10 of 12: Congress

Yesterday, we discussed the amazing developments in #NVLeg this year. Today, it's time to jump up to the federal level and take a look at Congress.

Actually, the story of #nvhouse 2012 began in 2011 when redistricting was very much up in the air. And with a new "ungerrymandered" map being approved by the courts, the playing field was suddenly scrambled as politicians on both sides had to play a round of "Musical Chairs" to see where they'd land.

Meanwhile in the current session of Congress, all sorts of crazy emerged, particularly from the G-O-TEA run House. For one, the "War on Women" raged on as the radical right demanded more prodding into women's private lives. In addition, there were multiple attempts at repealing "Obamacare" and take health care away from millions of Americans. Oh, and while Nevada and other states were busy pursuing more renewable energy and green jobs, Congress was fighting over a recipe for economic and environmental disaster. And they never managed to address the "job creation" they promised to deliver (in 2010). And both Dean Heller & Joe Heck were at the center of all of this.

So this year, voters had a(nother) chance to have their say on all of this. In addition, some Nevada voters had the opportunity to chime in on the new NV-04 Congressional seat. And oh my, what a race that was. Danny Tarkanian tried yet again to land a steady paycheck with a solid pension a high elected office, and this time he attempted to do so by banking on his famous last name acting as a chameleon... And by smearing Steven Horsford. Yet despite Baby Tark's desperate attacks (aided by a last minute push by the likes of AFP), Horsford ultimately managed to win NV-04 and do so by a more comfortable margin than most everyone had expected.

Yet in the end, both Heller & Heck got lucky. With just enough "down-ballot drop-off", they managed to survive... Though Heller only did by the skin of his teeth and with less than 50%. But already, both of them are facing a major dilemma as the new Congress is about to begin. With President Obama reelected to a second term (with the help of Nevada) and the "Fiscal Cliff" fast approaching, will they let their party leaders cut a budget deal with Obama and Harry Reid? Or will they (again) cast their lot with "tea party" extremists by voting to push America "Off the Cliff" and into recession?

The story of the 2012 election cycle may be over, but the cast of characters here are destined to make waves again as the 113th Congress is about to begin.

NV-0X: Horsford's In, Dem Field Is Set... And This Is a GOOD Thing

In case you've been hiding under a rock this past week, the big news is now official. Count Horsford in!

Steven Horsford, Nevada's Democratic majority leader, plans to run for the U.S. House in a bid that could see Nevada elect its first African-American to Congress and put the state Senate under the GOP's control.

Horsford told The Associated Press he will formally declare his candidacy Thursday in North Las Vegas. He hopes to succeed Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley, who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2012.

"It's a decision that I've taken very seriously," Horsford said Wednesday. "I'm very proud of many of the things we have been able to accomplish in the state Senate and I would like to build on some of those accomplishments in Congress." [...]

As the majority leader, Horsford was an early critic of Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval's efforts to reduce education dollars and lobbied for higher taxes to pay for social services. He is a loyal Democratic player, serving as a national Democratic committee member and campaigning for President Barack Obama in 2008. Horsford's campaign website features a picture of his family with Obama in the Oval Office.

Republicans and Democrats alike describe him as charming, but a tough negotiator. In one instance, Horsford ordered all senators into their chamber and told sergeants-at-arms to find three missing lawmakers after the Legislature failed to compromise on public employee and retiree benefits during the 2009 session.

"We could argue all night and get up and shake hands," said Republican Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea. "He definitely has political savvy and clarity."

While the political powers that be have known this for several weeks, now everyone knows. And it's really not a bad thing.

Why has Patrick Coolican been in such a foul, lousy mood lately? I know we've seen some frustrating headlines, both locally and nationally, lately, but I don't get why he's been lashing out at Nevada's Congressional Candidates so harshly over it. He threw a fit last month when Ruben Kihuen announced he's running, and now he's doing the same to Steven Horsford. What, are no sitting legislators allowed to run for Congress?

I typically have great respect for Coolican and what he writes, but I don't get his logical pretzel twists over this. He says:

[... O]bviously it matters who controls Congress. Sometimes Congress gets stuff done.

For the most part, however, Washington is broken, mostly because of the godforsaken Senate filibuster, which forces Reid to get 60 votes out of 100 in the Senate just to start debate.

End the filibuster, and then I’d encourage our best and brightest, Republican and Democrat alike, to head to Washington to craft policy that will get America out of this slump.

Until then, I hate to see our finest young leaders waste their talents in such a wasteland while pressing needs at home go unmet.

But here's the thing: If we don't send better legislators to Washington, Congress will remain broken and "stuff" will never get done. And Coolican admitted himself that Horsford has a proven track record as a good legislator. So isn't someone like Steven Horsford exactly who we need in Congress right now?

Last month, he was saying that the likes of Horsford and Kihuen "can't solve our problems from Washington". Well, I have a news flash for him: On many issues, the solutions MUST start in Washington. Last I checked, Congress controls the federal purse strings. And Congress sets health care policy. And Congress can set in place new home foreclosure assistance. And perhaps most importantly, Congress can make the most difference in putting people back to work!

Yes, Coolican does have a point about Nevada needing tried and true leaders in our own legislature. However, I think we can find them even with Horsford and Kihuen gone. Hell, I think we caught a glimpse of one yesterday when Kyle Hansen, one of Coolican's colleagues at The Sun, profiled Senator Shirley Breeden (D-Henderson). I see strong progressives like Senator Sheila Leslie (D-Reno), and Assembly Members Peggy Pierce (D-Las Vegas) and Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno), as emerging leaders who can do plenty of good in Carson City in the not-too-distant future. I especially believe Horsford will leave Senate Democratic leadership in good hands (and hands that won't easily lose grip to a sleazeball like Mikey Roberson [R-Jerk]).

However, Nevada also needs to send tried and true leaders to Washington if we want to see progress on our policy priorities. And if Coolican still thinks they "can't solve our problems from Washington", I have two words for him: HARRY REID.



Harry Reid has led the way on many issues Nevadans care deeply about, such as creating green jobs now and building our renewable energy future. Really, where would we be without having the US Senate Majority Leader? Does Coolican really think that "doesn't matter"?

The fact of the matter is that who Nevadans send to Congress really does matter. And considering the outsized influence of the current crop of G-O-TEA crazies in Congress now, I would much rather have strong legislators who have learned to put their principles into practice in a pragmatic way than continue to suffer under extreme ideologues who only got to where they are now thanks to a few ideologically extreme billionaires who want to control, then destroy, every aspect of American government. And considering all the madness that's taken hold on the GOP side, it's good to see Nevada Democrats fielding strong Congressional Candidates who will be able to work with President Obama in 2013 and beyond on getting Nevada and the country back on track.

