The race is over.  Republican Renee Ellmers has defeated incumbent and Democrat Bob Etheridge in the hotly contested NC-2 congressional race.

Back in June, Big Government’s Mike Flynn broke this explosive video on Rep. Etheridge where he assaulted a college student for asking him if he “supported the Obama agenda.”  Flynn closed his article with this:

Let’s recap what we saw on this video. A sitting Congressman–a presumed living extension of James Madison and other founding fathers–was asked on a public street whether he supported the President’s agenda. His response was to hit away a video camera and assault a student. The age of Pericles this ain’t.

It is going to be a long, hot summer. But, you’ve been shown a politician who can be beaten this November. Act accordingly.

And “act accordingly” NC voters did–even though some in the liberal media did try to spin that Etheridge was ambushed by GOP operatives–offering that narrative without any proof whatsoever.

Proof we do have, however, is that of Etheridge’s character.

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When I learned over the weekend that the Free Vietnamese Mutual Association of Quad Cities will support Illinois Republican Bobby Schilling in his bid to unseat liberal Democrat incumbent Phil Hare in the 17th Congressional District race, I was reminded of a story I published Aug. 19.

That story focused on the hardships, past and present, endured by Thi Nguyen. Now going by her American name, Teresa Pershall, she told me some incredible things about the hardship and oppression that accompanied communism in her native Vietnam. In addition, she drew my attention to hardships she is enduring today as a small business owner in St. Peters, Mo.

An excerpt from that article appears below:

Asked to describe what it was like to live under communism, she said, “It’s a really wonderful life for people who work for the government and a really horrible life for those who work outside the government.”

Comparing government officials to “sticks” who are willing to cover up for each other and accept mediocrity as long as it allows them to enrich themselves, she went on to highlight corruption as one of the biggest problems she saw in Vietnam.

“One stick, you can break it,” she said. “One chopstick, you can break it. But one-hundred chopsticks, you cannot break.”

In other words, it’s hard to get rid of crooked politicians once corruption becomes the norm.

Though I’ve not had no direct contact with the FVMA, I have been told by people in Illinois’ 17th CD that the group is comprised of individuals who, like Pershall, fled their homeland for many of the same reasons as Pershall and eventually landed in the heartland of the United States: They wanted to escape oppression and enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That in mind, it should come as no surprise to anyone that members of the FVMA are backing Schilling, a small business owner with labor union experience, instead of Phil Hare, the man who has been described as having lived a “year of foolishness” and said, among other things, “I don’t worry about the Constitution to be honest.”

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On the eve of this historic election, we wanted to provide a service to our readers.  Call it a “voter education” program.  The following videos, which were all featured first here at Big Government, helped provide an insight into what makes the Democratic Leadership tick.  It allowed the American public to see how these upstanding representatives behave when the CSPAN cameras are off, and citizen journalists’ cameras are on.

As much as we appreciate the content they have provided us over the past year, we will be happy to see some of them go back to their civilian life.  And remember, even if you don’t live in their districts, you can still cast a vote against the party that gives these congressmen such influence over our lives, liberties and pursuits of happiness.

Rep. Hare Doesn’t Care:

Rep. Etheridge ‘Who Are You?’

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Barely one week before election day, it’s time to review what I like to call the “year of foolishness” lived out loud by U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, a liberal Democrat running for reelection in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.

On Dec. 16, 2009, Hare told Chris Matthews’ MSNBC audience he would welcome terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to Thomson, Ill., essentially placing “economic stimulus” for a small Illinois town above proven national security benefits of the secure facility in Cuba.

Almost four months later, he uttered words that would elevate his nationwide visibility for all the wrong reasons: “I don’t worry about the Constitution to be honest.”

On June 3, Hare was told by real veterans that he needed to stop calling himself a veteran and, a day later, news of his threats against a veteran made the news.

Two months later, Hare was passed over for “promotion” when a Sgt. John F. Baker Jr. endorsed his opponent, Bobby Schilling. In response, one of his supporters devalued the Medal of Honor recipient in a letter to the editor of a district newspaper.

