++Sounds like a bad John Stewart skit. Or a Henry Youngman joke.
++Did Cantor's religion play a role in his defeat? Yes. Next question.
++One of the most striking things about Cantor's defeat is that the entire congressional GOP is now Christian. Take the Wayback Machine--Colin Powell was supposed to be the first African-American President, Liddy Dole, the first woman President and Eric Cantor, the first Jewish Speaker of the House.Remember Jacob Javits, Warren Rudman,and thought people like Alan Greenspan, Milton Friedman,Irving Kristol and junior. When you are claiming to be aiming at a goal of being a Big Tent party,it doesn't bode well to omit your Jewish past.
++Eric Cantor was in charge of outreach to recruit Jewish Republicans and to be the go-to guy for Jewish philanthropic organizations. He also was the one who arranged all those Spring congressional tours to Israel.
++Below the radar last night, something else happened. The GOP has been trying to recruit Southern African-Americans to run as Republicans on the grounds that they so dominate Southern politics that this gives African-Americans a rung up in their states. This was particularly true in South Carolina. Last night every African-American Republican, who took the chance at running, lost.
++Throw in the fact that Cantor lost on a single issue--immigration reform--and you are faced with the quite open reality that the 2014 GOP is running on racism--against immigrants, against African Americans through pledges to cut the welfare net and voter suppression, and of course that old stand-by the war against women.
++The question I have is in response to Nancy Pelosi, who said everything has now changed for 2014. How? And what are the Democrats going to do with it? LESSON: ORGANIZATION BEATS MONEY.
++The atmosphere has gotten as ugly as 2010 and the GOP has moved further to the right.
++We should not mourn Eric Cantor's unprecedented loss. He campaigned to block everything President Obama proposed from day one when he met to urge Wall Street not to invest while President Obama was in office. He was the architect of the Policy of No. He killed the Grand Bargain. He killed one budget deal. His voting record was as conservative as Senator Imhof from Oklahoma. He was thought to be a sell-out because he voted for the raise in the debt ceiling. That tells you where the rest of the party is at.
++This morning is all about Cantor and the struggle for power within the House, where plotters met all night when they heard Cantor has been slain.
++At least Jennifer Rubin didn't disappoint. She claims this is no big deal because "reform conservatism", which Cantor was again the go-to guy on will still live on.
++Despite the early morning spin about public opinion polls and positive views on immigration reform, I believe it is dead. What that means is that the Senate bill dies with this Congress and it is unlikely to be revisited until 2016.
Showing posts with label Immigration Reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Immigration Reform. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Friday, February 14, 2014
Discharge Petitions
++House Democrats at their winter retreat happened on a device to bring the minimum wage and immigration reform to the floor. They want to use a discharge petition, where 218 votes are needed to bring a bill to the floor. John Boehner's spokesman claims that the "scheme" will not work.
++George Will in a rare moment of sobriety writes today in the Amazon Post about why immigration reform is vital to the future of both the country and his party. Last week Charles Schumer tried a compromise where the House could vote on immigration and wait for the bill to take in effect after President Obama leaves office. In a raw vote count,the bill would pass the House now with full Democratic support, which is what happened with the debt ceiling.
++George Will made the excellent point that immigration from Mexico is now zero and that 9-11 unleashed the funds to secure the border and allow President Obama to deport an obscene about of people--2 million and counting.
++The NYTimes weighs in on ACA, saying 80% of enrollees have paid for it--the rightwing spin is that few are paying for it. ACA has surpassed its target for January, the first time that happened. The Right truly believe like in 2010 Obamacare is the ticket to ride to victory.
++It was South Dakota who wants to jail doctors for life. North Dakota allowed doctors to use hospitals.
++Kansas is passing a Gay segregation bill, which would allow anyone with "genuine religious conditions" to discriminate against gays in employment,providing services or even benefits. They should just add in African-Americans to make the law clear as to its origins.
++Missouri is backing a bill against teaching evolution. Next they will make it illegal to teach any history after the 19th Century.
++Acela Joe Biden happened to speak the truth today at the Democratic conference that the GOP doesn't exist and that by wide margins the American people back the Democratic Party on the issues from raising the minimum wage to gun checks. He urged the Democrats to remain united for 2014.
++George Will in a rare moment of sobriety writes today in the Amazon Post about why immigration reform is vital to the future of both the country and his party. Last week Charles Schumer tried a compromise where the House could vote on immigration and wait for the bill to take in effect after President Obama leaves office. In a raw vote count,the bill would pass the House now with full Democratic support, which is what happened with the debt ceiling.
++George Will made the excellent point that immigration from Mexico is now zero and that 9-11 unleashed the funds to secure the border and allow President Obama to deport an obscene about of people--2 million and counting.
++The NYTimes weighs in on ACA, saying 80% of enrollees have paid for it--the rightwing spin is that few are paying for it. ACA has surpassed its target for January, the first time that happened. The Right truly believe like in 2010 Obamacare is the ticket to ride to victory.
++It was South Dakota who wants to jail doctors for life. North Dakota allowed doctors to use hospitals.
++Kansas is passing a Gay segregation bill, which would allow anyone with "genuine religious conditions" to discriminate against gays in employment,providing services or even benefits. They should just add in African-Americans to make the law clear as to its origins.
++Missouri is backing a bill against teaching evolution. Next they will make it illegal to teach any history after the 19th Century.
++Acela Joe Biden happened to speak the truth today at the Democratic conference that the GOP doesn't exist and that by wide margins the American people back the Democratic Party on the issues from raising the minimum wage to gun checks. He urged the Democrats to remain united for 2014.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
"Paranoia is Having All The Facts"--Bill Burroughs
++Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Bill Burroughs' birth. For the event we have the publication of the definitive biography Call Me Burroughs--A Life, by Barry Miles. Miles, who has written about Burroughs several times before, has done a magnificent job in researching the wild times of Bill Burroughs and his effect on the so-called Beat Generation and later the punk movement. It is a good, but long read, weighing in at 700 pages. But it is worth it.
++It is an appropriate book for the political times we live in. I'm sure you read that the deficit has shrunk larger than anticipated and will shrink even further next year. The American people actually believe Obama has enlarged the deficit.
++The OMB report on Obamacare managed to receive very warped news coverage that claimed it would cost 2 million jobs. E.G. Dionne's column in the Amazon Post this morning showed how this was willful ignorance on the part of the media and the GOP to hide the fact that premiums weren't going up the way critics projected, but more importantly that an unintended consequence of the law was that Americans are freer to retire earlier,embark on their own careers and retreat from the job market if they want to stay home and have kids because they aren't tied to health insurance. The OMB director appeared yesterday at a House hearing to assert that Obamacare will add jobs. The whole idea is that the demand for labor will actually increase wages. Don't expect anyone to figure this out anytime soon.
++In the early days of this blog, I opined that we may have moved beyond the point where we could adopt sophisticated policies to deal with our most crushing issues. Even the GOP disinformation on health care runs against what would seem to be the interest of their core financial base--the corporations. The health insurance industry, which spent almost a billion dollars against Obamacare has now realized they have a larger market and will profit from it. The Koch Brothers will not because they have to pay an additional 3.6% on their capital gains and during the Obama Administration they have made billions in capital gains. They just want to keep all of it.
++Marco Rubio wanted to eliminate the "risk corridors" for the health insurance industry arguing it was a "bailout" to the industry. Which is a strange position for Republicans, who always want industry bailed out. He testified before Darryl Issa's committee yesterday but Elijah Cummings was not allowed question him. His question was going to be why Rubio was against the extension of Medicaid in Florida.
++Rubio's plan for linking the "risk corridors" to the debt ceiling came undone when the CBO's study showed that in fact the health industry would be paying $8 billion into the government's coffers.
++The House's plan to seek ransom on the debt ceiling has gone bizarre. "Risk Corridors" are out and the next Keystone Pipeline approval looks like a loser. So John Boehner proposes restoring benefit cuts to veterans in the future as a plan. In other words,increase debt to raise the debt ceiling.
++Now the Senate GOP wants to force Harry Reid to have a vote on the new Iran Sanctions. I really can not understand this insanity. It's one thing to try and sabotage the Obama presidency by obstructing. There is another to sabotage the United States by setting in motion events that will lead to war.
++Let me clear as someone who has been opposed to Iran my entire adult life, additional sanctions will trigger the defection of France,Russia and China from the sanction regime. John Kerry already warned France that sending a group of French businessmen to Iran was counter-productive. Any vote on additional sanctions will trigger a stampede and an end to the possibility of a negotiated settlement. So what do you propose? That America is exceptional and can go it alone in attacking Iran. We saw how that came out in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, even the GOP base views Iraq and Afghanistan as not worth the risk. Is it three times the charm with Iran?
++Remember in the first term when President Obama negotiated the arms reduction treaty with Russia? The treaty logically continued the nuclear reduction treaty signed by Ronald Reagan and had the support of Dick Lugar and Sam Nunn. The GOP fought ratification of the treaty tooth and nail. What does this all say about the GOP?
++Meanwhile in the land of Bibi ,rabbis have promised that John Kerry will face the wrath of God if he won't allow the Israelis to pave over Palestine and erect Levittown settlements.
++The GOP has rejected any immigration reform until 2015 because they believe they will win the Senate and the bill will be different. Of course, they could pass it in a minute by abandoning the Hastert rule. The new excuse is that they don't trust Barack Obama to enforce any law. I guess 2 million deportations doesn't convince them.
++We are going into the Interzone, which only Bill Burroughs would appreciate.
++It is an appropriate book for the political times we live in. I'm sure you read that the deficit has shrunk larger than anticipated and will shrink even further next year. The American people actually believe Obama has enlarged the deficit.
++The OMB report on Obamacare managed to receive very warped news coverage that claimed it would cost 2 million jobs. E.G. Dionne's column in the Amazon Post this morning showed how this was willful ignorance on the part of the media and the GOP to hide the fact that premiums weren't going up the way critics projected, but more importantly that an unintended consequence of the law was that Americans are freer to retire earlier,embark on their own careers and retreat from the job market if they want to stay home and have kids because they aren't tied to health insurance. The OMB director appeared yesterday at a House hearing to assert that Obamacare will add jobs. The whole idea is that the demand for labor will actually increase wages. Don't expect anyone to figure this out anytime soon.
++In the early days of this blog, I opined that we may have moved beyond the point where we could adopt sophisticated policies to deal with our most crushing issues. Even the GOP disinformation on health care runs against what would seem to be the interest of their core financial base--the corporations. The health insurance industry, which spent almost a billion dollars against Obamacare has now realized they have a larger market and will profit from it. The Koch Brothers will not because they have to pay an additional 3.6% on their capital gains and during the Obama Administration they have made billions in capital gains. They just want to keep all of it.
++Marco Rubio wanted to eliminate the "risk corridors" for the health insurance industry arguing it was a "bailout" to the industry. Which is a strange position for Republicans, who always want industry bailed out. He testified before Darryl Issa's committee yesterday but Elijah Cummings was not allowed question him. His question was going to be why Rubio was against the extension of Medicaid in Florida.
++Rubio's plan for linking the "risk corridors" to the debt ceiling came undone when the CBO's study showed that in fact the health industry would be paying $8 billion into the government's coffers.
++The House's plan to seek ransom on the debt ceiling has gone bizarre. "Risk Corridors" are out and the next Keystone Pipeline approval looks like a loser. So John Boehner proposes restoring benefit cuts to veterans in the future as a plan. In other words,increase debt to raise the debt ceiling.
++Now the Senate GOP wants to force Harry Reid to have a vote on the new Iran Sanctions. I really can not understand this insanity. It's one thing to try and sabotage the Obama presidency by obstructing. There is another to sabotage the United States by setting in motion events that will lead to war.
