Cramer Contradicts Himself on Trade War Timeline in Week Since Dem-NPL Launches Countdown Clock

(BISMARCK, ND) – It’s been a week and a half since the ND Dem-NPL launched its countdown clock to hold Congressman Cramer accountable for punting his responsibility to stand up for North Dakotans against this disastrous trade war. Rather than offering real, lasting solutions, Cramer is contradicting himself, telling one audience that negotiations with China would “take a while,” and telling another that he “expect[s] some quick action.” What’s more, he admits that the markets lost due to this trade war could “be lost for years” and that it’s causing pain for farmers – but that isn’t stopping him from playing politics with their livelihoods.

This political doublespeak comes just one week after Cramer was accused of his interest in the trade war stemming from, not out of a desire to help North Dakotans, but because he’s worried about his election chances.

See how much time Cramer has left until his self-imposed September deadline and get the fast facts about Cramer’s trade war here.


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Cramer Sides With Out-of-State Billionaire Over ND on Gutting Social Security, Medicare

(BISMARCK, ND) – Kevin Cramer’s preference for cutting Social Security and Medicare is well-known, from calls to raise the retirement age to implementing means testing for seniors’ hard-earned benefits. It’s not surprising then, that the out-of-state special interests bankrolling Cramer’s campaign also support slashing Social Security and Medicare.

One such donor is Illinois billionaire Richard Uihlein who has poured money into Cramer’s campaign, as well as Restoration PAC, which advocates for Social Security and Medicare to be “completely restructure[d].” Oh, and those same Uihlein-backed groups have funded Cramer’s campaign, too.

“Of course Kevin Cramer agrees with the extreme agenda of his out-of-state, special interest backers, rather than looking out for North Dakota’s seniors,” said Courtney Rice, Press Secretary for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Cramer may try to paper over his desire to privatize Social Security and slash Medicare but, come November, North Dakotans will hold him accountable for putting his political interests above their own.”

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Cramer’s Trade War: Flip Flops, Blunders, and Outright Lies

(BISMARCK, ND) – Curious about Kevin Cramer’s awkward, yet full-throated embrace of the trade war? We’ve got you covered with a roundup of his flip flops, blunders, and outright lies as he rushes to convince North Dakotans he’s on their side.

1. When it’s politically convenient, Cramer claims he’s no fan of the trade war– but, in reality, he’s been its biggest cheerleader. 
Shot:

  • Cramer: “The other big dispute that he and I have right now of course is over the use of tariffs. Which I’ve been very strong about, right at the beginning… So I’ve disagreed with him on the use of tariffs in this trade war.”

Chaser:

  • Cramer: “Some people are saying, ‘We need to get out of this trade war.’ There’s only one thing to do in a war, and that is win it. And it would be a lot easier for Donald Trump to win the trade war if the people that are supposed to be on his side would get behind him, rather than fighting with him.”

2. Cramer doesn’t have a clue as to how this trade war is affecting our pocketbooks – and doesn’t care to learn.
Shot:

  • Cramer: “Soybeans are one of those products where there’s a very high demand and a short supply. That means there will always be a pretty good price for soybeans.”

Chaser:

3. Cramer claims the administration’s $12 billion bailout is more than enough to erase his politically motivated mistake, but experts disagree. 
Shot:

  • Cramer: “I think that there’s a chance that we won’t need all $12 billion, if any of it.”

Chaser”

4. Cramer claims he wants to help farmers suffering from the trade war… except when the proposal to help comes from his political opponent.
Shot:

  • Cramer: “My office has contacted Secretary Perdue to urge him to use every tool provided to him under the Farm Bill.”

Chaser:

  • Williston Herald: “Congressman Kevin Cramer, who is in a pitched battle for North Dakota Senator with Heitkamp, said he doesn’t think such a bill [like hers] is needed.”
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Cramer Tries to Paper Over His True Record on Medicare & Social Security

(BISMARCK, ND) – We’re less than 13 weeks out from Election Day, so it’s no surprise that Kevin Cramer is trying to paper over his record and fake support for protecting Medicare and Social Security. But Cramer can’t erase the dozen-plus times he’s jeopardized these vital programs, from refusing to fully protect Medicare for folks who are 50 and under to calling for raising the retirement age and means testing for Social Security benefits.

What’s more, Cramer’s resolution on Medicare and Social Security is a toothless gesture and takes no concrete action to protect and strengthen these programs that over a hundred thousand North Dakotans rely on.

