Sibby Online

Democrats harming Indians

Senator Tim Johnson is taking credit for giving away FEMA trailers to Native Americans:

Sen. Tim Johnson’s office announced Friday that American Indian tribes throughout the nation will get 2,000 so-called "FEMA trailers," which are sitting idle in Arkansas and Texas.

The trailers are mostly three-bedroom mobile homes, Johnson spokesman Megan Smith said.

Johnson pushed through legislation last year that allows FEMA to distribute the homes to reservations, where housing shortages are often dire.

"I saw pictures of tens of thousands of empty mobile homes sitting unused in Hope, Ark., while South Dakota's Indian tribes were struggling through a tough winter with inadequate housing," Johnson said in a written statement. "There is still much that needs to be done to improve Indian housing, but this is a good step toward addressing this serious problem."

Johnson, who is recovering from a brain hemorrhage, is working from home.

The 2,000 FEMA homes – excess from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina -- would solve a small part of a huge problem. About 90,000 American Indian families are without adequate housing, according to a 2003 study by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

South Dakota tribal officials say reservations here could use all the FEMA homes and more.

"We could easily use 3,000-plus homes right this very minute," said Joy Bush, executive director of the Oglala Lakota Housing Authority at Pine Ridge.

This clearly will not solve the poverty issue on reservations. Instead it will make it worse as the real source of their poverty is the continuing reliance on the government instead of taking responsibility for their own lives.

And there was nothing in the Rapid City Journal report regarding the health problems these government trailers pose. It took me 5 seconds to find this report on how toxic these trailers are:

There's little the federal government can do about the possibility that elevated levels of formaldehyde in hurricane trailers are making people sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 24,400 Federal Emergency Management Agency mobile homes and trailers are in Mississippi, housing about 65,900 Hurricane Katrina victims.

Rep. Gene Taylor, D-4th District, in February asked the CDC for a "detailed investigation" into whether formaldehyde in trailers is causing an outbreak of respiratory illnesses.

CDC Director Julie Louis Gerberding wrote Taylor last week that her agency "recognizes that residents experiencing symptoms want and need to alleviate their discomfort."

And there is another option for these trailers. Sell them and use the money to lessen the deficit. That would be a win for the taxpayers. And in the long run, that would be a win for Native Americans who decide to be self sufficient. The only person who is winning now is Senator Tim Johnson who is using taxpayers’ money to buy votes.

Good news on Senator Johnson

Yesterday we received some good news about the improving condition of Senator Tim Johnson:

Sen. Tim Johnson has been transferred out of intensive care and has said some words, his doctor said Thursday, nearly a month after the South Dakota Democrat suffered a brain hemorrhage.

An MRI on Wednesday showed the speech centers in the senator’s brain were spared injury in the initial hemorrhage Dec. 13, said Johnson’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Vivek Deshmukh.

"This is confirmed by the fact that he is following commands and has started to say words," Deshmukh said in a written statement released by Johnson’s office.

Johnson will be participating in "aggressive therapy" in the inpatient rehabilitation unit at George Washington University Hospital, the statement said.

Johnson’s doctors have said that when he arrived at the hospital, he was feeling weakness on his right side, and that condition will require physical therapy.

The senator has responded correctly when asked his name, Fisher said, though there is not much sound coming out of his mouth because of a tracheotomy tube still in his throat.

"It is clear that he understands that people are introducing themselves, he is looking at name badges to try and associate it with the person. He is saying words and responding to commands," she said. "It’s clear the electricity is on and the system is humming."

DeLay responds to Johnson’s possible stoke

From WorldNetDaily:

U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., is reportedly hospitalized after suffering a possible stroke today in Washington, D.C.

"At this stage, he is undergoing a comprehensive evaluation by the stroke team," a statement issued by his office read.

During a midday conference call with reporters, Johnson reportedly became disoriented, and stuttered while answering a question. The Associated Press says, "He appeared to recover, asking if there were any additional questions before ending the call."

