Category: Politics

  • Jeff Flake Willing to Criticize Donald Trump

    References:

    • NBC News, August 1, 2017, Chuck Todd and Carrie Dann – Jeff Flake Takes On Trump and Puts His Political Future on the Line
    • TIME, July 31, 2017, Katie Reilly – Republican Senator Jeff Flake Accuses GOP of ‘Unnerving Silence’ Under President Trump

    • Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle by Jeff Flake
      Conscience of a Conservative by Jeff Flake
      Available from Amazon.com

      In a bold act of conscience, Republican Senator Jeff Flake takes his party to task for embracing nationalism, populism, xenophobia, and the anomalous Trump presidency. The book is an urgent call for a return to bedrock conservative principle and a cry to once again put country before party.

      Dear Reader,

      I am a conservative.

      I believe that there are limits to what government can and should do, that there are some problems that government cannot solve, and that human initiative is best when left unfettered, free from government interference or coercion. I believe that these ideas, tested by time, offer the most freedom and best outcomes in the lives of the most people.

      But today, the American conservative movement has lost its way. Given the state of our politics, it is no exaggeration to say that this is an urgent matter.

      The Republican party used to play to a broader audience, one that demanded that we accomplish something. But in this era of dysfunction, our primary accomplishment has been constructing the argument that we’re not to blame. We have decided that it is better to build and maintain a majority by using the levers of power rather than the art of persuasion and the battle of ideas. We’ve decided that putting party over country is okay. There are many on both sides of the aisle who think this a good model on which to build a political career—destroying, not building.

      And all the while, our country burns, our institutions are undermined, and our values are compromised. We have become so estranged from our principles that we no longer know what principle is.

      America is not just a collection of transactions. America is also a collection of ideas and values. And these are our values. These are our principles. They are not subject to change, owing to political fashion or cult of personality. I believe that we desperately need to get back to the rigorous, fact-based arguments that made us conservatives in the first place. We need to realize that the stakes are simply too high to remain silent and fall in line.

      That is why I have written this book and am taking this stand.

      —Jeff Flake



  • Alert: Mike Pence Voting Against Veterans

    Mike Pence - Anti VeteransMike Pence will make the republican ticket the most anti-troop, anti-veteran one in American history.

    Pence consistently voted against funding veterans health care

    • 2001: Pence effectively voted against increasing funding for VA medical care programs
    • 2003: Pence voted against providing $1.3 billion for veterans health care
    • 2005: Pence voted against an amendment increasing veterans health care by offsetting brac money
    • 2007: Pence voted against increasing veterans and defense health care spending by a combined $4.8 billion

    References:

    1. Facebook.com/VoteVets
    2. Twitter.com/VoteVets

  • McCain’s Phoenix Condo

    A high-rise condo in Phoenix, Arizona: The two-unit, 6,586-square-foot, 5-1/3 bath condo that serves as the McCain’s primary Phoenix residence and features a rooftop pool, personal spa services, concierge services, and valet parking was purchased new in 2006 for $4.7 million.

    References:

    Halbfinger, David. The McCain Properties. New York Times. August 23, 2008

    Kleefeld E & Shapiro L. The Official TPM Tally: The McCains Own Eight To Eleven Houses. Talking Points Memo. August 22, 2008

    The Residences at 2211 Camelback. 2211 Camelback Amenities – The original website is no longer active: www.2211camelback.com

    What: The McCains’ main residence, this 6,500-square-foot, glass-walled condo with three terraces is in a recently built high-rise called 2211 Camelback. Plus a 2,000-square-foot unit on a lower floor.

    Amenities: The 90-unit development has a rooftop pool and a concierge who offers “pet services,” makes travel arrangements and books spa treatments. There’s also valet parking and a gym.

    Purchase Price and Dates: High-floor apartment, $4.67 million in October 2006; lower-floor unit, $830,000 in August 2007.

    Annual Property Taxes: $15,542 for both units.

    House Tour: Cindy McCain set what is believed by local brokers to be a record condo price for the area when she agreed in 2004 to buy two adjacent high-floor apartments, which she combined. The building is located in the prestigious Biltmore area near stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue.

    Due Diligence: Though the upper-floor unit appreciated after the 2004 purchase agreement, its value has since fallen to about the purchase price, brokers say. The lower-floor condo’s value is about $715,000, down 14%, a typical drop for the hard-hit Phoenix market.

    Source:  ReListr.com