MIKE PENCE: RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

Governor Mike Pence !!!

2011-05-05T15:49:00.000-04:00

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) announced today that he is running for Governor of Indiana. Pence is the Author of the Pence Amendment to Defund Planned Parenthood, a Bill that President Barack Obama has said he will veto.

Mystic Monk Coffee: Order Through the Portiuncula and Donate to Birthright (a Loving Alternative to Abortion)

2011-04-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

"Guess who hasn't had their cup of Mystic Monk Coffee yet this morning!"

Fra Chris

The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming

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T

The Boundless American Future Of Mike Pence

2010-11-30T07:06:00.001-05:00

by John Hayward

11/30/2010

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), chair of the House Republican Conference, addressed the Detroit Economic Club on Monday. It was the same day President Obama rolled out his proposal to reduce the deficit by about 1%, through a freeze on the salaries of civilian federal employees. Pence had some larger ideas on his mind.

The gentleman from Indiana takes a dim view of the bailouts which have given the government so much control over the private sector. “In September 2008, when the Bush Administration proposed that Congress give them $700 billion to bail out Wall Street, I was the first Member of Congress to publicly oppose it. I didn't think we should do nothing, I just thought it was wrong to take $700 billion from Main Street to bailout bad decisions on Wall Street. I warned that passing TARP could fundamentally change the relationship between the government and the financial sector and so it has,” Pence told his audience in Detroit. “Taxpayer funded bailouts are no substitute for economic policies that will create real consumer demand. I have no doubt that American automakers and autoworkers can compete and win in a growing American economy. To restore American exceptionalism, we must end all this Keynesian spending and get back to the practice of free market economics… The free market is what made America’s economy the greatest in the world, and we cannot falter in our willingness to defend it.”

As a matter of fact, General Motors was competing reasonably well in automobile sales, prior to the government takeover. It wasn’t until 2008 that Toyota surpassed it as the world’s largest automaker, and both companies experienced declining sales that year, as the global auto market contracted. Toyota actually posted the first operating loss in its history in 2008. The big problem for General Motors was an unsustainable business model, in which paying fabulous union salaries and benefits became the primary reason for its existence. Soaring labor cost killed GM, more than declining sales.

This is the model for statist economies around the world. “Free” markets require flexibility. Suppliers and consumers must be able to react to changing conditions. Risk must carry the promise of reward, and the possibility of failure. Unyielding entitlements and crushing tax burdens combine to form a layer of ice around businesses and their customers. No one would have been willing to buy GM cars at the price they needed to charge, in order to make their business model work.

Bailouts don’t “rescue” capitalism. They transfer resources from taxpayers to politically favored constituents. The much-ballyhooed public sale of GM stock earlier this month profited unions far more than taxpayers, or especially the private-sector investors who owned shares of General Motors before the government takeover.

Pence told the Detroit Economic Club that he favors limiting federal spending to no more than 20 percent of our Gross Domestic Product, an essential first step to ensuring other fiscal restraints are not magically transformed into tax increases. He recalled the words of Ronald Reagan: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size.” The acolytes of the total State have attempted to write this concept into our language, by calling endlessly increasing government “progressive”… which implies that making government smaller would be “regressive,” the agenda of Neanderthals desperate to “turn back the clock.”

After stressing the importance of maintaining the Bush tax cuts to “end the uncertainty that is stifling investment, innovation, and growth,” Pence made a bold call for radical tax reform. “The best option, the most pro-growth option, is a flat tax. I believe it is time that America adopted a flat tax and scrapped the current system once and for all.” Besides inflicting vast compliance costs on American corporations and individuals, our insanely complex tax system is a means of control. It uses a network of subsidies and penalties to shape both economic and political decisions. It is a system the government uses to purchase political support for its agenda. Its punitive effects have become more important than revenue generation, as we can see from the furious resistance of socialists to tax reductions that have been historically proven to increase Treasury receipts. A flat tax would represent a massive reduction of government power… which would mean a massive infusion of liberty.

Pence cited the absurd new tax filing requirements of ObamaCare as an example of government regulations run wild. “Take the requirement from ObamaCare that businesses must file with the IRS a form 1099 for any purchases from a vendor for goods or services over $600 in a year. Seriously, that is in the law. Of course, this is ridiculously burdensome and just adds to the red tape that small businesses face across the country. It should be repealed immediately.” A vote on repeal was scheduled for Monday night in the Senate.

Pence says that “to renew American exceptionalism, we must recognize that our present crisis is not merely economic, but moral in nature… As we promote policies to restore American exceptionalism, we must also reaffirm our nation’s commitment to the values that made our prosperity possible.” On the gigantic scale of a four trillion dollar central government, economics is morality. Entire populations have suffocated in the loving arms of the welfare state. It only takes a few generations for the moral corrosion of dependence to wreak havoc on the intended beneficiaries of socialism. America’s destiny will not be found in a musty cocoon of bailouts and welfare programs.

The nation stands at a crossroads, an intersection of opportunity and requirement for its people. The two are incompatible. One replaces the other. We cannot believe in ourselves, and also believe in a State empowered to manage our lives. The very rhetoric of “hope” Barack Obama used in his presidential campaign implies a weak and dependent populace. “Hope” is passive. People determined to command their own fates do not sit around and wait for someone to rescue them. We can choose to accept risk and hardship… or we can settle for whatever the State sees fit to provide, in a world where winners and losers are chosen in advance, and the fruit of enterprise is stolen to purchase immunity from consequence.

In the conclusion of his remarks in Detroit, Mike Pence made his own choice clear: “I choose the West. I choose limited government and freedom. I choose the free market, personal responsibility and equality of opportunity. I choose fiscal restraint, sound money, a flat tax, regulatory reform, American energy, expanded trade and a return to traditional values. In a word, I choose a boundless American future built on the timeless ideals of the American people. I believe the American people are ready for this choice and await men and women who will lead us back to that future, back to the West, back to American exceptionalism. Here’s to that future. Our best days are yet to come.”

John Hayward is a staff writer for HUMAN EVENTS, and author of the recently published Doctor Zero: Year One. Follow him on Twitter: Doc_0. Contact him by email at jhayward@eaglepub.com.

President Mike Pence 2012

2010-11-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

MIKE PENCE

RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

AND

THE AMERICAN DREAM

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Huckabee: "Mike Pence is one of my Heroes"

2010-10-14T14:29:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Laura J. Gardner | The Journal Gazette

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee shares a laugh with Sandra Herman at the Allen County Republican Party Bean Dinner on Wednesday evening.

Published: October 14, 2010 3:00 a.m.

Huckabee gives Daniels, Pence a lift

Benjamin Lanka | The Journal Gazette

FORT WAYNE – and possibly future – Republican presidential candidate believes two prominent Hoosiers would make viable candidates to be the country’s chief executive.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Gov. Mitch Daniels and Rep. Mike Pence would be qualified to lead the country as the next president. The Fox News host was in Fort Wayne on Wednesday as the keynote speaker at the Allen County Republican Party Bean Dinner fundraiser.

“Mitch Daniels has done I think an exemplary job as a leader, manager and governor of the state,” Huckabee said in an interview before the dinner. “I tend to think governors make good presidents because they’ve actually managed a microcosm of the federal government.

“On the other hand, Mike Pence is one of my favorite members of Congress, one of my heroes, and I love the guy. I think he is the most articulate, conviction-based and principled member of Congress. If we had 434 like him in the House, there wouldn’t be an uprising among the voters right now.”

Huckabee, Daniels and Pence have all been rumored as possible GOP candidates for president in 2012. Huckabee has not committed to seeking the post but said he would be happy to see Daniels and Pence run.

Huckabee sent a fundraising letter this summer criticizing Daniels for calling for a truce on social issues so government could focus on the economy. Pence topped Huckabee in the Family Research Council’s Values Voter straw poll last month – Daniels finished ninth.

“I would be delighted if either or both of them get in it because I think it just raises the level of the debate to solid conservative, responsible fiscal management,” Huckabee said of Daniels and Pence.

Huckabee said the race will be hotly contested, guessing 20 people would start out seeking the party nomination, which likely will be reduced to about eight by January 2012.

But he added that election is still far off, and the focus for voters should be on the upcoming congressional races and not speculation for president.

“The only thing that matters right now is making sweeping changes in the Congress this year in the midterms. That is going to do more to save our great republic than anything that happens two years from now,” he said.

Huckabee believes it will be a banner year for Republicans. While Democrats are trying to hit at potential divisions between tea party activists and conventional Republicans, Huckabee said voters don’t care about that. Instead they are fed up with a federal government that has overreached. He believes voters will correct that on Election Day and Republicans will retake the House and have a “real shot” at taking the Senate and a majority of the governors.

“It’s because the intensity of the Republican voter is just on fire,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Huckabee spoke to the crowd of about 600 for about 35 minutes at Ceruti’s Summit Park.

Mike Pence For President: Greta Reported, You Decide!

2010-09-25T13:41:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

MIKE PENCE - THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PRESIDENCY

2010-09-23T10:10:00.001-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence: GOP Agenda To Include Social Issues

2010-09-22T17:04:00.006-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence has led the campaign to ensure social issues would not be ignored. | AP Photo Close

By JONATHAN ALLEN | 9/22/10 1:28 PM EDT Updated: 9/22/10 2:17 PM EDT

An election year agenda being unveiled by House Republicans Thursday will include language affirming the party's support of "traditional marriage" and its opposition to abortion rights, House GOP sources tell POLITICO.

The document, to be unveiled at a hardware store in Sterling, Va., will include "a commitment to life and a commitment to marriage," one source said. Two other sources cautioned that the language on marriage is likely to be in the preamble to a series of legislative goals and that an effort to put a bill along the lines of the Defense of Marriage Act into the package was rebuffed.

House Republicans had a spirited debate behind closed doors about the degree to which social issues should be included in the new agenda, and social conservatives have been pressing for the GOP to be more explicit in putting social issues in writing on this 2010 agenda.

Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.), winner of a 2012 presidential straw poll at the recent conservative Values Voters conference, led the campaign to ensure social issues would not be ignored. Some others believed that the plan should focus more narrowly on fiscal and security issues that unite a broader swath of the GOP.

The decision to at least affirm opposition to abortion and gay marriage appears to represent a compromise between the factions.

House Republicans will be able to review the new agenda this afternoon, after which they will discuss it at a conference meeting. Republican leaders will unveil it to the public Thursday morning.

Pence on the Presidency: Pluperfect

2010-09-21T07:37:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

By Quin Hillyer on 9.20.10 @ 8:03PM

Fresh off coming in first place in the presidential preference poll at the Values Voters Summit this past weekend, Mike Pence tonight is making a speech on the nature and conduct of the presidency at Hillsdale College. We at the Spectator secured an advance copy of it, and it is powerful stuff. It is thoughtful, wise, eloquent, inspirational, and timely. It also takes some barely veiled, beautifully targeted shots at the current occupant of the Oval Office. The theme is that the presidency is not an office for a ruler, but for a servant; not for somebody to "transform" us, but for somebody who will listen to us and work for us, to make our visions a reality rather than to impose his vision on us. Obviously, this is not what one B.H. Obama is doing, or at least trying to do.

What the nation says -- the theme of this address -- What it says, informed by its long history, impelled by the laws of nature and nature's God -- What it says quite naturally and rightly, if not always gracefully, is that we as a people are not to be ruled and not to be commanded. It says that the president should never forget this; that he has not risen above us, but is merely one of us, chosen by ballot, dismissed after his term, tasked not to transform and work his will upon us, but to bear the weight of decision and to carry out faithfully the design laid down in the Constitution and impassioned by the Declaration of Independence.

Furthermore:

The presidency has run off the rails. It begs a new clarity, a new discipline, and a new president. The president is not our teacher, our tutor, our guide or ruler. He does not command us, we command him. We serve neither him nor his vision. It is not his job or his prerogative to redefine custom, law and beliefs; to appropriate industries; to seize the country, as it were, by the shoulders or by the throat so as to impose by force of theatrical charisma his justice upon 300 million others. It is neither his job nor his prerogative to shift the power of decision away from them, and to him and the acolytes of his choosing.

Take that, Barack!

While most of Pence's best passages are paragraph, a few pithy sentences stand on their own. They stand well because they are rooted in the best of American values. For instance: "The powers of the presidency are extraordinary and necessarily great, and great presidents treat them sparingly." And: "A president who slights the Constitution is like a rider who hates his horse: he will be thrown, and the nation along with him."And: "The sun will burn out, the Ohio River will flow backwards, and the cow will jump over the moon 10,000 times before any modern president's conception is superior to that of the Founders of this nation."

And, stirringly, on America's prudential place in the world, as oft by example as by direct engagement, but always steadfast: "We can still astound the world with justice, reason and strength."

But what am I doing by doling this out in dribs and drabs? Here, yes here, is the whole speech. Read the whole thing and marvel. Maybe Mike Pence will run for the presidency in 2012, or maybe not. But he definitely belongs in the conversation for it, and as a potential leading light among the candidates. And even if he does not run, the other candidates should call upon his eloquence and his wisdom.

To Rep. Pence, we should all say: Good job, good sir. Good job.

President Mike Pence? Republican Values Voter straw poll says 'yes'

2010-09-19T17:40:00.004-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com/

Mike Pence: Obama Flat Wrong!

2010-09-10T10:35:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

T

Congressman Pence on Hannity

2010-09-01T18:04:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM

by

Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Senator Dick Lugar: Mike Pence for House Speaker

2010-08-31T16:01:00.003-04:00

Senator Dick Lugar, Chris Dickson, Dr. Tom Ringenberg, Congressman Mike Pence
circa 1990

Lugar: If GOP Wins Congressional Majority, 'Who Will Be Our Newt?'

