TPMDC
Pete Hoekstra

Fear Factor: The Four Ways Republicans Say Obama Will Kill You Now

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 20, 2009, 11:45AM

Nidal Hasan, Pres. Obama, Khalid Sheik Mohammed

It's been a week since Attorney General Eric Holder announced that five terror suspects will be transferred from Guantanamo Bay to New York City to face trial. There are still a lot of questions to be answered about logistics, and it will likely be months before the first suspect sets foot in a federal courtroom.

Republicans have already told us what's going to happen, though: If you let President Obama have his way, you will die.

The GOP has returned to a familiar line on Obama and national security in the days since Holder's announcement. It's time to be afraid again, they say, hearkening back to the days of duct tape and Orange alerts even some Republicans thought they left behind on Election Day 2008.

So grab an assault rifle and keep the phone number for Operation TIPS close -- here are the four ways Republicans say Obama is putting your life at risk.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Democrats, Eric Holder, GOP, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Mark Kirk, National Security, Nidal Malik Hasan, Pete Hoekstra, Peter King, Rudy Giuliani

Guantanamo Bay

Hoekstra Calls Terror Suspects A Dem 'Pot Of Gold' For Economically Devestated Communities

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 18, 2009, 2:46PM

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) said today that the Obama administration is "bribing" economically suffering towns across the country as it attempts to relieve itself of the political problem of closing Guantanamo Bay.

"They're going into communities that are hard-pressed economically and holding out a pot of gold," he told reporters. Hoekstra was referring to the White House plan to bring terror suspects to prisons across the country. He said that the administration was taking advantage of hard-hit towns across the country by promoting the jobs that would be created by adding Guantanamo Bay detainees to their prison populations.

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Topics: Guantanamo Bay, Pete Hoekstra

Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 15, 2009, 1:14PM

Axelrod: Obama Opposed To Bill With Stupak Amendment
Appearing on State of the Union, White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod said that President Obama would oppose the Stupak Amendment as a change in the status quo on abortion law. "The president has said repeatedly, and he said in his speech to Congress, that he doesn't believe that this bill should change the status quo as it relates to the issue of abortion," said Axelrod. Asked whether Obama would sign a final bill that contains the Stupak Amendment, Axelrod replied that Obama "believes both these issues and can and will be worked through before [the final bill] reaches his desk."

Conrad: Health Care Bill Can't Pass Without Restriction On Abortion Funding
Appearing on State of the Union, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said that the health care bill cannot pass without something like the Stupak Amendment. "What is clear is at the end of the day, for this bill to be successful, that there cannot be taxpayer funding of abortion," said Conrad, also adding: "It was clear in the House. It'll be clear in the Senate."

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Topics: Abortion, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, David Axelrod, Health Care, Hillary Clinton, Jack Reed, Kent Conrad, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Patrick Leahy, Pete Hoekstra, Roundup, Rudy Giuliani, Stupak amendment, Sunday Shows

Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | November 13, 2009, 1:50PM

Hillary Clinton, Sec. of State

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

• CNN, State Of The Union: White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod; Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH); Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT).

• Fox News Sunday: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

• NBC, Meet The Press: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Rev. Al Sharpton.

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Topics: Arne Duncan, Brain Schweitzer, David Axelrod, Hillary Clinton, Judd Gregg, Kent Conrad, Mitch McConnell, Newt Gingrich, Patrick Leahy, Pete Hoekstra, Sunday Shows

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 21, 2009, 9:02AM

Obama Going Quiet In Health Care Public Debate
President Obama has decided to lower his public profile in the health care debate, the New York Times reports, moving away from public rallies and towards negotiation in Washington. "I think his time is better spent on this particular issue in conversation with members and in talking to his own advisers and instructing them on how to proceed," said senior adviser David Axelrod. "That's the phase that we're in."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 12:40 p.m. ET with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA). At 1:50 p.m. ET, Obama will announce a package of initiatives to increase credit to small businesses. At 3 p.m. ET, he will attend a Cabinet-level earthquake tabletop exercise. He will depart from the White House at 3:25 p.m. ET, arriving at 4:35 p.m. ET in Newark, New Jersey. At 6:05 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at a rally for Gov. Jon Corzine, at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He will depart from New Jersey at 7:25 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 8:35 p.m. ET.