++Let me clear as someone who has been opposed to Iran my entire adult life, additional sanctions will trigger the defection of France,Russia and China from the sanction regime. John Kerry already warned France that sending a group of French businessmen to Iran was counter-productive. Any vote on additional sanctions will trigger a stampede and an end to the possibility of a negotiated settlement. So what do you propose? That America is exceptional and can go it alone in attacking Iran. We saw how that came out in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, even the GOP base views Iraq and Afghanistan as not worth the risk. Is it three times the charm with Iran?
++Remember in the first term when President Obama negotiated the arms reduction treaty with Russia? The treaty logically continued the nuclear reduction treaty signed by Ronald Reagan and had the support of Dick Lugar and Sam Nunn. The GOP fought ratification of the treaty tooth and nail. What does this all say about the GOP?
++Meanwhile in the land of Bibi ,rabbis have promised that John Kerry will face the wrath of God if he won't allow the Israelis to pave over Palestine and erect Levittown settlements.
++The GOP has rejected any immigration reform until 2015 because they believe they will win the Senate and the bill will be different. Of course, they could pass it in a minute by abandoning the Hastert rule. The new excuse is that they don't trust Barack Obama to enforce any law. I guess 2 million deportations doesn't convince them.
++We are going into the Interzone, which only Bill Burroughs would appreciate.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
The Sixth Year of Stoogeland
++We've been on a roller-coaster ride for the past 5 years and this one looks pretty much the same. The political aspects of this year will be extremely ugly. The attack ads are already up courtesy of the Koch Brothers. Forgive me for not making any predictions. 2010 taught me a lesson. Never underestimate citizens voting against their own self-interest. But pay attention to the state races and the Senate. That's where the fun will be.
++It will be an awful year for the environment. China has declared 5 million acres of farmland off limits because of pollution. The tarsands area of Canada are ringed by mercury. A vast island of garbage floated north of Hawaii. Salon reports that climate change is worse than previously thought. Only radical change can avert the dire consequences of climate change but we don't do radical.
++The economy looks like it may get off life support this year unless Congress decides to destroy it again.
++The Institute for Supply Management reports that December saw manufacturing grow and hiring at its highest level since 2010.
++Wall Street finished the year with the greatest growth since 1997.
++The Democrats claim they have a way to fast track the restoration of unemployment benefits. We'll see.
++The AP yesterday had a story about the new fight over the Arctic and how the United States is lagging behind. I am ambivalent over this development since my prior rant on New Year's Eve. The Arctic region has the most available oil and natural gas reserves left in the world. But in light on climate change is exploitation really the way to go.
++The United States experienced the largest one-year jump of oil production on level. We now produce 7.5 million barrels a day, a 1 million a day increase since last year. By 2016,we will be at 9.5 million a day.
++Yes, some people will lose their healthcare this year. The number seems to be around 10,000, not the 5 million the Republicans claim. Or maybe they are positioning themselves to claim the 5 million left off insurance in red states are Obama's fault.
++I wouldn't make much of Sotomayor's stay of the contraceptive mandate for the ACA. She was rulling on a small clause about religiously run non-profits.
++The New York Times is all pleased that Tan Man Boehner wants to pass immigration reform. That's what he said last year. I see it's only chance being late this year after the elections in a lame duck session.
++How bad is it for Obama? His approval rate went up 5 points since Obamacare started announcing its December numbers. But we haven't been exposed to the FOX hate machine the last few days. So who knows?
++Interesting, the Obama Administration has slashed democracy funding by several hundred million for the Middle East. The rationale is that they are only focusing on American national interests in the area.
++Ariel Sharon is close to death after being in a vegetative coma since 2006.
++Israel said it would hold up any announcement on settlements until after John Kerry leaves.
++It will be an awful year for the environment. China has declared 5 million acres of farmland off limits because of pollution. The tarsands area of Canada are ringed by mercury. A vast island of garbage floated north of Hawaii. Salon reports that climate change is worse than previously thought. Only radical change can avert the dire consequences of climate change but we don't do radical.
++The economy looks like it may get off life support this year unless Congress decides to destroy it again.
++The Institute for Supply Management reports that December saw manufacturing grow and hiring at its highest level since 2010.
++Wall Street finished the year with the greatest growth since 1997.
++The Democrats claim they have a way to fast track the restoration of unemployment benefits. We'll see.
++The AP yesterday had a story about the new fight over the Arctic and how the United States is lagging behind. I am ambivalent over this development since my prior rant on New Year's Eve. The Arctic region has the most available oil and natural gas reserves left in the world. But in light on climate change is exploitation really the way to go.
++The United States experienced the largest one-year jump of oil production on level. We now produce 7.5 million barrels a day, a 1 million a day increase since last year. By 2016,we will be at 9.5 million a day.
++Yes, some people will lose their healthcare this year. The number seems to be around 10,000, not the 5 million the Republicans claim. Or maybe they are positioning themselves to claim the 5 million left off insurance in red states are Obama's fault.
++I wouldn't make much of Sotomayor's stay of the contraceptive mandate for the ACA. She was rulling on a small clause about religiously run non-profits.
++The New York Times is all pleased that Tan Man Boehner wants to pass immigration reform. That's what he said last year. I see it's only chance being late this year after the elections in a lame duck session.
++How bad is it for Obama? His approval rate went up 5 points since Obamacare started announcing its December numbers. But we haven't been exposed to the FOX hate machine the last few days. So who knows?
++Interesting, the Obama Administration has slashed democracy funding by several hundred million for the Middle East. The rationale is that they are only focusing on American national interests in the area.
++Ariel Sharon is close to death after being in a vegetative coma since 2006.
++Israel said it would hold up any announcement on settlements until after John Kerry leaves.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
What Is It You Are For?
++As the ACA ramps up and people start enrolling,the GOP venom has just gotten more potent. As the Iran Deal continues on,the GOP screams "appeasement" but will not offer any alternative. With 7 days left in Congress this year, Tan Man Boehner actually says that the GOP will offer an alternative to Obamacare. Yeah, right.
++Rachel Maddow has an instructive segment last night where she compared Harry Truman's "Do Nothing" Congress with today's Congress. Then they passed 395 laws--Now this Congress is at 55.
++Jay Carney said that there had been 375,000 visitors to the Healthcare website by noon yesterday. By the Lawrence O'Donnell show it was 750,000. But by midnight it was up to 1 million.
++Dana Milbank basically said the GOP should throw in the towel since the website is working and Obamacare is here to stay.
++Bob Cesca in the Daily Blather called out Ron Fournier, the AP Washington Bureau Chief for saying that Obamacare was Obama's Iraq and Katrina both.
++The New York Times this morning printed an article that said the cost of ACA was well below expectations. In short, the ACA will save $220 billion.
++Talking Points Memo says that an additional 1.5 million Americans have signed up for Medicaid since October.
++This has not stopped the GOP. Darryl Issa is trying to say that Obama lied all along about the website and keeping your plan if you wanted. He has demanded from the insurance companies all their correspondence with the White House to prove this point.
++John Cornyn of Texas says that "Obama has taken lying to a whole new level." He was referring to Obamacare and not to W's statements on WMDs in Iraq or how waterboarding was not torture.
++You would think the GOP would step back from the brink. But no, the Mississippi Governor ordered the state website for health insurance shut down, which has led to only one provider agreeing to cover people in the state. The California GOP has started a fake healthcare website to discourage California citizens from registering on CoveredCa. Anti-ACA groups, primarily conservative Republicans have spent $9.4 million against the ACA in the deep South. The Post printed the article with an interactive map to chart where the money has been spent.
++The House GOP claims that de-funding Obamacare will not be the cause for any government shutdown. Instead,they are demanding that the Pentagon sequester cuts be rescinded for cuts in Social Security.
++Andrew Sullivan yesterday in the Dish captured the mood of the GOP and conservatives when he blasted Erick Erickson of Red State for his blog post, which said that millions would lose their insurance and that conservatives should do nothing to help fix the law but let the public see government fail and then repal it. Sullivan rightfully noted the nihilistic extremism in this statement. Further along he quoted Norm Ornstein, the usually moderate Republican at AEI, saying the conservatives are eating themselves. As evidence of this was a TPM piece yesterday about the rise of Obamacare McCarthyism, which attacks Republicans who might like elements of the healthcare law or who want to improve it.
++Jonathan Capehart last night penned," The GOP might as well be Dead". Capehart notes that after the 2012 elections, the RNC conducted an autopsy on the Party and autopsy is conducted on someone who is dead. Capehart notes that the GOP is dead to African-Americans. He notes the weird tweet on the RNC hailing Rosa Parks in her struggle that ended racism, a remark that set up howls of laughter and outrage. He notes the campaigns for voter suppression and the daily campaign of insults to the first African-American President. He highlighted the fact that during the government shutdown high-ranking Republican elected leaders and officials picketed the White House with Confederate flags waving. Capehart says the GOP is dead to Latinos also. While the Senate passed immigration reform,House Republicans have pronounced immigration reform dead. He notes that the GOP point to Chris Christie winning re-election with 51% of the Hispanic vote. But he also notes that at the time Christie backed the Dream Act. Now that he is running for President he has changed his position.
++House Republicans now claim they will get around to immigration reform late next year. So,what exactly does the GOP believe? They are willfully sabotaging the ACA. Andrew Sullivan now calls the GOP a "cult" driven by an anti-government agenda. A National Journal poll out today says the last two priorities the American people have today are the deficit and Obamacare. The debate is over.
++Rachel Maddow has an instructive segment last night where she compared Harry Truman's "Do Nothing" Congress with today's Congress. Then they passed 395 laws--Now this Congress is at 55.
++Jay Carney said that there had been 375,000 visitors to the Healthcare website by noon yesterday. By the Lawrence O'Donnell show it was 750,000. But by midnight it was up to 1 million.
++Dana Milbank basically said the GOP should throw in the towel since the website is working and Obamacare is here to stay.
++Bob Cesca in the Daily Blather called out Ron Fournier, the AP Washington Bureau Chief for saying that Obamacare was Obama's Iraq and Katrina both.
++The New York Times this morning printed an article that said the cost of ACA was well below expectations. In short, the ACA will save $220 billion.
++Talking Points Memo says that an additional 1.5 million Americans have signed up for Medicaid since October.
++This has not stopped the GOP. Darryl Issa is trying to say that Obama lied all along about the website and keeping your plan if you wanted. He has demanded from the insurance companies all their correspondence with the White House to prove this point.
++John Cornyn of Texas says that "Obama has taken lying to a whole new level." He was referring to Obamacare and not to W's statements on WMDs in Iraq or how waterboarding was not torture.
++You would think the GOP would step back from the brink. But no, the Mississippi Governor ordered the state website for health insurance shut down, which has led to only one provider agreeing to cover people in the state. The California GOP has started a fake healthcare website to discourage California citizens from registering on CoveredCa. Anti-ACA groups, primarily conservative Republicans have spent $9.4 million against the ACA in the deep South. The Post printed the article with an interactive map to chart where the money has been spent.
++The House GOP claims that de-funding Obamacare will not be the cause for any government shutdown. Instead,they are demanding that the Pentagon sequester cuts be rescinded for cuts in Social Security.
++Andrew Sullivan yesterday in the Dish captured the mood of the GOP and conservatives when he blasted Erick Erickson of Red State for his blog post, which said that millions would lose their insurance and that conservatives should do nothing to help fix the law but let the public see government fail and then repal it. Sullivan rightfully noted the nihilistic extremism in this statement. Further along he quoted Norm Ornstein, the usually moderate Republican at AEI, saying the conservatives are eating themselves. As evidence of this was a TPM piece yesterday about the rise of Obamacare McCarthyism, which attacks Republicans who might like elements of the healthcare law or who want to improve it.
