize It

Arthur: After failing to repeal the law they campaigned against for nearly a decade, Republicans may use the upcoming omnibus spending bill to bail out Obamacare with taxpayer-funded subsidies. Republican leaders are working on a plan to provide roughly $30 billion in bailout money for health insurance companies.  If they succeed, Republicans will not only have failed to repeal Obamacare, they will have helped the Democrats expand it. Instead of repealing it "root and branch" like they promised, they will have watered and fertilized it! Once Congress starts bailing out insurance companies, the bailouts will never end. Liberals in both parties will forever call for more money to "stabilize" the marketplace. Tell Senate Republicans to oppose Obamacare bailouts. You can send a blast e-mail message to all Senate Republicans with just a few clicks using our advocacy platform. Bailing out Obamacare would be a major mistake. Not only will it make it harder to repeal Obamacare, but we've already seen that these subsidies don't work in terms of lowering premiums. The only way to do that is to repeal the benefit regulations that have made coverage so expensive. Also, this policy betrayal will depress Republican turnout in November, making it even easier for the Democrats to win key races. We can stop this bailout, but we must take action now. If Senate Republicans know that voters are watching and they will be held accountable for this betrayal, they will reverse course. But it's up to us to make sure they get the message. Thank you for making your voice heard. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Action

Sacramento: Give Me My Money Back!

So, the California State Treasury has taken in unprecedented amounts of our money through heavy tax collection.

Thank you, President Trump! His tax reform package has allowed more business owners to hold onto their wealth, to invest in creating more jobs and expanding their operations, even in states hostile to business like California.

What should they do with all that ill-gotten gain? How about giving it back to its rightful owners?

That's what the Southern California News Group stated:

From the Southern California News Group:

With the state of California projecting a large budget surplus for the next fiscal year, lawmakers have serious choices to make.

It's a serious choice, but not a difficult one. They need to give us our money back!

Assuming continued economic growth, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office had projected surpluses of as much as $5-6 billion a year through 2021-22 back in November.

While it is a significant amount of money, California lawmakers have proven more than capable of blowing through large wads of cash.

That's all they do. They just steal from working Americans to keep the vast majority of the monies, while handing out crumbs to everyone else, so that they continue voting Democratic.

This is Boss Tweed Political Machinery at its worst, and we need to stand up to it.

Since fiscal year 2011-12, California’s general fund spending has ballooned from about $86 billion to $125 billion in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Governor Brown is spending 150% of the operating budget from his first year in office since he had run the state into the ground in the 1970s.

We can do better than this, Californians. Well, I know that voters who share my values are willing to do much better.

The record-breaking spending trend will continue with the next fiscal year, with Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal calling for just under $132 billion in General Fund spending.

I think it's time for Governor Brown to surrender his salary the same way the President Trump gives up his salary for different federal departments.

Such significant spending increases have come on the backs of increasingly burdened California taxpayers.

Brown has stressed to the Legislature the importance of fiscal discipline, given the likelihood of a recession in coming years. Along similar lines, the LAO has advised the Legislature to consider the many uncertainties ahead — including potential policy changes at the federal level with respect to things like health care — and to consider how much they’d like to prepare for the next recession.

There are already many changes coming down the pike against the state of California. Democratic lawmakers have spent more time spending money that we do not have to impress people who do not care, and in the process buying things which we simply do not need.

Covered California is going to crash and burn, and the Democrats in Sacramento cannot prevent the hemhorraging. Obamacare's main individual mandate is gone, and I doubt that lawmakers in Sacramento are going to tempt fate during an election year by forcing California residents to purchase health insurance.

They want to scuttle the Internet with their own version of net neutrality. Sad. They want to take everyone's guns away, except for union-backed law enforcement. Really bad. They also want to adopt the strict, onerous, and ultimately useless climate dictates of the Paris Climate Accords.

California wants to make all the progressive mistakes. This is just awful. Why can't we have leadership in the state capital which cares about the needs of American citizens?

Considering that the California Legislature best reflects the saying by satirist P.J. O’Rourke that “giving money and power to government is like giving whisky and car keys to teenage boys,” these words of warning may very well fall on deaf ears.

It’s not surprising that politicians like Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, have taken word of a surplus to call for new obligations like expanding Medi-Cal and early education.

