Sen. John McCain’s choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate is a cynical effort to appeal to disappointed Hillary Clinton voters and get them to vote, ultimately, against their own self-interest.

Gov. Palin may be the second woman vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, but she is not the right woman. Sadly, she is a woman who opposes women’s rights, just like John McCain.

The fact that Palin is a mother of five who has a 4-month-old baby, a woman who is juggling work and family responsibilities, will speak to many women. But will Palin speak FOR women? Based on her record and her stated positions, the answer is clearly No. Read the rest of this entry »

How ironic that, on his 72nd birthday, McCain has raised the question of whether his running mate is prepared to be Commander in Chief and lead the country. Governor Palin and John McCain are a good match because they both want to overturn Roe V. Wade, they both want to continue the failed economic policies of the Bush administration and they both offer more of the same that has led this country down the wrong path. McCain clearly sees the power of women voters in this election but has just as clearly failed to support any of the issues that they care about. His choice for vice president only reinforces that failure.

I applaud Senator McCain as Governor Palin has demonstrated a commitment to combating corruption and waste at the state level and a respect for the importance of limited government and free markets.  It is a historic moment to have a woman again on a major party’s presidential ticket, but it’s not her gender that we should celebrate. It’s her record and commitment to principle.

Since being elected as governor in 2006, Palin has already built a reputation as a reformer and is now poised to join John McCain to bring that message of accountability and change to Washington, D.C.  Palin is a maverick in her own right – with an 80% approval rating, she is both Alaska’s youngest executive and first women to hold the position.  She is now only the second female vice presidential candidate from a major political party. Read the rest of this entry »

As you plan your next family or business trip to Europe, you will need to consider the expiration date on your passport and what the current exchange rate is. But now you have to consider something new: Measles. That’s right, measles. According to last week’s report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the recent rise in measles cases in the U.S., many of these cases are linked to outbreaks in Europe and other foreign countries.

As the CDC reports, of the 131 reported cases as of July 2008— which is more cases reported through July than any year since 1996— about 89% were imported from or associated with importations from other countries. For example, 17 cases were linked to people traveling to or coming from the following countries: Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Belgium, India, Germany, the People’s Republic of China, Pakistan, the Russian Federation and the Philippines. Read the rest of this entry »

Gov. Palin will change the dynamics of the entire presidential race. Her admirable record of confronting corruption and living her pro-life convictions shows she is a doer, not just a talker. Sarah Palin will make history as a vice presidential candidate - and not simply because she’s a woman, but because she’s a woman of substance and character.

Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats in charge of Congress have a pivotal decision to make when members return to Washington, D.C. on September 8.  Will they allow an up-or-down vote on more American energy production that the American people  want?  Will they allow a vote on our “all of the above” energy reforms to lower gasoline prices?

Let’s be honest:  The Democrats’ energy record is one of empty rhetoric and broken promises, and that’s why they have no credibility with the American people right now.  Energy independence was a signature campaign promise of Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats in 2006 – when she said bluntly that Democrats “have a commonsense plan to lower gas prices” – yet their chronic negligence in addressing this issue continues to have devastating consequences for working families, small businesses, seniors and schools.  For proof look no further than the fact that Speaker Pelosi adjourned Congress for a five-week break instead of allowing a simple up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act to reduce fuel costs. Read the rest of this entry »

Last Monday, I led a delegation of four Members of Congress to Alaska to see the portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) proposed for oil exploration and production. We talked with Alaskans, including the Native people who live on the North Slope, and got their views on whether additional development and production should be permitted.

After spending almost four days in the region, I am more convinced than ever that we need to allow increased oil production there, and do so immediately.

Spending $1.2 billion per day to buy oil from often unfriendly foreign countries, when we have significant domestic oil reserves, simply makes no sense. Instead, we should be pursuing energy independence as aggressively as possible. Not that long ago, America produced 60% of the oil we consumed. Today we produce only 30%.

It is estimated that there are between 7.7 and 11.8 billion barrels of oil in the portion of ANWR proposed for development. That is enough to displace 10% of our daily imports. Read the rest of this entry »

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press this past Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offended and mislead fellow Catholics by blatantly misrepresenting Catholic doctrine on the issue of abortion. As someone who was baptized and raised in the Catholic Church, I found Mrs. Pelosi’s remarks to lack a basic understanding of the Church’s long standing pro-life position. Pelosi’s ill informed comments once again bring into focus the debate over whether Catholic politicians can support abortion and still be considered by the Church as a proper Catholic.

I find it appalling that Mrs. Pelosi would try to have it both ways. The Catholic Church teaches that life begins at the moment of conception. While this doctrine may be “an issue of controversy” to Nancy Pelosi, the Church’s support for the sanctity of human life has been consistent throughout history. It is disappointing that Speaker Pelosi chose to defend her personal support for abortion rights by completely disregarding the teachings and traditions of our common faith.

As The Hill and others in the media have reported, I was one of a group of Catholic Republican members of the House to write to Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she misrepresented the teachings of the Catholic Church on abortion during last Sunday’s edition of “Meet the Press.” Speaker Pelosi is in a position of great influence as the Speaker of the House and as the most powerful woman in the government. While her comments might help her justify her own “pro-abortion” position in the Congress, they are wrong. From the very beginning, the teaching of the Catholic Church has said we must not take the life of the unborn. Speaker Pelosi grew up in a Catholic family and reports attending daily mass. It seems unbelievable that she has not learned that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.” These teachings have not changed—and cannot be conveniently overlooked for political purposes.

Speaker Pelosi’s comments on abortion have been publicly rebuked by Church leaders from coast-to-coast. She has been proven wrong. We all make mistakes and Speaker Pelosi certainly did. Now she must do the right thing and apologize for her erroneous statements.

It was with this kind of disdain that Nancy Pelosi replied to demonstrators when they interrupted a press conference this week, chanting “Drill Here! Drill Now!”  That would be the same disregard she and the Democrat leadership showed for the average American when they flipped off the lights in Congress to take a five week recess.   Rather than deal with the energy crisis that brought us $4.00-a-gallon gas, Mrs. Pelosi went on tour to promote her book and host congressional fundraisers for her next batch of prospective followers, including my opponent.

This week she’s trading taunts with protesters.  After retorting with, “Can we drill your brains?” she proceeded to call members of the group “handmaidens of Big Oil.”  Perhaps she would say the same about 67% of voters who favor offshore drilling, according to a recent Rasmussen poll.     Read the rest of this entry »