++Jonathan Capehart last night penned," The GOP might as well be Dead". Capehart notes that after the 2012 elections, the RNC conducted an autopsy on the Party and autopsy is conducted on someone who is dead. Capehart notes that the GOP is dead to African-Americans. He notes the weird tweet on the RNC hailing Rosa Parks in her struggle that ended racism, a remark that set up howls of laughter and outrage. He notes the campaigns for voter suppression and the daily campaign of insults to the first African-American President. He highlighted the fact that during the government shutdown high-ranking Republican elected leaders and officials picketed the White House with Confederate flags waving. Capehart says the GOP is dead to Latinos also. While the Senate passed immigration reform,House Republicans have pronounced immigration reform dead. He notes that the GOP point to Chris Christie winning re-election with 51% of the Hispanic vote. But he also notes that at the time Christie backed the Dream Act. Now that he is running for President he has changed his position.
++House Republicans now claim they will get around to immigration reform late next year. So,what exactly does the GOP believe? They are willfully sabotaging the ACA. Andrew Sullivan now calls the GOP a "cult" driven by an anti-government agenda. A National Journal poll out today says the last two priorities the American people have today are the deficit and Obamacare. The debate is over.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
The Wild Week
++The race for Virginia's Attorney-General is virtually tied and 3,000 provisional ballots from a Democratic stronghold are mysteriously missing or not counted. The Cooch and the GOP election officials last night changed the rules after the election occurred. Even still the Democratic Herrin has moved ahead. There will be a re-count.
++The Cooch isn't done yet. Teabaggers want him to run against Mark Warner for Senate in 2014.
++Congratulations to Rachel Maddow for announcing the major elections story this past week. Robert "Heshy" Bucholz made history in his election in Philadelphia as a judge. He is the first Whig to have won an election in Pennsylvania in 160 years. Alsp, congratulations to Rachel Maddow for discovering that Terry McAuliffe's election was the first where an incumbent party vacates the governor's mansion in Virginia after only one term since tha days of the Re-Adjuster party held office for a single term in the 19th Century.
++The story that was missing in Virginia before the election was broken by Larry Sabato two days later. The Cooch has planned to overthrow Governor McDonnell using an obscure clause of the Virginia constitution where cabinet members could remove a sitting governor on the grounds he could not function. It has never been used.
++Terry McAuliffe's two executive actions when he takes office is to reverse Bob McDonnell's prohibition against gays in public service and to limit the gifts government officials receive.
++The Teabaggers and the GOPseem to agree that there number one issue going into 2014 is running against Obamacare. Celinda Lake , a Democratic pollster, indicated that in Virginia the repeal Obamacare polled the same 24% for two years. Gallup now puts Obamacare at 47% apprpoval rating,above the President's approval rating and twice that of the GOP.
++Not since Steve Benen defected from Washington Monthly to the Rachel Maddow show have I been as bummed out as today's anouncement that Jason Linkins who has been live-blogging Sunday Talk Show for the last 6 years will be wrapping up this activity by the end of December. This is a bitter blow to those of us who depend on his good humor and biting sarcasm covering famous white dead men.
++In the profiles of courage department, it took ENDA forty years to pass the Senate. Of the thirty-some GOP Senators who voted against, only one actually took the floor to argue against it. Of course, ENDA will not see the light of day in the House until Democrats win back the chamber.
++With the House calendar rapidly shrinking to less than 13 days left in this year,Congressman McCarthy, the GOP Whip who can't count votes, announced on Friday that the GOP in their outreach effort would not--repeat--would not bring up immigration reform this year. But maybe he claimed next. Unbelieveable. The Senate already passed such a bill and the GOP knows they have to do something not ton further PO the Hispanics, and the Asians. This means the GOP has agreed that the "Dream Kids" should be deported.
++The State of Hawaii has approved same sex marriage and the bill goes to the Governor, who says he will sign.
++President Obama told the Cuban-American National Foundation in Miami that U.S. Policy doesn't make sense. He pointed to the fact that the American policy has been basically the same since he was born. He argued that change inside Cuba will come from the civil society and that the United States must act in sophisticated ways to foster this change.
++With all the fuss about Obamcare and the parade of people who claim their health insurance was cancelled,it's very important to note that Kathleen Sebelius announced in Georgia that "mental illness and substance abuse" will be treated with parity under ACA and health insurance policies from here on out. This is a consequence of the 2008 law sponsored by Senators Wellstone and Domeinici. It is Item #22 of President Obama's executive orders on gun control issues.
++The President did a swing through Texas, Louisiana and Florida to tout the ACA and talked to the states about Medicaid expansion, which all three Republican governors refuse to accept. The GOP sabotage of the ACA can be summed up with the number 5 million Americans denied Medicaid coverage by GOP governors. Makes the website problems look small in context.
++The new right-wing theme on ACA is that wealthy people are having their health insurance cancelled and FOX is broadcasting such people as Johnny Bench. Of course, none are losing their ability to get health insurance.
++American healthcare costs have been less than half the average increases of the last 40 years. Thanks to the ACA.
++3 California geeks have created an alternative website Healthcare Sherpa,com . You can enter your zipcode and see all the health insurance plans available through the government website. Obamacare signup has recalibrated its numbers for the ACA signup by dividing the number for exchanges and the number for Medicaid. Total they have about 1 million.
++I know this is inconvenient. The economy added 204,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate ticked up to 7.3%. The jobs number would have been higher except the public sector lost jobs. President Obama is only at 37% approval on the economy.
++The talks on the Iranian nuclear program lasted three days but broke down after France insisted that Tehran close their Arak plutonium enrichment project. Talks will resume on November 20. Israel is vowing to lobby Congress to prevent any negotiated deal.
++Meanwhile the BBC had a story that the Saudis have purchased nuclear weapons from Pakistan and the package is being held in Pakistan until the right time.
++The United States lost its vote at UNESCO because it had been withholding its back dues because UNESCO deals with the Palestinians.
++The machinery for the Syrian chemical weapons has been destroyed but now the international community must engage the Assad regime about how to dispose of the weapons themselves.
++PPP has a new poll out saying that Hillary Clinton is the most formidable front-runner for President since they started polling. 67% of Democrats favor her, which is up from 61% in 2012. Her approval rating Democrats is 90%. They argue that the "invisible" primary, that of Democratic officials puts her ahead,better than her 2008 campaign.
++Democrats should note that the race for Virginia governor showed that in an off-year election,Democrats can win with a mini-Obama coalition. Single women,African-Americans and younger voters did come out. That's something to remember in 2014.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The Most Powerful Woman in American History Will Be?
++Not Hillary Clinton and not Elizabeth Warren. Drumroll. Tomorrow, President Obama will nominate Janet Yellin as the Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve. Feathers in both their caps. Before the shutdown fight, Yellin had support from both sides of the aisle and would have been seen as shoe-in. Given the distemper of the GOP, it's unclear whether they will bring the nasty to the table. She had significant support among the GOP before the nomination on the strength that she was not Larry Summers. Since the United States is teetering on default, she will face perhaps the greatest challenge since Bernacke dealt with the global economic collapse. But, congratulations,she really deserved it. She has been a terrific member of the Fed and has expressed her concern about one of the pillars of that institution's mission--the creation of jobs. On the strength of her new position and the power it wields,she will be the most powerful woman in American history.
++We left the Capital tonight with the House GOP still grousing and then voting to create a commission--now to negotiate raising the debt ceiling. Why don't they just establish a Central Committee and deliberate endlessly on ideology?
++The White House issued a call to the House to stop screwing around and pass an immigration act since the Senate passed one two months ago. Today, thousands gathered at the National Mall to rally for immigration reform. Unlike the tea baggers who charged the war monuments without reaction, six Democratic congressmen were arrested, including legendary civil rights leader John Lewis.
++Andrew Sullivan reflects my frustration tonight in his post expressing disgust with the diametrically opposed belief systems of the Democrats and the Republicans or better the clash between reality-base arguments and the fantasy world of the Republicans. He jokes that the GOP are acting as Saul Alinsky, while Obama is the true conservative. An unnecessary insult to Alinsky. But I share his sentiments about the level of the discussion or lack thereof in Washington.
++Boehner is quite cracked. In the morning, he cheers his caucus on saying they must put some points on the board after all this. By late afternoon, after President Obama put him down, he tells his team the Democrats are trying to annihilate us.
++Just a reminder, there really are enough votes in Congress to pass a clean CR, and also enough votes to pass a clean debt ceiling.
++I've read at least two posts today that suggest President Obama will do something to direct the Treasury to issue treasury bonds to cover the government's debt, if Congress doesn't act. Josh Marshall's well-reasoned piece before President Obama's press conference argues why he won't. But Sean Wilentz's op-ed in the Times makes a compelling case why he should. We know that Prof. Tribe, Obama's former professor in constitutional law argues strongly against his actions but Dr. Posner at the University of Chicago is just as articulate why he must. Here, we are entering a zone where the Constitution is unclear. The pro-argument says that President Obama should declare an economic state of emergency since an artificial default would trigger a catastrophe or be similar to a nuclear explosion,according to Warren Buffett, and would require the President to step in to save the day. Right now, that seems to be the issue dwarfing the shutdown and the GOP is actually hardening their positions in a stance resembling a "coup".
++We left the Capital tonight with the House GOP still grousing and then voting to create a commission--now to negotiate raising the debt ceiling. Why don't they just establish a Central Committee and deliberate endlessly on ideology?
++The White House issued a call to the House to stop screwing around and pass an immigration act since the Senate passed one two months ago. Today, thousands gathered at the National Mall to rally for immigration reform. Unlike the tea baggers who charged the war monuments without reaction, six Democratic congressmen were arrested, including legendary civil rights leader John Lewis.
++Andrew Sullivan reflects my frustration tonight in his post expressing disgust with the diametrically opposed belief systems of the Democrats and the Republicans or better the clash between reality-base arguments and the fantasy world of the Republicans. He jokes that the GOP are acting as Saul Alinsky, while Obama is the true conservative. An unnecessary insult to Alinsky. But I share his sentiments about the level of the discussion or lack thereof in Washington.
++Boehner is quite cracked. In the morning, he cheers his caucus on saying they must put some points on the board after all this. By late afternoon, after President Obama put him down, he tells his team the Democrats are trying to annihilate us.
++Just a reminder, there really are enough votes in Congress to pass a clean CR, and also enough votes to pass a clean debt ceiling.
++I've read at least two posts today that suggest President Obama will do something to direct the Treasury to issue treasury bonds to cover the government's debt, if Congress doesn't act. Josh Marshall's well-reasoned piece before President Obama's press conference argues why he won't. But Sean Wilentz's op-ed in the Times makes a compelling case why he should. We know that Prof. Tribe, Obama's former professor in constitutional law argues strongly against his actions but Dr. Posner at the University of Chicago is just as articulate why he must. Here, we are entering a zone where the Constitution is unclear. The pro-argument says that President Obama should declare an economic state of emergency since an artificial default would trigger a catastrophe or be similar to a nuclear explosion,according to Warren Buffett, and would require the President to step in to save the day. Right now, that seems to be the issue dwarfing the shutdown and the GOP is actually hardening their positions in a stance resembling a "coup".
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
The Beat Goes On
++The Senate voted 100-0 for cloture so they can debate the House bill. This was after Senator Cruz said such vote was for funding Obamacare. Naturally, he voted along with his colleagues. There is still a far way to go before we are near anything like funding the government for a whopping two months.
++John McCain resented Cruz' analogy of not defunding Obamacare to those who appeased Adolf Hitler.
++The new debt ceiling deadline is October 17. Over 170 House Democrats wrote a letter to President Obama demanding a stand alone vote. After the budget agreement, I would like Obama to raise the debt ceiling by himself and let the courts decide.
++Immigration reform is not dead yet. Rep. Goodlatte from Virginia says he will bring a bill to the House floor this year but without a path to citizenship, even though 11 million undocumented workers could get green cards. Some immigration reform advocates are gaming this idea out to see whether in fact such undocumented workers could then get citizenship. The House is committed not to go into conference with the Senate on their immigration bill. Stay tuned.
