Labrador Visiting Coeur d’Alene Volunteers Friday Afternoon
Posted on Aug 20, 2010
Republican Congressional nominee Rep. Raul Labrador will visit the Kootenai County Republican Headquarters and Victory Center at 411 W. Haycraft Avenue in Coeur d’Alene on Friday, Aug. 20, at 3 p.m. as part of Raul Labrador Campaign Day at the headquarters.
Labrador will meet and encourage supporters working at the Victory Center’s 20-line phone bank. The Victory Center phone bank is a major joint effort between the Republican National Committee and the Idaho Republican Party using the latest VOIP telephone technology in an effort to unseat freshman Democrat Walter Minnick and elect Republicans throughout Idaho.
The phone bank, manned by Kootenai County volunteers, and its sister phone bank in Boise, have broken records in the thousands of calls made in Idaho, encouraging voter turnout and supporting the election of Republicans in the state.
Labrador Wins Endorsement From Group Seeking Repeal of Death Tax
Posted on Aug 18, 2010
Dan Popkey writes in the Idaho Statesman:
State Rep. Raul Labrador has signed the American Family Business Institute’s “Death Tax Repeal Pledge” and committed to voting for permanent repeal of the federal estate tax, often called the “Death Tax.”
AFBI’s President Dick Patten said in a news release from the group: “By supporting estate tax repeal, Labrador will help save local jobs and businesses.”
The group of farmers and business owners says repealing the tax would add 1.5 million jobs.
In 2009, the tax was collected on estates valued over $3.5 million. This year, the tax has been suspended, but unless Congress acts, the tax will be collected on estates valued at $1 million or more in 2011.
In a case of assets owned by a husband and wife, tax may not be collected until the estate’s value reaches twice those figures, if the couple does proper planning.
Members of Congress are discussing raising the threshold to somewhere between $3 million and $5 million, but no consensus has been reached.
“Labrador has been a strong advocate for permanently repealing this unfair double tax. He understands that the Death Tax penalizes family farmers and business owners when they die,” Patten said. “I’m encouraged that he has committed to taking a more active role in the repeal fight. With the economy in the midst of a prolonged recession, we need to be helping family businesses and farmers, not hitting them with an additional tax.”
All pledge signers can be found on AFBI’s interactive, online map available at their website here: http://www.nodeathtax.org/map.
GOP Says Minnick Still Top Target
Posted on Aug 17, 2010
The New York Times recently ran a ridiculous article claiming that the GOP had given up on taking back Idaho. Roll Call responded with this:
[I]n a private meeting in Washington, D.C. last week, NRCC Vice Chairman for Recruitment Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told Labrador the committee is confident he can win and they look forward to working with him and his team.
Labrador senior adviser Lou Esposito literally laughed off the suggestion that Republicans no longer view Minnick as a top challenger. “I find the Democrats’ assessment pretty laughable — you heard me laughing,” Esposito said. “We have a winning strategy and a great conservative district, and when we get the full word out on what Mr. Minnick is really all about the voters will come back home to their conservative and Republican roots in the district.”
Labrador stands with Sen Crapo to remind the fed Gov “this land is our land, this lake is our lake”.
Posted on Aug 17, 2010
Raul Labrador speaks at Lake Lowell this weekend. “Let’s just remind the federal government that we the people need to tell government what to do, not the other way around.”
Raul Labrador Advances to ‘On the Radar’
Posted on Aug 06, 2010
The NRCC filed this press release regarding Raul Labrador’s campaign and his ‘On the Radar’ status with the Young Gun program.
Raul Labrador Advances to ‘On the Radar’
Idaho Candidate Takes Important First Step Toward ‘Young Gun’ StatusWashington- The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has officially announced Raul Labrador as an ‘On the Radar’ candidate, an important step in its Young Guns program. Founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Young Guns program is a member-driven organization dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger candidates nationwide. Raul Labrador is running to take on vulnerable Democrat incumbent Walt Minnick this fall in Idaho’s First Congressional District race.