“It’s election season, so of course Kevin Cramer is trying to mislead North Dakotans about his real record,” said Courtney Rice, Press Secretary for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “But North Dakotans will see this political stunt for what it truly is: a pathetic attempt to cover up his record of not standing up for North Dakota seniors in favor of his hyper-partisan, put-special-interests-first agenda.”

Reminder: This isn’t the first time Cramer has lied to North Dakotans, hoping they won’t notice his actual record:
Zaleski, The Forum: “The [Medicare] ad’s premise is false. Cramer has always wanted to mess with Medicare—cut benefits, privatize portions of the program, etc. He can’t fudge his record, although he is one of the best fudge masters in Washington, D.C.”
HEADLINE: PolitiFact: Kevin Cramer distorts record on government shutdown.
HEADLINE: PolitiFact: Kevin Cramer distorts Heidi Heitkamp’s record on banking regulations.
HEADLINE: Washington Post: N.D. Republican’s Senate campaign ‘fact-checking’ website promotes false claim on CBO estimates.

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Cramer Reveals Why He’s Concerned About the Trade War: Election Day

(BISMARCK, ND) – It’s been known that Congressman Cramer puts politics above the interests of North Dakotans, and his latest comments are just further proof. After his trade town hall in Grafton – where Cramer was met with an avalanche of editorials and bad news about the disastrous effects of the trade war – he recounted a conversation with the president where he revealed the real reason he’s worried about the trade war: his election chances. From Mike Jacobs, of the Grand Forks Herald:

“In a brief conversation after the Grafton meeting he said that Trump has reassured him that he has farmers’ interest in mind, and that he should be patient. Cramer’s reply, he said, was, ‘Yes, Mr. President, but I have a timeline of my own.’ Election Day is 14 weeks away, and the days are passing.”

“While the trade war has cost North Dakota’s farmers hundreds of millions of dollars, Cramer is worried about the election,” said Courtney Rice, Press Secretary for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “If North Dakotans didn’t know where Cramer’s priorities were before, they know now.”

One week ago, the Dem-NPL launched a countdown clock to hold Cramer accountable for kicking his responsibility to stand up for North Dakota against the trade war down the road. See how much time he has left before his self-imposed deadline here.

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Cramer (R-Special Interests)

(BISMARCK, ND) – In case you missed it, the High Plains Reader detailed how Harold Hamm, a “verifiable master of puppets” was a key player behind Kevin Cramer’s run for a promotion he hasn’t earned, and funneled buckets of money to Cramer and his campaign. Don’t forget, Cramer himself admitted that he decided to run because Hamm, an out-of-state billionaire, promised to help him fundraise – not out of a desire to serve North Dakotans.

High Plains Reader: Master of Puppets
By C.S. Hagen
August 1, 2018

Key Points:

  • […] Hamm and his net worth of $19.5 billion became the decision maker for Cramer accepting Hamm as his national finance chairman.
  • Hamm, with his billions in North Dakota oil profits, became Cramer’s national finance chairman in February, which was a deciding factor in Cramer’s flip-flopping stance on whether to run against Heitkamp, or not.
  • Hamm’s company, Continental Resources, is based in Oklahoma, and has also contributed $1,204,950 in campaign funds in 2018, according to Open Secrets, Center for Responsive Politics.
  • For years, Hamm’s money trails to Cramer branches like tributaries of the Missouri River. Sometimes donations are direct deposits to Cramer, at other times the funds are processed through PACs and committees. More than 50 percent of Cramer’s funds for his U.S. Senate run have come from large and primarily out-of-state contributors such as Energy Transfer Partners, the parent company of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
  • In 2018, Continental Resources has given $7,400 directly to Cramer, and Hamm has personally signed over $8,100 to Cramer in two different installments.
  • The oil magnate also donated $50,000 to the Cramer Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee, which then shoveled $155,282 to Cramer this year. Another $5,000 of Hamm’s money went to the Badlands PAC, also a committee for Cramer, which so far has sent $72,440 on to Cramer.
  • Hamm gave $33,900 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a Republican campaign group for the Senate, which donated $80,376 directly to the Cramer Victory Fund.
  • The joint fundraising committee supplied a total of $155,000 to Cramer’s campaign, more than $72,000 to the Badlands PAC, and $65,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, according to the Open Secrets, Center for Responsive Politics.
  • Kevin Cramer is tied for the top recipient after receiving $47,000 from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Read the full article here.