Julianne Fisher, Johnson's spokeswoman, said the Senator walked back to his office at the Capitol, but appeared to be feeling ill. He was examined by the Capitol physician, who decided the lawmaker needed to go to the hospital. An ambulance transported Johnson to George Washington University Hospital around noon.

Broadcast reports say the condition of the 59-year-old Democrat is unknown.

Johnson was slated to begin the new Senate session Jan. 4, with 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and two independents, so the health of Johnson, or any member of the upper chamber, is of concern. The independents have said they'll align themselves with the Democrats, thus giving that party control.

South Dakota Gov. Michael Rounds, a Republican, would appoint any successor if there is a vacancy, and it could change the balance of power in the Senate should a member of the GOP replace Johnson.

"Let's just keep him in our prayers and hope that he's going to be all right," former House Speaker Tom DeLay told host Neal Cavuto on the Fox News Channel.

Asked about why a senator's health is getting the scrutiny it does, DeLay said: "Because this town is so eat-up with power. That's all they think about. It doesn't matter [the subject]. You go and ask somebody for a cup of coffee, they question why you asked. There must be an ulterior motive to you asking somebody for a cup of coffee in this town. It's a pretty mean town."

Johnson, who turns 60 Dec. 28, had surgery for prostate cancer in 2004, and is up for re-election in 2008.

Tim Johnson pushing condoms in schools

Tim Johnson voted for an amendment to S. 403, [S. 403 is the Child Custody Protection Act, which required parental notification on abortions involving their children) that would have provided federal funding to schools to push the use of contraceptives. Here is an excerpt from the proposed legislation:

(iv) provide information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to prevent pregnancy;

(v) provide information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS;

The amendment failed 48 to 51 with John Thune voting against the far-left legislation.

SD MSM ignores Johnson’s vote

The South Dakota MSM is not pointing out Tim Johnson’s decision to side with the Democrat’s cut and run plan for Iraq by not disclosing his vote yesterday:

Democrats, meanwhile, were split yesterday, with most instead for a nonbinding "sense of the Senate" resolution by Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat, calling for a phased pullout of troops from Iraq, starting Dec. 31, without specifying an end date.

It lost on a 60-39 vote, mostly along party lines. Six Democrats broke with their party to oppose it and one Republican -- Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, who is up for re-election -- broke from his party to support it.

Tim Johnson was not among the six Democrats who broke ranks.

Hal Lindsey has strong words for Johnson and his Democrat colleagues (plus Lincoln Chafee):

I believe this is what 39 senators did when they voted in favor of the Feingold-Levy amendment demanding a withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Iraqi battlefield.

There is not a single member of the Senate who is incapable of grasping what such a vote means to the enemy. Here is how it translates to our enemies: "We are only 12 Senate votes away from winning the war with the Great Satan."

It is more than disingenuous; it is deliberately dishonest to say that such an action does not give aid and comfort to the enemy. Indeed, the practice of granting aid and comfort to the enemy in order to disgrace the sitting administration is so prevalent that it even has an acronym – ACE.

The politicians who voted to advance their party's interests not only knew they were voting against the bests interests of America's war effort, they also knew they were increasing the risks our soldiers in the field face. Why? Because their vote encourages the enemy to fight harder since they believe victory is in sight.

Tim Johnson gives Mexico veto power

Tim Johnson voted in favor of an amendment to the immigration bill that gives Mexico veto power on any plans to build a security fence. Michelle Malkin has the details:

Does the Senate immigration bill essentially give Mexico veto power over our border fences? Hearing this from several readers and sources. Reader Greg writes:

Senator Cornyn gave Lou Dobbs a statement saying the last-minute Amendment SA 41[8]8 says Mexico must be consulted before any fence is constructed.

From F/R thread:

I heard this on Sean Hannity's Fox Radio broadcast a short while ago and just now on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" on CNN:

Arlen Specter, according to Congressman John Kyl of Arizona, slipped a provision into the Immigration Bill the Senate passed today requiring the U.S. to consult with Mexico BEFORE building a wall in any area along the border.

