Posted on 11/10/2013 10:08:57 AM PST by Hilda
Business leaders are plotting to take down Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) as part of a broader effort to punish lawmakers over the government shutdown.
In a letter obtained by The Hill, prominent Michigan donors request financial backing for Amash’s primary challenger, Brian Ellis. Seven individuals, including prominent Michigan businessmen Mark Bissell, J.C. Huizenga and Mike Jandernoa, signed the fundraising plea.
They argue that Amash “and others have effectively nullified the Republican majority in the U.S. House.”
“[Amash] and a small group of like-minded legislators rejected Speaker Boehner’s plea to pass legislation requiring Congress and the president be subject to ObamaCare, and put on hold the special new tax on medical equipment. This irresponsible action hurt over 50 great West Michigan businesses and was part of the chaos that led the nation to the edge of default,” the letter says.
The letter was printed on Ellis’s campaign stationery.
“These are folks I’ve known for a long time, and they’re excited about my candidacy,” Ellis told The Hill.
Ellis said his supporters have expressed frustration with the conservative wing of the GOP and the shutdown strategy.
“To a large degree, they’re not happy with the faction that my opponent represents,” he said.
“I'm hearing it from everybody. [The shutdown was] no way to run a country. It's no way to govern.”
Amash is among a rebel bloc of House Republicans who pushed Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to make stand on ObamaCare in the fight over the government shutdown and the debt ceiling.
The tactic infuriated business groups, several of which have threatened to enter into GOP primaries in order to defeat hardliners in the GOP.
Amash has also been a thorn in the side of leadership, and was one of a handful of Republicans who orchestrated a failed attempt to oust Boehner earlier this year.
Conservative groups are aware of the challenge to Amash, are pledging to match the business community “punch-for-punch” to defend one of their champions in Congress.
“He’s the gold standard of principled constitutionalism in Congress,” said Dean Clancy, the vice president of public policy at FreedomWorks.
“We have heard that the K-Street establishment wants to knock him off — and we intend to defend him punch-for-punch.”
An aide to Amash’s congressional campaign said the letter’s signatories don’t speak for the Grand Rapids business community, and noted that the congressman has substantial business support.
Executives at direct-selling giant Amway, for example, are backing Amash.
The Amash campaign shared with The Hill a letter from Doug DeVos, Amway’s president, calling on donors to support the lawmaker. In addition, Steve Van Andel, Amway’s chairman who also chairs the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, has already contributed the maximum $5,200 allowed to Amash’s campaign for the 2014 election cycle.
The National Federation of Independent Business previously endorsed Amash, and a spokesman for the group said while it hadn’t made a decision on the race this cycle, the group wouldn’t endorse his opponent because Amash has had such a strong record on the group’s issues in Congress.
The Amash aide also defended the lawmaker’s record, noting that during the shutdown fight, Amash only defied GOP leadership on the final deal that reopened the government and lifted the debt ceiling.
Still, Michigan’s 3rd District appears to be another front in the battle between the Tea Party and business wings of the party, which is being fought on the local level.
Last week, business groups helped Rep.-elect Bradley Byrne triumph over the Tea Tea-Party-backed Dean Young in a special election in Alabama’s 1st district.
The win has energized business leaders, who say they are now looking to engage in other races.
Byrne received significant support from local business groups and leaders, like the local arm of the National Retail Federation (NRF), which launched a get-out-the-vote effort on his behalf.
Stephen Schatz, spokesman for the NRF, said the group is planning to recreate that engagement on the local level elsewhere.
“I think our goal with the retail community is to plug our folks into some of these races more aggressively than in the past, and not take it for granted that people are going to make the right policy choices,” he said.
But grassroots groups are pledging to fight back. FreedomWorks didn’t endorse in the Alabama race, but Clancy said that the takeaway from that election should be that “corporate America is scared of the grassroots.”
If they don't like him that way,
They won't like me, I'm sure, today
And I'll be standing right by his side when they say:
"He's a rebel and he'll never ever be any good
He's a rebel 'cause he never ever does what he should."
