It is time to end the debate about whether the Affordable Care Act should exist and whether it should be funded. Congress voted for this law. President Obama signed this law. The Supreme Court upheld this law. The President ran for reelection on this law. In fact, his opponent said he would repeal it – and his opponent lost by five million votes. Sen. Elizabeth Warren … [Read more...] about Will this woman please run for President?
The Republican Party Breaking Bad
GILROY, Calif. -- You can smell it as soon as you drive into town. Gilroy calls itself the "Garlic Capital of the World," due to its big garlic crop and its top-of-the line Gilroy Garlic Festival, which features authentic garlic ice cream. At first you can't pinpoint what the smell is; but it's a strong smell, but not a totally unpleasant one. Then there is the city's wonderful … [Read more...] about The Republican Party Breaking Bad
Quote of the Day: Andrew Sullivan says it’s “nullification” not shutdown by “the Nullification Party”
Our political Quote of the Day is from a blunt post by Andrew Sullivan (a favorite of many of us here at TMV) who says the House Republican engineered shutdown is not a shutdown but a "nullification" attempt. Some key quotes of this post, which must be read in full: But there is something more here. How does one party that has lost two presidential elections and a Supreme … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Andrew Sullivan says it’s “nullification” not shutdown by “the Nullification Party”
A Skunk By Any Other Name Would Stink As Badly
The House GOP voted to fund the entire government except the ACA. The Democrats in the Senate and the President refused to go along. A majority of the populace, according to every poll I am aware of, blame the Republicans more than the Democrats. Now as the Republicans thrash around trying to come up with anything that will reverse the decline in opinions concerning them, they … [Read more...] about A Skunk By Any Other Name Would Stink As Badly
The tea party created an existential threat to America, not Obamacare (Guest Voice)
The tea party created an existential threat to America, not Obamacare (via The Christian Science Monitor) Sen. Ted Cruz (R) of Texas departs the Senate floor Sept. 30 after a late-night vote rejected budget legislation from the House that would have undermined the Affordable Care Act. Op-ed contributor Justin Holbrook writes: Tea party Republicans 'should… … [Read more...] about The tea party created an existential threat to America, not Obamacare (Guest Voice)
Who shuts down the federal government more often: Ds or Rs?
UPDATED: There are lots of analyses of prior federal government shutdowns, but there are a couple of things to remember. First, both parties have been the disruptor in the past. Second, we date the shutdowns from 1976 because that's when the current budgeting process was born. Third, the current shutdown is the 18th; the length has ranged from 1 to 21 days with an average of … [Read more...] about Who shuts down the federal government more often: Ds or Rs?
Mission accomplished: The tea party shutdown
WASHINGTON -- The tea party Republicans should hang a "Mission Accomplished" banner across the House of Representatives. They could flank it with large portraits of Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who has in fact, if not in name, replaced John Boehner as speaker of the House. The right-wing extremists got exactly what they wanted. Now, what will the country do about it? … [Read more...] about Mission accomplished: The tea party shutdown
Polls: Republicans taking bigger shutdown hit than Barack Obama
Two new polls are showing Republicans are already taking a bigger hit for a government shutdown than Barack Obama and the Democratic Party -- and it's early in this new era of a shutdown. And we haven't even hit the debt limit crisis-to-be yet. The most potentially devastating of the two comes from the respected Quinnipiac University. It's worth looking at this Talking … [Read more...] about Polls: Republicans taking bigger shutdown hit than Barack Obama
House Engineered Government Shutdown Newspaper Cover: a classic
The New York Daily News' cover, a take off on Nexflix's House of Cards series, is an instant classic and will be displayed for years. To wit: … [Read more...] about House Engineered Government Shutdown Newspaper Cover: a classic
Bernie Sanders: ‘It is unconscionable…’
The morning after Republicans unsuccescfully tried to kill or eviscerate the Affordable Care Act, Bernie Sanders, the Independent U.S. Senator from Vermont, writes at the Huffington Post: It is unconscionable that in one of the most advanced nations in the world, there are nearly 50 million people who lack health insurance and millions more who have burdensome copayments … [Read more...] about Bernie Sanders: ‘It is unconscionable…’
(Video animation) Breaking Bad fans’ withdrawl pains
Now the hard part for Breaking Bad fans: life without one of the best TV shows ever made. And some still can't get their minds off it: … [Read more...] about (Video animation) Breaking Bad fans’ withdrawl pains
The World Ends Today: Obamacare Begins
Civilization as we know it is over. Those who doubt that can cling to a faint hope offered by Barack Obama’s favorite physician/writer. During the health care debate in 2009, the President made his staff read a New Yorker article by Dr. Atul Gawande dramatizing the borderline thievery sanctioned by America’s fee-for-service system: about two communities in Texas, one with … [Read more...] about The World Ends Today: Obamacare Begins
NH GOP State Rep. William O’Brien Says Obamacare as Bad as Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Tea Party continues to destroy the Republican Party as New Hampshire state Rep. William O’Brien claims Obamacare is every bit as bad as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Wow, the Fugitive Slave Act? The extremists in the Republican Party can't get any lower than this. Wait. They did. The government shutdown that will see 800,000 workers furloughed is as low as you can go. … [Read more...] about NH GOP State Rep. William O’Brien Says Obamacare as Bad as Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Who is more American?
