Mike Pence Wows Press With Speech in Pouring Rain at Virginia Rally

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Kristinn Taylor Sep 20th, 2016 11:05 pm 113 Comments

“Mike Pence just had THE campaign stop of his VP run. Pouring rain, no umbrella, protesters heard from afar, great crowd energy, revved crowd”, Vaughn Hillyard, NBC News.

Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana blew away the press Tuesday night with a high-powered performance as he spoke to and held a crowd of about 650 supporters in the pouring rain in Williamsburg, Virginia.

https://twitter.com/alanhe/status/778378276360359936

“Update: Pence is soaked, crowd is soaked, and I am soaked”

Watch Video:

https://youtu.be/UqqMg6Gjlyg

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Cal Thomas: Retreat to advance?

By: Cal Thomas

Examiner Columnist
January 28, 2010

If you live long enough in Washington, you'll learn there is literally nothing new under the sun. That's why it is amusing to listen to the House "Progressive Caucus" and MoveOn.org in a full-page newspaper ad attempt to explain the victory of Sen.-elect Scott Brown in the special Massachusetts election last week.

Brown didn't win because Democrats were too liberal, they said. Brown won because Democrats weren't liberal enough. Conservatives sincerely hope the rest of the party buys that reasoning and pushes it all the way to defeat in the November election.

Conservatives used to say the same thing about Ronald Reagan when he raised taxes after first lowering them and signed an amnesty bill for illegal aliens. "Let Reagan be Reagan" came the cry from the Right.

Conservatives blamed "moderates" like Chief of Staff James A. Baker and his deputy, Michael Deaver, for pushing Reagan to the middle. Some on the Left criticize President Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, for allowing Obama to be liberal-lite.

Democrats blame Republicans for opposing every proposal by the administration. Republicans blame Democrats for not taking seriously any of their ideas.

Which brings us to this weekend and a House Republican retreat in Baltimore. Obama has accepted an invitation from the House GOP leadership to address the group and to take questions.

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, chairman of the House Republican Conference, tells me the invitation to the president is not political theater, but "a sincere effort to engage in dialogue over what is in the best interests of our country."

Republicans invited the president to a similar gathering last February, but Pence says, "Our experience with this administration has been that they have said 'no' to every Republican proposal."

That, he says, includes an economic stimulus ("it would have cost half as much and created twice as many jobs"), the budget ("we proposed real entitlement reform"), an energy bill instead of cap and trade that Pence suggests would have lessened our dependence on foreign oil by tapping into more domestic sources, including nuclear energy, and a health care measure that "included malpractice reform."

Has Pence been sent any signals from the White House, particularly since Brown's election in Massachusetts, that the president is willing to compromise on anything in order to get Republican votes? "Not yet," he says with a touch of resignation, or perhaps frustration, in his voice.

Pence flatly predicts the House will be back in Republican hands after the November election. That would take a net gain of 40 seats. Some think that is highly unlikely, but Republicans needed 40 seats to win control in 1994. Many thought that goal unrealistic. Republicans won 54 House seats that year.

The problem for Republicans is that memories remain fresh. The reason the party lost its grip on government in 2006 and 2008 is that members were insufficiently Republican. Like Democrats, they sought to follow the demands of the masses and big media, instead of leading the masses where their best interests lie -- in the direction of liberty, not larger and suffocating government.

"Republicans have got to stand for something," Pence says. Indeed they do. But what is it for which they stand? And if Republicans fulfill Pence's prediction and regain power, what will they do with it this time?

In an "open letter to friends and supporters" in which he explained his decision not to run for the Senate, but seek re-election to his House seat, Pence explained why he took the job of chairman of the House Republican Conference one year ago:

"I accepted that responsibility because I believed that if Republicans returned to their conservative roots, they could win back the confidence of the American people. And I see it happening every day."

The country faces staggering debt and, according to Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf, the nation's budget outlook is "on an unsustainable path." Retreating GOP House members had better start embracing those conservative roots and fast if they want to advance in November and in 2012.

Examiner Columnist Cal Thomas is nationally syndicated by Tribune Media.

Pence Invites Obama to meet with House Republicans

(L to R) Dick Armey, Chris Dickson, Mike Pence

By Perry Bacon Jr.

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 26, 2010; A13

President Obama will meet Friday with perhaps his harshest critics outside of Fox News headquarters: the House Republicans.

The House GOP invited Obama this year to speak at its annual retreat, which will be held in Baltimore from Thursday to Saturday. Coming only two days after Obama's State of the Union address, the session could herald better relations between the two sides in 2010 -- or lift their tensions to an even higher level.