Published August 13, 2010

| FoxNews.com

Indiana Republican Sen. Dick Lugar is questioning whether a would-be Republican majority in Congress has the leadership to deal with a stymied President Obama the way former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was able to forge a working relationship with President Bill Clinton.

Speaking at an Excellence in Public Service Series luncheon that he hosts, Lugar told an audience Thursday in Indianapolis that he's confident Obama will be out of the White House in 2012, but a GOP-led majority in Congress would still have to deal with the Democratic president for two years if it wins in November.

Given that scenario, the Republicans "had better have ideas," he said, according to the Evansville Courier Press. They also better have a leader, he warned, noting that he is not confident House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio or Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell can fill Gingrich's shoes.

"The question is, how creative will Republicans be in the face of this? If we get the majority, will there be the sort of negotiations that occurred between Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton, for example?" he asked. "And if so, who is going to be our Newt?"

After Democrats lost the congressional majority in 1994, Gingrich took the helm in Congress. He is credited with working with then-President Clinton to get passed several tenets of the Republican "Contract With America," the program on which the GOP campaigned in the 1994 election.

But the Republicans are more diffuse in their program pronouncements in 2010, and Lugar reportedly said that the GOP "had better begin thinking in the next 13 weeks about what we are going to do."

The Courier Press reported that Lugar suggested that Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, whose proposals have been largely overlooked, even by him, may have the chops to lead the party in ideas and courage to reduce spending. He also suggested fellow Indianan, Rep. Mike Pence, has the creativity and ability to advocate.

Regardless who is the GOP leadership, Lugar, who's vying for a seventh term and recently voted to confirm Obama's Supreme Court justice Elena Kagan and approve a $26 billion small business aid bill, said members better act fast.

"Come January, the public will anticipate something or they will become extremely angry and frustrated," Lugar reportedly said. "They will say, you know, once again, we have been failed by the elections, by people who claimed our support."

Click here to read more from the Evansville Courier Press.

Mike Pence to POTUS: Give Credit Were Credit is Due

2010-08-31T13:48:00.001-04:00

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

President Bush and U.S. troops persevered while others sniped

By Rep. Mike Pence

August 30, 2010

As the combat mission in Iraq draws to a close for the United States and the president prepares to address the nation tonight, the Obama administration is attempting to rewrite history by taking singular credit for our accomplishments in Iraq. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. recently claimed it was President Obama who laid out the plan for a responsible end of the war in Iraq. But that's not the whole story.

As we mark this milestone, let us remember the real history of Operation Iraqi Freedom and give credit where credit is due - to the American service members, their families and a commander in chief who would not accept defeat in the face of withering criticism at home and abroad.

Seeing U.S. combat forces leaving with success is chiefly the result of the professionalism and sacrifices of our military in executing the surge and the Status of Forces Agreement implemented before Mr. Obama set foot in the Oval Office.

First, our brave men and women in uniform deserve our nation's deepest gratitude. With great valor, they manned the front lines of the war on terror and achieved a stable and successful conclusion to our combat operations in Iraq. We commemorate the more than 4,000 American troops who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Their names will forever be enshrined on the hearts of the people of two grateful nations. For their families, the war in Iraq will never end, and we pray that God comforts them with the knowledge that the sacrifice they endured was not in vain.

We also commend the many more who suffered life-altering injuries in the course of their courageous service. All of the men and women who served under the American flag in Operation Iraqi Freedom have made us safer, and they have made us proud.

Our troops went to Iraq as part of a strong multinational force that executed one of the swiftest military advances in history. In a remarkably short time, they liberated the Iraqi people from a brutal dictatorship, and the world watched the celebrations in Baghdad.

Those early accomplishments did not bring a swift end to the conflict in Iraq. Vicious terror and military attacks continued against our troops and innocent civilians. But President George W. Bush recognized the long-term danger of abandoning an unstable Iraq, although many of his political opponents here at home did not. While Republican leaders like Rep. John A. Boehner were saying "victory is the only option," leading voices in the Democratic Party took a starkly different approach.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that "this war is lost," and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asserted, "This is not the way to go. It has failed." Both advocated a premature withdrawal and timetables that would have ensured defeat and consigned the Iraqi nation to a future in the hands of radical insurgents.

Early in 2007, amid growing violence in Iraq, Mr. Bush acted on the advice of commanders on the ground and embraced a new strategy that came to be known as the "surge." When I met with Mr. Bush days before he announced the strategy, he told me and a handful of other congressional leaders that he had "decided not to lose." He told us he was implementing a new strategy on the ground with new commanders and was determined to give victory one more chance.

Despite public opposition and criticism in the press, Republicans in Congress stood with our soldiers, again and again, supporting the surge and providing the resources they needed to complete the mission.
House Democrats voted 11 times to implement artificial timetables and tried repeatedly to impose unrealistic conditions on military funding that would have amounted to cutting the funds to our troops in Iraq. They were ready to forsake the fledgling security efforts of Iraq's own forces and abandon an infant democracy to the embrace of brutal terrorists.

As senators, Barack Obama and Joe Biden were among the voices calling for a premature withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. To make their point, Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden even voted to deny necessary funding for our troops. They also voted 10 times to impose a dangerous timetable for withdrawal that only would have increased the resolve of our enemies.

It also is important that history record that then-Sen. Obama opposed the surge strategy as soon as it was announced. He claimed that instead of reducing violence, the surge would make things worse and no amount of additional troops on the ground would "make a substantial difference." After Mr. Bush's 2007 State of the Union speech, Mr. Obama told an interviewer, "I don't think the president's strategy is going to work."

Despite the fact that it was obvious by late 2007 that violence in Iraq was declining, Mr. Obama and other leaders of his party refused to recognize the progress. In November 2007, Mr. Obama argued that the United States had "not seen improvements, but we're actually worsening, potentially, a situation there."

The simple fact is that Mr. Reid, Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Obama were wrong about the surge and wrong to oppose it.

This administration didn't even set in motion the agreement leading to today's withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq. Before Mr. Bush left office, his administration negotiated a Status of Forces Agreement that was approved by the government of Iraq in December 2008. This agreement set in motion the drawdown of American troops from combat operations in Iraq. On Jan. 1, 2009, before Mr. Obama took office, the United States gave control of the Green Zone and Saddam Hussein's presidential palace to the Iraqi government.

Today, Iraq is experiencing a higher level of stability and security, but our mission there is far from over as our military shifts to an advise-and-assist role. Thousands of American soldiers will remain in Iraq and will need the continued support of this administration and Congress as they assist the Iraqi people in achieving lasting security.

I am grateful for the support the Obama administration has shown our troops in Iraq, but its long-standing opposition to our military's successful surge strategy must not be forgotten in the midst of this widening American success. The truth is, this successful transition is due to the brave service of our troops and a commander in chief who supported the military's strategy in the face of intense domestic opposition.

As the president addresses the nation tonight, let's hope he gives credit where credit is due: to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces who wrought stability from tyranny and terrorism in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and, for once, let's hope the president gives credit to a predecessor who refused to accept defeat.

Rep. Mike Pence is chairman of the House Republican Conference.

Congressman Mike Pence to stump for Pro-Life GOP contenders

2010-08-25T19:14:00.004-04:00

MIKE PENCE
Reclaiming the Republican Party
and the American Dream

by
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

by Alex Isenstadt

POLITICO

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, the House GOP Conference chairman who has established a national conservative following, is intensifying his visibility on the campaign trail.

Pence held a Wednesday morning fundraiser for GOP attorney Todd Young, who is mounting a challenge to Democratic Rep. Baron Hill. It was one of a string of events Pence is holding for party contenders. Earlier this month, Pence held fundraisers for Indiana Republicans Jackie Walorski, Larry Buschon, Marlin Stutzman and Todd Rokita.

The Indiana congressman is preparing to take his campaign on the road. During September, he will headline events for a roster of GOP challengers in targeted races in the Rust Belt region. Pence is scheduled to make stops for Steve Chabot in Ohio’s 1st District, Jim Renacci in Ohio’s 16th District, Tom Ganley in Ohio’s 13th District, Keith Rothfus in Pennsylvania’s 4th District, Mike Kelly in Pennsylvania’s 3rd District, David McKinley in West Virginia’s 1st District and Andy Harris in Maryland’s 1st District.

Pence, a five-term congressman from eastern Indiana, has been widely mentioned as a future candidate for governor and has even been rumored as a potential 2012 presidential prospect. Earlier this year, he turned down an opportunity to run for the state’s vacant Senate seat.

While the Indiana Republican takes on an increasingly active role in the campaign’s final weeks, he is also padding the National Republican Congressional Committee’s treasury. On Wednesday, Pence cut the NRCC a $100,000 check, bringing his total in raised and contributed funds to the committee to more than $1 million.

Mike Pence INCNOW Interview

2010-08-23T10:23:00.003-04:00

MIKE PENCE
Reclaiming the Republican Party
and the American Dream

by
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence: 'Stumulus Bill has failed; Hoosiers Deserve Real Plan for Real Recovery'

2010-07-22T10:23:00.007-04:00

by Congressman Mike Pence

America is known as a land of opportunity. Our country was built and sustained by risk-taking entrepreneurs whose pioneering ideas and hard work forged a nation of economic prosperity.

We have seen this firsthand in Indiana. Innovative leaders like Bill Cook, Clessie Cummins, Tony Hulman, Eli Lilly, Madam C.J. Walker and others developed products and services that allowed our state to grow and flourish. Successful small business owners in towns and cities across the state are a testament to the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit of Hoosiers.

In these tough economic times, days of widespread economic opportunity might seem like single-class high school basketball -- a relic from a bygone era. Right now Indiana families are hurting in the city and on the farm. Unemployment is at 10.1 percent statewide and is higher in many of the counties in eastern Indiana.

Hoosier families I talk with are anxious about this economy. They are concerned about runaway spending in Washington. Most of all, they are worried about jobs.

In Indiana, we have been blessed with six years of outstanding leadership from Mitch Daniels. The governor and his team have made job creation a priority from day one and put our state in a position far better than many of our neighbors.

But in Indiana and across the country, we need more good-paying jobs. We need Washington to foster a climate in which small businesses have the opportunity to innovate and expand. A new generation of entrepreneurs must have the resources and freedom to succeed or fail.

Our leadership in Washington claims that we are on that road to recovery. Last week, the White House issued a report saying that the stimulus bill that passed a year and a half ago had "saved or created" 2.5 to 3.6 million jobs." This report, based on a highly inflated projection of how much economic growth is created for every government dollar that's spent, is further evidence that folks in Washington just do not get it.

The national unemployment rate was 7.7 percent when the stimulus was passed. Today it is 9.5 percent. Since the passage of the stimulus, more than three million jobs have been lost across the country, resulting in a net job loss of 2.4 million.

These numbers tell the real story: the stimulus bill has failed. Hoosiers deserve a real plan for a real recovery, not more spending, more taxes, more debt and more unemployment. Economic freedom is the key to returning America to prosperity. In Congress, I have proposed a constitutional amendment limiting federal spending to one-fifth of the national economy, the historical standard set since World War II. Getting control of spending and ensuring that the federal budget cannot grow faster than family budgets will provide our job creators with stability.

Instead of raising taxes in the midst of a recession, Washington should embrace across-the-board tax cuts for working families, small businesses and family farms. Preserving and expanding tax cuts set to expire at the end of this year will encourage investment and lead to new jobs.

Hoosiers know that trade means jobs. Each day trade agreements languish on Capitol Hill, jobs and economic opportunities are squandered. Passing pending trade agreements with countries like Colombia will benefit Indiana farmers, manufacturers and other Hoosier exporters by eliminating tariffs that serve as barriers to trade.

In the weeks ahead, I will be outlining new ideas for economic growth. Ending wasteful spending, encouraging investment and unlocking the boundless potential of the American entrepreneur are steps Washington must take to get our economy back on track. We must preserve the land of opportunity for future generations.

Congressman Mike Pence on FOX News Sunday

2010-07-20T14:18:00.001-04:00

Mike Pence on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews

2010-07-20T14:13:00.001-04:00

Mike Pence To Join Bachmann's Tea Party Caucus

2010-07-20T13:37:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

by Brian Beutler

Michele Bachmann's freshly minted Tea Party Caucus has its first member of GOP leadership: Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence.

At a press availability this afternoon, Pence was enthusiastic. "You betcha," Pence said when asked if he'd join.

"I come out of a background -- I was chairman of the Republican Study Committee, I was chairman of...the House Conservative Caucus," he added. My hope is that this Tea Party caucus...will be an avenue for bringing some of the energy and the enthusiasm and the focus that I've seen, from the National March on Washington where I spoke on 9/12, to traveling around Indiana and all around the country, deeper into the well of Congress.

Pence has been solicitous of the Tea Party movement in the past -- the 9/12 Tea Party in DC was promoted heavily by conservative groups like FreedomWorks and right wing radio and TV host Glenn Beck. But his enthusiasm for joining the new caucus is a reminder that GOP leaders continue to flirt with the far right flank of their base.

Mike Pence on Immigration Reform

2010-07-19T09:19:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE RETURNS TO IOWA

2010-07-11T09:40:00.002-04:00

Mike Pence Returns to Iowa

Jul 8 2010, 8:32 AM ET |

Oh, he's definitely thinking about running for President. (That's because, so far as I'm aware, he's not writing a book.) Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) will return to Iowa as the guest of Steve Scheffler's Iowa Christian Alliance on Oct. 2. (The ICA was last known for getting mad at Sarah Palin for backing Terry Branstad over Bob Vander Plaatz in the gubernatorial primary.) This is Pence's second visit to Iowa in a year.

November 2010 - "REAL" CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!

2010-07-10T14:35:00.001-04:00

Defending Israel Takes More Than Hugs

2010-07-08T22:23:00.000-04:00

PENCE & BAUER: Defending Israel Takes More Than Hugs

17 months of damage can't be erased with one friendly meeting

By Mike Pence and Gary Bauer

as printed in The Washington Times, July 7, 2010

The alliance between our nation and Israel has deep and enduring roots, yet since taking office, President Obama has torn apart the ties that bind. Despite a meeting this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that by many accounts was cordial, much still remains to be done to restore the friendship between our two countries.

