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Following yesterday's historic and controversial vote to grant China "permanent normal trade relations" -- a high-stakes contest reportedly riddled with last-minute deal-making and arm-twisting of wavering congressman -- at least one House member now claims he was offered a $200,000 bribe by "multinational corporations" to change his no vote to yes.
"I have turned down over $200,000 in multinational corporation PAC money if I would change my vote," declared Rep. Merrill Cook, a Republican who represents Utah's 2nd congressional district. "I came to Congress for a reason, and there is not enough money in the world to sway my vote. I will not sell out America's interests."
Cook said he was delivering on a promise to his constituents not to
support "this kind of action or the regime in China."
Sounds like a convenient, and uncheckable, cover from one who wouldn't buck the unions.
This guy is a hero for speaking out. Unfortunately, nobody cares. Bribes, lying under oath, treason, losing their way of life, working 70 hour weeks selling tires or shoes made in slave labor factories, having to work 2 or 3 jobs, warehousing their kids in god-awful daycare institutions because the wife has to go to work to make up for the fact that our real income hasnīt risen since some time in the 60īs..
Nope, none of it is even getting a pulse from the American people.
ooops.. the rest of the article:
"This PNTR bill is spectacularly awful and abandons common sense," he added. Cook said he would support a bill that provides a rational policy for trade with China. Calling China a "hostile dictatorship," he said the bill passed yesterday ignores "inherent threats to our country."
The offers of money came from "multinational corporations and through the Chamber of Commerce 200 PACs," according to Cook spokesman Richard Kuchinski. Saying that Cook "put principle over politics" when he turned down the money from the political action committees, Kuchinski said he didn't know how many other congressmen had received similar offers of money in exchange for a favorable vote on the bill.
Kuchinski did not identify the "multinational corporations," but said they want to build factories in China so they can take advantage of lower wages. He said Cook believes U.S. factories will close their doors here when they can hire "slave labor for 3 to 20 cents per hour. Corporate executives and owners get richer -- American workers get poorer," he said.
Cook said he regards his vote against PNTR as a vote to support his oath of office.
"I have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and provide for the common defense, and I will not pervert the priorities. The strength of our constitutional republic throughout our history has been that we heed the call and understand the threats and understand the dangers," Cook stated.
Other Republicans were quick to take credit for the passage of the historic legislation (H.R. 4444). Both the Republican Governors Association and the Republican National Committee gave credit to Republicans for passage of the bill in statements sent to WorldNetDaily.
"Republicans deserve real credit for overcoming the short-sighted isolationists, Washington union bosses and the wavering support of Al Gore, who was trying to have his cake and eat it too," said Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson, who said passage of permanent normal trade relations will "encourage freedom in China."
Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. George W. Bush has also been a strong, vocal supporter of PNTR status for China.
On a 237-197 vote, the House voted to grant permanent normal trade relations to communist China, ending 20 years of controversial annual reviews. The yes votes came to 19 more than the needed majority.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., has been credited for building an alliance with Democrats through a deal with President Bill Clinton.
"'The Chinese market is opening," said Hastert. "Somebody is going to have an opportunity to sell to this vast new market. The question is, who will be there when it opens?"
Within moments of the historic vote, Clinton claimed victory in the Rose Garden.
"At this stage in China's development, we will have more positive influence with an outstretched hand than with a clenched fist," Clinton said.
Supporters of PNTR claim that opening free trade with China will bring freedoms that the Chinese will not want to lose once they experience the profits and incentives of capitalism.
"I've long believed the best way to defeat communism is to introduce a free-market system. Once people become used to the free market, they will refuse to return to the old way of doing things. Such an occurrence in China would be good news for every American since it has more than a fourth of the world's population," said Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.
Cook disputes the claims made by Huckabee and others, claiming that the bill was not about freedom, but was passed, rather, to bring corporate profits to a limited few.
"We've been trading with China for 30 years, yet they remain the most repressive government in the world. U.S. companies may prosper, Chinese government officials may prosper and even some of the Chinese people may be better off economically. But money cannot replace freedom or justice or security," said Cook.
China has more political prisoners today than it did 11 years ago when students demonstrated in Tiananmen Square, he said. Human rights abuses have not been reduced, political oppression continues, and religious intolerance is common throughout China, according to Cook.
Supporters of the PNTR bill claim that opening up free trade with China will reverse the trends criticized by Cook, resulting in greater freedoms for the Chinese people.
