NEWS AND OPINION:
Election drama in Kansas continues. The bout between incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Roberts and independent hopeful Greg Orman grows intense with news that Democrats are in serious wooing mode, seeking to attract the partyless challenger into their fold.
Jonathan Soros — son of George Soros — will stage a swank New York City fundraiser on Wednesday for Mr. Orman in a swell spot overlooking Central Park. That is a very long way from Kansas.
Observers claim the Soros fundraiser is proof that Mr. Orman is no independent — though the candidate continues to claim that his status is the path to “breaking the partisan stranglehold in Washington and getting our country back on track.”
Such things do not escape the grass-roots crowd, specifically the Tea Party Express, a large and feisty political action committee within the movement. They have endorsed Mr. Roberts and dismissed his rival. Executive director Taylor Budowich deems Mr. Orman “a weathervane politician in a fancy suit” — and one who makes his decisions based on a dampened finger to the wind. The organization has their eyes on a certain Nevada senator however.
“The entire conservative movement is united in putting an end to Harry Reid’s reign, and for activists in Kansas, that means defending one of Reid’s biggest opponents, Senator Pat Roberts,” Mr. Budowich says.
BLAMING GOP FOR EBOLA: TRUTH IS THE ANTIDOTE
SEE ALSO: Pat Roberts gets tea party backing in Kansas
It’s turning into an epidemic — though truth could be the antidote. Democrats and progressives are intent on blaming the Ebola crisis on Republicans. “Republicans cut CDC’s budget to fight Ebola while protecting tax breaks for special interests,” proclaims a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee outreach. “Republican cuts kill,” says a new video spot from Agenda Project Action Fund which targets 25 conservative lawmakers; Erica Payne, president of the public policy group, compares Republicans to “rabid dogs at a meat buffet, tearing apart the programs we have to have to protect us against large-scale outbreaks like Ebola.”
But careful observers dispute this claim.
The GOP controlled House passed a budget increasing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spending via the Consolidated Appropriations Act, says National Review columnist Jim Geraghty who cites press coverage revealing that the agency actually saw an 8.2 percent budget increase for fiscal 2014, thanks to a $1.1 trillion spending bill announced by Congress Jan. 13.
“This influx of cash will raise the CDC budget to $6.9 billion, which is $567 million more than it received in 2013. This is more than the agency anticipated, because the president’s fiscal year 2014 budget request for it was just $6.6 billion — a decrease of $270 million from fiscal 2012,” stated an Atlanta Business Chronicle article, also dated in January.
“The harsh, merciless, tightwad House of Representatives passed the omnibus spending bill 376 to 5,” Mr. Geraghty observes.
REVENGE OF THE GRILLED CHEESE
“We must address the visible realities of complying with school nutrition requirements,” says National School Boards Association executive director Thomas J. Gentzel, who has released a damning new survey that finds eight out of 10 American schools now reporting increased food waste, and increased costs in an age when grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate milk are frowned upon.
“Our poll shows that school leaders are in favor of good nutrition for children but concerned with the unintended consequences of the current federal regulations. Trays of uneaten cafeteria food thrown in the trash, hungry kids, and struggling school food-service programs are the practical realities many school districts and students face,” Mr. Gentzel explains. “Overly rigid and unrealistic federal mandates undermine the ability of school districts to do what the law intends: prepare and serve nutritious food that enables America’s public schoolchildren to grow, learn, and thrive.”
GALLUP’S VERY PROMISING NEWS
Who do voters look to for leadership on major issues? The Grand Old Party is a little grander these days. A lot grander, in fact.
“On the No. 1 issue, the economy, Republicans have more than doubled their April lead over Democrats, to 11 percentage points. Notably, as the GOP tries to gain control of the Senate, the current GOP advantage on the economy nearly matches the 12-point advantage the party held in August 2010, shortly before the midterm elections that gave the Republicans control of the House,” reports Gallup analyst Andrew Dugan.
“The GOP’s lead on the federal budget deficit has also widened, to 20 points from 14 points in April, and is now higher than at any other time during Barack Obama’s presidency,” he says.
“Republicans are also in a better position than Democrats on several new items included in the poll, including the way the federal government works and the situation in Iraq and Syria. Republicans hold a solid eight-point advantage on how the federal government functions, despite gripes from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that ’Republican obstruction’ is the source of federal dysfunction. Voters also prefer the GOP by a commanding 19-point margin regarding Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria,” Mr. Dugan adds.
PRO-LIFERS PUSH BACK
The news media are eager to declare that conservatives have lost the “culture wars.” However, that message has not reached pro-lifers, who will stage a rally at Planned Parenthood offices in the nation’s capital Tuesday with much on their minds. They are weary of the organization’s growing role in the culture — supported and bankrolled by the Obama administration, they say.
“All eyes should be on Planned Parenthood — a killer of over 300,000 children every year, and an entity pushing a disturbing, BDSM-promoting sexual agenda on our nation’s kids. Especially in the face of the GAO report acknowledging that over a thousand health care plans include abortion, Planned Parenthood stands only to gain more taxpayer funding in coming months,” Lila Rose tells Inside the Beltway.
“BDSM” is short for bondage, discipline (or dominance), sadism and masochism, by the way.
Ms. Rose is president of Live Action, and will be joined by Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life; Joshua Duggar, executive director of the Family Research Council; Ryan Bomberger, chief creative officer of the Radiance Foundation; and Jill Stanek, a pro-life activist and popular blogger.
“We want to make sure that Americans understand that this abortion corporation, already in hot water for corrupt practices that hurt women and young girls and for pushing a dangerous sexual agenda on teens, is being bankrolled by our tax dollars,” says Ms. Rose.
POLL DU JOUR
• 54 percent of registered voters say Republicans in Congress do a better job dealing with the federal budget deficit; 34 percent cite Democrats in Congress.
• 53 percent say Republicans deal better with the Islamic State; 34 percent cite the Democrats.
• 51 percent say Republicans deal better with foreign affairs; 38 percent cite the Democrats.
• 50 percent say Republicans deal better with the economy; 39 percent cite the Democrats.
• 50 percent say Republicans deal better with taxes; 40 percent cite the Democrats.
• 47 percent say Republicans deal better with immigration; 42 percent cite the Democrats.
Source: A Gallup poll of 1,095 registered U.S. voters conducted Sept. 25-30 and released Monday.
• Menu suggestions, press releases to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.