The White House and congressional Republicans spent much of last year bickering over whom to blame for their inability to work together, as the administration constantly blasted the House GOP for unanimously opposing the economic stimulus, while Republicans said Obama and House Democrats refused to incorporate their ideas. A private meeting at the White House that included Obama and House Republicans in December on job growth turned into a griping session, with the president accusing the GOP of "scaring" Americans about his policies while Republicans said the anxiety in the country stemmed from his agenda.

So far this year, nothing has changed. House Republicans have said Obama's policies led to the defeat of Democrat Martha Coakley in the special Senate election in Massachusetts. White House advisers, in turn, have blamed the GOP for the negative tone of Washington politics.

Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), the No. 3 in the House GOP leadership and the organizer of the retreat, said House Republicans wanted a stronger relationship with Obama and said the GOP's goals of working with Obama and winning this fall's elections are not in conflict. "We serve our party best when we serve our country," he said. But he added that "the conversation with the president has to be a two-way street."

In addition to Obama, the House GOP will hear from Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, one of the party's new stars, as well as former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former House majority leader Richard K. Armey, who heads up the conservative activist group FreedomWorks. Party leaders said they will focus on discussing a policy agenda for their candidates in the midterm elections.

Last year's retreat was at the Homestead in Hot Springs, Va. This year, worried about the appearance of a staying at a posh hotel as unemployment hovers over 10 percent, the Republicans have opted for a Marriott near the Inner Harbor. Earlier this month, Democrats eschewed holding a retreat at a luxury resort and heard from experts and the president in the Capitol's visitor center.

'Maybe I'm a masochist'

While he deals with a energized GOP, Obama will also face an increasingly anxious left of his party in Congress. The Progressive Caucus, a group of more than 80 of the most liberal members in Congress, says Republican Scott Brown's upset victory in Massachusetts was not because Obama and Democrats were too liberal, but because they were insufficiently so.

"I don't think it was about health care, it was because change didn't happen fast enough -- that's the frustration," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), one of the group's leaders. "I believe that if we had pursued the populist, progressive agenda, such as a public option, we could have energized our base."

A Washington Post-Kaiser-Harvard poll of Massachusetts voters conducted after Brown's election showed that young and minority voters, who formed the backbone of Obama's support in 2008, represented a smaller percentage of the electorate in last Tuesday's special election. It's not clear whether policy issues or Obama's absence from the ballot caused some of these voters not to go to the polls.

Whatever the reason for the Massachusetts loss, Rep. Raul Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), leader of the Progressive Caucus, has outlined an agenda for 2010 that he says will appeal to the base: increased funding for education, a job-creation bill bigger than the $154 billion version that passed the House in December over the objections of many Democratic moderates, and immigration reform. The latter in particular is unlikely to pass this year.

"We are going to push," he said. "Maybe I'm masochist, but I'm still optimistic."

Self-evident truths?

The tea party is coming to Capitol Hill. Hours before the president's speech on Wednesday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), one of the lawmakers most closely allied with the movement, and FreedomWorks will hold an event with conservative activists and lawmakers to tout a "Declaration of Health Care Independence." An aide to Bachmann said the proposal would "protect the rights of the American to make their own health decisions," as well as include 10 conservative ideas for future health reform.

The health-care event is one of the first steps the tea-party movement will take this year as it seeks to expand its influence. At a news conference Monday, FreedomWorks put out a list of candidates it is backing or opposing in key races this year. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), a candidate for the Senate; Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.); and Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) each are labeled an "Enemy of Liberty" whom the group will oppose. FreedomWorks will back GOP Senate candidates Marco Rubio (Fla.), Pat Toomey (Pa.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) -- each, according to the group, is a "Champion of Freedom."

Congressman Mike Pence Says Abortion Language in Health Care Bill Played ‘Critical Role’ in Demise

Congressman Mike Pence at the 2010 March for Life

Bill Kristol Wades In Again On Mike Pence vs Evan Bayh

In December, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol called for Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), the ultra conservative Chairman of the House Republican Conference, to “mount a serious challenge to Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, who’s up in 2010.” “If he won, he’d be a leading possibility for national office as soon as 2012,” wrote Kristol.

On Fox News last Friday, Kristol indicated that Pence was moving towards a Senate run, saying that “the results of Massachusetts are going to generate all kinds of people jumping into the race you haven’t been expected to.” Watch it:

Now, with Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts last night, Politico reports that “Pence is now considering a campaign of his own against Sen. Evan Bayh.” MSNBC’s First Read adds that they’re “hearing whispers in Indiana that national Republicans think they can convince House GOP leader Mike Pence to channel his presidential ambition via an Evan Bayh challenge.” Hotline’s Reid Wilson reports that “Pence and his aides will meet with top staffers at the NRSC tomorrow” to discuss a possible challenge to Bayh.