"Free trade with China will allow for enhanced economic opportunities, higher standards of living, greater exposure to the principles of freedom and liberty, and to the freer flow of information and ideas that is the lifeblood of democracy," said Gov. George E. Pataki, R-NY.
But Cook argues that working conditions for Chinese workers will not improve because of PNTR, but will cause them instead to be exploited even further, and further, that U.S. workers will suffer as well.
"The big businessman has his investments guaranteed by the taxpayers, and these very same taxpayers are having their jobs taken away because they are setting up factories in China to export back to the United States. They are doing it by closing factories here and putting our own people out of work -- giving jobs in China to slave labor and average annual incomes of only about $700," complained Cook.
PNTR will result in a greater opportunity for U.S. goods to be sold in China, which now has high tariffs making U.S. products too expensive, according to supporters of the bill.
"I believe Chinese demand for American goods will be very strong once the tariffs come down and that will be very positive for farmers, ranchers and manufacturers in Nebraska and across the United States," said Gov. Mike Johanns, R-Neb.
Cook said he is very concerned about the "military, nuclear, and security threat China poses to our great nation, and its neighbors like Taiwan." Cook believes China has a long-term strategy aimed at dominating Asia on its way to becoming a global superpower.
He said Pentagon officials have tried to sound a warning about the threat from China, but because their information has been classified, those warnings are not being adequately heard.
"China now controls both sides of the Panama and Suez canals; has built a warship and submarine base on the Sprately Islands, which threaten our regional democratic allies of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and the vital sea lanes and trading routes of the South China Sea where half to three-quarters of the Japanese trade goes through," said Cook.
"This also has to do with 13 intercontinental ballistic missiles targeted on U.S. cities," he added. "Our children are now in jeopardy to be incinerated by these high-tech weapon systems we spent billions of dollars to develop, and which was either stolen from us, given to China by the current administration, or sold to China for more profits by the very companies lobbying us. They are not over in China lobbying for democracy. They are lobbying us and offering contributions in order to protect their slave trade and their blood money," said Cook.
China has agreed to a number of concessions that will provide openings for American businesses. However, the Chinese have stated firm disapproval of the commission that will be created to monitor human rights in China. China said the commission is an unacceptable form of interference with the internal affairs of the communist nation.
The principal Democratic opponent of the bill was House Minority Whip David Bonior of Michigan. He agreed with Cook that the bill rewards a brutal regime at the expense of American jobs.
"You can't have free markets without free people," complained Bonior.
The bill now moves on to the Senate for a vote in June. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation by a wide margin.
Cook faces a Republican challenger in what is predicted to be a tough June congressional primary, and if he survives, he faces an even tougher challenge from a Democratic challenger in November. The Democratic National Committee has targeted Cook for defeat.
I'm curious as to why WND would puff Cook. Learning something of his public personae isn't that hard. His "veracity", not to mention "stability" and "loyalty" has been the subject of discussion on more than one occasion.
Cook Lectured By GOP Leaders : Republicans Worried About Re-election Bid
Roll Call - 9-23-99
Top House Republican leaders have pointedly warned Rep. Merrill Cook (R-Utah) to clean up his act, stay silent and start raising more money or risk near-certain defeat in the 2000 elections, according to GOP sources.
Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Davis (Va.) met with Cook within the last two weeks and confronted him about a spate of eyebrow-raising public statements the Utah Republican has made in recent months.
While the three leaders did not ask Cook to step aside for the good of the party, GOP aides say privately that some in the leadership would like to see Cook go.
"Some leaders wanted to tell him to get out," said a senior Republican official familiar with the situation.
Another GOP leadership aide added,"I think a lot of people would be pleased if he didn't run for re-election."
Connie Humphrey, Cook's administrative assistant, confirmed that Cook met with Hastert and other members of the leadership. But she stressed that the leadership is working to help the Congressman get re-elected.
"[Resignation] was never discussed," said Humphrey. "The leadership continues to support Mr. Cook."
But one top GOPaide familiar with the meeting said it was a "dressing down" of Cook by Hastert and his top lieutenants.
Another GOP aide said Cook was told to "keep his mouth shut for the next six months and then we'll see where we are."
Cook, though, faces an uphill battle in order to have any chance of winning another term next year. A recent NRCC poll found abysmally low popularity and re-election numbers for Cook, making him one of the most endangered GOP incumbents in the nation.