The modern nation of Israel was established as the clock struck midnight in Jerusalem on May 14, 1948. Eleven minutes later, President Harry Truman, rejecting the advice of Secretary of State George Marshall and most of the foreign-policy establishment, recognized the newly restored Israeli nation. The next day, Arab states declared war on Israel in an effort to kill the new nation in its crib.

Since then, under Israeli prime ministers and American presidents of both parties, the friendship has endured. Both countries believe in the dignity of every human being. Both nations believe in fundamental human rights - freedom of speech, assembly and dissent. We share values rooted in the rich soil of Judeo-Christian civilization; we face hatred from similar enemies.

The Israeli people are overwhelmingly pro-American, and Americans express affection for Israel at levels that are rivaled only by our feelings toward Great Britain. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attack, Americans were shocked to see street celebrations break out in parts of the Middle East, with dancing crowds celebrating the pain inflicted on us. But we were comforted to see Israelis cry along with us, lower their flag and declare a day of mourning as we buried our dead. Israelis understood very well what had happened to America. Proportionately, more Israelis were killed by Palestinian jihadists during the intifada than we lost on Sept. 11.

It is against the backdrop of this cherished alliance that the realization is slowly taking shape in both Israel and the U.S. that Mr. Obama is the most anti-Israel president ever to occupy the Oval Office.

In the 17 months since taking the oath of office, the president methodically has moved the United States away from our friend Israel while reaching out to the most thuggish regimes in the Middle East. He sends letters offering friendship to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a man who says Israel will be "wiped off the map," while at the same time disrespecting Mr. Netanyahu.

Mr. Obama protests that nothing has changed and that he is committed to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton went to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention to reassure the audience that we are committed to Israel's security. Other administration functionaries use the same talking points, but public policy tells a different story. The administration shows a disturbing pattern of currying favor with enemies like Iran while pushing aside the concerns and interests of allies like Israel.

Iran's government is responsible for the deaths of U.S. troops in Iraq. Yet the White House offers the Iranian regime friendship, diplomacy and dialogue. The president has displayed infinite patience with Mr. Ahmadinejad. Iran's deception has been overlooked. Mr. Obama has eagerly sought talks while promising no preconditions even as Iran insists that its nuclear program will not be negotiated. A year ago, when Iranian reformers were beaten and murdered in the streets of Tehran, the Obama administration was slow and tepid in its condemnation for fear it would damage the administration's outreach to the oppressive Iranian government.

Compare this indulgent treatment of Iran to the bullying Israel has received from the Obama administration. There was unprecedented outrage when the administration heard that the Jerusalem municipal authority had allowed building permits to go forward in a well-established, undisputed Jewish neighborhood. White House officials made sure to "leak" to the media that Mr. Obama was livid with Israel. The White House publicly demanded that all building stop in East Jerusalem, a demand to which no Israeli prime minister could ever agree.

The American people have been left to wonder how an American administration could denounce the Jewish state of Israel for rebuilding Jerusalem. What should a reasonable observer conclude when Israelis building homes in their own capital elicit more White House anger than does Mr. Ahmadinejad, who promises a second genocide and urges the Iranian people to imagine a world without Israel and the U.S.?

When the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference met in May, it was widely assumed that the Obama administration would use the opportunity to rally support against the Iranian nuclear program. Instead, the conference, with the support of the Obama administration, issued a statement demanding that Israel, which is not a signatory to the treaty, open its nuclear program to outside supervision. It's unprecedented for a U.S. president to sign on to a resolution that singles out Israel and ignores Iran, Syria and North Korea.

The most recent browbeating of Israel came when the president criticized Israel's blockade of Gaza as "unsustainable." This administration does not understand the critical importance of the Gaza blockade. The terrorist organization Hamas has used Gaza as a launching pad for thousands of rockets that killed innocent civilians in Israel. The blockade helps keep weapons away from Hamas, saving lives in Gaza and Israel. Yet the American president sees fit to join the anti-Israel international chorus, which seeks little more than to tear down Israel's right and ability of self-defense.

Time and time again, the pattern is the same. The world is being sent a clear and unmistakable signal: This administration will not stand with Israel against the circling vultures. The Obama administration's policies are undermining our ally, emboldening Israel's enemies and making a Middle East war more, not less, likely. By endangering Israeli security, Mr. Obama is also making America less safe. Our alliance with Israel is not a liability; it is an asset. Together with other free nations, we are defending our shared values.

A group of respected world leaders and academic figures, including former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, met in Paris recently. They boldly asserted, "There is no West without Israel." They are right. Israel is the "tip of the spear" of Western democratic values in a dangerous neighborhood of thugs, jihadists and dictators. The weakening of the Israeli nation does not help America. It puts us more at risk. Undermining a 62-year alliance with Israel doesn't win friends for the U.S. - it makes every nation question the value of aligning with America. After all, if America will break with its most cherished ally, what other nation could rely on our promises?

We are entering dangerous waters. Iran is marching forward with its nuclear program. NATO member Turkey appears to have realigned against U.S. interests and toward a new alliance with Iran and Syria. The president's policies toward Israel are damaging an alliance that now more than ever needs to be strong. Meeting with Mr. Netanyahu and treating him with respect this week was a good start. But much work still remains to be done.

Rep. Mike Pence is chairman of the House Republican Caucus, and Gary Bauer is the president of American Values and chairman of Campaign for Working Families.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/8/defending-israel-takes-more-than-hugs/?page=2

Mike Pence: Military Spending Bills Should Be About Military Spending

2010-07-06T23:18:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-06T23:02:00.001-04:00

Mike Pence and the Winning Back of America

2010-06-21T13:45:00.000-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

By Ed Lasky

As the political landscape shifts, one Congressman in particular is helping lead us forward to win back America: Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana.

What are the talents that leaders need in this environment to rally the troops and lead us to victory in November and beyond?

Principles that have been long held not just us but by the leaders themselves: politicians who do not flip flop but hold fast to their ideals. They are dependable. Their values harmonically resonate with most Americans because they reflect and express the American creed. They are an expression of what makes us Americans. Rep. Pence's fidelity to these values demonstrates his fealty to us. They are conservative values that hewn closely to the visions of our founding fathers. They are the values held dear by members and sympathizers of the Tea Party movement.

Mike Pence -- like Ronald Reagan -- is a son of the heartland has those values. While incumbents and establishment insiders try to figure out how to adapt and appeal to the tea party movement, Mike Pence was very early recognized by them as someone who had already earned their allegiance by years of devotion to those principles. He has not changed his bedrock values; the rest of the nation has come back to them. He expresses those values quite well as the keynote speaker at the recent Taxpayer March on Washington. After 18 months of Democratic steamrolling over our principles , the shredding of the Constitution, and the turning of the people's house into a house of ill-repute (via bribes and deals behind closed doors) , Pence called it like it is when he characterized Nancy Pelosi as "the least Democratic Speaker in U.S. History" . Telling it like it is -- that is what we should want in our leaders.

We need leaders who are a fount of ideas: people who are prepared to face the many challenges before us with policy proposals -- and not airy platitudes that are hot air nonsense read off a teleprompter (Yes We Can; We are the ones we are waiting for) that resemble haiku as written by a freshmen. We need someone who has experience with policies that work. Never before have Americans been more primed to learning about policy proposals. This is partly due to a revulsion towards the radical changes imposed upon us (hook and crook, and a lot of the latter) -- by the troika of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid and their Democratic partners.

Town hall meetings are just one manifestation of the deep concern people have towards policy. They hunger for new policy because the old ones often failed and the ones put in place by Democrats threaten our future. People are interested in charter schools and vouchers, cutting back public employee unions, the deficit time bomb, immigration reform.

Democrats denigrate Republicans as the "Party of No", as paleoconservatives, as antediluvian dummies. Of course, these slurs are wrong historically and currently but liberal partisans are wont to throw insult as often as they throw dollars away.

Supply-side tax cuts as a way to boost growth? A Republican idea. Enterprise zones? Republican. Vouchers and school choice? A Republican idea. Tearing down monopolies is a legacy of the Republican Theodore Roosevelt and has been modernized by the Republican quest to eliminate the one last vestige of monopoly power in America: the provision of "government" services (when was the last time you looked upon government workers as serving you?). Welfare reform to restore a sense of self-esteem to our less advantaged? A Republican idea (Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin; Bill Clinton was forced into such reform by a Republican Congress).

The list can be continued to the present day. The GOP has health care plans and budget proposals to slash the deficit-but the media smothered coverage of them. The GOP needs to push past the cover-up and bring the truth to the light of day.

As Peter Berkowitz wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal, "Republicans squandered their hard-won reputation as the party of ideas. It's time to reclaim it".

Mike Pence has been in the forefront of devising new policies for many years. Even before entering politics, he was president of a think tank. After entering politics, he has led the way on immigration reform (focusing on securing our borders and following and enforcing our laws as well as providing a way for honest immigrants to meet our labor needs), free speech (battling Democratic plans to impose the Fairness Doctrine on us -- that would be the death knell for talk radio and independent voices. He battled the health care plan water boarded down our throats by Democrats (see his Wall Street Journal op-ed, "This Law Will Not Stand"), the budget (as he was in the forefront opposing the disastrous "stimulus" bill and has tried to prevent yet another bailout -- this time of spendthrift European nations who have avoided the tough choices need to bring this fiscal affairs in order). He wants to stop "the freight train of big government " (a ringing phrase coined by him) before we are crushed by it. The big spending that is endemic in D.C. and has become a pandemic across state governments -he wants to end the waste of our money and restore fiscal sanity to the asylum that Democrats now run-into the ground.

Pence is a talented writer; he knows how to explain and expound his ideas (just peruse his Wall Street Journal columns, for example). I predict a book by him -- such as Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney have written -- to be published that charts his agenda to climb the bestseller lists because it is our agenda, too.

Mike Pence is a man open to new ideas -- if they bring good things to Americans. He has a real world example of how pro-growth policies and limited (but well-run) government works in his own home state. Indiana's Republican Governor, Mitch Daniels, has put in place the very type of policies that Pence has championed for years. The result has been an economic miracle in the so-called Rust Belt that has garnered acclaim across America. We need these types of policies writ large across America. Mike Pence can propel them forward.

These leaders cannot come out of the blue. We have an example of that in The Oval Office now. We will need a leader who knows the ways of the world, the people to reach out towards, the networks of power to plug into and channel, the levers to pull. Time is of the essence. While there may be a sour mood in the nation regarding incumbents, this is not the time to cast a ballot against them all. The problems we face need to be addressed now. In other words, we need someone who knows the way of Washington but has not been captured by them.

Mike Pence has, in barely a decade, become an influential leader among his fellow Republicans. He was chairman of the Republican Study Committee and is now the co-chairman of the House Republican Conference. He is third highest ranking Republican in the House leadership. His fellow Republicans hold him in high regard; he has -- and will continue -- to power his ideas and plans to fruition by being able to channel his fellow members' votes in the direction the nation so desperately needs now. He is the one national figure that can bridge the establishment world of party powers and the energized movement of millions of Americans towards the Tea Party. The tent can be bog when it is held aloft by standard bearers such as Mike Pence.

We need people in charge who can inspire America. As the Obama-induced malaise spreads across America, we need someone who can boost our spirits and restore our confidence. In our media age, we need someone who is telegenic, fast on his feet, and who has shown skill in using both old and new media not just as message machines but as morale boosters. He has to be media savvy-with or without a prompter leading the way.

Mike Pence has the very skills -- the ability to connect and inspire people -- that Ronald Reagan had during his life. Not surprisingly, both shared a background in media and the public stage before entering the political world. Ronald Reagan had experience in radio and film, and his ability to tap the energy of the crowds was honed by giving hundreds of speeches across America. Mike Pence, who was inspired by Ronald Reagan, learned the ropes by hosting both a statewide talk radio program in Indiana as well as a television program covering the issues of the day. Pence is a favorite of talk radio hosts to this day -- and for good reason. But he has not stopped there in his drive to be a tribune for the people.

He has been a pioneer in using You Tube to reach over the heads of a biased media outlets and into the hearts of Americans across the land (see -- and make a favorite -- the Mike Pence channel on You Tube, podcasts, the web-all our tools that a man determined to fix our government has brought to bear over the last few years. He has been ahead of the curve.

But he needs our help.

We need to step up to the plate and help fuel the engine and prime the pump. How can we do this?

Talk to our friends and family, spread the good news, send emails with links to his website and You Tube Channel, cut and paste his columns and broadcast them far and wide. We can also, candidly, support his campaigns -- as I have been doing for years. I consider it one of the best investments I can make to ensure a bright future for my children and to restore America to its rightful place in the world. I hope you join me and many thousands of Americans in helping Mike Pence help us.

Ed Lasky is news editor of American Thinker.

Mike Pence: GAO confirms it is Time to Defund Planned Parenthood

2010-06-17T12:33:00.002-04:00

Pence: “The time has come to deny any and all federal
funding to Planned Parenthood by passing the
Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act.”


Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Mike Pence
today issued the following statement regarding
the release of a new Government Accountability
Office (GAO) report revealing that the Planned
Parenthood Federation of America received
$657.1 million in taxpayer dollars from Fiscal
Year 2002 to Fiscal Year 2009. The largest
source of these funds ($342.1 million) was the
Title X family planning program.



“It is morally wrong to end an unborn human
life by abortion. But it is also morally wrong
to take the taxpayer dollars of millions of
pro-life Americans and use those funds to
promote abortion.

“This report confirms that the largest
abortion provider in America is being
bankrolled by American taxpayers. In these
tough economic times, there is simply no
reason why taxpayer money should go to fund
the activities of abortion providers and
equip them with the resources they need to
end innocent human life.