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There are only 13 days left until Election Day and I need your help to flip this district.

The latest poll shows us leading Congressman Hare 44% – 41% and according to Politico, this is the 5th hottest race in the country.

The Hill just published a story that said that we are beating Hare by 7 points.

Our message of creating jobs, not more government, is resonating with Americans.  We have momentum and will work around the clock to ensure victory.

However, groups like the Democratic Congressional Committee and the SEIU are spending more than $1 million to promote false advertisements against me and this race will come down to the final day and dollar.

We need real change.  Our economy is hemorrhaging jobs, spending is out of control and small businesses around the country lack the certainty needed to expand.  Sending out-of-touch, career politicians back to Washington will not fix these problems.

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Since the advent of YouTube, a number of politicians have seen their political careers derailed after some boneheaded comment was caught on tape. Rep. Phil Hare has outdone everyone though, by having TWO separate boneheaded statements caught on tape.

Given his terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad polling numbers and the fact his attempt at reelection has become a nationally targeted race, its no wonder he is trying to deny want we can see with our own eyes.

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As an attorney and perpetual student of the law, I have never been comfortable with the idea of litigating constitutional issues.  Courts represent the last resort for citizens oppressed by their own government.

As Jonah Goldberg noted at National Review, many progressive journolists [sic] and constitutional “experts” seem nonplussed at the idea of anyone examining the constitutionality of legislation that is not a judge or justice.  The problem with that mentality is that the Constitution does not identify the Supreme Court as the sole arbiter of constitutional meaning.

The concept of judicial review came about in Marbury v. Madison.  Essentially, actions of the political branches would be subject to review and possible invalidation by the Supreme Court.  Mind you, this case revolved around a political dispute between the outgoing Federalists and the incoming Jeffersonian Republicans.  Chief Justice Marshall, an ally of the Federalists, ruled in favor of the Jeffersonian Republicans to garner support for the new role he had carved out for the judiciary.  Ever since, the Supreme Court has assumed the final say on constitutionality with few exceptions, though no explicit authority exists.

This decision provides the basis for progressive belief that the Supreme Court represents the only means for decisions on the constitutionality of legislation, and it is outright wrong.  This is the fall-back for progressives on the constitutionality of Obamacare.  “Shouldn’t we wait until the Supreme Court presents its opinion?”  Heck no! (more…)

From Politico:

House Republicans have drafted a go-for-broke blueprint for the final weeks of the midterm campaign that will bring them to $45 million in television ad spending, with spots reserved in 62 congressional districts across the nation.

POLITICO has learned that the National Republican Congressional Committee will take a bank loan of at least $6.5 million — but likely more — to expand its ad buys into seven additional districts beyond the 55 where the committee has already reserved time.

According to an NRCC source familiar with the effort, the newly added targets include five Democrats whose districts, until recently, were thought to be out of reach this year: Reps. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, Phil Hare of Illinois, Zack Space of Ohio and John Salazar of Colorado.

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If you saw the front page of the latest edition of QUAD CITIES LABOR NEWS, you probably noticed an article under the headline, WHAT’S WITH ALL THE BILLBOARDS? Unfortunately, the article beneath the headline fails to offer a truthful answer to the question and, in fact, stinks of desperation.

The article begins with the following inaccurate description of the nonprofit group behind the placement of election-focused billboards in the Quad Cities area:

Perhaps you’ve seen them. They disparage Phil Hare while saying little about who is paying for them. The group behind the billboards on 11th Ave. in Rock Island and River Drive in Moline is a front group for Bobby Schilling called Veterans4Schilling.

In the remaining paragraphs of the labor union rag, truth seems to be an afterthought.

In the second paragraph, for example, it’s claimed that “The Federal Election Commission has already filed a complain against Veterans4Schilling for unethical practices” and it’s alleged that the group changed its name to Veterans4Constitution after the complaint was filed.