The Young Guns program is designed to assist Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives achieve goals and benchmarks throughout the election cycle focused on the fundamentals of a winning campaign. By achieving ‘On the Radar’ status, Labrador has already proven his ability to build a successful campaign structure and achieve important fundraising goals.
“The NRCC is committed to working with Raul Labrador as he continues to meet the rigorous goals of the Young Guns program,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. “Raul is an accomplished, independent leader who will fight to create jobs and rein in government spending. I am confident that we will be successful in our efforts to win this seat and add it to the Republican column in November.”
Raul Labrador is a successful small businessman and the owner and managing partner of a law firm. Since 2006, He has served as one of the leading conservatives in the Idaho House of Representatives, taking the lead in fighting against efforts to raise the gas tax and proposing comprehensive tax relief for Idaho’s families and businesses. Labrador has earned degrees from Brigham Young University and the University of Washington.
Having achieved certain benchmarks to place him on the road to victory, Raul Labrador now faces a new set of rigorous goals that will help him advance to the next level of the Young Guns program and help him continue to build a competitive, effective and winning campaign.
Find out more about the Young Guns program here.
Raul Labrador’s Statement on AGC’s Endorsement of Walt Minnick
Posted on Aug 06, 2010
If you favor increased taxes, my opponent is your guy.
I have spoken to many individuals and small business owners in the construction industry about the economic mess we find ourselves in. They all agree that government spending is out of control. It is disturbing to me that an organization that is supposed to be representing the interests of their small-business members is more concerned about their own self-interest rather than what’s best for our country. More government spending with Minnick and Pelosi will only be paid for by higher taxes. Therefore the endorsement made by the Associated General Contractors today shows that they are in favor of raising taxes to fund the liberal spending policies of Minnick and his Democrat friends, even in the middle of a recession. I am not only against that, but I will fight for the interests of Idahoans.
I opposed the gas tax because it was the right thing to do for the people of Idaho. In these economic times, we simply cannot afford to pay more taxes for inefficient government programs. We need to cut spending, we need to cut taxes. The American people realize that the madness of out of control federal government spending must end. I hope special interest groups like the AGC come to this realization too, before it’s too late.
Labrador Meets With Key GOP Congressmen
Posted on Aug 06, 2010
Congressional leadership asks Labrador to reconsider position on Young Gun’s program
(Boise, Idaho) Republican Congressional candidate Raul Labrador spent much of last week in Washington, meeting with key members of Congress to discuss issues and begin building relationships which will allow him to hit the ground running if he’s elected by the people of Idaho’s 1st CD.
“I had terrific conversations with conservative leaders in Congress,” Labrador said. “Congressman Steve King, for instance, is the senior Republican on the Subcommittee on Immigration. I hope to work with him next year in finding a real solution to the immigration crisis threatening our country.”
“I also learned a great deal from my discussions with Congressman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee,” Labrador continued. “She is a Deputy Whip in the current Congress, and has established a great record on business and tax issues. I am hopeful that we can work together to expand our country’s commercial renewable energy capacity as a key part of rebuilding our economy.”
“One of the most encouraging meetings was with Congressman Buck McKeon of California,” Labrador said. “He is a very charming guy and an articulate advocate for a strong national defense. In fact, he is the senior Republican of the Armed Services Committee and I believe he will prove to be a courageous and learned ally in the many battles ahead.”
“Congressman Mike Pence, a national leader among conservatives, also provided me with very wise counsel,” Labrador added. “He emphasized the need to always stay focused on the values which led us to public service in the first place. I took his words to heart.”
During meetings last week, Rep. Raul Labrador also had very encouraging meetings with GOP Congressional leaders about our path to victory in Idaho. Numerous Members of Congress were impressed with our grassroots campaign and all the achievements our team has accomplished in such a short time.
