NDGOP keynote speech by Secretary Zinke reportedly closed to North Dakotans

Public lands secretary terrified of… the public

 

(BISMARCK, ND) – Yesterday, the North Dakota Republican Party announced their 2018 Convention keynote speaker, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Unfortunately for the NDGOP, even their most reliable cheerleaders are underwhelmed by the announcement. The announcement also came on the same day it was reported that the FEC was probing Zinke’s PAC for more than $600,000 in unreported contributions.

But the bad news doesn’t stop there.

According to a report from the Forum, Zinke’s speech will be closed to the public. In stark contrast, Vice President Biden’s keynote address at the Democratic-NPL Convention was free and open to the public. And this isn’t the first time a cabinet leader in the Trump administration has ruffled feathers in North Dakota by shutting out the press.

It begs the question – what’s the NDGOP trying to hide?

“If Secretary Zinke and the Trump administration’s endorsement of Congressman Cramer is so strong, what are they afraid of?” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Dem-NPL. “Maybe the administration hasn’t gotten the memo – because they haven’t in the past – but North Dakotans value a free and open press, and expect transparency of their public leaders. It’s time Congressman Cramer looked up from his rubber-stamping duties for his party and delivered the fair and open election North Dakotans want – and deserve.”

Vice President Pence set to fundraise for ND GOP…after praising their top opponent

(BISMARCK, ND) – As North Dakota Republican Party-faithful welcome Vice President Pence to North Dakota, it’s important to remember who Pence championed the last time he was in town: None other than North Dakota’s favorite red-headed, blue-collar Senator, Heidi Heitkamp.

TODAY: Vice President Pence is set fundraise for North Dakota Republicans in Fargo.

THROWBACK: Vice President Pence last visited North Dakota in October. Back then, he praised Heidi as a “strong leader” with whom both he and President Trump enjoy a “great relationship.”

“You know Republicans are in a tough spot when their top endorser of the 2018 election praised their top opponent the last time he was in town,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Dem-NPL. “That’s because Vice President Pence – and President Trump, who called Heidi a ‘good woman’ – both know that Heidi puts North Dakota over partisan politics every time. And that’s the kind of ‘strong leader’ no GOP rubber-stamp will ever be for our state.”

Vice President Mike Pence: Too partisan and extreme for North Dakota

(BISMARCK, ND) – When Vice President Mike Pence stumps for Kevin Cramer in Fargo, it begs the question: Where does Pence stand on the issues that matter to North Dakotans? It’s certainly not in the sensible middle. Throughout his career, Pence has staked out the most extreme, reckless positions – from ripping away health care from working families, to pulling out the safety net for folks who rely on Medicare and Social Security.

“Mike Pence has a lifelong record of putting massive corporations and party loyalty ahead of the families he’s elected to serve,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Dem-NPL. “From his reckless crusade on health care, to his attempts to privatize Social Security, Mike Pence is too extreme for North Dakota.”

HEALTH CARE

Pence pushed for a health care plan that would have kicked more than 30,000 North Dakotans off their insurance coverage, as well as a plan to repeal the ACA, without replacement, jeopardizing care for the nearly 300,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions.

Changes pushed by President Trump and Pence will cause premiums to skyrocket.

Pence was criticized for a lackluster response to an HIV outbreak in Indiana and undermined efforts to combat other public health crises.

Pence compared the Supreme Court ruling which upheld the Affordable Care Act to the horrific attack on September 11th, 2001.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Pence pushed to privatize Social Security and even said former President Bush’s privatization plan didn’t go far enough.

TRADE

From the White House, Pence is advocating for trade policies that could crush North Dakota farmers, ranchers and our energy economy.

ECONOMY

Pence offered tax breaks for companies that outsourced good-paying Indiana jobs.

As Governor, Pence was roundly criticized for signing legislation that would have allowed companies to discriminate against LGBTQ citizens. As a result, it has been estimated that Indianapolis has already lost $60 million in economic impact.

FIRST AMENDMENT

As Governor, Pence tried to start a state-run news agency that would have featured news written by state press secretaries.