For his part, Bayh is using the Massachusetts special election to tack to the right and lash out at the “left.” In an interview with ABC News yesterday, Bayh called Brown’s win “a wake-up call” that moderates and independents “don’t believe the answers we are currently proposing are solving their problems.” “Whenever you have just the furthest left elements of the Dem party attempting to impose their will on the rest of the country — that’s not going to work too well,” said Bayh. And this past weekend, Bayh criticized “congressional elites” who “mistook their mandate.”

Mike Pence Praises Supreme Court Decision In Citizens United Case

PENCE PRAISES SUPREME COURT DECISION IN CITIZENS UNITED CASE

WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Congressman Mike Pence issued the
following statement today after the United States Supreme
of Citizens United in the case of Citizens United v. Federal
Election Commission:

"Freedom won today in the Supreme Court. Today's ruling in
the Citizens United case takes us one step closer to the Founding
Fathers' vision of free speech, a vision that is cherished by all
Americans and one Congress has a responsibility to protect. If
the freedom of speech means anything, it means protecting the
right of private citizens to voice opposition or support for their
elected representatives. The fact that the Court overturned a
20-year precedent speaks volumes about the importance of this
issue.

"In 2003, the Supreme Court unwisely supported the oppressive
restrictions on free speech that were part of the 2002 campaign
finance law. At the time, I was honored to stand with Senator
Mitch McConnell and various state and national organizations
in challenging this historic error in court. Since that time, the
Court has taken important steps toward restoring to the American
people their First Amendment rights. This decision is a victory on
behalf of those who cherish the fundamental freedoms protected
by the First Amendment."

Pence Discusses MA Senate Election and Health Care Legislation on MSNBC

Pence Discusses Health Care and Massachusetts Senate Election on "Daily Rundown"

Mike Pence To Join Pro-Life Americans At March For Life In Washington, DC

Jan. 22 - Pence To Join Pro-Life Americans At
March For Life In Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Mike Pence will join
thousands of pro-life Americans at the
2010 March for Life in Washington, DC.

PENCE OP-ED: WINNING BACK AMERICA

WINNING BACK AMERICA
By Rep. Mike Pence

What a difference a year makes. A year ago, Democrats expanded their majorities in Congress on the coattails of President Barack Obama's historic election. The chattering class was giving Republicans no chance of stopping the freight train of big government the Democrat majority was planning as the solution to every problem facing the country.

But the history of last year tells a different story. House Republicans stood courageously together, offering common sense solutions to address our nation's challenges, and worked hard to slow down the big government liberal agenda that was being forced on the American people.

The fight started before the president even took the oath of office as Democrat leaders charted a course for the country that put special interests in the driver's seat and the American people in the back. As the president's own chief of staff once said, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." With that in mind, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama moved quickly to impose radical change on a country that didn't want it.

First out of the gate was the $787 billion so-called stimulus bill that was nothing more than a wish-list of liberal spending priorities. Following the policies of more spending and more debt -- the same policies that got us into this mess -- would not get our economy moving again. House Republicans responded with an economic recovery plan that would have delivered immediate tax relief to struggling Americans.

The Republican plan embodied conservative principles that have always led to economic prosperity -- tax relief for working Americans and small businesses. When the votes were counted, a majority of Democrats defeated our proposal yet stood stunned as every House Republican said "no" to more government and more debt.

That vote was a defining moment for House Republicans as it put the White House and Democratic congressional leadership on notice that the time to go along to get along was over.

But Democrats didn't get the message. Instead of working with Republicans on solutions to get our country back on track, they continued down the road of big government and out of control spending.

In fact, as national unemployment continued its climb toward a heartbreaking 10 percent, the White House and Democrat congressional leaders unveiled one job-killing idea after another. Their budget-busting proposals will cost $3.7 trillion and raise taxes by hundreds of billions of dollars.

They introduced an energy tax that would raise energy prices on businesses and homes and inflict more pain at the pump. And despite enormous pubic opposition, they continue to try and pass a government takeover of health care that they wrote with special interests behind closed doors. The Senate-passed plan is 2,700 pages long, will raise taxes, raise health care costs, mandate insurance and fund abortion coverage.

These may be the challenges we face but the solutions are not found in the halls of Congress or in the offices of government bureaucrats. There are found in the common sense of the American people -- at kitchen tables, in tractors and combines and coffee shops across this great land.

Whether it is working toward energy independence, lowering health care costs or fixing our economy, we labor in vain unless we put the American people at the center of our future.

That is why House Republicans have offered American solutions to the challenges we face, not government solutions. We introduced a comprehensive strategy to achieve energy independence, common-sense reform to lower health care costs, and a responsible federal budget that lowers deficits without raising taxes. You can learn more about our solutions by visiting gop.gov/solutions.