++The vitriolic anti-Obamacare e-mails have tapered off today because the news about premiums being offered by the exchanges have stalled the momentum until someone can figure out a new hook. That is why the House going after the individual mandate is crucial for tea baggers so as to inflate the premiums. As it is ,since the Affordable Healthcare Act passed,premiums have only increased at a rate below the inflation--for the first time in 50 years. Kaiser reports that businesses will now save billions on COBRA. Conservatives made much of the delay in the employer mandate, saying it signified the administration's admission of failure. But, the delay only affects 500,000.
++Repeat after me--Social Security has nothing to do with either the deficit or the national debt. You will hear it often until the 2014 elections.
++Also,The SNAP or foodstamp program gives back $1.79 for every $1 in foodstamps. The average period of being on foodstamps is one year. And,despite cries by the Right to make everyone work who receives foodstamps, the vast majority--over 70%--already do.
++Going into the 2014 mid-terms, the GOP appears in disarray without any policy initiatives.
++John McCain resented Cruz' analogy of not defunding Obamacare to those who appeased Adolf Hitler.
++The new debt ceiling deadline is October 17. Over 170 House Democrats wrote a letter to President Obama demanding a stand alone vote. After the budget agreement, I would like Obama to raise the debt ceiling by himself and let the courts decide.
++Immigration reform is not dead yet. Rep. Goodlatte from Virginia says he will bring a bill to the House floor this year but without a path to citizenship, even though 11 million undocumented workers could get green cards. Some immigration reform advocates are gaming this idea out to see whether in fact such undocumented workers could then get citizenship. The House is committed not to go into conference with the Senate on their immigration bill. Stay tuned.
++The vitriolic anti-Obamacare e-mails have tapered off today because the news about premiums being offered by the exchanges have stalled the momentum until someone can figure out a new hook. That is why the House going after the individual mandate is crucial for tea baggers so as to inflate the premiums. As it is ,since the Affordable Healthcare Act passed,premiums have only increased at a rate below the inflation--for the first time in 50 years. Kaiser reports that businesses will now save billions on COBRA. Conservatives made much of the delay in the employer mandate, saying it signified the administration's admission of failure. But, the delay only affects 500,000.
++Repeat after me--Social Security has nothing to do with either the deficit or the national debt. You will hear it often until the 2014 elections.
++Also,The SNAP or foodstamp program gives back $1.79 for every $1 in foodstamps. The average period of being on foodstamps is one year. And,despite cries by the Right to make everyone work who receives foodstamps, the vast majority--over 70%--already do.
++Going into the 2014 mid-terms, the GOP appears in disarray without any policy initiatives.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Tick-Tock The Congressional Clock Winds Down
++Those eagerly awaiting a Syria vote from the House,forget about it. Yesterday they said they might get around to it in two weeks. Well, there are only 8 days left before another recess.
++The House agenda is packed with things that may never see the light of day. Since tomorrow is Benghazi Day for the Right, over 170 House members are co-sponsoring a bill to create a special investigative subcommittee on the issue. Reading the New York Times this morning, it seems the administration has run into difficulties getting Libya to arrest those in the sealed indictment of the DOJ. However, the Pentagon is preparing drone strikes. What happens to the vaunted committee when the culprits are captured or destroyed?
++Eric Cantor is trying to dance about on the debt ceiling issue. He says that by continuing the sequester the Obama Administration will have cut all the discretionary spending increases since 2008 so no problemo. He is arguing to his Caucus that there is little wiggle room for demanding more cuts.
++Tan Man Boehner, whose staff announced he was retiring in 2014, says he will get Democrats to vote on defunding Obamacare or delay its implementation for a stopgap budget. The measure would be stripped from the budget by the reconciliation process with the Senate. But Boehner wants to boast he got Democrats to vote against Obamacare.
++The GOP's Farm bill hasn't materialize yet. Remember the Senate passed one last year and the GOP had to withdraw theirs.
++Eric Cantor said he didn't know whether the House would even get around to submitting their piecemeal immigration reform. If Boehner had lifted the Hastert rule, we would have immigration reform now and the Senate version would pass.
++The Administration took the war against Obamicare "navigators" seriously, so instead of the non-profits having to fill out the lengthy forms and answering insane questions, HHS has done this for them with a sharp accompanying letter to cease interfering with the "navigators" lawful work.
++So debt ceiling raised--perhaps with a promise that Senate begin work on tax reform. A temporary budget--with or without some meaningless Obamacare repeal or delay. The Farm Bill--who knows. Immigration Reform--probably not. And I doubt Syria will come to a vote.
++Events yesterday caused Harry Reid to postpone the Syria vote until after President Obama addresses the nation. The Senate vote has gotten trickier because some of the "no's" may go "yes" on the idea that this would put more pressure on Syria to surrender their chemical weapons.
++The House agenda is packed with things that may never see the light of day. Since tomorrow is Benghazi Day for the Right, over 170 House members are co-sponsoring a bill to create a special investigative subcommittee on the issue. Reading the New York Times this morning, it seems the administration has run into difficulties getting Libya to arrest those in the sealed indictment of the DOJ. However, the Pentagon is preparing drone strikes. What happens to the vaunted committee when the culprits are captured or destroyed?
++Eric Cantor is trying to dance about on the debt ceiling issue. He says that by continuing the sequester the Obama Administration will have cut all the discretionary spending increases since 2008 so no problemo. He is arguing to his Caucus that there is little wiggle room for demanding more cuts.
++Tan Man Boehner, whose staff announced he was retiring in 2014, says he will get Democrats to vote on defunding Obamacare or delay its implementation for a stopgap budget. The measure would be stripped from the budget by the reconciliation process with the Senate. But Boehner wants to boast he got Democrats to vote against Obamacare.
++The GOP's Farm bill hasn't materialize yet. Remember the Senate passed one last year and the GOP had to withdraw theirs.
++Eric Cantor said he didn't know whether the House would even get around to submitting their piecemeal immigration reform. If Boehner had lifted the Hastert rule, we would have immigration reform now and the Senate version would pass.
++The Administration took the war against Obamicare "navigators" seriously, so instead of the non-profits having to fill out the lengthy forms and answering insane questions, HHS has done this for them with a sharp accompanying letter to cease interfering with the "navigators" lawful work.
++So debt ceiling raised--perhaps with a promise that Senate begin work on tax reform. A temporary budget--with or without some meaningless Obamacare repeal or delay. The Farm Bill--who knows. Immigration Reform--probably not. And I doubt Syria will come to a vote.
++Events yesterday caused Harry Reid to postpone the Syria vote until after President Obama addresses the nation. The Senate vote has gotten trickier because some of the "no's" may go "yes" on the idea that this would put more pressure on Syria to surrender their chemical weapons.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Cruising to Recess
++The House finally passed the student loan bill, which is heading to the President's desk. It will work for several years before rates explode again.
++Democratic representative Braley from Iowa insists the House should stay in session until a real Farm Bill is passed. The House bill excludes SNAP, the food stamp program, and would leave 50 million without nutrition.
++The Senate--for the first time in history--approved a director of the AFT. Since 2006, the post has been made a position that needed Senate confirmation. Because of the Reid deal with McConnell,Obama's nominee went through but at a small margin that threatened the whole filibuster deal.
++House Republicans defunded the non-existent ACORN for the second time. They are expected to repeal Obamacare another time before the August recess.
++Obama's seeming preference of Larry Summers for FED chair met with blowback from the Senate Democrats and House women. The Senate Democrats informed the President that Larry Summers would have a tough time getting confirmed. The preference of people like Senator Elizabeth Warren is Janet Yallin. Yallin would be the first woman in history to head the Chair. An alternative is the former head of TIAA-CREF, which would make him the first African-American.
++All nominees for the NLRB have been approved so that we now have labor law back. Until now, the failure to have a full board met there was no way to enforce any labor law or the right to unionize.
++Paul Ryan hints that immigration reform could pass the House if Boehner gets rid of the Hastert Law and vote on it piecemeal. Ironically,immigration reform is the only is which the majority of rank-and-file Republicans are in favor of. A new Pew poll of Republicans indicate that the rank-and-file want the party to move even farther Right.
++Groundswell a new rightwing group of the conservative press,congressional staffers and Clarence Thomas' wife have met with John Boehner and Darryl Issa to get them to push Benghazi. The purpose of the ground is to create talking points to counter progressives and also to counter Karl Rove, whom they think is not conservative enough.
++On immigration reform,evangelical Christians, the Chamber of Commerce and Karl Rove are pressing House Republicans to move forward.
++President Obama has offered Grand Bargain 2.0, which consists of cutting corporate tax rates in return for raising the minimum wage and building infrastructure. Both Boehner and McConnell have turned it down.
++THUD went thud. The bill for Transportation Housing and Urban Development was pulled in the House because Republicans did not want to cut the bill to fit their own Ryan budget. It was a sign that when push came to shove when filling in the numbers on their budget, they failed. The THUD bill is considered a job creator for congressional districts.
++On Obamacare, Ted Cruz bemoans the Republicans lack of guts to defund it. Mike Lee, teabag Senator from Utah, said that if you fund it, you own it.
++The big fly in the Obamacare issue is the deal that the GOP made with the Democrats. To de-rail the bill when it first cae up, the GOP dared the Democrats to make Congress have to participate in the exchanges. They normally participate in the exchange for federal employees. The Democrats agreed and now everyone is faced with paying for insurance at higher rates than the federal health plans. To counter the news that health insurance premiums are falling under Obamacare,Florida and Georgia have announced massive increases. Both states neglected to agree to the Medicaid extension or to create their own exchanges. Meanwhile, Vermont is chugging on to a one-payer system and Montana has embarked on an innovative system of clinics, which has both saved the state and patients' money.
++The American economy has grown slightly more than predicted at an anemic 1.5%. Manufacturing has expanded the fastest pace in 2 years. The Car industry reports record sales. The S&P 500 has eclipsed 1,700 for its first time in history. Jobless claims are the lowest in 5 years.
++PPP has Sarah Palin galloping to a Senate nomination in Alaska but losing to Sen.Begich by 52 to 40.
++PPP also has Alison Grimes edging Mitch McConnell 45 to 44. More Importantly, over 50% of Kentuckians believe McConnell doesn't deserve re-election.
++Democratic representative Braley from Iowa insists the House should stay in session until a real Farm Bill is passed. The House bill excludes SNAP, the food stamp program, and would leave 50 million without nutrition.
++The Senate--for the first time in history--approved a director of the AFT. Since 2006, the post has been made a position that needed Senate confirmation. Because of the Reid deal with McConnell,Obama's nominee went through but at a small margin that threatened the whole filibuster deal.
++House Republicans defunded the non-existent ACORN for the second time. They are expected to repeal Obamacare another time before the August recess.
++Obama's seeming preference of Larry Summers for FED chair met with blowback from the Senate Democrats and House women. The Senate Democrats informed the President that Larry Summers would have a tough time getting confirmed. The preference of people like Senator Elizabeth Warren is Janet Yallin. Yallin would be the first woman in history to head the Chair. An alternative is the former head of TIAA-CREF, which would make him the first African-American.
++All nominees for the NLRB have been approved so that we now have labor law back. Until now, the failure to have a full board met there was no way to enforce any labor law or the right to unionize.
++Paul Ryan hints that immigration reform could pass the House if Boehner gets rid of the Hastert Law and vote on it piecemeal. Ironically,immigration reform is the only is which the majority of rank-and-file Republicans are in favor of. A new Pew poll of Republicans indicate that the rank-and-file want the party to move even farther Right.
++Groundswell a new rightwing group of the conservative press,congressional staffers and Clarence Thomas' wife have met with John Boehner and Darryl Issa to get them to push Benghazi. The purpose of the ground is to create talking points to counter progressives and also to counter Karl Rove, whom they think is not conservative enough.
++On immigration reform,evangelical Christians, the Chamber of Commerce and Karl Rove are pressing House Republicans to move forward.