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ICYMI: PolitiFact: Cramer “Distorts Record on Government Shutdown”

(BISMARCK, ND) – Between PolitiFact’s finding that Cramer “distorts [his] record” on voting for government shutdowns to The Forum’s Jack Zaleski finding that “the premise” of Cramer’s Medicare ad “is false […] Cramer has always wanted to mess with Medicare,” Cramer just can’t seem to tell North Dakotans the truth – twisting, distorting, and lying about his record to hide his real, unsavory agenda.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Politifact: Kevin Cramer distorts record on government shutdown
By Manuela Tobias
August 6, 2018

Key Points:

  • Cramer, running to unseat Democrat Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, touted a clean record without any support for shutdowns… We took a closer look.
  • Cramer has cast votes that indirectly resulted in a shutdown.
  • We found multiple instances where Cramer indirectly helped to cause a shutdown by voting for bills that defunded Obamacare — these bills had no chance of survival in the Senate or of being signed by then-President Obama. While Cramer’s actions were not direct votes on keeping the government open, they encouraged the 2013 shutdown.
  • We rate this statement Mostly False.

Read the full article here.

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ICYMI: Zaleski Dubs Cramer’s “False” Medicare Ad “Worst Spot So Far”

(BISMARCK, ND) – This column from The Forum’s Jack Zaleski speaks for itself.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Forum:

  • Worst spot so far: Cramer. He uses his mother and two kids to assure North Dakotans he won’t mess with Medicare.
  • The ad’s premise is false. Cramer has always wanted to mess with Medicare—cut benefits, privatize portions of the program, etc. He can’t fudge his record, although he is one of the best fudge masters in Washington, D.C.
  • The ad relies on shrewdly ambiguous weasel-words: He will protect benefits for oldies like his mom (and me) and make sure Medicare is there for younger generations, like the kids in the ad. Sounds great. Notice the distinction? The distortion? He is vague about future Medicare for people currently in the workforce (would he gut benefits?), while he preaches to oldsters who are on the program now, who vote, that he’s their Medicare evangelist. It’s not blatant deceit; it’s duplicitous half-truth.
  • The fib is bad, but exploitation of mom is worse. She probably wants to help her son. It’s what moms do. But in the ad she looks painfully ill at ease. It’s uncomfortably obvious she would rather not be at center stage in a phony drama. Unconvincing ad. Kinda creepy.

Read more on Cramer’s true record on Medicare here and here.

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BREAKING: Washington GOP Elite & Cramer Still Trying to Sabotage Health Care

(BISMARCK, ND) – Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are gunning for another shot at sabotaging North Dakotans’ health care if Kevin Cramer and others are elected to the Senate – but they want to keep it a secret from voters, with one political operative referring to their plans to take away health care from millions as “like fight club. […] First rule is not to talk about it.” That would mean North Dakotans could face higher premiums, less comprehensive coverage, an age tax, and no guarantee of coverage for pre-existing conditions.

“Health care sabotage is deeply unpopular, yet Kevin Cramer is following Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to once again jeopardize health care – all because his out-of-state special interest donors want him to,” said Courtney Rice, Press Secretary for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “It’s high time Cramer stood with North Dakotans in protecting their care, not the special interests who bankroll his campaign.”

Reminder: Health care remains top of mind for voters. Results of a HuffPost/YouGov poll found “American voters are more likely to say they’re focused about health care than any other issue” and Kaiser Health reported that many Americans are worried “about their out-of-pocket costs increasing so high that” they won’t be able to afford care.

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Look Back: Cramer’s Repeated Disrespect of Our Military and Vets

(BISMARCK, ND) – Don’t let his TV commercials and spin fool you. Kevin Cramer’s history of disrespect for our service members and veterans is well-documented.

Here’s a look back at all the ways Cramer has disrespected our service members and veterans.

“Kevin Cramer’s comments go so far as to question the patriotism of our service men and women and veterans – and that’s unacceptable.” said Courtney Rice, Press Secretary for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Cramer has shown his true colors time and again when it comes to what he thinks of our service members, and that’s why North Dakotans know his ads are an election year sham.”

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ICYM This This or This on Cramer’s Terrible Trade War

(BISMARCK, ND) – On the day of his town hall on trade, where Congressman Cramer was set to meet with farmers and manufacturers after dismissing their concerns as “hysteria,” he was met with an avalanche of editorials and more bad news about the disastrous effects of his trade war.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS

OR THIS
AgWeek:

  • Almost two-thirds of firms surveyed for the Mid-America Business Conditions Index reported that recent tariffs or trade restrictions have had, or will have, a negative impact on their company. Similarly, 46.8 percent of supply managers indicated recent tariffs have increased the cost of buying from abroad.
  • Farm exports commonly are targeted in retaliatory tariffs, as is happening in response to the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs against other countries, [Ernie Goss, a Creighton economist] said. “They’re already seeing some negative fallout.”
  • Impacts will worsen, including falling farm exports, if the dispute escalates. “If we don’t see some resolution, these impacts are going to climb,” Goss said. The Trump administration has pledged $12 billion in aid to soften the blow to farmers, but that will be a small Band-Aid that won’t “solve the problem,” he said.
  • “It’s not sufficient to address the losses that will accumulate if we continue to go down this path,” Goss said. “Farmers survive and do better under free and fair trade.”