I'm checking into it. If anyone has more specific info, please send along. Update: It's Dem Sen. Chris Dodd's amendment included in Specter's manager's package that passed.

The Senate by Cboldt blog reports:

UPDATE @ 17:16 - Senator Specter notes that the managers package is ready for a vote, he says that it (the package) makes making sausage look good. Senator Kyl asks to speak for one minute on the managers amendment. He says it has been in busy negotiations, right up until now. Federal, state and local entities in the US would be required to consult with Mexican government before building a wall. I predict this amendment, S.Amdt.4188, will pass. Off to find the language that Senator Kyl referred to.

UPDATE @ 17:23 - Found it. Senator Dodd talked against a fence on May 18, and his S.Amdt.4089 contains the following language:

(b) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.--Consultations between United States and Mexican authorities at the federal, state, and local levels concerning the construction of additional fencing and related border security structures along the United States-Mexico border shall be undertaken prior to commencing any new construction, in order to solicit the views of affected communities, lessen tensions and foster greater understanding and stronger cooperation on this and other important issues of mutual concern.

UPDATE @ 17:40 - Bonus prediction (the managers' amendment), now four for four. Senator Frist voted against the managers' amendment, for what it's worth.

S.Amdt.4188 - Specter: Managers' amendment, a collection of amendments, including Dodd's S.Amdt.4089 that requires local, state and federal governments to consult with Mexican counterpart authorities before commencing new construction, was PASSED on a 56 - 41 vote.

[Again, Tim Johnson votes against protecting America’s national security.]

Tim Johnson and our irresponsible government

Many, including myself, argue that among the top responsibilities of our limited government is to protect our borders from our enemies and to protect its citizens from dangerous criminals by apprehending them and locking them up. Here is an example of the South Dakota government not doing the latter:

It was an emotional and heated confrontation as a family questioned the people who authorized a convicted killer's release from prison.

Robert Kulhavy raped, murdered and then dumped Brenda Schmidt's body 21 years ago.

Just weeks ago the board granted him parole. Thursday at a parole hearing Schmidt's family asked the board for an explanation.

The board says reversing their decision is out of their hands. Over the years, Robert Kulhavy has appeared in front of the board more than a dozen times. Most recently just weeks ago when the board called him a model prisoner and approved his parole. It was a meeting the Schmidt family regrets not attending.

Twenty years ago Brenda Schmidt met Robert Kulhavy at a party in Sioux Falls. After leaving to buy beer, Kulhavy raped her, ran over her with his pick-up, and hit her over the head with a tire iron. He then dumped her body in the big Sioux River.

Schmidt's brother Randy Schmidt says, "It was vicious and brutal and heinous."

Our State will be a more dangerous place after this guy is released. Lets hear from those who believe that the abortion ban should have an exception for rape and incest. Would it not be better to prevent rapes, instead of killing the unborn for the acts of the father? The idea of turning a rapist and a killer loose at the age of 43 should be unthinkable.

Now to the issue of defending the borders. I have yet to see the South Dakota media report on how o South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson’s vote in approval of a bill that gives amnesty to illegal immigrants as they refuse to take the actions necessary to protect our borders.Senator John Thune sided with the 36 Senators how voted against the bill and in favor of the rule of law. Here is more:

Several Democrats facing re-election this year joined Republican conservatives in opposing the first major overhaul of the nation's immigration system in twenty years. They said that the Senate is flatly ignoring clear public will and that the bill would have disastrous consequences for decades to come.

"We will never solve the problem of illegal immigration by rewarding those who break our laws," Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, said. "We must stop illegal immigration by securing the border and creating a temporary worker program that does not reward illegal behavior with a clear path to citizenship and voting rights."

Those who voted against the bill said it should have left out the "amnesty" provisions and instead focused solely on securing the border and enforcing the immigration laws that have been on the books for decades.

Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said the bill "puts the cart before the horse" because it grants citizenship rights to illegals, grants full-blown amnesty to employers and opens the borders to millions of new immigrants each year.