WASHINGTON -- Are Germans now more American than we are? As we face several more weeks of ludicrously irresponsible hostage-taking politics driven by tea-party radicalism, we'd do well to study how postwar Germany -- yes, encouraged by the United States -- has embraced the sort of consensual, problem-solving politics for which we were once famous. On Sept. 22, … [Read more...] about Who is more American?
Cannabis for Kreuzberg: A new Berlin Wall made of pot?
Cannabis for Kreuzberg: A new Berlin Wall made of pot? (via GlobalPost) Enlarge BERLIN, Germany — Young parents push strollers through the sprawling green oasis of Goerlitzer Park in Berlin’s hip Kreuzberg district on a sunny afternoon. Yuppies in colorful windbreakers treat their pampered pets to a taste of freedom… … [Read more...] about Cannabis for Kreuzberg: A new Berlin Wall made of pot?
Shutdown Takes Effect. GOP Lamprey Eels causes misery for millions
While elected GOP wine and dine and drive fine cars, send their kids to private schools, have more expensive leather on their feet than many a person's monthly salary, and never a worry about paying the bills. The GOP engineered this by allowing the crazy uncle in the basement to take charge, to tie two unrelated ideas to each other, to torch the people's will, the … [Read more...] about Shutdown Takes Effect. GOP Lamprey Eels causes misery for millions
APOLOGIZE Rep. Culberson: You’re NO Todd Beamer, Sir.
That did it. Rep [r.Texas] callously and gleefully and without respect or regard for the dead... misused the truly heroic and desperate and heartbreaking cri de couer of Todd Beamer's "Let's roll" as Beamer and others attempted to physically overcome the terrorists who had hijacked their passenger plane on 9-11. Beamer and the other heroes, true heroes, not fat cats … [Read more...] about APOLOGIZE Rep. Culberson: You’re NO Todd Beamer, Sir.
Rep- Culberson [R} from Texas will not be re-elected: A good guess
On CNN just a few minutes ago, Rep John Abney Culberson [r. Texas] asserted three times he is 'standing on principle' instead of allowing the poor people in his district to not have a shut down of government. Absurdist language from Culberson about 'loving liberty' and voting to allow govt to shut down so that his people in Texas can "be left alone" -- Culberson is … [Read more...] about Rep- Culberson [R} from Texas will not be re-elected: A good guess
When You’re Doing Something Really Unpopular, Lie to Make Yourself Look Better
James Fallows exposes some of the flaws in how the current government crisis is being covered by some as well as the argument being made by the GOP that only they are expressing the will of the American voters. In case you hadn't read this somewhere else, while the Republicans still have a clear majority of the seats in the House, they still didn't win the popular vote in … [Read more...] about When You’re Doing Something Really Unpopular, Lie to Make Yourself Look Better
Shutdown expected as House Republicans respond to Senate with new D.O.A. anti-Obamacare bill
Shutdown looms, House tries new anti-Obamacare bill (via AFP) US House Speaker John Boehner said lawmakers will vote Monday on another budget measure delaying part of the health care law, virtually assuring Congress misses a deadline to avoid a government shutdown. The move would be the third straight effort by… … [Read more...] about Shutdown expected as House Republicans respond to Senate with new D.O.A. anti-Obamacare bill