If the events of this past year taught us anything, it's that the American people want us to win their country back. And Republicans are fighting to do just that. We will seize every opportunity to take our ideas and proposals to the president, to Democrats in Congress, and to the people. Most importantly, we will continue to fight for the common sense and common values of the American people in 2010.

There are some liberals in power who feel that victory is near, but the American people can rest assured that House Republicans have only begun to fight. We are in a battle to preserve all that makes America great and now is the time to do our duty.

The freight train of big government may be losing steam but liberals in Washington won't give up without a fight. House Republicans are in the fight. But we need your help.

Do all you can because a minority in Congress plus the American people equals a majority. With your help we can win back America.

Mike Pence Eyes Senate Run

Alarm bells: Brown upends 2010 – Pence eyes Senate run – 2012-ers congratulate Brown – GOP and Dem insurgents take heart – Ford takes leave from Merrill

By: ALEXANDER BURNS on January 20, 2010 @ 6:00 AM

“ON NOTICE” — The first election of 2010 is over. The White House is reeling. Republicans are cocky again. Democrats are reaching for the panic button. And Scott Brown is the new senator-elect from Massachusetts. The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s John Cornyn warned in a statement: “Democrats nationwide should be on notice: Americans are ready to hold the party in power accountable for their irresponsible spending and out-of-touch agenda, and they’re ready for real change in Washington.”

“We had the machine scared and scrambling, and for them it is just the beginning of an election year filled with surprises. They will be challenged again and again across this country,” Brown said in his victory speech.

As Republicans bask, Dems fret and Bay Staters take stock of their new senator, here’s POLITICO’s Morning Score, by Alexander Burns, Mike Allen and the POLITICO national politics team.

Sign up for the daily e-mail here: http://www.politico.com/morningscore

RALLYING ‘ROUND THE WINNER: Republican leaders sent out a flurry of statements cheering Brown’s 52 percent to 47 percent win over Democrat Martha Coakley on Tuesday night. “The voters in Massachusetts, like Americans everywhere, have made it abundantly clear where they stand on health care,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The National Republican Congressional Committee’s Pete Sessions agreed: “Should Democrats continue to ignore these results and double down on their attempt to ram a government health care takeover down the throats of the American people, they will have far more at stake than a Senate seat in Massachusetts.”

GOP candidates across the country tried to tie themselves to the Brown campaign — from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who released a statement demanding “no delay in seating our newest Republican senator,” to Marco Rubio, who reacted: “In 2010's first major election, voters have demonstrated that ideas and issues reign supreme in our democracy and that nothing comes easy when you stand for the wrong things.”

PENCE FOR SENATE? POLITICO's Josh Kraushaar reports that at least one Republican might do more than cheer for Massachusetts: House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence is now considering a campaign of his own against Sen. Evan Bayh. The outspoken conservative could effectively clear the Republican primary field and give his party a top-tier opponent for one of the best-funded Democratic incumbents. Pence issued a statement on the Massachusetts race, saying the “American people are telling Washington, DC enough is enough. In this special election in Massachusetts, they have sent a deafening message to the political class.”

MENENDEZ TAKES IT ON THE CHIN: “I have no interest in sugarcoating what happened in Massachusetts,” the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman said in a statement. “We will sort through the lessons of Massachusetts: the need to redouble our efforts on the economy, the need to show that our commitment to real change is as powerful as it was in 2008, and the reality that we cannot take a single thing for granted and cannot afford even a second of complacency.”

WHEN IN ROME … Patrick Kennedy said Tuesday the election showed voters are looking to inflict damage on politicians in 2010: “It’s like in Roman times; they’d be trotted out to the coliseum, and the lions would be brought out. ... I mean, they’re wanting blood, and they’re not getting it so they want to protest, and, you know, you can’t blame them. But frankly, the fact is we inherited this mess, and it’s becoming ours.”

“ALARM CLOCK” RINGS — POLITICO’s Smith, Martin and Harris capture the choices facing Democrats in the wake of the Massachusetts defeat: “The same forces of disgust with establishment politicians and hunger for change in Washington that vaulted Obama to power 14 months ago can be harnessed with equal success by people who want to stop his agenda in its tracks. The argument that will now consume Democrats is over the remedy — a disagreement that once again opens up the party’s ideological gulf and vastly complicates Obama’s task in trying to push his signature health care agenda to final passage. ... ‘The alarm clock has gone off,’ said Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, who called for a sharper and more confident leftward tack. ‘We fell into the trap of postpartisanship.’ ... But other Democrats were already urging caution, and a shift toward lower spending and lower expectations that would severely cramp Obama's ambitious agenda. ‘There’s going to be a tendency on the part of our people to be in denial about all this,” Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who is up for reelection this year, told ABC News.”

