GOP Lawmakers and officials all over came out strongly against Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) for using a racial slur to describe Latino migrant workers during a radio interview. Heavyweights from House Speaker John Boehner, Sens. McCain (R- Arizona) and Cornyn (R-Texas), and others have condemned Rep. Young's comments.
The Huffington Post has a short piece about the controversy. Read the Huff Post piece by clicking on the link below.
John Boehner On Don Young Racial Slur: 'There's No Excuse'
Today the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Perry vs. Hollingsworth case, which concerns the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 which bans same-sex marriage. Though we likely won't know the outcome until June, there's lots of 'inside-the-beltway' speculation over the political ramifications of any ruling. And there is consensus that whatever outcome will affect one party significantly more than the other. That party is the GOP.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week on two landmark cases that could radically change American society and how it treats the LGBT community. On Tuesday, the court will hear Perry vs. Hollingsworth, which is the case involving the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 - a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, the court will hear the United States vs. Windsor, which is the case challenging DOMA, or the Defense Of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between 1 man and 1 woman for tax and benefits purposes on the federal level, regardless if the State you live in has legalized same-sex marriage.
There are many ways that the Justices on the Court could go with these cases - particularly the Prop 8 case.
I've been searching for stories about the 10 year Anniversary of the Iraq War that were interesting, politically based, and not too partisan. Peggy Noonan at the Wall Street Journal has written a wonderful op-ed about how the Iraq war has affected the GOP. She goes down a list of reasons and explains them effectively to reinforce her point. And, she ends the piece with a swipe at the Democrats as well. It is truly a wonderful read.
To read Ms. Noonan's op-ed, click on the link below.
Can the Republican Party recover from Iraq?
This week marks the 10 Year Anniversary of the 2003 invasion of Iraq - a war that most believe was started on false pretenses and lead the United States into an 8 year quagmire in the Middle East. There's been dozens of op-eds and commentaries made about the wisdom of the Iraq war, but of all of them, I found conservative columnist Tim P. Carney's take on it to be the most insightful. Mr. Carney is a columnist for the Washington Examiner and also a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He's also a semi-regular panelist on The McLaughlin Group.
To read Mr. Carney's article, click on the link below.
The mistake of Iraq and the education of the Right
The media and pundit reaction to the RNC's release of their 'Growth and Opportunity Project' plan has not been positive. From both the Right and the Left, folks have scolded the GOP for focusing almost exclusively on HOW it relays its message, and not examining the components of the message itself. Some have called the reports' authors - a collection of notable Republican leaders and operatives - 'Dumb' and 'Suicidal' for putting out suck a report.
The folks at POLITICO have a piece on the rumblings around the 2014 US Senate race in Kentucky. Democrats hope to unseat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose popularity has been waning in recent polls. However, the person they want to have challenge McConnell isn't who you think.
To read the POLITICO piece, click on the link below.
In Kentucky, prominent Democrats wooing Alison Lundergran Grimes, not Ashley Judd
Karen Tumulty at The Washington Post wrote an interesting piece about our political parties, and weather they still have a purpose. She examines the changes in how our political institutions operate, changes in public perception of the parties and the rise of 'independent' voters, and the overall effects this has had on our nation. It's a bit long, but it is a fascinating read.
Check out Ms. Tumulty's piece by clicking on the link below.
Have political parties lost their purpose?
David Sirota is a liberal - unabashedly so. However, he has written a very pointed and sound op-ed that appeared on Salon.com today that I think articulates the truth about America's current debt issues and how they've been politicized - particularly by the GOP. He points to statements made recently by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), both of which concede that the debt 'crisis' being pushed by the political Right isn't as serious or as immediate as they have indicated.
Read Mr. Sirota's op-ed by clicking on the link below.
GOP: We've been lying all along
Jill Lawrence, at The National Journal, wrote a great piece about the Republican Party and its 'empathy gap' problem. In the article, she talks about the GOP's image problem, the issues surrounding the perception among the electorate that Republicans lack empathy, and how to deal with it. It is truly a fun and enlightening read.
To read Ms. Lawrence's piece, click on the link below.
How To Shrink The Dangerous Republican Empathy Gap
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus released the long awaited report that studied the Republican Party's dismal performance in the 2012 election. The report, dubbed the Growth and Opportunity Project, uses polling, surveys, and market research to examine the public's perception of the Republican Party. It appears that public perception of the Party isn't exactly stellar, with some survey respondents calling the GOP 'scary and 'out of touch.'
