Vicki Tiahrt commits vandalism: but it’s OK - She’s a Republican

Vicki Tiahrt wrote “please remove” over a Democrats sign that showed the growing US debt, according to The Wichita Eagle, May 24, 2005. It’s obvious why Republicans are uneasy about people seeing the debt and realizing that the war and President George Bush’s disastrous economic policies are destroying the country. But Mrs. Tiahrt, that kind law abiding Christian, resorted to the destruction of property to make her point.
The sign was in front of Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D.
Mrs. Tiahrt, when confronted by Herseth’s staff, said she was the wife of a congressman (Rep. Todd Tiahrt) and that they shouldn’t be using taxpayer money for sings put out by a partisan political party.
Is Mrs. Tiahrt aware of how much of the tax-payers money her husband has used to promote himself before each election? Tiahrt has taken advantage of every tax-payers loopholes to feather his own nest and he has surpassed all his predecessors who have held that office in the past.
Perhaps vandalism and disrespecting someone’s property is OK if you’re a Republican congressman’s wife.

Tiahrt on drugs?

Rep. Todd Tiahrt has never met a lobbyist, corporate campaign contributor or bribe he didn’t like. What he doesn’t like is when the newspaper, such as The Wichita Eagle, April 28, 2005, exposes this fact. After all, a person taking lots of money from the drug companies can’t waist too much of their time worrying about consumers. And Tiahrt is no friend of the consumers.
That requires a written response, which obviously is a job for one of Tiahrt’s aids, since the man has trouble speaking in complete sentences. “Drug importation OK as long as certified safe” was Tiahrt’s response in the Eagle, May 15.
The issue was dug imports from Canada. The Eagle correctly pointed out that Tiahrt has squarely taken the pharmaceutical companies side, price gauging the US citizens while preventing competition from the much cheaper Canadian imports.
Tiahrt claimed he only wanted to certify that Canada’s drugs are safe. Then he claims that:
“The ‘Canada-only’ provision also allows the secretary to waive the prohibition on personal importation, on a case-by-case basis, of drugs from Canada when the drugs are for personal use and when the drugs are presented at the border.”
Analyzed more carefully, “case-by-case” would make importing a drug from Canada a nightmare of red tape. For the consumer, it would mean lengthy waiting on drugs that patients usually can’t wait for.
Tiahrt’s carefully spun (probably by an aid) response is full of holes and the usual excuses of one of the most corrupted politicians here in Kansas history. Tiahrt’s concern for the consumer would lead him to throw an anvil do drowning man, to get a campaign contribution from the anvil salesmen.

Tom DeLay and Tiahrt are best buds

From MoveOn

The tangled web of backslapping relationships between DeLay, other Republicans, and lobbyists needs to be exposed to the light. So we've taken the best information out there on the connections between Republican members of Congress and Rep. Tom DeLay and we're sending it to you as your own personal "Report Card on Rep. Tiahrt": Report Card on Rep. Todd Tiahrt's Connections to Tom DeLay Accepted $10,071 from Tom Delay's PACs Donated $10,000 to Delay's legal defense fund. Voted with DeLay 95.14% of the time (3,229 of 3,394 votes) [Data in the "Report Card" was compiled by Public Campaign Action Fund for its DeLay Rankings at http://www.InDeLaysPocket.com]After you read the report card please sign our petition and forward this e-mail to your friends, family and colleagues. This is exactly the sort of detailed information they're looking for and will find useful.So far, nearly 300,000 of us have signed a petition to Congress urging them to fire Tom DeLay as Majority Leader. We want to collect at least 500,000 petition signatures before the beginning of June when Congress returns home for a week.During the first week in June MoveOn members will deliver the petition to Republican members of Congress while they're home. If you live in a Democratic district, we will deliver the petition to the local Republican Party headquarters. You can volunteer to get involved in the petition delivery when you sign the petition.Please take the time now to sign our petition urging Congress to fire Tom DeLay as majority leader.http://www.moveonpac.org/delay/?id=5502-1273126-O_57vaRKmCjsiLpIvAthwQ&t=2We need to turn the heat up on representatives about their association with DeLay. As absurd as it sounds, many Republicans are actually gathering later this week at a banquet to honor DeLay. Rep. Tiahrt might be one of them.Among his offenses, Tom Delay:- Accepted trips from corporations and later helped kill legislation they opposed- Accepted trips from the lobbyist for a foreign government in violation of House rules- Paid family members more than $500,000 out of campaign contributions- Helped sweatshops in the Mariana Islands at the behest of a lobbyist- Promised a role in drafting legislation to a corporate donor- Tried to coerce a Congressman for a vote on Medicare- Allegedly used corporate money given to his PAC to finance Texas campaigns in violation of state law- Used Homeland Security resources in a dispute with Democrats in Texas- Diverted funds from a children's charity for lavish celebrations at the Republican convention- Threatened retaliation against interest groups that don't support Republicans- Stacked the House Ethics Committee with representatives who have contributed to his legal defense fund- Crippled the effectiveness of the House Ethics Committee by purging members who had rebuked him- Pushed for a rules change for the House Ethics process that paralyzed the panel- Sought a rule change that would have no longer "required leaders to step aside temporarily if indicted"(See postscript below for a link to citations.)As Majority Leader, DeLay is the second-ranking leader in the House of Representatives. He is responsible for developing the Republican issue agenda and sets the legislative schedule by selecting which bills the House will consider.The ranks of government contractors and lobbyists who depend on this legislative authority have slathered DeLay, his cronies and related organizations with millions of dollars.Please sign our petition today urging Congress to fire Tom Delay!http://www.moveonpac.org/delay/?id=5502-1273126-O_57vaRKmCjsiLpIvAthwQ&t=3Thanks for all you do.--Tom, Wes, Adam, Laura and the MoveOn PAC Team Wednesday, May 11th, 2005