“We must stop providing taxpayer dollars to
abortion providers through Title X. We must
put an end to Americans unwillingly providing
financial support to the abortion industry.
The time has come to deny any and all federal
funding to Planned Parenthood by passing the
Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act.”

Background:

The Title X Family Planning program was
enacted in 1970 as Title X of the Public Health
Service Act. Title X is the only federal grant
program that provides individuals with
comprehensive family planning and related
preventive health services.

Congressman Pence introduced The Title X
Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 614),
a bill prohibiting the distribution of
Title X family planning money to entities
that use abortion as a method of family
planning. The bi-partisan bill has
93 co-sponsors.

Originally, family planning services were
not allowed to include abortions and
currently federal dollars are not used
directly for abortions. However, over the
years, the subsidy of abortion providers
under the umbrella of family planning has
been gradually accepted.

Current law prohibits the use of Title X
family planning funds “in programs where
abortion is a method of family planning;”
and current regulations require some
form of separation between federally-funded
family planning services and abortions.
However, the current regulations do not
contain a descriptive standard of what
constitutes “separation.” They only require
the level of separation to be more
than “mere bookkeeping.”

When Title X money goes to clinics that
provide both abortions and family planning
services, even though the money cannot
directly fund abortions, it is being used to
offset operational costs with federal funds,
freeing up money to promote and provide
abortions.

Rep. Pence, Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) and 29
other Members requested the GAO study,
which can be accessed at
 http://gao.gov/products/GAO-10-533R.

Mike Pence discusses Oil Spill with Chris Matthews

2010-06-16T10:02:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

MIKE PENCE: CAP AND TRADE WON'T CAP THAT WELL!

2010-06-16T07:12:00.001-04:00

Mike Pence Asks Obama, "Who's Side Are You On?"

2010-06-12T13:41:00.002-04:00

Rep. Mike Pence Has a Question for the President

By Doug Powers • June 10, 2010 04:22 PM

**Written by guest-blogger Doug Powers

In light of the fact that all problems are solved in the United States and our debt and spending are under control, President Obama yesterday pledged $400 million in U.S. aid to the Palestinian territories. The money was pledged during a meeting between Obama and Mahmoud Abbas.

Obama said he would not meet with the CEO of BP because “he’s going to say all the right things to me, I’m not interested in words, I’m interested in actions,” so it’s nice to see him have such confidence in Abbas to be honest and forthright in his ultimately successful attempt to get his hands on hundreds of millions of American taxpayer dollars.

Cassy Fiano calls it a “terrorist stimulus package,” and if it is, the only reason for optimism is the hope that a terrorist stimulus will work as well as the stimulus package. If Sheriff Biden is in charge of making sure the aid works as intended, Abbas is screwed.

But remember, the $400 million is just a “down payment”:

The Obama administration’s promise of aid includes money to increase access to clean drinking water, create jobs and build schools and affordable housing. State Department officials called the projects “a down payment” on the U.S. commitment to improving life in Gaza.

Last year, U.S. officials pledged a total of $900 million for Gaza and the West Bank, but acknowledged the difficulty of distributing the funds, especially because Hamas controls Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization. The aid announced Wednesday may be distributed through organizations performing relief work, State Department officials said.

Sure. This aid will be different… it won’t be handed to the guys in the “Hamas” shirts, but rather to the nice folks wearing the “samaH” shirts (inability to recognize a t-shirt turned inside-out is a time-honored skill that’s been handed down through generations of United Nations aid distributors).

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana isn’t happy with any of this, and asks Obama what I’d consider the rhetorical question of the week: “Whose side are you on?” (h/t Cubachi):

Here are some things the media doesn’t report about Gaza. It ain’t all misery and Israeli-induced dispair.

According to exit polling on election day 2008, 78% of Jewish voters went for the US presidential candidate with a background that suggested he would empathize with the Muslim point of view (and I’m putting that so mildly that it borders on beyond sarcasm). I’m not Jewish, so if three-quarters of American Jewish folks don’t mind, maybe I shouldn’t be as concerned as I am. We’ll see what the numbers look like after the 2012 election.

**Written by guest-blogger Doug Powers

Pence Slams Pelosi: 'Least Democratic Speaker in U.S. History'

2010-06-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

VIDEO: Pence Slams Pelosi: ‘Least Democratic Speaker in U.S. History’

by Jason Mattera

06/11/2010

When asked to compare Nancy Pelosi to previous House speakers, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) didn’t hold back. In an exclusive interview with HUMAN EVENTS, Pence excoriated her as the “least democratic speaker in the history of the House of Representatives,” arguing that she’s blocked a “free and open debate” in Congress.

Mr. Mattera is the editor of HUMAN EVENTS and the author of Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation (Simon & Schuster).

New Obama Law Will Jail 500,000 Americans

2010-06-06T19:33:00.001-04:00

by Shera Crossan in Foreign and Domestic Intelligence,

Foreign Ministry reports circulating in the Kremlin today are warning that an already explosive situation in the United States is about to get a whole lot worse as a new law put forth by President Obama is said capable of seeing up to 500,000 American citizens jailed for the crime of opposing their government.

Sparking the concern of Russian diplomats over the growing totalitarian bent of the Obama government is the planned reintroduction of what these reports call one of the most draconian laws ever introduced in a free society that is titled “The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act”.

First introduced in the US Congress in 2007 by Democratic Representative Jane Harmon, this new law passed the US House of Representatives by a secretive voice vote, but failed to pass the US Senate, after which it was believed dead until this past week when it was embraced by Obama who became the first American President to name his own citizens as a threat to his Nations security.

In what is called the National Security Strategy document, that is required of US Presidents by their Congress, that embraces the dictatorial ideals of the “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act”, Obama has ordered his Federal police and intelligence forces to begin targeting Americans opposed to him and his radical socialist polices.

Pence predicts EU bailout will cost U.S. an additional $50 billion

2010-05-21T09:36:00.004-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

By Jay Heflin - THE HILL

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) predicts bailout efforts taking place in Europe could eventually cost U.S. taxpayers an additional $50 billion.

"If the European Union-wide bailout plan goes forward, American taxpayers could be on the hook for an additional $50 billion," he said Wednesday. "At a time of record unemployment in the United States of America, at a time of record deficits and debt, the American people should not be put on the hook to be bailing out the fiscal recklessness in Europe."

The United States is already on tap to pay roughly $7 billion of the $39 billion the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has pledged to help bail out Greece. The country will receive a total of $145 billion in loan guarantees from the IMF and the 15 nations that compose the European Union (EU).

Since Greece, other EU countries have come forward needing loan guarantees. The IMF and the EU are now looking at a $1 trillion bailout to handle these claims, an effort in which the United States would be a participant.

Republicans contend Congress will have to borrow the money to pay its share of the bailout.

"We should not be borrowing money from the Chinese to bail out Greece, and if you connect the dots we are precariously close to doing just that," said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas). "We can't even afford the bailouts in America, much less the bailouts in Europe. What's next? Intergalactic bailouts?"

House Republicans have devised the European Bailout Protection Act, a bill that prohibits any funds that have been drawn by the IMF from financing a European Union bailout until all EU nations are in compliance with their debt-to-GDP-ration requirement. It also requires the Treasury secretary to oppose any IMF loans until all EU countries abide by that ratio.

Under these requirements, the United States would be prohibited from participating in the bailouts recently proposed by the EU.

Office Space: Popcorn and Mrs. Pence Shape Indiana Office

2010-05-19T15:12:00.004-04:00

Roll Call Staff

May 19, 2010, 12 a.m.

Sitting on the desk in Rep. Mike Pence’s Longworth House Office Building space is a bright red mock rotary phone. The object sticks out as it sits beside a regular, run-of-the-mill office phone, and it is the most brightly colored object in the room. It only has one line, and only one person in the world has the phone number.

“Mrs. Pence is the only one who has the number, not anyone on the staff. She occasionally shares it with the kids, but when this phone rings, I answer it,” the Indiana Republican says with a smile.

Former Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) recommended Pence get a separate family phone when he arrived in Congress in 2001.

“He said, ‘After hours when the switchboard is off, you ought to put a separate line in the office.’ This was before everybody was wearing BlackBerrys and cell phones and such,” Pence said.

Pence’s wife purchased the red phone and gave it to him as a Christmas gift during his first term. The couple had the phone installed with a line separate from the main switchboard, and to this day it is Pence’s favorite part of his office. The phone is more necessary now that Pence is chairman of the Republican Conference, a job that keeps him busier than ever.

The phone isn’t the only object in the office that can be traced back to Karen Pence. Her fingerprints are all over the Congressman’s personal office. A watercolor that she painted of a front porch in Indiana decorates one wall, while a photo she gave her husband after he was elected hangs beside it.

The photo is a view of D.C. taken from the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va. The famous bronze statue of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima is in the forefront, while the Washington and Lincoln memorials glow against the backdrop of a purple sky. The Capitol Dome glistens in the distance. The photo is accompanied by the Bible verse, “Be strong and courageous and do the work.”

During his 1988 failed Congressional campaign, Pence read the book “Flags of Our Fathers” and found himself inspired by the bravery and patriotism of the Marines at Iwo Jima. When he first visited Washington during that campaign, he went straight to the memorial.

“I got off the airplane and I jumped in the cab. I told the cabbie, ‘I want you to take me to the Iwo Jima memorial,’” he says. “I wanted to see these Americans.”

The view from that hill in Arlington now holds a special place in Pence’s heart as a reminder that there is more to serving in public office than just what happens in Washington.

“I always said you had to look past men like these to see this city,” Pence says.

The verse that accompanies the photo is not the only trace of religion in Pence’s office. He keeps a tattered Bible on his desk. The pages of the red book are wrinkled with age, and the spine is taped together. Pence purchased the Bible in 1986 when he was studying at the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington. He tries to read the book every morning, and the text is peppered with his personal notations.

“Somebody once told me that a Bible worn out is a sign of a life that’s not,” Pence says. “It’s been a great source of encouragement for me.”

While Pence looks to the Bible for encouragement, he also takes inspiration from the concise family motto engraved in a gold plaque that sits on his desk: “No Flapping.” The phrase comes from a conversation Pence and his wife had as they struggled to decide whether he should make a third run for Congress in 1999. Pence had already lost two elections, and the couple wasn’t sure whether they were up for another campaign. While mulling over a run, they went horseback riding in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

“We were trying to make a decision as a family about whether to sell our house, move back home and make another run for Congress, and we saw these two red-tailed hawks coming up from the valley floor,” Pence says. He adds that the birds weren’t flapping their wings at all; instead, they were gliding through the air. As they watched the hawks, Pence’s wife told him she was onboard with a third run.

“I said, ‘If we do it, we need to do it like those hawks. We just need to spread our wings and let God lift us up where he wants to take us,’” Pence remembers. “And my wife looked at me and said, ‘That’ll be how we do it, no flapping.’ So I keep that on my desk to remember every time my wings get sore, stop flapping.”

While Pence has made his personal office into a place filled with “things that edify and encourage my sense of what’s important,” he has also tried to make the office a comfortable place for constituents to visit. To start, everyone who walks through the door is offered a bag of popcorn, the smell of which wafts into the building’s hallway.

“I never get sick of popcorn,” Pence says. “Whenever anybody comes into our office we offer them a bag of Indiana popcorn — fresh popped — something cold to drink, and we try to make them comfortable.”

In the end, Pence says there are two values that are important to any Congressional office.

“No. 1 is to practice what you preach about legislation and vote the way you tell people you’re going to vote,” he says. “And the second is hospitality.”

Mike Pence: 'We will not restore this nation with public policy alone'

2010-05-17T20:40:00.002-04:00

Posted: May 14th, 2010 06:26 PM ET

From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

Rep. Pence frequently describes himself as
'a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican – in that order.'

(CNN) – Speaking to a largely conservative audience, a Republican lawmaker said Friday that the country has been experiencing a moral crisis in addition to the economic crisis that began on Wall Street in late 2008.

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana gave an impassioned address to the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pence, who frequently describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican – in that order," said the GOP has been down on its luck in the wake of President Obama's historic election.

But Pence claimed that, in the last year, his party had experienced a reawakening. As evidence, he cited conservative protests against the president's policies and recent Republican victories in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

Pence said that his party lost its way on the issue of fiscal discipline during the Bush administration. But told the gun rights supporters, "My party – Republicans in Congress – we're back in the fight and we're back in the fight on the right."

Pence also said that fixing the country's financial problems and retaking the reins of power in Washington would not be enough to fix, what he sees, as the nation's ills.

"…A vision for a better America will also recognize that our present crisis is not merely economic and political but moral in nature.

"At the root of these times, should be a realization that people in positions of authority have walked away from the timeless truths of honesty and integrity, an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, and the simple idea that a person ought to treat the other person the way they want to be treated," Pence said.

And as he claimed that the country is headed in the wrong under the president, Pence talked about putting the country on a different track.

"We will not restore this nation with public policy alone. It will require public virtue and that emanates from our most cherished institutions: family and religion.

"To renew this nation, we must renew the institutions that strengthen her character. We must stand for the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage and the vital importance of religion in our everyday lives."

Pence also used his remarks to question whether Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan would sufficiently adhere to the Constitution. And Pence promised the conservative activists that House Republicans would not rest until they succeeded in repealing the recently enacted health care bill.Mike Pence:

MIKE PENCE: NO EUROPEAN BAILOUTS!

2010-05-15T12:12:00.003-04:00

By JONATHAN MARTIN | Politico

: Pence introduces legislation halting U.S. involvement in IMF aid. AP

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the third-ranking House Republican and a possible 2012 presidential candidate, will use a speech Friday before the National Rifle Association to highlight his opposition to using American tax dollars to bail out European countries.