So with Horsford now in, it looks like the Democratic field is pretty much set. And as decor diva Martha Stewart would say, this truly is a good thing. Steven Horsford, Ruben Kihuen, John Oceguera, and Dina Titus are all experienced legislators, and especially Horsford and Titus have exceptionally strong track records of making progressive policy wishes into reality. So what's to complain about? And for that matter, why can't Nevada Republicans cough up more of their own candidates for Congress? Really, what are they afraid of?

NV-03: For the Heck of It, Republicans Keep Denying Reality

Apparently, professional radical right whiners are not happy when the truth is told about Joe Heck and what he's doing in Washington. Apparently I'm "embarrassing myself daily for the entire world to watch".

Wait, so telling the truth is now "embarrassing"? Lordy, someone needs to call the WHAAAAAA-MBULENCE!



They're even taking the crybaby act to the local teabagger propaganda rag "newspaper" to whine about "big, bad, unemployed people stalking!!!" poor little rich Joe Heck. OK, so maybe Heck's feelings are hurt when he sits in his hilltop McMansion and staffers notify him of constituents saying not-so-nice things about him.

Well, guess what? Those "big, bad, unemployed people" have lost their jobs, are losing their (far more modest) homes, and are worried about how they'll put food on the family table in the next week. Nevadans are suffering, yet all Heck and his Republican colleagues in Congress want to do is lie about consumer safeguards...

Politicians and business groups often blame excessive regulation and fear of higher taxes for tepid hiring in the economy. However, little evidence of that emerged when McClatchy canvassed a random sample of small business owners across the nation. [...]

McClatchy reached out to owners of small businesses, many of them mom-and-pop operations, to find out whether they indeed were being choked by regulation, whether uncertainty over taxes affected their hiring plans and whether the health care overhaul was helping or hurting their business.

Their response was surprising.

None of the business owners complained about regulation in their particular industries, and most seemed to welcome it. Some pointed to the lack of regulation in mortgage lending as a principal cause of the financial crisis that brought about the Great Recession of 2007-09 and its grim aftermath.

Obsess over teabagger extremist endorsements, attack the Peace Corps (??!!), flirt with eliminating corporate income tax (while demanding that seniors and disabled get Social Security and Medicare cuts), and return from a month long vacation only to keep obstructing and play political games against President Obama.

Did you notice something missing there? For all the pomp and circumstance, where is the action on what matters? Where are the jobs?

They definitely have not surfaced here since Congressional Republicans took over the federal agenda and called for a host of job-killing policies, from union busting to "austerity" budgets to holding the full faith and credit of America hostage. When even a majority of Republicans think President Obama needs to focus more on job creation than budget deficits (overall, 68% of Americans want more focus on jobs while only 30% want more focus on budget cutting), shouldn't Joe Heck and his House GOP colleagues think twice before pushing the same policy agenda that the overwhelming majority of Americans reject?

President Obama has tried desperately to engage Congressional Republicans with multiple offers of compromise, but even he now has to realize that he can't keep trying to negotiate with crazy and expect different results. "Austerity" really is killing our economy and killing off American jobs, but Joe Heck just doesn't want to quit these bad policies. So why should he be surprised when his angry constituents show up outside his office to protest?

NV-02: Mediscared

(Also at Daily Kos)

Who knew this would yet again be THE hot button issue in yet another special Congressional election? It all seems to be coming down to Medicare, Medicare, & Medicare.

In [the NY-26 special election], Democrat Kathy Hochul went up early and hard against her Republican opponent, accusing her of seeking to kill Medicare because she supported Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal. It took weeks for Republican Jane Corwin to respond.

When Hochul won the heavily GOP district, the Republicans-want-to-kill-Medicare message quickly became a national strategy, and Democrats posited that by using it they could take back the House.

Marshall has followed that playbook, focusing two of her three attack ads on Amodei’s evolving position on Ryan’s plan to revamp Medicare.

But neither national Republicans nor Amodei are letting the attacks go unchallenged. An Amodei TV ad features his mother and accuses Marshall of lying about his record.

This is what has Mark Amodei freaking out.

In addition to pushing the national momentum on Medicare, Marshall’s campaign thinks Amodei is vulnerable on the issue. The district is home to many seniors.

Early in the campaign, Amodei called Ryan’s proposal a good starting point. When he was working to get the Republican central committee’s nomination, he said he would “cozy up” to Ryan to get his plan passed.

A local Reno news station tried to debunk Mark Amodei's misleading ads...



But honestly, even KTVN got some facts wrong! For instance, the "Medicare cuts" that Amodei claims Marshall supports, and that KTVN claims were passed as part of the Affordable Care Act last year, are really provisions ensuring that Medicare funds are redirected to better patient care instead of being wasted on insurance industry profits (aka "Medicare Advantage") and other forms of waste & abuse. In addition, the Affordable Care Act actually improves Medicare coverage by lowering prescription drug costs and providing free preventive care!

This is what President Obama and the Democratic 111th Congress did to strengthen and improve health care for seniors.



Now contrast this with what House Republicans have been pushing for.



And Mark Amodei most definitely supports Paul Ryan's GOP-teabagger plan to kill Medicare. And despite what Amodei claims, the fact of the matter is that "The Paul Ryan Kill Medicare Plan" that he supported will indeed affect seniors currently on Medicare.

Amodei can spin all he wants, but the facts are simply not on his or Paul Ryan's side.

That’s not how Ryan’s plan works. For one thing, it eliminates traditional fee-for-service Medicare. For another, Its savings come from capping the growth of federal spending at inflation — which is much, much, much slower than the rate of health-care cost growth. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that, in 2022, Ryan’s plan would have a typical beneficiary shouldering 61 percent of the cost of a standard plan, and by 2030, because the government would limit its contributions, they’d be paying 68 percent. [... I]t’s absolutely central to how the Ryan budget saves money. It’s the core of his proposal.

And considering this along with Ryan's and Congressional Republicans' increasingly ugly poll numbers, no wonder why Amodei is so scared that he's trying his hardest to run away from his support for "Ryancare". He can run, but can he really hide? Not if we don't let him!

NV-03: Who Does Heck REALLY Serve?

Oh, my. I guess yesterday's "event" with Joe Heck didn't quite go as planned.

What especially looks to be the problem at hand was the event Joe Heck attended. Was it private? Were protests allowed? Who was causing a scene?

