Today, the House of Representatives will be voting on the “Repeal the Job Killing Health Care Law Act.” This bill, written by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was passed by the last Congress, and, despite some requests that, in the wake of the Tuscon shootingsContinue reading “On the Repeal of Health Care Reform”
Tag Archives: Republican Party
On the Ratification of an Arms Control Treaty
A long-time friend, though I hesitate to use the world since he went off the deep-end into wingnut batshittery, railed on Facebook today against the ratification by the United States Senate of the New START Treaty, an arms control treaty between the United States and Russia that continues the Reagan-era doctrine of “Trust, but verify”Continue reading “On the Ratification of an Arms Control Treaty”
On Obama’s Tax Cut Capitulation
Yesterday, President Obama and the Congressional Republican leadership agreed on a two year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. It’s not entirely a done deal — Bernie Sanders, Senator from Vermont, has threatened a filibuster, and the deal still has to be sold to wary Democratic legislators, some of whom were willing to take PaulContinue reading “On Obama’s Tax Cut Capitulation”
On the Coming Impeachment of Barack Obama
The Republican Party, odds-on favorites to win the House of Representatives in six weeks, are looking to the future by looking back at their playbook of the 1990s past — a campaign platform long on rhetorical flourishes and short on a coherent governing strategy, talk of a government shutdown to force the President to theContinue reading “On the Coming Impeachment of Barack Obama”
On Constitutional Worship and Historical Trends
I have a friend — he and I go back over a decade — who, in the past two years, has turned into a rabid right-winger. He’s always been out there on the right, but ever since Obama was elected, he’s gone off the deep end. Obama is a socialist, a Marxist, a totalitarian fascist,Continue reading “On Constitutional Worship and Historical Trends”
On the Republican Party’s “Pledge to America”
A few days ago, the Republican Party unveiled A Pledge to America, their campaign for this autumn’s Congressional races. I downloaded the PDF. I printed it out. I read it on the train on Friday, only to wish that I were reading Clash of the Geeks instead. I’m a self-admitted policy and politics junkie, butContinue reading “On the Republican Party’s “Pledge to America””
On a Helpful Voter’s Guide
Who should you vote for this November? It’s a big election, an important election, and I’ve written about some of the things at stake in November. Fortunately, a voter’s guide is available to help voters on the fence make their decision in the booth: Voting is a sacred duty. Get informed. Be engaged. Vote! :spock:
On Economic Choices and Political Outcomes
After two days of political prognostication and analysis, I turn my attention to matters economic. The economy is in pretty dire shape — and has been since mid-2008. In President Obama’s first months in office, an economic stimulus bill was passed to inject some energy back into the economy. At the time, economists believed thatContinue reading “On Economic Choices and Political Outcomes”
On Counterfactuals, Tantrums, and the Expensive Orgy
Two political op-eds have captured my attention in the past day. They cover similar ground — the struggles of the Democrats this election cycle — in profoundly different ways. The Washington Post‘s Eugene Robinson, he writes in “The Spoiled-Brat American Electorate” that “registered voters say they intend to vote for Republicans over Democrats by anContinue reading “On Counterfactuals, Tantrums, and the Expensive Orgy”
On What’s At Stake In November’s Elections
Forty-five years ago Alabama governor George Wallace declared in his inaugural address a policy of “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” Opposed to the Civil Rights movement, rejecting federal authority, Wallace, an ardent racist and state’s rights advocate, sought to turn back the clock to an earlier era, but the genie of Civil Rights wasContinue reading “On What’s At Stake In November’s Elections”