Yes indeed. What can we hope for, then? That the state legislature will crash and everyone will end up the emergency ward or the grave yard.

These things might sound nice, but when the next recession occurs, there probably won’t be enough money to prevent deep and dramatic cuts to services Californians deserve.

There will never be enough money for the rapacious Democratic lawmakers. They just take and spend, then borrow and tax with no regard for the best interests of California's citizens. We need leadership that will put the needs of Americans first, and we just don't have that right now.

It probably also isn’t lost on many California taxpayers that even with the massive jump in spending since 2011-12, big problems persist, including basic ones such as infrastructure and the perennial, worsening costs of government pensions.

Of course this comes as no surprise. No one in Sacramento wants to spend money allocated for necessary projects ... on those necessary projects. They want to fluff their own nests and assure their retirement in a board of supervisors elected office, since they will have all the money in the world and no one can stop them.

If state lawmakers aren’t going to make prudent decisions, the state would be better off providing some tax relief to the state’s overburdened taxpayers.

YES!

They can follow what Gov. George Deukmejian did in 1987 when he approved $1.1 billion in rebates to taxpayers. That would be a better use of the money then splurging it on new, unsustainable obligations.

Hello! Can I get an Amen?!

Of course, Deukmejian’s move was driven by the Gann Limit on state government spending — which, incidentally, California has gotten close to triggering again with continued spending growth.

Lawmakers should keep a close eye on the limit, especially since Brown last year tried some accounting tricks to avoid it. The LAO said that those efforts had violated “the spirit of Proposition 4.”

The Legislature could also consider other forms of tax relief, especially considering a recent LAO report suggesting that reducing business taxes would be far preferable to the “targeted tax incentives” the state currently uses, which reek of crony capitalism.

How about repealing the gas tax which should have never passed in the first place? That would be nice!

We suggest lawmakers, however unusually, resist the urge to blow through billions more than the state can afford and give taxpayers back some of their own money.

It's time for newspapers and everyday citizens to stop suggesting and start demanding. It's just that simple.

Senate Conservatives Fund: Republicans Eye Year of Liberal Policies

Arthur, This is an important update. I hope you will read it and respond with any feedback or insights that you have. Republicans in Congress have foolishly decided to pursue a number of liberal policies this year. They want to bring back earmarks, pass some form of amnesty, raise (and possibly eliminate) the debt limit, bail out the health insurance companies, and spend billions on "stimulus" projects. Also, GOP leaders do not plan to pass a budget resolution this year, which means they can't use "reconciliation" to pass a conservative bill in the Senate with 51 Republican votes. There will be no Obamacare repeal and no entitlement reform. Everything Republicans do this year will be approved by the Democrats, which means more spending, bailouts, and debt. I'm not going to sugarcoat it – this is very bad news. The decision by GOP leaders to take a big left turn will likely cost Republicans the House and possibly the Senate. Democrats will be energized by their desire to impeach President Trump while Republican voters are depressed by a party that breaks its promises. I know this is discouraging, but we need to understand what is really happening so we can take the right actions. There are two things SCF will do to respond: Pressure Republicans to enact the right policies. If we don't make our voices heard and hold their feet to the fire, there's no telling how much damage the swamp will do.   Support conservative candidates. Republicans are going to suffer losses in November, but we can minimize those losses and protect the best conservative candidates. Conservatives must remain engaged and work strategically to minimize our losses this year both in terms of the policies that are enacted and the candidates that are elected. Please help us lead this effort by supporting SCF with either a one-time or a monthly contribution. The stakes are very high and conservatives must work together this year to be effective. Thank you for being part of our team. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Fund @KenCuccinelli / @SCF Please share this on Facebook and Twitter.

Another Winnable District for Republicans: Oregon 4th District

Peter De Fazio, Congressman for Southwestern Oregon, is now another potential target for Republican efforts. Kurt Schrader in District 5 also barely held onto his seat in 2016, too.

For now, though, De Fazio is getting a little worried about his seat.

His district now has an EVEN ranking, since President Trump nearly won the district versus Hillary Clinton by 200 votes!

Check out the results of the Presidential turnout below:

Really close, but does it justify Republican attention for 2018?

Anything is possible, but for the last four elections, one Republican candidate has run and failed to unseat DeFazio.

