What a way to make an impression with one's constituents. For some reason, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) thought it would be a great idea to insult a group of undocumented immigrants confronting him over his inhumane anti-immigrant policies, including a rule that bars DREAMers from attending public colleges in Georgia.
Here's what Nathan Deal got wrong: He clearly wasn't expecting this good of a comeback. Oh, and the students he claimed were undocumented immigrants were actually US citizens. Whoops.
And this isn't the only recent example of G-O-TEA politicians encountering hot water when trying to spin away anything & everything immigration related. Earlier this month, Senator (& likely 2016 Presidential Candidate) Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) ran away when confronted by DREAMers. And earlier this week, Rep. (& fellow likely 2016 Presidential Candidate) Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) refused to answer questions from DREAMers on why he voted to deport them along with Central American refugee children.
And then, there's Senator (& another possible 2016 Presidential Candidate) Marco Rubio (R-Florida). Once upon a time, Rubio was a lead sponsor of S 744, the comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill that handily passed the Senate last year. But as of late, Rubio has been trying to catch up with Rand Paul in the anti-immigrant department. And now, Senator Rubio is condemning the very CIR legislation he once sponsored.
The devolution is now complete. Republican politicians who once supported CIR are now running away from it as fast as they can. And once respected "conservative think tanks" are now advocating public funding for anti-immigrant/anti-government militia groups.
So why are they doing this? Why are they flip-flopping so wildly? And why are they now embracing the extreme anti-immigrant militia movement?
Simple answer: Short term politics. Longer answer: They're so frightened of their 21st Century Know Nothing base that they're willing to sacrifice sound policy (and smart political strategy) to grovel to G-O-TEA Culture Warriors' darkest desires.
This is why CIR now lies dead in some House committee room. And this is why President Obama must take executive action to address what the lower House of Congress refuses to fix. While DACA does provide some relief for DREAMers, their family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are still being deported en masse. Even though they committed no crimes and have made many positive contributions to our communities, they're still being deported. In fact, President Obama has presided over more deportations than any other US President.
Since the lower House of Congress refuses to act, President Obama must. Since House Republicans (cough- Joe Heck -cough) insist on playing petty politics with real people's lives, President Obama must look past the petty politics and focus on good policy. Since the lower House of Congress declined to "go big", the President must.
Showing posts with label Paul Ryan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Ryan. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
"Count on Joe"
Today, let's take another trip to the always exciting Nevada Progressive archives. This time, we're traveling back to September 2011. Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) was caught doing a rare town hall meeting in Summerlin. And he had to answer a tough question from the audience on his vote for Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wisconsin) Medicare busting austerity budget earlier that year.
Ouch. He had to resort to rhetorical pretzel twists to defend that vote... Yet he voted for another Paul Ryan austerity budget in March 2012. But after he caught some political heat for those votes later that year, Rep. Joe Heck turned around and voted against the third Paul Ryan austerity budget last year.
Now, Heck seems to be feeling the "Ryan-mentum" again. This past June, Rep. Heck had Paul Ryan write a fundraising letter for his reelection campaign. Of course, the letter contains all the usual accusations of President Obama, Senator Harry Reid (D), and Nancy Pelosi being such meanie poopyheads who won't let the "YOUNG GUNS!!!" have any fun on Capitol Hill. Oh, and Rep. Ryan "can count on Joe as a leader in the struggle to revive our economy".
How so? Was he talking about the government shutdown that yanked $26 billion out of our economy? Is he talking about the continuing denial of unemployment insurance (UI) that's hut over e million Americans (including over 37,000 Nevadans)? Is he talking about the denial of a minimum wage increase that could have given our economy the extra boost we all need? Or is he just talking about his austerity program that's been suppressing economic growth?
Income inequality is a serious problem in this nation. Don't believe us? See the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Standard & Poors (S&P) reports. Income inequality hinders economic growth.
And Paul Ryan's austerity regime is worsening our income inequality problem. Is that what he meant when he "can count on Joe as a leader in the struggle to revive our economy"? He can certainly "count on Joe" to vote for his policies that harm the economy and hurt working families. And if that's the message they want to share with Nevada voters, we won't stand in the way of that.
Ouch. He had to resort to rhetorical pretzel twists to defend that vote... Yet he voted for another Paul Ryan austerity budget in March 2012. But after he caught some political heat for those votes later that year, Rep. Joe Heck turned around and voted against the third Paul Ryan austerity budget last year.
Now, Heck seems to be feeling the "Ryan-mentum" again. This past June, Rep. Heck had Paul Ryan write a fundraising letter for his reelection campaign. Of course, the letter contains all the usual accusations of President Obama, Senator Harry Reid (D), and Nancy Pelosi being such meanie poopyheads who won't let the "YOUNG GUNS!!!" have any fun on Capitol Hill. Oh, and Rep. Ryan "can count on Joe as a leader in the struggle to revive our economy".
How so? Was he talking about the government shutdown that yanked $26 billion out of our economy? Is he talking about the continuing denial of unemployment insurance (UI) that's hut over e million Americans (including over 37,000 Nevadans)? Is he talking about the denial of a minimum wage increase that could have given our economy the extra boost we all need? Or is he just talking about his austerity program that's been suppressing economic growth?
Income inequality is a serious problem in this nation. Don't believe us? See the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Standard & Poors (S&P) reports. Income inequality hinders economic growth.
And Paul Ryan's austerity regime is worsening our income inequality problem. Is that what he meant when he "can count on Joe as a leader in the struggle to revive our economy"? He can certainly "count on Joe" to vote for his policies that harm the economy and hurt working families. And if that's the message they want to share with Nevada voters, we won't stand in the way of that.
Monday, May 19, 2014
A Way Out
Last Thursday, a number of local fast food workers took to the streets with community allies as a part of #FastFoodGlobal. These workers either make minimum wage or just above minimum wage. And they're struggling just to survive.
These low wage workers are merely asking for this: #MakeWorkPay. That's all. They're already working hard just to feed the kids and pay the bills. How are we really hurting anyone by ensuring people can actually work for a living?
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has yet to answer this question. He opposes increasing the minimum wage. And he opposes even sustaining social safety programs that actually work at reducing poverty. But now, we're supposed to believe that Rep. Paul Ryan wants to "fight poverty"?
How exactly does Rep. Ryan plan to "fight poverty" if he's constantly fighting against letting millions of workers work for a living wage? And how does he "fight poverty" by fighting to rip to shreds the social safety net that prevents millions of Americans from falling into deeper poverty? We can only wonder if any of the hedge fund executives who Ryan met at Bellagio. Did anyone address the glaring disparity between Ryan's rhetoric and his real policies during the pool side party or the Champagne mixer?
Economic inequality is not merely some philosophical conundrum in need of abstract concepts. It's a very real problem in America today. Real people are suffering. And they're not helped by empty rhetoric and counterproductive policies.
Here in Nevada and elsewhere throughout the nation, millions of Americans are merely asking for a way out. They don't want a handout. They just want a way out of the poverty cycle. Is this really too difficult for Paul Ryan and other Republican "leaders" to understand?
These low wage workers are merely asking for this: #MakeWorkPay. That's all. They're already working hard just to feed the kids and pay the bills. How are we really hurting anyone by ensuring people can actually work for a living?
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has yet to answer this question. He opposes increasing the minimum wage. And he opposes even sustaining social safety programs that actually work at reducing poverty. But now, we're supposed to believe that Rep. Paul Ryan wants to "fight poverty"?
How exactly does Rep. Ryan plan to "fight poverty" if he's constantly fighting against letting millions of workers work for a living wage? And how does he "fight poverty" by fighting to rip to shreds the social safety net that prevents millions of Americans from falling into deeper poverty? We can only wonder if any of the hedge fund executives who Ryan met at Bellagio. Did anyone address the glaring disparity between Ryan's rhetoric and his real policies during the pool side party or the Champagne mixer?
Economic inequality is not merely some philosophical conundrum in need of abstract concepts. It's a very real problem in America today. Real people are suffering. And they're not helped by empty rhetoric and counterproductive policies.
Here in Nevada and elsewhere throughout the nation, millions of Americans are merely asking for a way out. They don't want a handout. They just want a way out of the poverty cycle. Is this really too difficult for Paul Ryan and other Republican "leaders" to understand?
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Take Notice
Last week, he went down in flames. As soon as he made some incredibly racist comments (and those comments hit the national media), Cliven Bundy suddenly went from "TEA Party Folk Hero" to "G-O-TEA Persona Non Grata". And now, he can't get on any Fox "News" show... Or even CNN.
Yet even as the national media have mostly dropped this story, Virgin Valley residents are still living the #BundyRanch nightmare. National media may have abandoned Bunkerville, but the extreme right militia groups who came to fight an epic "Range War" are still there. And they're still packing a whole lot of heat.
Oh, and a number of them are actually still a large part of the story that's still making headlines nationally.
This is what we were discussing earlier this week. It's not just Cliven Bundy. Much larger G-O-TEA players are engaging in race baiting. And it's time we all take notice.
Last month, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) shocked the nation with his statements on "inner cities". Yet since then, Rep. Ryan has refused to apologize for repeatedly accusing African-Americans of being "lazy". Instead, Rep. Ryan has actually been endorsing the pseudoscience of a known white supremacist.
Yesterday, the Congressional Black Caucus held a meeting with Rep. Paul Ryan to discuss both his "inner cities" comments and the ideology behind them. And shortly after that meeting, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) took to MSNBC to talk about what had just occurred.
And Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) had this to say about the Black Caucus' meeting with Rep. Ryan.
This is the reality of poverty in America. People are not poor because they're "black/brown & lazy". People are poor because they're working to just barely survive.
Last week, Cliven Bundy was making news across the nation for his "Range War"... Until he started talking about race. Now, he's an afterthought in the national media (even though his gang is still raising hell in Mesquite & Bunkerville). However, the disturbing message he conveyed is anything but an afterthought. We're still seeing that message rear its ugly head, even if that head happens to be more veiled now.