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Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, David Plouffe, Joe Biden, Missile Defense, Pete Hoekstra, Roundup, Steve Schmidt

Barack Obama

White House Playing Its Cards on Afghan Policy Review Very Close to the Vest

Christina Bellantoni | October 6, 2009, 1:17PM

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, President Barack Obama

Even close Obama aides say they don't know when the President will be making the decision about whether to accept the McChrystal troop surge recommendation, and are pushing back on reports suggesting it would be late October or early November.

Today's White House meeting with 30 members of Congress is designed to open the floor for questions, a White House aide said. Congressional leaders from both parties will be at the table in the State Dining Room, along with lawmakers who control the Pentagon's purse strings and defense, intelligence and foreign policy on the hill. They range on the ideological spectrum from progressive Reps. David Obey (D-WI) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI).

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Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Jim Jones, John McCain, MoveOn, Pete Hoekstra, Robert Gates, Stanley McChrystal

Pete Hoekstra

Hoekstra Spokesman: He Wasn't Comparing Iranian Demonstrators To House Republicans -- Though They Are Similar

Eric Kleefeld | June 18, 2009, 9:53AM

Here's a fun epilogue to Rep. Pete Hoekstra's (R-MI) phenomenally entertaining Twitter post yesterday, in which he said, "Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House."

The statement generated lot of ridicule in the blogosphere, and some really funny jokes in the Twitter community.

Yesterday afternoon, Hoekstra's spokesman gave this statement to CNN:

"Congressman Hoekstra did not compare the ongoing violence in Iran to when Democrats shut down the House chamber during the energy debate last summer," said spokesman Dave Yonkman. "The two situations do share the similarity of government leadership attempting to limit debate and deliberation, and the ability of new technologies to bypass their efforts and allow for direct communication. That's the only point that he was trying to make."

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Topics: Pete Hoekstra, Twitter

Twitter

Twitter Users Heckle Hoekstra En Masse

Eric Kleefeld | June 17, 2009, 6:01PM

Earlier today, Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) put up this astonishing post on Twitter, likening the oppression of the Iranian people to the plight of House Republicans:

Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House.

In the hours since, the Twitter community has responded -- with massive heckling. Here's just a small sample of some of the best ones:

ArjunJaikumar @petehoekstra i spilled some lukewarm coffee on myself just now, which is somewhat analogous to being boiled in oil

chrisbaskind @petehoekstra My neighbor stopped me to talk today. Now I know what it is like to be questioned by the Basij!

luckbfern @petehoekstra I stand in solidarity with the oppressed rich white men of Repub Party in the House. #GOPfail Allah Akbar!

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Topics: Pete Hoekstra, Twitter

Twitter

House GOPers Tweet On Similarities Between Iranian Unrest And Oppression Of House Republicans

Eric Kleefeld | June 17, 2009, 1:33PM

Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) is posting on Twitter to praise the use of social networking media to organize against the tyrants in Iran -- and the tyrannical Democrats running the House of Representatives.

"Good to see Iranian people move mountains w social media, shining sunlight on their repressive govt - Texans support their bid for freedom," Culberson posted earlier today. He then followed it up with this: "Oppressed minorities includeHouseRepubs: We are using social media to expose repression such as last night's D clampdown shutting off amends"

Over the next few hours -- and following some ridicule in the blogosphere -- Culberson has dug in further. "Pelosi etal shut down House amendments & debate on Approps Bill to prevent conservatives from slowing down their uncontrolled spending spree," he just posted.

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Topics: Pete Hoekstra, Twitter

Republicans

Another GOP Congressman 'Goes Galt'

Elana Schor | March 10, 2009, 1:36PM

Dave Weigel at the Washington Independent had an excellent look last week at the growing trend of conservatives "going Galt," looking to the fantastical novels of uber-capitalist Ayn Rand for sustenance as the economy founders and President Obama's approval ratings remain high.

Now we can chalk up one more GOP convert to the Atlas Shrugged trend. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI), the senior Republican on the House intelligence committee, just marveled on his Twitter page: "Who is John Galt? Will more Americans know of him in 3 to 6 months? I think so!"