The incumbent has also moved right and more populist on key issues to ensure that he carries parts of the Trump agenda, even while staying away from Trump himself and attacking him at length on the floor of the House.

DeFazio is feeling a little more of the heat, however, informing his supporters that the GOP pressure is coming for him:

A little known fact of the 2016 presidential election is that Oregon's 4th Congressional District was the closest race in the nation with only 554 votes dividing the two presidential candidates. Shortly after the election, the Cook Partisan Voting Index changed the district rating from D+1 (a slight Democratic voter registration edge) to one of only 16 ‘even' districts in the nation. This change in the electorate has given the Republican National Campaign Committee the green light to target me. They think this means they have a chance to flip this district and unseat me.  They're wrong, because they're underestimating our collective grassroots energy!

We shall see what kind of grassroots energy will exist to let DeFazio to keep his seat.

Left-wing Democrats in the district are not going to like that he supported Kate's Law to go after illegal aliens and sanctuary cities.

Then he slammed the GOP Tax Reform bill with the same hollow, left-wing talking points:

Does this guy even believe his own rhetoric? Where will all the money come from for the infrastructure bill next year? The rising tax revenue coffers which will follow from more spending, more investment, more tax revenue. Tax cuts lift all boats and ensure adequate funding for government projects as needed. Will Democrats jump on board and assist with helping the nation's roads, bridges, pathways, and workways?

DeFazio has pledged to go along with the program, but will Democrats risk inflaming their liberal progressive base to go along with the President's agenda?

Either way, DeFazio has got to go!

Why The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a YUGE Win for Election 2018

Judge Roy Moore took one for the GOP conservative grassroots team.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is partly at fault for losing a ruby red US Senate seat to a Democrat. What we can expect, though, despite this sad setback, is that McConnell will be able to mess with Senate Democrats and their latest red state Democrat. Doug Jones has already had to strike a more conservative, conciliatory tone. After all, he represents constituents who voted for President Trump by massive, double-digits in 2016. How can he expect to win re-election running on a record of left-wing nihilism?

The heat is on, and McConnell and company needed to deliver with everything they had. He and Speaker Paul Ryan not only brought through comprehensive tax reform, tax cuts, and also the repeal of the officious Obamacare individual mandate.

Democrats and liberal opponents are claiming that the Tax Cut and Jobs Act will be the Republicans' version of Obamacare, in that the negative reaction to this legislation will be so bad that Democrats sweep the House and maybe take over the United States Senate.

Not going to happen.

Massive job growth is already breaking out all over the country. Jobs investment, manufacturing jobs, a roaring stock market, and the lowest unemployment in decades has embraced the country. Trump is doing quite well for the voters of this country. The Republicans are following his lead. Now that the individual mandate is gone, more working families will not have to wonder how much to scringe and save for when they have to purchase health insurance. They will not be forced to purchase a product which is no good to begin with.

Americans hate Obamacare, and this mandate is the worst part of it. The mandate's repeal will ensure that the rest of this abortive law crashes underneath its corrupt, bankrupt, incompetent weight. This is winning on an unimaginable scale.

Democrats are going to campaign on voting against tax cuts for working and middle income families? They will demagogue the class warfare talking points, certainly, but most Americans will enjoy the blessings of "the rich" getting tax cuts and tax breaks, which they are already turning around and giving to their current employees with bonuses and to new hires. More people working is a good thing, and a prosperous economy is a huge victory for Republicans in Rust belt and purple states where the stagnant economy of the Obama Administration perpetrated its worst damage.

Democrats are hoping to win key governorships in Election 2018, too, but the Republican incumbents can ride the strong economy, and the lasting reforms on health care, energy, and economic growth will solidify the argument that the voters should continue their tenure. Despite the complaints of immigration hardliners, the tax reform package is a significant victory, and the Fake News liberal media cannot smear this victory into a defeat. All the printing, hate-mongering, and outright demagoguery will not dissuade individual voters from the massive economic prosperity they enjoy.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a huge win for Election 2018.

Not Just Tax Reform, But Major Steps Toward Obamacare Full Repeal

The Tax Reform victory is huge on many levels. President Trump achieves a major victory for all Americans. He has helped to double the child tax credit, lowered the corporate tax rate to make our country far more competitive economically.

