The Democrat Strategy in Federal Congressional Elections – Nix Perks

Democrat strategists are using the anti Washington sentiment raging across the nation against Republicans. These gimmicks could make a difference in tight races with a Democrat incumbent.

Nancy Pelosi’s House Minority machine put together a “nix perks” campaign, and many Democrats running for re-election are campaigning against special Congressional Perks.   The “nix perks” ideas bring applause from Tea Party groups; such as proposed elimination of free vehicles for lawmakers, using campaign funds to upgrade to first class flights, taxpayer funded gym access, barbershop and salon services, health care subsidies, taxpayer funded overseas junkets, and replacing generous congressional pensions with ordinary Social Security benefits.   The goal of Pelosi’s machine is to make voters believe that incumbent Congressional Democrats are not incompetent beneficiaries of special favors.   

An example in California is a television commercial that shows the young Democrat incumbent with an older model car with roll up windows commenting that he did not take the Congressional Car Perk and he would like power windows.  Congressmen earn $174,000 per year; with a staff allowance of $900,000 and a travel and expense allowance of $250,000.  Maybe he could afford a car with power windows, in spite of declining the $1,000 per month Car Perk.   

Christmas Eve 1895 was the first time a Senate Bill was passed on Christmas Eve.  Christmas Eve 2009 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Democrats passed the Affordable Health Care Bill. It was the 2nd bill ever passed on Christmas Eve.  Back to the House, Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Congress to pass it so they could find out what was in it.  It passed with no Republican votes, and was signed into law by President Barak Obama.  In 2013 Republicans introduced a bill to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act which was defeated by Democrats.

President Obama claims that Congress does not pass enough bills, and he will take matters into his own hands to get his agenda accomplished.  He calls them a “Do Nothing Congress”, and claims that Republicans in Congress have blocked every serious idea to strengthen the middle class.  That earned him 3 Pinocchio’s from the Washington Post.  Nevertheless, he continues to use that rant in his fundraising speeches.  The reality is that there are 356 bills that have passed in the House with bi-partisan support, and that Harry Reid refuses to bring them to vote in the Senate.  Obama sends out childish messages to Congress like “Stop being mad all the time.”  This would be satire in another generation.

Perhaps we have too many bills that impede free enterprise and job creation.   Business creates jobs, more bills do not.  We should abandon the idea that the nation needs more laws. Many laws are wasteful and outmoded and should be repealed, not expanded. 

Please do not be misled by warm and fuzzy television commercials about Democrats.   Don’t believe the wrongful ads against Republicans, who support seniors, veterans, business/job creation, education, and much more.  When votes counts, elected Democrats vote with Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama.