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Subscribe to RSSBeth Reinhard: “By picking a fight so publicly in what former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin famously decried as the ‘lamestream media,’ the [American Crossroads] super PAC has royally antagonized the very conservative grassroots it is hoping to tame. The backlash on Monday was swift. Freedom Works President Matt Kibbe called the super PAC’s plans ‘Orwellian.’ ForAmerica Chairman L. Brent Bozell III declared, ‘The days of conservatives listening to the moderate GOP establishment are over.’ Tea Party Express called the Conservative Victory Project ‘a big mistake that will lead to neither conservatives, nor victories.’”
“The Arkansas House voted Monday to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest, sending the proposal to a state Senate that approved more stringent restrictions last week,” the AP writes. “The House also voted to block insurers from covering abortions if they participate in the online marketplace created under the federal health care overhaul.”
“Hillary Clinton has found her post-State Department home on the World Wide Web,” Politico notes. “HillaryClintonOffice.com is bare-bones so-far, sporting only a picture of the former Secretary of State and a contact form. According to registration data, the site was created Jan. 31, and was last edited Sunday. The URL was registered through GoDaddy.com.”
“Former Boy Scout leaders and activists on Monday delivered a petition with 1.4 million signatures to the Irving, Texas, headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America, urging the organization to end its ban on gay members and leaders,” USA Today writes. “Scouting executives said they were considering dropping the national ban during a three-day meeting that began Monday. A decision, if there is one, is likely Wednesday, the organization said.”
Said Texas Gov. Rick Perry, an outspoken conservative former Scout: "I think most people see absolutely no reason to change the position, and neither do I.” Rick Santorum yesterday said there was a “war” on the Scouts.
GEORGIA: “Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he won't be jumping into next year's race for the U.S. Senate in Georgia,” USA Today writes. “‘I'm just loving being mayor. I'm focused on being mayor,’ Reed said Monday on MSNBC. ‘I'm going to keep being mayor.’ Reed mentioned two fellow Democrats who would be "terrific" candidates: Rep. John Barrow, a five term congressman who has long been a GOP target, and Peter Aman, Atlanta's former chief operating officer.”
IOWA: Steve King leads the GOP field for Senate in a new poll.
MAINE: Gov. Paul LePage (R)’s “greatest fear”: newspapers.
MASSACHUSETTS: “Three more high-profile Republicans announced in rapid succession Monday that they will not be candidates in the special US Senate election Monday, leaving the GOP with the prospect of fielding a relative unknown in what the party had hoped would be a pitched battle for John F. Kerry’s former seat,” the Boston Globe writes, adding, “In fast moving developments since Brown announced Friday that he would not run, several prominent GOP personalities — including former governor William F. Weld, former lieutenant governor Kerry Healey, former Senate minority leader Richard Tisei, and Mitt Romney’s son Tagg — announced they would not run in the special election.”
More: “Now, the only Republican openly acknowledging interest in the seat is Gabriel E. Gomez, a venture capitalist who has been quietly moving around party leadership circles in recent weeks telling GOP movers and shakers he is seriously thinking of running. Gomez, a former Navy SEAL and fighter pilot, is scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C., Tuesday with officials from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Gomez will be accompanied to the meeting by Ron Kaufman, the state party’s national committeeman, who has been involved in the GOP’s scramble to find a credible candidate.”
State Rep. Dan Winslow might announce he’s getting in today.
Andy Card might run for the seat in 2014.
NEW JERSEY: Gov. Chris Christie (R) was on Letterman. After chomping on a jelly donut, he declared, "I'm basically the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life."
Frank Lautenberg (D) pulled in just $11,000 in the fourth quarter of 2012, Roll Call reports.
OHIO: “Conservative groups wanted to stop the march of Obamacare expansion at ground zero: the states,” Politico notes. “But one of their best hopes just caved. John Kasich, the fiercely conservative governor of Ohio, announced Monday that he’s going to expand Medicaid dramatically using federal money — a 180-degree turn from what conservative groups swore their allies in governors’ mansions would do when the Supreme Court gave them an out last year.”