Vice President Joe Biden to headline North Dakota Democratic-NPL 2018 Convention

(BISMARCK, ND) – Today, the North Dakota Democratic-NPL is proud to announce that former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden will headline their 2018 Convention in Grand Forks on Saturday, March 17th.
 
Vice President Biden served as a U.S. Senator from Delaware for nearly four decades and as Vice President of the United States from 2009-2017. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Vice President Biden has been a lifelong champion for the working class and, in the Senate, authored landmark legislation such as the Violence Against Women Act, which Senator Heidi Heitkamp helped implement as North Dakota’s Attorney General.
 
“Heidi lives and breathes North Dakota – she fights with every fiber of her being for rural America,” Vice President Joe Biden said. “Heidi has been a strong leader in the Senate and most importantly, she gets the job done for the people she serves. From the Case New Holland worker in Fargo building agriculture equipment for the world to the small business owner in Williston, North Dakotans should know that Heidi has their back in the Senate – I’ve seen it firsthand. I’m looking forward to showing my support for Heidi in Grand Forks and throughout this campaign.”  
 
“I’m proud to call Vice President Biden a friend – but more importantly, he’s been a friend and champion for hardworking men and women throughout his entire career,” Senator Heidi Heitkamp said. “We both come from humble beginnings, and that’s why we feel so passionately about a better future for folks across North Dakota and across the country. Whether it was writing the Violence Against Women Act or fighting for good-paying jobs that can support a family, there’s no stronger advocate for working people than Vice President Biden. I’m grateful for his generous support and look forward to welcoming him to North Dakota next month.”
 
“Democrats are the party of hardworking men and women – and whether it’s Heidi or Vice President Biden, we’re lucky have such strong leaders fighting for us every single day,” Kylie Oversen, Chair of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL said. “Vice President Biden has been a fighter for workers, families and retirees for his entire career – and whether he was serving in the U.S. Senate or in the White House, he never lost touch with his working-class roots. Dem-NPLers are fired up for 2018 and we’re thrilled to welcome Vice President Biden to North Dakota and to our convention on March 17th.”

Hey, Big Spender: Kevin Cramer’s conversion from Deficit Hawk to Deficit Hiker

Cramer champions “tweaking” Social Security, Medicare & implementing “means testing” to pay for his bad spending habit

(BISMARCK, ND) – We all know sticking to a budget can be hard – but it’s especially tough when you ran for office campaigning on the need to eliminate the national debt, but are now trying your darndest to please a president you really, really like.
 
Just ask Kevin Cramer. On the campaign trail in 2012, Cramer painted himself as a dyed-in-the-wool deficit hawk – decrying national debt, proclaiming “North Dakotans have a responsibility to sacrifice,” and that the federal budget should be rolled back to 2008 levels.
 
In another case of Cramer saying one thing and doing another, now that there’s a new president in office, Cramer is whistling a much different tune – trading his once stringent, conservative opinions for the role of Presidential Rubber Stamp, North Dakota be damned.
 
Let’s take a look at just a few examples of the funny math and harmful cuts Cramer is now championing to explain the trillions he is putting on the credit card of North Dakotans:
 

#TBT: Throwback Thursday to Kevin Cramer trashing the Senate, saying North Dakota needs him in the House

(BISMARCK, ND) – It wasn’t long ago – only a month or so – that Rep. Kevin Cramer was adamant that North Dakota’s interests were best served by him staying in the U.S. House of Representatives.
 
But now, the D.C. swamp and the political winds of opportunity, a guiding compass for Cramer, are calling his name. Despite months of purported soul searching – which initially led him to conclude he would best serve North Dakotans by remaining in the House – Cramer has now decided to listen to some…more persuasive voices. Voices like the Washington swamp elite and out-of-state political bosses.
 
“In a turnaround so fast it could give you whiplash, Cramer is now taking his cues from Mitch McConnell – putting what he deemed as best for North Dakotans on the backburner,” North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chairwoman Kylie Oversen said. “If Cramer jumps into the Senate race, North Dakotans will be reminded that he has always been in this career for himself, to rise in the political ranks and curry favor with the D.C. swamp while lining his own pockets with campaign contributions from out-of-state millionaires.”
 