Cook raised slightly more than $87,000 in the first six months of this year, more than $16,000 less than his likely Democratic challenger. Incumbents generally have the ability to significantly out-raise and out-spend their opponents.
The poll numbers, combined with Cook's poor fundraising and unpredictable personal behavior, spurred the heart-to-heart discussion with party leaders.
"We support Merrill," said Davis when asked about the meeting with Cook. "The poll numbers weren't that bad, but we are concerned about his ability to raise money."
But with a razor-thin margin of only five seats heading into what is expected to be a tough election, House Republicans are faced with a difficult choice on how to handle Cook's situation.
There is no precedent for Republican leaders to ask a sitting Member to leave office, and asking Cook to do so could alienate him, driving Cook to begin voting with the Democrats, said Republican sources.
GOP leaders also aren't likely to openly back a primary challenge to Cook because such a move is viewed as disloyal to incumbents and dangerous to the small Republican majority because the seat could then go Democratic.
GOP staffers point to last year's handling of then-Rep. Jay Kim (R- Calif.), who was convicted of accepting illegal campaign donations and under house arrest during his reelection campaign, as an example of what a fine line party leaders have to walk in such cases. Kim was never asked to resign but he was passed over for a subcommittee chairmanship and the GOPleadership signaled that it no longer supported him.
"It's a tough, tough situation," said a GOP strategist monitoring Cook's case. "[GOP leaders] can't ask him to leave, even though they' d like to see him go. But what if Cook is the one that stands between us and being in the minority?"
For the time being, GOP leaders have decided to help Cook, especially with his fundraising.
Hastert will travel to Salt Lake City in early December for a fundraiser. Banking and Financial Services Chairman Jim Leach (R-Iowa) and Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) held fundraisers for Cook last week. DeLay is expected to attend another fundraising event for Cook next month.
Cook is set to face Democratic challenger Jim Matheson in next year' s election, provided he survives a possible primary challenge. Matheson, the son of former Gov. Scott Matheson (D), is well-financed, having out-raised Cook during the first half of this year.
In recent weeks, Utah newspapers have had a field day with reports that Cook hired a Democratic city councilwoman to handle constituent outreach for him despite the fact that he was prepared to go public in 1996 with charges that the same woman was attempting to blackmail him.
According to The Associated Press, Cook was prepared in 1996 to charge Provo City Councilwoman Shari Holweg with threatening to smear him with phone tapes of allegedly improper conversations unless he paid her thousands of dollars and gave her a job. While Cook never issued the statement on Holweg, a former Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, he did hire her last year, a move that raised eyebrows in GOP circles.
Cook then had to respond to allegations that Holweg doesn't deserve her nearly $49,000 annual salary after one source suggested she only worked 15 hours per week, a charge both Holweg and Cook deny. The Utah Republican has since suggested that the FBI look into who was spreading rumors about his professional relationship with Holweg.
In addition, Cook has a running feud with Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) and Cannon's chief of staff, Mark Emerson, who may run for Cook's seat.
Cook accused Cannon and the NRCC of somehow being behind the phone taping involved in the Holweg controversy, charges that Cannon adamantly denied.
"I don't know how to respond to these recent rants from Merrill Cook, " Cannon said in a prepared statement when the story broke several weeks ago. "Like most Utahns, we recognize that Merrill has a long history of unusual behavior - though the string of conspiracy theories that he's alleging is as perplexing as anything he's done in the past."
Cook also believes that Cannon or Emerson is behind some of the bad press he's received. Cannon would not comment on Cook's situation for this story.
At one point last year, Cook was banned from the offices of the Utah Republican Party after a profanity-laced outburst before the election. Cook then ousted two top aides just days after the campaign ended.
During that same time period, a former Cook aide sent out an e-mail advising other Cook staffers that if the lawmaker "asks you to fax his underwear to the Speaker's office, please just do it."
Cook also reportedly threatened at one point to have his entire staff arrested by the Capitol Police.
The repeated irrational behavior by Cook has lead some to suggest the Utah Republican is mentally unstable, although he has vehemently denied the charge.
In addition, Cook is being sued by his 1996 campaign manager, who claims Cook still owes him more than $178,000.
Cook, a multimillionaire, also faces some problems with his business back home, leading some GOP lawmakers and aides to speculate that he can't leave office now because of his personal finances. That speculation came after Cook shut down two production plants for Cook Slurry, the mining company he owns.
