The American People Speak!

Listen to the voices of the people. America has spoken, which side are you on?

Tea Party Takes Over Washington

Tonight, the best in American Democracy made their way to the US Capital to have their grievances heard. God was on their side as they tried to smite those liberal socialists and their big government takeover. They had seen and heard enough of these elitist Ivy Leaguers and their Cap and Trade, Big Funding Act, and fear for the environment. The tea partiers told the Democrats to stop fearing for the trees and to start fearing for America's children. They were tired of the Democrats disrespect for Senate procedures and of their disrespect for the great American heroes on the Senate, the conservative Republicans. God was on the side of the Tea Party tonight. Let's hope that the Senate heard their call and begins to enact legislation that reflects the true values and beliefs of real Americans. The fate of the country depends on it. Real Americans do not want a socialist tyranny to takeover our environment and our education. They want American, conservative values to prevail. Tonight, hope was renewed for the revival of America.

If the video does not appear below: Click on the title "Tea Party Takes Over Washington" to see the video. We are having technical difficulties with Blogger.com right now. Apologies.

BREAKING: Boxer Apologizes for Destroying Democracy, Republicans Considering Options

The Minority Leader and the Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee received this email from Senator Barbara Boxer in the middle of the night:

Dear Senators McConnell and Inhofe,

I’m writing to sincerely apologize for what happened tonight. I abused my power, and showed a lack of respect for the work we all did together until late in the night. It was irresponsible and a violation of trust for me to adjourn without considering more legislation, and to unfairly use the parliamentary power I was granted for legislative ends.

I want to extend an additional apology for my ill-judged action as committee chair. It is my sole responsibility to maintain order, decorum, and a fair environment for our committee. Tonight, I failed in that capacity. I sincerely apologize.

I truly hope that we can put this incident in perspective. I’m confident that we can all benefit by coming back together and working through the legislation that we all worked hard on. My view is that the best approach would be for a few people from each caucus to get together before the simulation, and figure out a road map to get your legislation on the floor. Of course, please let me know if you have any other ideas.

Again, I extend my sincerest apologies, and please convey my sentiments to the rest of your caucus.

All the best,

Senator Barbara Boxer

The Minority Leader says he is consulting with his leadership and his caucus, and is considering several options. While Senator McConnell appreciates the apology, he views it as less than adequate. "The procedures that adjourned the EPW committee were clearly premeditated," Mr. McConnell said. "It's one thing to apologize for doing something you didn't mean to. It's an entirely different thing to apologize for something you meant to do and don't like the blowback of. The American people and the people of Kentucky understand that. Why can't EPW Democrats?

FACT: Barbara Boxer Opposes Democracy

Ruling it a procedural matter, Barbara Boxer (photo at right) overturned the majority of her committee to adjourn early. The result: no debate or votes on Republican bills. This is a travesty, an abuse and a desperate tactic by a party precariously close to losing its Congressional majority. Spectators await what whip Richard Burr characterizes as an "immediate and forceful" Republican procedural response. One wonders whether the "Democrats" understand what a committed Republican Conference can do. I predict it won't take long before Boxer regrets this fascist gamble.

Senator McConnell (R-KY) Comments on Specter's Switch

Senate Education Committee Wasting Time due to Democratic Stalling

Wednesday night, the Senate committee on Education Reform HELP was brought to a halt due to the ineffectiveness and inexperience of the Democratic Senators. The Democratic Senators forgot to include the enacting clause which allows bills to become law. How could U.S. legislators omit such a fundamental part of legislative language in a bill? I tell you why: the Democrats are inexperienced, grade-inflated law-scholars who obviously fell asleep during fundamental lessons. In order to compensate for their error, the Democratic Senators began stalling using every tatic at their disposal, INCLUDING LADY GAGA! I REPEAT LADY GAGA!

Senator Crapo (R-ID) Plays Integral Role in Reviving Yucca Mountain Project

Senator Crapo and the subcommittee on nuclear energy have salvaged taxpayer dollars and renew the possibility of a legitmate nuclear contribution to the American energy grid. The political skills of the Republican Senators have convinced the majority of Democratic Senators to accept the re-opening of Yucca Moutain. The honorable Senator Crapo (R-ID) convinced Senator Reid (D-NV) to support this decision by legislating an innovative approach to transferring hazardous nuclear waste by way of a secured rail system (trains).

Arlen Specter Switches Back to the GOP!

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA, formerly D-PA) decided to make the most momentous bipartisan effort all week. Seeing that no legislative progress was being made and that the American people were being denied an effective government, Senator Specter switched to the Republican party late Wednesday night.