Honestly, that's missing the point. Why is Joe Heck's event page completely empty? Why was a constituent who RSVPed to an event that was supposedly "open to the public" kicked out for wearing a "Beyond Coal" Sierra Club t-shirt? And why weren't local constituents allowed to ask questions of (supposedly) their member of Congress?

Seriously, something is wrong with this picture.

When did it suddenly become acceptable for a consulting firm working with the oil industry to shield an elected public servant from the voting public that he's supposed to serve?

After I wrote my first diary yesterday, I heard firsthand reports from a few people who made it inside. Now I understand why they didn't want more people inside. Heck said one of our energy problems is that "we can't utilize fracking to its full potential". So our energy solution lies in a dangerous practice going after a limited amount of natural gas? And how is that supposed to help us in Nevada?

And how on earth is the "clean coal" myth supposed to help? Apparently that was the other "bright idea" Heck threw out yesterday. There's no such thing as "clean coal", and America will do just fine without it.

So these are the "energy solutions" coming from Joe Heck? No wonder why his new dirty energy friends had their PR people kick citizens out of that "open to the public" meeting yesterday. What will fracking for natural gas or "clean coal" actually do for Nevada? Absolutely nothing.

On the other hand, we have great potential for renewable energy. Why wouldn't Heck address that yesterday? Was he afraid someone would ask why he pledged to oppose any climate legislation that could create more clean energy jobs here in Nevada?

So who does Joe Heck really serve? It doesn't sound like he's doing anything to help us in Nevada. Heck, he won't even listen to us!

Lesson Learned: If We Don’t Like It, Then We Must Change It

A MoveOn protest formed Downtown yesterday, and I was there for it. People were angry about what just happened, and they had questions for Dean Heller. Unfortunately, Heller's office in Las Vegas didn't really do anything but provide a printed statement on his vote yesterday.

Oh yes, that's right. It was all just a word salad full of regurgitated teabagger talking points that equate eliminating Social Security and Medicare to "protecting" them. And yes, his statement actually went there.

So that's why we weren't happy yesterday.









Most of the group stayed downstairs as Heller's office agreed to only "two at a time", then directed security to politely guide everyone holding signs down to the "free speech zone" below the stairs. So the rest of us stayed downstairs as passersby along Las Vegas Boulevard were honking in support. A local attorney walked by, and he was flabbergasted as soon as he realized what happened. A local homeless person also came over and tried to argue with the group, but I just felt sorry for him.

And then, things got far more interesting. A staffer from Harry Reid's office came down to join us, and he proceeded to explain what's actually in the debt bill and how to move forward. He discussed Reid's disappointment in the lack of new revenues in the final bill, how he worked to build a firewall around Social Security, Medicare, & Medicaid benefits in the final bill, and what to do now to prepare for the fight ahead on the "Super Congress" commission.

So what can we do now? Well, start by encouraging Reid to stay strong and ensure his appointees to the commission do the right thing on it. And looking further ahead, we need to make sure we no longer have to worry about Dean Heller and Joe Heck encouraging the teabaggers to continue with their irresponsible and dangerous behavior. We're already seeing Heller's poll numbers drop. If we want to avoid this kind of preventable drama in 2013, we can start by changing Congress.

OK, We Ranted. Now, Let's Act!

Below is the message I wrote to Joe Heck. Please write to him as well, and call his office at (702) 387-4941 or (202) 225-3252.

---

Our fellow Nevadan and our Senator, Harry Reid, has proposed a plan to raise the debt ceiling while cutting $2.7 trillion from the federal budget. This plan includes $1.2 trillion in discretionary cuts, which is actually a larger amount than what House Speaker John Boehner has been proposing. This plan seriously tackles the budget deficit while helping America avoid the catastrophic consequences of defaulting on our national debt.

Please support Senator Reid's balanced approach to avoiding debt default, and please urge your fellow Republicans to allow for a fair up or down vote on Reid's plan, and to support Reid's plan as well. This is our last chance to avoid disaster, and I hope you will vote to prevent Nevadans from suffering the consequences of this preventable disaster.

---

Also call Dean Heller's office at (202) 224-6244, (702) 388-6605, or (775) 686-5770, and email him here to let him know Nevadans demand an end to this political hostage taking. Oh, and make sure to thank Harry Reid and Shelley Berkley when you have time today for doing the right thing. Now it's up to "We the People" to stop the madness on Capitol Hill!

UPDATE 10:00 AM: I just called Heck and Heller. Heck's office says he hasn't made a decision yet, other than he doesn't support debt default. Meanwhile, Heller's office says his position is whatever the most recent press releases and statements posted on his Senate web site say. Neither would commit to either the Boehner plan (which is looking less likely to pass) or the Reid plan (which can pass, and makes sure not to touch Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid), so keep the calls going. Also call 1(866) 736-7343, thank Senator Reid for all the work he is doing on this, and urge him not to give up on passing his plan (which IMHO is the best of this whole sorry bunch).

Free the Hostages Already

It wasn't pretty last night, but it needed to be done.

Speaking from the East Room of the White House, President Obama gave his official endorsement to Sen. Harry Reid’s debt limit plan, channeling his signature compassionate academic style in a speech that was much a helpful primer to the nation on debt ceilings, financial markets and congressional budgets as it was a chance for him to frame the debate as a battle between right and wrong.

“The debate right now isn’t about whether we need to make tough choices ... the debate is about how it should be done,” Obama said. “Most Americans, regardless of political party, don’t understand how we can ask a senior citizen to pay more for her Medicare before we ask a corporate jet owner or the oil companies to give up tax breaks that other companies don’t get.

Why? What, this isn't enough for you?



Maybe that's why Americans seem to be increasingly angry at everyone in Washington these days?

And in a bizarre twist of fate, the IMF is now lecturing America on how to handle its wallet (after decades of the US joining the IMF in doing it to developing nations)!

Tick tock. With a week to go until Uncle Sam runs out of cash, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that enough was enough yesterday, calling on politicians to stop bickering and act urgently to stave off global financial meltdown by raising their country's debt ceiling.

The government of the United States will move more than $14.3 trillion (£8.7trn) into the red next Tuesday, surpassing an upper limit on the national debt and therefore preventing the Treasury from being able to pay its bills. That would leave the US unable to service its debt, leading to economic chaos.

The IMF published a harshly worded review of the US economy yesterday, calling for an immediate increase in borrowing limits followed by a "comprehensive solution" which will allow the US to reduce its public borrowing in the medium term by cutting spending and increasing the government's revenues.

But first, they must avoid what would be an unnecessary default. "Directors [of the IMF] highlighted the urgency of raising the federal debt ceiling and agreeing on the specifics of a comprehensive medium-term consolidation programme," said

Again, why are we even here? What is the point of this? This is nothing more than a political crisis. If Congress were to just raise the debt ceiling now and take care of progressive tax reform soon, we wouldn't have this problem. But since that is anathema to teabaggers, we're at this zenith of stupid.

