Top Ten Reasons to Vote Gibbons Out!

I've been asked a couple of time to state a series of talking points reasons why Nevadans should vote to keep Congressman Jim Gibbons out of the Governor's office.

It's a worthwhile effort since in the daily back and forth of a campaign, folk tend to focus on trivialities--like how much Gibbons looks like Hugh Hefner these days--and the basic underlying reasons for wanting a Gibbons-free Nevada get lost in the dust.

So, here a list of major reasons for voting Gibbons out. Feel free to add your own in the comments or send an email if I leave out your favorite.

1. Gibbons is fiscally irresponsible. He voted for most of the Bush appropriation bills which pushed up deficit spending and plunged the country into debt. Lacking the backbone to face up to the deficit mess, Gibbons engaged in an obscure parliamentary procedure which allowed him to vote both for and against budget busting appropriations bills. He also hasn't spent much time familiarizing himself with the Nevada state budget. His approach to fiscal control is always immoderate and draconian. His bill requiring a 2/3rd's majority in the state legislature for raising taxes in the state nearly led to a constitutional crisis in 2003.
   
2. Gibbons won't protect your civil rights. Gibbons used to say he was "pro-choice." You haven't heard that for a while because while in Congress Gibbons consistently voted to whittle away at abortion rights. Gibbons has also been a vocal supporter of the Patriot Act, even in it's original form which allowed the government to look into your library records. During a tax-payer funded junket, Gibbons found conditions at the scandalous Guantanamo Bay prison "suitable."  Gibbons doesn't respect your freedom of speech, either. He's equated peaceful opposition to the War in Iraq with aiding terrorists.
3. Gibbons wants to force you and your kids to worship Yahweh. Gibbons has supported forced prayer in school and the display of the ten commandments in schools and other public buildings.
4. Gibbons is a disaster for the environment. Gibbons is the author of the Gibbons-Pombo report that used bad science to allow coal-fired power plants to emit dangerous levels of mercury. Gibbons has also consistently undermined scientific study of the amounts of toxins being released from mining operations. Gibbons also worked to undermine the Endangered Species Act. And there's lots more.
5. Gibbons doesn't support meaningful campaign reform. Gibbons accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars funnelled to his campaign from a few corporations in a shady process called "bundling." Gibbons has also gladly benefitted from shady K-street deals by accepting money from disgraced ex-Congressman Tom Delay, and praised the campaign finance reforms of Bob Ney, who has admitted to accepting bribes.
6. Gibbons is beholding to huge Fat Cat special interests. Gibbons' campaign funding is coming from Big Casinos, Big Real Estate Developers, and Big Pharmaceutical Companies.
7. Gibbons has no serious proposals for improving education. Gibbons' idea of helping education is to push the "Education First" initiative which does nothing for education and will have negligible effect. Gibbons has also voted to cut federal aid to college students and is against all-day Kindergarten.
8. Gibbons blindly supports the failed Bush policies in Iraq. Gibbons accepted without reservation the many false claims the Bush administration made about Iraq: such as Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's), and that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Gibbons also believed the President when he unilateraly declared the Iraq war over in 2004. Gibbons also attacked the moderate proposals for measured removal of troops from Iraq proposed by war veteran Congressman John Murtha in order to make cheap political points.
   
9. Gibbons doesn't understand Nevada's budget. After a tardy visit with Governor Kenny Guinn, Gibbons declared that "we've just started learning the process from this side. It's going to take a few more sessions to make sure we're 100 percent." One can only wonder why Gibbons has waited until the last minute to learn about the job he's running for.
10. Gibbons is a disaster to the middle class. Gibbons has supported huge tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans which have ballooned the deficits while failing to support popular tax cuts for the middle class such as the sales tax exception.
    

Comments

[JWH]

Awesome post!

[Desert Beacon]

Amen!

to bad he will win

[Mike]

Im middle-class, at best, and the economy the last few years has been great for me. Im doing better now than I ever did.

[linda cooper]

remember what this country's laws were founded on? It seems to me the further we go from GOD and the basis on which our laws were founded, the closer we are to self destruction. We are rapidly falling out of the Grace of GOD. Just look at the violence, the disrespect, the lack of fear for authority. It doesn't take a "Christian" born again or otherwise to just look at society 100 or even 50 years ago and today. Then ask yourself what has changed that has put us where we are today. Removing GOD little by little....from the school, from government, from the home. Ok ...so you don't believe there is a GOD I guess that means the next time something traumatic happens in your family or in America;like 911, you won't be asking for GOD'S help, guidance or even why. I remember an awful lot of people did, if some, only for a brief period. I just want to bring sanity back to our society and remember what this country was founded on.

[Nevada Scandalmonger]

In 1906 one could expect to live to be 47, women couldn't vote, and kids had to work in factories. Those were the days.

I always love the assumption that I don't believe in God. I do. But I don't think my Congressman should be telling which one I should believe in, if any, or how I should do it.

[Jim Gibbons]

Dina Titus sucks, she’s is the devil, don’t vote for her, this website sucks big ones.
gibbons needs to slap dat ho!

[jim gibbons]

Dina Titus sucks, she’s is the devil, don’t vote for her, this website sucks big ones!
jim gibbons need to slap dat ho!

Dina Titus is a Socialist