++President Obama has offered Grand Bargain 2.0, which consists of cutting corporate tax rates in return for raising the minimum wage and building infrastructure. Both Boehner and McConnell have turned it down.
++THUD went thud. The bill for Transportation Housing and Urban Development was pulled in the House because Republicans did not want to cut the bill to fit their own Ryan budget. It was a sign that when push came to shove when filling in the numbers on their budget, they failed. The THUD bill is considered a job creator for congressional districts.
++On Obamacare, Ted Cruz bemoans the Republicans lack of guts to defund it. Mike Lee, teabag Senator from Utah, said that if you fund it, you own it.
++The big fly in the Obamacare issue is the deal that the GOP made with the Democrats. To de-rail the bill when it first cae up, the GOP dared the Democrats to make Congress have to participate in the exchanges. They normally participate in the exchange for federal employees. The Democrats agreed and now everyone is faced with paying for insurance at higher rates than the federal health plans. To counter the news that health insurance premiums are falling under Obamacare,Florida and Georgia have announced massive increases. Both states neglected to agree to the Medicaid extension or to create their own exchanges. Meanwhile, Vermont is chugging on to a one-payer system and Montana has embarked on an innovative system of clinics, which has both saved the state and patients' money.
++The American economy has grown slightly more than predicted at an anemic 1.5%. Manufacturing has expanded the fastest pace in 2 years. The Car industry reports record sales. The S&P 500 has eclipsed 1,700 for its first time in history. Jobless claims are the lowest in 5 years.
++PPP has Sarah Palin galloping to a Senate nomination in Alaska but losing to Sen.Begich by 52 to 40.
++PPP also has Alison Grimes edging Mitch McConnell 45 to 44. More Importantly, over 50% of Kentuckians believe McConnell doesn't deserve re-election.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Oceans of Tomorrow
++President Obama used Carl Sandburg's term in his speech in Galesburg, Illinois to outline his economic vision for America. John Boehner said it was "an empty shell of a speech" while Rep. Issa said that no Presidential speech created a job. The Washington pundit belt slammed the President for the lack of new ideas. But E.J. Dionne said that like FDR and Reagan Obama was setting down the framework which would guide future Presidents and dominate the future. Writing in Salon, Michael Lind said it was the Speech that won the Economic Debate. Throughout the speech, the President slammed trickle-down economics and refuted the economic arguments made for the past thirty years. He called for a middle out economy to stabilize the ever-shrinking middle class.He also challenged the inequality that has been growing in American society after a generation.
++We are at that stage of summer when President Obama's approval rating droops as always. He is down to 49% and oil rigs are again burning off Louisiana. Congress' approval rating is now below cockroaches, head lice and America going Communist. The House will be leaving next week for a five week vacation and 9 days scheduled in September.
++The President isn't taking August off. He has already hit the road for economic speeches in Jacksonville and next week will hit Tennessee. Most of his points we heard last year when he was campaigning for support of his Jobs Bill. In Jacksonville, he made his pitch for infrastructure spending. Currently, the Senate is grappling with the transportation and urban housing bill and a $100 billion is hung up since the House hasn't passed a budget for the past 100 days. The President made the point that all industrialized countries are investing far greater in improving their infrastructure than we are. The Society of Civil Engineers has released its report card on the U.S. and given the country a D+ in several categories. The GOP, which once boasted of infrastructure spending, has taken their ball and left the field.
++The transportation bill in the Senate has bipartisan support but the House is seeking a cut of 50% to Community Development Block grants, an idea they once supported.
++While the President had a great week with his economic speech and his comments on the Trayvon Martin case,Eric Holder stepped up to the plate to challenge the voter restriction acts they have mushroomed since the Voting Rights Act was gutted. Holder is using the remaining articles to seek pre-clearance from Texas and other states.
++Since VRA was gutted, Florida has happily begun purging voter lists again,Pennsylvania is defending their ID law and North Carolina has passed the most restrictive voting laws in the country so much so that I was surprised they didn't just outlaw voting altogether. What this will mean is open to debate but polls in North Carolina show the people are overwhelmingly opposed to such restrictions.
++We know what the general outline of the Republican plan is with voter suppression but even Ross Douhat of the New York Times is beginning to believe that such measures will spark a backlash against the party without any great compensation for the effort.
++Nancy Pelosi made a statement that the Democrats may win back the House. Tom Coburn believes that a fight over raising the debt ceiling because of demands for defunding Obamacare will trigger the loss of the House. Personally,I didn't believe the Republicans can lose the House until 2021, after the next census. However, Republicans have placed two more members on the endangered list, bringing the number up to 20.
++But this can't be true because turnout will be lower in the mid-term,minorities will vote less and the elderly will vote overwhelming for the Republicans. Not so fast,Charlie Cook has been rummaging around on the polls about the GOP base and found that , while the Democrats have lost seniors since 2008,losing them be a whopping 59-38 in 2010,there seems to be a reverse trend now where Democrats are only 5% behind on seniors. He doesn't know why that is but maybe it is that seniors realize by now that President Obama didn't cut their Medicare benefits and that the GOP are gunning for their pensions.
++Eugene Robinson has hit the summer doldrum in a column in the Washington Post. Robinson believes nothing is going to happen with Congress on the budget or immigration reform because of gridlock or Republican tantrums and the President's approval will continue to decline because nothing is getting done.
++Rep. King ,who got the House to pass a resolution for the deportation of the DREAM KIDs, blasted them again this week as being a bunch of drug smugglers. While the House leadership had to criticize him for this,the House Republicans are between a rock and a hard place on immigration reform. If Boehner caved and let the Hastert Law go by the boards, the House would pass the Senate bill with Democratic votes. But then again, he would lose his job. Paul Ryan, trying to save the party from catastrophe, claims now that the House will vote for immigration reform in October. He promises there would be a path to citizenship. Evangelicals will be meeting this week with the Republicans to explain why the immigration system needs to be fixed.
++House Republicans have been given little educational packets for their recess to argue to their constituents they are fighting Washington. They are also holding town meetings on the Emergency in Healthcare, which I guess means you might get some. The Koch brothers are handing out Obamacare cards so that college students may burn them--of course, while their parents carry them on their health insurance. Fall is looking to be quite nasty for Congress.
++Christie's Auction house has arrived in Detroit to appraise the collection at the Detroit Art Museum. New York art collectors are horrified by the prospect of over 660,000 items being sold off because they claim it will destroy the global art market.
++The privately owned Detroit Windsor tunnel has filed for bankruptcy.
++The Detroit Emergency City Manager has floated a $400 million bond so the Red Wings will have a new arena.
++Pennsylvania under its free market governor has sunk to 46th place in job creation. The state's attorney general will not enforce the law against same sex marriage and the first five licenses were issued in a town north of Philadelphia.
++Federal judges have stopped the strict anti-abortion laws throughout the country on the basis that they are so restrictive as to prohibit access in the states.
++We are at that stage of summer when President Obama's approval rating droops as always. He is down to 49% and oil rigs are again burning off Louisiana. Congress' approval rating is now below cockroaches, head lice and America going Communist. The House will be leaving next week for a five week vacation and 9 days scheduled in September.
++The President isn't taking August off. He has already hit the road for economic speeches in Jacksonville and next week will hit Tennessee. Most of his points we heard last year when he was campaigning for support of his Jobs Bill. In Jacksonville, he made his pitch for infrastructure spending. Currently, the Senate is grappling with the transportation and urban housing bill and a $100 billion is hung up since the House hasn't passed a budget for the past 100 days. The President made the point that all industrialized countries are investing far greater in improving their infrastructure than we are. The Society of Civil Engineers has released its report card on the U.S. and given the country a D+ in several categories. The GOP, which once boasted of infrastructure spending, has taken their ball and left the field.
++The transportation bill in the Senate has bipartisan support but the House is seeking a cut of 50% to Community Development Block grants, an idea they once supported.
++While the President had a great week with his economic speech and his comments on the Trayvon Martin case,Eric Holder stepped up to the plate to challenge the voter restriction acts they have mushroomed since the Voting Rights Act was gutted. Holder is using the remaining articles to seek pre-clearance from Texas and other states.
++Since VRA was gutted, Florida has happily begun purging voter lists again,Pennsylvania is defending their ID law and North Carolina has passed the most restrictive voting laws in the country so much so that I was surprised they didn't just outlaw voting altogether. What this will mean is open to debate but polls in North Carolina show the people are overwhelmingly opposed to such restrictions.
++We know what the general outline of the Republican plan is with voter suppression but even Ross Douhat of the New York Times is beginning to believe that such measures will spark a backlash against the party without any great compensation for the effort.
++Nancy Pelosi made a statement that the Democrats may win back the House. Tom Coburn believes that a fight over raising the debt ceiling because of demands for defunding Obamacare will trigger the loss of the House. Personally,I didn't believe the Republicans can lose the House until 2021, after the next census. However, Republicans have placed two more members on the endangered list, bringing the number up to 20.
++But this can't be true because turnout will be lower in the mid-term,minorities will vote less and the elderly will vote overwhelming for the Republicans. Not so fast,Charlie Cook has been rummaging around on the polls about the GOP base and found that , while the Democrats have lost seniors since 2008,losing them be a whopping 59-38 in 2010,there seems to be a reverse trend now where Democrats are only 5% behind on seniors. He doesn't know why that is but maybe it is that seniors realize by now that President Obama didn't cut their Medicare benefits and that the GOP are gunning for their pensions.
++Eugene Robinson has hit the summer doldrum in a column in the Washington Post. Robinson believes nothing is going to happen with Congress on the budget or immigration reform because of gridlock or Republican tantrums and the President's approval will continue to decline because nothing is getting done.
++Rep. King ,who got the House to pass a resolution for the deportation of the DREAM KIDs, blasted them again this week as being a bunch of drug smugglers. While the House leadership had to criticize him for this,the House Republicans are between a rock and a hard place on immigration reform. If Boehner caved and let the Hastert Law go by the boards, the House would pass the Senate bill with Democratic votes. But then again, he would lose his job. Paul Ryan, trying to save the party from catastrophe, claims now that the House will vote for immigration reform in October. He promises there would be a path to citizenship. Evangelicals will be meeting this week with the Republicans to explain why the immigration system needs to be fixed.
++House Republicans have been given little educational packets for their recess to argue to their constituents they are fighting Washington. They are also holding town meetings on the Emergency in Healthcare, which I guess means you might get some. The Koch brothers are handing out Obamacare cards so that college students may burn them--of course, while their parents carry them on their health insurance. Fall is looking to be quite nasty for Congress.
++Christie's Auction house has arrived in Detroit to appraise the collection at the Detroit Art Museum. New York art collectors are horrified by the prospect of over 660,000 items being sold off because they claim it will destroy the global art market.
++The privately owned Detroit Windsor tunnel has filed for bankruptcy.
++The Detroit Emergency City Manager has floated a $400 million bond so the Red Wings will have a new arena.
++Pennsylvania under its free market governor has sunk to 46th place in job creation. The state's attorney general will not enforce the law against same sex marriage and the first five licenses were issued in a town north of Philadelphia.
++Federal judges have stopped the strict anti-abortion laws throughout the country on the basis that they are so restrictive as to prohibit access in the states.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Down the Rabbit-Hole and into the Bleachers-Can the GOP Reform?
++First, gays are urging Andrew Sullivan not to go down the rabbit-hole since he urged gays to be generous to their adversaries. But Andrew has taken note of Bill Clinton's recent emergence in favor of gays rights when he signed DOMA and DADT into law. I'm with Andrew on this. DOMA was clearly a homophobic piece of legislation that Bill Clinton should be held responsible for. It occurred when Republicans got whiff that Hawaii might approve same-sex marriages in the 1990s. DOMA was aimed particularly to head this off at the pass. Clinton was looking to re-election so he didn't want the backlash if he vetoed the bill. And we can credit Clinton with welfare reform, which he persuaded supporters he would correct once re-elected.
