(Republican) Lawmaker Defends Ritzy Gala for GOP Freshmen

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Incoming Republican Lawmaker Jeff Denham: 'We Have to Raise Money for Tough Elections'

The freshman GOP congressman behind Tuesday night's splashy fundraiser had no misgivings about throwing the event so soon after campaigning under the Tea Party banner to change Washington.

"We feel as a freshman class ... that we're going to need to be self reliant," California Rep. Jeff Denham said in a press conference held as guests began arriving at a posh downtown DC hotel Tuesday evening. "This is our first attempt to do that."

Denham is among a dozen freshmen, Republican lawmakers who were elected on a promise to bring a frugal, belt-tightening agenda to a Congress known for profligate spending. But as the new, Republican House majority got set to take command, his group headed to the luxurious W Hotel for a gala fundraiser that commanded $50,000 for VIP guests.

The event scheduled for tonight – which is closed to the press -- will be held at a hotel that describes its own accommodations as "over the top," and will include a private concert by country music star Leann Rimes. The invite, sent to lobbyists, wealthy donors and political action committees, comes from America's New Majority, a group of newly minted Republican congressmen that includes a half-dozen of the victorious Tea Party members.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/elected-cost-cutters-gop-freshmen-party-fatcats-tonight/story?id=12537584

[randr]

1. Translation--"self reliant" = living off the public fat.

[hughee99]

19. The taxpayers are paying for all of this?

I figured this would be the RNC or some other republican funded group (RCCC/RSCC).

[randr]

20. Most of the money that ends up in Washington

comes out of the pockets of consumers. We hear all the time how regulatory costs, taxes, etc. are all going to end up being paid for by increased costs to consumers.
Where do we think the lobbying money comes from?
We are paying, through increased costs in every sector, for corporations to lobby for more profits.

[hughee99]

21. While in the larger cycle of things, it's all connected

pissing away Party money isn't really the same thing as pissing away taxpayer money.

[No Elephants]

23. Good point! I never connected those particular dots. Should have. Did not.

[No Elephants]

22. I must have missed where it said tax money was paying for the gala.

But, whether from salary, or from getting re-elected by bringing home the pork, or by taking donations, they are living off the public.

[hughee99]

26. In that sense, everyone's living off the public

though I have no sympathy for those who willingly donated money to repukes and feel like that money is getting wasted on lavish parties. If it's the taxpayer money being used for such events, that's a different story completely.

[MineralMan]

2. Ah...how quickly they learn the ropes.

Lobbyists, wealthy donors, PACs. They caught on fast. Now they can move on to doing nothing like all the others.

[napi21]

3. I wonder how the newly elected TPers are going to respond to

having to raise Thousands each day for their relection?

[Tippy]

7. I can't see a teapartier admiting they might have made a mistake

[No Elephants]

24. Koch brothers.

[Tippy]

4. Is this one thing they all campaigned on....?

Cutting waste.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. I am so happy to learn this. Honestly.

Excess upon excess upon fuckcess. This is precisely how the Tea Party and new GOP members will fuck themselves over.

The more they do this, the more they will piss off the rest of the country. Best of all, those who really believe in the tea bagger propaganda will be so angry at their "leaders" that they put into office, that the blood will be running in rivers.

[howaboutme]

6. Most of them are the same regardless of what they say

Politicians, used car salesman and hound dogs and cougars (at bar closing time) will say and do anything to close the transaction and get what they want.

[tanyev]

8. Goodbye Lipton, hello Veuve Clicquot!

[KeepItReal]

15. +1

They were probably saying hello to that Louis XIII and Ace of Spades....

[slackmaster]

9. Ritzy Gala would make a great porn star name

:nuke:

[emulatorloo]

10. "we have to raise money for elections" - I thought COC and Karl Rove took care of all that.

[gratuitous]

11. Besides, we'd lose our deposit on the Ferrari cake!

Closed to the press, invited lobbyists and fatcats only, yeah, this is precisely what the Tea Baggers were telling us Congress needed more of, wasn't it? Or they will, as soon as those rugged individualists get their new marching orders from their corporate overlords.

[SpiralHawk]

12. "All pigs are equal, but some pigs are more equal." - RepubliBaggers (R)

[Zambero]

13. Campaign on promises of frugality

No elitism, just plain common sense folks appealing for plain folks votes. THEN, once elected and sworn in, immediately practice wretched excess aided and abetted by lobbyists you disassociated yourself from during the prior campaign. Ah yes, the Republicans and their "two-step formula for success" are back in town!

[Democrats_win]

14. The oligarchy reigns austerity on the people while tea baggers pig out at the trough.

[jwirr]

16. Self reliant to me does not include gala parties. This is why these

people do not understand the problems with out economy. Well party away boys! The more you do the angrier the people will become.

[Canuckistanian]

17. So it was a "self-reliant fundraiser"?

Why do people who are self-reliant need a fundraiser?

[SoapBox]

18. ...these creeps, crooks and liars make me sick to my stomach.

...“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” Sinclair Lewis, 1935.

[Crowman1979]

25. Let the BS games begin!