Seizing on conservative anger toward the federal government’s financial assistance for U.S. banks and auto companies and the recent headlines about Greece’s economic woes, Pence and a group of other House Republicans have introduced symbolic legislation that would halt American involvement in any International Monetary Fund aid to European Union nations.

“I just don’t believe American taxpayers should be forced to bear the risk of nations that have avoided making tough choices,” Pence said in an interview previewing his remarks to the gun-rights group’s convention in Charlotte.

There is little the U.S., as only one member of the IMF, can do to stop the bail out of Greece.

But by drawing attention to the matter, Pence touches upon two conservative hot-buttons: anger over corporate bailouts and a fear that the U.S. is on a path toward a European-style economy and political system.

The five-term Indiana congressman doesn’t spare his own party, though.

“I think the American people are tired of the borrowing and spending and bailouts that characterized federal policy under both political parties,” Pence said, alluding to the Bush administration’s TARP and Obama’s aid to Wall Street and Detroit.

Not coincidentally, Pence opposed TARP when it came to the House floor in the fall of 2008 —– a stance that could provide some daylight between him and other GOP presidential hopefuls who supported the measure such as Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who also just happens to be speaking at the NRA convention, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Asked why he would discuss fiscal issues before a group of firearms enthusiasts, Pence said NRA members are mostly a conservative bunch who “believe in first principles.”

In an interview with Bloomberg's Al Hunt, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner took issue with the effort by Pence and House Republicans to block the IMF's aid to EU countries.

“We have a big stake in helping Europe manage through these things,” Geithner said. “We’re going to do it in a way that’s sensible for the American economy, the American taxpayer.”

MIKE PENCE ADDRESSES NRA, IOWA, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SOUTH CAROLINA

2010-05-15T10:20:00.001-04:00

MIKE PENCE SPEAKING AT NATIONAL NRA CONVENTION TODAY

2010-05-14T11:35:00.002-04:00

By Reid Wilson

House GOP Conference chair Mike Pence
will urge gun rights activists to
make a strong push to help his party
take back the House while abandoning
Dems who have helped curb gun control
legislation favored by liberals in
Congress.

In a speech he will give today in
Charlotte, at the NRA's annual convention,
Pence said he will encourage the NRA to
back his partyrather than pro-gun Dems.

"The NRA has a history of supporting
candidates in both political parties who
support gun rights, and I respect that,
but I do believe we have a historic
opportunity to elect a conservative
majority to Capitol Hill," Pence told
Hotline OnCall in an interview yesterday.
"I'm going to be challenging people at the
NRA to seize that opportunity, to get
behind men and women across this country
who are committed to constitutional
principles."

The NRA endorsed most of the GOP
Conference during the '08 election, but
they also have a long history of
supporting Dems. The group backed 52 House
Dem incumbents in '08.

Pence, who has made several high-profile
appearances at conservative events across
the country, will also voice his opposition
to Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, thanks
to reports yesterday that Kagan did not
support repealing a DC gun ban. And as some
in conservative circles think Pence is
contemplating a WH'12 bid, he will stoke the
flames by laying out the outline of a platform.

Lately, Pence has led the GOP charge against
allowing US money contributed to the IMF
assist in bailing out Greece. Greece's troubled
economy has caused stock market shudders around
the world, Pence acknowledged, but he said
Greeks should take steps to get their fiscal
house in order.

"I simply believe it's wrong to put Americans
on the hook for billions for dollars of loan
guarantees to countries that have embraced
economic policies and fiscal practices that
have brought them to fiscal crises," Pence said.
"The U.S. isn't asking Europe for help with New
Jersey or California."

Pence would not preview his remarks on gun
rights, but though gun rights advocates have
been nervous about the Obama admin, no significant
legislation has come to the floor. A possible deal
to give DC a vote in the House fell apart when
Dems refused to allow a provision that would
expand gun rights in the nation's capital.

Pence isn't the only potential WH'12 contender
who will address NRA delegates this weekend in
Charlotte. Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich,
Sen. John Thune (R-SD), MS Gov. Haley Barbour (R)
and ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) are all set to
speak today and tomorrow.

MIKE PENCE INTRODUCES BILL TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS FROM BAILING OUT EURPOEAN COUNTRIES

2010-05-13T14:52:00.003-04:00



Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence
today introduced legislation to stop U.S. tax
dollars from being used by the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) for bailouts of European
countries. Rep. Pence released the following
statement as the European Bailout Protection
Act was introduced:

“Hoosiers are fed up with taxpayer-funded
bailouts and deserve to know we are bailing
out Greece and possibly other European
countries.  If the Obama Administration has
its way, the U.S. will contribute to a nearly
trillion dollar bailout of European countries
with economic crises that are a direct result
of wasteful government spending.

“This legislation would require that countries
like Greece cut spending and put their own
fiscal house in order, instead of looking to
the United States for a bailout. We face
record unemployment and a debt crisis of our
own, and taxpayers should not be forced to bear
the risk for nations that have avoided making
tough choices.”

Background:

The European Bailout Protection Act would:

1) Prohibit any funds that have yet to be drawn
by the IMF from being used to
provide financing to any EU countries until all
EU nations are in compliance with the debt to GDP
ratio requirement in their own collective growth
pact.

2) Require the Treasury Secretary to oppose any
IMF loans to EU nations until all EU countries
are in compliance with their debt to GDP ratio
requirement.

The bill does not permanently prohibit the IMF
from lending to these nations; it simply prohibits
the U.S. from participating in the proposed
European bailout.

The Weekly Standard: Mike Pence and Servant Leadership

2010-05-13T11:32:00.003-04:00

Congress has a black eye, and it's starting to swell.
As an institution, its approval ratings bounce near
all time lows, creating a crisis in confidence among
voters. Can Americans count on an institution so
anemic in trust to heal the difficult and major
problems confronting the nation?

Many believe the legislative branch is insular,
arrogant, and dominated by special interests -- and
not without cause.

The current Democratic majority's polarizing behavior
has only reinforced these views by passing partisan
and controversial legislation -- like the health care
bill -- opposed by a majority of Americans, according
to the most recent average of polls aggregated at Real
Clear Politics.

The House and Senate will never win popularity contests.
Congress underperforms other institutions when it comes
to stirring good feelings. Analyzing polling data from
the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s, political scientists
John R. Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse in their
book Congress as Public Enemy: Public Attitudes Toward
American Political Institutions show the legislature
nearly always lags the presidency and the Supreme Court
when it comes to public confidence.

This pattern continues today. President Obama's approval
now hovers around the 48 percent mark, but Congress's is
only half that (23 percent), according to Real Clear
Politics.

Historically, incumbent lawmakers took comfort in the
often cited argument by University of Rochester political
scientist Richard Fenno, who asked in a 1975 article,
"If Congress Is The 'Broken Branch' Why Do Americans Love
their Congressmen So Much?" Fenno demonstrated Americans
support their congressmen more than Congress as an
institution.

But today even this customary love for incumbents is on
the rocks. A recent CNN poll found the percent of
Americans who think their own Congressman deserves
reelection is at an all time low.

Not letting congressional approval sink too low is
critical for the country and our ability to address
future problems. If support falls much further,
faith in the legitimacy of the entire system could
collapse.

Is there an answer?

Some lawmakers propose a novel solution, one that
flies in the face of conventional power perceptions
about Washington politicians. Borrowing from the
tradition of "servant leadership," this approach
holds some promise for boosting Congress's sagging
image.

Throughout the centuries this idea has animated
discussions of how to lead. Many say a 1970 essay
by Robert K. Greenleaf, "The Servant as Leader,"
first applied the idea to the management of large
institutions.

But until recently, the notion of "servant leadership"
seemed foreign to Congress. Politicians are
cold-blooded narcissists, not other-directed
helpers. Candidates promote themselves - not us.
They accumulate power and cut deals. That's how they
get elected.

The perception of Congress as self-seeking, self-
interested, and self-promoting shakes voters'
confidence in the institution.

Some House Republican members want to change that
opinion. Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio
meets with his staff annually to hammer out
a set of goals and objectives for the year. They
produce a detailed vision statement that guides
their work as a team for the legislative session.

This year they added the goal of "servant leadership"
as an objective. Boehner and his staff urged all
House Republicans to adopt this model as an approach
to working with their constituents and colleagues in
Congress. It's an attitudinal shift with major
political consequences.

Dave Schnittger, Boehner's deputy chief of staff for
communications told me this in an email last week:
"Servant leadership is the antithesis of the arrogance
Americans have seen from a Democratic-controlled
Washington that has repeatedly defied the will of the
people on the biggest issues facing our country,"
Schnittger wrote. "It requires humility; a willingness
to listen; and recognition that the American people are
the ones in charge. Americans have a right to expect
their elected leaders to project this kind of attitude.
And this year they're demanding it."

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, chairman of the House
Republican Conference agrees. Walking into the offices
of the GOP Conference in the Longworth House Office
Building, the words "servant leadership" appear on the
wall as part of the House Republicans' core objectives.

Boehner and Pence are on to something. Voters want a
Congress that works for the people, not just for
political elites. Yet the lexicon of Washington
doesn't put lawmakers in that role. The crafting of
legislation includes powerbrokers, influence peddlers
and self-interested politicians, not servant leaders.

Hearing lawmakers talk about this new vision is
simultaneously jarring, refreshing and healing --
an ice-pack on the inflammation of public discontent.

Dan Coats Wins GOP Senate Nomination

2010-05-04T22:26:00.001-04:00

Updated: Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 10:14 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 7:14 PM EDT

Reporter: David Barras
Editor: Andrew Bonner
By LIZ SIDOTI and DEANNA MARTIN Associated Press Writers

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH/AP) - Former Indiana senator Dan Coats has won the GOP Senate nomination. Coats shot to an early lead on election night and held on to beat opponents Marlin Stutzman and John Hostettler.

The newly nominated Republican candidate had his son Andrew introduce him as he began the celebration at the downtown Indianapolis Marriott.

Saying, "Thank you, Indiana, for your strong support," Coats stressed his conservatism and his strong Hoosier values. He then began attacking President Obama.

Coats said the choices between himself and representative Brad Ellsworth, the Democratic nominee, are clear. He said it's time to stop the spending in Washington and the hard left the government is taking. He attacked Ellsworth's support of the recently-passed health care bill.

Coats intends to hit the road campaigning immediately. He's heading to Evansville Wednesday morning right into the heart of Brad Ellsworth territory.

Coats has been under fire from conservatives for his years as a Washington lobbyist and for a vote in favor of a gun control law when he was in the Senate.

He only won about 40 percent of the vote with 71 percent of precincts reporting, signaling a divide in the GOP between mainstream Republicans and more conservative tea party voters who split their votes between Hostettler and Stutzman.

That divide could be an issue in November when Coats will Ellsworth, a conservative Democrat who will be formally nominated by the Democratic central committee May 15.

"Ellsworth has enough conservative credentials to cut into some of the Republican base," said Brian Vargus, a political science professor at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.

"It is completely possible that those people who are disaffected from the party -- the so-called tea party voters -- vote Libertarian or stay home."

Coats, backed by national GOP leaders during the primary, hopes to convince tea party voters that he echoes their concerns about where the country is headed under Democratic leadership.

"We're going to be singing off the same song sheet between now and November," said Coats spokesman Pete Seat.

Coats may also portray Ellsworth as a Washington insider, even though Coats himself has plenty of experience inside the beltway.

Coats won a special election in 1990 to serve the remainder of Dan Quayle's term after Quayle became vice president in 1989.

Coats' name was last on an Indiana ballot in 1992, when he made a successful bid for a full Senate term.

But he decided not to run for re-election in 1998, when Bayh made his first run for the seat. Coats has since been an ambassador to Germany under former President George W. Bush and worked as a lobbyist in Washington.

Democrats have been attacking Coats even before he won Tuesday's primary.

The chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party chided Coats for missing a deadline to file a personal financial disclosure report, saying he should know better because of his experience as a former senator. Once Coats filed the form, Democrats criticized him for being an "elite D.C. lobbyist" and questioned whether he would represent Indiana residents or special interest groups.

Mike Pence Jokes About Running For President in 2012

2010-04-22T19:58:00.003-04:00

Dave Weigel reports that Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, another favorite of movement conservatives and Tea Partiers, joked about running for president last night:

At last night's Washington Press Club Foundation dinner, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) used his lighthearted, deadpan speaking slot to indulge the speculation that he's looking at a 2012 presidential bid.

"I'm trying to get over that all-important 3 percent mark in the straw polls," said Pence. He recounted a phony conversation with President Obama in which the president questioned whether the country was ready for a "politician from the Midwest ... with so much experience."

"Maybe I'm overqualified," said Pence with a smirk.

I know, I know: it's only 2010. But keep in mind Republicans will begin to declare their candidacies or the creation of "exploratory committees" in a little over six months from now.

Dan Coats Endorsed By Congressman Mike Pence Is "Old" New News

2010-04-21T16:31:00.000-04:00

Dan Coats for Indiana
http://dancoatsforindiana.blogspot.com

IN Senate Race: What’s old is “news”

April 21, 2010 - 3:20 PM | by: Steve Brown

What's your definition of news?

Is it information that's 2 1/2 months old?

It was for Dan Coats last night.

In a five-candidate race, Coats is considered a slight favorite in the May 4th Indiana Republican primary for the US Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Evan Bayh. After Tuesday night's televised GOP Senate debate, Coats told reporters he had an announcement to make, before taking questions.

Coats said, "Lemme just pass on some news that I'd like to give you here. I'm really pleased to announce tonight that uh...in fact I just got off the phone with Mike Pence. He's given me his unqualified endorsement and support for this race which I'm thrilled to have. He said some very good things about me when I indicated my intention to run. He's been supportive but uh...to say he's given me now his unqualified support is...is...is very important to me and I'm very appreciative." (You can watch Coats says this for yourself on the video linked to this story.)