First, everyone knows the Federal Election Commission did not file any complaints. It was an operative of Hare — one James L. Moody — who filed the Aug. 27 complaint with the FEC. Second, one needs only read the complaint to see that Moody directed his “beef” at Veterans 4 Constitution, not Veterans 4 Schilling.

As for the claim that appears in the third paragraph (i.e., that none of the Republican candidates endorsed by the veterans group were veterans), I’d love to find out why Robert Enriquez, the GOP candidate for Illinois Secretary of State, doesn’t qualify as a veteran in the eyes of the labor folks. After all, he served as a Marine Corps officer and completed two overseas tours.

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Taking into consideration the entire width and breadth of incumbent Democrat Congressman Phil “I Don’t Worry About the Constitution” Hare’s poorly-managed re-election campaign to date, I can’t help but think of the advice so many unskilled politicians have received over the years: “Once you’ve dug yourself into a hole that’s too deep, stop digging.” When it comes to Hare, however, I say, “Keep on digging!”

About three weeks ago, I reported that Democrat Party operatives working on behalf of the rotund Hare had filed a complaint against members of the group, Veterans for the Constitution, for campaigning against the two-term Congressman seeking re-election in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. Today, I learned that the complaint has not only helped the veterans group’s cause, according to a V4C activist, but it has forced Hare into making unsubstantiated allegations against those who oppose his re-election.

First, I received a copy of a letter today from Marine Corps veteran and V4C supporter Wayne C. Hill Sr. of Moline, Ill. In it, he thanked Hare for his complaint as follows:

The Veterans for the Constitution (V4C) have had their political differences with Mr. Hare. However, we would like to take this opportunity to publically say thank you Mr. Hare for helping with our fund raising efforts. As a result of the complaint filed at your behest by Democrat lawyer, and Sangamon County Democrat Party Chairman, James Moody, and the subsequent national coverage the complaint received, our PAC has received donations from all over the country.

Men and women, active duty military and non-military, union members and non-union members, have given the V4C enough money to not only erect a new billboard at IL-5 and Ave. of the Cities. Additionally, we also now have enough funds to continue our mission for the duration of the campaign.

It’s not every day that a person running for a public office will assist those in opposition to his politics with their fund raising efforts. This gesture is very generous on your part and greatly appreciated by V4C.

Mr. Hare, please continue what you are doing. You have no idea of how much your actions are helping with our fund raising.

Wayne C. Hill, Sr.
Veterans For The Constitution
Moline,
USMC, Semper Fi

“Keep on digging!”

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Uh, oh! Phil Hare, the incumbent Democrat running for re-election in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, is at it again, apparently sore at veterans like Medal of Honor recipient John F. Baker Jr. who are supporting his opponent, Republican Bobby Schilling.

With the help of James L. Moody, chairman of the Sangamon County (Ill.) Democratic Party, Hare — the same guy who said, “I don’t worry about the Constitution,” when asked about the Constitutionality of ObamaCare — filed a complaint Aug. 27 with the Federal Election Commission.

Hare’s target: Veterans for the Constitution, a group of military veterans whose stated mission is to seat Conservative leaders who truly represent the people and do not see the Constitution as an obstacle but as a document the founding fathers intended be upheld at all costs. The group, according to spokesperson Ken Moffett, is comprised of only a handful of active members who have managed to raise a whopping $6,000.

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On Aug. 1, I reported here and on BigGovernment.com the fact that Bobby Schilling, the Republican challenger to Democrat incumbent U.S. Rep. Phil Hare in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, had received the endorsement of Army Sgt. John F. Baker Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient from Illinois. Now, it appears, at least one female supporter of the stumbling, bumbling Hare thinks Baker’s endorsement means little.

In a letter to the editor of the Quad Cities Online® web site, Janet Casillas Ortiz wrote that she was not impressed by Baker’s endorsement of Schilling, because Baker no longer lives in Illinois. In addition, she inferred that Baker’s endorsement is no more meaningful than the endorsement of any other veteran — her husband, daughter and brother, included. Finally, she wondered in writing if “a puppeteer named ‘Bill’ was pulling Mr. Baker’s strings.”