And it's time we take notice.
Yet even as the national media have mostly dropped this story, Virgin Valley residents are still living the #BundyRanch nightmare. National media may have abandoned Bunkerville, but the extreme right militia groups who came to fight an epic "Range War" are still there. And they're still packing a whole lot of heat.
Oh, and a number of them are actually still a large part of the story that's still making headlines nationally.
This is what we were discussing earlier this week. It's not just Cliven Bundy. Much larger G-O-TEA players are engaging in race baiting. And it's time we all take notice.
Last month, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) shocked the nation with his statements on "inner cities". Yet since then, Rep. Ryan has refused to apologize for repeatedly accusing African-Americans of being "lazy". Instead, Rep. Ryan has actually been endorsing the pseudoscience of a known white supremacist.
Yesterday, the Congressional Black Caucus held a meeting with Rep. Paul Ryan to discuss both his "inner cities" comments and the ideology behind them. And shortly after that meeting, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) took to MSNBC to talk about what had just occurred.
And Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) had this to say about the Black Caucus' meeting with Rep. Ryan.
“Poverty is not just a black or white, urban or rural, problem; it’s an American problem, and we must discuss it in that way,” Horsford said. “Today’s meeting was a productive conversation with Budget Chairman Ryan in which he explained his priorities, while our members expressed to him our concerns with his budget. Chairman Ryan in particular was open to discussing the possibility of Rep. James Clyburn’s 10-20-30 plan, saying he supports policies that help lift people out of poverty.” [...]
Horsford observed during the meeting that policies must be proposed to prevent generational poverty; to address income inequality; and to safeguard critical programs like Head Start, Pell Grants, and SNAP.
“17.1% of my constituents live below the poverty level, and many others are hanging on by a thread,” Horsford continued. “We have the most unstable housing market in the country in Nevada, and many families are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. We need to refocus federal programs to help those who need it most and to provide families with the support they need and deserve. It’s time to end the school-to-prison pipeline and give all Nevadans the chance they need to succeed. Our state’s high school graduation rate is the worst in the nation. If we fail our kids at school, we prepare them for a life of unnecessary struggle and squalor. It is time for local and federal officials to focus on doing their jobs so that our children have a fighting chance.”
This is the reality of poverty in America. People are not poor because they're "black/brown & lazy". People are poor because they're working to just barely survive.
Last week, Cliven Bundy was making news across the nation for his "Range War"... Until he started talking about race. Now, he's an afterthought in the national media (even though his gang is still raising hell in Mesquite & Bunkerville). However, the disturbing message he conveyed is anything but an afterthought. We're still seeing that message rear its ugly head, even if that head happens to be more veiled now.
And it's time we take notice.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Stop Wasting Time. Just #RenewUI
Earlier today, we noted the inexcusable reality of House Republicans' stealth campaign to shut down any last chance of passing comprehensive immigration reform. We also noted their decision to instead focus on... Mindless crap. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Fierce) again took to the Senate floor to condemn House Republicans' latest time wasting gambit. And of course, he pointed out why they're so eager to waste our time (& taxpayer dollars).
As usual, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors are taking their marching orders from the Kochs. And the Kochs just happen to love Rep. Paul Ryan (R-P90X), his austerity poisoned fiscal policies, and his willingness to subject the entire nation to manufactured crises in order to further the Kochs' radical ideological agenda.
Of course, the above mentioned G-O-TEA Culture Warriors don't like it when Senator Reid (or anyone else, for that matter) speaks the truth about their relationship with the Kochs. So they're now resorting to personal attacks on Senator Reid. And as always, they're running to the media and claiming victimhood in the most pathetic way possible.
Yet while the Kochs and their "TEA" powered ideological soulmates claim to be "victims" of people telling the truth about them, we now have over 34,000 Nevadans and 2.3 million Americans who have become real victims thanks to House Republicans holding federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension hostage. And we're supposed to be "OUTRAGED!!!" over Senator Reid speaking the obvious truth?
The Senate is set to pass its UI extension bill later today. Yet even with the Senate approving its UI extension deal, the lower House of Congress may still be nowhere near approving this deal. And why's that? It's still wasting time on legislation to hurt Paul Ryan's own constituents.
Once again, Senator Dean Heller (R) is asking his former House G-O-TEA colleagues to stop wasting time and join the Senate to #RenewUI already.
Perhaps the Kochs enjoy watching House Republicans waste our time & money on their ideological circle jerks, but the rest of us don't. We've already lost nearly $5 billion worth of economic activity thanks to the G-O-TEA's Koch addiction. Must they waste even more time & money while so many Americans suffer needlessly?
As usual, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors are taking their marching orders from the Kochs. And the Kochs just happen to love Rep. Paul Ryan (R-P90X), his austerity poisoned fiscal policies, and his willingness to subject the entire nation to manufactured crises in order to further the Kochs' radical ideological agenda.
Of course, the above mentioned G-O-TEA Culture Warriors don't like it when Senator Reid (or anyone else, for that matter) speaks the truth about their relationship with the Kochs. So they're now resorting to personal attacks on Senator Reid. And as always, they're running to the media and claiming victimhood in the most pathetic way possible.
Yet while the Kochs and their "TEA" powered ideological soulmates claim to be "victims" of people telling the truth about them, we now have over 34,000 Nevadans and 2.3 million Americans who have become real victims thanks to House Republicans holding federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension hostage. And we're supposed to be "OUTRAGED!!!" over Senator Reid speaking the obvious truth?
The Senate is set to pass its UI extension bill later today. Yet even with the Senate approving its UI extension deal, the lower House of Congress may still be nowhere near approving this deal. And why's that? It's still wasting time on legislation to hurt Paul Ryan's own constituents.
Once again, Senator Dean Heller (R) is asking his former House G-O-TEA colleagues to stop wasting time and join the Senate to #RenewUI already.
Perhaps the Kochs enjoy watching House Republicans waste our time & money on their ideological circle jerks, but the rest of us don't. We've already lost nearly $5 billion worth of economic activity thanks to the G-O-TEA's Koch addiction. Must they waste even more time & money while so many Americans suffer needlessly?
Monday, March 24, 2014
Cutting Sophistry
Even though they've failed before, they're about to try, try again. But can they actually succeed this time? Or will over 2 million Americans (including over 26,000 Nevadans) continue to be left in the cold?
It's been nearly 3 months since the federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension lapsed. Since then, thousands of Nevada families have been enduring unnecessary hardship. And they, along with many more Americans throughout the nation, have been struggling to survive while the usual suspects on Capitol Hill fiddle around.
Earlier this month, the Senate reached a deal to #RenewUI. Yet as soon as the bipartisan backed Senate UI extension deal was announced, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Cointreau) quickly dismissed it. And last week, he pretty much declared any #RenewUI deal dead in his lower House of Congress.
But this week, Senators are moving forward with it anyway. And this time, even Senator Dean Heller (R) has urged Speaker Boehner to drop the excuses and cooperate with the Senate.
Will this bipartisan Senate pressure campaign work? First, we must wait & see how many votes the Senate deal will attain. Then, we must wait & see while the House works on...
Another G-O-TEA fantasy budget that not even House Republicans can agree on?! Really? Does he truly value Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Hunger Games) austerity fetish over the plight of 2,000,000+ Americans? (And will Rep. Joe Heck [R-Backbencher] really go along with this?) Perhaps so.
After all, House Republican "leaders" are still engaging in their most cutting sophistry while they're cutting so many Americans out of the chance to rebuild their lives... Or even survive. It's certainly the most cutting sophistry we've ever encountered. And for far too many Americans, it's cutting them into so much unnecessary pain.
It's been nearly 3 months since the federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension lapsed. Since then, thousands of Nevada families have been enduring unnecessary hardship. And they, along with many more Americans throughout the nation, have been struggling to survive while the usual suspects on Capitol Hill fiddle around.
Earlier this month, the Senate reached a deal to #RenewUI. Yet as soon as the bipartisan backed Senate UI extension deal was announced, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Cointreau) quickly dismissed it. And last week, he pretty much declared any #RenewUI deal dead in his lower House of Congress.
But this week, Senators are moving forward with it anyway. And this time, even Senator Dean Heller (R) has urged Speaker Boehner to drop the excuses and cooperate with the Senate.
Will this bipartisan Senate pressure campaign work? First, we must wait & see how many votes the Senate deal will attain. Then, we must wait & see while the House works on...
Another G-O-TEA fantasy budget that not even House Republicans can agree on?! Really? Does he truly value Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Hunger Games) austerity fetish over the plight of 2,000,000+ Americans? (And will Rep. Joe Heck [R-Backbencher] really go along with this?) Perhaps so.
After all, House Republican "leaders" are still engaging in their most cutting sophistry while they're cutting so many Americans out of the chance to rebuild their lives... Or even survive. It's certainly the most cutting sophistry we've ever encountered. And for far too many Americans, it's cutting them into so much unnecessary pain.
Monday, March 17, 2014
They're Still Digging
They just don't know how to stop digging when they're already in such a deep hole. Even as "Republican rebranding" has become nothing but a sorry joke, G-O-TEA politicians just can't help themselves. They keep reminding us why their Republican Party has so much trouble with "minority outreach".
Throughout this month, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has resorted to race baiting and praising child starvation to promote his "anti-poverty agenda". This compelled a Nobel Prize winning economist to publicly rebuke Rep. Ryan. And of course, this sordid affair reminded everyone how Ryan's agenda promotes rather than negates poverty.
And it's not just Paul Ryan making insensitive comments. In South Dakota, a State Senator is standing by his bill to allow businesses open to the public to engage in racial discrimination. Meanwhile in New York & Boston, the 21st Century Know Nothings are expressing "OUTRAGE!!!" over the respective cities' Mayors and major beer brands pulling out of the St. Patrick's Day Parades over the two parades' ban on open LGBTQ participation.
Oh, yes. That's right. They're still digging.
