1993

Submitted by watchingkay on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 11:36

 

 

  “1993” SCRIPT
Congress
TEXT ON SCREEN: Congress
Scandals
TEXT ON SCREEN: Scandals
Wasteful Spending
TEXT ON SCREEN: Wasteful Spending
After 17 years in Washington
TEXT ON SCREEN: After 17 years in Washington
Senator Hutchison’s rhetoric is her record
TEXT ON SCREEN: Hutchison 1993 ad
Cut pork?
TEXT ON SCREEN: Cut Pork?
She voted for billions in earmarks
TEXT ON SCREEN: She voted FOR billions in earmarks
And was runner-up for pork barrel spender of the year by Citizens Against Government Waste
TEXT ON SCREEN: runner-up Pork Barrel Spender of the Year
Finishing second to liberal Barney Frank
TEXT ON SCREEN: Sources found at WashingtonKay.com
Cut spending?
TEXT ON SCREEN: Cut Spending?
She voted for the $700 billion Wall Street Bailout
TEXT ON SCREEN: She voted for the $700 billion Wall Street Bailout
And has voted to increase the debt limit 9 times
TEXT ON SCREEN: Voted to INCREASE debt limit 9 times
Senator Hutchison went to Congress to change Washington but Washington changed her
TEXT ON SCREEN: Senator Hutchison went to Congress to change Washington but Washington changed her

Washington Kay Bills Taxpayers To Fly On Private Planes Owned By Lobbyists

Submitted by watchingkay on Thu, 02/04/2010 - 14:10

Senator uses more than $12,000 in taxpayer money to reimburse lobbyists, corporations and donors for use of their jets; has spent more than $518,000 for 154 private flights

During her 17 years as a United States Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison has used more than $12,000 in taxpayer money to reimburse lobbyists, corporations with business interests before her committees in the Senate, and campaign donors for use of their private planes, including Zachry Construction, Clear Channel, Oshkosh Trucking, TXU, Moncrief Oil, and Lockheed Martin. She has billed taxpayers more than $518,000 to travel 154 times by private airplane, according to Senate records.

“Bailouts, earmarks and now private plane rides continue to demonstrate that Senator Hutchison has no regard for taxpayer dollars,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Senator Hutchison should apologize to the people of Texas for her consistent use of taxpayer dollars for political activity.”

Sen. Hutchison often uses private planes for single-destination trips to major metropolitan areas when commercial flights would cost a mere fraction of what she passes on to taxpayers. Examples include spending $5,732.68 to fly round-trip Dallas to Houston and $5,523.92 to fly round-trip Dallas to Austin. (Additional examples below.)

According to semi-annual Reports of the Secretary of the Senate, Sen. Hutchison has billed taxpayers $12,461.95 to reimburse lobbyists, corporations and donors for use of their jets, and used private planes at least 154 times costing taxpayers $518,892.39. (SOURCE: Report of the Secretary of the Senate documents available below.)

Hutchison’s Revolving Door One Of The Busiest For Lobbyists

Submitted by watchingkay on Thu, 02/04/2010 - 10:50

At least 29 Hutchison staffers have become lobbyists, including former chief of staff who lobbied for $700 billion Wall Street bailout and current senior advisor who came from lobbying community

 

Few members of Congress have had as many staffers pass through the lobbyist revolving door as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

At least 29 former members of Sen. Hutchison’s staff have served as lobbyists, including her former chief of staff who lobbied on behalf of a foreign bank for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout that Sen. Hutchison defied her constituents to vote for.

Sen. Hutchison’s current senior advisor, David Davis, has also passed through the lobbyist revolving door. After serving as Sen. Hutchison chief of staff until Dec. 31, 2002, Davis left her office and became a lobbyist for ChoicePoint, then returned to Sen. Hutchison’s staff as a senior advisor Jan. 5, 2009.

Senator Hutchison is using her federal office as an employment agency for Washington lobbyists.  Earlier this week Senator Hutchison was recognized by a national organization for her pork-barrel spending, and now we learn that the senator’s office has one of the highest numbers of former staffers who lobby, including her former chief of staff who lobbied for the $700 billion bailout on behalf of a Swiss bank.

On Sept. 30, 2008, Sen. Hutchison told a group of Texans, “My calls were running 2000 to 12 against a bailout plan,” and “I could not give a blank check for $700 billion to anyone. I wouldn't have given it to Ronald Reagan.” The very next day, she voted for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. At the same time, according to records from the U.S. Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure Act Database, former Hutchison chief of staff Dick Ribbentrop was lobbying for the bailout on behalf of UBS, a foreign bank. Ribbentrop was Sen. Hutchison’s chief of staff from Sept. 14, 2005, to April 1, 2007.

Another former Hutchison staffer was the subject of a 2008 article by the Austin American-Statesman titled, “Lobbyist in pay-for-access scandal has Hutchison ties.”

Hutchison Named “Porker of the Year” Runner-Up For 2009 By Citizens Against Government Waste

Submitted by watchingkay on Tue, 02/02/2010 - 09:38

Senator says “I don’t do pork” but has been called “Queen of Earmarks” for requesting $10 billion worth

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was today unveiled as the “Porker of the Year” runner-up for 2009 by Citizens Against Government Waste (GAGW). Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, GAGW president Tom Schatz said that Sen. Hutchison finished second to Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank in the 2009 “Porker of the Year” balloting.

In announcing her runner-up finish, Schatz described Sen. Hutchison as “one of those individual members of Congress who unfortunately says that they are a fiscal conservative and yet she asked for about one-and-a-half billion dollars in pork-barrel projects for the current fiscal year. So you have telling the folks back home that I’m doing well, and then you have the actual record, so there is the hypocritical part of that."

With a 17-year career in Washington of voting for bailouts, record deficits, and billions in earmarks, Senator Hutchison is once again being recognized for her bad spending habits.  We hope the senator and her campaign enjoy the delivery of pork today on behalf of Texans for Rick Perry.

Hutchison Admits She Can’t Win Republican Primary

Submitted by watchingkay on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 16:04

Senator abandons conservative strategy, now asking Democrats to bailout failing campaign

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison admitted today that her campaign is failing and that she cannot defeat Governor Rick Perry for the Republican gubernatorial nomination on March 2.

“Sen. Hutchison has finally conceded that after being in Washington for more than 17 years, her record of supporting bailouts, record debt, and out-of-control spending is not attractive to Republican primary voters,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner said. “She is now asking Democrats to bailout her own failing campaign.”

During an appearance before the Texas Farm Bureau today, Sen. Hutchison said, “I know that without you I would not be here, that you are sticking with me in a very tough race. I need to ask you to reach out beyond farm bureau members and help bring people in to the polls that don't usually vote in Republican primaries.” (“Hutchison: GOP primary runoff looks possible,” Associated Press, 2/1/10)

Sen. Hutchison’s appeal to Democrats is a complete repudiation of the last six months of her failing campaign. On Aug. 16, 2009, the Austin American-Statesman reported, “Hutchison's campaign manager, however, dismissed the notion that Hutchison must lure non-Republicans to vote. Terry Sullivan, noting that Perry has never had a serious primary challenger, predicted that Hutchison would prevail by exciting traditional GOP voters. ‘The premise that Democrats are turning out in a Republican primary is absurd,’ he said.” (Hutchison battles for home-field advantage,” Austin American Statesman, 8/16/09)