Tiahrt said we are as stupid as he is

Rep. Todd Tiahrt has once again stuck his foot in his mouth, which is just about every time he opens it. The latest stupidy comes from a statement he made defending Majority Leader Tom DeLay and claiming that the rest of us are so stupid we don’t pay attention to the blatant graft. For example:“Rank-and-file members of the House Republican Conference voiced support forMajority Leader DeLay today following their weekly Conference meeting. "TomDeLay did nothing wrong," said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan. "There is noevidence of any breaking of the House rules, no evidence of breaking anylaws of the land or of the laws of Texas." Tiahrt and Rep. Dave Weldon,R-Fla., said Republicans are focused on moving legislation through the Houseand downplayed DeLay's impact outside the Beltway. "When I go back to mycongressional district, the question [from] a lot of people is the price ofgas ... whereas you come here and it's 'Tom Delay, Tom DeLay.' And I go backto my district and they don't know who Tom Delay is," Weldon said.”-DeLay Gets Conference Support As Reid, Pelosi Slam GOP-- by Susan Davis and John Stanton13 April 2005.CongressDaily/P.M(c) 2005 by National Journal Group Inc. All rights reserved.-Thanks to Frank Smith of the Peace and Justice list service for this information.Mr. Tiahrt, we are paying close attention to what delay is doing. If you believe otherwise you are making a serious judgment error towards those of us who have believed from the beginning that you are unfit to hold that office. Are numbers are not that small. We will continue to target you until we are finally RID OF YOU.

Tiahrt wrecks environment for phony gas price relief

Kansas Rep. Todd Tiahrt newest rider to a federal energy bill is a classic “bait and switch” game with the voters. (The Wichita Eagle, April 22, 2005) It’s a bonanza for the oil companies, a disaster for what’s left of our pristine arctic environment and a real snow job on the voters. His measure allows drilling in the Arctic wildlife refuges. Tiahrt already has a 0% approval rating from nearly every environmental group. His contempt for nature is more than obvious. There’s also a provision to protect the oil companies from being suited if they contaminate the gas they sell.Tiarht will obviously come home to his constituents to brag that he is helping lower gas prices at the pump. (Remember, he said no one cares about Tom DeLay.)A few simple facts his constituents might not know or have forgotten is that only 10% of our oil comes from the Middle-east now. Our troops are standing over the worlds largest oil reserve. If prices were a result of supply problems, our gas prices should be at the lowest point they have been in over 10 years. It is price-gouging and not supply that is driving the gas prices up.So Tiarht’s bill means no relief at the pump, destruction of our last wilderness and gas that might damage our car and we will just have to pay to fix it ourselves.So thanks Tiarht. Thanks for NOTHING!!!!!

Tiahrt trashes Kansas

Todd Tiahrt, got an F (zero percent) rating by the Conservation Voters, an organization aimed at protecting the environment. He gets 100 percent favorable from property rights groups. Tiahrt supports spending money to erradicate animals that feed on livestock and rules making it easier for lanowners to alter wet lands (The Wichita Eagle, February 12, 2000).Tiahrt has not voted for a single bill to protect the environments.

Tiahrt embarrases Kansas

Kansas Representative Todd Tiahrt, Republican, angered AIDS activist by putting a ban on programs that distribute needles to addicts. Tiahrt, who spearheaded the move, with the help of other conservatives, complain that this program encourages drug use. AIDS activist claim this program saves lives and these representatives actions will literally kill people (The Wichita Eagle, August 1, 1999).Besides the AIDS issue, Washington, DC’s home rule advocates were also angered that the federal government is dictating what programs they can operate on the local level. The bill also included a ban on the use of medical marijuana.This is not the first time Tiahrt has led an effort to halt needle exchange programs. Last year he voted for a house amendment to ban the use of any tax money for needle exchange programs. (The Wichita Eagle August 8, 1998) The programs are used to prevent the spread of AIDS.Critics have argued these programs work. Since were started, there has been a 30 percent drop in AIDS among intravenous drug users, according to the National Institute of Health. At least 60 federally funded studies have shown that such programs work in reducing AIDS, while showing no significant increase in drug use. (The Wichita Eagle, 4 May 1998). Presently, needle exchange programs are endorsed by DC Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey and former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.Representative Albert Wynn, Democrat from Maryland, called Tiarht’s move “arrogant and misguided.” Washington DC has one of the nations highest rate of new HIV infections.Tiarht said the program promotes drug abuse and doesn’t work. In this latest effort, he sites a study done by the Office of National Drug Control Policy that claims the public health risks of needle exchange programs outweigh their benefits.The ONDCP is a hawkish “war on drugs” organization. By using them as a source, we see That Tiarht is more concerned with his twisted sense of morality than the public welfare.