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Lautenberg Goes After Journalist Who Exposed His Hypocrisy
Congressional Record ^ | November 17, 2003 | Congressional Record

Posted on 02/11/2005 8:21:24 PM PST by MediaReallyMatters

Senate floor statements November 17, 2003:

MR. THOMAS: I would like to quote Senator LAUTENBERG'S floor statement during consideration of the fiscal year 1994 Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act on October 4, 1993. He said:

The use of contract towers is an example of how we can reduce the costs of Government services and achieve savings over the long run. FAA estimates that the use of a contract control tower saves $200,000 annually because of the flexibility available in scheduling controller working hours around changes in air traffic activity levels.

I ask unanimous consent that the Talon News article by Jeff Gannon dated September 23, 2003 be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

[From the Talon News Sept. 23, 2003] Daschle, Lautenberg Vow to Fight FAA Privatization They Supported in 1994

(By Jeff Gannon) WASHINGTON (TALON NEWS).--New Jersey Democrat Sen. Frank Lautenberg is promising to hold up the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill over the subcontracting of some air traffic control jobs. He cited safety concerns as the basis for his opposition to the outsourcing of air traffic control functions.

President Bush has threatened to veto a bill that does not include language to allow the privatization that his administration says will result in increased savings with no reduction in safety. Democrats are challenging competitive sourcing of thousands of federal jobs through insertion of amendments into departmental appropriations bills that would prohibit the practice.

Some are characterizing Lautenberg's opposition to the privatization as political, since he championed a similar program in 1994.

Geoffrey Segal, the Director of Government Reform Policy for the Reason Foundation, told Talon News, ``The change in position clearly is pandering to special interests, in this case NATCA (National Air Traffic Controllers Association), who have aggressively stepped up their lobbying efforts to fight competition in the FAA.''

Segal pointed out that, while serving as chairman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Lautenberg supported the part of Vice President Al Gore's program for ``reinventing government'' that included the changes now being proposed by President Bush.

Segal continued his criticism of Lautenberg, saying, ``The flip-flop in position is pure partisan politics--it's reform when proposed by a Democrat, but it's trading safety and security for profits when it's a Republican proposal.''

Lautenberg was quoted in the Washington Post in 1994, saying, ``The [Clinton] administration's proposal to privatize the air traffic control system is consistent with the desire to bring more efficiency and reform to government and should be reviewed seriously.''

On the Senate floor in 1993, the New Jersey Democrat declared, ``I strongly endorse the FAA's contract tower program for level 1 (the smallest) control towers. ..... The use of contract towers is an example of how we can reduce the costs of Government services and achieve savings over the long run.''

Lautenberg justified his support of privatization by saying, ``FAA estimates that the use of a contact tower saves $200,000 annually because of the flexibility available in scheduling controller working hours around changes in air traffic activity levels.''

At the time, South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) praised Lautenberg's efforts, saying, ``I would like to compliment the Senator from New Jersey for once again doing a masterful job in providing the Senate with an appropriations bill that recognizes the importance of our transportation systems to the health of our economy and fairly balances the competing demands for improved transportation services throughout the United States.''

Daschle continued his complimentary assessment of the privatization provision, saying, ``I am grateful that report directs the FAA to include the Aberdeen (South Dakota) Airport in the FAA's contract tower program.''

Lind Hall Daschle, the senator's wife, was a deputy administrator for the FAA from 1993 until 1997.

The Reason Foundation's Segal summarized his assessment of the political motivation of the Senate Democrats by saying, ``Of course, the larger picture is that both Sens. Lautenberg and Daschle supported bringing competition to government, however, as part of President Bush's plan to do the same, both senators are outspoken opponents of the plan. It seems that competition in Aberdeen is good for Sen. Daschle's constituents but not for American taxpayers.''

FAA officials have suggested that unless action is taken by the September 30 expiration of the current authorization, it would begin to furlough non-essential personnel. Marion C. Blakey, the agency's administrator, predicts more dire consequences. The New York Times quotes her as saying, ``We see ourselves on the brink of closing the doors.''

A temporary reauthorization measure is being proposed to break the impasse and to avoid a shutdown of the FAA. Two Republicans, Sens. Trent Lott (R-MS) and John McCain (R-AZ), indicated they would oppose any short-term extension and intend to continue work on the full four-year bill.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I hope my colleagues and the American public see that under the Clinton administration the Contract Tower Program was okay but it's not today--under a Republican administration.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: democrat; gannon; jeffgannon; lautenberg; talonnews
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1 posted on 02/11/2005 8:21:25 PM PST by MediaReallyMatters
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To: MediaReallyMatters

Hmm. I thought Lautenberg was brain-dead. But evidently there's still enough in there to hold a grudge.


2 posted on 02/11/2005 8:27:23 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero

Hate is the last emotion that goes.