You can read more about the report by clicking on the link below.
RNC Growth And Opportunity Project Report: Voters See GOP As 'Scary,' 'Narrow Minded'
Despite economic indicators as of late showing the economy continuing its slow, but steady improvement, the poll numbers are showing some dissatisfaction with the President. Generally, a re-elected President gets a honeymoon period for a few months after his 2nd Inaugural, but President Obama's seems to have ended early.
Read more about the Washington Post/ABC News poll by clicking on the link below.
Obama's approval drops as Americans take a dimmer view of his economic policies
Since its creation in the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been under attack by Republicans. In the Senate, the Republican minority has been filibustering every attempt to place someone to head the new agency. President Obama picked Richard Cordray - his 2nd choice - to lead the agency, and installed him as a recess nomination. But now, Mr. Cordray is up for a full Senate confirmation and the GOP is doing whatever it can to block it. The President's 1st choice for the job is not happy about that. Not happy at all.
Jake Sherman and Carrie Budoff Brown, from POLITICO, wrote a very interesting piece about the President's sincerity when it comes to the 'Grand Bargain.' The Grand Bargain is a sweeping plan to deal with the nation's tax code, debt, and entitlements. They point out that the President has generally kept his distance from Congress and his new overtures could be seen as political. They also talk about the wide gulf between Democrats and Republicans on core issues around taxes and debt. It is a fascinating and insightful read.
Read the POLITICO piece by clicking on the link below.
Is President Obama serious about a grand bargain?
House Minority Whip, Steny Hoyer (D-MD), wrote an op-ed for POLITICO in response to the Paul Ryan/GOP budget plan. In it, he eviscerates Paul, the GOP, and their policies. As far as the Minority Whip is concerned, it appears that this budget is just like Paul Ryan's last budget - released in 2011. It is highly unlikely, with a split Congress, that the Paul Ryan Budget will become law. Though it will likely pass the House, it is essentially Dead-On-Arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Read Steny Hoyer's op-ed by clicking on the link below.
Paul Ryan Budget Plan is Same-Old Trickery
House Budget Committee Chairman, Paul Ryan (R-WI), wrote an op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal about his latest budget proposal. His current plan, he says, will bring the Federal Government's budget into balance in 10 years. It includes an overhaul of the nation's tax code, a change in Medicare to a voucher system, turning over Medicaid and Food Stamps to the states in the form of block grants, and a host of other things that Democrats vehemently oppose.
You can read Congressman Ryan's op-ed piece by clicking on the link below.
Paul Ryan: The GOP Plan to Balance the Budget by 2023
A lot of things happened this week. Hugo Chavez died. North Korea threatened (again) to blow up the United States. Rand Paul and company performed the first true filibuster in the Senate in nearly 3 years. John Brennan was confirmed to be the next CIA chief. The House Republicans passed a CR that has virtually no chance of becoming law. The Sequester came and went and the US economy hasn't blown up. The Dow Jones has reached record highs. Unemployment ticked down to 7.7%.
And that's just the big stuff.
Sen. John McCain had some tough words for fellow Republican Senator Rand Paul after Sen. Paul's filibuster speech in the Senate. Sen. Paul was filibustering the nomination of Paul Brennan to be the head of the CIA, and he held the Senate floor for nearly 12 hours, delivering a speech criticizing the Obama Administration's Drone policy. It was with some of the particulars of that speech that Sen. McCain took issue with.
Strong issues.
Despite the fact that most political observers believe the 2016 Democratic Presidential Nomination is hers for the taking, some Democratic insiders are warning that Secretary Clinton shouldn't rest too long if she really wants it. There are some up & coming Democrats out there who would love to take a shot at 2016, and if Secretary Clinton waits to long to decide, she may not get a chance to.
President Obama invited several Republican Senators out for Dinner last night. The President picked up the tab himself. He also invited Rep. Paul Ryan and Rep. Chris Van Hollen out for lunch. They are the top ranking Republican and Democrat on the House Budget Committee. These moves are widely seen as the White House shifting strategy on how it deals with Congress. During most negotiations, the President deals with the House and Senate leadership to get a deal done. Now, it appears that The White House is reaching out to the rank-n-file lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle.
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