OR IN CASE YOU MISSED THAT 
Walsh County Record Editorial:

  • North Dakota, and specifically Grafton, are highly dependent on the success of area farmers. […] Soybean prices have dropped almost 20 percent since April when China announced a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans. That means farmers are getting lower prices for goods and are not making enough to cover bills… When government gets involved in the market at that degree, it is disruptive and the agriculture market may never recover.
  • The emergency aid program is pointedly timed to possibly help Republicans in midterm elections. Many of the states that supported Trump in the 2016 president election, like Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, North Dakota and South Dakota, have been impacted by the punitive tariffs from China and other countries.

OR IN CASE YOU MISSED THOSE 
AgWeek Editorial:

  • Agriculture has become collateral damage for the ongoing trade war, which some experts predict could last another year.
  • No one wins in a trade war, even when you try to fix it with a bandage. So, the $12-billion trade compensation package falls short of helping farmers at a time when they need markets and higher commodity prices after five years of a depressed farm economy.
  • Many in agriculture have labored for decades to develop and expand international markets for their products. It has taken millions of dollars and countless hours to build relationships that have led to U.S. sales… The trade war has dismantled those years of work in just a few weeks. What dollar amount can be put on those future losses?
  • A $12 billion bandage for a wound of his making is still a bandage. Now, with congressional elections nearing, Trump wants us to focus on the bandage. Far better, we think, if he would focus on the wound.
  • Many farmers have questioned how market losses can be assessed equitably since some farmers sold crop ahead while others didn’t. They also are questioning if these payments will be adequate if the soybean market continues to stay depressed.
  • Soybean farmers aren’t the only ones hurt by the trade war. It has impacted the dairy, cotton, corn, wheat, sorghum and pork sectors.
  • While a trade compensation package on the surface may seem like a positive move by the Trump administration, it will be too little too late for many farmers who are financially strapped after five years of low commodity prices. These farmers will become casualties of the trade war and won’t be around to see the great outcome Trump is promising.

OR IN CASE YOU MISSED ALL OF THAT

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CROOKED CRAMER’S CHRONICLES – CRAMER INFUSING POLITICS IN FARM BILL – 5 FAST FACTS ABOUT CRAMER’S TRADE WAR – COUNTDOWN CLOCK – 100 DAYS OUT MEMO

Welcome to Crooked Cramer’s Chronicles where, every Friday, we’ll break down the latest and greatest weekly hits about Cramer’s crooked, self-serving, extreme, and gaffe-prone behavior that puts himself and his partisan politics ahead of North Dakotans.

WILL CRAMER PUT POLITICS ABOVE A STRONG FARM BILL ON CONFERENCE COMMITTEE? If history is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. His pattern of playing political games with farmers’ livelihoods is well-documented – Congressman Cramer will always put politics ahead of what’s best for North Dakota. A brief history:

  • June 2013: After fighting for deep, partisan cuts, Cramer blamed everyone but himself for the bill’s initial failure, taking aim at both Democrats and Republicans before later complaining at a closed-door GOP meeting that failure to pass the legislation would end his congressional career.
  • June 2013: The Williston Herald slammed Cramer for “knocks on his leadership,” which included choosing politics over fighting for a strong Farm Bill, and urged him to “take a lesson from Hoeven and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.”
  • September 2013: The Grand Forks Herald Editorial Board admonished Cramer as an ‘ideologue’ who “rejects compromises and insists on policies that are ideologically pure” for prioritizing partisan efforts to carve food stamps out of the Farm Bill.
  • May 2018: This year, Cramer enthusiastically voted for the initial House Farm Bill which enjoyed zero bipartisan support because of its huge cuts to SNAP, threatening food support for millions of Americans. And he practically shrugged at his support for including a poison pill provision in the first iteration of the Farm Bill, which resulted in its failure on the House floor – calling the effort “not inappropriate.”

