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What is probably most impressive about South Dakota Senator John Thune is that his down to earth regular guy persona is actually the real thing. I had the rare opportunity to sit down to lunch with Senator Thune and about 40 other lucky souls for a little more than an hour today in Santa Ana to hear his views on the state of our country. Senator Thune spoke and answered questions for more than an hour without notes, a teleprompter or handlers. He comes across as incredibly intelligent, poised, humble, genuine and was needless to say easy to like. He took all questions without any pre screening and actually answered the questions without trying to deflect the answers to “what he really wanted to talk about.”
Obviously much of his talk centered on discussion of the budget and the difficulties Congress faces with the upcoming March expiration date for federal funding. Senator Thune was not surpisingly disappointed with President Obama’s version of the budget but especially with the President’s complete failure to start any discussions addressing “entitlement programs” such as social security, medicare and medicaid. Instead, the President’s budget calls for an additional $1.7 TRILLION of new taxes and did nothing to rein in the budget deficit. Senator Thune believes there are members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that are ready to meaningfully discuss modifications of those “enitlement programs” but the President is unwilling to start the discussion.
Senator Thune also discussed “Obamacare” at length including the numerous unintended consequences with little or no linkage to health care. Making light of Nancy Pelosi’s comment that Congress needed to pass the health care bill so that they could figure out what was in it, he detailed issues such as the 1099 reporting requirements that needed to be removed. He also discussed the problem of regulating agencies promulgating regulations that Congress was unwilling or unable to pass into law, such as the EPA’s new “fugitive dust” requirements that mandates that farmers keep the dust from their farming operations on their own farm (laughter should follow). This myriad of regulations has created an air of uncertainty in which business is, for good reason, unwilling to make investment.
Having met Senator Thune and Marco Rubio of Florida over the past year, I feel like the future of the Republican party is in very competent hands.
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“Having met Senator Thune and Marco Rubio of Florida over the past year, I feel like the future of the Republican party is in very competent hands.”…….. Hmmmm
Tell me tat again after you meet with any of California Republican Senators.
J&K at KFI 640 AM are starting putting their heads on stick.
GW, go wipe that brown stuff off of your nose!
Nope, I always call ’em like I see ’em good or bad. I really liked this guy – if that makes me a brown noser, then I’ll live with that.
i have to apolgize to Brooce Whitiker. I am sory i made a mistake. It is john thoon wut kilt and et my dog. I reconize him now. BAD BAD THOON!!!!!1!
Well, Cletus, I’m pretty sure a senator from South Dakota did not kill and eat your dog. I’m sure they have strange dietary requirements and customs up there, but this is too farfetched.
At least you have exonerated a fine and honorable carnivore, Bruce Whitaker.
The smart money is still riding on your committing this heinous act on your own pup. You remember- right after that Tonya Harding thing.
He’s a bore with no chance of winning the Presidency. VP material, at best.
Next?
“Now, even after paying for what we spent on my watch, we’ll still face the massive deficit we had when I took office. More importantly, the cost of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will continue to skyrocket. That’s why I’ve called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. (Applause.) This can’t be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solved a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline.
Now, yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission. So I’ll issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. (Applause.) And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s.”
President Obama, State of the Union speech, 2011.
What part of that constitutes “not starting the discussion” on Social Security? Is Thune deaf?
No, words are cheap – you need to look at actions. Not a whiff of change for entitlements in Obama’s budget – or do you take a politician just at his word?
Nice try, Geoff. The work on that budget predates the SOTU speech.
If Obama had inserted a fleshed-out, comprehensive plan for Social Security reform in his budget, he would have been accused of not consulting with Congress. With this bunch of Republican, you’re often damned if you do and damned if you don’t. They really do like to have things both ways.
Thune didn’t tell you that a fleshed out plan for Social Security reform should have been in Obama’s budget. He said that Obama hadn’t tried to start a discussion on the issue. That is just a bald faced lie, and Thune knows it. Let me repeat that…Thune lied to you.
Or do you just take a politician at his word?
You might want to think twice the next time you’re inclined to regurgitate a litany of talking points from a politician.
Really?? I thought that accurately “regurgitating” the words of a Senator was called “reporting” of “blogging.” I will work on being less accurate.
Good “reporters” ask questions. They come to a subject with a skeptical mind. And they expose lies; lies like the one I pointed out to you.
Please…don’t confuse what you did with reporting.
Or regurgitating the tired talking points of the left? Oh wait, you’ve mastered that.
Sorry, but I’ve never listened to a politician and then dutifully recorded his or her litany of talking points. There are stenographers for that.
As for the quote from Obama’s SOTU speech I mention above, it directly refutes something Thune said, and that his stenographer Geoff Willis “reported” to us.
You’re obviously free to ignore Thune’s lie.
Anon, if you want to get into it about the media “faithfully reporting” the lies of their darling Mr. Obama, I have enough examples to fill a boxcar.
You know, you’re right there, Geoff. Way too much of the media consists of uncritical stenography of whoever’s in power. It was a much bigger problem back when REAL dangerous liars like Bush and Cheney were in charge, lying us into war and so on, but it’s still a problem no matter who’s in charge.
I take it you agreed with everything Thune said. A lot of it sounds questionable to me.
“Anon, if you want to get into it about the media “faithfully reporting” the lies of their darling Mr. Obama, I have enough examples to fill a boxcar.”
Then write about it and we’ll discuss these lies you speak of.
I thought he had decided not to run anyway. Why is he on this tour? Still “testing the waters?” The rest of the GOP field sure is weak, which I’m sure he’s very aware of.
I really think that a Thune/Rubio ticket would be quite formidable.
Well, it would be something, yes, but “formidable” doesn’t come to mind. Throw in Palin as secretary of state and you’d have the stone age trifecta.
Thune was pretty clear that he is not running for President, so he would already be running uphill if he flipped. Vern, we always welcome good conservatives in Orange County, presidential candidate or not. And there’s no way he would waste his time testing the waters in California – it’s deep blue and cold out here.
there’s no way he would waste his time testing the waters in California – it’s deep blue and cold out here.
No waste of time if you’re thinking of winning a GOP Primary … or looking for big donations!
Thune graduated from an OC college so it should be no surprise he returns frequently as he has many ties to, and friends in, OC. He might not be running this time around but it never hurts to stay in the forefront of the minds of OC Republicans. We might not be strong enough to topple Boxer yet, but we were instrumental in helping Thune unseat Daschle and we will help him again when he needs it.
Daschle the health insurance industry whore. I didn’t weep any tears over that loss.