So why can't Congress just raise the debt ceiling already? This hostage crisis may be fun and games to them, but everyone else is sick and tired of it.

Capitol Hill: Land of Dysfunction, Home of Crazy?

(Also at Daily Kos)

Over the weekend, rage was all the rage.

On Saturday night, aided by "a nice pinot noir," the tech and business-of-news writer Jeff Jarvis started to tweet.

"Hey, Washington assholes," he wrote, "it's our country, our economy, our money. Stop fucking with it."

He started rolling. Inspiration struck. "Can we start a Twitter chant: FUCK YOU, WASHINGTON! Pass it on." He willed the chant into existence.

Eventually, another tweeter set Jarvis straight and crafted this into a hashtag. We could see where this was going. Jarvis, one of the smartest promoters and meme-catchers out there, cultivated and curated a wave of angry tweets, retweeting the best ones, eventually harshing on the censorship that stopped his Howard Beale hashtag from trending. Most of the tweets came from liberals angry at the debt impasse. A small sample:
@mcullen546: #FuckYouWashington for calling programs that we pay for entitlements

@mwynn: We see through your public pension theft conspiracy so #fuckyouwashington

@Mr_Pettapucci #fuckyouwashington or letting corporations steal our natural resources and sell them back to the people for profit.

@rogldr5 #fuckyouwashington for all this posturing to assure your reelection.

@bguthro: #FuckYouWashington for playing russian roulette with the world's economic stability

And the rage isn't limited to this side of "the pond".

The [British] business secretary, Vince Cable, broke the unwritten rule of non-intervention in other countries' domestic disputes on Sunday by describing diehard Republicans as "nutters".

Cable, appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, said: "The irony of the situation at the moment, with markets opening tomorrow morning, is that the biggest threat to the world financial system comes from a few rightwing nutters in the American Congress rather than the eurozone."

Until now, market traders had appeared confident that agreement would eventually be reached but US legislators fear that, following the collapse of talks on Friday, there could be the first signs of panic when Wall Street opens on Monday as well as other markets round the world.

And he's not the only one worried about the worldwide effects of a US debt default. Yet even as Capitol Hill is buzzing over arguments over whether Republicans are actually winning or losing this debt fight, the rest of the world simply wonders if we Americans have lost our minds.

Think about it. Why are we on the brink of defaulting on our debt? Why are the richest few asked to pay so little while the (growing masses of) working poor are lectured to sacrifice more and more and more?

And why are Congressional Republicans refusing to Harry Reid's most recent offer that gives them exactly the amount of cuts they've been demanding?

What Harry Reid did yesterday was essentially call the GOP’s bluff by outlining a plan that raises the debt ceiling by $2.7 trillion and includes $2.7 trillion in spending cuts, a healthy share of which comes from winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Republicans are rejecting this even though it nominally meets their demands. Why? Because it doesn’t achieve either of their two real objectives. In particular, the plan doesn’t cut Medicare, which means that Democratic party candidates for office in November 2012 and 2014 can accurately remind voters of the content of the Republican budget plan. In case you forgot, this plans repeals Medicare. Having repealed Medicare, it then gives seniors vouchers to purchase more expensive private health insurance. And having replaced Medicare with a voucher system, it then ensures that the vouchers will grow steadily stingier over time. It was only after voting for this plan that Republicans seem to have realized that repealing Medicare is unpopular. Since that time, they’ve been trying to entrap Democrats into reaching some kind of Medicare détente with them, which would immunize them from criticism. Reid’s plan doesn’t do that.

Second, while Reid’s plan doesn’t raise taxes, it also doesn’t take tax increases off the table. Currently, the Bush tax cuts are scheduled to expire in 2012. If Reid’s all-cuts plan passes, that still leaves the door open to significant revenue increases. Now that doesn’t mean this is brilliant 11-dimensional chess. The Reid Plan is consistent with substantial revenues coming online in 2012, but that will only happen if President Obama and Senate Democrats stand firm and play hardball on the tax issue. Back in December 2010, they utterly failed to do so.

Oh, that's right. This would cut military spending and withdraw our troops from wars we need not fight. We just couldn't possibly do that, not when we can instead threaten Granny's Social Security and Medicare, cut my student financial aid, and really do little, if anything at all, about the deficit. Damn that Harry Reid and his fiscal smarts!

So why are we even here? Why are we edging closer and closer toward complete economic ruin? Why are Republican leaders so willing to flirt with committing the ultimate economic murder-suicide on the entire world (Note: linked article is in French)?

Why are we here? Why are we on the brink of economic collapse? Why are we on the verge of crashing the global economy along with our own? And why can't we agree on any sort of sensible solution to this uniquely political problem?

This is the unfortunate reality. Common sense macroeconomics would lead us to recognize we need more public sector investment to stimulate economic growth and job creation. However House Republican leaders refuse to recognize common sense macroeconomics, and House & Senate Democratic leaders worry over the effects of a protracted debt fight that would lead to debt default. So how do we want our pain? Do we want a little hurt or a lot? Do we want to counteract past stimulus efforts, or do we just want to blow up the entire world economy?

This is the madness our federal government has descended into. So what can we do about it? Well, maybe we need to think twice about just "throwing the bums out", and think more about why we really need people in Congress who are willing to look at "the big picture" and pass smart policy.

Madness

Just plain madness.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) abruptly withdrew from debt talks with the White House late Friday, ending renewed hopes for a grand deficit-reduction deal to raise the debt limit.

"I have decided to end discussions with the White House," Boehner said in a letter being sent to the entire GOP House membership.

Republican officials said a week of renewed discussions broke down as the White House insisted on revenues from new taxes.

"In the end, we couldn't connect," Boehner wrote.

With just days remaining to meet an Aug. 2 deadline to avoid a federal default, the speaker is working with Senate leaders to devise a new proposal to be presented to the House and Senate by Monday.

Madness.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Madness.

Speaking with ThinkProgress today, Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) offered a take on the reasons behind House Republicans’ obstinacy on the debt ceiling. Describing it as the “the party of denial,” Moran compared the current GOP to the historical, nativist “Know-Nothing party” that, incidentally, wanted to restrict types of immigrants and have daily bible readings in public schools. Moran said Republicans “don’t know enough to know what they don’t know,” including “how serious lifting the debt ceiling it,” or “the results of any of their own actions.” “They just don’t know, they don’t care,” Moran said, adding that “a majority of the House Republicans ran on the basis that government doesn’t work. And now that they’re elected they’re determined to prove it.”

