Mother Jones has sifted through the 50 states and cobbled together a list of state governors who have effectively chosen to deny the poorest of their constituencies health care coverage and the opportunity to attain basic medical care through their refusal to accept Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion provision. They represent the who’s who of Republican governors whose states occupy the core of stalwart opposition to the Affordable Care Act.
read more »
February 21, 2013
Meet the Governors denying uninsured health care coverage
February 19, 2013
GOP NonProfit’s Secret Corporate Funders Revealed
Much was made over the controversial Citizen United Supreme Court decision and subsequent unlimited political campaign funding observed during the 2010 and 2012 elections breaking all previoius spending levels. In tadem with this, questionable tax-exempt nonprofits began freely dumping large sums into political campaigns, most prominently on Republican campaigns. The struggle to find who these large donors were found their way into the courts where judgements fluctuated erradically depending on the who heard each case. At one point Karl Rove’s nonprofit attached to his SuperPAC, Crossroads was ordered to make its funding sources public but he refused waiting for a favorable appeal. Unfortunately, his appeal was successful and the voting public was blocked from finding out who was contributing such large sums of money.
read more »
February 15, 2013
Economists Shoot-down Boehner’s Minimum Wage Claim
Both times in fairly recent years federal minimum wage was increased with the cooperation of Republican leadership. In 1996, the Republican-controlled House under Newt Gingrich, the minimum wage was raised from $4.25 to $5.15 over a 2 year period. The next wage increase took place a decade later, in 2006-2007, when Democrats won back control of the House. They found support for the increase in then President, George W. Bush. This instance raised the minimum rate to its current level of $7.25 per hour.
read more »
February 14, 2013
The Labored Myths of “Job-Killing” Regulations
With each new bit of regulation proposed a screeching chorus rises from industry pronouncing the dire consequences set to befall the country if even the slightest utterance of such rules are dared spoken. How many times have these warnings of cataclysm been heard? And how many times have they come to pass?
read more »
February 14, 2013
Dems’ Sequester Replacement Meets with Predictable Response
Senate Democrats will soon release a bill to counter massive cuts from the looming sequestration. In short the bill will institute a minimum tax rate for millionaires and eliminate some tax subsidies, specifically those subsidizing crop insurance for large farms, a program the CBO says will cost upwards of $90 billion over the next decade.
Predictably, the Senate’s much criticized minority leader Mitch McConnell, has come out against the proposed bill saying,
read more »
February 1, 2013
TAXES! How does the U.S. measure up?
Taxes are always a political hot potato but over the last few years they have been the searing topic of choice as the Bush Tax Cuts’ expiration was debated by many a political pundit, each and every one of them apparent “experts”. Screams and wails about how much individual or “job creator” taxes will rise or fall should one or the other candidate wins. Constant complaints emanate from the Republican Party and the likes of Grover Norquist that taxes are too high, how any increase will destroy the economy and only lower taxes will save us all despite the large temporary cuts which have been in effect for more than a decade.
read more »
January 30, 2013
Gun Control Debate: A few facts
Given the numerous calls for the gun control legislation after the multitude of mass shootings this past year alone and the subsequent debates across the country taking shape now, it goes without saying many a gun control proponent has found themselves in an elongated back and forth with a pro-gun advocate. Much the rhetoric from the pro-gun side includes claims that “They’re taking away our guns” or “Obama is violating the 2nd Amendment, impeach him” or “Gun laws don’t work”. Much of this rhetoric sprouts from any number of right-wing blogs or Fox News opinion page and of course from the current leader of the National Rifle Associate, Wayne LaPierre whose recent comments have yet to endear him in the minds of American public.
read more »
January 21, 2013
What are Republicans’ Priorities Now?
In 2010, the Republicans’ leader in the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell, stated publicly that the party’s number one priority would be to deny President Obama a second term. This decision was made during a quiet, behind closed doors meeting of GOP luminaries both past and present on inaugural eve 2009. They determined it was better to pursue a strategy of obstructionism meant to halt any Democratic legislation rather than taking action to the address the economic calamity the country, and the world, was facing at that time.
read more »
January 18, 2013
Daily Scoop: State GOP seek electoral changes to win elections
While I do agree that there should be more proportional allocation of the electoral college votes but the reasons behind the GOP’s motivations to make the changes now are highly disingenuous. Just like their attempts to suppress Democratic voters this last election and the gerrymandering of many districts after the 2010 midterms this electoral change is only about finding a way to skew the system to win.
read more »
January 17, 2013
Daily Scoop Extra: DCCC agenda suggestions for House GOP Retreat
As congressional Republicans head to a luxury golf resort in Virginia for this year’s strategy conference, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee offered a few suggested agenda items their GOP counterparts should consider including;
Suggested House Republican Retreat Agenda Items
- Have breakfast paid for by lobbyists
- How to stop talking about “legitimate rape” and insulting women
read more »