"The horse here, that I've been hearing from my constituents, is we need a border security bill first," said Mr. Santorum, who spends much of his time campaigning for re-election this fall. "And we need a program that makes sure that our country's borders are secure and that they are not a threat either to our national security or economic security.

The bill also includes approval for 350 miles of new fencing along the border, 500 miles of vehicle barriers and authorization of 3,000 new border patrol agents this year.

But conservatives in Congress like many voters are skeptical that the federal government will make good on promises to secure the border and enforce the laws. They suspect that immigration reform is headed for a repeat of the 1986 reforms that granted amnesty to 3 million aliens and promised to seal the border. But the laws were never enforced and three million illegals were replaced with some 12 million.

"The amnesty provisions and the fact that the enforcement provisions will not kick in immediately mean to me that this will not solve the illegal immigration problem," Sen. David Vitter, Louisiana Republican, said today. "This will, in fact, make the illegal immigration problem much bigger."

Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican who opposes amnesty, said yesterday he has been amazed by the Senate's inability to understand what voters clearly want.

"There seems to me to be a sense of surreality here, where people in the Senate just are not listening to what the American people are telling us," he said. "We've tried, through the course of the amendments that have been offered that people standing here have offered, to highlight some of the problems that we have identified and which I believe are responsive to the concerns that we've heard from our constituents."

Chief among them was an amendment by Sen. Johnny Isakson, Georgia Republican, that would have delayed implementation of the amnesty and "guest" worker provisions until after the Secretary of Homeland Security had certified that the border had been secured. The Senate killed that suggestion.

An amendment by Sen. John Ensign, Nevada Republican, would have barred illegal aliens from collecting Social Security benefits for past illegal work. The Senate rejected that proposal, even if the aliens had forged Social Security documents to get the employment.

And an amendment by Mr. Cornyn and Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona would have required that the 200,000 workers ushered into the country each year under the "guest" worker program be allowed to stay for only a set period of time rather than permanently. The Senate rejected that proposal as well.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for the South Dakota media to hold Democrat Tim Johnson accountable for turning his back on the rule of law (like he did in the Clinton impeachment trial) and for his irresponsible vote that leaves our borders wide open.

UPDATE: Here is more from Senator Jeff Sessions.

Tim Johnson has no guts

From WorldNetDaily:

Nevada's Sen. Harry Reid calls it "racist."

California's Sen. Boxer raises the issue of "shame."

All this, over a simple amendment to the immigration bill, which would establish English as the official language of this country.

You remember "this country" don't you?

The United States? The United States of America?

Yeah, that's it. The country founded by thoughtful, brave and eloquent men who spoke English and wrote our founding documents – the roadmap for our future and our successes – in the English language.

You can go to Washington and see the original documents. You can read them and know what they outline for the new country they were creating.

Well, you could read them if you could read and speak English. If not, you'd be out of luck.

Then again, maybe not.

If the likes of Reid and Boxer and others in Congress have their way, "this country" will bend over backward to make other languages the equal of English and, in the process, will embody in the law that lawbreaking is OK – no matter what the language!

On top of that, lawbreaking will be rewarded.

How about that as a lesson for "new citizens"?

How about that for a lesson to our children? The law is up for grabs. Whatever floats your boat – go for it.

The Senate passed the amendment establishing English as the national language, but it was followed immediately by another amendment calling English the "common unifying language."

It's just a clever way to get around the law – rather than requiring English for all business, it allows other languages in use now to remain as is, i.e., translators in courts and hospitals, bilingual school classes, phone messages, contracts, voting ... you name it.

So, typically of today's politicians, they voted for English only, and then modified it so it was virtually cancelled.

So much for intestinal fortitude.

Tim Johnson voted in favor of both bills, whereas John Thune voted against the second. Now we know who has courage and who doesn’t.

Here is another vote:

In another incredible move, the Senate rejected a proposal by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., to prevent illegals who gain citizenship to collect Social Security on wages earned while they were working illegally.

So much for common sense and fiscal responsibility.