Just an FYI....about AFP (Americans for Prosperity) group....I WAS supporting them....as do the KOCH brothers....but, the KOCH brothers have been found to support AMNESTY....NO MORE SUPPORT for AFP!
They need ‘tough love’ to correct their ways: punishment.
“Bissell manufactures and markets vacuums, carpet sweepers, deep cleaners, hard surface appliances and a full line of floor cleaning consumables.
Mark Bissell is involved in many local organizations including Business Leaders for Michigan, YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids and the Heart of West Michigan United Way Campaign Cabinet.
Mark Bissell has served on the board of directors for Holland office furniture maker Haworth since 2008.
J.C. Huizenga
Companies include National Heritage Academies, Inc. and Charter Development Company, L.L.C
http://www.huizengagroup.com/portfolio/
Michael J. Jandernoa
He is a general partner of Bridge Street Capital Fund 1, LLP;
He currently serves as First Vice Chair of the Business Leaders of Michigan, Inc. Mr. Jandernoa also serves on several private company boards.
http://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-jandernoa/
Don’t know what the most appropriate/effective punishment would be, but the mere failure of their attack will not be lesson enough for them.
Who are these GOP “business leaders” buying into the bullsh*t democrat shutdown narrative, and I hope I don’t own any shares in their companies.
So GOP-E crony hacks, let’s say (for the sake of argument) that you do take down Amash...who’s going to vote for you and your ilk in the general election that follows?
Anyone who isnt prepared to go to DC to fight the the communists is a sworn enemy of the working taxpayer and must be destroyed.
That includes Ellis, his greedy blue blood country club friends and their greedy pulled back wives, and any other sorry son of a bitch who thinks campaign commercials are going to beat those who intend to go to DC not to work with the communists and reform the syetem, but to destroy the communists and smash the system.
COMMUNISM
IN THE U. S. A.
The first of a series on the Communist conspiracy and its
influence in this country as a whole, on religion, on
education, on labor and on our government
^^No Communist, no matter how many
votes he should secure in a national
election, could, even if he would, become
President of the present government.
When a Communist heads the govern-
ment of the United States — and that day
will come just as surely as the sun rises—
the government will not he a capitalist
government hut a Soviet government, and
hehind this government will stand the
Red army to enforce the dictatorship of
the proletariat, ‘’
Sworn statement of
WILLIAM Z. FOSTER
Head of the Communist Party
in the United States
If you ever find yourself in open debate with a Communist the facts
here given can be used to destroy his arguments completely and expose
him as he is for all to see.
Every citizen owes himself and his family the truth about Com-
munism because the world today is faced with a single choice: To
go Communist or not to go Communist. Here are the facts.
1 . What is Com-munism?
A system by which one small group seeks to rule the world.
2. Has any nation ever gone Communist in a free election?
No.
3. Then how do the Communists try to get control?
Legally or illegally, any way they can. Communism’s first big
victory was through bloody revolution. Every one since has been by
military conquest, or internal corruption, or the threat of these.
CONSPIRACY is the basic method of Communism in countries it
is trying to capture.
IRON FORCE is the basic method of Communism in countries it
has already captured.
1 2. What would happen to my insurance?
The Communists would take it over.
34. Where are their headquarters in the United States, and who
is in charge?
Headquarters are at 35 East Twelfth Street, New York City. Wil-
liam Z. Foster, of 1040 Melton Avenue, New York City, has the title
of “Chairman of the Communist Party of the United States,” but
Foster is actually just a figurehead under control of foreign operatives
unseen by and unknown to rank and file Communists.
55. What is the emblem of the Communist Party in the United
States?
The hammer and sickle.
36. What is the emblem of the Communist Party in the Soviet
Union?
The hammer and sickle.
57. What is the flag of the Communist Party in the United States?
The red flag, the same as that of all Communist Parties of the world.