Mike Pence to attend Southern Republican Leadership Conference

From CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence might be eyeing a White House bid.

Washington (CNN) – Add one more name to the growing list of potential 2012 presidential contenders attending the 2010 Southern Republican Leadership Conference in April: Mike Pence.

An aide to the Indiana Republican confirmed the speaking appearance.

Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference, has a serious following among fiscal conservatives and has already made trips to the early proving grounds of Iowa and South Carolina.

By delivering remarks to the SRLC - a major gathering of Republican officials and activists from 14 southern states, held this year in New Orleans - Pence is signaling that he intends to remain part of the early presidential chatter. The event is held every two to four years and usually conducts a presidential straw poll.

Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are all making appearances at the event, but Mitt Romney is not. Mike Huckabee has not yet said if he will attend.

Mike Pence Call To Arms

Posted by Congressman Mike Pence

Hey folks,

I wanted to make sure you don’t miss the charade that’s being carried out on the floor of the U.S. House today. The Drill-Nothing Democrats finally brought their no-energy energy bill to the floor of the House today for a vote.

We need your help to defeat this bill. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell the Democrats in your state delegation to vote “NO” on Speaker Pelosi’s energy bill.

They bypassed the entire committee process in order to do this. In fact, just last week, the drill-nothing Democrat Congress announced they would bring an energy bill to the floor that includes more drilling, and now they say Republicans have to take “yes” for an answer.

I would suggest that they look at the fine print. The drill-nothing Democrat Congress has brought a bill that actually includes basically “drill-almost-nothing” provisions.

They say “yes” to drilling, but not in Alaska, not in the Eastern Gulf and not within 50 miles. They say “yes” to drilling but states must decide, even though they get absolutely no revenues for choosing to drill. I guess states are just going to allow drilling out of the goodness of their hearts. They say “yes” to drilling but litigation rules will allow environmental lawyers to tie up all leases from the very day they’re filed.

It’s time to end the charade! Stop playing politics with American energy independence! Bring a full and fair debate to this floor, and we will achieve a bipartisan result.

We need your help to defeat this bill. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell the Democrats in your state delegation to vote “NO” on Speaker Pelosi’s energy bill.

Telegraph.co.uk: The most influential US conservatives: 20-1

The final instalment of Telegraph.co.uk's list of the conservatives who most influence American politics.

By Toby Harnden, US Editor
Published: 12:30PM GMT 15 Jan 2010

17. Mike Pence (19 in 2009)

Indiana congressman

Any conversation about rising stars within the conservative movement involves Mike Pence. A lawyer, former talk radio host and now the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives has just fuelled rumours of a possible presidential run by hiring national campaign operatives Kellyanne Conway and Bill Neale. Entered Congress in 2001 and has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order". As chair of the Republican Study Committee - a conservative congressional caucus - Pence was a crusader for small government, low taxes and the outlawing of abortion. Now he’s even higher profile as chair of the GOP House conference.

Is beloved by the tea party movement, which could yet turn out to be the kingmaker in the Republican party. Although a 2012 presidential bid is possible, a more likely option for Pence might be to run for Governor of Indiana when Mitch Daniels steps down (he is term-limited). Alternatively, with Senator Richard Lugar in his 78th year, Pence would be a natural to replace him. An outspoken defender of conservative radio and television hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, he said in October: “To my friends in the so-called ‘mainstream media’ I say, ‘conservative talk show hosts may not speak for everybody but they speak for more Americans than you do.’” An accomplished communicator, he is at the forefront of rebuilding the Republican brand. “If you can’t communicate, you can’t govern,” he has said.

Pence Statement on President's Address to House Republican Conference

January 12, 2010



For Immediate Release | Contact: Matt Lloyd

matt.lloyd@mail.house.gov>  or Mary Vought

mary.vought@mail.house.gov>  - 202-226-9000



Pence Statement on President's Address to House Republican Conference



Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House

Republican Conference, issued the following statement today regarding

the president's address to the House Republican Conference later this

month:



"House Republicans are grateful that the President of the United States

has accepted our invitation to meet with the Republican Conference later

this month.



"House Republicans look forward to presenting the president with our

proposals to protect our nation, create jobs, control federal spending,

lower the cost of health care, achieve energy independence and

strengthen families."



###



The House Republican Conference  *  GOP.gov <http://www.gop.gov/>

1420 Longworth HOB  *  (202) 225-5107

Obama Will Address GOP Retreat

By Edward Epstein, CQ Staff

President Obama, whose early pledges to pursue bipartisan cooperation in
Washington faded in the rough-and-tumble of the past year, will try
again this month when he travels to Baltimore to address House
Republicans at their annual policy retreat.

