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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Contemporary Conservative Legend Erick Erickson Endorses Dan Benishek


    By jenkuz, Section News
    Posted on Mon Jul 12, 2010 at 11:26:28 AM EST
    Tags: Benishek, Michigans First District, Republicans, elections2010 (all tags)

    ~ RE-POSTED From jennerationx ~

    The fight the people of this nation are in to change the make up of Congress and install Conservative Leadership, is crucial to this nation's survival.  That's why I am so excited that another conservative icon has endorsed Dan Benishek for Congress.  

    Erick Erickson, the Editor-In-Chief of Redstate.com, is highly regarded as an influential activist and a plain-spoken conservative who is able to articulate in writing the thoughts of so many concerned citizens.

    On RedState's front page this morning:

    Dan Benishek is in a fight against everything we oppose. His "Republican" opponent has sold himself out to the unions and they love him. Between freedom and tyranny, Dan's opponent has routinely sided with the tyranny of unions that want to impose their ways of not doing business on you and me.

    This is a Hoffman v. Scozzafava race and it is within a Republican Primary.

    We need to support Dan Benishek. The alternative would be too much.

    Yes, in fact it would be devastating.  The alternative is Jason Allen, who is right now benefiting from the serge of some tea party influences for another candidate.  The tea party organizers have decided to endorse candidates, and in many instances that has hurt Stillings, the candidate in question.  But the fact remains that the votes for the tea party endorsed candidate would be a vote for Allen, a liberal Republican with ties to every big government attempt to attract business to Michigan in a most egregious pattern of crony capitalism.

    A friend and fellow Michigan Conservative Activist puts things this way:

    A HARD NOSED ASSESSMENT OF JASON ALLEN'S CHANCES OF WINNING IN NOVEMBER
    • With Mr. Stupak off to greener pastures, it's important for Michigan and the country that the 1st Cong. District not fall back into the hands of Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat party. Of the two most likely Republican candidates, only Dan Benishek can win in November. It would be disastrous if Jason Allen were to win on August 3rd. He has too many unrepairable negatives going forward into the fall campaign, making him an easy target for Democrat McDowell. It will be a needless philosophical setback for the tea party-related and anti-establishment enthusiasm that has finally and appropriately grabbed the anti-spending, anti-Obama health care, pro-individual liberty, pro-limited government heart and soul of this nation.
    • The key to any Republican win is for the candidate to do extremely well in the U.P. or to carry it outright. Benishek can do this but Allen can't. Here's why:
    • Mr. Allen possesses a wide array of equal opportunity negatives sufficient to trouble Republican and Democrat alike -- negatives the Democrats will push at even a faster pace after the primary.
    • Democrats (and Republicans) are already turned off by Allen's crassly opportunistic and, some say, underhanded move into a rural district in which he does not live and with which he has no deep rooted sociological connection. "Carpetbagger," is not a good title to be toting around during a critical campaign.
    • Any number of UP Democrats and former lukewarm Stupak supporters are poised to be turned off by their sense that Allen is a "typical rich Republican" who not only does not come from Ishpeming, Manistique or Iron Mountain, but rather from the "Grosse Pointe of the North," Traverse City. Allen will also be seen by many as being inherently incapable of understanding the way everyday UP residents look at the world.
    • With each passing election cycle the increasingly liberal Mr. Allen reveals himself to small government Republicans as being a Republican in name only. He regularly votes for or introduces legislation on behalf of those offering him the most "help" as it relates to his career ambitions. The highly respected Mackinac Center in Midland, Michigan views Allen as routinely pandering to special interests - whomever they may be. See: http://www.mackinac.org/12398 See also: http://www.mackinac.org/12357 See also: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2010/4/23/23928/9309
    • Jason Allen will not excite the enthusiasm of those potential Republican campaign volunteers such as those currently working for Benishek...those tired of business as usual in Lansing and Washington. Such folks might or might not vote for Allen in November. They will certainly not volunteer to help his fall campaign.
    • In 2009 Mr. Allen accepted a $2,000 campaign contribution from that infamous architect of ACORN, the Service Employees International Union. This gift arrived suspiciously close to the time frame in which the SEIU asked Allen to introduce a bill (SB 731) that would have unionized some 42,000 bewildered Michigan home health care workers. Once the flak started rolling in over such a crass betrayal of free market principles, Allen scrambled around to get the bill changed, but the damage to his reputation as a Republican was already done. It's important that you see www.mackinac.org/11539 for validation.
    • Jason Allen has made three fatal mistakes. His under the radar move into a rural district for which he has no natural interest. He is a long time career professional whose true political/spiritual loyalty is to Lansing and himself, not to the likes of Baraga County or Gladstone, Michigan. Third, the unconscionable deal with the SEIU which revealed for all time the kind of person he is behind the conservative mask.
    • The degree of ease with which Dan Benishek will beat Democrat Gary McDowell in November is the same degree of ease with which McDowell and the Stupak machine will beat Jason Allen. And, we'll be stuck with another Pelosi Democrat. We dare not allow this to happen.