Madness.

The more the sales drop, the more the corporations constrict to meet current demand, the more the corporations constrict by either not filling vacant positions, or reducing their workforces, and the greater the downward pressure on effective demand. We’ve experienced one ‘deflation scare’ recently, and we don’t need to replicate it.

If corporations don’t want their workers to unionize and bargain for better wages, then they should not lament the lack of consumers for their goods and services. The globalization of trade has heightened the rift between productivity and wages, where we once might have reasonably expected increased productivity to be at least associated with increased wages, that cord has been cut. It’s not likely to be reattached in the near future.

We, the people, now find ourselves being ‘info-mercialed’ in regard to all manner of dire crises — The Debt Ceiling! The Debt Ceiling! Government Spending! Government Spending! — while the real, tangible, and most potentially destructive crisis is literally right in our very own neighborhoods, it may be immediately next door or down the hall. It’s the unemployment level in our states and communities, while not a single JOBS bill has passed in our House of Representatives, and they’ve been all too busy symbolically “repealing” measures that might alleviate the situation. Increasing employment in these United States will require deeds — not drama.

And that's the real problem here. Unemployment is creeping upward again, and government budget cuts are already taking their toll as public sector layoffs send the unemployment rate soaring again. Instead of investing in economic recovery, state and local governments are being forced to divest... And we're now starting to see the results of that.

So what are we hearing at the federal level? "Austerity." "Feel the pain." "Tough choices."

Well, guess what? Here in Nevada, we're already seeing the results of "austerity". They're not looking pretty. And it seems few on Capitol Hill really seem to get that.

Redistricting Nevada: NV-0X & The Politicians Who Crave It

In case you haven't yet heard, all the "kool kidz" on Twitter are using NV-0X to describe the current Nevada Congressional campaigns that can't yet point to actual districts... Since we don't have any new district lines yet. But even though we don't have any actual Congressional Districts ready for 2012, that isn't stopping what's quickly becoming a wild game of political musical chairs.

Joe Heck is now trying to look more "moderate" and "Nevadan". Meanwhile on the Democratic side, Nevada Assembly Speaker John Oceguera is now running for US House in a "yet to be determined district"... Except that it feels like he's already determined he's ready to take on Joe Heck. And not to be outdone by anyone else, Dina Titus is already making a big splash in her latest comeback campaign. And rumors continue swirling about Nevada Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas), State Senator Ruben Kihuen (D-Las Vegas), State Senator John Lee (D?-North Las Vegas), and others making the jump.

However, there's a problem. And if you haven't already noticed, let me remind you. Nevada will have four Congressional Districts starting in 2013. One of them will most assuredly be up north (where Kate Marshall is already running in the special election this year). So that leaves us with three Clark County based districts, yet we have two already announced Democratic candidates and at least three likely candidates. This is where the musical chairs analogy comes into play. With only three seats available and five candidates eyeing them, either a couple will have to "drop out before they even run", or we will be seeing some fierce primary action in the next year.

So here is where redistricting comes into play. The law suit is now in Carson City district court, but it may very well ultimately be decided by the Nevada Supreme Court. And since the courts are not supposed to take partisan politics into consideration, they probably won't be keen on any "baconmanders".

So let's take a look at probable redistricting scenarios, and how Nevada's Democratic candidates will respond accordingly.

In my first scenario, which I proposed back in May, Democrats won't be too happy. Neither will Republicans, but the Nevada GOP must recognize this is the best they can hope for after deliberately punting redistricting to the courts.







In this map, Clark County Latinos get a favorable (41.2% CVAP) minority-majority (and heavily Democratic) NV-01, while NV-03 remains slightly Democratic leaning but very swingy, NV-04 is drawn as a pure tossup seat, and NV-02 is Republican leaning but prone to become increasingly swingy. This may be enough to entice Ruben Kihuen to run in NV-01 (and make Steven Horsford think twice about running here), while Dina Titus and John Oceguera are forced to primary each other in NV-03 for the honor to face Joe Heck in the general election, and NV-04 just sits there and waits for some brave Democrat to face the steep challenge ahead.

NV-01 (Blue):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 69.1%
McCain (R) 28.8%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Harry Reid (D) 65%
Sharron Angle (R) 30%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Rory Reid (D) 58%
Brian Sandoval (R) 37%

NV-02 (Green):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 49.4%
McCain (R) 48.2%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Sharron Angle (R) 50%
Harry Reid (D) 43%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Brian Sandoval (R) 63%
Rory Reid (D) 34%

(And I'm only showing it here because it hardly even changes in the other two maps.)

NV-03 (Purple):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 55.7%
McCain (R) 42.2%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Harry Reid (D) 52%
Sharron Angle (R) 43%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Brian Sandoval (R) 52%
Rory Reid (D) 45%

NV-04 (Red):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 51.6%
McCain (R) 46.2%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Sharron Angle (R) 48%
Harry Reid (D) 48%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Brian Sandoval (R) 56%
Rory Reid (D) 40%

---

But what if this doesn't happen? What if the judges have different ideas on how to divvy up Clark County? If that happens, Nevada Democrats will rejoice. But depending on how the lines are specifically redrawn, some will rejoice more than others.

In my second scenario, the court takes a more nuanced approach to the VRA and city boundaries. Since it's virtually impossible to create any sort of neatly drawn 50%+ Latino CVAP district, the court then sides with the Democrats in allowing for multiple "opportunity districts" instead. So instead of just one heavily Democratic district and two swing districts, Clark County instead gets one strongly Democratic district, one Democratic leaning district (which a much heftier lean), and one tossup district. NV-03 is now 36.9% Latino CVAP, and is one "Big Blue Blob" extending from the (heavily Latino) east end of North Las Vegas all the way south (through Downtown Las Vegas and UNLV) to Henderson's Green Valley and Green Valley Ranch. NV-01 is now "L-shaped" and extends from Cheyenne Ave in North Las Vegas to Southern Highlands, then jumps The 15 to take in Silverado Ranch, Henderson's Anthem, and Old Henderson. And NV-04 now takes in the bulk of Northwest Vegas, Summerlin, North Las Vegas north of Cheyenne Ave, Boulder City, and all the outlying Clark County rural areas.



In this scenario, Dina Titus gets the district of her dreams, as she gets much of her old base (East Side and Green Valley) without most of the pesky Republican heavy turf causing her endless headaches in 2008 and 2010. John Oceguera then gets his own Silverado Ranch based district that he can fairly easily kick Joe Heck out of (unless Steven Horsford really wants to fight him for a district that stretches that far south and includes Joe Heck's Roma Hills mansion), and John Lee finally gets a moderate district with enough North Las Vegas in it that he can run in. Sadly for Ruben Kihuen, he's left without a chair once the music stops.

