Redstate: Beat Todd Platts

Redstate's Erick Erickson writes why it is necessary to make the "obscure" Todd Platts even more obscure by sending a true conservative to replace him.

He is pathetic on education issues and school choice reforms in particular. He voted in favor of No Child Left Behind, and earlier this year, was one of only 4 Republicans to oppose reinstating opportunity scholarships for poor children in D.C.

He is a restrictor of free speech. He supported McCain-Feingold campaign finance “reform,” along with 527 reform a few years later. He even opposed a bipartisan bill to ensure that campaign finance laws would not apply to bloggers.

He is a defender of seemingly every liberal spending program, including: the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Amtrak, Headstart, Americorps, the National School Lunch Program, the Legal Services Corporation, etc. He is serial reauthorizer of farm subsidies, highway subsidies, and energy subsidies.

He is profoundly unserious about cutting spending. He voted to earmark funds for Kentucky’s tourism industry, the DC metro system, a National Mule and Packers Museum, researching the genetic makeup of grapes, the Bronx Council of Arts, etc. He consistently votes against the conservative budgets offered by the Republican Study Committee (with one exception, which must have been a mistake). He opposed comprehensive reforms to the budget and spending process designed to limit government rather than expand it, probably because they were opposed vigorously by the appropriators.

He voted for the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the expansion of SCHIP, and voted to block the Bush Administration from controlling Medicaid spending. And in this age where every Republican tries to outdo each other on repeal of Obamacare, he voted to expand one of its grant programs earlier this year.

It goes on (because with Todd Platt's lousy voting record, it can), but you get the picture.

More Exposing of Todd Platts

Great new blog from libertarian challenger to Todd Platts exposing more of his liberal voting record.

Todd Platts Taxpayer Funded Newsletter

I received Todd Platts' full color newsletter, which, as the dislaimer notes, "was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense."

Platts' Republican challenger, Mike Smeltzer rightly attacked Platts for using taxpayer funds for what is clearly a political mailing.  Smeltzer notes the number of "townhall meetings" Platts is having in the coming weeks, and remarks that Platts had no such meeting with consituents during the heat of the health care debates, when other members were meeting with constituents, but only now, in the midst of a tough reelection, is he reaching out to constituents/voters.

I don't think Smeltzer went far enough in his criticism.

1) Newsletters are ostensibly to inform constituents of information they need. Platts' newsletter has 6 pictures – Platts appearing with troops, Platts appearing with veterans, Platts giving an award to a retiring cop, Platts with high school students, and Platts at groundbreaking ceremony. Is this information I need, or just campaign propaganda?

2) The newsletter features an article defending Congress's pay and benefits. Again, is there any relevant information for citizens in there? No, just an article that could be titled “Todd Platts is not such a greedy bastard.”

3) Finally, and most importantly, Platts ideas for a jobs stimulus reads thus: “tax relief for small businesses and families, funding for necessary transportation infrastructure projects, and extended unemployment and COBRA health benefits.” NO NO NO!!! Enough with the spending, and stop SUBSIDIZING UNEMPLOYMENT!

Todd Platts gets a C+ on NTU Rating

NTU - the National Taxpayers' Union - released their report card for the 2009 session.  Todd Platts got a C+ for voting for the taxpayers 60% of the time (it is graded on a curve apparently).  Platts ranked 166th - which means there are 165 members of Congress more fiscally conservative that Platts. 

How's Mike Smeltzer sounding now?

Election Year Again - Will Platts Take Phony Anti-Earmark Stand?

Jim Demint is launching a renewed effort to end earmarks, calling for members of Congress to support an earmark moratorium.

Expect Todd Platts to sign on, after all, it is an election year, and he supported such a ban on earmarks in 2008 noting how corrupting the process is. Of course, in 2009, he flip-flopped and then got $132 million in earmarks from taxpayers.

Todd Platts' 10 Worst Votes

Here are Todd Platts' 10 worst votes on spending, taxes, and fiscal policy:

1. For the multi-trillion dollar expansion of Medicare
   
2. To increase federal cigarette tax
3. For federal taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research
4. To increase the federal minimum wage
5. For "Cash for Clunkers"
6. For the pork-filled farm bill (overriding the president's veto)
7. For the 2005 Transportation bill ("Bridge to Nowhere" bill)
8. For the 2008 "economic stimulus"
9. For "No Child Left Behind"
10. For tax breaks for "alternative energy"

Platts Gets an Opponent

PoliticsPA is reporting that Todd Platts will have a primary challenger in the person of York businessman Mike Smeltzer. By the look, Smeltzer seems to be a true fiscal conservative.

If he needs any help, here are some links to Todd Platts (very liberal) voting record:

• Platts Voting Record on Fiscal Policy
• Platts Ratings by Issue Groups
  
• Platts on the Issues
  
• Platts' Recent Votes on Budget, Spending, and Taxes
  

Platts Prime PA Porker

Lowman Henry on how Todd Platts secured $132 million in earmarks, making him one of Pennsylvania's leading porkers.

Note that one year ago, Platts pledged not to take earmarks because "the system has been abused." Platts was running for re-election at that time.

Platts says "hook me up with earmarks"

Todd Platts has fallen off the earmark wagon, the Club for Growth notes, reversing his election year grandstanding previous pledge to reject earmarks until the process was reformed (it hasn't been). Now that pork seems to be back in fashion, Platts says "I'm gonna get me some". The York Dispatch broke the story.

Platts votes with Dems on SCHIP

Todd Platts voted with Democrats for SCHIP expansion - a bill which will raise taxes on the poor, create another unfunded quasi-entitlement, and crowd out private insurance.