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana said Tuesday
that the Democratic president has accepted an invitation to appear at
the retreat, which begins Jan. 28. He said he was "grateful" that the
president, who traveled to the Capitol early in his presidency to meet
with House and Senate Republicans over his plans for an economic
stimulus package, would speak to the conference, which will meet at a
downtown hotel.

But House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia was less conciliatory,
repeating the GOP charge that when it comes to building bipartisanship,
Obama has been all rhetoric.

"Though it's welcome news that President Obama will speak with House
Republicans later this month, it is important to point out that true
bipartisanship requires working together on common-sense solutions and a
mainstream agenda to help Americans facing difficult challenges. It is
important to ask whether the President plans to meet WITH Republicans,
or speak TO them," Cantor said in a statement.

He said that while Obama solicited Republican ideas on the stimulus and
later on such issues as health care, he hasn't seriously considered
them.

Democrats counter that the Republicans have decided to become the "party
of no," determined to see Obama and the Democratic Congress fail. Not a
single House Republican voted for the economic stimulus package enacted
early last year (PL 111-5), and only one voted for the health care
overhaul bill (HR 3962).

Obama's campaign for the White House in 2008 included pledges to end the
atmosphere of destructive partisanship in Washington.

Obama will also appear Jan. 14 at the House Democratic Caucus' policy
conference in the Capitol Visitor Center, where the theme will be jobs
creation.

The Democrats, who for the past several years have traveled to a resort
in Williamsburg, Va., have scaled back their plans for their conference
this year, in keeping with the tough economic times.

Republicans, who have traveled for their conferences to resorts in
Virginia and West Virginia, have followed suit by moving their meeting
to Baltimore.

Pence said Republicans still want to get the president's ear for their
conservative ideas. "House Republicans look forward to presenting the
president with our proposals to protect our nation, create jobs, control
federal spending, lower the cost of health care, achieve energy
independence and strengthen families," he said. 

Mike Pence - Introduction

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN)

From Left to Right: Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX),
Chris Dickson, Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN)

Why He Matters

Though he’s now one of the most prominent Republicans in the House, Pence never forgot his radio roots. As chair of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), Pence worked to promote the conservative agenda. He is a popular guest on television and radio and he knows how to use a press conference to his advantage. Friends have nicknamed him “Rush Limbaugh on decaf.” Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54940-2005Mar21?language=printer⁽¹⁾ Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54940-2005Mar21?language=printer

Pence’s profile will rise in the 111th Congress as he assumes the title of House GOP Conference chairman, a post to which he was elected in November 2008 after Republicans were badly defeated in the elections. As the face of a new House GOP leadership, Pence will be charged with resurrecting Republicans’ battered brand and trying to sell it to a broad swath of skeptical voters. But the new role seems tailor-made for the media-savvy Republican, who has challenged the party leadership in the past. “If you can’t communicate, you can’t govern,” he told Biz Voice magazine in 2007.Schuman, Tom, “Getting the Word Out,” BizVoice Indiana Chamber, March 2007 http://www.bizvoicemagazine.com/archives/07marapr/Pence.pdf⁽²⁾Schuman, Tom, “Getting the Word Out,” BizVoice Indiana Chamber, March 2007 http://www.bizvoicemagazine.com/archives/07marapr/Pence.pdf

Pence was first elected to Congress with 51 percent of the vote in 2000, and has been re-elected easily since. He was named Conservative of the Year by Human Events in 2007.Human Events http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29818&keywords=\%22Mike+pence\%22⁽³⁾Human Events http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29818&keywords=\%22Mike+pence\%22

At a Glance

Current Position: House Republican Conference Chairman (since November 2008)

Career History: Chairman,Republican Study Committee, 2005 to 2006; Member, U.S. House of Representatives, since 2001; Radio Host, Mike Pence Show, 1994 to 2000

Birthday: June 7, 1959

Hometown: Columbus, Ind.

Alma Mater: Hanover College, B.A., 1980; Indiana University, J.D, 1986

Spouse: Karen

Religion: Protestant

DC Office: 1317 Longworth House Office Building, 202-225-3021

District Offices: Anderson, 765-640-2919; Richmond, 765-962-2883; Muncie, 765-747-5566

Email

Web site

Path to Power

Pence was born in Columbus, Ind., one of six children. As a teenager, he was a supporter of President John F. Kennedy, in large part because, like Kennedy, he was raised Catholic.

Pence received his undergraduate degree from Hanover College in 1980. It was at Hanover that he experienced a conversion of sorts — from Democrat sympathizer to Republican, and from Catholic to evangelical protestant.
He attended Indiana University law school, where he received his J.D. in 1986.