The endorsement announcement was bigger than anything that happened in the debate. Congressman Mike Pence is very influential among Indiana Republicans. In the minds of many Hooiser GOP'ers only Governor Mitch Daniels endorsement would be bigger. (And Daniels in not endorsing. He says he'll back the primary winner.)

Wednesday morning, on Coats' campaign FaceBook page, the status trumpeted the Pence endorsement:

Dan Coats for Indiana Big News! Congressman Mike Pence has given Dan his unqualified endorsement for the U.S. Senate!

The thing is...Pence's backing was old news. That's how Pence's chief of staff Bill Smith described it when contacted by Fox News.

In early February, a statement of support for Coats candidacy was issued. This was shortly after Coats' announcement that he intended to join the race. The Pence statement was picked up by some DC media outlets.

Roll Call on February 3rd ran the following quote attributed to Pence:

“I am very excited about the possibility that former Senator Dan Coats may run for the United States Senate in 2010 and I sincerely hope he does it,” Pence said in a statement. “His integrity and conservative record would make him the ideal candidate for Hoosiers. If he runs, I will support him.”

Fifteen days later, Coats filed to run in the Indiana Senate election.

Smith says since that February statement, "The Congressman has not been hesitant" to tell reporters who asked that he was a Coats-backer. Smith made it clear in a telephone interview that while the February statement did not contain the word 'endorsement', it was certainly considered one by Pence.

Still, there was at least some confusion about Pence's backing of Coats. Some supporters had contacted Pence's offices asking who the Representative liked in the primary. Smith says all who inquired were told the same thing, "Coats".

But it shouldn't have been confusing for people who visit Coats campaign website. On a page titled "What They're Saying" a Pence quote sits atop the list:

Congressman Mike Pence: “His integrity and conservative record would make him the ideal candidate for Hoosiers.” (Congressional Quarterly, 2/3/10)

So, did Coats just plain get it the timing wrong with his post-debate "news" announcement?

Apparently.

Kevin Kellems of the Coats campaign sent an e-mail this morning which reads in part:

"Cong. Pence called Dan after the debate. I don't speak for him, but I believe the reason the Congressman reached out to Dan was to make it clear that his statement of support that came very early on was indeed an endorsement."

So, Coats did have Pence's endorsement all along...even before Coats was officially in the race. And certainly a lot of people missed it (including this reporter). But was Coats post-debate announcement last night "news" as he said?

As we says around here at Fox, "You decide."

Mike Pence at SRLC

2010-04-11T20:34:00.001-04:00

And today he got the crowd going. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Dan Coats for Indiana

2010-04-11T01:56:00.001-04:00

SCOTUS Sam Alito with his lobbyist and friend Senator Dan Coats

The first time I saw U.S. Senator Connie Mack was several years ago at a Catholic Men's Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. Connie witnessed to over 8,000 men how then Senator Dan Coats, a Presbyterian, was holding weekly Bible Studies in the basement of the Senate Building. It was at one of the Bible Studies that Dan Coats led Connie Mack into a “born again” experience and back to his Roman Catholic faith.

A couple years later, when Dan and Marsha Coats left Germany as our American Ambassador, I spoke to Connie on the phone. He told me he had invited Dan to join his law firm and the two of them were lobbying for Pro-Life organizations, saving the lives of America's Pre-Born babies. It came as no surprise to me, then, when Sam Alito hired Dan Coats to be his lobbyist when he made his bid to become a Supreme Court Justice. After all, Justice Alito is one of the most conservative Pro-Life voices on the United States Supreme Court.

You can imagine my dismay when some young Republican's began a smear campaign against Dan Coats by pretending it was somehow filthy to be a lobbyist. If they were my kids, I would wash their mouths out with soap! After all, these young kids today have no idea what it means to be principled men of honesty, integrity, and high moral character like Dan Coats. The way they are running their campaigns prove it. Maybe that's why Congressman Mike Pence, another man of high moral character, endorsed Dan Coats for U.S. Senate and not one of them.

Pax Et Bonum!

Mike Pence Number 2 in GOP Presidential Rankings

2010-04-09T22:22:00.004-04:00

GOP 2012

Presidential Rankings

-- Updated!

Published Jan 12 2010, 12:15 PM by David S. Bernstein

Now, on to the rankings! (Previous ranking in parentheses.)

1) Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota. Since announcing in June that he won’t run for re-election, Pawlenty has visited 17 states and six foreign countries, according to reports. That includes New Hampshire, in December, for the first major visit of the 2012 cycle. He’s also come out for a balanced-budget constitutional amendment, which figures to be popular in the party. Just confirmed to speak at the big, big Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC), in New Orleans in April. (1)

2) Mike Pence, US Representative from Indiana. His Leadership PAC is called “Principles Exalt a Nation PAC.” He seems to be uninterested in lesser opportunities (ie, Senate against Evan Bayh, Governor 2012), and yet according to Politico he has hired serious new national-level campaign staffers, and according to Chris “The Fix” Cillizza he’s gathered a circle of advisors that includes Phil Gramm, Ed Meese, David McIntosh, and Tony Perkins. Hmmmm.... (2)

3) Jim DeMint, US Senator from South Carolina. I dropped him from #2 last time, but I may have been too rash. The conservatives love him, and he’s willing to take up any fight for them. It will be interesting to see whether he uses his PAC to help candidates and GOP committees in key outside-the-South states (like Iowa and New Hampshire).(4)

4) Rick Perry, Governor of Texas. Texas Monthly has just put Perry on the cover under the headline “Perry For President?!?” I’ve said all along that he’s in my top five if he wins re-election, and with the primary less than two months away, it’s starting to look really likely that he will. Oh, and later this month he’s hosting a “blogger summit” with some of the bigwigs of the right-wing blogosphere. (7)

5) John Thune, US Senator from South Dakota. Conservative Matt Lewis and moderate David Brooks have both touted him -- what’s that about? Plus, he got in a high-profile fight with Al Franken, which has got to be good for one’s conservative cred. If he delivers a standout speech at CPAC or SRLC, watch out. (3)

6) Mitt Romney, former Governor from Massachusetts. More evidence of my theory that Romney is pursuing a “blue-state strategy” that surrenders the South: Romney is not scheduled to speak at SRLC. That’s a big, big one to skip. (5)

7) Haley Barbour, Governor of Mississippi. His Leadership Pac is called “Haley’s PAC,” but his more important one is called the “Republican Governors Association.” (6)

8) Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives. He has yet another new Leadership PAC -- American Solutions PAC -- and a speaking slot at SRLC. Move him up! (11)

9) Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana. He keeps getting talked about, but as far as I can tell he doesn’t have a Leadership PAC. How do you run for President without a Leadership PAC? (8)

10) Eric Cantor, US Representative from Virginia. His Leadership Pac is “Every Republican Is Crucial PAC,” which spells ERIC PAC. Clever, huh? Clever or not, it’s the biggest money-raising Leadership PAC in the country. (12)

11) Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida. He’s becoming more visible and the idea of him running is getting taken more seriously by GOP insiders.(14)

12) Luis Fortuno, Governor of Puerto Rico. With one of those squiggly things over the ‘n’ that I don't know how to make on this blog. And no, I’m not making this up. I keep saying Republicans are dying to support a minority candidate, and apparently they had to go outside the 50 states to find one. (--)

13) Jon Kyl, US Senator from Arizona. He’s been awfully quiet. I have to drop him a few notches. (9)

14) Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana. I’m thinking more and more that he’s angling for VP ’12. (10)

15) Dan Quayle, former Vice President. He just endorsed conservative Ovide Lamontagne against GOP establishement favorite Kelly Ayotte in the New Hampshire US Senate primary. Why would someone insert themselves into New Hampshire Republican politics, I wonder? He’s been running in investment-banking circles, which are great for fundraising. Just 62 years old. (--)

16) Bob Corker, US Senator from Tennessee. His Leadership PAC is “Rock City PAC,” which apparently refers to a place in the Tennessee mountains known as Rock City. More to the point, he’s done little to suggest a 2012 run. (13)

17) Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas. His Leadership PAC is "HUCK PAC," but I don't think it stands for anything, so that's not very clever. On the patented Gore Scale, his waistline is clearly at "not a candidate." But his proxies are reportedly keeping very involved with the RNC primary-scheduling process.(15)

18) Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska. Signing a multi-year deal as a FOX News contributor says no 2012; so does not visiting New Hampshire on her book tour. But headlining SRLC (with no fee!) says maybe. (16)

19) Rick Santorum, former US Senator from Pennsylvania. His Leadership PAC is called America’s Foundation. It’s been very very quiet, and he’s been indiscrete about his 2012 plans -- which leads me to think he’s going the Dean route of declaring for President this summer. That gives him a year to work on winning the Iowa Straw Poll, thus catapulting him to be this cycle’s Huckabee. Huckabee lost, of course -- and that’s Santorum’s best-case scenario.(17)

20) Kay Bailey Hutchison, US Senator from Texas. Brilliantly poised if she comes back to beat Perry in the Texas guv primary. If. (21)

21) Paul Ryan, US Representative from Wisconsin. “Prosperity PAC” -- not bad, huh? Coming to New Hampshire next month, which would normally move him up a few spots, but I think he’s looking at 2016. Recently put out a statement saying “There is a zero percent chance I will be seeking the Republicans’ nomination for president in 2012.” He might even mean it. (18)

22) Marco Rubio, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. The way his stock is rising among the movement conservatives, he might be able to run even if he loses the Florida Senate primary. (24)

23) George Pataki, former governor of New York. In the last Presidential cycle, Pataki was the very first to rent space in Manchester, NH -- terrific space, best available. Then he couldn’t raise any money so he didn’t make it to the starting line. He did a NH visit in November, and reportedly thinks things would go better this time without a better-known New York Republican in the race. I doubt it. (--)

24) Dirk Kempthorne, former Interior Secretary. Still quiet, still rumored. (19)

25) Chuck Grassley, US Senator from Iowa. “Hawkeye PAC.” Generally speaking, I like naming your Leadership PAC for your home state this way. But what if conservatives think it’s Alan Alda’s PAC? (20)

Dropping off the list: Michelle Bachmann, Lindsey Graham, Joe Scarborough

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/talkingpolitics/archive/2010/01/12/gop-2012-presidential-rankings-updated.aspx#ixzz0keyyhJO0

Mike Pence pushes for a GOP comeback

2010-04-09T21:33:00.003-04:00

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN)

Speaks to 730 people

during state dinner

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind (WANE) - U.S. Rep. Mike Pence revved up about 730 people at the Indiana Republican state dinner Thursday night by urging them to help the party regain control of the U.S. House in November and the presidency in 2012.

The congressman from eastern Indiana, who has been a leading critic of the Obama administration as the third-ranking Republican in the House, said President Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress have put the nation on a course of runaway spending and big government.

"I believe the American people are on the march for freedom," Pence said. "Even Republicans in Congress have returned to fiscal discipline and reform. Americans are back in the fight and back in the fight on the right."

Pence said House Republicans would stay focused on trying to dismantle the health care overhaul legislation enacted last month.

"I know Democrats think that is over," he said. "Democrats may have had their say on the third Sunday in March, but the American people will have their say on the first Tuesday of November. House Republicans will not rest until we repeal the government takeover of health care lock, stock and barrel."

Indiana Republicans have hopes of winning the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Evan Bayh, as well as House seats now held by Democratic Reps. Joe Donnelly, Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill. But a top priority also is regaining control of the Indiana House, which would allow Republicans to redraw district maps for the chamber in 2011.

Tickets to Thursday's dinner at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis cost $200 each, helping the party raise more than $140,000. Arrangements were made so people could text in contributions from their dinner tables.

Pence plans on going to New Orleans in the next couple of days to attend the three-day Southern Republican Leadership Conference, joining several Republicans considering a challenge to Obama in his 2012 re-election bid.

The event that began Thursday features such names as Sarah Palin, Haley Barbour and Newt Gingrich, as well as GOP up-and-comers like Pence and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Pence said Thursday night that one way to revamp the economy would be across-the-board tax cuts, not the stimulus package Obama supported that Pence has called a piecemeal list of projects and boutique tax cuts.

"We must return incentive to the American people and the American economy," he said. "Get government out of the way and Indiana and America will come roaring back."

Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, who also has been mentioned as a potential 2012 presidential contender, also spoke at the Indianapolis dinner. He said Pence was an "agent of change" whom Indiana residents should be proud of.

"He's everything we want to state of Indiana to be," Daniels said. "He speaks forcefully when bad ideas are afoot."

Among those attending the dinner was Christa Coffey of Lafayette, who said it was exciting to hear Pence speak.

"He's a conservative who has struck to his principles -- conservative values, fiscal responsibility," she said.

Mike Pence to headline GOP pre-Obama rally

2010-03-25T23:34:00.001-04:00

Indiana Congressman will appear live via video from Washington, D.C.

By Lynda Waddington 3/24/10 12:13 PM

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican, will serve as the featured speaker Wednesday night in Iowa City when state and college Republicans host a rally on the eve of a scheduled visit by President Barack Obama.

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. (LAUREN VICTORIA BUKRE/wdcpix.com)

The rally, dubbed “Stand Up for Freedom,” is scheduled for 6 p.m. on the University of Iowa campus and also features the four individuals engaged in a GOP primary for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. While other scheduled guests will appear in person, Pence, considered by many to have 2012 presidential aspirations, will appear via Skype from Washington, D.C.

“I’m proud to have Congressman Pence standing with Iowans tonight and standing up against the continued assault on our personal and economic freedoms from the Obama administration and Iowa’s congressional Democrats,” said Matt Strawn, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.

On Tuesday, Pence promised that the “fight is not over” and that “House Republicans are determined to take our case on this government takeover of health care to the floor of the Congress and to the American people.”

