MEMO: Rehberg's Decades Of Disservice

MEMO: Rehberg's Decades Of Disservice

During his three decades in office, Congressman Dennis Rehberg has continually taken positions against the will of the voters of Montana and has gained more notoriety for his antics than any legislative accomplishments. Some of his most recent lowlights include:

- Supporting a massive land grab by the Federal government which would give the Department of Homeland Security unprecedented control over Montana land. - Voting to give himself five pay raises at taxpayers’ expense despite pledging not to. - Suing the Billings Fire Department. - Having a cozy relationship with lobbyists then failing to report the campaign donations he received from lobbyists on legally required transparency forms. - Supporting vast government overreach including the PATRIOT Act and REAL ID.

As the general election has now begun, Montana voters will see that Dennis Rehberg doesn’t stand with them and despite his past as a gymnast, he will not be able to twist and turn his way out of his true record.

Memo: Heather Wilson's Real Record

To: Interested Parties From: Rodell Mollineau, President, American Bridge 21st Century Re: Heather Wilson's Real Record Date: 6-5-12 Four years after her first Senate bid ended in a primary defeat, Heather Wilson has managed to at least gain her party’s support this time around. Unfortunately for her, that means general election voters statewide will be introduced to her record for the first time. What they’ll find is a corrupt former member of Congress, willing to use her official position to advance partisan politics at any cost. Wilson’s tenure in the House of Representatives was notable for her proximity to the Bush White House. A member of both the House Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,Wilson attempted to stall and bury a Congressional investigation into the intelligence failures leading up to the Iraq War. She was later implicated in the Bush White House's politically motivated firing of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. This earned her a spot on the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)’s 2007 “Most Corrupt” list. After leaving Congress, Wilson maintained her close connection to the architect of Bush’s partisan politics by serving as a board member for Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS. Wilson was also recently discovered to have been named in a pay-to-play investigation conducted by the New Mexico Attorney general’s office, stemming from her previous time in D.C. The last thing New Mexico voters want is a return to the policies or politics of the Bush administration. That’s why Heather Wilson will find herself 0 for 2 in Senate bids come November.

BRIDGE BRIEF: The Truth About Romney & The Auto Rescue

ROMNEY SAID GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO AUTO INDUSTRY WAS FINE AFTER A MANAGED BANKRUPTCY

Romney Said He Would Have Been “Fine” With Government Support To The Auto Industry But Only After A Managed Bankruptcy. According to The Detroit News, “[During an interview] Romney said Democrats are ‘distorting’ his record on the auto bailout, whose government-imposed conditions included filing bankruptcy. ‘If they needed help coming out of bankruptcy and government support, that was fine, but I was not in favor of the government writing billions of dollars in checks prior to them going into bankruptcy,’ he said.” [Detroit News, 06/05/12]

ROMNEY OPPOSED GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY

Romney Believed Things In Detroit Would Be Better Without Intervention.  According to a Detroit News op-ed, Romney wrote “The president tells us that without his intervention things in Detroit would be worse. I believe that without his intervention things there would be better.” [Detroit News, 2/14/12] Romney Wrote That One Of The Agendas For A Free And Strong America Was To “Get The Government Out Of General Motors.” According to “No Apology” Mitt Romney wrote that one of the agendas for a free and strong America was to “Get the government out of General Motors—and other private companies.” [“No Apology” 2011 Pg. 318] Romney Believed Automakers Should Have Had Private Bankruptcy Without Federal Aid. According to the Associated Press, “Romney told a diner at the Senate Coney Island restaurant Thursday morning that the automakers should have gone through a private bankruptcy without the federal aid. The businessman and former Massachusetts governor says he believes ‘in the process of law’ rather than bailouts.” [Fox News, Associated Press, 6/9/11 ]

