The Mac is Back: Vice President Cheney campaigns for Mac Collins' return to Congress

The Houston Home Journal ^ | 11/02/2005 | William John Hagan

[WJHII]

Commentary: The Mac is back

By

William John Hagan

Houston Home Journal 11/02/2005

Mac Collins is returning to Georgia politics and he is pulling out all the stops. On Thursday night Washington Republicans raised $100,000 for Collins and, the next night at Henderson Village, the citizen's of Houston County did them one better by bringing the Vice President to town and raising $140,000 more. Collins is a man on mission and the job is to defeat Congressman Jim Marshall.

This race is still one year away but it has already been identified as one of the nation's most important Congressional seats. The massive outpouring of support for Collins demonstrates a determination, among Houston County voters, to stop Jim Marshall from becoming our next congressman. For two terms Marshall has worked against the people of Georgia through a liberal economic agenda and his repeated support of the House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, with whom he votes 73% of the time. During his two terms, Marshall has inexplicably voted to deprive Georgia's farmers and small business owners of their hard won earnings by opposing the repeal of the Death Tax. More recently, Marshall jeopardized our national security and supported gasoline price-gougers by opposing the President's "Gasoline for America's Security Act". Marshall has further exasperated Georgia voters by painting himself as a pro-life Democrat while voting to provide foreign aid to organizations that provide abortions abroad.

Marshall is so out of touch with his constituency that, come next November, it's a good bet that Mac Collins will steamroll Marshall into political oblivion. Collins has a six-term congressional track record and a reputation that Georgians know and trust. During his twelve years in Congress, Mac was a leader, not a follower, and has always been a tireless fighter for the people of Georgia. Collins and his fellow Republicans signed the "Contract with America" that, effectively, put a halt to then President Clinton's plans to socialize the American economy. The result was a blessed political immobilization of the Clintons' socialist jihad on domestic economic affairs, which resulted in the one of the century's healthiest economies. In fact, the economy was so prosperous that Clinton, in his typical pathological fashion, attempts to this day to take credit for the work of congressional Republicans such as Collins and Newt Gingrich.

When the congressional terms of Collins and Marshall overlapped, it became clear who was more qualified to represent Georgia. Collins successfully worked to phase out of the Death Tax which, for decades, had been destroying the legacies of family farms and small businesses. Until Collins, and his fellow Republicans, put a stop to this lunatic money grab, 70% of family farms and business in the United States failed by the second generation. Conversely, Marshall voted to preserve the Death Tax and in doing so, he sold out every farmer in Georgia. On that act alone he should be denied reelection. But (as the infomercials say), "wait there is more"....Marshall's record of failed leadership and liberal economic agenda is abysmal, and voting with the liberal Democratic minority should earn him a place in Georgia's political Hall of Shame.

Mac's leadership and foresight proved correct and the end result was the creation of four million new jobs. While Jim Marshall has worked to take money out of the pockets of Georgians, Collins spent his time in Washington attempting to preserve our wealth. Collins' legacy includes supporting President Bush's Tax Relief Package, which has resulted in a $100 billion dollar reduction in the nation's deficit. Collin's work in congress also resulted in doubling the child tax credit, decreasing the marriage penalty and cutting tax rates across the board.

When it comes to making a choice, for Houston County voters only one candidate represents the views and values of both Republicans and Democrats in Middle Georgia. Jim Marshall has set back Georgia's interests too many times to even be considered for reelection. Mac is authentically pro-life; Marshall is not. Mac supports lower taxes; Marshall wants to tax the dead. Mac is a leader; Marshall is a Pelosi "yes" man. For the people of Houston County there is only one choice for Congress in 2006 and Mac Collins is it.

William John Hagan can be visited on the Internet at:

http://williamjohnhagan.blogspot.com

Letters to the editor of The Houston Home Journal may be e-mailed to: hhj@evansnewspapers.com (Please Include Your Name and Location)

William John Hagan can be contacted directly by e-mail at:William_Hagan@excite.com

********** News Coverage:

(Unabridged Version)

Vice President Cheney campaigns for Mac Collins' return to Congress

By William John Hagan

Houston Home Journal 11/01/2005

Last Friday may have been one of the worst days in the second term of the Bush Presidency but that didn't stop Vice President Dick Cheney from leaving Washington to come to Houston County's Henderson Village to support his friend, former-Congressman Mac Collins. The day's events concerning Cheney's Chief of Staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, did not stop the Vice President from joining Georgia Republicans to help launch the upcoming Champaign for Congress of Mac Collins. Mac will soon make a formal announcement that he will challenge Democratic Congressman Jim Marshall in the new 8th district which will include Houston County.

According to the United States' Secret Service, about two hundred supporters turned out to honor the political career and accomplishments of Mac Collins. A general feeling of hope and inspiration seemed to pervade the crowd as Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) took to the podium to express his views and those of his fellow Republicans: Georgia needs to send Mac Collins back to Washington.

Collins had previously served twelve years in Congress before retiring in 2004. During his tenure, he was known for being one of the top leaders of the "Republican Revolution", lead by Georgia's Newt Gingrich, which effectively crippled the legislative agenda of then President William Jefferson Clinton. These efforts helped revive the US Economy during the late 1990's. It has become clear that Georgia's leaders, from Sam Nunn and Zell Miller to Mac Collins and Newt Gingrich, have played an important role in shaping modern political history. In response to redistricting at home, Collins has decided to come out of retirement and challenge Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA) in the newly created 8th Congressional District. In support, Rep. Westmoreland applauded Mac Collins for answering the call to return to public service.