Pence started working as an attorney, but quickly found his way into the political spotlight. He ran unsuccessfully for the House seat he now holds in 1988 and 1990, losing both times to Rep. Phil Sharp (D-Ind.), a moderate Democrat.
After his second defeat, Pence wrote a piece called “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner” for the Indiana Policy Review. In it, he quoted St. Paul and apologized for accusing his opponent of shady business dealings. “It is wrong, quite simply, to squander a candidate's priceless moment in history,” he wrote. “It seems more grievous that I left my supporters so few clues as to how I would have governed differently.”Pence, Mike, “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner, Indiana Policy Review, Summer 1991, http://www.mikepence.com/confessions.htm⁽⁴⁾Pence, Mike, “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner, Indiana Policy Review, Summer 1991, http://www.mikepence.com/confessions.htm

After his second defeat, Pence took a break from campaigning, but not from politics. He was the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, a conservative think tank, and the radio host of “The Mike Pence Show, a right-leaning talk program that was syndicated across the state from 1994 to 2000.

When then-Rep. David McIntosh (R-Ind.) left his seat to run for governor in 2000, Pence jumped into the House race. He defeated five other candidates in the Republican primary. In the general election, he was opposed by Robert Rock, an attorney and the son of a former lieutenant governor. At the last minute Bill Frazier, a former Republican state senator, also entered the race as an independent.

Rock attacked Pence for his lack of military service and Frazier argued that he would offer more relief for middle class families. But Pence’s call for across-the-board tax cuts and Medicare reform resonated with voters. He won with 51 percent of the vote.

Pence quickly became one of the party’s leading conservative voices, railing against the dangers of big government. In 2005, he was elected unanimously as chairman of the RSC, a conservative caucus with about 100 members. In that position, he vowed to put more Conservative federal judges on the bench, limit abortion rights, and cut spending and entitlement programs like Medicaid.

Pence ran for House minority leader in 2006, arguing that the party needed to return to its “small government ideology.” However, Pence couldn’t overcome Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) popularity and his own reputation for opposing Republican legislation. He lost, 168 to 27.Hulse, Carl. “G.O.P. in House Gears Up for New Leadership Fight,” New York Times, Nov. 15, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/us/politics/15cong.html?scp=1&sq=G.O.P.%20Gears%20Up%20for%20New%20Leadership%20Fight&st=cse⁽⁵⁾Hulse, Carl. “G.O.P. in House Gears Up for New Leadership Fight,” New York Times, Nov. 15, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/us/politics/15cong.html?scp=1&sq=G.O.P.%20Gears%20Up%20for%20New%20Leadership%20Fight&st=cse

In 2008, former rival Boehner convinced him to run for GOP Conference chairman. According to Politico.com, Pence had promised Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) he would stay out of the race, but Pence changed his mind. He ran unopposed. O’Connor, Patrick, “Boehner Holding on as House Mayor,” Politico, Nov. 16, 2008 http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=9D30CAA9-18FE-70B2-A82B6B62EB14582D⁽⁶⁾O’Connor, Patrick, “Boehner Holding on as House Mayor,” Politico, Nov. 16, 2008 http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=9D30CAA9-18FE-70B2-A82B6B62EB14582D

According to the Almanac of American Politics, some politicians have speculated that Pence would like to run for Senate one day.Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition⁽⁷⁾Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition

The Issues

Pence is one of the most outspoken conservatives in the Republican Party. He is a particular champion of controlling the federal budget and cutting government spending, and also supports free markets and “traditional” values.

His decisions are guided by his religion — he tells people “I am a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54940-2005Mar21?language=printer⁽⁸⁾Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54940-2005Mar21?language=printer

Pence voted with his party 91 percent of the time during the 110th Congress.Washington Post Votes Database http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/p000587/⁽⁹⁾Washington Post Votes Database http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/p000587/ However, he has opposed his party on some key measures when they don’t conform to his political beliefs. He voted against President George W. Bush’s education bill, the Medicare/prescription drug bill, and a bankruptcy bill because it included a measure in support of abortion rights.Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition⁽⁷⁾Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition

Pence gained notice (and was attacked by many colleagues) when he challenged former Majority Leader Tom Delay’s (R-Tex.) assertion that it would be impossible to make up for spending in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina with budget cuts elsewhere. At the meeting, Pence proposed cutting tax credits to the poor, support for those with AIDS, and Medicaid, saying those offsets would save the government $500 billion over ten years.

Though the leadership was furious, “operation offset” changed the debate in Washington, and ushered in a renewed effort to limit government spending.