3 posted on 02/11/2005 8:31:37 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (God is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: MediaReallyMatters

Interesting. It's too bad that Jeff Gannon/Guckert resigned his job at Talon News. He will be missed. Hopefully he has some job offers that are even more exciting.


4 posted on 02/11/2005 8:34:12 PM PST by Eva
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To: Indy Pendance; Howlin

ping


5 posted on 02/11/2005 8:34:51 PM PST by DJ MacWoW ("Are you cops? FBI" bad guy, "I'm currently unemployed" Tony Almeida of 24)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Hate is the last emotion that goes.
======
Well it sure is for the far-left libs. This is the standard modus operandi for these creeps. Being wrong, and getting caught at it is UNFAIR TREATMENT to the utopian, whacked out left. They are ALWAYS RIGHT, NEVER WRONG. Anything to the contrary, MUST BE AN UNJUSTIFIED ATTACK ON THEM. Being wrong and dirty just does not happen with libs....ala Clinton.


6 posted on 02/11/2005 8:35:28 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: DJ MacWoW; Mo1; kcvl; Dog; OldFriend

So, we are saying that that's why Lautenberg screamed for an investigation?

OMG, I need a flow chart. Either I'm losing my "touch" or news is moving at warp speed.


7 posted on 02/11/2005 8:38:44 PM PST by Howlin (It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
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To: MediaReallyMatters

Thanks for your research and welcome to FR! Now I know why Lautenberg is so intent on destroying Gannon.


8 posted on 02/11/2005 8:39:03 PM PST by Ben Hecks
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To: Eva

Jeff said in a radio interview with Larry Elder that he had received several very lucrative offers.


9 posted on 02/11/2005 8:40:03 PM PST by CyberAnt (They speak like Gods; fight like cowards; are corrupt and immoral to their core.)
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To: MediaReallyMatters

I doubt that Frankie the Fossil is really doing this -- he can't even put a sentence together these days. More likely someone else is putting this out under his name -- sort of a "Weekend at Bernie's" thing.


10 posted on 02/11/2005 8:40:20 PM PST by Ed_in_NJ (Who killed Suzanne Coleman?)
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To: Howlin
OMG, I need a flow chart. Either I'm losing my "touch" or news is moving at warp speed.

It's moving at warp speed.

So, we are saying that that's why Lautenberg screamed for an investigation?.

Revenge can be sweet even if you're an old far.......person.

11 posted on 02/11/2005 8:41:51 PM PST by DJ MacWoW ("Are you cops? FBI" bad guy, "I'm currently unemployed" Tony Almeida of 24)
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To: Howlin
news is moving at warp speed

That isn't a good thing for liberals either!

12 posted on 02/11/2005 8:41:58 PM PST by kcvl
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To: CyberAnt
That is good to know. I hope he gets a really good and POWERFULL job which will allow him to do some excellent investigative reporting and show those left wing libs what is fair and what is not!
13 posted on 02/11/2005 8:44:30 PM PST by Goodgirlinred ( GoodGirlInRed Four More Years!!!!!)
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To: CyberAnt
Jeff said in a radio interview with Larry Elder that he had received several very lucrative offers.

I hope he gets something that he loves and makes millions! He was such a nice guy!!!

Hey, OLD MEDIA, you are losing it, you KOOKS. You THINK you are hurting people but you are actually HELPING them. We get to see for ourselves who you really are and how mean and hateful you are to decent and honest people who don't agree with you!

14 posted on 02/11/2005 8:45:38 PM PST by kcvl
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To: kcvl

I agree with that too .. I hope Jeff gets a job that puts him right in their face every day - LOL!!


15 posted on 02/11/2005 8:50:15 PM PST by CyberAnt (They speak like Gods; fight like cowards; are corrupt and immoral to their core.)
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To: Goodgirlinred

I agree with you.


16 posted on 02/11/2005 8:50:53 PM PST by CyberAnt (They speak like Gods; fight like cowards; are corrupt and immoral to their core.)
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To: MediaReallyMatters

Frank the jag is a mean old man.


17 posted on 02/11/2005 8:51:16 PM PST by satchmodog9 (Murder and weather are our only news)
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To: MediaReallyMatters

bump.

your link is busted...


18 posted on 02/11/2005 8:58:03 PM PST by ambrose (...)
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To: MediaReallyMatters

I thought you get wiser with age. Democrats always seem to prove that theory wrong.


19 posted on 02/11/2005 8:59:47 PM PST by digger48
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To: EagleUSA

Do a quick Freep search for "Ford" (as in John Ford, uncle of congressman Harold Ford and state senator from Memphis) and you will find a classic example of a liberal caught with his hand in the till and screaming "Racism!". Ford is evil, smarmy, arrogant, crooked, and conniving. And those are his GOOD qualities!


20 posted on 02/11/2005 9:04:37 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (God is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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