Pence also promised that, should there be a Republican majority in Congress following the 2010 elections, that he and his colleagues would work to repeal the legislation.

Prior to members of the passage of the health care reform legislation, Pence appeared on FOX News to blast the bill and Obama as pro-abortion.

“It’s disappointing to see member of Congress exchange 30 years of pro-life law for a piece of paper from the most pro-abortion president in American history, but we are going to stay in this fight” Pence said. “We really believe the American public knows now that there is public funding for abortion in this bill.”

Obama and anti-abortion House Democrats, led by Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, struck a deal that included an executive order that would continue the status quo in relation abortion services, which has been historically managed by the Hyde Amendment. According to Pence, however, the executive order is a piece of paper that holds no promise because it can be legally challenged and overturned by the court.

Local Republicans are billing the rally as a preemptive strike to Obama’s scheduled visit to the University of Iowa on Thursday. Dane Nealson, chairman of the Iowa Federation of College Republicans, announced Tuesday on Twitter that “President Obama is becoming the biggest recruiting [t]ool” the University of Iowa College Republicans have ever had. The organization has been particularly engaged in promoting and hosting the rally.

In addition to Pence, confirmed speakers at the rally are Strawn, UI College Republican Chairman Natalie Ginty, Iowa attorney general candidate Brenna Findley, and the four 2nd District congressional candidates – Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Steve Rathje, Christopher Reed and Rob Gettemy.

Mike Pence: Path to repeal begins in Iowa

2010-03-25T23:27:00.001-04:00

By Lynda Waddington 3/25/10 6:48 AM

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence set a clear task before Republicans Wednesday night in Iowa City: “Give the president and Obamacare the kind of welcome that it is going to deserve across the country.”

The Indiana Republican, who is believed to be a 2012 presidential contender, said that if Iowans fulfill their task that he guarantees that the rest of the nation will follow suit.

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. (LAUREN VICTORIA BUKRE/wdcpix.com)

“I don’t think there is any mistake that the president has chosen Iowa City in your fair state to start making his case for this government take-over of health care to the American people,” said Pence, who spoke via the Internet to roughly 150 people gathered for rally on the campus of the University of Iowa. “Iowa is use to leading the nation. … It is time for the people of Iowa who believe in conservative values, who believe in limited government and who believe we can do better on health care reform to lead this nation again.”

Pence’s remarks came at an event jointly organized by the Republican Party of Iowa and the Federation of Iowa College Republicans on the eve of a visit by President Barack Obama. In May 2007, then-candidate Obama first outlined his plan for reforming the nation’s health care system at a presidential campaign rally in roughly the same location.

In less than 10 minutes of public remarks, Pence referred to recently passed health care reform legislation as Obamacare eight times and as a “government take-over” seven times. He also noted, no less than four times, that he and other Republicans in the U.S. House are determined to repeal the bill and begin the process anew.

“It was in the dead of the night on Sunday that Democrats in Congress and in this administration rammed through a government take-over of health care filled with individual mandates, job-killing taxes and a government-run insurance plan,” he said. “Some say we made history on Sunday night. Well, I said on the House floor that I think we broke history because we broke with our traditions of limited government, personal responsibility and the consent of the governed. The majority that will break these traditions is a majority that should be retired from Capitol Hill.”

Pence promised that if the bill was repealed and Congress — presumably with a Republican majority following the 2010 elections — was allowed to write a new bill that it would cut the cost of health insurance without growing government, provide “real malpractice reform” and use the savings to provide insurance for Americans with pre-existing conditions, and provide the type of reform “necessary to ensure the long-term solvency of our country and all the programs that are vital to those most vulnerable.” He did not indicate why such reforms were not proposed or debated when the Republican Party previously controlled Congress.

Mike Pence Addresses Threats, Vandalism, and Smears of Law Abiding Americans Exercising Their Rights

2010-03-25T14:07:00.002-04:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence Discusses Earmark Moratorium, Massa on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell

2010-03-12T15:14:00.001-05:00

"YOU" Republicans!

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

House Republicans Unilaterally Ban All Earmarks

2010-03-11T19:10:00.001-05:00

MIKE PENCE: “OUR NATION IS FACING A FISCAL CRISIS OF EPIC PROPORTIONS”

2010-03-09T17:23:00.002-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence: "It's Time for a Spending Limit Amendment to the Constitution!"

2010-03-09T16:13:00.004-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com


"If we fail to act, our children will be less
free, less prosperous, and less secure. It's
time for a Spending Limit Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States."

Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence,
Chairman of the House Republican Conference,
gave the following statement today on the floor
of the U.S. House of Representatives on his
proposed Spending Limit Amendment to the
Constitution:

"Federal spending is out of control, and the
American people know it. Our nation is facing
a fiscal crisis of epic proportions.  In the
past five years, federal spending has climbed
from an historic average of 20 percent of the
American economy to nearly 25 percent today,
and it's rising. According to the Congressional
Budget Office, the first five months of this
fiscal year the federal government ran a
deficit of $655 billion, keeping the country
on track for a record $1.6 trillion deficit
this year.

"After years of trying to rein in federal
spending under Republican and Democrat
administrations, the American people want
fiscal discipline and they want new ideas.
That's why Congressmen Jeb Hensarling, John
Campbell, and myself introduced the Spending
Limit Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States. Under our amendment, absent a
declaration of war and a two-thirds vote in
the Congress, Congress would be required to
adhere to its historic percentage of the
economy.

"For the last 60 years we've only taken 20
cents on the American dollar out of this economy.
It's time we put that limit in the Constitution
of the United States.  If we fail to act, our
children will be less free, less prosperous,
and less secure. It's time for a Spending Limit
Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States."

Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage March Commemorating 45th Anniversary Of Bloody Sunday

2010-03-08T15:02:00.002-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Congressman Mike Pence participated in the 2010 Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage, which took place from March 5—7 with stops in Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. This year marks the 45th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, one of the most pivotal events of the civil rights movement. Congressman Pence joined Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) in serving as honorary co-leaders and Congressman Artur Davis (D-AL) and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) were the honorary co-hosts. Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) served once again as the Pilgrimage Chairman.

Mike Pence: Obama Attack On Prayer Meeting Is Attack On Free Speech

2010-03-01T10:28:00.002-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Outraged Conservatives: Barring Critic of Obama’s Gays-in-Military Policy from Air Force Prayer Meeting Is Attack on Free Speech

By Pete Winn and Karen Schuberg

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins (FRC photo)

(CNSNews.com) - Conservative leaders and members of Congress largely expressed outrage Friday that the Air Force had blacklisted Family Research Council President Tony Perkins from speaking at Andrews Air Force Base because of his position on the military policy on homosexuality.

As CNSNews.com reported Friday, the Air Force has admitted the chaplain's office at Andrews retracted an invitation to him to speak at the prayer luncheon held there on Feb. 25 because of the views that Perkins had expressed.

Andrews is the home base for Air Force One, the designation for the airplane that carries the president when he travels.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CNSNews.com that he’s “disappointed” the Air Force would “un-invite” Perkins because of his positions.

“These actions are out of line with the caution that the heads of the military branches have expressed with regards to this policy,” Inhofe said.

“Each one of them has indicated that it would be best for the Pentagon to finish its review before addressing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in a manner that disrupts readiness and recruitment. I wonder if Tony Perkins would have received the same treatment if his views on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell had matched those of President Obama.”

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was outraged.

“I think many members (of Congress) are outraged,” Kingston told CNSNews.com. “The mainstream media hasn’t given this as much coverage as they would if they agreed with Perkins. This is something that I think that people will be asking a lot of questions--a harbinger of what may be out there to come, you know, if on a high-profile captain like Tony Perkins, they reject him. They may (start) doing it to everybody else."

Kingston said he thought the Air Force was "using" the incident to send a message to its own chaplains about what thhey could and could not say from the pulpit.

“(W)hat they were doing is using him to drive a message--that your brand of sermon is no longer welcome in the U.S. military,” he said.

He added: “I think it probably does go beyond the Air Force. They knew there would be a backlash to this, and I think they had a design about that: ‘OK, you know, we want other (chaplains) to understand and pipe down on your personal views on this biblical view, and you believe it, just keep it mellow; we want watered-down messages.’”

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the chairman of the House Republican Conference, said he would be looking into the incident more deeply.

“I hold Tony Perkins in the highest regard, as do pro-family Americans across this country,” Pence said. “And I would hope that the change in the speaking roster had nothing to do with his stated positions on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. But we’ll be making appropriate inquiries,” Pence said.

Conservative leaders like Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center (the parent organization of CNSNews.com), said it was “truly frightening” that Perkins, a former Marine officer and minister, had been “thrown off a military base, in effect, for expressing his Christian views.”

“This is beyond political correctness,” Bozell told CNSNews.com. “This is flat-out political censorship taking place. And I would wish that the White House would not only condemn it, but flat-out reverse this policy.”

Bozell said Rep. Kingston was correct that Perkins won’t be the only conservative to be censored for his views.

“Today, it’s Tony Perkins. Tomorrow, who is it? Is there someone who says something offensive to the Obama administration and the will of Congress and is told he can’t speak there? Is there somebody who says something that is unacceptable to the Obama administration so he can’t speak at the university?

“My God, this is fascism. This is not America. This is not the country that I grew up in. This is not the kind of ‘change we can believe in.’

Bozell said it is no surprise that the story was not being covered by the mainstream news media.

“This is the kind of story the national news media will love to ignore because it speaks to the ugly underbelly of the Obama machine, of the Chicago mafia,” Bozell said. “This is the Chicago mafia at play. And the national news media will do everything in its power not to report this story. But it will get out through the new media. The American people will learn about it.

Other conservative leaders expressed similar concerns.

Ron Robinson, president of Young Americans for Freedom, told CNSNews.com the exclusion of a major conservative figure like Perkins on the basis of his views was a "sad reflection on the political correctness in today’s military.”

“Perkins’ position is the one that historically was true through almost the 200 years of American military history. It’s said that the Obama administration is trying to censor people that disagree with them," Robinson said.

“We see this administration give lip service to some support of military personnel, but in fact, it just seems to want to push a radical left-wing agenda, and I think that seeps down through the ranks,” he added.

Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, called it a “chilling indication of how military brass are already operating--pressuring those who agree with the current law on homosexuals in the military to be silent.”

Wright added: “Navy Admiral Mullins told reporters that not a single member of the military has raised the issue since he told Congress that homosexuals should serve openly. This letter provides insight into why the troops may be silent. We are a country directed by the rule of law, not a monarchy. Obama's views do not trump the law. When there is a conflict, the military should follow the law, not Obama's opinion."

Precursor to Zero Tolerance

For conservative publisher Alfred Regnery the incident shows evidence the military is being politicized.

"Tony Perkins is a national leader of considerable stature who rightfully takes positions on such things as ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell,’" Regnery told CnsNews.com. "Since when are people in the military so sensitive that they cannot listen to things they may disagree with? And I'd be surprised if most of them don't agree with Tony anyway."

Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, called the incident a “cautionary tale” – a taste of what will happen if the law is changed to remove the military ban on homosexuality in the armed services.

“What strikes me about this story, is how clearly it demonstrates how the culture of the military can be used by the LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender) left to accomplish its goals,” Donnelly told CNSNews.com.

“In this case, the Air Force chaplain who meant well in sending the letter that he sent to Tony Perkins, was carrying out what he thought was the expectation of the administration--that from here on in we would have sexual minorities accepted in the military. The letter seems to suggest that the law--the LGBT law--has already been passed, legislation to repeal current law regarding homosexuals in the military.

“For (the chaplain) to send a letter like this, though, which is so far ahead of any expectation, is useful to us in the current debate because it shows how the concept of zero tolerance would work."

Donnelly said that any time the military implements a policy “in the name of civil rights,” it also implements a “Zero Tolerance” policy.

“That means that anyone who disagrees would be subject to career penalties, and would thereby be dismissed from the military,” she said. “In this case, when the Air Force chaplain said, ‘Well, we can’t have Tony Perkins come and speak because he does not support the issue of gays in the military,’ that was a demonstration of how it would work if the new law is passed and there are number of chaplains and people of faith who have the same view that Tony Perkins does.

"This kind of deliberate, organized discrimination, and silencing of disagreement is exactly what would happen on a large scale if the LGBT law (eliminating the military ban on homosexuality) is written,” Donnelly added.

Meanwhile, former GOP presidential candidate Gary Bauer--a previous president of the Family Research Council--said he, too, is outraged but he is not surprised at the incident.

“I would have been surprised if I heard that Tony had been invited and actually got to speak,” Bauer, currently president of American Values, told CNSNews.com.

What happened to Perkins sparks feelings of déjà vu for Bauer.

“Back in the ‘90s, when I was heading FRC, I was ‘disinvited’ to a Coast Guard prayer luncheon, for similar reasons,” Bauer said. "I got this invitation, was surprised to get it, accepted and everything was going fine, and then a number, as I recall, of gay rights groups and separation of church and state groups spoke up and--I think--a member of Congress that was on the committee that dealt with Coast Guard appropriations also got involved.

"The theme was the same: that I held ‘unacceptable views.’ ”

At that time, Bauer said, another liberal Democrat was in the White House--Bill Clinton.

“When Washington is in the hands of people who most aggressively accuse others of intolerance, they almost always attempt to limit the free speech of those that disagree with them, on the right,” Bauer said.

The term "political correctness," Bauer said, doesn’t do it justice.

“Even the term is politically correct,” Bauer said. “What it is is a concerted effort to either force people to observe the unwritten liberal rules on what you can and can't believe or to face the prospect of being silenced if you won’t do that.”

