About 150 GOP supporters are each out $250 after attending a Republican fundraiser on Thursday in Bath Township.
The guest of honor and speaker, Vice President Dick Cheney, warned guests that the safety of America is in danger because of the approaching November midterm elections.
As crumbling Republicans struggle to keep afloat, Cheney's remarks are nothing new. He's right; there is a lot at stake in the upcoming election — namely Republican control of the House.
While the money guests donated is ridiculous in the first place, it's worth even less following Cheney's 20-minute standard-issue "war on terror" speech that divulged nothing new.
Focused on the common Bush administration tactic of fear, Cheney informed supporters that "terrorists are still trying desperately to commit acts of violence." His message is standard: terror, fear, taxes, vote Republican.
And although Cheney raked in the dough — about 60-70 of the guests dished out a whopping $1,000 each for their own personal photo with Cheney — he clearly spoke to a dwindling minority that still take anything he says halfway seriously.
With empty promises about keeping America safer and a plummeting approval rating — even lower than President Bush's — it's a wonder why anybody would want Cheney to speak at their fundraiser in the first place.
That said, it's no surprise Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers was a no-show. Rogers' spokeswoman Sylvia Warner claimed his absence was due to a "crammed" schedule, but with a congressional district that includes the Democratic-leaning Lansing area, Rogers had his best political interests at heart when he decided not to associate himself with the fear-mongering vice president during this crucial campaigning season.
The fundraiser brought in more than $150,000, most of which will support U.S. House candidate Tim Walberg for Michigan's 7th District. Walberg is running against Democrat Sharon Renier.
According to a Lansing State Journal article, Cheney said during his speech, Walberg "will be a congressman who leads with common sense and solid values."
So while many Republicans chose to distance themselves from President Bush and company during midterm elections, Walberg hasn't, which not only implies he's ideologically jumped on board a sinking ship, but also that he'll support Bush's tax cuts as well as the administration's ongoing war to support the military-industrial complex.
Cheney's Michigan visit again reaffirmed the same old Republican stands, but his arguments are wearing thin, and hopefully voters will take notice on Nov. 7.