MEMO: Josh Mandel FBI Investigation

When Josh Mandel became Ohio’s Treasurer barely a year ago, he was entrusted to act as a responsible steward of the state’s funds. Mandel quickly violated that trust by failing to fulfill the responsibilities of his job so he could campaign for a Senate seat instead. Mandel has also acted irresponsibly by flouting campaign finance rules. Questionable contributions made to his Senate campaign by employees of Suarez Corporation are now under investigation by the FBI. The suspicious nature of the donations was raised by the press to Mandel last year, as it was noted how unusual it was for multiple employees (and their spouses) of the same company, many whom have never before given to federal campaigns, to each make maximum donations to the same candidates. Yet Mandel refused to investigate the donations, and returned them only after the press reported on the existence of an FBI investigation. And though he has now returned $105,000 in tainted donations, Mandel has yet to come clean. He refuses to identify when he became aware of the FBI investigation, how he learned of the investigation, and how long he waited before returning the donations. This is to say nothing of whether he knew that the contributions were illegal before they were made, and still chose to accept them anyway. With the FBI investigating these contributions to Mandel’s campaign, Ohio voters are asking the same question: what is Josh Mandel hiding?

Tell Mitt Romney: Fire "The Donald"

Donald Trump and his birther conspiracies just helped Mitt Romney raise more than $2 million at a fundraiser in Las Vegas. Even by Vegas standards, that’s an awfully big pay off -- but every single dollar Romney raised is tainted with the dishonesty and bigotry of Trump’s lies. It’s hard to imagine a worse gamble, and it’s time for Mitt Romney to put his love of firing people into action. Join us in calling for Mitt Romney to fire The Donald.

Donald Trump is ridiculous. In fact, it’s hard to believe that Romney believes half of what Trump says in his unhinged rants. But that doesn’t mean Trump’s brand of crazy isn’t dangerous. The longer Mitt uses Trump to raise money from the political gutter, the more damage they both can do. Visit https://FireTheDonald.org and call on Romney to show some leadership and Fire The Donald today.

Everything Richard Mourdock’s Website Said About Dick Lugar

It was reported yesterday that Indiana State Treasurer and Senate candidate Richard Mourdock was in the process of scrubbing his website of mentions of Senator Dick Lugar, the primary fight, and contrast pieces highlighting his policy differences with the incumbent. Unwilling to let Mourdock tack to the center after claiming his extreme conservatism, American Bridge 21st Century is making available to the public an archive of everything Mourdock published on his campaign website regarding Senator Lugar. Check it out after the jump.

BRIDGE BRIEFING: Mitt Romney & Higher Education

Romney Does Not Care About College Affordability

Romney Said “College Is Not Right For Everybody.” According to Fox News, during an interview on “Hannity,” Romney was asked by Sean Hannity: “Do you think that it’s in everybody’s best interest to get a degree or are people better off going to specialized schools to become a mechanic or an electrician or a plumber? What do you think?” Romney replied “Not everybody is going to go to college, of course. And people have different courses in their life they want to pursue. College is not right for everybody. Some folks have other ambitions and want to go in different directions. So, we want people to have freedom in this country and opportunity to pursue their happiness and the way they think.” [Fox News, 2/28/12] Romney Suggested Students Facing Rising Tuition Costs Should Get A Scholarship Or Join The Military. According to a New York Times op-ed, “There wasn’t a word about the variety of government loan programs… There wasn’t a word urging colleges to hold down tuition increases… And there wasn’t a word about Pell Grants, in case the student’s family had a low enough income to qualify… Instead, the advice was pretty brutal: if you can’t afford college, look around for a scholarship (good luck with that), try to graduate in less than four years, or join the military if you want a free education.” [New York Times, 3/5/12]

Supports Paul Ryan’s Plan Cutting Pell Grants For 1 Million Students

Romney Supported Federal Budget Cutting Pell Grants By 25 Percent. According to New York Times, “That may be because Mr. Romney supports the House Republican budget, which would cut Pell Grants by 25 percent or more at a time when they are needed more than ever.” [New York Times, 03/05/12]

BRIDGE BRIEFING: Mitt Romney & K-12 Education

Romney Believes Smaller Class Sizes Are Harmful

Romney Thought Efforts To Reduce Classroom Size “May Actually Hurt Education More Than It Helps.” According to his book “No Apology” Romney wrote, “In The United States, then, the effort to reduce classroom size may actually hurt education more than it helps.” [Romney, No Apology, Pg. 216]