Even after Cresent Hardy made his now infamous "segregation laws" comments. Even after Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) vetoed SB 1062. Even after Paul Ryan faced massive backlash for his "poverty" comments. And even after "Uncle Sugar" went overboard again. They're still digging.
Even though many Republican political consultants realize their party's looming demographic crisis, so many of their party's politicians just can't give up that toxic "TEA". And their creative "quick fix" can only suppress the future for so long.
Eventually, they will have to wake up and smell the 21st century. And eventually, they will have to emerge from the hole of their own creation if they want a viable future for their party. But even now, they still refuse to do either. Instead, they're still digging.
Throughout this month, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has resorted to race baiting and praising child starvation to promote his "anti-poverty agenda". This compelled a Nobel Prize winning economist to publicly rebuke Rep. Ryan. And of course, this sordid affair reminded everyone how Ryan's agenda promotes rather than negates poverty.
And it's not just Paul Ryan making insensitive comments. In South Dakota, a State Senator is standing by his bill to allow businesses open to the public to engage in racial discrimination. Meanwhile in New York & Boston, the 21st Century Know Nothings are expressing "OUTRAGE!!!" over the respective cities' Mayors and major beer brands pulling out of the St. Patrick's Day Parades over the two parades' ban on open LGBTQ participation.
Oh, yes. That's right. They're still digging.
Even after Cresent Hardy made his now infamous "segregation laws" comments. Even after Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) vetoed SB 1062. Even after Paul Ryan faced massive backlash for his "poverty" comments. And even after "Uncle Sugar" went overboard again. They're still digging.
Even though many Republican political consultants realize their party's looming demographic crisis, so many of their party's politicians just can't give up that toxic "TEA". And their creative "quick fix" can only suppress the future for so long.
Eventually, they will have to wake up and smell the 21st century. And eventually, they will have to emerge from the hole of their own creation if they want a viable future for their party. But even now, they still refuse to do either. Instead, they're still digging.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Quality Time
Earlier this month, NV-04 G-O-TEA hopeful Niger Innis fell into some very hot water over comments he made about making "the ultimate sacrifice" when he decided to run for Congress. Hello, when did a glorified paid vacation become "the ultimate sacrifice"? And what made this comment sound even worse was the reminder of his party's "leadership" committing to an agenda of nothing. So far, the only sacrifices House Republican "leaders" are making involve burning sound policy at the stake.
Wouldn't it be nice if these politicians (especially the "TEA" drinking ones) could learn about real sacrifice? Perhaps they should try following the lead of Rep. Jackie Speier (D-California). Last month, she spent a night in a homeless shelter. And instead of lecturing the other guests there on "moral values", she listened to the stories they had to tell. And she learned about the real sacrifices they had to make just to survive.
While Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) blames poor lazyblack people for poverty and extols the virtues of child starvation, he continues to neglect the reality of poverty in America. News flash: Poor people work hard. And those who aren't working can't find work.
Perhaps it would help if Rep. Ryan and other privileged Members of Congress take up Rep. Speier's challenge and spend some quality time with the underprivileged Americans who are bearing the brunt of the American austerity regime. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) did. During the holidays, he spent a day with a homeless constituent and followed him as he looked for work and housing. This person was caught in a "Catch 22" situation where he couldn't find a job because he didn't have a home... And he couldn't find a home because he didn't have a job.
This Connecticut man lost his unemployment insurance (UI) when Congress failed to extend it. Even when Senator Dean Heller (R) and a few other Congressional Republicans urged their colleagues to pass UI extension, those G-O-TEA colleagues tried to filibuster it to death. And in doing so, they made life that much harder for the impoverished Americans Senator Murphy and Rep. Speier recently spent time with.
We can't help but wonder if more in Congress would be more responsive to the real needs of America if they were to follow the example set by Rep. Speier & Senator Murphy. It's almost inexplicable to think that it's taken this long for Senator Heller to reach a potential deal on UI extension. And it's completely inexcusable to think that Senator Harry Reid (D) had to shame his & Heller's Republican colleagues until just enough of them agreed to #RenewUI.
This is the least we can do for those who have the most to lose. And it's too bad & so sad that so many on Capitol Hill fail to realize this. While they're cozying up to the Koch-topus of dirty money, they fail to notice their own constituents, especially the ones who may not have enough money to pay the rent and buy groceries.
We can't help but wonder what would happen if more of those G-O-TEA politicians were to step away from Capitol Hill more often to see how all the rest of us are living. Would it have taken them this long to realize what all of us knew from the start?
Wouldn't it be nice if these politicians (especially the "TEA" drinking ones) could learn about real sacrifice? Perhaps they should try following the lead of Rep. Jackie Speier (D-California). Last month, she spent a night in a homeless shelter. And instead of lecturing the other guests there on "moral values", she listened to the stories they had to tell. And she learned about the real sacrifices they had to make just to survive.
While Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) blames poor lazy
Perhaps it would help if Rep. Ryan and other privileged Members of Congress take up Rep. Speier's challenge and spend some quality time with the underprivileged Americans who are bearing the brunt of the American austerity regime. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) did. During the holidays, he spent a day with a homeless constituent and followed him as he looked for work and housing. This person was caught in a "Catch 22" situation where he couldn't find a job because he didn't have a home... And he couldn't find a home because he didn't have a job.
This Connecticut man lost his unemployment insurance (UI) when Congress failed to extend it. Even when Senator Dean Heller (R) and a few other Congressional Republicans urged their colleagues to pass UI extension, those G-O-TEA colleagues tried to filibuster it to death. And in doing so, they made life that much harder for the impoverished Americans Senator Murphy and Rep. Speier recently spent time with.
We can't help but wonder if more in Congress would be more responsive to the real needs of America if they were to follow the example set by Rep. Speier & Senator Murphy. It's almost inexplicable to think that it's taken this long for Senator Heller to reach a potential deal on UI extension. And it's completely inexcusable to think that Senator Harry Reid (D) had to shame his & Heller's Republican colleagues until just enough of them agreed to #RenewUI.
This is the least we can do for those who have the most to lose. And it's too bad & so sad that so many on Capitol Hill fail to realize this. While they're cozying up to the Koch-topus of dirty money, they fail to notice their own constituents, especially the ones who may not have enough money to pay the rent and buy groceries.
We can't help but wonder what would happen if more of those G-O-TEA politicians were to step away from Capitol Hill more often to see how all the rest of us are living. Would it have taken them this long to realize what all of us knew from the start?
The Horrors
Who knew he'd become such a spooky trendsetter? Nearly a month ago, Cresent Hardy set the national political scene on fire with his "segregation laws" comments. And now, we have G-O-TEA politicians across the nation echoing Hardy's eye-popping sentiments... And making us look for the nearest bed to hide under.
Don't believe us? Pay closer attention to what Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Ayn Rand Fan Club) has been saying lately. When he hasn't been singing the praises of child starvation (& plagiarism), he's been quoting a white supremacist and insinuating that "inner city" African-American men cause poverty. Clearly, Paul Ryan is doing a great job at G-O-TEA minority outreach (& fact checking)! (#snark)
But wait, there's more fright night realness where that came from. In case Paul Ryan's magnificent minority outreach isn't scary enough for you, check out what's been said this week on G-O-TEAH8 talk radio. On "American Family Radio" yesterday, a guest host called for the assassination of college faculty he disagrees with! And who said talk radio isn't educational?
Well, at least House G-O-TEA "leaders" aren't calling for assassination. Rather, they're just working on another anti-immigrant bill to send to the House floor. So does this constitute the "principles for immigration reform" that House Republican "leaders" claimed they would fight for? Another anti-immigrant bill meant to scuttle reform? Once again, House G-O-TEA "leaders" are scared of the 21st Century Know Nothings' shadows.
And speaking of scuttling reform, the Oregon Republican Party just rebuked its Young Republicans for daring to endorse marriage equality. After all, G-O-TEA spiritual leader Rush Limbaugh doesn't like those "icky gayzzzz" getting married, raising children, playing sports, serving in the military, holding down jobs, and/or buying stuff. And once again, we're reminded of the G-O-TEA's fear of the 21st century.
And while we're talking about spiritual leaders, another G-O-TEA spiritual leader had this to say about horror movies & demonic possession.
Sadly, this is what the Republican Party has come to. When its leaders are not endorsing crackpots, they're scaring us with their crack pipes. And really, they're just proving to everyone that they're immensely afraid of the wrath of their own crazed baze.
As we've said before, the frightening state of the Nevada Republican Party is anything but an isolated incident. And the horrors of "Republican rebranding" continue to haunt American politics everywhere.
And damn, we still have seven more months to go until it's Halloween!
Don't believe us? Pay closer attention to what Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Ayn Rand Fan Club) has been saying lately. When he hasn't been singing the praises of child starvation (& plagiarism), he's been quoting a white supremacist and insinuating that "inner city" African-American men cause poverty. Clearly, Paul Ryan is doing a great job at G-O-TEA minority outreach (& fact checking)! (#snark)
But wait, there's more fright night realness where that came from. In case Paul Ryan's magnificent minority outreach isn't scary enough for you, check out what's been said this week on G-O-TEA
Well, at least House G-O-TEA "leaders" aren't calling for assassination. Rather, they're just working on another anti-immigrant bill to send to the House floor. So does this constitute the "principles for immigration reform" that House Republican "leaders" claimed they would fight for? Another anti-immigrant bill meant to scuttle reform? Once again, House G-O-TEA "leaders" are scared of the 21st Century Know Nothings' shadows.
And speaking of scuttling reform, the Oregon Republican Party just rebuked its Young Republicans for daring to endorse marriage equality. After all, G-O-TEA spiritual leader Rush Limbaugh doesn't like those "icky gayzzzz" getting married, raising children, playing sports, serving in the military, holding down jobs, and/or buying stuff. And once again, we're reminded of the G-O-TEA's fear of the 21st century.
And while we're talking about spiritual leaders, another G-O-TEA spiritual leader had this to say about horror movies & demonic possession.