Congressman Kevin McCarthy told Labrador in a key meeting, “We’re excited about your campaign because it has already demonstrated its professionalism in managing resources, delivering a solid message and organizing the grassroots. We are confident you can win and look forward to working with you and your team to achieve victory for Idaho and the nation.”
“With the election coming so quickly, I don’t want the NRCC changing our campaign themes and strategy. My campaign will reflect Idaho values, not the priorities of Washington, D.C. On the other hand, I want to be sure that our campaign is the best it can be. Idaho deserves the best I can give her. So, after being assured they would not interfere with our campaign’s Idaho-focused strategy, I agreed to participate in the Young Guns program. This should prove useful and allow me to be a more effective candidate.”
Raul Labrador’s “Fire Pelosi” T-shirts Now Available
Posted on Jul 30, 2010
Want to show your support for Raul Labrador and fury towards Nancy Pelosi? For the next 72 hours, the Labrador campaign is giving away a Fire Pelosi t-shirt with every contribution of $100 or more. Make your contribution today to support Raul Labrador and his race to unseat Walt Minnick and Nancy Pelosi.
Click to see t-shirt in more detail
Raul Labrador Fills in for Congresswoman Michelle Bachman at RNC’s Fire Pelosi Speaking Series
Posted on Jul 29, 2010
Raul Labrador, the Republican nominee chosen by Idaho’s voters to retake Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, addressed a group of national Republicans at the “Fire Pelosi” Speaking Series. Labrador, speaking at the Republican National Committee headquarters, was asked to fill in for scheduled keynote speaker Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann.
Labrador’s speech focused on the importance of volunteering, being active in our communities, and working hard in Republican races, so Republicans can strip the gavel of power from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I am honored the RNC asked me to fill in for a visionary leader like Congressman Michelle Bachmann. She is helping lead our country away from the brink of financial ruin and return it to fiscal sanity. I respect her greatly.” said Labrador.
“Community involvement is critical to our nation’s future,” said Labrador as he recounted a story about an 84 year old veteran who volunteered on his campaign. “One volunteer can, and does, make a difference. This patriot who served his country wanted to, but couldn’t afford to write a check to my campaign. On a hot afternoon in Nampa, Idaho, this man walked three miles in a parade, proudly carrying the American flag, in support of me. That type of support is worth more than all the money in any bank.”
Americans for Prosperity Applauds U.S. House Candidate Raul Labrador
Posted on Jul 27, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC—The free market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today applauded Idaho U.S. House candidate, and current state representative, Raul Labrador (1st District) for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” Labrador joins more than 650 lawmakers and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.”
“The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn’t be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses,” said AFP Vice President for Policy Phil Kerpen. “We encourage all of Idaho’s elected officials and candidates for elected office to sign the pledge.”
Cap-and-trade took its first step toward enactment last year when the U.S. House narrowly passed the Waxman-Markey energy tax bill, which escaped the lower chamber by a scant seven votes despite significant bipartisan opposition. The U.S. Senate has struggled to pass companion legislation, with several key Democratic senators openly expressing opposition to attempting to pass the energy tax bill.
President Obama has made no secret of his support for the bill, which would be the largest tax increase in American history. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has scored the House plan as an $846 billion increase in federal revenue, a burden that will be borne by taxpayers and consumers for decades to come. Recent analysis by the Institute for Energy Research found the Kerry-Lieberman Senate bill would cost the nation more than 500,000 jobs by 2015 and decrease household income by over $1,000 by 2020.
“Using the guise of climate change to transfer dollars from hard-working citizens to bureaucratic big government is unacceptable,” said Kerpen. “Regardless of their stance on global warming, this should be common ground for all of our elected officials at all levels of government.”
The pledge is available online at www.NoClimateTax.com. AFP does not endorse candidates. All elected officials and candidates are encouraged to sign the pledge and go on the record in opposition to using the climate change issue to increase taxes and grow the size of government.
Americans for Prosperity® (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than 900,000 members, including members in all 50 states, and 25 state chapters. More than 55,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial investment in AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org.
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