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A group of conservative senators is about to embark on a rhetorical crusade in defense of the free market as the best solution for America’s healthcare system. Some of the participating senators outlined the effort in a visit to the Heritage Foundation.

The participating senators, all Republicans, are Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Mel Martinez of Florida, John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana. Here are video clips of their appearance at Heritage:

Categories: Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Health, Bob Corker, Richard Burr, Jim DeMint, Mel Martinez, John Thune, David Vitter, Economy

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Sen. Jim DeMint has been one of the leading critics of special-interest earmarks in federal spending bills, and now he has taken his crusade against such pork to the Internet. His campaign site features a petition dubbed “100,000 Strong For Earmark Reform.”

DeMint, R-S.C., discussed the effort today in an interview with Heading Right Radio. “It’s a way for chairmen to get votes for bad bills,” he said of earmarking. DeMint also called attention to a new congressional group called Reagan21.

Producer’s note: Through a partnership with BlogTalkRadio, AirCongress is promoting federal policy and political content produced by the company’s Internet-based talk-show hosts.

Categories: North Carolina, Jim DeMint, Budget, BlogTalkRadio

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The National Republican Congressional Committee, which is the campaign arm of House Republicans, has produced a series of videos that features GOP lawmakers making the case for putting them in charge of Congress again.

The last of the series, titled “Rediscovering Your Party,” went online Friday. “We’re returning to our roots of fiscal discipline, traditional values, reform, and defense and homeland security,” says Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana.

Other participants in the series were: Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri; Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio; NRCC Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma; Jeb Hensarling of Texas; Kevin McCarthy of California; Patrick McHenry of North Carolina; and Candice Miller of Michigan.

The earlier videos covered topics like: earmarks in spending bills; accountability and transparency for federal spending; opposition to the “fairness doctrine” that once required equal time for competing viewpoints on the airwaves; and the Republicans’ prospects for regaining the House majority in 2008.

Categories: Military, House, California, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Politics, Kevin McCarthy, Terrorism, Budget, Economy, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Social Policy, Marsha Blackburn, Patrick McHenry, Candice Miller, Tom Cole, Jeb Hensarling

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Congress is set to begin its annual congressional break this weekend, but a dozen Republican senators being tagged as obstructionists may not find it to be a relaxing vacation.

Americans United for Change and the Campaign for America’s Future today announced plans for a campaign aimed at calling attention to the tactics of those senators in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. An online video titled “The Plot To Bury Progress,” featuring actor Jason Alexander (George Costanza of “Seinfeld” fame), is part of the effort.

The campaign targets Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as “Senate Obstruction Leader” and lists 10 specific “obstruction votes.” The broader numbers for the year: 43 “filibusters” in seven months and 31 vetoes threatened by President Bush between May 1 and Aug. 1.

“The Republican minority in the Congress is now planning to use this August recess to rail against the ‘do-nothing’ Congress,” Campaign for America’s Future co-Director Robert Borsage wrote on the group’s blog. “Already the House and Senate minority leaders are trotting out laugh lines about the ‘post-office Congress’ that does nothing but name post offices and launch divisive witch hunts against the administration.

“This is akin to someone mugging the postman and then complaining that the mail isn’t delivered on time. In fact, the Bush White House and Republican minority have pursued a systematic and openly admitted strategy of obstruction.”

Categories: Senate, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Producer's Picks, Mitch McConnell, 110th Congress, Republicans

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From a floor speech given by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., that blasts House Democrats for their “Top 100 Broken Promises“: “The House Democrats haven’t kept their promises to the American people, whether it’s the result of inaction or inability to govern.”

Categories: North Carolina, Producer's Picks, Democrats, 110th Congress

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