For Throwback Thursday, let’s remind Cramer of his own words and remind North Dakotans that Cramer is only in this for himself:

#TBT: Cramer said he couldn’t be an effective member of Congress if he ran for Senate:

“And you could ask Rick Berg how effective you can be, you know, running for the Senate.”
 
“And so, I think when North Dakota only has one that one member of the House, it’s really important to consider what that member’s, you know, ability is and what, you know, what kind of capacity they have. What kind of clout they have. And given that, I think this is a really important thing for the state of North Dakota.”
 
“[T]here’s a strong patriotic case to be made and I’ve made it my own heart in my own head, that staying here is what’s best for the people that, after all, do hire me to represent them.” [KTGO-AM, 1/11/18] 

#TBT: Cramer said you can’t influence the upcoming Farm Bill if you’re running for Senate:

“So, a Farm Bill where I have many, you know, amendments and ideas that I’ve shared with the committee and the committee’s chairman and I want to see these things through. A fix for ARC for example, some conservation fixes. You can’t do that if you’re running for the Senate.” [KTGO-AM, 1/11/18]  

#TBT: Cramer said the best thing for North Dakota was to run for the House:

“We’ve decided that the best thing for our family, and for me, and I think frankly for North Dakota, is for me to seek re-election to the House of Representatives.” [KTGO-AM, 1/11/18]  

#TBT: Cramer said he’s on the most powerful committee in either the House or Senate:

“You know I’m on the most powerful committee in the United States Congress, either the House or the Senate. I’ve been on the steering committee. I’ve got, you know, some status that takes a long time to earn if you’re a new member and I feel like I’ve gotten there pretty quickly. So, it’s not like it’s not like it’s insignificant to give up the House seat either.” [WZFG, 11/22/17]

#TBT: Cramer said the House is much more productive than the Senate:

“Well because the House isn’t unimportant either. I mean on the one hand, yes, the House has been very productive, and the Senate is not.” [WZFG, 11/22/17]

GREATEST HITS: Would the gaffe machine fuel a Kevin Cramer Senate run?

Cramer Has “Akin-like tendencies that make a lot of people nervous.” 

(BISMARCK, ND) – Kevin Cramer is back at it again – boldly re-announcing his tepid interest in joining a legislative body he claims to loath. But at this late stage, it’s worth rewinding to the Cramer Gaffe Machine that soured GOP leaders on his candidacy for the better part of last year – and left them empty handed on viable alternatives.
 
When Cramer’s “penchant for controversial remarks,” reached a fever pitch last year, his “out of control”behavior caused Republican faithful to panic, likening him to failed Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin – the former U.S. Congressman whose own penchant for ‘unfiltered,’ crude comments tanked his political career. Now that GOP leaders are back to coaxing Cramer into a Hail Mary run after vetting a parade of even more unsavory alternatives, the question is: Will the Cramer Gaffe Machine that initially deterred Republicans continue to fuel him in a Senate run?
 
“It’s pretty clear that Kevin Cramer has spent more time running his mouth than delivering real, legislative accomplishments for North Dakota families – perhaps that’s why his party searched under every rock for someone else and came up short,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “North Dakotans deserve a U.S. Senator who works hard, reaches across the aisle and gets results – not one who kowtows to party leaders and embarrasses North Dakotans in the headlines with his disrespectful, thoughtless comments.”
 
As Cramer flirts – again – with a Senate campaign and flails for media attention, let’s take a look back at some of the comments he’s become best known for (hint: they’re not very senatorial):

1. TRASH-TALKING WOMEN 

Sometimes, Cramer just can’t seem to help himself – especially when he talks about women. After his female colleagues wore white for a Joint Address to Congress, Cramer lashed out – saying they were “poorly dressed” and wearing “bad-looking white pantsuits.”
 
True to form, instead of apologizing for his disrespectful statements – Cramer doubled down, accusing his female colleagues of having a “disease” where they “groan and moan and hiss.”
 
Just like your average schoolyard bully, Cramer told the Grand Forks Herald that his remarks were intended to insult and diminish his female Congressional colleagues.
 