5 FAST FACTS ABOUT CRAMER’S TRADE WAR. Kevin Cramer helped create and continues to fully embrace this reckless trade war and North Dakotans know he’s to blame for the devastating economic impact it’s having on North Dakotans’ bottom lines. While Cramer may try and spin during his trade town hall today, here are five fast facts you need to know:

  1. The trade war is jeopardizing the livelihood of North Dakota’s farmers, ranchers, and businesses: 111,100 jobs are supported by trade and over $60 million in exports are threatened.
  2. Cramer flipped and flopped and flipped again on the trade war, playing games with producers’ livelihoods, all to up his political capital with Washington.
  3. Cramer is now a rubber stamp for this disastrous trade war. In fact, he’s one of its biggest cheerleaders – to the detriment of North Dakotans.
  4. Cramer has repeatedly underestimated the economy-killing consequences of the trade war, proving just how out of touch he is with North Dakotans.
  5. Cramer created a self-imposed deadline for when he’ll finally stand up for North Dakota against this trade war: September.

DON’T MISS: Editorials across the state are detailing how the Cramer-endorsed trade war, and $12 billion bailout, is harming North Dakotans.
Walsh County Record Editorial: Farmer Welfare Falls Short.
AgWeek Editorial: Trump trade aid just a bandage.
AgWeek: Economist: Prolonged trade war threatens North Dakota economic growth.

DEM-NPL LAUNCHES COUNTDOWN CLOCK UNTIL CRAMER’S NEXT BROKEN PROMISE. Instead of standing up and taking responsibility to try and blunt the effects of the trade war, Cramer kicked his responsibility down the road and, incredulously, created a self-imposed deadline of September for when he’ll finally stand up for North Dakota’s interests. Well, Cramer has less than one month until that deadline and the Dem-NPL is here to remind him every minute of every second of every day that he’s not standing up for North Dakotans. See how much time he has left here.

POLITIFACT: “EFFECTS” OF TRADE WAR “NOT PRETTY.” Earlier this week, Politifact took a look at the damaging impact of Cramer’s trade war:

  • For workers in America’s heartland, the good news of savings from President Donald Trump’s tax cuts is getting overshadowed by concern over his disruptive trade policies.
  • “My equipment manufacturers tell me whatever advantage they’ve gotten from the tax code change has been eaten up in the very early months of the steel and aluminum tariffs,” Heitkamp said on CNBC on July 20, 2018.
  • Economists tell us the effects of the tariffs, while imprecise so far, are not pretty.

KEVIN CRAMER WORKS FOR WASHINGTON – NOT NORTH DAKOTA.Read our 100 Days Out Memo on the many times Cramer has voted however his D.C. bosses order, all to increase his political capital so he can enrich himself. That’s why he’s wrong for North Dakota.

CRAMER STILL BACKED BY OUT-OF-STATE DARK MONEY. The Koch Network’s snub of Cramer made news this week, but North Dakotans know that Cramer is still backed by out-of-state special interests. That includes the billionaire Uihleins from Illinois, who gave Cramer the maximum primary contribution and also contributed to accused child molester and former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
**DON’T FORGET why Cramer got into the race in the first place: An out-of-state billionaire pledged to bankroll his campaign.**

CRAMER WON’T STAND UP FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITION COVERAGE.Washington’s latest scheme to expand skimpy, short-term health plans could mean that North Dakotans who have pre-existing conditions like asthma, cancer, or depression wouldn’t be guaranteed coverage and could be priced out of affording care. One insurer warned that these plans have “the potential to harm consumers, both by making comprehensive coverage more expensive and by leaving some consumers unaware of the risks of these policies.” Yet Cramer supports this dangerous agenda.

ICYMI: GRAND FORKS MAYOR ON WHY HE’S SUPPORTING HEIDI.
“Put simply, this Senate campaign should be about the candidates’ records. It should be about the results they’ve actually brought home to North Dakotans during their time in office. Heidi has distinguished herself as an effective legislator – she’s informed, she’s engaged and she gets the job done for North Dakota. She’s never lost touch with her roots. And that’s pretty rare in Washington these days.”

CRAMER’S PLAYING POLTIICS YET AGAIN – THIS TIME WITH VETS.Cramer’s voting record on veterans’ issues isn’t anything to write home about; in fact, he’d rather cover it up – so he’s desperately trying to conjure up some support from North Dakota’s veterans by spending campaign funds on a social media blitz targeting them. There’s just one problem: the ad he’s promoting features a California stock photo rather than a real North Dakota veteran. Veterans’ groups have always known about Cramer’s record – and now North Dakota vets are starting to notice his cheap political tactics, too.

TWEET OF THE WEEK.