"It's not as good as it used to be because he has been here in Congress, " said Humphrey, although she was not aware of any crisis in his personal financial situation.
Copyright 1999 Roll Call Inc.
John Bresnahan, Cook Lectured By GOP Leaders : Republicans Worried About Re-election Bid. ,
Roll Call, 09-23-1999.
"The Bribes Have it." That just about sums it up. The 5% club is smiling tonight.
Sounds like a convenient, and uncheckable, cover from one who wouldn't buck the unions.
MERRILL COOK (R-UT)
Contributions by Sector
"Cook raised slightly more than $87,000 in the first six months of this year, more than $16,000 less than his likely Democratic challenger"
Yep, he's a money magnet with a sterling record.
See the labor contributions?
Here are Cooks press releases
Seems like a great guy :-)
I guess Roll Call wasn't on the PR release list.
Bravo for Rep. Merrill Cook! What integrity!. I'm letting the hero's who voted for freedom today know I'm proud of them. Let's all join in.
Sent to my Congressman:
Subj: Sellout!
Date: 05/24/2000
To: tellbuck@mail.house.gov
Gee "Buck"!
Hiding behind that old Republican safety net, huh?
I read as much of the HB on China Trade as was allowed today, before they "pulled" the famous 44 "secret" pages "overnight."
I signed up for the Constitution Party, today as well!
We will find an honorable man or woman to oust you at the earliest chance we get.
I knew that GWB was getting more and more brazenly leftist as time went on, and he sure was just hanging by a bare thread as of the last week ... but now you RINO's are really not RINO's after all ... you have identified the passions and loyalties of the Republican Party, and it is no longer in my list of "gee, I'm glad I joined" things in life.
I've read arguments about not being "moralist", one can't macromanage the world from any particular point of view, and on and on, ad infinitum. I watched and listened to the Floor discussions today, as well! There may be some higher hopes for some of the poor, dumb, liberal- Dems, than what I saw from most of the Pubbies on the Floor of the House today.
Not one spouted anything but contradictions. NO COMMITTEE [as is indicated within that infamous bill] will ever control Communist China --- Taiwan got flushed down the toilet!
You will continue to hear from me ... but count me out as a vote, or a getter of votes, for you, sir.
By the way, I don't EVEN want to hear any reasons from you for your infamous vote, I do keep up on the "haps" in DC and around the world. There is NO EXCUSE!
****
I also contacted Keyes2000 today and asked that the Ambassador join the Constitution Party now, without waiting for GWB to do any "right thing"...
The time is now to get a running start at returning the greatness to this Nation. My own conscience and self respect demand this break ... therefore it is a moot argument for anyone else to instigate arguments against me ... I only reply in consideration of encouraging other Conservative Constitutionalist Voters to join me in this movement!
Here is some info I posted on another thread, about how email is handled in the House - this for Hastert, but much the same for other legislators. Some do NOTHING with email quite often!
For those who would like to give Denny-boy a piece of their mind (as I just did) - here is the best way to do it.
Drop a note to: speaker@mail.house.gov
The email is certainly NOT read by Hastert - BUT, it is looked at, quickly divided into groups, pro & con on issues, and special. A report is generated daily and some "special" email is given some attention.
I won't get into the details, but you can bet email from some people DOES get attention (I can vouch for that.) For example, email from Charlton Heston, other Congress Critters, Hillary, media heads, various Fortune 500 CEO's, State GOP Chairs - you get the idea...
Don't bother saying much - it won't get read. Make it short and direct - it will be counted - MAYBE. When does it NOT get counted? When there is simply too much for normal manpower to deal with. Then it is "scanned" for the quickest possible "take." Numbers still count though.
If the speaker gets 200,000 email messages, the heat is up big time. Make it so... and a very annoying itch and tightness developes under the collars of these deaf puchased puppets of process - a very nervous itch they really hate... No better time than right now to ratchet that sensation up to max - and keep it there for the next week or two. Meaning, send email every day for next two weeks... it WILL get noticed, if we do it. Post a note to yourself, send ten words a day - have fun letting Congress know how you feel... but, fair warning - keep it kind of civil, at least.
There are times I have seen email from VERY important people get absolutely NO attention whatever. It all depends on the day, the load, the legislator and a dozen other factors that have little to do with anything "reasonable" whatsoever.
Wouldn't you know it... the thing is, they just don't generally give a hoot about what anyone has to say.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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