DNC: Martinez Means More Of The Same From Bush RepublicansPosted By: Janine Delacroix Tue Nov 14, 8:01 PM ET var lrec_target="_top";var lrec_URL=new Array(); lrec_URL[1]="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12gada80j/M=560859.9533728.10326406.1442997/D=news/S=82389257:LREC/_ylt=A9FJqY1QlFpF7U4BcwAJKekE/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1163571312/A=4123779/R=0/id=flash/SIG=11nhjefaf/*http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/beck.extremistagenda/"; var lrec_fv="clickTAG=javascript:lrec_window(1)"; var lrec_swf="http://us.a2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/cn/cnn/300x250buse.swf"; var lrec_altURL="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12gada80j/M=560859.9533728.10326406.1442997/D=news/S=82389257:LREC/_ylt=A9FJqY1QlFpF7U4BcwAJKekE/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1163571312/A=4123779/R=1/id=altimg/SIG=11nhjefaf/*http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/beck.extremistagenda/"; var lrec_altimg="http://us.a2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/cn/cnn/300x250.jpg"; var lrec_w=300;var lrec_h=250; if (window.yzq_a == null) document.write("");if (window.yzq_a) { yzq_a('p', 'P=mvavOkLaS.aTu0ZPzMOfSgivSDRIwkValFAACtgL&T=1e0uq285r%2fX%3d1163564112%2fE%3d82389257%2fR%3dnews%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d1.1%2fW%3d8%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d3045725874%2fH%3dY2FjaGVoaW50PSJuZXdzIiBjb250ZW50PSJXQVNISU5HVE9OO0FtZXJpY2FuO0FtZXJpY2E7V2FzaGluZ3RvbjtEZW1vY3JhdGljO0Zsb3JpZGE7UmVwdWJsaWNhbjtpdDtoZWxwO2VsZWN0aW9uO2RvbGxhcjtidXNpbmVzcztwb3ZlcnR5O0RlYmF0ZTtwcmljZTtJcmFxO2hvbWU7SXQ7aG91c2luZztsb2Fucztsb2FuO21vcnRnYWdlIGxvYW47SG91c2luZztMb2Fuczttb25leTtwb29yOyIgcmVmdXJsPSIiIHRvcGljcz0iIg--%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d8DA949D1'); yzq_a('a', '&U=13alqtghf%2fN%3dy648B0Je5tU-%2fC%3d560859.9533728.10326406.1442997%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4123779'); } To: National Desk, Political Reporter Contact: Karen Finney or Damien Lavera, 202-863-8148; both of the DNC WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a release from the Democratic National Committee: Just days after the American people went to the polls and demanded a new direction for America, the Bush Republicans in Washington continue to stay the course with their failed, discredited agenda. While the voters sent a clear and decisive message last Tuesday by electing strong Democratic leaders who pledged the put the interests of the American people first, media reports indicate that Florida Republican Senator Mel Martinez, a chief proponent of the GOP's failed agenda, has been selected to replace Ken Mehlman as the new Republican National Committee chairman. Whether it has been opposing increases in the minimum wage, blindly supporting the president's full-speed-ahead approach to the war in Iraq, opposing stem cell research, or rejecting efforts to help low-income families become homeowners, Senator Martinez has consistently stood with the president - and against the American people. "Last Tuesday, the American people went to the polls and rejected the failed Bush Republican agenda," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. "Instead of hearing that message, Republicans stayed the course by selecting a loyal Bush Republican to lead their party. By choosing Senator Martinez to lead their party, the GOP sent a message to the American people that they didn't hear their concerns last week. We also hope that Senator Martinez will reject the tactics of the Southern strategy that we saw being employed in last week's election." Mel Means More of the Same Martinez Opposes Increasing the Minimum Wage. In 2004, when a Florida ballot initiative proposed increasing the state minimum wage by a dollar, Martinez told business leaders, "Another dollar an hour is not going to take someone out of poverty." In a questionnaire, Martinez said, "As a strong supporter of small business and knowing that small businesses are the number one job creator, I cannot support a federally mandated increase." Martinez also said, "I agree that (increasing the minimum wage) would not create more jobs but that it would depress ... If we're going to have more employment we need to keep it where it is today." (Orlando Sentinel, 10/27/04; http://www.vgt2004.org/a-heraldtribune-public/candidate- detail.go?id=1283316; Martinez Senate Debate, Tampa, 8/27/04) Martinez Said Stem Cell Research Devalues Humanity. According to Newmax.com, Martinez said, "All of us want to see progress in curing these terrible diseases, but not at the price of devaluing our humanity. I cannot condone destroying any life for the sake of medical research." A Martinez press release said, "Martinez, who was with President Bush in Crawford when he announced his position on embryonic stem cell research, stands with President Bush on this important issue. Martinez and the NRLC (National Right to Life Committee) support stem-cell research with the exception of those few varieties that would require the ending of human life such as embryonic stem cell research." (http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=4258, 6/22/04; Martinez Release, 7/19/04) Martinez Said Troops Leaving Iraq Would Be "A Major Setback In The Global War On Terror." Mel Martinez said premature troop departure would be "a major setback in the global war on terror." Martinez said: "We can not and will not be defeated militarily. The only way we will be defeated is by our own lack of resolve..The vacuum our premature departure would leave in Iraq would be a major setback in the global war on terror." He added, "While we all wish to see the end of the struggle and our troops' safe return home, this must not be determined by an arbitrary deadline that signals retreat in defeat. The war on terror will not be easy or short. As Americans, we must be firm in our resolve to the task at hand. Our troops on the ground are making progress with steadfast determination. We must be equally determined to finish the job." (US Federal News, 6/20/06) Martinez Office Wrote Political Memo on Terri Schiavo, Which He Distributed to Senators, Touting the Political Benefits of the Situation; He Denied Having Even Seen It. In 2005, Brian Darling, a counsel to Mel Martinez, authored a memo touting the political advantages to intervening in the Terri Schiavo tragedy, which Martinez out to other Senators. The memo said, "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a cosponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats." Martinez spokeswoman Kerry Feehery said "Senator Martinez has never seen the memo and condemns its sentiments.No one in our office has seen it, nor had anything to do with its creation." (Washington Post, 4/7/05; Martinez Schiavo memo; Washington Times, 3/7/05) Martinez Left Minority and Low-Income Homebuyers Behind. Under Martinez, the percentage of federal housing loans made to minority homebuyers has fallen by 16% - from 41.7% in 2000 to 35% in 2003. Minorities are now almost twice as likely to be turned down for a loan as non-minorities, with the difference in mortgage loan denial rates between minorities and non-minorities up more than 8% between 2000 and 2002. And the homeownership rate for households with family income below the median level has fallen from 51.8% at the end of 2000 to 51.5% early this year. (U.S. Census Bureau homeownership data, 4th quarter 2000 and 1st quarter 2004, http://www.census.gov ; HUD FY 2003 Performance and Accountability Report)
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