Sadly, this is what the Republican Party has come to. When its leaders are not endorsing crackpots, they're scaring us with their crack pipes. And really, they're just proving to everyone that they're immensely afraid of the wrath of their own crazed baze.
As we've said before, the frightening state of the Nevada Republican Party is anything but an isolated incident. And the horrors of "Republican rebranding" continue to haunt American politics everywhere.
And damn, we still have seven more months to go until it's Halloween!
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Busted CPAC
Brace yourselves, kittens. And definitely hide the children. It's looking mighty scary over there.
Over where, you ask? CPAC. Oh, yes. That's right. It's back, and it's already giving us nightmares. (Not really. It's just giving us a strong case of sh*ts & giggles. #AllTAllShade)
Why? Let's start with New JerseyTraffic-jammer-in-chief Governor Chris Christie (R-Sleaze). During his big CPAC moment in the slime, he threw a temper tantrum. But why? Oh, because that "Big Bad Harry Reid!!!" (D-Fierce) is fierce enough to read to filth the dirty shade the Koch-topus keeps throwing at America. We figure since Chris Christie can't keep his own damned house in order, he's trying to change the subject by throwing red meat at the base he so desperately wants (since he's still entertaining delusions of 2016 grandeur).
And speaking of desperation, how 'bout that Mitch McConnell (R-Desperado)? He wanted to look macho at CPAC today (while pandering to the NRA), so he mishandled a gun on stage. Apparently, he's still upset over Harry Reid out-foxing him at every turn. #Pobrecito
Unfortunately for Mitchums, his gun stunt was no match for the pearls of wisdom that Paul Ryan (R-P90X) unleashed during his CPAC moment. Oh no, he brought the house down with his paean to "The Hunger Games". No really, he sang the praises of letting poor kids starve. And that explains his rather lurid austerity fetish. #Kinky #Freaky
But of course, none of them could match the unique sophistry of this year's CPAC Award Winner. And really, how could they? Mark Levin is another one of their true leaders.
What he says goes in today's G-O-TEA (along with the guidance of Levin's H8 radio colleague, Rush Limbaugh). And his award at this year's CPAC proves that the Nevada Republican Party is anything but an isolated incident. Rather, batsh*t crazy has spread throughout the G-O-TEA nationwide.
And that's why CPAC has become quite the crazy spectacle. Yet even as it's become such a spectacle, its stars have yet to reveal any wigs under their wigs. And until that happens, color us unimpressed. And definitely keep hiding the children from those gawd-awful mugs. #Busted
Over where, you ask? CPAC. Oh, yes. That's right. It's back, and it's already giving us nightmares. (Not really. It's just giving us a strong case of sh*ts & giggles. #AllTAllShade)
Why? Let's start with New Jersey
And speaking of desperation, how 'bout that Mitch McConnell (R-Desperado)? He wanted to look macho at CPAC today (while pandering to the NRA), so he mishandled a gun on stage. Apparently, he's still upset over Harry Reid out-foxing him at every turn. #Pobrecito
Unfortunately for Mitchums, his gun stunt was no match for the pearls of wisdom that Paul Ryan (R-P90X) unleashed during his CPAC moment. Oh no, he brought the house down with his paean to "The Hunger Games". No really, he sang the praises of letting poor kids starve. And that explains his rather lurid austerity fetish. #Kinky #Freaky
But of course, none of them could match the unique sophistry of this year's CPAC Award Winner. And really, how could they? Mark Levin is another one of their true leaders.
What he says goes in today's G-O-TEA (along with the guidance of Levin's H8 radio colleague, Rush Limbaugh). And his award at this year's CPAC proves that the Nevada Republican Party is anything but an isolated incident. Rather, batsh*t crazy has spread throughout the G-O-TEA nationwide.
And that's why CPAC has become quite the crazy spectacle. Yet even as it's become such a spectacle, its stars have yet to reveal any wigs under their wigs. And until that happens, color us unimpressed. And definitely keep hiding the children from those gawd-awful mugs. #Busted
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
"The Ultimate Sacrifice"
This shouldn't be such a pungent punchline. Our founders probably didn't mean for it to be this way. But alas, it's now this way.
We can't personally remember a time when Congress was a respected institution, but we know it occasionally used to be that way. And technically, it's supposed to be that way. After all, Congress makes laws. And the law is supposed to be respected.
Unfortunately, Congress couldn't be any less respected than it is now. But then again, G-O-TEA "leaders" in Congress have worked very hard lately to earn this disrespect. When they engage in pointless ideological grandstanding and reckless & nonsensical bloviating, why should we respect them?
So we could understand initial reactions to NV-04 candidate Niger Innis' assertion that he's making "the ultimate sacrifice" in running for Congress. Where's the sacrifice? He's running for a position that offers a six-figure salary in an institution that's become notorious for its agenda of nothing. Where's the sacrifice in competing for for what's essentially become a glorified paid vacation?
But then, we thought about it some more. Theoretically, Congress is supposed to be a body of public servants. They're supposed to sacrifice for the public good. And they're supposed to be a part of a respected institution.
Sadly, that's not the case. And sadly, the recent unfortunate remarks from Niger Innis will probably just be treated as another "stupid gaffe" rather than a call for serious introspection from his own party's "leaders" on Capitol Hill. Think about it. If they're not there to make any kind of sacrifice or offer any kind of public service, then why are they there in the first place?
We can't personally remember a time when Congress was a respected institution, but we know it occasionally used to be that way. And technically, it's supposed to be that way. After all, Congress makes laws. And the law is supposed to be respected.
Unfortunately, Congress couldn't be any less respected than it is now. But then again, G-O-TEA "leaders" in Congress have worked very hard lately to earn this disrespect. When they engage in pointless ideological grandstanding and reckless & nonsensical bloviating, why should we respect them?
So we could understand initial reactions to NV-04 candidate Niger Innis' assertion that he's making "the ultimate sacrifice" in running for Congress. Where's the sacrifice? He's running for a position that offers a six-figure salary in an institution that's become notorious for its agenda of nothing. Where's the sacrifice in competing for for what's essentially become a glorified paid vacation?
But then, we thought about it some more. Theoretically, Congress is supposed to be a body of public servants. They're supposed to sacrifice for the public good. And they're supposed to be a part of a respected institution.
Sadly, that's not the case. And sadly, the recent unfortunate remarks from Niger Innis will probably just be treated as another "stupid gaffe" rather than a call for serious introspection from his own party's "leaders" on Capitol Hill. Think about it. If they're not there to make any kind of sacrifice or offer any kind of public service, then why are they there in the first place?
Monday, March 3, 2014
The Awful Truth Behind the Hot Air
It's that time of the year again. Plenty of black ink and red ink will be spilled. Plenty of pie charts will be unveiled. And all the talk on Capitol Hill will revolve around dollars and sense.
Oh, yes. That's right. It's budget season again.
But wait, didn't Congress already pass a budget? Why yes, it actually did a few weeks ago. And it even managed to pay for its own budget. And that's quite an accomplishment for a Congress notorious for its agenda of nothing, particularly in the lower G-O-TEA run house.
So why is DC now buzzing over budgets? Since Congressional Republican "leaders" have admitted they plan to do nothing else this year, all they have left are haute faux scandals and mythical budgets (along with the usual Obamacare repeal votes and abortion/contraception ban votes). After all, they know they must do this in order to placate the 21st Century Know Nothings they need to stay in power.
Enter Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin). Ever since he took control of the House Budget Committee and muscled his way into House G-O-TEA "leadership", he's been pushing his "signature" of a middle class busting budget plan. That's why the G-O-TEA faithful have been eagerly awaiting "RyanCare 4.0"...
But alas, it may not happen this time. And why not? For one, Rep. Ryan already put his name on the two year budget agreement he made with Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Washington). Why would Ryan rip up the compromise he himself negotiated with his Senate counterpart to promote an exclusively G-O-TEAideological wish list budget that would be dead on arrival in the Senate?
And then, there's the matter of his own G-O-TEA Caucus. Basically, they've fallen apart like Humpty Dumpty, and no one (not even Paul Ryan) can figure out how to put them back together again. And G-O-TEA "leaders" are already fearing that another "Austerity on Steroids" Ryan Budget will (again) expose the division between the (general election minded) Republican politicians trying to avoid accusations of starving Grandma to death and the "true believers" (along with those who must "fake it to make it" to win their primaries) who want even more Grandma starving austerity.
We've seen it from them before, and we're seeing it again today. It's easy for G-O-TEA politicians to criticize what they don't like, but it's rather difficult for them to offer any realistic solutions. And it's far easier to simply play politics and point fingers on Capitol Hill than actually govern in good faith.
So don't be surprised if/when the 2014 budget season on Capitol Hill turns out to be a collection of hot air. After all, G-O-TEA politicians' lofty rhetoric tends to fall flat when it becomes reality. That's the awful truth behind the hot air.
Oh, yes. That's right. It's budget season again.
But wait, didn't Congress already pass a budget? Why yes, it actually did a few weeks ago. And it even managed to pay for its own budget. And that's quite an accomplishment for a Congress notorious for its agenda of nothing, particularly in the lower G-O-TEA run house.
So why is DC now buzzing over budgets? Since Congressional Republican "leaders" have admitted they plan to do nothing else this year, all they have left are haute faux scandals and mythical budgets (along with the usual Obamacare repeal votes and abortion/contraception ban votes). After all, they know they must do this in order to placate the 21st Century Know Nothings they need to stay in power.
Enter Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin). Ever since he took control of the House Budget Committee and muscled his way into House G-O-TEA "leadership", he's been pushing his "signature" of a middle class busting budget plan. That's why the G-O-TEA faithful have been eagerly awaiting "RyanCare 4.0"...