++John Oliver did a fun spot on the House Republican reaction to same sex marriage and wondered why Republicans when they think of it always descend into the area of bestiality. He can be forgiven because he is a Brit but all the Republicans come from states where Romney one--which all make it legal to have sex with a horse.
++Likely states where same sex marriage will be approve sooner rather than later are states where 50%+ favor it. These include New Jersey at 60%+, Michigan at 57%+ Virginia at 57% and Illinois at 50%. Grass-roots campaigns are hitting Arkansas,Ohio, North Dakota, Wyoming and Michigan.
++As Andrew Sullivan noted yesterday, the conservatives in the House plan to introduce a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. The problem is that enough states already legalized it to stop such an amendment.
++Nate the Great Silver has surfaced again to say that Hillary Clinton has a 60-70% advantage if she decides to run for President. He argued that her advantage is akin to a sitting President. He says she has to signal her desires sometime in 2014 to clear the way in the primaries or harm any Democrat who might run as a nominee.
++Now to the issue at hand. The Times They Are A Changin". Can Republicans reform themselves? Reince Preibus did an autopsy which showed that voters thought the GOP was anti-modern,intolerant, racist, sexist and ignore the youth vote. Michael Gerson explained to the party that supporting immigration reform was not really about winning the Hispanic vote but was about dispelling the image that the Republican party was against immigrants in general and were intolerant. Others have weighed in and Fred Malek told the Post Today that donors were hanging back because they wanted the party to appear pragmatic. John McCain morphed into a diplomatic politician yesterday after the immigration reform win in the Senate to suggest he would be politely conferring with House colleagues about passing reform. Asked whether Republicans could win without it,he gave a polite reply, the equivalent of "We're Toast". Michael Tomasky in the Daily Beast countered today with an article about how others in the GOP believe they can win through 2050 by doubling down on the white vote and exploiting xenophobia.
++With the internet and television shows like Rachel Maddow, the escapades of the GOP at state levels are more prominent today than at any time and the picture is particularly nasty. Women's healthcare rights are being "disappeared" by Republican state legislatures dominated by men. Egged on by the Christianist fringe,this year has been the worst in terms of access to abortion procedures and even contraception.
++With the gutting of the Voters Rights Act, states are now embarking on changes that the DOJ has said are "overtly racist". The Maddow show did a segment on how Texas' Voter ID law will further depress the Hispanic vote and how redistricting in Texas only benefited white legislators. These plans are now being implemented in about six other states right after the Supreme Court decision--don't wait, just GO.
++The once modernizing state of North Carolina has moved into reverse and became the first state not to receive federal aid to the long-term unemployed.
++The GOP's obsession with Obamacare has led to 39 House votes to repeal it and States have turned down Medicare expansion that would have insured millions of poor people. The GOP's attempt to gut Obamacare and underfund it will just mean it will be implemented in about half the country, while the rest will again have no healthcare.
++In their appeal to the Young, every Republican in Congress is against stopping the increase in college loan payments from doubling.
++The fanatical anti-science attitude of the Republican base bodes ill for any constructive attempts at climate change policy.
++On the issue at hand, Republicans honestly believe they will garner 70% of the white vote so there is no incentive to change, particularly with a by-election creeping up where turnout if low and the electorate is predominately white.
++So this leaves John Boehner between a rock and a hard place. Privately, Boehner has told close acquaintances he favors an immigration law and believes the House will pass some version. But in the last few days, his Caucus have been overt in denouncing the Senate bill and saying the Senate can go "stick it". Politically, it does not matter to the sitting members because through gerrymandering people believe Republicans will keep the house, having lost the house by a million votes in 2012, so what does it matter.
++Remember Republicans have lost the popular vote for election in 5 out of the last 6 presidential elections. You would think this would wake them up but it does not appear to be so. Currently,they have manufactured another urban myth that Romney would have won and the IRS acted like ACORN in thwarting the white vote. The problem with the party is that their donors base is wary about such ideas because they were assured by the party Romney would win. So the big donors are sitting on their wallets.
++Unless they have a conversion experience, I see the GOP sleepwalking into the future. They are not disappearing yet but they sure are creepy.
++John Oliver did a fun spot on the House Republican reaction to same sex marriage and wondered why Republicans when they think of it always descend into the area of bestiality. He can be forgiven because he is a Brit but all the Republicans come from states where Romney one--which all make it legal to have sex with a horse.
++Likely states where same sex marriage will be approve sooner rather than later are states where 50%+ favor it. These include New Jersey at 60%+, Michigan at 57%+ Virginia at 57% and Illinois at 50%. Grass-roots campaigns are hitting Arkansas,Ohio, North Dakota, Wyoming and Michigan.
++As Andrew Sullivan noted yesterday, the conservatives in the House plan to introduce a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. The problem is that enough states already legalized it to stop such an amendment.
++Nate the Great Silver has surfaced again to say that Hillary Clinton has a 60-70% advantage if she decides to run for President. He argued that her advantage is akin to a sitting President. He says she has to signal her desires sometime in 2014 to clear the way in the primaries or harm any Democrat who might run as a nominee.
++Now to the issue at hand. The Times They Are A Changin". Can Republicans reform themselves? Reince Preibus did an autopsy which showed that voters thought the GOP was anti-modern,intolerant, racist, sexist and ignore the youth vote. Michael Gerson explained to the party that supporting immigration reform was not really about winning the Hispanic vote but was about dispelling the image that the Republican party was against immigrants in general and were intolerant. Others have weighed in and Fred Malek told the Post Today that donors were hanging back because they wanted the party to appear pragmatic. John McCain morphed into a diplomatic politician yesterday after the immigration reform win in the Senate to suggest he would be politely conferring with House colleagues about passing reform. Asked whether Republicans could win without it,he gave a polite reply, the equivalent of "We're Toast". Michael Tomasky in the Daily Beast countered today with an article about how others in the GOP believe they can win through 2050 by doubling down on the white vote and exploiting xenophobia.
++With the internet and television shows like Rachel Maddow, the escapades of the GOP at state levels are more prominent today than at any time and the picture is particularly nasty. Women's healthcare rights are being "disappeared" by Republican state legislatures dominated by men. Egged on by the Christianist fringe,this year has been the worst in terms of access to abortion procedures and even contraception.
++With the gutting of the Voters Rights Act, states are now embarking on changes that the DOJ has said are "overtly racist". The Maddow show did a segment on how Texas' Voter ID law will further depress the Hispanic vote and how redistricting in Texas only benefited white legislators. These plans are now being implemented in about six other states right after the Supreme Court decision--don't wait, just GO.
++The once modernizing state of North Carolina has moved into reverse and became the first state not to receive federal aid to the long-term unemployed.
++The GOP's obsession with Obamacare has led to 39 House votes to repeal it and States have turned down Medicare expansion that would have insured millions of poor people. The GOP's attempt to gut Obamacare and underfund it will just mean it will be implemented in about half the country, while the rest will again have no healthcare.
++In their appeal to the Young, every Republican in Congress is against stopping the increase in college loan payments from doubling.
++The fanatical anti-science attitude of the Republican base bodes ill for any constructive attempts at climate change policy.
++On the issue at hand, Republicans honestly believe they will garner 70% of the white vote so there is no incentive to change, particularly with a by-election creeping up where turnout if low and the electorate is predominately white.
++So this leaves John Boehner between a rock and a hard place. Privately, Boehner has told close acquaintances he favors an immigration law and believes the House will pass some version. But in the last few days, his Caucus have been overt in denouncing the Senate bill and saying the Senate can go "stick it". Politically, it does not matter to the sitting members because through gerrymandering people believe Republicans will keep the house, having lost the house by a million votes in 2012, so what does it matter.
++Remember Republicans have lost the popular vote for election in 5 out of the last 6 presidential elections. You would think this would wake them up but it does not appear to be so. Currently,they have manufactured another urban myth that Romney would have won and the IRS acted like ACORN in thwarting the white vote. The problem with the party is that their donors base is wary about such ideas because they were assured by the party Romney would win. So the big donors are sitting on their wallets.
++Unless they have a conversion experience, I see the GOP sleepwalking into the future. They are not disappearing yet but they sure are creepy.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
The Day After
++Before Andrew Sullivan got smashed yesterday at Stonewall,he penned a moving, patriotic piece about what the day meant to him. People, even in the gay community, always said he was crazy to advocate same sex marriage as he has done over the years way before anyone thought this was a mainstream idea and they also said America was too bigoted to elect a black President. His piece is entitled "I Believe" because he saw. Congratulations for a struggle well-waged,Andrew.
++Court observers have since read Kennedy's majority opinion ruling DOMA unconstitutional and realized that it established the seeds of the argument when the Court will have to rule same-sex marriage the law of the land. The time frame is estimated at 4 to 5 years. Judge Scalia in his raving dissent thinks it will be sooner.
++Little mentioned is that the California Prop 8 case now rests with Judge Walker's original and wonderfully argued decision. Jesuit-trained Jerry Brown has ordered all county officials in California to ready the marriage licenses when the time is ready, which will be about 24 days from now.
++Rep. Steve Chabot asked the CBO to score the reversal of DOMA, expecting it would cost money. The CBO estimates it will save $450 million a year on the federal budget. Fox News Business claimed it will make social security costs soar.
++Rand Paul demonstrating his presidential qualifications said that the court decisions will lead to humans marrying non-humans. Senator Cornyn thinks that people will marry "turtles".
++Mike Huckabee said that Jesus wept. Dan Savage said "I wept too".
++I thought NOM, the National Organization for Marriage had a delightfully bizarre statement. The slammed the Court's rogue decision and they said that millions of Americans will ignore it. Sure, because millions are heterosexual and it doesn't affect them.
++The Mormon Church, the Catholic Bishops, and the Fundamentalists all worried about what the decision will mean to "religious freedom". "Will the Bible be banned as hate speech?" said one fundamentalist. Meanwhile, the National Cathedral rang its bells when the court decisions were announced and the Episcopal, Unitarian, Presbyterian also rang their bells here in the Beltway.
++Chuck Hagel immediately announced that gay couples in the military would have all the rights and benefits of others. President Obama said he expected federal benefits would be extended across state lines into those jurisdictions where same sex marriages are now allowed. Gay activists say that this is easiest for the IRS and federal income taxes but that with Social Security and survival benefits this will take a little juggling.
++E.J. Dionne wants to remind us in today's Washington Post that whatever joys the Roberts Court provided with the gay decisions it is still ruthlessly trying to turn us back to the Gilded Age in terms of economic matters. His column is worth a read.
++Thom Hartman gave an excellent analysis that the United States is heading to a two society country analogous to the pre-civil war period. He points out the disparity between states with same sex marriage, health care innovations, labor rights and those who he calls the Reagan Red States who will move rapidly with the neutering of the Voters Rights Act to put up barriers to minority participation in government.
++Republicans have been very tepid about correcting Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act. Nancy Pelosi wants to introduce a bill the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill to restore protections for minority voters. Eric Cantor voiced support for a Voting Rights Act, citing his trip to Selma with John Lewis. John Sensenbrenner, a Republican House member, said that prejudice and racism are still roadblocks to voting and wants the act revamped. John Boehner says the House doesn't have time--(especially before 2014) and Lindsey Graham says that South Carolina has progressed so far that there is no need for a Voting Rights Act.
++Meanwhile in Texas, Rick Perry has called a "special session" of the Texas Senate on July 1 for the sole purpose of passing the draconian anti-abortion bill since the GOP was caught out trying to fudge the vote after Wendy Davis' filibuster.
++Chris Christie signaled he would run by denouncing the same sex decisions of the Supreme Court. I am also betting on Rick Perry making another run on the Christianist Nationalist Platform.
