Markey:Upholding Veto Ends Republican Keystone Pipe Dream in Congress
Following a vote to uphold President Obama #39;s veto of the Keystone Pipeline Approval Act, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) spoke with reporters. Senator Markey offered amendments to the...
By: Senator Markey
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Markey:Upholding Veto Ends Republican Keystone Pipe Dream in Congress - Video
TALLAHASSEE Republican lawmakers blasted President Barack Obamas decision to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba on Thursday, saying it will only serve to empower the communist nation thats been ruled by a dictatorship since 1959.
Republican members of the House Local & Federal Affairs Committee speaking before a nearly empty meeting room gave forceful speeches in support of a three-page message expressing the will of the Legislature they hope to send to Obama and congressional leaders. The 8-4 vote to send the message was along party lines.
The message expresses profound disagreement with the presidents decision in December to restore relations with Cuba.
The Cuban people have been under the crushing yoke of a brutal communist dictatorship since 1959, led first by Fidel Castro and more recently by his brother Raul, it reads. The actions of the Castro brothers have resulted in the impoverishment of the Cuban people and a complete and blatant disregard for human rights and democratic principles.
Before the vote, Republican Rep. Neil Combee of Auburndale said he was born the same year Fidel and Raul Castros revolution succeeded and told committee members to look how hes aged.
Fifty-five years is a long time. ... For 55 years we have had essentially one-man rule, Combee said. Its outrageous. It makes me sick. It breaks my heart. As a lover of liberty and freedom, I think about this all the time.
Republicans said the presidents decision will only help the Castros and wont bring human rights to Cuba.
If we do not stop the president or let him know this is not the right path, that dictatorship will grow and get more powerful, said Republican Rep. Jimmie Smith of Inverness.
But Democratic Rep. Kristin Jacobs of Coconut Creek said that the longstanding embargo has failed and that U.S. policy needed to change.
We can look back and see 56 years of a policy that has not yielded the results that we hoped that it would have, Jacobs said. The president acted rightly.
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Republican legislators criticize Obama's changes to Cuba policy
Assemblyman Rocky Chvez declared his candidacy Thursday for California's open U.S. Senate seat in 2016, becoming the first prominent Republican to enter the race.
Chvez, R-Oceanside, faces an uphill battle. He lacks the statewide name recognition of the only other major declared candidate, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, a Democrat. And the "R" after his name could be a burden in the high-turnout election that the strongly Democratic state expects next year.
Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, R-Oceanside, right, talks with the leaders of the gay GOP organization Log Cabin Republicans of California, Charles Moran, center, and John Musella, left. (Christopher Cadelago/Sacramento Bee)
And even if he remains the only Latino in the field, Chvez's surname won't automatically attract Latino voters, said Carlos Muoz Jr., a UC Berkeley professor emeritus and Latino politics expert. Nor, he added, are most Latino voters likely to look past his party affiliation to see his moderate stance on immigration and Chvez's stand against repealing the Affordable Care Act -- positions that have some conservatives questioning his partisan bona fides.
"The Republican Party, in the minds of a majority of Latinos in the state of California, stinks," Muoz said. "And I don't think that Rocky has that much of a statewide notoriety, so I don't consider him a serious candidate."
Chvez, a retired Marine Corps colonel, said he plans to focus on strengthening national security, creating more education opportunities for children and improving the economy.
"Our national security is a major concern, with ISIS growing bolder every day," he said in a news release. "If things get worse overseas, who would Californians want representing them in the Senate? A lawyer from San Francisco, or a Marine colonel who knows how lives can be protected and understands the importance of keeping America and her allies safe and secure?"
Californians "want to take their state back" and "are looking for someone who shares their story," Chvez said. "My father taught me the value of hard work in the grape fields with my uncles and cousins, which led to my success in the military and desire to give back through public service."
Chvez, 63, is in his second term representing the 76th Assembly District in northern San Diego County. Earlier, he was acting secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs and an Oceanside city councilman.
Harris "welcomes Assemblyman Chavez to the race and believes anyone should run for office if that's how he or she believes California can be best-served," Brian Brokaw, Harris' spokesman, said Thursday.
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Republican Rocky Chvez enters 2016 U.S. Senate race
The Wheels Are Falling Off the Republican Clown Car
As the 2016 presidential primaries ramp up, members of the Republican party are experiencing some major failures and screw ups... From the 2/6/15 episode of ...
By: Sam Seder
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The Wheels Are Falling Off the Republican Clown Car - Video
Grading Republican Gaffes With Chris Lehane
On "With All Due Respect," Chris Lehane, Democratic strategist and crisis management, expert, ranks GOP campaigns in damage control.
By: Bloomberg Business
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Grading Republican Gaffes With Chris Lehane - Video