But alas, it may not happen this time. And why not? For one, Rep. Ryan already put his name on the two year budget agreement he made with Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Washington). Why would Ryan rip up the compromise he himself negotiated with his Senate counterpart to promote an exclusively G-O-TEA
And then, there's the matter of his own G-O-TEA Caucus. Basically, they've fallen apart like Humpty Dumpty, and no one (not even Paul Ryan) can figure out how to put them back together again. And G-O-TEA "leaders" are already fearing that another "Austerity on Steroids" Ryan Budget will (again) expose the division between the (general election minded) Republican politicians trying to avoid accusations of starving Grandma to death and the "true believers" (along with those who must "fake it to make it" to win their primaries) who want even more Grandma starving austerity.
We've seen it from them before, and we're seeing it again today. It's easy for G-O-TEA politicians to criticize what they don't like, but it's rather difficult for them to offer any realistic solutions. And it's far easier to simply play politics and point fingers on Capitol Hill than actually govern in good faith.
So don't be surprised if/when the 2014 budget season on Capitol Hill turns out to be a collection of hot air. After all, G-O-TEA politicians' lofty rhetoric tends to fall flat when it becomes reality. That's the awful truth behind the hot air.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Coming Back to Bite Them
No one can say we didn't warn everyone. When House Republican "leaders" unveiled their "principles for immigration reform", we sounded the alarms. And sure enough, and within days of the release of those "principles", Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) threw cold water on all those "principles".
That's why we then warned House Republicans that they can't have it both ways on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). They can't simultaneously be for it and against it. They can't say they want it, then reject every possible way to make it happen. They can't "have their cake and eat it too".
And yesterday, this became all too apparent when Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) made an offer that Republicans theoretically shouldn't refuse.
To be fair, Mr. Steel has a point. Obviously, the new immigration law would remain dormant for the remainder of President Obama's second term. That would mean the President would have to enforce current law, and that would likely put additional pressure on President Obama to add to his already record breaking number of deportations made during his presidency. (Oops, we don't think that's the message Michael Steel wanted to convey.)
But then again, this isn't why Republicans are dragging their feet on CIR. We know it has nothing to do with President Obama's record of enforcing current immigration law. Rather, it has everything to do with Republicans' tempestuous relationship with their own 21st Century Know Nothing base. While Republican "leaders" know their fealty to the G-O-TEA Culture Warrior agenda causes them a boatload of problems among the general electorate, they just can't seem to quit their addiction to all that "TEA" fueled rage. (After all, that rage is now the party's base.)
And now, that rage is fully consuming them alive. We've asked this before, but we must ask it again today: How is this helping the Republican Party or the nation?
Unfortunately, Salon's Alex Pareene recently hit the nail on the head with his explanation of why CIR can't pass this Congress.
True, that. If G-O-TEA Culture Warriors can even jeopardize the full faith & credit of the US, what makes anyone think they'll let Congress pass CIR?
But wait, what if we don't need their permission to pass CIR? After all, we actually don't. It's only Republican "leaders" who imposed this artificial condition on the rest of America. And they can easily drop this artificial condition and allow a floor vote on HR 15. Or at the very least, they can allow their "pro-reform" backbenchers (cough- Joe Heck- cough) to sign a discharge petition for HR 15 so that G-O-TEA "leadership" won't be blamed for showing any real leadership on immigration reform.
But so far, G-O-TEA "leadership" won't even allow for that. And one day, they will regret it. As long as they try to kill CIR softly, it will only come back to bite them later.
That's why we then warned House Republicans that they can't have it both ways on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). They can't simultaneously be for it and against it. They can't say they want it, then reject every possible way to make it happen. They can't "have their cake and eat it too".
And yesterday, this became all too apparent when Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) made an offer that Republicans theoretically shouldn't refuse.
"There's a simple solution: Let's enact the law this year but simply not let it actually start until 2017, after President Obama's term is over," Schumer, the third-ranking Senate Democrat said on NBC's "Meet The Press."
A spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) rejected Schumer's idea saying it would remove the impetus for Obama to enforce immigration laws during his remaining time in office.
"The suggestion is entirely impractical, since it would totally eliminate the President's incentive to enforce immigration law for the remainder of his term," said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.
To be fair, Mr. Steel has a point. Obviously, the new immigration law would remain dormant for the remainder of President Obama's second term. That would mean the President would have to enforce current law, and that would likely put additional pressure on President Obama to add to his already record breaking number of deportations made during his presidency. (Oops, we don't think that's the message Michael Steel wanted to convey.)
But then again, this isn't why Republicans are dragging their feet on CIR. We know it has nothing to do with President Obama's record of enforcing current immigration law. Rather, it has everything to do with Republicans' tempestuous relationship with their own 21st Century Know Nothing base. While Republican "leaders" know their fealty to the G-O-TEA Culture Warrior agenda causes them a boatload of problems among the general electorate, they just can't seem to quit their addiction to all that "TEA" fueled rage. (After all, that rage is now the party's base.)
And now, that rage is fully consuming them alive. We've asked this before, but we must ask it again today: How is this helping the Republican Party or the nation?
Unfortunately, Salon's Alex Pareene recently hit the nail on the head with his explanation of why CIR can't pass this Congress.
[...] “Comprehensive immigration reform” — defined as a bill making it possible for currently undocumented residents to earn legal status and/or citizenship — can’t happen now because Republicans control the House of Representatives, conservatives control the Republican Party, and conservatives oppose granting legal status to undocumented immigrants. It’s a very simple calculation, and most discussions of the political status of immigration reform could start and end with some variation on that explanation.
But people need something to talk about, and politicians need reasons to go on Sunday shows. Elected officials need to “signal” to important donors and interest groups that they are doing everything in their power to enact the preferred policies of those important donors and interest groups. There is really more incentive for Republicans to talk about immigration reform than to actually pass it. Obviously lots of Republicans do sincerely want immigration reform to pass. But those Republicans don’t have a majority in the House, and until that changes, immigration reform will be practically politically impossible. [...]
It has become incredibly difficult even to pass the recurring omnibus bills — like the farm bill, which took a few years to make it through the House, and the transportation bill, which will likely cause Congress to melt down in acrimony and dysfunction once again later this fall — that Congress uses to keep the government funded and operating. The idea that new initiatives and major reforms might be possible with this Congress is just fantasy. Comprehensive tax reform? Immigration reform? “Entitlement reform”? Various politicians will claim, over the next few months, that all of those things and more could happen before the next Congress is sworn in. They will be wrong, but the political press, in need of something to talk about, will take the idea seriously for a while anyway.
True, that. If G-O-TEA Culture Warriors can even jeopardize the full faith & credit of the US, what makes anyone think they'll let Congress pass CIR?
But wait, what if we don't need their permission to pass CIR? After all, we actually don't. It's only Republican "leaders" who imposed this artificial condition on the rest of America. And they can easily drop this artificial condition and allow a floor vote on HR 15. Or at the very least, they can allow their "pro-reform" backbenchers (cough- Joe Heck- cough) to sign a discharge petition for HR 15 so that G-O-TEA "leadership" won't be blamed for showing any real leadership on immigration reform.
But so far, G-O-TEA "leadership" won't even allow for that. And one day, they will regret it. As long as they try to kill CIR softly, it will only come back to bite them later.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
What's He Talking About?
Last week, House Republican "leaders" unveiled their long awaited "principles for immigration reform". Yet while those "principles" didn't really seem all that principled, some media pundits nonetheless rejoiced because they were better than nothing. And now that Republicans have "principles" to rally around, then they must finally be preparing to pass some sort of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)... Right?
Wrong. Already, top House Republicans are already running away from their own "principles". Why? Of course, it must be President Obama's fault!
In fact, some progressives have criticized President Obama for deporting too many immigrants. Late last year, 29 House Democrats (including Rep. Dina Titus [D-Paradise]) sent a letter to President Obama urging him to halt deportations & expand DACA while immigrants are waiting for CIR to happen. So what is Paul Ryan talking about?
And what's he talking about when he says "amnesty"? Amnesty has never been on the table. Rather, S 744 contained plenty of border security & law enforcement provisions. And just over 3 months after S 744 passed the Senate in June, HR 15 was introduced in the House with the same border security & law enforcement provisions. And let's not forget that both bills would force undocumented immigrants to pay thousands of dollars worth of fines, learn English, go without any sort of publicly funded health insurance coverage, and endure a 13 year long wait before securing citizenship!
So what's Paul Ryan talking about? Both CIR bills introduced in Congress last year were anything but amnesty. And President Obama has gone to great lengths to enforce current immigration law. Why is he shooting down perhaps the last chance to pass CIR in the near future?
Is he just giving cover for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to permanently scuttle CIR? Is he trying to deflect blame from G-O-TEA backbenchers like Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson), backbenchers who risk losing if CIR is left by G-O-TEA "leadership" to die on the vine? Most likely, the answer to both questions is a resounding "Yes!" However, that's not all.
Let's remember why Reps. Boehner & Ryan are so afraid of bringing any kind of CIR to the House floor. Here's a hint: G-O-TEA Civil War. They simply don't want to do anything to antagonize the 21st Century Know Nothings too much. After all, they must save their "TEA" tinged political capital for the manufactured crisis.
So what's Paul Ryan talking about? In order to figure that out, we must dig through the political spin and uncover the reason why he and his fellow Republican "leaders" are so afraid of allowing any sort of sane, rational governance on Capitol Hill.
Wrong. Already, top House Republicans are already running away from their own "principles". Why? Of course, it must be President Obama's fault!
When questioned by [ABC News' George] Stephanopoulos on whether the President would have an immigration bill to sign at the end of the year, [Rep. Paul] Ryan [R-Wisconsin] said, “I really don’t know the answer to that question. That is clearly in doubt. It depends on whether they’re willing to actually secure the border, actually have interior enforcement and not — and agree to not having an amnesty. If we can do that, where it’s security first, no amnesty, then we might be able to get somewhere.”
He added, ‘‘This isn’t a trust-but-verify, this is a verify-then-trust approach.”