Rather than ‘North Dakota Nice,’ Cramer’s attacks are often undignified and mean-spirited.
 
2. DEFENDING OFFENSIVE COMMENTS ABOUT … HITLER?
 
Speaking of undignified…
 
Last April, former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer made an offensive – and nearly universally condemned – remark comparing Syrian President Bashar Assad to Adolf Hitler, stating incorrectly that Hilter “didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons.”
 
Even though Spicer apologized, calling his own comments “inexcusable and reprehensible” – because millions of Jews were, in fact, murdered by Hitler using chemical weapons – guess who ran to his defense?
 
None other than Kevin Cramer, saying Spicer’s comments were “not without some validity.” Cramer then doubled down again, saying, “It’s a factual statement.”
 
3. DISCRIMINATING BASED ON PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
 
Any North Dakotan who values affordable health care – or has a pre-existing condition – ought to be terrified by the prospect of Kevin Cramer in the U.S. Senate.
 
Not only has he voted dozens of times on legislation that would strip millions of Americans of their health care, raise premiums, add to the deficit, destabilize the insurance markets and increase costs for people with pre-existing conditions – he’s also spoken disparagingly about people who were born with pre-existing conditions at no fault of their own.
 
In an interview with a right-wing TV personality, Cramer said, “we’re not going to allow you to just abuse the system because you have a pre-existing condition.” And in another interview, he insinuated that people with pre-existing conditions were trying to “game the system.”
 
Maybe Cramer should consider that women with breast cancer and children born with birth defects don’t want to “game the system” – they just want affordable, quality care without the fear of bankruptcy.
 
4. TRAMPLING ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE FREE PRESS
 
In response to press coverage he didn’t like – and in a truly Nixonian threat to the First Amendment and free press – Cramer called for Congressional hearings to probe media bias and suggested that some networks could lose their licenses issued by the federal government.
 
Newspapers across North Dakota – from the Grand Forks Herald to the Williston Herald – roundly condemned Cramer’s assault on the First Amendment. Another Fargo columnist slammed Cramer, saying: “The congressman’s latest stunt, however, crosses lines of congressional propriety and common constitutional understanding of the role of a free press.”
 
Ouch.
 
5. THREATENING INDIAN COUNTRY

North Dakota is home to nearly 40,000 Native Americans – but they certainly can’t count on Cramer.
 
At a meeting regarding the protection of women and children in Indian Country, Cramer physically threatened members of the Spirit Lake Tribal Council, saying he wanted to “(w)ring the Tribal Council’s neck and slam them against the wall.”
 
Cramer also said that due to the Violence Against Women Act, “As a non-Native man, I do not feel secure stepping onto the reservation now.”
 
As a state with five tribal reservations and one of the highest percentages of Native Americans, we need a Senator who will fight for all those in Indian Country – and Cramer has demonstrated he isn’t up for the job.

Cramer vs. Cramer: In attempting to remain politically relevant, Rep. Cramer struggles against himself

(BISMARCK, ND) – Congressman Cramer often boasts of his unfiltered honesty – and while his comments on women’s clothing or defense of Nazi comparisons certainly proves his lack of filter – the honesty part has proven more difficult, especially as of late. After being cast aside by his own party for months due to his repeated gaffes, speculation surrounding his potential Senate run finally mounted – and Cramer clumsily danced around the subject for months to keep it that way – contradicting himself and confusing North Dakotans in the process.

Even as he floated a run, Cramer couldn’t help but bitterly trash the very seat he was considering running for, saying that the U.S. Senate works in a way “that was never the intention of the founders.” He even badmouthed the 17th Amendment along the way, saying it saying it “worked against the people.”

Now, he’s back to his old tricks. Despite his claims that he would best serve the people of North Dakota in the House of Representatives, last week Cramer couldn’t help but yet again float the trial balloon that he’s “mildy reconsidering” his service in exchange for a Senate run.

But we’ve seen Cramer’s struggle with sticking to his principles before – while his office doesn’t pay interns for their work, Cramer has no issue reimbursing himself for official office expenditures with campaign funds, or paying others who work for his campaign – as long as they’re family, that is.

