GOP Golden Statues – The Republican Oscars

Mar 3, 2006

GOP Golden Statues – The Republican Oscars

(Washington, D.C.) – While Americans are focusing their eyes on Hollywood this weekend for the annual Academy Awards, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announces the first-ever "GOP Golden Statue." In ceremonies held earlier, the inaugural Golden Statue Awards will highlight the Republicans’ most corrupt performances of 2005 as well as their careers of rubberstamping the special interest agenda ahead of American families.

The nominees are...

Best Supporting Actor: The Republican Congress.

The Republican Congress provided near total support to the Bush administration through the rubberstamping of his agenda that consistently favors powerful special interests over American interests.

Best Special Effects: The Boehner Leadership Election.

During the recent Republican leadership elections in the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner fooled Republicans, convincing his colleagues that he was not a part of the same culture of corruption that bred indicted duo Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff.

Best Achievement in Editing: Medicare Part D.

Republicans’ efforts to dress up their special interest prescription drug plan may have failed to convince seniors to sign up, but the GOP is still cris-crossing the country trying to sell it anyway. By a two-to-one-margin, seniors see the plan for what it is: unsatisfactory. All the spin the Republicans can muster doesn’t disguise the failures of Part D when it neglects the neediest of our seniors in favor of rich, powerful pharmaceutical companies.

Best Actress in a Prescription Drug Scheme: Nancy Johnson.

She claimed that seniors were happy to be signing up for Medicare Part D, when not only were they not signing up, but they are also confused by the plan and unhappy that it charges them more for their prescription drugs. For this, we are awarding Nancy Johnson the Best Actress award.

Best Achievement in Adapting House Rules: Richard Pombo’s Taxpayer-funded Vacation.

In August of 2003, Representative Richard Pombo, the House Resources Committee chairman, rented an RV and set out with his family on a road trip. His luxurious two week vacation took him to several national parks, and spanned five thousand miles through the west. When he returned from his vacation, Pombo claimed it was official business, and stuck the taxpayers with the bill for $4,935.87.

Best Actor in an Indictment Investigation: Bob Ney.

Bob Ney’s efforts to convince Ohio families that he is not connected to the Jack Abramoff scandals are worthy of the award of Best Actor. Ney maintains his innocence despite being named as "Representative #1" in admitted felon Abramoff’s plea agreement and despite taking money in exchange for work for Abramoff and taking a luxurious trip to St. Andrews golf resort in Scotland with Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay.

Best Live Action Short Film: The Blunt Leadership Era.

Roy Blunt may not have been the Republican leader for very long, but during that time, he was still able to pass (barely), the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education spending bill, which included massive cuts to education, job training and health care, plus a $90 million giveaway to pharmaceutical companies for drugs like Viagra. Blunt also led the Republican rubber stamps in opposition to the Alternative Minimum Tax exemption which promised thousands of dollars of relief for 17 million families. Blunt then passed the special interest budget reconciliation which raided $12.7 billion from student aid, the largest cut ever, cut $1.6 billion from child support enforcement and sent $22 billion to the HMOs.

Best Supporting Actress: Deborah Pryce.

Whether it’s standing by every leadership regime, or quarterbacking the Republican risky attempt to privatize Social Security, Deborah Pryce is always there to rubberstamp the GOP agenda. Pryce wrote the Republican playbook on the privatization plan that could have created up to $2 trillion in debt and done nothing for the long term solvency of Social Security.

Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Directing: Tom Delay.

"Tom DeLay is who all of us want to be when we grow up." That quote from admitted felon Jack Abramoff says it all. Once the most powerful Republican on Capitol Hill, DeLay is credited for creating the cozy relationship between Congress and K Street lobbyists, sending billions in giveaways to the special interests through incentive-laden legislation and maintaining the pay-to-play environment that fostered the Jack Abramoffs and Bob Neys of the world.

Outstanding Career Achievement: Duke Cunningham.

Duke Cunningham resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to taking millions in bribes from defense contractors and after admitting evading over a million dollars in taxes. Over the course of his career, he traded favors for dollars to defense interests while sitting atop some of the most powerful defense subcommittees in Congress. Recent reports of a "bribe menu" on his official congressional stationery only add to the myriad of reasons for this award.

http://www.dccc.org/news/gop_golden_statues/