This legislation is a big deal, too, because it repeals the individual mandate in Obamacare.

Not the best, since the legislation needs to be repealed in full, but it gets us much, much closer to getting rid of the terrible law in its entirety. Very excited about this.

Not only that, but following passage of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, the Alexander-Murray Obamacare bailout was shelved for discussion next year.

Likely, that bill will not get passed or go anywhere. There will be no bailouts for insurance companies, which were all looking to get rich off of government largesse. Shame on Barack Obama, the corrupto-crat who was looking to make Big Business happy, all while pretending to care about working Americans and progressive ideologies. Never happened. Never.

The collapse of Obamacare is all but immanent, since no one will be forced to purchase crappy insurance that is overpriced and underwhelming. Who is going to jump into the exchanges, then, when they have no need to do so?

Forcing people to purchase a product was the height of unconstitutional, even though the arrogant Supreme Court judges insisted on upholding that terrible part of Obamacare. Finally, though, Congress did something about it.

Obamacare is still technically alive, but it is heading for a major crash and burn. I can't wait for the rest of the horrid law to be shut down for good and real free market reforms enacted.

Please, President Trump, end the rest of this horrid law. Let's put an end to government welfarism, and let's put an end to allowing illegal aliens to get health insurance on the taxpayers' dime.

No Alexander-Murray Obamacare Bailouts! Call Senators NOW!

Arthur: We warned our supporters that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would try to pass a bailout for health insurance companies and now it's about to happen. McConnell plans to attach the Alexander-Murray Obamacare bailout to the annual government funding bill later this week. This cannot stand. We must stop him. Please call the senators listed below and urge them to stand up to McConnell and oppose any government funding bill that includes a taxpayer bailout for health insurance companies. These senators are sympathetic to our views so please encourage them to stand strong and do what is right. Tom Cotton (R-AR) – 202-224-2353 Ted Cruz (R-TX) – 202-224-5922 Joni Ernst (R-IA) – 202-224-3254 Ron Johnson (R-WI) – 202-224-5323 Mike Lee (R-UT) – 202-224-5444 Rand Paul (R-KY) – 202-224-4343 Marco Rubio (R-FL) – 202-224-3041 Ben Sasse (R-NE) – 202-224-4224 Rather than lowering premiums by eliminating Obamacare's regulations, some Republicans want to subsidize insurance companies. But it won't work. President Obama tried this approach and it failed miserably. Also, once Congress goes down this road, the bailouts will never end. Liberals in both parties will forever call for more money to "stabilize" the failing healthcare marketplace. Please call the senators listed above and make a contribution to help us mobilize conservatives nationwide. With your help, we can drive thousands of calls into key Senate offices to stop this terrible ideas. Republicans promised to repeal Obamacare root and branch, not to bail it out! We don't have much time so please take action right now. Thank you for fighting for conservative policies and for doing your part to hold Senate Republicans accountable. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Action

SCF: No Obamacare Bailouts! Beware!

Arthur: As you know, the Senate has included the repeal of Obamacare's individual mandate penalty in its version of the tax reform bill. This is nowhere near the full "root and branch" repeal that voters were promised, but it will provide tax relief to millions of Americans who don't want to buy Obamacare insurance. This is very good. However, this provision was added to the tax reform bill as part of a deal struck by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) with moderate Republicans that also includes passing a separate bill giving bailout payments to health insurance companies. This must be stopped! Rather than lowering premiums by eliminating regulations, many Republicans would rather try to do it by subsidizing insurance companies. President Obama tried this and it failed miserably. Also, once Congress starts bailing out insurance companies, the bailouts will never end. Liberals in both parties will forever call for more money to "stabilize" the marketplace. Repealing the individual mandate tax is good, but trading that repeal for insurance bailouts is not. If Republicans want to lower premiums, they should repeal the benefit regulations. That is what they promised and that is what will solve the problem. Under no circumstance should Congress ever approve bailouts for insurance companies. This is socialism and it will only make it harder for Americans to get access to quality health care. The Senate is expected to begin debate on the tax reform bill next week and every conservative in the country must be ready to stop bailouts for Obamacare. We will continue to monitor the debate and let you know what you can do to make sure it moves in the right direction. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Action

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