Immigration

Pence was at the forefront of the 2006 immigration debate. He worked with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) to draft a plan that would appeal to hard-line Republicans and proponents of a guest worker program. The legislation would have required illegal aliens to leave the country and then return on a two-year visa, which could be extended if the recipient passed an English proficiency test.

The measure also proposed creating a privately-run database that would match immigrants with jobs companies were unable to fill with Americans.Allen, Mike. “A Compromise Plan on Immigration,” Newsweek, May 23, 2006 http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1196991,00.html⁽¹⁰⁾Allen, Mike. “A Compromise Plan on Immigration,” Newsweek, May 23, 2006 http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1196991,00.html

The proposal was seen as political blasphemy by many in his base. Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan likened Pence’s involvement with the plan to a scene of betrayal in the movie The Godfather. Team America, a conservative political action committee, launched a Web site feature called “Pence Watch.”DeParle, Jason, “Star of Right Loses His Base at the Border,” New York Times, Aug. 29, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/washington/29pence.html?scp=1&sq=Star+of+Right+Loses+His+Base+at+the+Border&st=nyt⁽¹¹⁾DeParle, Jason, “Star of Right Loses His Base at the Border,” New York Times, Aug. 29, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/washington/29pence.html?scp=1&sq=Star+of+Right+Loses+His+Base+at+the+Border&st=nyt

The measure ultimately failed.

Protecting Journalists

In 2008, Pence surprised conservatives by supporting a federal shield law that would have protected journalists from revealing their sources to federal officials. “What’s a conservative like me doing passing a law that helps reporters?” Pence asked during a House debate. He explained “the only check on government power in real time is a free and independent press … it’s about protecting the public’s right to know.”Lichtblau, Eric, et al, “From Places Unexpected, Support for the Press,” New York Times, May 10, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/washington/10shield.html?scp=1&sq=From+Places+Unexpected%2C+Support+for+the+Press&st=nyt⁽¹²⁾Lichtblau, Eric, et al, “From Places Unexpected, Support for the Press,” New York Times, May 10, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/washington/10shield.html?scp=1&sq=From+Places+Unexpected%2C+Support+for+the+Press&st=nyt

The Network

Pence works closely with other conservative members of the House. He is especially close with Hensarling and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.). He worked with Rep. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on the 2005 federal shield law to protect journalists and has allied himself with prominent Senators such as Hutchison.

Foes

Pence was the only House member to file a lawsuit charging that the McCain-Feingold campaign Finance law was unconstitutional. At the time, he said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) “was so deep in bed with the Democrats his feet are coming out of the bottom of the sheets.”Citizens Club for Growth http://www.citizensclubforgrowth.org/2004/10/mike_pence_makes_sense.php⁽¹³⁾Citizens Club for Growth http://www.citizensclubforgrowth.org/2004/10/mike_pence_makes_sense.php Their relationship has remained chilly.

Footnotes

1.

Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54940-2005Mar21?language=printer

2.

Schuman, Tom, “Getting the Word Out,” BizVoice Indiana Chamber, March 2007 http://www.bizvoicemagazine.com/archives/07marapr/Pence.pdf

3.

Human Events http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29818&keywords=\%22Mike+pence\%22

4.

Pence, Mike, “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner, Indiana Policy Review, Summer 1991, http://www.mikepence.com/confessions.htm

5.

Hulse, Carl. “G.O.P. in House Gears Up for New Leadership Fight,” New York Times, Nov. 15, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/us/politics/15cong.html?scp=1&sq=G.O.P.%20Gears%20Up%20for%20New%20Leadership%20Fight&st=cse

6.

O’Connor, Patrick, “Boehner Holding on as House Mayor,” Politico, Nov. 16, 2008 http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=9D30CAA9-18FE-70B2-A82B6B62EB14582D

7.

Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition

8.

Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54940-2005Mar21?language=printer

9.

Washington Post Votes Database http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/p000587/

10.

Allen, Mike. “A Compromise Plan on Immigration,” Newsweek, May 23, 2006 http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1196991,00.html

11.

DeParle, Jason, “Star of Right Loses His Base at the Border,” New York Times, Aug. 29, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/washington/29pence.html?scp=1&sq=Star+of+Right+Loses+His+Base+at+the+Border&st=nyt

12.

Lichtblau, Eric, et al, “From Places Unexpected, Support for the Press,” New York Times, May 10, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/washington/10shield.html?scp=1&sq=From+Places+Unexpected%2C+Support+for+the+Press&st=nyt

13.

Citizens Club for Growth http://www.citizensclubforgrowth.org/2004/10/mike_pence_makes_sense.php

Courtesy of WhoRunsGov at:
http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Mike_Pence

Mike Pence Impersonates George Bush