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The Republicans should just stick to two simple messages and keep repeating them;
1 - The skyrocketing Debt will be devastating to the future of our children.
2 - The massive increases in the money supply to fund the Deficits will result in massive Inflation, high Interest Rates, and more Unemployment.
These are simple messages that even the 'low information voters' will understand, and there is no doubt that we will have to deal with these problems in the near future.
Obama's own 2013 Budget projections show that the National Debt will increase from $9.986 Trillion at the end of fiscal 2008 to $20.392 Trillion at the end of 2016 (Obama's last year) - but President's budget projections are notoriously 'optimistic' - it will likely be closer to $25 Trillion in 2016. The Interest cost alone will be devastating.
The Chinese are no longer buying our Debt - in fact, they have quietly 'cashed in' about $200 Billion of their loans to us over the last year (they know inflation is coming), and the Federal Reserve has had to replace that money by effectively 'printing new money' - along with about $1 Trillion in new money to finance the Deficit. The money supply (M1) has increased from about $1.4 Trillion in 2009 to about $2.5 Trillion now. Every responsible economist will tell you that this is highly "INFLATIONARY" - ala the 14% Inflation and 18% Interest Rates under Jimmy Carter in 1980.
I've heard Paul Ryan put forth this same argument, and while I am as afraid as anyone of burgeoning debt, politicians who voted for all this spending and the tax cuts during the Bush years, and who now turn around and tell me the sky is falling and Obama is to blame, leave me stone cold.
Of course we need to cut spending - gradually, so as not to shock the recovery. We will need to adapt our retirement system and Medicare to deal with the number of aging baby boomers. But I trust Obama, and the Democrats, to handle this, more than I trust the Republicans, who only seem to serve to increase profits for corporations, at the expense of the nation as a whole.
We should remember that Republicans created the deficit. Then crashed the economy. Now they want the middle class to pay for the mess that they and their wealthy constituency created.
If Republicans, or, even worse, Teabaggers get control of this country they will make America into a third world country, as they have been trying to do for 40 years.
johndevine "We should remember that Republicans created the deficit."
Here are the Deficit figures for the last 5 Presidents - with a link to the official Obama White House government source to verify;
Reagan (1981-1988) = $1.339 Trillion over 8 years, or $167 Billion per year.
Bush 1 (1989-1992) = $933 Billion over 4 years, or $233 Billion per year.
Clinton (1993-2000) = $320 Billion over 8 years, or $40 Billion per year.
Bush 2 (2001-2008) = $2.006 Trillion over 8 years, or $251 Billion per year. This included all of the cost of the wars.
Obama (2009-2012) = $5.333 Trillion (Proj) over his first 4 years, or $1,333 Billion per year. That's $4.6 Trillion more than Bush spent in his first 4 years.
Obama projects another $5 Trillion of Deficits in the next 4 years, or more than $10 Trillion which our children and grandchildren will have as a 'millstone' around their necks for their entire lives. Running up huge debts is a great way to 'pander for votes', but somebody will have to pay it back (our children) - with interest. Below is the official government link - See Table 1.3. When Interest Rates return to normal (Average is 4.97% over previous 30 years before Obama), the Interest alone on Obama's projected $20.369 Trillion National Debt in 2016 will increase to over $1,000 Billion per year, vs an average of only $199 Billion per year under Bush. Where is that extra $800 Billion per year ($8 Trillion over 10 years) going to come from??????
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals
Hey Roy,
Don't bring facts into the equation. It only shuts down the emotional based talking points of the left.
Actually, keep up the good work. Because, listening to the blame Bush for everything that is wrong with the world rhetoric, is making my blood pressure spike. You are good for my health and well-being.
Tax & Spend, at least it brings in something.
Tax Cut & Spend just digs deeper.
Or tax and spend democrat at least pay for their spending by enhancing revenue, borrow and spend republicans only make things worse.