Shenanigans: The Rock 'N' Roll Congressman

McCotter: Still strummin’

Here’s how a conversation with Rep. Thaddeus McCotter starts out:

Us: “Hello, sir, thank you for speaking with me.”

Him: “Why, do people not really talk to you?”

He’s filled with these one-liners.

We’re talking to him about the spoken-word album he just gave out to his peers, called “Freedom Songs: The American Empowerment Agenda,” which is McCotter’s new way of sending out a press kit of sorts, only this one doesn’t have those bulky pages that no one reads. And it’s light as air.

It shouldn’t be surprising that the “rock ’n’ roll congressman,” as W calls him, is making CDs. As it’s known, McCotter plays in the Second Amendments — the bipartisan congressional rock and country band. Oddly, though, he says he likes to read.

“It’s a lot easier to get them to listen than to get them to read it,” he tells us, explaining why he gave his colleagues the CD. But his preference is reading. “I get yelled at all the time, so it’s nice to give the ears a rest.” But he’s just glad the GOP can have some fun again. “We had fun with it. Republicans haven’t had that for awhile. … We used to be hip and fun,” says the Michigan Republican.

Which is what the band’s for? “Yeah, Bush had us to the White House.” Pause. “Once.” Pause. “He learned his lesson!” he says with a laugh. “I blame it on [band member Rep. Collin] Peterson’s singing and his politics.”

But if McCain were to win, you guys could go back there, no? McCotter’s iffy. “Depends. McCain’s traditional Scotch-Irish, and he has a long memory. I probably won’t ever see the inside of the place.”

As for Obama, McCotter’s hopes are still dashed. “You think there’s a liberal media? How can I play guitar and he has a Grammy?”

Olbermann: McCotter the Worst Person In the World

WASHINGTON D.C. –  Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (MI -11), Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, today commented on last night’s MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann show (aired 11.13.2007).

Mr. Olbermann called Congressman McCotter “the worst person in the world,” because he defended himself against attacks by Catholics United.

 “Better to glory in his denunciations than be damned by his praise,” said Congressman McCotter.

To see a clip of the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw30j9uuNxs


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McCotter Demands Ahmadinejad Apologize at Ground Zero

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2007

WASHINGTON D.C. -Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, Chairman of the Republican House Policy Committee, today released the following statement on Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s upcoming visit to the United Nations and Ahmadinejad’s request to visit Ground Zero during his trip to New York City.

“The irrational ruler of Iran, which is reported to shield Al-Qaeda members from the full measure of justice, should only be allowed to view Ground Zero in order to apologize and pledge to atone by opposing terrorism.

“If Ahmadinejad does not, he will be going to gloat over the site where his terrorist cohorts invaded American soil and killed over three thousand American souls. To those who naively claim we can ‘negotiate’ with Ahmadinejad, his actions belie the sanity of your proposed diplomacy.”

McCotter issued his statement just as it was reported Coalition forces arrested a corps of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Quds Force officer in Sulimaniyah, who was involved in training foreign terrorists in Iraq and transporting explosive devises into Iraq responsible in the lethal attacks against the our soldiers, Iraqi Government, and all Coalition Forces.

NOTE: Ahmadinejad is scheduled to arrive September 24 to speak to the U.N. General Assembly, as the Security Council decides whether to increase sanctions against Iran for its uranium enrichment program.

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McCotter to Democrats: “Match Rhetoric with Results on Earmark Reform”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2007

WASHINGTON D.C. - Today Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Chairman of the House Policy Committee, signed a discharge petition which, if it acquires 218 Congressional signatures, will help put full transparency and disclosure into House tax and authorizing bills.  If the discharge petition is successful, House Democrats would be compelled to bring Minority Leader John Boehner’s H. Res. 479 to the floor for an up-or-down vote.  H. Res. 479 would require taxpayer-funded earmarks in all authorizing and tax bills to be publicly disclosed and open to House debate.

“This isn’t Washington’s money.  It is the taxpayers’ money, born of their hard-work’s perspiration and shorn from their hard-earned prosperity,” said McCotter, an original co-sponsor of H. Res. 479. 

“Any and all attempts by politicians to imprudently spend the people’s money must be publicly exposed and immediately stopped.”

“I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to match their rhetoric with results on fiscal discipline and earmark reform.  If not, they will be signaling their intent to continue wasting the people’s money and breaking the public’s trust,” said McCotter.

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Iraq: A Quartet of Critical Inquiries

By Rep. Thaddeus McCotter


As a person’s word is their bond, a nation’s word is its bond. Once broken, “its word is no good.”

In 2002, with the world – and especially our enemy – watching, America gave its solemn vow to the oppressed Iraqi people we would emancipate them from a tyrant to experience their God-given right to liberty. Over four years later, in Iraq our soldiers and civilians continue striving and sacrificing to honor America’s pledge; but, on the home front, the Left is bent upon breaking America’s promise to liberate the Iraqis, in particular, and forsaking America’s dedication to liberty, in general.

Before acquiescing to this execrable outcome, Americans must demand the Left answer this quartet of critical inquiries regarding Iraq :

1. If America breaks its vow and abandons the Iraqis to be slaughtered, who in the region or the world will trust our word?

2. If America belies its professed commitment to liberty, what can we possibly offer the Middle East ’s – indeed, the world’s – oppressed to turn them away from the enemy and toward us?

3. After Iraq is abandoned, how soon will the Left demand America ’s immediate retreat in the other “war without end” – Afghanistan ?

4. What are the consequences to America if we are defeated in Iraq and Bin-Laden is proven right: “ America is definitely a great power, with an unbelievable military strength and a vibrant economy, but all of these have been built on a very weak and hollow foundation”?

These questions and others will not and can not be answered by the Left. Offering constructive alternatives to and measuring the consequences of national security policies is neither their goal nor inclination. Their contempt for America as the greatest threat to “world peace” precludes it.

Possessed of our sanity, let us provide the answers to these questions.

1. No one.

2. Nothing.

3. Immediately.

4. A war without end.

Should the Left prevail and these answers become bitter realities, present and future generations of Americans will be faced with the dark specter of nuclear armed terrorist states in a war without end against an implacable enemy bent upon our destruction; and, our just God so disposed, the Left will be held to account for betraying the integrity of America’s word in this crucible of our nation’s War for Freedom.

And, make no mistake, we will not escape the history’s inquiry of us:

What did you do to win it?



United States Representative Thaddeus G. McCotter is the Chairman of the Republican House Policy Committee

Rep. McCotter speaks on the House Floor about Gen. Petraeus' Testimony on the progress in Iraq.

Tonight I spoke on the U.S. House floor to discuss Gen. Petraeus' Testimony. Below is a video of my remarks.