Ryan has little reason to doubt Obama’s commitment based on his record. Statistics suggest Obama has been pretty willing thus far — nearly two million immigrants have been deported, “illegal entries are at a 40-year low,” there are more “boots on the ground” at the border than there have ever been in history, and the Senate bill would simultaneously secure the border and implement a biometric exit system that would track visa overstayers.
In fact, some progressives have criticized President Obama for deporting too many immigrants. Late last year, 29 House Democrats (including Rep. Dina Titus [D-Paradise]) sent a letter to President Obama urging him to halt deportations & expand DACA while immigrants are waiting for CIR to happen. So what is Paul Ryan talking about?
And what's he talking about when he says "amnesty"? Amnesty has never been on the table. Rather, S 744 contained plenty of border security & law enforcement provisions. And just over 3 months after S 744 passed the Senate in June, HR 15 was introduced in the House with the same border security & law enforcement provisions. And let's not forget that both bills would force undocumented immigrants to pay thousands of dollars worth of fines, learn English, go without any sort of publicly funded health insurance coverage, and endure a 13 year long wait before securing citizenship!
So what's Paul Ryan talking about? Both CIR bills introduced in Congress last year were anything but amnesty. And President Obama has gone to great lengths to enforce current immigration law. Why is he shooting down perhaps the last chance to pass CIR in the near future?
Is he just giving cover for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to permanently scuttle CIR? Is he trying to deflect blame from G-O-TEA backbenchers like Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson), backbenchers who risk losing if CIR is left by G-O-TEA "leadership" to die on the vine? Most likely, the answer to both questions is a resounding "Yes!" However, that's not all.
Let's remember why Reps. Boehner & Ryan are so afraid of bringing any kind of CIR to the House floor. Here's a hint: G-O-TEA Civil War. They simply don't want to do anything to antagonize the 21st Century Know Nothings too much. After all, they must save their "TEA" tinged political capital for the manufactured crisis.
So what's Paul Ryan talking about? In order to figure that out, we must dig through the political spin and uncover the reason why he and his fellow Republican "leaders" are so afraid of allowing any sort of sane, rational governance on Capitol Hill.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Making the Cut
Last week, we couldn't help but notice an "important speech on poverty and the role of government" by none other than Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida). Why is he so "concerned about poverty" now? And why is he advocating policies that would actually worsen economic inequality in this nation?
And it's not just Senator Rubio any more. House G-O-TEA "leaders" Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) piled on last week with their prescriptions forescalating austerity "fighting poverty". And like Rubio's "great ideas", their "great ideas" would likely only worsen economic inequality.
So why are these G-O-TEA politicians suddenly feigning interest in "fighting poverty"? Their sacred policies point in the other direction. Are they just trying to put a more compassionate face on their austere policies? Is this yet another reincarnation of Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy"? Might it be a rather sordid combination of the two?
It seems all too politically convenient that this new campaign of "conservative solutions to poverty" is happening just as an extension of unemployment insurance (UI) is increasingly at risk of dying on the vine in Congress. Already, 1.3 million Americans are suffering because their UI expired. And if the UI extension remains expired this year, we can expect to lose at least 0.2% of GDP growth in 2014.
Once again, Republican infighting and "TEA" flavored chaos have thrown a monkey wrench into the US economic machine. This time, it's causing unnecessary pain & suffering for the jobless... And it risks spreading the pain to the entire economy. Even as Senator Dean Heller (R) and a few other Congressional Republicans are calling for UI extension, the Puri-TEA Brigade won't accept anything less than another round of economy-crippling austerity simply for the ideology behind it while others will only accept UI extension if it's tied to a few austerity laced "pay-for's". Needless to say, the Republican Party's ongoing political identity crisis has succeeded in manufacturing another unnecessary crisis.
But since (surprise, surprise) this latest & greatest manufactured crisis isn't polling well, Republican strategists are looking to ways to change the media narrative. So voilà , Marco Rubio & Paul Ryan & other top G-O-TEA "leaders" take to the stage to proclaim their "conservative" solutions to poverty!
Unfortunately for them, the Golden Globes were last night. And Academy Award nominations are probably being finalized as we speak. So they probably won't make the cut (even as they keep trying to cut further into America's social safety net).
And it's not just Senator Rubio any more. House G-O-TEA "leaders" Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) piled on last week with their prescriptions for
So why are these G-O-TEA politicians suddenly feigning interest in "fighting poverty"? Their sacred policies point in the other direction. Are they just trying to put a more compassionate face on their austere policies? Is this yet another reincarnation of Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy"? Might it be a rather sordid combination of the two?
It seems all too politically convenient that this new campaign of "conservative solutions to poverty" is happening just as an extension of unemployment insurance (UI) is increasingly at risk of dying on the vine in Congress. Already, 1.3 million Americans are suffering because their UI expired. And if the UI extension remains expired this year, we can expect to lose at least 0.2% of GDP growth in 2014.
Once again, Republican infighting and "TEA" flavored chaos have thrown a monkey wrench into the US economic machine. This time, it's causing unnecessary pain & suffering for the jobless... And it risks spreading the pain to the entire economy. Even as Senator Dean Heller (R) and a few other Congressional Republicans are calling for UI extension, the Puri-TEA Brigade won't accept anything less than another round of economy-crippling austerity simply for the ideology behind it while others will only accept UI extension if it's tied to a few austerity laced "pay-for's". Needless to say, the Republican Party's ongoing political identity crisis has succeeded in manufacturing another unnecessary crisis.
But since (surprise, surprise) this latest & greatest manufactured crisis isn't polling well, Republican strategists are looking to ways to change the media narrative. So voilà , Marco Rubio & Paul Ryan & other top G-O-TEA "leaders" take to the stage to proclaim their "conservative" solutions to poverty!
Unfortunately for them, the Golden Globes were last night. And Academy Award nominations are probably being finalized as we speak. So they probably won't make the cut (even as they keep trying to cut further into America's social safety net).
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Season of the Scrooge
It's here! It's here. And it's arrived just in time for the holiday season.
Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) reached a budget deal yesterday. And so far, Congressional Republican "leaders" are signaling their approval. So are we free and clear for a 2014 (& 2015!) budget?
Not so fast. Already, G-O-TEA "movement leaders" like Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), and the usual "Tea Party, Inc." agitators have been arguing against the nascent budget compromise. Why? It's a compromise! It would ever so slightly raise federal investment in the economy above Sequester levels. They still want more economy-busting austerity, not less.
Oh, and it's not just the radical right railing against the Ryan-Murray deal. Progressives aren't happy with this budget proposal, either. While it would raise 2014 federal investment from a severely austere $967 billion to a somewhat less austere $1.012 trillion (and $1.014 trillion in 2015), it would do so while screwing over public servants and kicking the long-term unemployed where it really hurts. So even as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has signaled his tentative approval, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) might as well have held her nose when she gave her statement on the tentative budget deal. And grassroots outrage is building over the possible end to the last lifeline available to those hit hardest by The Great Recession.
So both the activist right and the activist left are protesting the budget compromise. And while no top Democrats on Capitol Hill have threatened to blow it up, some Republicans are already starting to go there. While it's far from inevitable, a Shutdown S**tfest Sequel also isn't out of the equation just yet.
Unfortunately, what's starting to look probable is that at least some hard working Americans are about to get scrooged. And Congress has the gall to channel the spirit of Scrooge during the holiday season. What makes this even worse is that we're not even shocked any more.
Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) reached a budget deal yesterday. And so far, Congressional Republican "leaders" are signaling their approval. So are we free and clear for a 2014 (& 2015!) budget?
Not so fast. Already, G-O-TEA "movement leaders" like Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), and the usual "Tea Party, Inc." agitators have been arguing against the nascent budget compromise. Why? It's a compromise! It would ever so slightly raise federal investment in the economy above Sequester levels. They still want more economy-busting austerity, not less.
Oh, and it's not just the radical right railing against the Ryan-Murray deal. Progressives aren't happy with this budget proposal, either. While it would raise 2014 federal investment from a severely austere $967 billion to a somewhat less austere $1.012 trillion (and $1.014 trillion in 2015), it would do so while screwing over public servants and kicking the long-term unemployed where it really hurts. So even as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has signaled his tentative approval, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) might as well have held her nose when she gave her statement on the tentative budget deal. And grassroots outrage is building over the possible end to the last lifeline available to those hit hardest by The Great Recession.
So both the activist right and the activist left are protesting the budget compromise. And while no top Democrats on Capitol Hill have threatened to blow it up, some Republicans are already starting to go there. While it's far from inevitable, a Shutdown S**tfest Sequel also isn't out of the equation just yet.
Unfortunately, what's starting to look probable is that at least some hard working Americans are about to get scrooged. And Congress has the gall to channel the spirit of Scrooge during the holiday season. What makes this even worse is that we're not even shocked any more.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Less Isn't More
This morning, we cut past the BS and looked at the reality behind the "Obamacare SCANDAL!!!" hype. Surprise, surprise, there's really "no there there". And what's making matters even worse is that Congressional Republican "leaders" are using this as an excuse to ditch basic governance in a last ditch effort to score more political points going into the 2014 Election Cycle.
Don't believe us? Believe the Republicans boasting of their own record of failure!
Comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)? Oh, no. They can't do that. It's too "big and complicated" for one bill (despite the fact that the Senate passed one in June).
Farm bill? Oh, no. They can't do that. They'd rather let American consumers suffer unnecessary higher food prices than let the working poor eat.
ENDA? Oh, no. They can't do that. They still refuse to accept that LGBTQ Americans exist, let alone contribute to the American Economy.
Ending the nonsensical austerity regime that's only served as a solution (or more accurately, a problem) looking for a problem? Oh... Maybe?! Capitol Hill is buzzing today over talk of a possible budget deal. While it still wouldn't completely end the austerity madness that's gripped Capitol Hill (and hurt the rest of the nation), it would ease the pain a little. And frankly, even this represents major progress for this Congress.