Senator Alexander (R-TN) Comments on the Democratic Walk Out/Recess

Democrats Hold Up Congress

The Democrats, after failing to attach an enacting clause to one of their bills, realized their error and proceeded to walk out of the Senate in a huff. They refused to comment to the Factor, but it appears they will try to pass their legislation without the clause. Without the clause, Republicans argue, the president cannot actually sign the bill into law. We will keep the American people updated as the Democrats scramble around trying to fix the mess they have created.

Glenn Beck

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has a Bad Day

Chairwoman Boxer you have Entered the NO BULL ZONE!

Senator Bennet (D-CO) Admits Homosexuality to be a Biological Disorder

Reporting Live: The Claremont Factor

OP-ED: Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) Proposes Bipartisan "School-Home" Amendment

Dear friends and distinguished colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that I have introduced an amendment to the Democrats' Big Funding Deal Act for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind that would deal directly with the severe problem of homeless students that the great State of Alaska faces. Unfortunately, our great state has one of the highest homeless populations in the nation, and many of those individuals are children already at high risk. These students need extra attention. They need an education, and they need a home.

That's why I proposed a bipartisan amendment with my distinguished Democratic colleague Patty Murray from the State of Washington. The opportunity to home-school children is a priority of mine and of the Republican caucus in general. But homeless children do not have homes. So instead of home-schooling, I proposed school-homing.

A school-home would allow homeless children to attend school in an environment in which they can be safe. A mix between a boarding school and a homeless shelter, a school-home is critical to alleviate the most severe problems facing the great State of Alaska's homeless population: a lack of a home, and a lack of education.

I urge my colleagues in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to support this amendment in the mark-up hearings tomorrow night, and I urge my colleagues in the full Senate to keep this amendment to the Big Funding Deal as we move to floor debate. It is what is best for our children and what is best for our communities.

All my best,

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Perkins Stands Up for American Values

In the Senate today, Tony Perkins, a respected religious leader testified and stood up against homosexuals and their evil and immoral practices. Perkins spoke out against the Gay Agenda to indoctrinate America's children. He encouraged the Senate to approve the CREEPER Act in order to keep gays out of our schools. Their "dastardly acts" must be kept away from American children.

We must have a strong education for our children that is not perverted by "gay love games." We must tell the Senate to pass this legislation to protect our children.

Glenn Beck

Chamber of Commerce on Big Funding

A representative of the Chamber of Commerse testified before the Senate today on the education debate. We caught up with him afterwards.

He admitted that he does not endorse the Democratic Party, and he did not object to the statement that the "Democratic Party Hates America and wants to hurt our children."

Glenn Beck

Senator Burr (R-NC) on Big Funding Bill

During a recess, we caught up with Senator Burr and listened to his interpretation of the large federal government takeover of our schools.

OP-ED: Big Funding Act=Big Government

Today, the Senate HELP Committee continued its debate of the Big Funding Bill meant to replace No Child Left Behind. Regardless of the flowery language that makes the bill sound like it will help our children, the truth is, all this bill will do is give the government more power at the expense of America's kids. The bill relies heavily on standardized tests. It allows the federal government to grow and gain vague powers to intrude into our schools and classrooms. As the Republicans in the committee pointed out yesterday, the language of the bill creates a dangerous potential of larger federal government.

It also gives much of the funding to the Secretary of Education to spend at his discretion. Does this remind anybody else of TARP? The last time we allowed a Cabinet Secretary to have billions of tax dollars to spend look what happened. We do not want the same thing that happened to the economy to happen to our schools!

The bill does not provide for school choice, vouchers, or any competition. America is built upon a strong foundation of capitalism. Our schools should be allowed to compete, and families and children should be allowed to choose.

This bill is against the constitution. It is for Socialism. It is for large government and high taxes. The American people should stand up for American ideals and oppose this giant funding bill. Or else: i will cry

Glenn Beck

Interview with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK)

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska responds to President Obama's State of the Union Address and Governor Jindal's Response Address.

Republicans Walk It Out

Solution to Federal Education Mandates, NOT!

Obviously Democrats believe that they are immune to the ineffectiveness of Federal Education Reform. They believe because they are different from the people who implemented No Child Left Behind; but I say if it smells like, sounds like, and looks like an ineffective federal mandate on education, GUESS WHAT? It IS an ineffective federal mandate on education. The United States Constitution states that the powers not given to the federal government are given to the states and the people. Education is a power given to the states and the people. Democrats openly oppose this claim and OPPOSE THE U.S. CONSTITUTION! Democrats, why do you hate America?