While I appreciate the fact that members of the Ortiz family have served in the military, I must take issue with Mrs. Ortiz — who, it appears, did not serve her country in uniform — and her willingness to discount the value of the service of Baker, a retired Army sergeant and Vietnam veteran who earned his nation’s highest honor for service above and beyond the call of duty on Nov. 5, 1966.

Perhaps, Mrs. Ortiz should read the award citation that President Lyndon B. Johnson read in the East Room of the White House when he paid honor to Baker.

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Hare-brained Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL) told constituents this past weekend at an event in Springfield, Illinois that questions about the US Constitution were, “Silly stuff.”

Hare was also asked why the American socialists consider him a member in their ranks. He wouldn’t answer.

This was just one more example of the complete arrogance we see coming from our elitist radical representatives in Washington.

The last time we heard from Phil Hare he told us, “I don’t care about the Constitution.”

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As we all know, the result of the left’s takeover of our media and universities has been a vast ignorance among the young about America’s history, philosophy and institutions. That’s the disease but – huzzah! – PJTV’s Klavan on the Culture is the cure.

Here in just around four minutes is a complete refresher course on the history, meaning and importance of the United States Constitution for all you young dudes and dudettes. All right, it’s complete nonsense. Still, when you man and woman the barricades, at least now you’ll know what you’re fighting for! Sort of.

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Individuals for whom government buildings, highways and bridges are named usually fall into one of four categories.  They are:

1. Politicians;

2. Wealthy benefactors;

3. War heroes who died on battlefields far from home; or

4. War heroes who lived to tell about their experiences.

As a small token of appreciation, the folks at the Quad Cities Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America held a ceremony Saturday morning in Rock Island, Ill., to dedicate the I-280 bridge in honor of one of those individuals — John F. Baker Jr., a man who, without a shadow of a doubt, falls into the fourth category above.

Baker, a retired Army sergeant and Vietnam veteran, earned his nation’s highest honor — the Medal of Honor — for service above and beyond the call of duty on Nov. 5, 1966. The award citation read by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the East Room of the White House included the following language:

“Sgt. Baker’s selfless heroism, indomitable fighting spirit, and extraordinary gallantry were directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades, and inflicting serious damage on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.”

Ironically, a man who falls into the first category above was invited to join in honoring Baker but did not. That man was U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, the stumbling, bumbling incumbent Democrat from Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.

Take a look at this video, and you’ll understand why Sergeant Baker used the words below in a letter endorsing Hare’s challenger, Republican Bobby Schilling:

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The story of the Obama Justice Department’s questionable handling of the New Black Panther voter intimidation case of 2008 keeps gaining momentum and has taken a new turn today.

As congress is in recess, town hall meetings are taking place in districts all over America.  Not unlike last year’s environment with frustrated and concerned constituents wanting answers about the pending ObamaCare legislation, this summer’s town halls include citizens asking their representatives about the curious actions of Eric Holder and his team at Justice.

Witness the latest home video featured at Breitbart.tv:

Notice how the room erupts with anger and disbelief not at the congressman’s position, but over the fact that he claims to be ‘unaware’ of the case being dismissed.

The face of the Democratic Party is increasingly that of an out-of-touch elitist who knows what is better for the people than they know themselves.  And with Rep. Pete Stark’s dismissive attitude on the border issue, Rep. Ciro Rodriguez‘ angry eruption over skepticism over his remarks on ObamaCare, and now Rep. Brad Sherman’s supercilious smirk as he admits to his constituents that he is not aware of one of the top stories in America over the past ten days, the incumbent Democrats are showing themselves to be incapable of discussing issues with their voters without creating another “You Tube Moment”.

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Earlier this week, I reported here and here about an incident that took place between Ken Moffett and U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, a two-term Democrat from Rock Island, Ill., who is running for re-election in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.

It seems Congressman Hare has been selling himself on the campaign trail as a tried-and-true military veteran when, in fact, he does not meet the qualifications for “veteran status” (i.e., he is not a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable).