So is it possible that the 113th Congress can finally pass a longer term budget and drop the austerity laced crack pipe? Perhaps, but let's not get our hopes too high. After all, we're still talking about the 113th Congress, the Congress that's now on track to beat the record of "Least Productive Session of Congress Ever" (set by the 112th Congress last year). And as Salon's Joan Walsh reminds us, Congressional Republican "leaders" will face intense pressure from their 21st Century Know Nothing base to put up a(nother) fight rather than compromise over anything. They'd rather force America into a Shutdown S**tfest Sequel than admit defeat.
So this is what we're facing as 2013 comes to a close. Time and time again, Republican "leaders" have chosen cheap and crass political games over real governance. It's why major policy goals, such as CIR & ENDA, are about to be left unmet. And it's why we doubt this Congress can even "succeed" at such basic tasks as passing longer term budgets.
After all, some Republican politicians are now bragging about their vision of "government that does less". Why would they want to abandon that vision to allow for a government that actually functions properly?
So much for that old saying, "Less is more"...
Don't believe us? Believe the Republicans boasting of their own record of failure!
“I ran on a government that did less,” said Representative Reid Ribble, Republican of Wisconsin. “I felt the government was overreaching, and the citizens that sent me didn’t want me to be overaggressive in writing new laws. The Affordable Care Act launch is actually demonstrating the ineptitude of the federal government in handling these big programs.”
The 113th Congress has passed all of 55 laws so far this year, seven fewer at this point than the 112th Congress — the least productive Congress ever. House and Senate negotiators will meet on Wednesday to try to come to terms on a farm bill, but they remain far apart, especially on food-stamp cuts that the House is demanding. The leaders of the House and Senate budget committees will also meet this week, and they appear to be closing in on a modest deal that would set spending levels for the next two years while relieving some of the pain from the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration. [...]
“Republicans are using their political attacks on the Affordable Care Act as cover to do nothing else,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
Comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)? Oh, no. They can't do that. It's too "big and complicated" for one bill (despite the fact that the Senate passed one in June).
Farm bill? Oh, no. They can't do that. They'd rather let American consumers suffer unnecessary higher food prices than let the working poor eat.
ENDA? Oh, no. They can't do that. They still refuse to accept that LGBTQ Americans exist, let alone contribute to the American Economy.
Ending the nonsensical austerity regime that's only served as a solution (or more accurately, a problem) looking for a problem? Oh... Maybe?! Capitol Hill is buzzing today over talk of a possible budget deal. While it still wouldn't completely end the austerity madness that's gripped Capitol Hill (and hurt the rest of the nation), it would ease the pain a little. And frankly, even this represents major progress for this Congress.
So is it possible that the 113th Congress can finally pass a longer term budget and drop the austerity laced crack pipe? Perhaps, but let's not get our hopes too high. After all, we're still talking about the 113th Congress, the Congress that's now on track to beat the record of "Least Productive Session of Congress Ever" (set by the 112th Congress last year). And as Salon's Joan Walsh reminds us, Congressional Republican "leaders" will face intense pressure from their 21st Century Know Nothing base to put up a(nother) fight rather than compromise over anything. They'd rather force America into a Shutdown S**tfest Sequel than admit defeat.
So this is what we're facing as 2013 comes to a close. Time and time again, Republican "leaders" have chosen cheap and crass political games over real governance. It's why major policy goals, such as CIR & ENDA, are about to be left unmet. And it's why we doubt this Congress can even "succeed" at such basic tasks as passing longer term budgets.
After all, some Republican politicians are now bragging about their vision of "government that does less". Why would they want to abandon that vision to allow for a government that actually functions properly?
So much for that old saying, "Less is more"...
Monday, October 14, 2013
Ryan's War
Perhaps the end is finally near. Yes, yes, I know you've been seeing that here since last week. But now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is signaling that an end to the Armageddon death threat is in sight.
Yet even with the encouraging signs from the Senate, President Obama is still warning the nation of the consequences of allowing Armageddon to commence. Perhaps he just wants to drive home the point in case the House G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus tries to force Republican "leaders" to derail any last-minute budget deal.
Of course, it doesn't help that the G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus is getting a boost from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-"TEA" Curious). Over the weekend, he threatened to blow up any budget deal if it doesn't deny women access to contraception. Oh, yes. That's right. He went there.
Salon's Joan Walsh noticed this... And she noted what we had discussed earlier on how this melee must be resolved.
They just couldn't help themselves. They had to go there. They just had an urge to slip another Culture War battle into the Shutdown Shitfest that they started.
Did they really think they could get away with this? Does Paul Ryan truly believe he has some special license to subject his extremist agenda on the nation, an extremist agenda that most Americans rejected last year?
We've said it before, but we'll have to say it again today: Contraception saves lives. And if Paul Ryan was serious about pursuing "pro-life" policies, he'd admit this.
While the G-O-TEA culture warriors may be thrilled about the prospect of another battle in their War on Women, everyone else just wants an end to both the Armageddon death threats and the nonsensical attacks on women's health care.
Guess what Americans now consider to be the nation's biggest problem? Hint: It's not contraception. It's also not abortion. And it isn't even women making their own health care decisions. Nope, it's actually government dysfunction (according to Gallup). So instead of threatening to force Armageddon upon America if we don't force more women into unwanted pregnancies, why can't Paul Ryan and his fellow Republicans agree to solve America's actual biggest problem?
Yet even with the encouraging signs from the Senate, President Obama is still warning the nation of the consequences of allowing Armageddon to commence. Perhaps he just wants to drive home the point in case the House G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus tries to force Republican "leaders" to derail any last-minute budget deal.
Of course, it doesn't help that the G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus is getting a boost from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-"TEA" Curious). Over the weekend, he threatened to blow up any budget deal if it doesn't deny women access to contraception. Oh, yes. That's right. He went there.
Salon's Joan Walsh noticed this... And she noted what we had discussed earlier on how this melee must be resolved.
Ryan, who was savaged by some on the right last week for seeming to trade the goal of repealing Obamacare in exchange for Obama embracing most of the infamous Ryan budget, is now back to Obamacare. In fact, he’s insisting the House GOP shouldn’t back any deal that opens the government or extends the debt ceiling deadline without major changes to the Affordable Care Act, including letting employers withhold birth-control coverage from insurance plans for religious reasons.
Get it? They’re back to their crusade against birth control access. If that doesn’t define delusional, I’m not sure what does. [...]
Now Ryan is really, really angry at Senate Republicans,according to NRO’s Jonathan Strong, and he’s going to take his ball and go home. “They’re trying to cut the House out, and trying to jam us with the Senate. We’re not going to roll over and take that,” Ryan told reporters on Saturday.
The only way this ends is the only way it ever was going to end: with House Speaker John Boehner, having let extremist GOP babies cry themselves out, finally passing a deal with the support of Democrats. And he shouldn’t count on them being the Democrats who approved the debt-ceiling “deal” that ultimately imposed sequester cuts, or the fiscal-cliff deal that compromised on tax rates and kicked those cuts down the road. On both the Senate and House side – where Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi openly frets that Democrats have “been enablers” of the “irresponsible” GOP – there’s a new tone of toughness. Let’s hope it holds.
They just couldn't help themselves. They had to go there. They just had an urge to slip another Culture War battle into the Shutdown Shitfest that they started.
Did they really think they could get away with this? Does Paul Ryan truly believe he has some special license to subject his extremist agenda on the nation, an extremist agenda that most Americans rejected last year?
We've said it before, but we'll have to say it again today: Contraception saves lives. And if Paul Ryan was serious about pursuing "pro-life" policies, he'd admit this.
While the G-O-TEA culture warriors may be thrilled about the prospect of another battle in their War on Women, everyone else just wants an end to both the Armageddon death threats and the nonsensical attacks on women's health care.
Guess what Americans now consider to be the nation's biggest problem? Hint: It's not contraception. It's also not abortion. And it isn't even women making their own health care decisions. Nope, it's actually government dysfunction (according to Gallup). So instead of threatening to force Armageddon upon America if we don't force more women into unwanted pregnancies, why can't Paul Ryan and his fellow Republicans agree to solve America's actual biggest problem?
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Next Manufactured Crisis (Is Coming... Le Sigh.)
Well, it's that time again. Congress is again looking like a hot mess because of the latest budget brawl.
On one hand, total government shutdown was averted as Congress finally passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through September. Yay? Actually, it's more meh. It locks in place most of the precious manufactured crisis' automatic budget cuts. So we get unnecessary economic harm this summer... But at least not a complete economic collapse.
Wait, did I speak too soon? Probably not, but nonetheless expect more doomsday talk as yet another debt ceiling fight. Oh joy, here comes yet another manufactured crisis! (/snark)
And in case that's not enough Congressional melodrama for us to swim in, there's even more today. The House (again) passed Paul Ryan's Medicare busting, student aid slashing, and European style austerity worshipping budget plan. However, in a surprise move, Joe Heck decided not to vote for RyanCare this time. I guess another vote for such a radical budget would really hurt one's "moderate" reputation.
Just before the vote, another Nevada Representative actually spoke on the matter. Here's Steven Horsford explaining his personal experience with the very life saving programs that Paul Ryan and the "tea party" want eliminated.
And Horsford is not alone in saying this. Jamelle Bouie reminds us of the reality behind the latest G-O-TEA spin on RyanCare 3.0.
Exactly. The American people are not as stupid as some Republican Party leaders like to think we are. News flash: President Obama won the last election because of crap like this! Oh, and by the way, so did Steven Horsford.
Yet again, Congressional Republican leaders are trying to create even more manufactured crises in order to shove destructive budget cuts and "right wing social engineering" down the throats of the American people. When will they ever learn that the American people are sick & tired of this bullshit?
On one hand, total government shutdown was averted as Congress finally passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through September. Yay? Actually, it's more meh. It locks in place most of the precious manufactured crisis' automatic budget cuts. So we get unnecessary economic harm this summer... But at least not a complete economic collapse.