49. What kind of people become Communists?
The real center of power in Communism is within the professional
classes.
Of course, a few poor people respond to the Communist claim that
it is a “working class movement.”
But taken as a whole the Party depends for its strength on the sup-
port it gets from teachers, preachers, actors, writers, union officials,
doctors, lawyers, editors, businessmen, and even from millionaires.
Maybe we can ask the moderator to designate one of the right-side panels to articles about the GOP-E and the real conservatives so we can always open one or add to the list when we need to. I see that some of the articles are on that right side panel for months. Surely there could be a designated panel for this purpose.
They sense their corporate welfare may vanish and they don’t know how to survive except at the government trough.
>> Amash is among a rebel bloc of House Republicans who pushed Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to make stand on
ObamaCare
>> Business leaders are plotting to take down Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) as part of a broader effort to punish lawmakers over the government shutdown.
To Hell with the fascist “business” leaders.
Your strategy is sound. Also if you live in a red state there is no reason whatsoever that your congressmen should be a lib. if you are in that situation work against them tirelessly. If you are in a blue state settle for the RINO only after you primary him/her and keep them “right”.
they are capital cronyists. fascists. however you want to view them. they’re corporate welfare whores.
Exactly! If they want an all out war, we will gladly give it to them. People will soon realize they can’t trust the RINO when they lose their job to a newly “legal” immigrant who will do it for less.
“[Amash] and a small group of like-minded legislators rejected Speaker Boehner’s plea to pass legislation requiring Congress and the president be subject to ObamaCare, and put on hold the special new tax on medical equipment. This irresponsible action hurt over 50 great West Michigan businesses and was part of the chaos that led the nation to the edge of default,” the letter says.”
Amash should start by dispelling the White House myth, perpetuated throughout the media and throughout the political class that the nation was ever at “the edge of default”.
1. The statute authority for contintuation of the government to continue to raise revenue on the same basis that revenue was being raised was not in doubt - revenue coming in WAS going to proceed, under law, as it had been.
2. The question before Congress was how it COULD be spent and if the federal government COULD raise the debt ceiling limit.
3. Constitutionally neither of those facts - and given the federal government’s substantial and ongoing revenues, could have legally, nor could have financially, required or allowed the Obama White House to default.
4. The only kind of payments that the Constitution MANDATES the federal government MUST pay, whether it pays for anything else or not, IS anything that comes due on the debt it owes, which is predominately interest on the debt. Everything else it pays IS subject to what needs to be paid on the debt; before anything else.
5. The only reduction in what the federal government might have not paid, or might have temporarily deferred payments on, would have been in (a) the “discretionary” budget - everything outside of “entitlements and or (c) “entitlement spending and or any combination of the two, BUT NOT the constitutionally required payments on the debt.
Those attacking Amash are in one regard allowing themselves to be part of, and participant in, an Obama lie that HE WAS USING AS A THREAT.
It was Obama who was threatening to default on the debt, spend what he would have beeded to not default on his own programs, and in spite of the fact the Constitution mandates the debt be paid, whether any other appropriations of Congress do or do not.
If Obama had gone through on his threat, instead of tightening the sequester belt, he could have, and should have been impeached for it.
Exactly right.
Michigan? Isn’t that where Detroit is? Gone bankrupt? This bunch of geniuses is part of the problem there and ought to shut their collective pie holes. Especially if they can’t get the whine straight. They seem to have events backward and I notice they didn’t say a word about the Kenyan refusing any effort to minimize the effects of Ofuzziecare. These are the same guys cutting employees back to 29 hours/ week to cheepskate out of paying health benefits. They bear watching to see if they also corrupt campaign finance rules in how they fling money around?
No, the most import thing is to keep ANY one who is a BIG G’MENT, more G’ment, type of person out of office.
This covers people like the two Bushes, McCain, etc.
If you like Big active G’ment vote Democrat
I thought I heard something about him running either for Levins Senate seat or the next governors race.
PING!
Don’t send money to RNC, NRSC, etc.
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