    I agree, if Jason Allen wins the primary, he will not win the general, if for no other reason, that he will lose all grassroots support, and he will be running as a "rich Republican" in a conservative district.

    My interview with Dan Benishek can be read here.

    Dan Benishek is the only logical choice in this critical election.

    < Blood-Letting | Why The Grunt Work Matters >


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    A couple of things.. (none / 0) (#1)
    by JGillman on Mon Jul 12, 2010 at 02:32:34 PM EST
    I added the re-posting tag at the top so it is in the proper perspective.

    Here are some other things to put into proper perspective.

    1. Erick Erickson, If I recall correctly, once upon a time blasted PA Senator Specter for being a RINO.  Then he followed up with "if he is the guy in the Republican Primary I would vote for him" or something like that..  This was when Specter was getting hammered universally as a RINO before switching to donkey.  I respect Erickson's opinions, and generally agree, but he is hardly the last word.  Further, seeing the consistent barrage of the very same material that can be found on your site to denigrate Mr. Allen, it comes as no surprise he would develop such an opinion.
    2. Contrary to your persistent (and single minded) posturing, I think it is safe to say that Allen does NOT love unions.  He made a mistake of trusting some writers, and took an APPROPRIATE amount of time in trying to undue the mistake without making additional ones.  Your time table is meaningless, and simply to imply he gets marching orders from the left.  its called DIRTY POLITICS, and is truly baseless.  That kind of stuff is straight out of Brewer's playbook.
    3. Crony capitalism is a bad thing indeed.  Have you bothered to ask Mr. Allen why he used the MEDC and other programs that target tax breaks and credits?  NO?  Again, it is worthy of consideration.  I disagree on any number of levels with taking from one business or taxpayer, and giving to another, and I express those thoughts DAILY.  However, understanding WHY as a matter of perspective would be a valuable tool for those who wish to make an informed decision.
    4. Your "friend and fellow Michigan Conservative Activist" assessment..  Whom might that be?  Perhaps knowing this would offer insight to some of the assumptions?  Some of them might be close, but assuming Allen to be weak into the November race would be a mistake.

    If it weren't for the seemingly single objective you demonstrate as a basher of Allen, it might be easier for some to look at Beneshek positively.  I suspect you may affect his campaign negatively if you keep hashing the "loves union" talking points with nothing substantive to back it up.  Mistakes he might have made, but perhaps you should look at the actual bills signed and present them as evidence to bolster your argument.  You should note also, the very language in the replacement legislation specifically spoke to the union issue and a direct repudiation of what it is you say.

    Anyhow..

    Recent polling actually shows Beneshek ahead slightly:

    Allen scored 19.3 percent to Benishek's 20.7 percent, with three other candidates, Linda Goldthorpe, Don Hooper and Tom Stillings all earning 2 percent or less. Goldthorpe has decided to suspend her campaign.

    Of course..  20.7 to 19.3?  The difference is statistically insignificant.

    If I was Beneshek team, I would be concerned he may have reached his ceiling.  Even with a great number of undecideds, the fact remains he was first out with money and support, and had an early advantage of a spot on the Mark Levin Show.

    Beneshek has a good enough message.  But something is keeping people in the Stillings geographical area from stating their preference.  But IMO, many of those will likely be more inclined to support Allen.

    It will continue to be an interesting run up to the primary.  There is no doubt this race will inspire the attention of a nation.

    OK I did some work for you... (none / 0) (#2)
    by JGillman on Mon Jul 12, 2010 at 03:25:41 PM EST
    Out of roughly 60 Bills mentioned in McHugh's piece you linked to..

    24 of them were Unanimous  XX to 0
    2 of them 35-2
    1 of them 34-1
    1 of them 34-3
    1 of them 37-1
    1 of them 35-1

    and 1 of them a contentious 20 to 16.

    The remainder are either relegated to the scrap heap of going nowhere land, or simply have not yet been voted on.

    Perspective says we sure had a lot of ultra liberal targeted tax breakers out there.  In fact it seems the entire legislature was in on it!!  OMG!

    his votes seemed to agree with all the others on those particular issues..  maybe for good reason, but maybe not.  McHugh's analysis is not the end of the story, but merely a starting point.  To follow up on these issues one by one, and actually ASK why the vote went one way or the other might be appropriate.

    Heck, I am with those who say targeted breaks are wrong.  But I am open to a logical discussion if it results in the savings to taxpayers, when given crappy alternatives.


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