Rep. Westmoreland expressed that the Republican Party had identified the newly created 8th districted as a vital seat that must be returned to Republican control by the voters. He explained that the support for Collins was not only coming from the people of Houston County but from Republicans nationwide, "I've been around people long enough to know people that are leaders...and we need leaders. Mac Collins is not a guy that brags on himself so you may not know some of the things he did while in Congress." The Congressman went on to describe Mac's long career and how Collins had helped reduce the national deficit by $100 Billion dollars with his contributions to President Bush's Tax Relief Package. Westmoreland continued his endorsement of Collins by making a shrouded reference to Rep. Marshall's record of voting with the Democratic Party's liberal Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi 73% of the time: "We need somebody in Washington who is willing to be the first vote up on the board and not wait for their leader to tell them how to vote. We need someone who is a leader." Westmoreland further demonstrated the resolve of Washington's Republican leadership to return Mac Collins to Congress by announcing that they had raised $100,000 the previous night to help his campaign.

Westmoreland also thanked the people of Houston County for turning out in such large numbers: "Mac Collins and Julie are friends of mine and I know they are friends of yours... I want to thank you for being here and giving your hard earned money to make sure that Mac goes back to Congress and is part of that leadership team that we need up there." As Westmoreland finished speaking the crowd erupted into spontaneous applause as the anticipation began to grow for the arrival of Mr. Collins and Mr. Cheney.

Moments latter, Mac Collins took to the stage as the residents of Houston County burst into applause as the former Congressman worked his way through the sea of bright red "Collins for Congress" signs. Collins humbly thanked his friends and supporters for turning out in such great numbers. In his traditional style, Collins did not dwell on his own accomplishments but spoke of his shared beliefs with the people: "I share the same principles as you, the majority of the people of this district, the majority of the people of this state and this nation. You and I both believe in limiting the growth of government, and it needs to be limited, because when you limit the growth you limit the cost and your tax dollars pay for that cost. And we believe that local issues should be controlled by local people." The vigorous applause from the citizen's present stopped Collins' speech for moments as he introduced Vice President Cheney.

When the Vice President joined Collins on the podium he spoke warmly and appreciatively to the people of Georgia, "Thank you all very much, it is great to be back in Georgia with my good friend Mac Collins...The President and I deeply appreciated the backing we had throughout your state, and Georgia came through with a resounding vote of confidence. The Bush-Cheney ticket received more votes in this state then any Presidential ticket of either party ever had before. Next year, with your help, the 8th district will send Mac Collins back to Congress and reelect your Governor Sonny Perdue."

The Vice-President then went on to endorse Mac Collins' campaign and express the need, from the White House and from Congress, for the presence of Collins back in Washington: "I am delighted that he is back in the fray as a candidate for Congress...He knows the territory very well having served six distinguished terms in Washington. He stepped down two years ago and has been spending some time back in the real world. Now we need his experience and his principles back in the nation's capital because Mac is the kind of pro-growth, pro-jobs, fiscal conservative, strong on national defense that is absolutely essential for the kind of work that needs to be done[.] Here in Middle Georgia where people work hard, play by the rules and stand behind our people in uniform you couldn't ask for a better choice for Congress than Mac Collins...You know that you can count on him to be a wise voice in a place that could use some wisdom. Mac is an outstanding candidate and proven leader and he deserves the support of each and every one of us. The President and I need good partners like Mac in the Congress these days, especially at this time in our nation's history."

The Vice President then spoke on behalf of himself and President George W. Bush and detailed the accomplishments they were able to carry out while Mac Collins was a member of Congress: "When we took office in 2001 the economy was sliding into recession. To get it going again we delivered tax relief four times in four years. We doubled the child tax credit, decreased the marriage penalty, and cut tax rates across the board."

The Vice President then made direct reference to Congressmen such as Jim Marshall who voted against repealing the Death Tax, a repeal that Mac Collins spearheaded: "We phased out the Death Tax so the savings of a lifetime can be kept in the family instead of going to the Federal Government. These were the right policies for a struggling economy and now we are seeing the results. Americans today have more money to spend, save and invest and they are using [it] to drive the economy forward...Since May of `03 this economy has generated over 4 million new jobs."

He also spoke to the President's energy policies which Rep. Marshall recently voted against in the form of the Gasoline for America's Security Act: "In a time when all of us are concerned about higher energy prices, we have set the nation on a better course with an energy policy for the future that will promote conservation and efficiency, foster development of new technologies [and] expand protection and refining capacity in the United States. We must make certain that the country has adequate supplies of affordable energy."

In conclusion, the Vice President asked the people of Georgia: "We hope you will give us a strong partner...by sending Mac Collins back to the Congress of the United States. We need him back in Washington and the President and I look forward to his early return."

[ken5050]

"Your neck of the woods" ping

[armydawg1]

Mac will make a big return to Congress and resume his seniority. I look forward to being in his new district and working hard for another successful run in Washington.

[Spirited]

He won't steam roll anything unless they get people who can control how many dead and sick people the Dems "bring" to the vote.