NV-01 (Purple):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 58.8%
McCain (R) 39.2%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Harry Reid (D) 55%
Sharron Angle (R) 40%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Brian Sandoval (R) 49%
Rory Reid (D) 48%

NV-03 (Blue):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 63.7%
McCain (R) 34.0%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010:
Harry Reid (D) 60%
Sharron Angle (R) 35%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Rory Reid (D) 53%
Brian Sandoval (R) 44%

NV-04 (Red):

US Pres 2008
Obama (D) 52.0%
McCain (R) 45.8%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Harry Reid (D) 47%
Sharron Angle (R) 47%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Brian Sandoval (R) 57%
Rory Reid (D) 39%

---

But wait, there's more!

In my third scenario, the court takes a similar approach to the second scenario... Except that instead of Northwest Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV-04 swoops in to take Southwest Vegas and most of Henderson south of The 215/Lake Mead Parkway. NV-03, meanwhile, is now 37.6% Latino CVAP (and 57.4% minority majority CVAP overall), but still extends from Nellis Air Force Base all the way south to Green Valley Ranch. And NV-01 now is confined west of The 15 (with a couple small exceptions in Downtown Las Vegas) and stretches from Aliante (the northern edge of North Las Vegas) and Northwest Vegas to West Las Vegas and Summerlin.



In this scenario, Dina Titus still gets the district of her dreams with a NV-03 that looks tailor made for her. But now with NV-01 taking in North Las Vegas, Steven Horsford may have the upper hand here. Local Democrats will feel no pressure to accept a ConservaDem like John Lee in a district this Democratic, but perhaps a Summerlin area Democrat (paging Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown?) could give Horsford some heartburn in the primary. Meanwhile in NV-04, John Oceguera must now face Joe Heck in a tougher district that Heck just might have the upper hand in. And again, Ruben Kihuen is left without a chair once the music stops.

NV-01 (Purple):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 58.9%
McCain (R) 39.2%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Harry Reid (D) 55%
Sharron Angle (R) 40%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Brian Sandoval (R) 49%
Rory Reid (D) 48%

NV-03 (Blue):

US-Pres 2008
Obama (D) 63.9%
McCain (R) 33.8%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010:
Harry Reid (D) 60%
Sharron Angle (R) 35%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Rory Reid (D) 53%
Brian Sandoval (R) 44%

NV-04 (Red):

US Pres 2008
Obama (D) 51.3%
McCain (R) 46.4%

Estimated NV-Sen 2010
Harry Reid (D) 47%
Sharron Angle (R) 47%

Estimated NV-Gov 2010
Brian Sandoval (R) 58%
Rory Reid (D) 38%

Redistricting may very well change the dynamics of next year's Congressional elections here in Nevada, especially among a core group of powerful Clark County Democrats. Depending on the way the lines are drawn, either the State Senate Majority Leader or the State Assembly Speaker will have a tough time making the climb to Capitol Hill. And depending on the contours of the final map, either a rising young progressive star gets the promotion of a lifetime or a long time progressive stalwart gets the ultimate comeback.

NV-02: Why Are These Republicans Against JOBS & Energy Independence?

(Also at Daily Kos)

Last week, Reno News & Review had an interesting article on Nevada experiencing more of the dangerous effects of climate change without us previously realizing it.

A string of tornados. Major international floods. Record-breaking wildfires across the Southwest. And—far less destructive but more noticeable to Northern Nevada residents—a freakishly wet and chilly May, making it the spring that never was. It’s left many to scratch their heads and say, “Maybe there’s something to this climate change thing.” If climate change were happening in Nevada, what would it look like, and are we seeing it now?

To the second question, the Desert Research Institute’s Dr. Kelly Redmond, says, “Yes, I think we probably are.” Redmond is deputy director of the Western Regional Climate Center. He compares recognizing climate change to noticing signs of aging. Every once in awhile, we have some episode—we discover we can’t party as hard as we used to, or we have a wrinkle, a gray hair, an illness—and we realize that while we don’t see it every day, we are undoubtedly aging. We don’t notice global warming every day, either, but a vast amount of data shows the Earth is warming, and the effects of it are both subtle and blunt. Sometimes climate change looks like a raging wildfire, sometimes like a butterfly where it never was before. [...]

Redmond says everybody should be skeptical of data by itself. When he first saw temperatures on research thermometers rising, he thought something was wrong with the thermometers. But even with new thermometers and placement of them, evidence of warming remained. He’s also seen evidence of snowmelt occurring one to three weeks earlier than it did 50 years ago. Lilacs and honeysuckles are blooming earlier. The biggest fires in the history of the Western U.S. have been in the past 10 years. Pine beetles in Canada, previously kept in check by cold snaps, have jumped the continental divide and are headed down the East coast. Chipmunks, mice and voles have moved up in elevation from where they lived 100 years ago. Most butterflies are also slowly moving north.

“All these bits and pieces of evidence, all these compasses, are basically pointing in the same direction. Maybe one or two of the compasses are broken. But if they’re all pointing in the same direction, you pay attention. This is very much like solving a crime. There’s a standard of proof in criminology, and we should have some kind of standard of proof in our head for when we decide to believe something or not. And then, are you willing to change your mind based on the evidence you see? I think most people’s minds can be changed by what they see. If we listen to what the world’s telling us, we’ll get it. The question is, will we get it fast enough?”

It's becoming increasingly difficult to deny the sobering reality of the coming climate crisis... Except apparently if one wants the endorsement of the Nevada Republican Party. If we're to accept the "energy policy" prescriptions coming from the Republicans (including Nevada Republican Party endorsed candidate, Mark Amodei) running in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District, we may actually never get it! Go ahead and listen for yourself as they refuse to even acknowledge the realities of climate change and deride "green energy" as "not responsible".

Face, meet palm. Well, at least I'm not alone. Mr. Spectator was also disgusted.

[...] The candidates differed in no appreciable way on issues. They predictably answered litmus questions from the party faithful on the gamut of right wing nut job topics, but I found their comments on “Green Energy” the most telling. Here is the exact question: “It is often touted that Nevada is the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy. Address the cost to the consumer and reconcile the political versus that cost.” What’s not well hidden in this poorly worded question is an inherent denial of human caused climate change. There is no reason to develop more expensive renewable energy if climate change is a myth concocted by left wing scientists. We want the cheapest energy source possible to be most economically competitive. Corporations can be trusted to not grossly pollute for profit, can’t they? [...]