++Meanwhile we may be heading to immigration reform in the Senate today as that body keeps passing the 60 vote margins on everything from the border surge to cloture votes. The game here in D.C. is whether the House would ever pass such a thing. John Boehner has been warned by the Republican Caucus that his job is endangered if he allows a bill to be brought to the floor without a majority of Republicans supporting it. Will he break the Hastert rule again, which would enable the House to pass the Senate bill? Stay tuned.
++Can the Republican Party overcome its epistemic closure? There are some voices in op-eds urging them to deal with immigration reform and not to engage in cultural warfare because the tide has changed on these issues. I am not hopeful because there is a counter-push to double down on efforts to increase their white support, which the gutting of the Voters Rights Act gives them ample motivation. But remember they aren't running against Barack Obama anymore--although they did run against FDR until 1960.
++Court observers have since read Kennedy's majority opinion ruling DOMA unconstitutional and realized that it established the seeds of the argument when the Court will have to rule same-sex marriage the law of the land. The time frame is estimated at 4 to 5 years. Judge Scalia in his raving dissent thinks it will be sooner.
++Little mentioned is that the California Prop 8 case now rests with Judge Walker's original and wonderfully argued decision. Jesuit-trained Jerry Brown has ordered all county officials in California to ready the marriage licenses when the time is ready, which will be about 24 days from now.
++Rep. Steve Chabot asked the CBO to score the reversal of DOMA, expecting it would cost money. The CBO estimates it will save $450 million a year on the federal budget. Fox News Business claimed it will make social security costs soar.
++Rand Paul demonstrating his presidential qualifications said that the court decisions will lead to humans marrying non-humans. Senator Cornyn thinks that people will marry "turtles".
++Mike Huckabee said that Jesus wept. Dan Savage said "I wept too".
++I thought NOM, the National Organization for Marriage had a delightfully bizarre statement. The slammed the Court's rogue decision and they said that millions of Americans will ignore it. Sure, because millions are heterosexual and it doesn't affect them.
++The Mormon Church, the Catholic Bishops, and the Fundamentalists all worried about what the decision will mean to "religious freedom". "Will the Bible be banned as hate speech?" said one fundamentalist. Meanwhile, the National Cathedral rang its bells when the court decisions were announced and the Episcopal, Unitarian, Presbyterian also rang their bells here in the Beltway.
++Chuck Hagel immediately announced that gay couples in the military would have all the rights and benefits of others. President Obama said he expected federal benefits would be extended across state lines into those jurisdictions where same sex marriages are now allowed. Gay activists say that this is easiest for the IRS and federal income taxes but that with Social Security and survival benefits this will take a little juggling.
++E.J. Dionne wants to remind us in today's Washington Post that whatever joys the Roberts Court provided with the gay decisions it is still ruthlessly trying to turn us back to the Gilded Age in terms of economic matters. His column is worth a read.
++Thom Hartman gave an excellent analysis that the United States is heading to a two society country analogous to the pre-civil war period. He points out the disparity between states with same sex marriage, health care innovations, labor rights and those who he calls the Reagan Red States who will move rapidly with the neutering of the Voters Rights Act to put up barriers to minority participation in government.
++Republicans have been very tepid about correcting Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act. Nancy Pelosi wants to introduce a bill the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill to restore protections for minority voters. Eric Cantor voiced support for a Voting Rights Act, citing his trip to Selma with John Lewis. John Sensenbrenner, a Republican House member, said that prejudice and racism are still roadblocks to voting and wants the act revamped. John Boehner says the House doesn't have time--(especially before 2014) and Lindsey Graham says that South Carolina has progressed so far that there is no need for a Voting Rights Act.
++Meanwhile in Texas, Rick Perry has called a "special session" of the Texas Senate on July 1 for the sole purpose of passing the draconian anti-abortion bill since the GOP was caught out trying to fudge the vote after Wendy Davis' filibuster.
++Chris Christie signaled he would run by denouncing the same sex decisions of the Supreme Court. I am also betting on Rick Perry making another run on the Christianist Nationalist Platform.
++Meanwhile we may be heading to immigration reform in the Senate today as that body keeps passing the 60 vote margins on everything from the border surge to cloture votes. The game here in D.C. is whether the House would ever pass such a thing. John Boehner has been warned by the Republican Caucus that his job is endangered if he allows a bill to be brought to the floor without a majority of Republicans supporting it. Will he break the Hastert rule again, which would enable the House to pass the Senate bill? Stay tuned.
++Can the Republican Party overcome its epistemic closure? There are some voices in op-eds urging them to deal with immigration reform and not to engage in cultural warfare because the tide has changed on these issues. I am not hopeful because there is a counter-push to double down on efforts to increase their white support, which the gutting of the Voters Rights Act gives them ample motivation. But remember they aren't running against Barack Obama anymore--although they did run against FDR until 1960.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Domestic Affairs
++Gay D-Day is approaching, according to Scotusblog. Decisions on DOMA and same sex marriage will be delivered by June 24th according to court observers. President Obama is sending ENDA back up to the Senate for a vote to end employment discrimination against gays. Marco Rubio says it is alright to fire someone because he is gay and will remove himself from supporting Immigration Reform if gay immigrants are included.
++On immigration, Senator Grassley is putting the slow-motion moves on the bill by his version of mini-filibusters on Amendments. The Gang of 8 slapped down Marco Rubio when he said he supported Cornyn's amendment about beefing up border security before the normalization of undocumented workers begins. According to the amendment you can always say the Border is not completely secure and delay the process indefinitely. Harry Reid called it a poison pill. Now Rubio claims normalization should come first so that the fees aid by undocumented workers could finance the border fence.
++The nativist factions of the GOP are trying to kill immigration reform in the House. Rep. Steve King tweeted this week that his office had been occupied by self-proclaimed illegal aliens. He was, of course, talking about the Dream generation kids who have a stay in their deportation because of President Obama's executive order. King also went to Russia on a fact-finding mission on the Boston Bomber and came home concerned that Chechens were given residence in the United States without vetting from the FBI. Michelle Bachmann, Steven King and Louis Gohmert have called for a rally against "Amnesty" and a series of "Lincoln-Douglas" debates on immigration. Despite all this, John Boehner claims immigration reform could pass by the end of the year. Given the lack of issues for the GOP in 2014, this seems dubious to me. Pat Buchanan and Ann Coulter are pointing to the demographics that whites are dying at rates higher than they are being replaced as an argument against immigration reform. Others say if the GOP doesn't get on the train, they are doomed in all national elections. Supporters of immigration reform are concerned that the price of pursuing citizenship will be too high for the undocumented who are here. The House last week voted to deport all undocumented workers here. Good Luck with that.
++The GOP continues to gut Obamacare. The Senate ,fueled by the IRS scandal,wants to make sure that the IRS has nothing to do with figuring out the subsidy for healthcare to low-income workers or the tax on those Americans with a Cadillac healthcare plan. The GOP is putting out rumors that healthcare would be too expensive for Congress and their staffers if Obamacare is enacted. Conservatives are citing Democrat Max Baucus that implementing Obamacare will be a "train wreck". Others are arguing that younger males will see their insurance bill sky-rocket.
++Meanwhile, California has pleasantly surprised by showing that insurance rates are plummeting because of Obamacare. Arizona's Jan Brewer has extended Medicaid in accordance with the Affordable Care Act, which will cover an additional 300,000 in the state. While Ohio is balking at Obamacare by saying it will increase the health insurance premiums.So far,no news on my own.
++You can see this train coming down the track. The GOP is preparing for 2014 on the issues of Obamacare,Abortion and Obama's culture of corruption.
++The House is about to pass a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks in all fifty state,including Washington,D.C. Gov. Walker has signed a new abortion bill that requires a transvaginal probe, mirroring Virginia's botched attempt of the same. The ACLU has announced 2013 as the worst year for reproductive rights as states like Ohio continue their march to ban abortion. The Virgina state GOP ticket this year is a trifecta of anti-choice candidates that make the present governor look like a moderate.
++On immigration, Senator Grassley is putting the slow-motion moves on the bill by his version of mini-filibusters on Amendments. The Gang of 8 slapped down Marco Rubio when he said he supported Cornyn's amendment about beefing up border security before the normalization of undocumented workers begins. According to the amendment you can always say the Border is not completely secure and delay the process indefinitely. Harry Reid called it a poison pill. Now Rubio claims normalization should come first so that the fees aid by undocumented workers could finance the border fence.
++The nativist factions of the GOP are trying to kill immigration reform in the House. Rep. Steve King tweeted this week that his office had been occupied by self-proclaimed illegal aliens. He was, of course, talking about the Dream generation kids who have a stay in their deportation because of President Obama's executive order. King also went to Russia on a fact-finding mission on the Boston Bomber and came home concerned that Chechens were given residence in the United States without vetting from the FBI. Michelle Bachmann, Steven King and Louis Gohmert have called for a rally against "Amnesty" and a series of "Lincoln-Douglas" debates on immigration. Despite all this, John Boehner claims immigration reform could pass by the end of the year. Given the lack of issues for the GOP in 2014, this seems dubious to me. Pat Buchanan and Ann Coulter are pointing to the demographics that whites are dying at rates higher than they are being replaced as an argument against immigration reform. Others say if the GOP doesn't get on the train, they are doomed in all national elections. Supporters of immigration reform are concerned that the price of pursuing citizenship will be too high for the undocumented who are here. The House last week voted to deport all undocumented workers here. Good Luck with that.
++The GOP continues to gut Obamacare. The Senate ,fueled by the IRS scandal,wants to make sure that the IRS has nothing to do with figuring out the subsidy for healthcare to low-income workers or the tax on those Americans with a Cadillac healthcare plan. The GOP is putting out rumors that healthcare would be too expensive for Congress and their staffers if Obamacare is enacted. Conservatives are citing Democrat Max Baucus that implementing Obamacare will be a "train wreck". Others are arguing that younger males will see their insurance bill sky-rocket.
++Meanwhile, California has pleasantly surprised by showing that insurance rates are plummeting because of Obamacare. Arizona's Jan Brewer has extended Medicaid in accordance with the Affordable Care Act, which will cover an additional 300,000 in the state. While Ohio is balking at Obamacare by saying it will increase the health insurance premiums.So far,no news on my own.
++You can see this train coming down the track. The GOP is preparing for 2014 on the issues of Obamacare,Abortion and Obama's culture of corruption.
++The House is about to pass a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks in all fifty state,including Washington,D.C. Gov. Walker has signed a new abortion bill that requires a transvaginal probe, mirroring Virginia's botched attempt of the same. The ACLU has announced 2013 as the worst year for reproductive rights as states like Ohio continue their march to ban abortion. The Virgina state GOP ticket this year is a trifecta of anti-choice candidates that make the present governor look like a moderate.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Benghazi and the Second-Term Blues
++For the last couple of weeks, the GOP has been trying out lines on how Benghazi is a scandal. With President Obama's approval rating among Republicans at 10-12%,the timing is just right for a move to Impeach. As I have said and written since President Obama was elected first in 2008 and now in 2012,the GOP must impeach him. The political wind is not going there way and they fear Hillary Clinton, a white woman, running against them in 2016. John Boehner has been obsessed by Benghazi since late November, privately convening committee chairpersons in the House, to focus on the incident. So far, many hours of testimony later it still is not clear what the story is ,other than a tragedy. The latest version is that talking points were re-written to exclude Al Qaeda and the notion that the attack on the facility--here we have some disagreement on whether it was the CIA safe house or the consulate. I sort of like re-writing talking points as an impeachable offense. It would represent as low as you can go.
++Make no mistake the agenda is impeachment. Few remember that the impeachment of Bill Clinton never had more than 31% approval rating of the American people. But the base of the GOP didn't care and this time they would not pay such a high electoral price because of gerrymandering.
