Budget

We told you: Steve Lonegan is the face of the "new" GOP

Just over two months ago, on the night Steve Lonegan won the Republican nomination, American Bridge sent the memo below arguing that Lonegan's brand of extremism was perfectly in line with the "new" & "rebranded" Republican Party. If Washington Republicans' reckless and embarrassing behavior over the past three weeks weren't proof enough, take a look at what RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said at a Lonegan campaign rally just last night (VIDEO HERE). "I'll tell you what. Steve's been able to do something that we need a lot more of in this party. And that's unify our party, bring our party together. The Tea Party, the Republican Party, all in this together." -- Reince Priebus, RNC Chairman What Mr. Priebus doesn't seem to understand is that the Republicans' problem isn't a lack of unity with the Tea Party. This month's shutdown fiasco proves the GOP's problem is, in fact, its obedience to the Tea Party.

Cuccinelli on video: Senate needs "more Ted Cruzes"

With just hours left until the federal government shuts down, Ken Cuccinelli is still refusing to condemn the efforts of Sen. Ted Cruz and his followers. Cuccinelli's stubborn refusal to stand up to the Tea Party and fight for what's best for Virginia speaks volumes about his extreme views misplaced priorities. Cuccinelli's silence is no surprise. Last summer, Cuccinelli addressed a gathering of the Tea Party blog RedState and told the crowd that the Senate needed "more Ted Cruzes in there to back up Jim DeMint."

What else could New Jersey use $12 million for?

Throwing common sense and fiscal discipline aside, Gov. Chris Christie today announced he is unnecessarily holding a special election to replace the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg in October rather than including the race on the ballot for New Jersey's regularly scheduled November elections. Christie's willingness to needlessly throw away 12 million in taxpayer dollars for the sole reason of boosting his own reelection campaign tears down the myth of Christie as a bold and principled governor. Today's decision was not that of a leader, but one of a craven, self-interested politician. While Christie may not care what it costs, taxpayers surely do. What else could New Jersey do with $12 million? A lot. Here's a sampling, courtesy of American Bridge:

• Rebuild 1.3 miles of boardwalk in Asbury Park. [USA Today, 12/5/12]
• Fund two months of food bank and soup kitchen assistance for areas affected by Hurricane Sandy [Letter to Speaker Boehner From Office of the President, 12/7/2012]
• Pay for 150% the cost of rebuilding the Belmar City Boardwalk ($8 million) [NPR, 5/26/13]
• Restore over half of Christie’s cuts to medical services for the elderly (he cut them $21M). [NJ.com,6/29/12]
• Pay for all of the non-profit grants awarded by the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund with nearly $1M to spare. [Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, Viewed 6/4/2013]
• The entire cost of funding New Jersey’s Family Success Centers. [Christie Announcement Of Family Center Funding, 10/9/12]
• The cost of funding New Jersey’s Cancer Education and Early Detection Program [Office of the Governor, October, 2012]
• The cost of increasing local aid grants for improving street, safety and quality of life improvements by 15% (the state has spent $76.2M). [NJ.com, 5/1/13]
• More than the entire budget of the Skills4Jersey Training Grant Program (it’s $11M). [Notice of Grant Opportunity, Fiscal Year 2013]
• Brand new high tech fire trucks, police vehicles, ambulance vans, and other emergency management equipment, as recently granted by the federal government to Jersey City. [NJ.com, 6/9/12]
• Restore the vetoed tax cut for Jersey Shore production, with $11.5M to spare. [NYT, 9/26/11]

Chris Christie's Big Bucks Hypocrisy

Where are Chris Christie's priorities?

BRIDGE BRIEFING: Romney Supports The Ryan Plan

Romney Endorsed Ryan’s 2013 Budget Plan March 2012: Romney Endorsed Rep. Paul Ryan’s 2013 Budget Plan. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Paul Ryan’s new budget plan drew praise from GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney and an attack from President Obama’s reelection campaign Tuesday. The House Republicans’ fiscal blueprint for 2013 would slash federal spending, lower tax rates and substantially overhaul Medicare in an effort to free the nation ‘from the crushing burden of debt,’ Ryan wrote in a document outlining the plan. In a statement from his campaign, Romney lauded the House Budget Committee chairman ‘for taking a bold step toward putting our nation back on the track to fiscal sanity.’ He said he and Ryan were of the same mind on cutting taxes and overhauling the tax code. ‘As president, I look forward to working with Chairman Ryan and his House Republican colleagues to pass bold reforms that restore America’s promise,’ he said.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/20/12] Romney Aide Eric Fehrnstrom Said Romney Supported The Ryan Plan. According to Talking Points Memo, “Eric Fehrnstrom, a top campaign adviser for Mitt Romney, tied the Republican presidential nominee to the GOP’s budget plan by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). […] ‘…he’s for the Ryan plan. He believes it goes in the right direction. The governor has also put forward a plan to reduce spending by $500 billion by the year 2016. In fact, he’s put details on the table about how exactly he would achieve that. So to say he doesn’t have a plan to – a plan to restrain government spending is just not true.’” [Talking Points Memo, 6/3/12] Romney Endorsed “What Is Essentially” Ryan’s Plan For Deficit Reduction. According to Politico, “Romney also endorsed what is essentially the Ryan plan for fiscal deficit reduction, bring budget into balance in eight years. Said loophole and special tax deductions would be eliminated to offset cost of tax rate reductions, and include ‘some things you’re not going to like.’ Will close some Federal Government departments. Romney spoke with authority and confidence, and appeared relaxed.” [Politico, 5/24/12]

BRIDGE BRIEFING: The Truth About Massachusetts's Bond Rating Increase

Romney Increased Massachusetts’s Bond Rating Through “Tax Increases And The Closing Of Tax Loopholes.” According to the Wall Street Journal, “Former Gov. Mitt Romney boasted this week that when he led Massachusetts, he presided over an increase in the state’s bond rating, a contrast to President Barack Obama, who saw Standard & Poor’s downgrade U.S. debt. But Mr. Romney had an advantage that Mr. Obama sorely wanted but could not get from Congress: tax increases and the closing of tax ‘loopholes.’ Documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal Wednesday through the Freedom of Information Act show the Romney administration’s pitch to S&P in late 2004 included the boast that ‘The Commonwealth acted decisively to address the fiscal crisis’ that ensued after the terrorist attacks of 2001. Bulleted PowerPoint slides laid out the actions taken, including legislation in July 2002 to increase tax revenue by $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion in fiscal 2003 and $1.5 billion to $1.6 billion in fiscal 2004; tax ‘loophole’ legislation that added $269 million in ‘additional recurring revenue,’ and tax amnesty legislation that added $174 million. The final bullet: ‘FY04 budget increased fees to raise $271 million yearly.’” [The Wall Street Journal, 8/10/11]