If the scientific realty of human caused climate change is not front and center when setting energy policy and priorities, these are not the people we should be sending to Washington, at least to represent me. From their “green energy” responses we do not know how the candidates stand on climate change, but apparently these fellows need to pander to flat earth Nevada Republicans who are still in a tizzy President Obama was not actually born in this country. All three candidates seem to value science if it makes money or war, but not when science points out pollution and environmental destruction on a global scale.

Clearly Mark Amodei, Kirk Lippold, and Greg Brower don't want to recognize real science. So instead, they run to the hocus pocus "magic" of dirty coal, oil, nuclear, and the rest of the failed fossil fuel industry. Lovely.

Here's the problem. One, we simply can't afford to give up the potential for much needed jobs.







Good jobs are already being created right here in Nevada, and even more will be created if we invest more in renewable energy development and energy efficiency.

And here's another big issue. Mark Amodei likes to complain about the "high cost" of renewable energy, but he failed to mention the real costs of dirty fossil fuels. Solar power is becoming more affordable and accessible as companies continue to innovate with new technology and solar becomes more widespread & mainstream. However as renewable energy costs have dropped over the last decade, fossil fuel energy costs continue to rise as supply becomes more limited and the many hidden costs of pollution are revealed.

Even our REPUBLICAN Governor and Lieutenant Governor recognize the need for Nevada to go green with renewables.



So even prominent Republicans here in Nevada recognize the need to go green. Why don't Mark Amodei and the other Republicans running in NV-02?

Want Jobs? Go Green!

(Also at DKos)

Before I hear any more about "job killing enviro-nazis" and "myths of manmade global warming hurting our economy", view this.



Need I say more? Need I go on? OK, I will.

How many of us are thinking twice about our summer travel plans? How many of us are worrying about how much more expensive it is today to drive to work and/or school? And our addiction to fossil fuels isn't what's hurting our economy?

But before I go further, get a load of this.

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has been talking about this concept for a while, arguing that a gasoline tax “would trigger a shift in buying and investment” in clean energy here in the U.S. — a move that would provide a foundation for a reinvigorated economy and reduce Americans’ dependence on oil, particularly from foreign sources.

But despite the fact that little is being done about it legislatively, the general consensus is that America’s dependence on oil also harms U.S. national security. “Bringing down consumption of imported oil is very much in the interest of national security,” noted retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton last month. And indeed, even the U.S. military is acknowledging this reality and taking action [...]

“There are a lot of profound reasons for doing this, but for us at the core it’s practical,” said Ray Mabus, the Navy secretary and a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Yet the Saudis have an obvious interest in keeping America — and the West — addicted to its oil supply. And luckily for them, their mouthpiece in the U.S. gets generous air time to make that case. And seeing that bin Talal is also one of Fox News’s largest shareholders, perhaps he’s rubbing off on some of the network’s most high profile employees. “I love that smell of emissions,” Sarah Palin said this weekend.

We're seeing continued high gas prices as The Middle East is in turmoil. At the same time, the national unemployment rate is still painfully high at 9.1%. What we're doing now really isn't working. Yet even though our addiction to fossil fuels is now coming back to bite us, the Congressional Republicans' proposed federal budget would only worsen this if enacted.

Even business leaders are horrified by this!



Why? Simple. They're not stupid. They know that there is potential for 4.2 million new green collar jobs in the next 30 years, and that the global demand for bold solutions to the climate crisis may actually provide lucrative opportunities in renewable energy and energy efficiency.





If green jobs are the future, then my home state is at the center of it all. Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the country, yet we also have immense opportunities to take the climate bull by the horns and actually revive our economy with new jobs.







Of course, it helps that we have the Senate Majority Leader here working nonstop to bring more green projects here to Nevada and foster more green jobs efforts across the nation. However, our other Senator doesn't seem to be as interested in putting his own people back to work.

[Senator Dean] Heller [R-Fossil Fuel Industry] voted to end Department of Energy loan guarantees for clean energy projects and voted in favor of tax breaks for big oil companies. [Rep. Shelley] Berkley [D-Las Vegas] supported the loan guarantees and opposed the incentives.

Without loan guarantees, renewable energy projects such as a solar-thermal plant being built in Tonopah would be shuttered, Berkley said. The Tonopah project will create 600 jobs.

Berkley said Heller instead sided with oil companies to approve lucrative tax breaks and incentives for the industry.

"Do big oil companies need more tax subsidies?" Berkley asked. "I don't think so. What we need to be doing is putting our resources into creating a whole economy based on green jobs." [...]

"Dean Heller chose who he stands with. He doesn't stand with middle-class Nevadans," electrician Mark Williams said.

"Clean energy is not so much about the environment but (about) property owners saving money and creating jobs," energy efficiency contractor Chris Cadwell added.

In so many ways, the political battles here in Nevada over green jobs reflect the larger national debate over what to do on climate change and job creation. We can no longer continue living in denial. Climate change is real, is happening at an alarming pace, and is emerging as probably the greatest national security challenge of our time. At the same time, our economic problems are also real, and we can not avoid taking real action to invest in our economy and create more jobs.

So if we really want to avoid "double dip recession" and chronically high unemployment, and if we want to finally get off the sidelines and take the lead on pushing real climate solutions, we know what we need to do. So when will we do it?

DOMA Be Gone? Start Here.

Amidst all the crazy political buzz today, there was some actual good policy news coming out of DC. Here, take a gander.

Today, I will be introducing legislation to repeal the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) once and for all. I will be joined by my colleagues Sens. Leahy, Gillibrand, Blumenthal and Coons. I have opposed DOMA since I voted against it in 1996 and it’s time to erase this stain from our history books once and for all.

[...] I don’t take these things lightly. As I survey the field, I will tell you straight-up: I will need your help as I mount this campaign. I can work from the inside, but I need your help on the outside. We need a mass movement that can make calls, write letters, and mobilize your fellow citizens at a moment’s notice if we’re going to win this battle.

Yep, you saw that right. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is introducing The Respect for Marriage Act in The Senate as a companion to the House bill. This is the first time this bill has ever seen the light of day in the upper chamber, so just this introduction alone is a historic event!

As I said last month, this fight won't be easy. But with the stakes so high, a legal challenge to DOMA already pending in federal court, and House Republicans trying to politicize the issue already by mounting their own legal defense of DOMA, we might as well go on offense here.

So please join Senator Feinstein and Courage Campaign as a citizen co-sponsor of The Respect for Marriage Act, then encourage our Nevada Congresscritters to follow suit. It's really past due that we dump DOMA once and for all.