++As if to make things the perfect storm, the IRS is caught in a complicated controversy for not approving the 501-C-4 status of tea party groups. The IRS scandal is one that brings Democrats on board to investigate. Coveniently forgotten is the IRS audit under George W. Bush of the NAACP in 2004 and the cries in the first Obama term for an audit of ACORN by the self-same tea party groups. But this scandal will linger on as the IRS is also to be the instrument for enforcing the mandatory insurance requirement under Obamacare.
++The potentially most lethal of controversies is the DOJ's seizure of notebooks and phone records of several AP reporters. This has ignited the furor of the entire media with AP claiming they will sue. The story seems to be that DOJ was investigating a story out of Yemen about a failed Al Qaeda plot and were looking for a source which they thought was a government whistleblower.
++The Benghazi flap has been defused by former Secretary of Defense Gates who claimed he would have done what the administration did and he chided the House GOP as having a clownish view of military force. Gates said the United States does not have a free-floating contingency force in the Middle East and the military was correct that they could not have reacted in time to prevent the deaths. He also said that the negotiation of talking points was an habitual process. In the case of Benghazi, the CIA made a tactical decision not to name Al Qaeda because they had not claimed credit and they did not want to tip off the group about American intelligence efforts. So they caved to the State Department's objections.
++In another world, you would think the Obama Administration would get credit for immediately briefing the Senate on the incident and creating an Accountability Board headed by veteran diplomat Thomas Pickering and Admiral Mullen. The board rather rapidly produced recommendations and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proclaimed her responsibility and adopted their recommendations. End of story in the reality-based world.
++However, the GOP was miffed because Mitt Romney violating the 9-11 agreement between the candidates not to talk about politics attacked President Obama as the news of Benghazi hit the news. However, the October Surprise didn't work and Romney flubbed his opportunity at the debate on foreign policy. The GOP still could not believe Romney lost so they now want to re-run the election with a rival of this incident.
++The GOP claimed they wanted to rebrand the Party after the election. But there is no indication they want to. Yesterday their new director of Hispanic Outreach resigned and became a Democrat because of what he called was intolerance. And the Heritage Foundation released a flawed report on Immigration Reform that claimed that Hispanics had a lower IQ. The author has since resigned and wrote his rebuttal to criticism on a white supremacy website. The GOP is also banking that the conservative SCOTUS will reverse the Voting Act so that they can continue their practice of voter suppression. Now they big problem remains--Hillary Clinton--the white woman. By default, she wins the African-American and Latino vote, and will erode the record high white vote for the GOP in 2012.
++So what better than to try and reclaim national security. In the last election the GOP failed to better Obama on national security and this is one of the last trump cards. So expect more Benghazi as the GOP tries to ease back on top in foreign policy and national security. As if to start the race, Karl Rove's Cross-Hairs America has the first attack ad for the 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton and Rand Paul has already proclaimed that Hillary Clinton is disqualified for higher office because of Benghazi.
++The advantage President Obama has in all of this is that the House doesn't work long hours. It only meets one-third of the year. So the House must run to start impeachment hearings before the 2014 campaign begins. To do this, they need some solemnity as if such a process is serious and deserved. And at the same time they must make the political calculus that they will not lose out like Republicans in the past did.
++President Obama also has the advantage in the nature of his adversaries. Rep. Issa has been gunning for the President since 2010 with the Fast and Furious investigation, the Sestak controversy (try and remember), and others. Issa stepped on his own investigation into Benghazi by scheduling the television broadcasts in competition for other breaking events. He also failed to call up Thomas Pickering or Admiral Mullen to testify while he claimed the White House prevented them from testifying. The problem here is that he said that in front of Ambassador Pickering on a Sunday News show and got slapped down. After the televised hearings with the DCM of our Libyan embassy, he was asked on Fox News what new revelations came from his hearings. He said that President Obama was wrong in describing Benghazi as an act of terror because it was an act of terrorism--the distinction escapes me and I am sure millions of others.
++The problem as I see it is that the congruence of these three controversies might bring back a moral equivalence between the crimes of the GOP and the imagined crimes of President Obama. The GOP and the Tea Party types need no excuse in their hatred of the President. The new media fails to mention the GOP cutting $330 million from embassy security or its commitment to obstructing every single initiative of this President, an unprecedented record of an opposition party in the United States. Expect more of this ,not less. Marco Rubio stopped in it the other day by demanding the head of the IRS resign but neglected to mention that the GOP refuses to vote on the nominee for the IRS.
++Meanwhile, the House is expected Thursday to repeal the entire Obamacare for the 40th time. The total bill for this effort has been $52million. This time the bill is sponsored by Michelle Bachman. With Minnesota voting to legalize same sex marriage,she has vowed that the end time is near and she might move to Montana.
++As I have written, I only expect Immigration Reform from the second Obama term. While this is still on track, these mini-controversies will fuel efforts to block this legislation. Lindsey Graham is PO'd at an amendment which would allow gay couples to immigrate to the United States that he might pull the whole bill. As it looks, the time to wait for citizenship is too long. Utah GOP Senator Lee has made sure gardeners, maids and valets will be allowed to be employed below the minimum wage. The House had started drafting its own which would be more draconian on immigrants. Nativism is running high. These controversies also allow the GOP to believe they do not have to come up with any policies because they believe the tide is moving in their direction. That should concern everyone since they have absolutely nothing in their holster.
++Meanwhile the war drums continue to beat as neoconservatives and their brothers demand intervention into Syria. Interestingly they do not demand a re-intervention into Iraq or an extension of time for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Instead we let those countries collapse into smaller civil wars than Syria.
Katherine Vander Heuvel, the owner of the Nation, has the right idea. We have to step up humanitarian aid to Syria but we also need a new discussion on how we are to be involved in countries with violent extremists. Sec of Defense Gates rightfully commented that we as the United States can not control the outcomes in these situations and should not be under the illusion we can. Katherine Vander Heuvel also said we can not begin this dialogue until the Sunday talk shows had other people on than John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
++Make no mistake the agenda is impeachment. Few remember that the impeachment of Bill Clinton never had more than 31% approval rating of the American people. But the base of the GOP didn't care and this time they would not pay such a high electoral price because of gerrymandering.
++As if to make things the perfect storm, the IRS is caught in a complicated controversy for not approving the 501-C-4 status of tea party groups. The IRS scandal is one that brings Democrats on board to investigate. Coveniently forgotten is the IRS audit under George W. Bush of the NAACP in 2004 and the cries in the first Obama term for an audit of ACORN by the self-same tea party groups. But this scandal will linger on as the IRS is also to be the instrument for enforcing the mandatory insurance requirement under Obamacare.
++The potentially most lethal of controversies is the DOJ's seizure of notebooks and phone records of several AP reporters. This has ignited the furor of the entire media with AP claiming they will sue. The story seems to be that DOJ was investigating a story out of Yemen about a failed Al Qaeda plot and were looking for a source which they thought was a government whistleblower.
++The Benghazi flap has been defused by former Secretary of Defense Gates who claimed he would have done what the administration did and he chided the House GOP as having a clownish view of military force. Gates said the United States does not have a free-floating contingency force in the Middle East and the military was correct that they could not have reacted in time to prevent the deaths. He also said that the negotiation of talking points was an habitual process. In the case of Benghazi, the CIA made a tactical decision not to name Al Qaeda because they had not claimed credit and they did not want to tip off the group about American intelligence efforts. So they caved to the State Department's objections.
++In another world, you would think the Obama Administration would get credit for immediately briefing the Senate on the incident and creating an Accountability Board headed by veteran diplomat Thomas Pickering and Admiral Mullen. The board rather rapidly produced recommendations and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proclaimed her responsibility and adopted their recommendations. End of story in the reality-based world.
++However, the GOP was miffed because Mitt Romney violating the 9-11 agreement between the candidates not to talk about politics attacked President Obama as the news of Benghazi hit the news. However, the October Surprise didn't work and Romney flubbed his opportunity at the debate on foreign policy. The GOP still could not believe Romney lost so they now want to re-run the election with a rival of this incident.
++The GOP claimed they wanted to rebrand the Party after the election. But there is no indication they want to. Yesterday their new director of Hispanic Outreach resigned and became a Democrat because of what he called was intolerance. And the Heritage Foundation released a flawed report on Immigration Reform that claimed that Hispanics had a lower IQ. The author has since resigned and wrote his rebuttal to criticism on a white supremacy website. The GOP is also banking that the conservative SCOTUS will reverse the Voting Act so that they can continue their practice of voter suppression. Now they big problem remains--Hillary Clinton--the white woman. By default, she wins the African-American and Latino vote, and will erode the record high white vote for the GOP in 2012.
++So what better than to try and reclaim national security. In the last election the GOP failed to better Obama on national security and this is one of the last trump cards. So expect more Benghazi as the GOP tries to ease back on top in foreign policy and national security. As if to start the race, Karl Rove's Cross-Hairs America has the first attack ad for the 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton and Rand Paul has already proclaimed that Hillary Clinton is disqualified for higher office because of Benghazi.
++The advantage President Obama has in all of this is that the House doesn't work long hours. It only meets one-third of the year. So the House must run to start impeachment hearings before the 2014 campaign begins. To do this, they need some solemnity as if such a process is serious and deserved. And at the same time they must make the political calculus that they will not lose out like Republicans in the past did.
++President Obama also has the advantage in the nature of his adversaries. Rep. Issa has been gunning for the President since 2010 with the Fast and Furious investigation, the Sestak controversy (try and remember), and others. Issa stepped on his own investigation into Benghazi by scheduling the television broadcasts in competition for other breaking events. He also failed to call up Thomas Pickering or Admiral Mullen to testify while he claimed the White House prevented them from testifying. The problem here is that he said that in front of Ambassador Pickering on a Sunday News show and got slapped down. After the televised hearings with the DCM of our Libyan embassy, he was asked on Fox News what new revelations came from his hearings. He said that President Obama was wrong in describing Benghazi as an act of terror because it was an act of terrorism--the distinction escapes me and I am sure millions of others.
++The problem as I see it is that the congruence of these three controversies might bring back a moral equivalence between the crimes of the GOP and the imagined crimes of President Obama. The GOP and the Tea Party types need no excuse in their hatred of the President. The new media fails to mention the GOP cutting $330 million from embassy security or its commitment to obstructing every single initiative of this President, an unprecedented record of an opposition party in the United States. Expect more of this ,not less. Marco Rubio stopped in it the other day by demanding the head of the IRS resign but neglected to mention that the GOP refuses to vote on the nominee for the IRS.
++Meanwhile, the House is expected Thursday to repeal the entire Obamacare for the 40th time. The total bill for this effort has been $52million. This time the bill is sponsored by Michelle Bachman. With Minnesota voting to legalize same sex marriage,she has vowed that the end time is near and she might move to Montana.
++As I have written, I only expect Immigration Reform from the second Obama term. While this is still on track, these mini-controversies will fuel efforts to block this legislation. Lindsey Graham is PO'd at an amendment which would allow gay couples to immigrate to the United States that he might pull the whole bill. As it looks, the time to wait for citizenship is too long. Utah GOP Senator Lee has made sure gardeners, maids and valets will be allowed to be employed below the minimum wage. The House had started drafting its own which would be more draconian on immigrants. Nativism is running high. These controversies also allow the GOP to believe they do not have to come up with any policies because they believe the tide is moving in their direction. That should concern everyone since they have absolutely nothing in their holster.
++Meanwhile the war drums continue to beat as neoconservatives and their brothers demand intervention into Syria. Interestingly they do not demand a re-intervention into Iraq or an extension of time for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Instead we let those countries collapse into smaller civil wars than Syria.
Katherine Vander Heuvel, the owner of the Nation, has the right idea. We have to step up humanitarian aid to Syria but we also need a new discussion on how we are to be involved in countries with violent extremists. Sec of Defense Gates rightfully commented that we as the United States can not control the outcomes in these situations and should not be under the illusion we can. Katherine Vander Heuvel also said we can not begin this dialogue until the Sunday talk shows had other people on than John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
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