Chabot slams community, votes "NO" on GIVE act

Yesterday Steve Chabot once again voted lockstep with Congressional Republicans and voted "NO" on H.R. 2857 which would reauthorize the GIVE act (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education).

Major text and purpose of the bill follows:

`(9) expand and strengthen service-learning programs through year-round opportunities, including during the summer months, to improve the education of children and youth and to maximize the benefits of national and community service, in order to renew the ethic of civic responsibility and the spirit of community to children and youth throughout the United States;
`(10) assist in coordinating and strengthening Federal and other citizen service opportunities, including opportunities for participation in emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery;
`(11) increase service opportunities for our Nation's retiring professionals, including such opportunities for those retiring from the science, technical, engineering, and mathematics professions to improve the education of our Nation's youth and keep America competitive in the global knowledge economy, and to further utilize the experience, knowledge, and skills of older Americans;

The bill would extend school-based incentive programs introduced in 1990 including "Learn and Earn" which grants higher-learning scholarships to students in grades 6-12 who participate in at least 100 hours of community-based service education during those years.

You can read the full text of the bill here:http://www.rules.house.gov/110/text/110_hr2857.pdf

Mr. Chabot has a long record of voting against such programs, including the State Children's Health Insurance Program. It will be interesting to see what effect his record will have in his race against Mr. Driehaus, who has long supported Ohio's children and communities.

More questions on Steve Chabot and Indian tribes...

During the 2006 race between Chabot and John Cranley, some interesting questions were raised that we feel never got answered. During the "great scandals" within the GOP that year, it was revealed that somewhere in the shuffling of money between Jack Abramoff and his clients that Steve Chabot had received campaign contributions from at least three Indian tribes (none of which are anywhere near the First Congressional District of Ohio). After receiving this money, Mr. Chabot, along with other various Republicans in the House, wrote letters and essentially lobbied on their behalf. Link to the story here: http://www.capitaleye.org/inside.asp?ID=191

More on Chabot's "Abramoff money" from the Indian Tribes here:http://www.capitaleye.org/abramoff_recips_detail.asp?type=R&Name=Steve+Chabot+(R-Ohio)

Outside of the main concern of corruption here, our biggest question is :

WHAT DO THE MISSISSIPPI BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS HAVE TO DO WITH THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF OHIO???

We feel Mr. Chabot needs to come clean on this issue during this campaign.

Does this make Bush a communist?

President Bush, seen here with Chinese leader Hu Jintao dressed in traditional Chinese garb. It makes us wonder if the same rules apply here as they have for Barack Obama over the past few weeks. Quick, someone call Matt Drudge.................

Are Catholics still mad at Chabot??

This excerpt from an October Enquirer story:

Rep. Steve Chabot is under attack from members of his own religion – Catholics.
Chabot, a Republican from Westwood, is among 10 Catholic members of Congress who are being targeted in a radio ad sponsored by Catholics United for voting against legislation to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP.
It will air primarily on Christian and talk radio stations from Monday to Wednesday, and feature a mother urging Chabot to support SCHIP, saying that voting against health care for poor children is not a "pro-life" or "pro-family" vote.
“Building a true culture of life requires public policies that promote the welfare of the most vulnerable,” said Chris Korzen, executive director of the group, said in a release. “Pro-life Christians who serve in Congress should honor this commitment by supporting health care for poor children.”


The odd thing is that Chabot voted early in his tenure, 1997 to be exact, in favor of creating SCHIP which helps provide health care for thousands of Ohio children who would otherwise go without. The question here is why the change of heart?

If you look back through Mr. Chabot's past voting record versus votes cast is recent years, you start to see a pattern. In 1994, he first ran for congress on the platform of ending tax breaks for Big Oil and Corporations which he infamously dubbed "Corporate Welfare". However, after receiving thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Oil companies, he supported vigorously the Cheney energy bill which essentially did just that.......gave millions to Big Oil and corporations through tax breaks and incentives.

Given Mr. Chabot's tendency of flip-flopping on issues on the basis of campaign cash, we don't expect this issue to go away anytime soon and to play a major role in the campaign.

For all "O'Bama" supporters

This is the new St. Patty's day Obama shirt. Regardless of where your support will go, you have to admit it is pretty clever. For those interested you can link here:http://store.barackobama.com/Shirts_s/100.htm

They are pretty backed up though, so it may take a few weeks after you order.

with all the talk of Patriotism.......

This has nothing to do with the First Congressional District but it is damn funny. Intoxination posted this today along with a story you can check out here http://www.intoxination.net/

Children's Health Care

This cartoon from Kelly Croy says it all...........Sure to be a hot topic of debate when the election heats up is the contrasts between the candidates regarding Children's Health Care. Rep. Driehaus has fought hard to expand programs guaranteeing insurance for Ohio children while Mr. Chabot has consistently voted against such programs (once again obliging President Bush's wishes).