Meanwhile on Capitol Hill...

While we have been focusing lately on the Nevada budget, there's also a massive fight brewing over the federal budget. House Republicans are already getting flak over their "job destroying budget" that would kill nearly 1,000,000 jobs if passed, likely pushing the country back into full recession. President Obama has already threatened to veto the House GOP budget if passed, and some House Democrats are now saying they have their own objections to Obama's proposed budget. Another federal government shutdown may be coming.

Wow. Looks like a full on train wreck, doesn't it?

Here's the reality of what's at stake, courtesy of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN).



As we've talked about in regards to state issues, we need real investment in our public infrastructure. But with the House GOP's preferred budget, we'd be slashing that very investment we need and destroying the still fragile hope of sustained economic recovery. Meanwhile, neither House Republicans nor President Obama are looking at more thoughtful ways of reducing the federal budget deficit without punishing working class families for no reason.

And of course, Republicans are (mis)using the federal budget debate to continue their losing war on health care, their extreme assault on women's civil rights, their drive to make America more polluted and unhealthy, and so much more. When did the federal budget become an extreme right manifesto?



So in addition to all the madness up in Carson City, it looks like we'll be in for quite the bumper car ride in Washington. Let's see if lawmakers can put aside the ridiculous political games and agree upon some good policy.

Shelley Berkley's "Congress on the Corner"

Usually, this would be just another chance to talk with (one of our) local member(s) of Congress about the issues on our mind. But in light of what's been happening this last week, this was quite special.

People were there to thank Shelley for what she's been doing, ask her about upcoming legislation, ask for help with various federal agencies. Again, at any point last year this would have been considered just another day at Shelley's office in Las Vegas. But today, this means something more. Today, this means our democracy is getting back to work.

Sarah, Sharron, Jesse, Gabby, & "Second Amendment Remedies"

I'm sorry, but I have a hard time moving past this infamous Sharron Angle quote:



Back in June of last year, just as the 2010 general election campaign was kicking off, Rachel Maddow took Angle to task over her casual references of "Second Amendment Remedies".



Some just laughed it off, but this was really a serious problem...



That we're now realizing can reach frightening conclusions.

Her father Spencer Gifford[s], 75, wept when asked if his 40-year-old daughter had any enemies.

"Yeah," he told The Post. "The whole tea party."

The dad, who was rushing to University Medical Center in Tuscon, said that politicians constantly faced danger.

"They always get threat[ened]," Gifford[s] cried.

This is the horrifying result of making light of "Second Amendment Remedies".

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who represents a district adjacent to Gabrielle Giffords's, said that Saturday's shooting is a consequence of the vitriolic rhetoric that has arisen over the past few years among extreme elements of the Tea Party.

"The climate has gotten so toxic in our political discourse, setting up for this kind of reaction for too long. It's unfortunate to say that. I hate to say that," Grijalva said in an interview with The Huffington Post. "If you're an opponent, you're a deadly enemy," Grijalva said of the mindset among Arizona extremists. "Anybody who contributed to feeding this monster had better step back and realize they're threatening our form of government."

Grijalva said that Tea Party leader Sarah Palin should reflect on the rhetoric that she has employed. "She -- as I mentioned, people contributing to this toxic climate -- Ms. Palin needs to look at her own behavior, and if she wants to help the public discourse, the best thing she could do is to keep quiet."

Remember that Sarah Palin put her district in cross hairs. And remember that Giffords' GOP/"tea party" opponent, Jesse Kelly, proudly stood by his M16 rifle in campaign ads while suggesting "Second Amendment Solutions" and boasting of "placing the cross hairs squarely on Giffords".

In an luridly prophetic MSNBC interview back in March of last year, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) warned of the consequences of allowing overheated rhetoric to boil over into violence.

I mean, this is a situation where -- I mean, people don't -- they really need to realize that the rhetoric and firing people up and, you know, even things, for example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list. But the thing is that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gunsight over our district.

When people do that, they've gotta realize there's consequences to that action.

Sadly, Gabrielle Giffords herself, along with 24 others in Tucson yesterday, were victims of those consequences. And while questions remain over the actual motives of the suspect in this case, it's increasingly clear how the "tea party" and its escalating flirtation with violence hasn't helped matters.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Maven and Desert Beacon are right. How could we not see this coming? As I said yesterday, our political leaders from across the political spectrum need to dial down the heated rhetoric. And hopefully, we'll never again hear Sharron Angle, Jesse Kelly, Sarah Palin, or anyone else speak so lightly of "Second Amendment Remedies".

Arizona Congress Member Gabrielle Giffords Shot, Aide & Federal Judge Killed... Blood on Teabaggers' Hands?

So is this the logical conclusion of Sharron Angle's "Second Amendment Remedies"?

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head and an aide was killed Saturday when an assailant opened fire in an area where the lawmaker was meeting with constituents, officials said.

There were varying accounts on Giffords' condition, but a hospital spokesman said the Democratic lawmaker was in critical condition. An aide to Giffords was killed. An unknown number of others were injured, officials said, including additional aides to the lawmaker.

Congressional officials said one of the victims died soon after the attack, and others were taken to a nearby hospital.

So far, (federal) Judge John Roll has been confirmed dead, along with Giffords' Congressional aide and possibly a nine year old child as well.

Now before I go further, let me clarify this. Seriously, I'm not blaming all Republicans for this. I have many good Republican friends and family here, and they would NEVER condone such horrifying violent acts as this.

However, there's no doubt in my mind that all the heated, radical rhetoric from the teabaggers has certainly fueled this fire for violence in this country. I just hope The Secret Service is stepping up security for President Obama, and that Harry Reid and Shelley Berkley are getting good security here in Nevada.

It doesn't help when Jesse Kelly, the "tea party" Republican who ran against Giffords last year, spoke so often of "getting on target" to "remove" Giffords from office. It doesn't help when Sarah Palin put out a "target list" showing cross hairs to identify Democrats, including Giffords, she was "targeting". Remember, "Don't Retreat, Instead - RELOAD!"?

And of course, it doesn't help when leading "tea party" politicians, such as Nevada's own Sharron Angle, turn up the heat and encourage such violence with such horrifyingly extreme rhetoric.



I'm incredibly horrified by what happened today in Southern Arizona... But sadly, I'm not all that shocked. This was bound to happen. When our political climate becomes so heated, so polarized, and so radicalized, violence is bound to result. In the next few days, I hope Gabrielle Giffords survives surgery and begins full recovery. And I hope all of our political leaders- left, right, and center- condemn this horrid, criminal, possibly terrorist act, and urge Americans not to allow our politics to become so bloody.