Pat Tiberi is endorsed by the Columbus Dispatch Printing Company
Central Ohio residents have been treated to yet more of the Columbus Dispatch Printing Company’s (CDPC) ‘fair and balanced’ judgment. Pat Tiberi, a Republican currently holding the 12th Congressional seat at the People’s House, has gotten the local daily printing company’s endorsement for Congress.
Hopefully, CDPC readers will remember the past ‘judgment’ of the company’s endorsements–including George W. Bush for president in both 2000 and 2004, when shortly before the 2004 election, even the CDPC seemed to know better. In the midst of this latest fill-in-the-blank-shock-and-awe (economic) crisis, that presidential endorsement has shown where the loyalties of the Wolfe family media empire really LIE. Much like Washington serves its lobbyists, the CDPC likewise serves the corporations who pay for their ads.
The fact that a local printing company’s public informational monopoly would find it within their job description to endorse a candidate before even informing the population of where all candidates stand on the issues that affect them most, is discrediting to not only to the endorsement, but raises questions as to the credibility of the CDPC itself.
The CDPC wrote, “Tiberi [is a] moderate Republican, reasonable in [his] approaches to policy issues and capable of the nitty-gritty legislative work that’s required.”
The most glaring omission in this statement is that Tiberi has never sponsored and passed even one piece of legislation in his nearly eight years of [dis]service.
By this same CDPC standard, Tiberi’s voting record indicates that he is as “moderate” as he is “capable”!
Let’s look at his “moderate” and “reasonable approach” from his congressional voting record, for as even the CDPC noted, “most candidates are fiscal conservatives during the campaign season; the proof is what happens when they get to Capitol Hill.”
Exactly.
The question is, why didn’t the CDPC look at that “proof” of public record and relate that to their readers?
The [t]reason is that Tiberi’s record is far from moderate, and the CDPC is heavily invested in the status quo which Pat Tiberi will no doubt maintain.
Let’s look at Tiberi’s voting record concerning his ‘moderate’ fiscal responsibility over the past two years: In agricultural issues, “our” congressman (who represents a large constituency of farmers) voted AGAINST the farmers five out of six times. As a result, the Farm Bureau has not endorsed Tiberi for the 2008 election cycle.
In Tiberi’s House appropriations voting record, which is an indication of fiscal conservation or tax and spend tendencies, Tiberi voted FOR 13 of the 14 bills presented.
The conventional myth that Republicans represent the fiscal conservatives in Congress and the White House, is a direct result of the various American Propaganda (AP) “news” sources like the CDPC.
Tiberi’s sole NO vote, was AGAINST funding the “Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007″ which would have:
- appropriated $1,337,080,000 to the Army Corps of Engineers for construction and flood control,
- expressed the gratitude of Congress and the American people to members of the United States Armed Forces (at a cost of $0 billions),
- prohibited funds to establish any permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq (Tiberi supports 100-year war), and
- further acknowledged that Congress alone has the power to declare war.
Just because “everybody’s doing it,” doesn’t give Tiberi permission to ABSTAIN from following the Constitution! Tiberi should take his own advise!
Did anyone ever hear Tiberi speak up to stand against this ridiculous assault on education, reason, human behavior and science back in 2006 and again in 2007? Did the CDPC ever once call him out on his support for this [anti-] education bill?
Perhaps we should have first asked what the CD printing company used as their evidently unique definitions of “moderate and reasonable.”
In Tiberi’s [weak] defense, he later voted for the “GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions” which appropriated $8.48 billion for natural disaster relief and recovery. Of course, the “Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007″ Tiberi had previously rejected, would have funded the Army Corp of Engineers $1.34 billion to prevent such flood damage. Much like the ridiculousness of H-6111 illustrates (the abstinence [anti-]educational program funding bill), prevention is the more ethical and fiscally responsible solution, yet this “conservative” is described as “moderate and reasonable” by the CDPC.
If Tiberi is so adamantly “pro-life” that he advocates abstinence over education, why did he vote to fund a pre-emptive shock-and-awe campaign against the already born (of Iraq and Afghanistan)? Did GOD tell him it was the “right thing to do?”