Johnson voted without common sense and fiscal responsibility and Thune voted with common sense and for fiscal responsibility.

Here is more on those two votes from Rusty Humphries:

Irony of ironies. Who would have thought debating illegal immigration would create more problems for Republicans than for those illegally entering our country? As of this writing, moderate Republicans are poised to deport conservatives who don't share their views on immigration, thus making room in this country for illegals incapable of spelling "moderate," "conservative," or "illegal."

Is this the beginning of an uncivil war within the Republican Party?

The battle today is between conservatives who desire a long-term solution and elected members of Congress – especially Senate Republicans – who seem more interested in not offending potential new voters or their sympathizers.

I've been on the border, north and south. It's time we support the Border Patrol. They're chasing illegals on foot and tracking them by imprints in the sand. To date, we haven't made a serious attempt to seal the border. Are 6,000 National Guard troops enough? No, but the president deserves credit for the start.

Sen. John Ensign of Nevada proposed legislation making Social Security taxes paid by illegals unavailable at retirement. They would have access to contributions paid in when they were legal, but the Senate shot that down. They even watered down a proposal making English the "official language." If the Senate can't pass these common-sense amendments, they aren't serious about a long-term solution – they are the problem.

Humphries explains the conservative position on this issue:

Conservatives are criticized for standing firm on their long-held beliefs regarding illegal immigration. We're told shutting down our borders is "unreasonable," that deporting illegals isn't compassionate.

Hey, it's OK to disagree with conservatives. We are comfortable in the arena of ideas. But to suggest we are engaging in destructive behavior because we don't see your "middle ground" as being effective is simply not the case. Conservatives have been speaking out on illegal immigration for years! We're not new to the issue. Disagree with us? Fine. Accuse us of being destructive – or worse, racist – for not compromising on what we believe are weak, long-term policies? That's flat wrong.

Conservatives seek "higher ground," not "middle ground."

Rush Limbaugh has even more and blames the the so-called moderate…John McCain:

RUSH: Legalizing identity theft. (story) "The Senate voted yesterday to allow illegal aliens to collect Social Security benefits based on past illegal employment -- even if the job was obtained through forged or stolen documents." Identity theft! "'There was a felony they were committing, and now they can't be prosecuted. That sounds like amnesty to me,' said Sen. John Ensign, the Nevada Republican," former House member, freshman class 1994. I'm an honorary member, saw Ensign at a golf course recently; a great, great guy. He "offered the amendment yesterday to strip out those provisions of the immigration reform bill. 'It just boggles the mind how people could be against this amendment,' he said. The Ensign amendment was defeated on a 50-49 vote."

John McCain carried the water on this one. (McCain impression.) "We all know that millions of undocumented immigrants pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for years and sometimes decades while they work to contribute to our economy. This Ensign amendment would undermine the work of these people by preventing lawfully present immigrant workers from claiming Social Security benefits that they earned before they were authorized to work," and then he said, "If this amendment were enacted, the nest egg that these immigrants have worked hard for would be taken from them and their families." I just know there are some of you people out there who are obsessed and overridden with guilt, and you're going to call, and you're going to say, "But, Rush! But, Rush! They paid into the Social Security system. They should get benefits."

That's not why they got the card! It's not why they went the out and got the card. They got the card to commit fraud! They went out and got an illegal Social Security number. They stole somebody else's. They did this to violate one law after another from employment to banking to insurance. (McCain impression) "But they built up a nest egg. A nest egg! They were doing work Americans won't do, Limbaugh!" And these guys, they all know how you feel about this.

I mean, this isn't just flipping you the bird. They are mooning us.

Johnson voting against Alito?

I have heard that Senator Tim Johnson is considering to vote against Alito.

His number: 202-224-5842

Remember this could be about preserving South Dakota’s right to decide what to do about abortions, not the Federal government.

What will Tim Johnson do?

There is a web site that shows where Democrats stand on the nomination of Samuel Alito. Tim Johnson is listed as undecided. GIve him a call.