When Moffett, a veteran from Moline, Ill., asked Hare if he was going to stop telling people that he was a veteran, a heated discussion ensued. It was toward the end of that discussion, Moffett contends, that he heard Hare instruct one of his aides to follow Moffett to his car and get his license plate number so he could find out who he was.

While complete details of the exchange are outlined in a June 2 letter Moffett sent to Blake Chisam, chief counsel and staff director of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to launch an inquiry into what the law says about Congressman Hare’s alleged actions.

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U.S. Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) is back in the news two months after he was caught on video, saying, “I don’t care about the Constitution.” This time, however, he’s drawn the ire of a military veteran who wants the two-term congressman from Illinois’ 17th Congressional District to stop calling himself a veteran.

In a letter to Blake Chisam, Ken Moffet informs the chief counsel and staff director of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of an incident during which he asked Congressman Hare if he was going to stop telling people that he was a veteran:

On Monday, May 31, 2001, Mr. Hare and I were engaged in a conversation concerning the statements he is making around the district about being a veteran.  After I pointed out that according to the law he is not a veteran, he became very upset and demanded to know my name.  I refused to tell him my name, saying that this was about his claim of being a veteran and not about me.

Mr. Hare then told one of his aids who was with him, to follow me to my car and get my license plate number so he could find out who I was.  I have since been told that Mr. Hare’s daughter works for the DMV.

I then asked Mr. Hare if he was going to stop telling people that he was a veteran.  Mr. Hare again demanded to know my name, and again told his aide to get my name or to follow me to get my license plate number so he could find out who I was, so he could tell all the former reservist what I said.

I asked Mr. Hare if he as a public official was going to use his official office to run name checks on private citizens, in order to intimidate them into not asking questions he did not want to answer.

As Mr. Hare was turning to walk away form me he paused, and turning back to my direction, he glared at me intently, and while leaning forward pointed his finger at me, and in a threatening and intimidating manner said, “I’ll find out who you are!”  Given the nature of Illinois politics and Mr. Hare’s reputation as a mean politician, I felt intimidated by the power of Mr. Hare’s office and what he might do.

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“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States…”

Rep. Phil Hare, January 3, 2007, Washington D.C.

“I don’t worry about the Constitution…”

Rep. Phil Hare, April 1, 2010, Quincy IL

Three years after my opponent Rep. Phil Hare took his first oath to defend and uphold the Constitution, he voted in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and other left coast liberals to take away individual freedom from every citizen in the United States.

When he was recently asked at a town hall meeting in Quincy, Ill. why he so stridently supported the Pelosi-Reid Obamacare bill, even though it unconstitutionally forces every U.S. Citizen to buy government approved health insurance or face a state imposed penalty, he stated that he didn’t worry about the constitution.

His decision to knowingly disregard his oath to defend the constitution so that he could support the now infamous Obamacare bill and the Chicago-style, strong-arm tactics that made it’s passage possible reveals a troubling and radical belief that our rights as Americans are not God given but are based on his power as our congressman.

This elitist, out of touch mentality that representative Hare has espoused and which has taken hold in our nation’s capital, I believe, must be forcefully rejected.  I am running to replace Representative Hare in Congress in order to get rid of Obamacare, the elitist ideology that it represents and to restore the trust of the people of western Illinois

My name is Bobby Schilling. I am the father of 10 beautiful children, a small business owner and I care about the constitution.

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As Moe Lane at Redstate noted, Rep. Phil Hare has forgotten the first rule of holes. When you find yourself in one, stop digging. As Big Government readers know, Rep. Phil Hare (D-Labor) is the Congressman who said he “doesn’t worry about the Constitution” and then mixed up that document with the Declaration of Independence…then said neither of them mattered to him because, well, ObamaCare is important! Or, something like that. As expected, this sparked a firestorm, so Rep. Hare cut his own video. It is below for your viewing pleasure. Our main tip to Hare: Memorize your lines next time. It looks really bad if you have to look at your notes to remind yourself to say that you love the Constitution.

Oh yeah, you can find info on Hare’s opponent, Bobby Schilling, here.