“Whether it’s paying himself and his family, but not his interns, or trying to keep himself in the news by dancing around a Senate run while trash-talking the body, Cramer’s double-speak is nothing new to North Dakotans,” said Scott McNeil, executive director for the Dem-NPL. “One thing is clear – the Tale of Two Cramers is a never-ending work of fiction – and North Dakotans are pretty tired of reading.”

State Rep. Ron Guggisberg gives Dem-NPL State of the State response

(BISMARCK, ND) – Fargo state Rep. Ron Guggisberg provided the Democratic-NPL’s response to Gov. Burgum’s 2018 State of the State address from the State Capitol in Bismarck today. In his speech, Rep. Guggisberg offered the minority’s perspective on a variety of issues facing our state, including the opioid crisis, rural development, economic growth and innovation, education, and rising property taxes.
 
Video of the Dem-NPL’s State of the State response is provided for use by the press and media. CLICK HERE to download.  
 
In his speech, Rep. Guggisberg addressed:

Behavioral health:
 

“A bipartisan proposal to make adequate investments for evidence-based, cost-effective behavioral health programs was all but assured passage last legislative session. But the majority stripped it down to just one percent of the funding we knew was needed. As the minority caucus, we will continue to fight for effective behavioral health programs and the resources these programs need to be successful – and we stand ready to work with the governor and the majority to accomplish this.”

 
Education:

 
“Every Democrat in the legislature proudly supported the innovative education legislation last session. That was an important step in supporting the creativity and flexibility we already see in classrooms all across our state. We also continue to fight for the school administrators, teachers, and professionals who connect with our students and encourage every child to reach their fullest potential. And more than that, when we see innovation, we will push for resources to support it, for all schools.”

 
Main Streets:

 
“Let’s build our state’s economy through diverse, strategic investments that respect the uniqueness – and recognize the differences – of rural and non-rural communities alike, from Fargo to Bismarck, from Williston to Wahpeton, and in communities like Tioga, Bowman, Cavalier and Hankinson.
 
“The Main Street Initiative is a worthy effort, let’s begin by removing roadblocks and administrative burdens for local governments along the way. The Main Street Initiative can’t simply be more mandates that place the burden on local officials and drive up property taxes.”

 
Property taxes:

 
“A return to the property tax buydown is not the answer. But in the coming year, and in the next legislative session, your Den-NPL legislators will continue our push for a restoration of the property tax relief that was promised to taxpayers. No property tax increases, plain and simple. We cannot balance the state’s budget by hiking property taxes. That’s not how we keep our promises to North Dakotans and it’s not how we ensure prosperity for our future.”

 
Innovation:

 
“Innovation is who we are as North Dakotans. It’s just a matter of recognizing and supporting it. Innovation doesn’t happen in boardrooms; it doesn’t need a hashtag on social media or an expensive PR strategy. Innovation happens every day in our cities, towns and rural communities — in the shop when a snowplow breaks down, in the classroom when a teacher lights that spark in a student’s learning, and in the farmer’s quonset, improvising for a pin that busted off during harvest.”
 
Rep. Guggisberg is a state legislator from District 11 and a Fargo Fire Department Capitan. In the legislature, he serves on the House Education Committee and Political Subdivisions Committee.

Campbell, Cramer-backed tax bill could ship more American jobs overseas

(BISMARCK, ND) – It turns out that the partisan tax legislation – rushed through Congress and enthusiastically supported by U.S. Senate candidate Tom Campbell and Rep. Kevin Cramer – could actually lead to more outsourcing of good-paying American jobs.

In addition to adding nearly $1.5 trillion to the national debt, Cramer and Campbell not only supported a bill that cut middle-class families a raw deal, favored large corporations over small businesses, and at the time put Medicare and crop insurance on the chopping block, the Campbell and Cramer-backed bill also includes provisions for large corporations to ship their jobs overseas.