When we consider the resulting floods across the United States caused by predictable–and in fact predicted levy failures, his repeated refusal to fund the care for our Veterans, and his consistent votes FOR milking this 100-year-war-Keynsian-cash-cow, then this vote against the “GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions” should be enough to illustrate the treasonous priorities of “our” congressman.
Specifically, Tiberi claims “I have been deeply and personally committed to improving health care for veterans for nearly twenty years…”
Oh, really?
- “Our congressman” voted AGAINST adding $53 million for veterans’ health care and processing claims for compensation and pensions. This amendment failed by only one vote.
- “Our congressman” voted AGAINST providing benefits for eligible members of the Armed Forces.
- “Our congressman” voted FOR the 2006 Congressional Budget which resulted in SIGNIFICANT CUTS in veterans’ benefits programs.
- “Our congressman” voted AGAINST extending health benefits to Reservists and members of the National Guard.
From 2003-2005, the Disabled American Veterans gave Mr. Tiberi a grade of 0 every year. In 2006, the Retired Enlisted Association gave Pat a grade of seven–out of 100.
If this is the record of someone who genuinely believes he is committed to Veterans’ issues, perhaps he should be “committed.”
On issues of voting integrity, Tiberi voted against the “Backup Paper Ballots” bill, despite the concerns of his constituency and our own Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner who suspect that Ohio’s electronic voting is unreliable and in fact may have been responsible for illegitimately handing the presidency over to George W. Bush back in 2004. Tiberi also voted for the bill which required voters to present an identification card–just 6 weeks before the 2006 elections. This bill tended to disenfranchise more democratic voters than republicans. Maybe we should follow Tiberi’s example, and call him by his more earned name, Pat SHAM-beri.
Tiberi’s other “reasonable” voting highlights for his last term include voting:
- FOR the intelligence communities’ use of terms like “jihadist,” “jihad,” “Islamo-facism,” “caliphate,” “Islamist,” or “Islamic terrorist”.
- AGAINST the use of stem cells for the advancement of medical research.
- FOR allowing electronic surveillance through “special courts”.
- FOR retroactive immunity to electronic communication providers from liability with regards to civil action.
- AGAINST providing federal assistance to foreclosed homeowners this past May–three times.
- AGAINST establishing the Office of Congressional Ethics.
- FOR–in fact, never voted against–Iraq War Appropriations.
- AGAINST Troop withdrawal, a ban of permanent bases, or limiting interrogation techniques (a vote FOR torture).
- Voted AGAINST women’s issues every time, including votes AGAINST equal pay bills and AGAINST women’s reproductive choice.
- FOR the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Bill, and.
- FOR the Federal Real ID.
Let us not forget that on January 5, 2007 Pat Tiberi said (as he had done three times before):
“I, Pat Tiberi, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
Perhaps he missed the very first line in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America (aka the Bill of Rights) which states:
“Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion…”
when he voted to pass House Resolution 847, also known as the “Recognition of the Importance of Christmas and Christianity”?
What part of “defend the Constitution” does “our” congressman not understand?
- Does this former Realtor really think he knows what’s better for his constituents than the Founding Fathers of our nation did?
- Would George Washington have passed funding wars that were never even declared by Congress?
- Would George Washington have passed FISA retroactive immunity bills?
- Would George Washington have voted to bail out huge financial institutions, making the taxpayers the owners of dubious debt, while executives of these large corporations get large severance packages and are never held accountable to the rule of law?
As Tiberi’s democratic challenger, David Robinson noted in a debate held this past September 11 (where Tiberi again failed to make an appearance):
“If you want to understand why Tiberi votes the way he does, just follow the money.”
That seems like pretty good advise, so let’s have a look:
Pat Tiberi’s top 5 Contributors, 2007-2008
- Ashland Inc $13,500
- Limited Brands $13,100
- Grange Insurance $12,100
- National Multi Housing Council $12,000
- American Bankers Assn $10,000
Pat Tiberi’s top 5 Industries, 2007-2008
- Insurance $158,531
- Securities & Investment $83,293
- Lawyers/Law Firms $72,506
- Real Estate $67,236
- Health Professionals $66,000
My name is sherry clark, and I approve this message.
Victoriya
February 10, 2009 at 12:18 pm
iNce news, thank you!