Congress Walks Out!

First day: the Republican Senators walk out in defense of Liberty.

Glenn Beck Reports on SOCIALISM!

SOCIALISM!

Interview of Senator Bernie Sanders by Glenn Beck and Aditya Hannity

Opinion: HELP "Democrats" versus Democracy?

Tom Harkin (photo at right) and his HELP Committee "Democrat" cohorts today demonstrated the disregard for American politics and tradition that have come to dominate a once great party. Throughout proceedings, the "Democrats" ran a circus that wasn't worth the cost of lighting the Capitol building.

First the "Democrats" attempted to subvert Senate rules by pulling a last minute maneuver to replace a representative of the states with a federal bureaucrat. Senator Enzi's bold leadership was the only thing that kept the "Democrat" caucus from completely subverting order.

This injustice was soon overshadowed by atrocity "Democrats" tried to present as a bill. By indexing education spending to inflation and GDP growth, without providing measures for either, these "Democrats" took control of education funding from you and gave it to their Washington lackeys.

Worse yet, appropriations were the only semi-coherent part of this legislation. There were no definitions given for the legalese terms used. The bill didn't conform to basic rules of the English language, never mind the language of Congress. As Republican whip Richard Burr noted, "without clear language we can't even tell what this bill is going to do to. We're confused, local education authorities are confused, parents and teachers are confused, and our children lose out."

I agree, and urge every American who cares about our children to contact their Senator. Maybe a couple "Democrats" will listen to the people and return to principles of free government. Luckily, we have Enzi and his Republicans to preserve our liberty in the meantime.

OP-ED Senator Crapo's Concern for America -by Brian O'Reilly

On Monday night, the Senate of the 111th Congress convened in the Environment and Public Works subcommittee. This committee discussed one of the greatest misuses of taxpayer dollars: Yucca mountain. The liberal, coffee sipping, elitist, Democratic Senators pitched lousy-ass, softball questions to appease their witness Energy Secretary Steven Chu all night. The Democrats spoke only about points that Secretary Chu had already prepared to answer. Yet a beacon of reason, a true voice of the people, Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho came forth to question the Secretary. Senator Crapo asked what Secretary Chu thought about killing the $10 billion nuclear waste site at Yucca mountain. Secretary Chu conceded that killing Yucca mountain was a "mistake"; a mistake, how about a travesty, a sin against the American people? Democrats wasting $10 billion dollars on a nuclear waste site that will never be used for anything is not based on reason; it is not based on what is best for the American people. Democrats have turned this promising prospect into a $10 billion "Hole to Nowhere". Shutting down Yucca Mountain is devastating to the local community in Nevada that was promised federal jobs. Call it a dream deferred or another government promise that came back marked "insufficient funds".

Only Senator Crapo challenged Comrade, I mean Secretary, Chu on this enormous government waste. He said, "Some believe that Obama cut [Yucca mountain] out of the bill to save money, yet this decision will cost billions more to scrap the program. This decision was politically motivated to appease Senator Reid (D-NV) in eliminating nuclear waste in his backyard". Senator Crapo suggests that the United States finish what we started: a nuclear waste program in Nevada. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NEEDS MORE POLITICIANS LIKE SENATOR CRAPO. These democrats would spend us into oblivion and throw away billions of dollars on political whims. AMERICA, THESE PINHEADS WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!

HELP committee session full of vitriolic attacks

As the Senate HELP Committee commenced mark-up, bitter partisanship superseded legislative cooperation. The vitriol was palpable.

The Republican committee members, led by ranking member, Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), brought up several definitional issues - accusing Democrats of deliberately inserting vagueness into legislation. Democrats, led by HELP Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), countered that Republicans were ignoring substantive issues to the detriment of their caucus and the American people.

The session adjourned with both sides jousting as well as jesting at each other. The political food fight seems to have no end in sight.

Republicans, however, have been making headway and hope to pass a bill soon.

"The American people deserve to have this legislation fully considered," said Senator Enzi, "the Democrats have failed to understand the consequences of their sloppy language, but we hope to propose a series of amendments to remedy the situation."

Tomorrow, the committee will continue marking up the "Big Funding Deal Act" in hopes of reaching a compromise. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) expressed optimism about the bill's chances. But when asked if Obama is a nazi, he laughed maniacally.

The Claremont Factor

The Claremont Factor is an independent news organization focused on covering the momentous proceedings of the Claremont Colleges congressional simulation.