Mike Pence Addresses "Obamacare 2.0"

2010-02-25T16:58:00.001-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence: "Tomorrow's summit is looking more and more like a taxpayer funded media event"

2010-02-24T13:54:00.001-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson

and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence Discusses TARP on Fox Business

2010-02-24T13:39:00.002-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence at CPAC Pt 3 of 3

2010-02-20T17:04:00.001-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence at CPAC 2010 Pt 2 of 3

2010-02-19T20:37:00.001-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Mike Pence at CPAC 2010

2010-02-19T16:13:00.005-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

CPAC Opens With Renewed Confidence

2010-02-18T12:57:00.004-05:00

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) Speaking at CPAC

Real Clear Politics

Reported from Washington

by Kyle Trygstad and Mike Memoli

A year ago, in the wake of humbling losses in the presidential and congressional races, leaders of the conservative movement were debating its strategy and even its viability at the ballot box. Still, the feeling among many was that Republicans in Congress had simply ignored their conservative values and were now being punished by voters -- and that patience would be required as voters eventually found their way back.

As the annual Conservative Political Action Conference kicks off today, however, what was just a sense of optimism last year has already amplified into renewed confidence. Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said in an interview with RealClearPolitics that the party is back on track and expects there not only to be a Republican majority in Congress next year, but a conservative majority.

Pence has been a harsh critic of his GOP colleagues -- as well as Democrats -- since coming to Congress in 2001. A former chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, Pence railed against increased government spending under Republican leadership in several CPAC speeches over the last few years, and likened the party to a ship that had not only gone off-course -- but "run aground."

"My speech theme this year is what a difference a year makes," said Pence, who will deliver his annual CPAC speech on Friday. "My goal is going to be to bring to the eight-to-10,000 people there that a year ago I thought we were on the verge of a great American awakening -- but I had no idea."

In November 2008, Barack Obama won states Democrats hadn't even contested in decades, including Pence's home state of Indiana, which had voted Democratic just once since 1940. Now, Democrats across the country are worried for their political health, as analysts believe Republicans will pick up a substantial number of seats in the House and Senate.

Regaining the majority in Congress remains a tall order for the GOP, as Democrats hold an 18-seat edge in the Senate and 77-seat hold on the House. However, polling shows that independent voters, who played a big role in Obama's victory, are trending back toward Republicans, and Democrats in swing districts and states are in trouble.

"I think Americans have been taken aback by the aggressive, big-government liberalism of this Congress and this administration," said Pence. "But I also believe that as House Republicans have been returning to our roots of fiscal discipline and limited government, the American people have been taking a second look and they like what they see."

The candidate receiving the most attention from conservatives nationwide is Marco Rubio, a young, Hispanic, former Florida House speaker, who will give the keynote address at CPAC this morning. Rubio's Senate challenge to the more moderate and establishment-backed Gov. Charlie Crist has excited a conservative base that scoffs at the notion of the national GOP pursuing a 'big tent' majority at the expense of more conservative candidates.

"He's an unusually talented public figure and it's great to be commended, but in many respects Marco Rubio is very typical of the kind of conservative fresh faces that we're seeing step forward at every level across the country," said Pence, who endorsed Rubio over Crist earlier this month. "And I think it's a harbinger of a very conservative comeback in 2010."

Pence, himself, is extremely popular with conservatives, and there's a push for him to run for president. When asked, he wouldn't close the door to a bid in the future but maintained his focus was on helping win back Congress.

"I really believe the opportunity to elect a conservative majority to the Congress is real," said Pence. "But as I'll say Friday, it will be important for all of us to not become distracted and that we stay focused, that we put our heads down, and that we do everything in our power to restore common sense conservative principles to the majority in Washington, D.C."

Dan Coats: Pro-Life Ambassador for the Pre-Born

2010-02-15T13:27:00.001-05:00

Chris Dickson and U.S. Senator Dan Coats

Go to:

Dan Coats for Indiana
at:
http://dancoatsforindiana.blogspot.com

With Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) retiring from the U.S. Senate,
let's all come together now to elect
Senator Dan Coats,
Former
U.S. Ambassador to Germany
and Current
Pro-Life Ambassador for the Pre-Born.

Democratic Sen. Bayh Will Not Seek Re-Election This Year

2010-02-15T11:15:00.002-05:00

Democratic Senator Evan Bayh says, "Bye, Bye!"

FOXNews.com

Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh will not seek re-election this year, Fox News has learned.

The two-term Indiana senator is known as a moderate Democrat. His retirement gives Republicans yet another opportunity to pick up a seat in a year when several incumbent Democrats are considered vulnerable.

Former GOP Sen. Dan Coats had been planning to challenge Bayh in November.

Mike Pence Endorses Sodrel In GOP Primary

2010-02-15T10:20:00.004-05:00

Sarah Palin and Mike Sodrel

By Ben Zion Hershberg • bhershberg@courier-journal.com • February 13, 2010

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence came to Southern Indiana on Saturday to endorse fellow Indiana Republican and former House colleague Mike Sodrel in the 9th District GOP primary.

Pence, R-Columbus, appeared at a noon news conference with Sodrel at the Clark County Republican headquarters in Jeffersonville and then at a luncheon at The Grand in New Albany.

“We need someone who can hit the ground running in the battle to preserve our constitutional rights and conservative principles,” Pence said in a statement. “This year, when Republicans will do well nationally, Sodrel will win again.”

If Sodrel wins the GOP nomination in the May 4 primary, he would face incumbent Democratic Rep. Baron Hill for the fifth time in a row in the general election. Sodrel, who lives in New Albany, won in 2004.

Sodrel is one of four candidates in the primary. The others are Todd Young of Bloomington, Travis Hankins of Columbus and Rick Warren of Elizabeth. Young and Hankins began their campaigns months before Sodrel’s entry in January. Warren formally entered the race earlier this month.

Ed Feigenbaum, publisher of Indiana Legislative Insight, a newsletter of politics and government, said it is historically unusual for elected officials to take positions on candidates in their parties’ primaries. But Pence has taken positions this year in contested primaries in several states, including Kansas, South Carolina and Florida, Feigenbaum said.

He said Pence’s involvement on behalf of Sodrel could range from personal friendship in 2005 and 2006 when both were in Congress to thinking that Sodrel has the best chance against Hill in the November election.

But Feigenbaum also said Pence’s support could backfire because of anti-establishment feeling among some conservative voters. Pence ranks third in the House Republican leadership.

“On balance, if I was Mike Sodrel, I would much rather have Mike Pence speaking out for me this early,” Feigenbaum said.

Sodrel said he appreciates Pence’s support.

“We worked together for two years,” Sodrel said. “He knows how I think and how I vote. He’s a good man.”

Reporter Ben Hershberg can be reached at (812) 949-4032.

Pence plans New Hampshire visit

2010-02-14T21:06:00.003-05:00

By Maureen Groppe / Star Washington Bureau

Posted: February 6, 2010

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, who has left the door open to running for president in 2012, is heading to New Hampshire next month as the keynote speaker for a GOP fundraising dinner.

It will be the Indiana Republican's first trip to New Hampshire, the state that typically holds the first presidential primary.

"We feel that he's somebody in politics who is an up-and-coming voice for the Republican Party," said Steve Stepanek, chairman of the Hillsborough County Republican Committee, which is holding the dinner. "We want to make sure we give our constituents and members of our party the opportunity to meet and converse with all of the important candidates who are coming to New Hampshire."

Pence, the third-ranking member of the House GOP leadership, has said he is focused for now on helping Republicans in the 2010 elections and will consider other possibilities after that.

He has described the travel he's been doing around the country as part of his effort to boost GOP candidates.

For example, he attended fundraising events last summer for a colleague from Iowa, the state whose caucuses are the first step in the presidential nomination process.

Stepanek said he expects several hundred people to attend the March 19 dinner in New Hampshire. Hillsborough County is the state's most populous county, although Stepanek said Republicans from throughout the state will attend.

Tickets, which cost $30 for the reception and $125 for both the dinner and reception, have been selling well, Stepanek said.

Asked whether he'd like to see Pence run for president, Stepanek said he has to stay neutral. But he said Republicans are looking around for who can best lead the party in 2012.

"I think people are looking at his record, and they're interested to hear more about what he has to say on what's going on in Washington right now, and how we're going to fix what's going on so that we can turn this country around," he said.

Contact Star Washington Bureau reporter Maureen Groppe at (202) 906-8118 or at mgroppe@gannett.com.

Chris Chocola: Senator Coats 'Very Appealing'

2010-02-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

Senator Dan Coats
(Former United States Ambassador to Germany)

[Robert Costa]

Former congressman Chris Chocola (R., Ind.), president of the Club for Growth, tells National Review Online that former senator Dan Coats (R., Ind.) is a “very appealing candidate” and that he “would like to sell Coats’s candidacy to our members in coming days.”

Coats represented Indiana in the Senate for a decade and retired in 1999 instead of running for reelection against then–Indiana governor, and now incumbent senator, Evan Bayh (D., Ind.). Coats announced his possible candidacy earlier today. He joins a field of four other Republicans in the Senate primary: former congressman John Hostettler, state senator Marlin Stutzman, financial adviser Don Bates Jr., and tea-party activist Richard Behney.

“As an Indiana guy, I know that Dan is doing this for all of the right reasons,” Chocola says. “He’s done his time and served well, but he sees what is happening in Washington and knows that he can’t stay on the sidelines. My sense is that he would have been satisfied with a candidate like Mike Pence, but after Pence decided not to run, felt a sense of duty to jump into the race. His candidacy moves us back in the right direction. He has strong name identification — not as strong as it was ten years ago, but still meaningful — and the ability to raise money.”

“The Club is going to take a hard look at this race, and hopefully we’ll find a way to help Dan get back to the Senate,” Chocola says. “Of course, we’ll make sure we comb over his voting record and do our homework before an endorsement of any sort.”

Is Bayh beatable? “Evan Bayh is a good politician, but he hasn’t stood on consistent principles,” Chocola says. “When he ran for president, he tacked left. After Massachusetts, he has tacked right. It’s all about political expediency. For a long time in Indiana, no one could tell that story. Dan Coats is someone who I think can, as well as anyone.”

“People thought Bayh’s father was unbeatable in 1980, and then Dan Quayle beat him,” he adds. “There was a unique environment in 1980, and I think 2010 echoes it in many ways. There is an anti-incumbent mood building in Indiana, and people are tired of Bayh being a political chameleon. Bayh has had a war chest of cash and the press calling him a moderate for years, and no one ever challenged him. I’d like to help Dan Coats tell that story.”

Congressman Mike Pence Pledges Support For Coats' Campaign

2010-02-03T15:11:00.000-05:00

Chris Dickson and Senator Dan Coats

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Pence Call Coats' Campaign "Ideal for Hoosiers"

Congressman pledges support for possible Coats' campaign for U.S. Senate

Contact: Bill Smith, 765-635-9885

ANDERSON, Ind., Feb. 3 /Standard Newswire/ -- Congressman Mike Pence released the following statement in response to the news that former U.S. Senator Dan Coats is considering a 2010 campaign to return to the Senate:

"I am very excited about the possibility that former Senator Dan Coats may run for the United States Senate in 2010 and I sincerely hope he does it. His integrity and conservative record would make him the ideal candidate for Hoosiers. If he runs, I will support him."

Senator Dan Coats - Your Vote Their Voice

2010-02-03T13:56:00.000-05:00

Former Senator Dan Coats To Challenge Evan Bayh

2010-02-03T10:35:00.001-05:00

Chris Dickson and U.S. Senator Dan Coats

Former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats plans to announce Wednesday that he will challenge Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh in November, a senior Republican official told POLITICO.

Coats held the seat Bayh currently occupies for 10 years before retiring in 1998. Since leaving Congress, he has worked as a lobbyist and served as U.S. ambassador to Germany during the George W. Bush administration.

"Coats deciding to run is a product of the environment we're in right now," the GOP official said. "This is a great opportunity for us. We have a real player on the field that they weren't expecting us to have."

Former Rep. John Hostettler and state Sen. Marlin Stutzman are already in the race on the Republican side.

Pence Calls Obama Budget "Irresponsible and Unsustainable"

2010-02-01T19:05:00.002-05:00

MIKE PENCE

RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Congressman Mike Pence issued the following
statement today after the Obama Administration's budget for
FY 2011 was released:

"Although President Obama promised a change in direction last
week, the budget the administration released this morning is
just more of the same old failed fiscal policies that gave
us record spending, record debt and no job growth over the past
year. This course is irresponsible and unsustainable.

"The American people know we can't borrow, tax and spend our
way back to a growing economy. Yet the president's budget more
than doubles the debt and increases spending and taxes to
record levels.

"House Republicans will hold the administration accountable
for its promises of fiscal responsibility while fighting for
fiscal discipline in Washington, DC and across the board tax
relief for working
Americans."

PENCE TO HOST MAYOR OCKOMON IN WASHINGTON FOR NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

2010-02-01T18:29:00.002-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Congressman Mike Pence announced today that Mayor
Kris Ockomon, Mayor of Anderson, and his wife Ann will be his guests of
honor at the 58th Annual National Prayer Breakfast, which will take
place this Thursday, February 4, 2010 in Washington, D.C.

"I am honored to be joined at this significant event by Anderson's
mayor, Kris Ockomon and his wife Ann," said Pence.  "As we set aside
time to remember the power and necessity of prayer, we should also be
reminded to pray for those like Mayor Ockomon who sacrifice much to be
public servants."

"I am thrilled to have been invited to attend the National Prayer
Breakfast this year," said Ockomon. "Ann and I have felt the power of
prayer at work in our lives and look forward to being present at this
event, where thousands of people united in purpose and faith will gather
together to call on a greater power."

Congressman Mike Pence Discusses House GOP Retreat on "Fox and Friends"

2010-02-01T10:35:00.002-05:00

Congressman Mike Pence Discusses President Obama at GOP Retreat on Hardball

2010-01-31T13:49:00.002-05:00

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Pence to Obama: Pelosi and Your Administration Have Ignored GOP Solutions

2010-01-31T13:21:00.002-05:00