We know Republicans desperately needed to pass a bill – any bill – for “political survival,” but why did Campbell and Cramer support a bill that could severely impact American jobs? More details below:

According to The New York Times: “Tax Law May Send Factories and Jobs Abroad, Critics Say”

  • “The bill that Mr. Trump signed, however, could actually make it attractive for companies to put more assembly lines on foreign soil.”
  • “‘It’s sort of an America-last tax policy,” said Kimberly Clausing, an economist at Reed College in Portland, Ore., who studies tax policy. “We are basically saying that if you earn in the U.S., you pay X, and if you earn abroad, you pay X divided by two.’”
  • “What could be more dangerous for American workers, economists said, is that the bill ends up creating a tax break for manufacturers with foreign operations. Under the new rules, beyond the lower rate, companies will not have to pay United States taxes on the money they earn from plants or equipment located abroad, if those earnings amount to 10 percent or less of the total investment.”
  • “‘Having such a low rate on foreign income is outrageous,’ said Stephen E. Shay, a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School and a Treasury Department official during the Reagan and Obama administrations. ‘It creates terrible incentives.’ […]  Such companies, Mr. Shay said, now have no reason to resist the temptation to shift some of their operations abroad, since they would end up paying half the rate they would pay in the United States.”

Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman (D-NPL, 23) to seek re-election

(New Rockford, ND) – State Senator Joan Heckaman announced Friday she is seeking re-election to the North Dakota Senate from District 23, which includes the counties of Eddy, Nelson, Griggs, Steele and the eastern half of Benson County, including the Spirit Lake Nation.

A teacher by training, Heckaman was first elected to the state Senate in 2006 and currently serves as Minority Leader. She completed her sixth legislative session in 2017.

Senator Heckaman saw a great deal of success during the past legislative session, both working within her caucus and across the aisle with the majority. She also believes that important work remains unfinished: “The needs of our small towns and communities, rural schools and farm country must remain a top priority,” said Heckaman. “That means addressing property taxes that hit farmers and landowners especially hard, supporting rural EMS and fire services, building educational infrastructure and caring for seniors, veterans and other vulnerable populations in communities that don’t always have access to the same levels of services as Fargo or Bismarck.”

“North Dakota is a truly great place to live and raise a family, whether you live in Fargo, Lakota, Beach or any other community in our state,” added Heckaman. “But what makes our communities strong and vibrant are the smart investments we make in each other, in our children and in our future – that’s the kind of work I’m committed to continuing in the state Senate.”

Heckaman’s appointment to the Higher Education Task Force speaks to her lifelong commitment to providing a strong bridge between K-12 education and a well-trained workforce. Since its inception in 2009, Heckaman has served as the legislative representative on the Governor’s Autism Task Force. Currently, during the 2017-19 Interim, Heckaman serves as the Vice Chair of the Agriculture Committee as well as on the Budget Section, Legislative Management, Administrative Rules, Government Administration, Legislative Revenue Advisory Committee, Legislative Procedures and Arrangements, and Tribal Taxation. 

Click here for high-resolution headshot of Sen. Heckaman.

State Sen. Tom Campbell goes after Corrupt Cramer for using campaign cash to enrich himself and family

(BISMARCK, ND) – Yesterday in an interview on KFGO, U.S. Senate candidate Tom Campbell had some choice words for Congressman Kevin Cramer, who is considering jumping into the North Dakota Senate race. Congressman Cramer has recently come under fire for paying himself and his family more than $350,000 from political donations and essentially using his campaign committee as a family business.
 
State Sen. Tom Campbell apparently has some reservations about Cramer’s ethics, too. Quotes from the interview are below – and you can also listen to the full interview here.

“[B]ut no, that is a lot of money and I think it could have been used a little bit wiser […]”
 
“[I]t does raise a few flags and looks like, you know, why, was it legitimate or not? And you’ll have to ask him for that.”
 
“I would not do that.”
 
“[Y]ou’d never have to worry about that with me.”

The ethics issues don’t stop there for Congressman Cramer. This week, the Democratic-NPL called for an ethics investigation into Congressman Cramer’s use of official taxpayer resources for campaign purposes. 
 
When it comes to the Congressman’s ethics, we agree with Tom Campbell – North Dakotans deserve answers from Corrupt Cramer.