Wait, did I speak too soon? Probably not, but nonetheless expect more doomsday talk as yet another debt ceiling fight. Oh joy, here comes yet another manufactured crisis! (/snark)
And in case that's not enough Congressional melodrama for us to swim in, there's even more today. The House (again) passed Paul Ryan's Medicare busting, student aid slashing, and European style austerity worshipping budget plan. However, in a surprise move, Joe Heck decided not to vote for RyanCare this time. I guess another vote for such a radical budget would really hurt one's "moderate" reputation.
Just before the vote, another Nevada Representative actually spoke on the matter. Here's Steven Horsford explaining his personal experience with the very life saving programs that Paul Ryan and the "tea party" want eliminated.
And Horsford is not alone in saying this. Jamelle Bouie reminds us of the reality behind the latest G-O-TEA spin on RyanCare 3.0.
[... I]f you consider last year a referendum on budget policy, clear majorities expressed their support for President Obama's economic approach, giving reform-minded Republicans ammunition for their views. In a CNN poll released just after the election, 67 percent expressed support for a deficit reduction plan that balanced spending cuts with tax increases. Likewise,in a December poll from the Pew Research Center, only 32 percent said debt could be reduced without raising taxes.
Despite this, Republicans continue to stick to the policies articulated by Paul Ryan and other hard-right conservatives, with little awareness that they may be a problem for voters. Yesterday, RNC chair Reince Priebus -- the same figure who wants Republicans to do more to appeal to the middle class --dismissed the need for substantive changes to the party’s economic policies. "We're not losing the issues on the math,” Priebus said. We're not losing the issues on spending, and debt, and jobs, and the economy. Those are total winners for us."
The simple fact is that this isn't true. Middle class voters don't trust the GOP to look out for their interests, and have voiced this with low ratings for the party (to say nothing of last year's election results). But, as we've seen this morning, Republican leaders will continue to push the policies that cost it the White House and a number of Senate and House seats. Indeed, at this point, it's hard to know if there's anything that will spur the GOP to change course.
Exactly. The American people are not as stupid as some Republican Party leaders like to think we are. News flash: President Obama won the last election because of crap like this! Oh, and by the way, so did Steven Horsford.
Yet again, Congressional Republican leaders are trying to create even more manufactured crises in order to shove destructive budget cuts and "right wing social engineering" down the throats of the American people. When will they ever learn that the American people are sick & tired of this bullshit?
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
What's Really Behind RyanCare 3.0
He's back! In case you were missing Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Mittpocalypse Now) and his Medicare busting ways, you can miss him no more. He's released yet another House G-O-TEA budget plan this year. And yes, it's yet another attempt to kill Medicare by turning it into an unworkable voucher system (while stripping away the promise of guaranteed care).
And that's not all. There's even more to Ryan's "new old budget plan". Just don't expect any real solutions to any real problems. Ezra Klein explained earlier Ryan's true purpose in proposing this budget.
Got that? Paul Ryan demands even more austerity on top of the painful austerity we're already experiencing. And he's demanding even more American austerity as Europe suffers from its ongoing austerity crisis. Clearly, Ryan is on an ideology driven mission. His economic policies just don't add up.
Let's be real here. So much of this nonsense is really just political theater. With the federal budget deadline looming, many Republicans want to "lock in" the nasty budget cuts of the latest manufactured crisis without looking like a bunch of "Springtime Scrooges". So they're hoping Paul Ryan and his Medicare busting budget can do the dirty work for them in shifting "The Overton Window" of the budget debate so far to the right that manufactured crisis induced budget cuts suddenly look "moderate" by comparison.
That's also why supposed "reborn moderate" Dean Heller (R-"Office Space") is joining onto the Senate G-O-TEA bill to defund the Affordable Care Act. Sure, nothing screams "MODERATE!" by threatening one's constituents' health care to demand more job killing austerity. While Heller and his staff fight to squat on precious office space, they're tag-teaming with the likes of Paul Ryan to play games with real peoples' lives.
Of course, Harry Reid is not leaving this unanswered. Rather, Senate Democrats are releasing their own budget plan this week. Here's what we know about it so far.
Even the Senate Democratic plan has budget cuts. But here, they're at least less severe. And they're somewhat offset by some investment in our economy. If anything, this is a more honest attempt at staking some sort of middle ground in this whacked budget debate on Capitol Hill.
Really, we shouldn't be pursuing any more austerity. This just isn't the right time to pursue large budget cuts. Our economy needs more investment, not less.
Still, something must be done to stop this ongoing manufactured crisis and stop inflicting any more unnecessary economic pain on our people. If Dean Heller and Joe Heck actually want to match their "moderate" words with action, they should stop playing footsie with Paul Ryan and the "tea party"... And encourage their party's leaders to negotiate in good faith with President Obama and Senator Reid to pass a budget that won't inflict any more unnecessary harm on the American economy.
And that's not all. There's even more to Ryan's "new old budget plan". Just don't expect any real solutions to any real problems. Ezra Klein explained earlier Ryan's true purpose in proposing this budget.
Here is Paul Ryan’s path to a balanced budget in three sentences: He cuts deep into spending on health care for the poor and some combination of education, infrastructure, research, public-safety, and low-income programs. The Affordable Care Act’s Medicare cuts remain, but the military is spared, as is Social Security. There’s a vague individual tax reform plan that leaves only two tax brackets —10 percent and 25 percent —and will require either huge, deficit-busting tax cuts or increasing taxes on poor and middle-class households, as well as a vague corporate tax reform plan that lowers the rate from 35 percent to 25 percent.
But the real point of Ryan’s budget is its ambitious reforms, not its savings. It turns Medicare into a voucher program, turns Medicaid, food stamps, and a host of other programs for the poor into block grants managed by the states, shrinks the federal role on priorities like infrastructure and education to a tiny fraction of its current level, and envisions an entirely new tax code that will do much less to encourage home buying and health insurance.
Ryan’s budget is intended to do nothing less than fundamentally transform the relationship between Americans and their government. That, and not deficit reduction, is its real point, as it has been Ryan’s real point throughout his career. [...]
It won’t create jobs this year, and will likely cost jobs in the years to come by putting the economy on a steep austerity ramp. There’s no housing policy for the millions of families in foreclosure and no way to read Ryan’s budget without assuming massive cuts to student-loans programs. That may mean fewer families watching student loans pile up, but only because they didn’t get any in the first place.
As for medical costs, fully 59 percent of Ryan’s savings come from new cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare or other health-care programs —and that omits the $800 billion in Medicare cuts he keeps from Obamacare. So there will be less health-care bureaucracy, sure, but also less health care. The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that cuts on the order of what Ryan is proposing will mean around 35 million people lose their health-care coverage.
Got that? Paul Ryan demands even more austerity on top of the painful austerity we're already experiencing. And he's demanding even more American austerity as Europe suffers from its ongoing austerity crisis. Clearly, Ryan is on an ideology driven mission. His economic policies just don't add up.
Let's be real here. So much of this nonsense is really just political theater. With the federal budget deadline looming, many Republicans want to "lock in" the nasty budget cuts of the latest manufactured crisis without looking like a bunch of "Springtime Scrooges". So they're hoping Paul Ryan and his Medicare busting budget can do the dirty work for them in shifting "The Overton Window" of the budget debate so far to the right that manufactured crisis induced budget cuts suddenly look "moderate" by comparison.
That's also why supposed "reborn moderate" Dean Heller (R-"Office Space") is joining onto the Senate G-O-TEA bill to defund the Affordable Care Act. Sure, nothing screams "MODERATE!" by threatening one's constituents' health care to demand more job killing austerity. While Heller and his staff fight to squat on precious office space, they're tag-teaming with the likes of Paul Ryan to play games with real peoples' lives.
Of course, Harry Reid is not leaving this unanswered. Rather, Senate Democrats are releasing their own budget plan this week. Here's what we know about it so far.
According to a source familiar with the proposal, Democrats will offer a plan tomorrow that does not simply cut the deficit amid mass unemployment. It takes steps to mitigate the damage the cuts are expected to do to the economy by spending to boost job creation and job training.
According to the source, the plan —which is being presented by Senate Budget Committee Chairperson Patty Murray to the Dem caucus today —replaces the whole sequester and includes a total of $1.85 trillion in deficit reduction, derived from a 50-50 split of cuts and revenues derived from closing tax loopholes. The spending cuts include $275 billion in cuts to health care spending (but no Medicare benefits cuts; the source says cuts would be focused on the provider side), another $200 billion in non-defense spending cuts, $240 billion in defense cuts, and $242 billion in reduced interest rates.
It would spend $100 billion to boost the economy through spending on infrastructure repair and job training —all paid for by closing loopholes and cuts to “wasteful spending.” Total in new revenues: $975 billion. (Details are not yet available.)
Now, surely deficit hawks will find the health care spending cuts wanting. But the point here is that even if you grant that this won’t do much of anything to deal with long term health care costs, this is a generally balanced way to avert the immediate threat posed to the economy by the sequester, if by “balanced,” we mean, “gives both sides some of what they want.” It cuts spending amid the fragile recovery, but does include some stimulus to cushion the impact of deficit reduction. It reduces health care spending while avoiding harm to beneficiaries. Both of those are enabled partly by closing the sort of millionaire loopholes Republicans used to favor closing back when they were trying to do that to avoid raising tax rates on the rich, during the fiscal cliff fight.
Even the Senate Democratic plan has budget cuts. But here, they're at least less severe. And they're somewhat offset by some investment in our economy. If anything, this is a more honest attempt at staking some sort of middle ground in this whacked budget debate on Capitol Hill.
Really, we shouldn't be pursuing any more austerity. This just isn't the right time to pursue large budget cuts. Our economy needs more investment, not less.
Still, something must be done to stop this ongoing manufactured crisis and stop inflicting any more unnecessary economic pain on our people. If Dean Heller and Joe Heck actually want to match their "moderate" words with action, they should stop playing footsie with Paul Ryan and the "tea party"... And encourage their party's leaders to negotiate in good faith with President Obama and Senator Reid to pass a budget that won't inflict any more unnecessary harm on the American economy.
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