Quick Fact: RNC Trying to Turn the Tables

The Republican National Committee believes it has found a weapon to shoot the War on Women sobriquet back at the Democrats.  The weapon's name is Anthony Weiner.  RNC communications director Sean Spicer has recently created a number of public memos and tweets and is encouraging fellow Republicans to use the Weiner debacle to turn the tables on Democrats.

What the RNC does not seem to realize is that there is a vast difference between one sleazy politician whose misdeeds target ONE woman with tasteless photographic foreplay and an entire political party whose policies aim to deny the constitutional rights of ALL women. 

Nice try, Mr. Spicer, but we women are perfectly clear which is which.

The Republican Spite Parade Continues - ACA "Refuse to Enroll" Campaign and the GOP Says "No" to Jobs

I have to share two more examples of the Republican Party's choosing spite and obstructionism over quality government and forward progress.

1.  ACA and the Republican "Refuse to Enroll" Campaign
Conservative organizations like the Citizens' Council for Health Freedom and the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity are trying another tactic in their attempt to derail the ACA.  They are actively targeting uninsured Americans in states like Ohio--where government leadership has chosen not to set up their own exchange programs--with TV and print ads as well as anti-ACA rants by radio commentators like Twila Brase, all urging people to refuse to sign up for health care benefits guaranteed to them by the health care law.

what eye thynk:   There can be only one reason why one group of people would encourage another group of people to go without health insurance, and that reason is plain and simple:  morally-bankrupt spite.

The Koch brothers are certainly wealthy enough to be able to afford excellent health care and Twila Brase, an RN who heads the Citizens' Council for Health Freedom and is on the board of the Patient Safety Institute, is also undoubtedly covered by a good health care plan.  Their callous attempts to deny the same safety net to millions of Americans demonstrates how the conservative passion for spite has moved beyond reason.  There is no positive side to their argument.  Encouraging the uninsured to remain uninsured benefits no one.

One columnist summarized it this way: "After nearly a century of politicians talking about the problem, President Obama...signed the Affordable Care Act into law...throwing a life preserver to the uninsured.  Now, Republicans aren't just actively trying to sabotage the law, they're telling struggling Americans it's better to drown than accept the life preserver." 

This is spitefulness in its basest form.


2.  GOP says "No" to Lower Corporate Tax Rates and Job Creation 
On Tuesday, President Obama spoke in Tennessee and made an offer that included lowering corporate tax rates and using a one-time fee payable on deferred foreign earnings to invest in infrastructure and manufacturing jobs:  "Here's the bottom line:  I'm willing to work with Republicans on reforming our corporate tax code, as long as we use the money from transitioning to a simpler tax system for a significant investment in creating middle-class jobs. That's the deal."

what eye thynk:   It's a deal that Washington Republicans should be jumping over each other to accept. They have been screaming about lowering the corporate tax rate and the need to create jobs for five years now; but, no, they hate the idea.  

Their reasons are mind boggling.  

• John Boehner's office said that the President didn't tell him about the plan first. (The President says Mr. Boehner's office did not return his phone call).

While it might be politic to let the Speaker of the House know about a new offer before announcing it publicly, I don't see what that has to do with the substance of the offer.  And, really, where is it written that the President of the United States must vet his speeches through the Speaker's office?  This whole objection is just plain childish.

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) responded to the President's offer by saying that it would hurt small business and that the plan is not bi-partisan. 

How lower corporate tax rates would hurt small business is beyond me.  Mr. McConnell declined to explain his statement.  And the idea that lower corporate tax rates is not a bi-partisan idea just flies in the face of logic.  I mean, Republicans have been calling for lower corporate tax rates for years and now the Democratic President is saying he would go along with it.  That seems to pass the smell test for bi-partisanship in my world.

• Some Republicans are saying they will not accept partial concessions on tax rates.  They insist that lower tax rates for the wealthy must also be included in the offer.  

The art of compromise is reaching mummified status on the red side of the aisle.

• Other Republicans are arguing that any changes in corporate tax rates must be revenue neutral. In other words, if an agreement can be reached on lower corporate tax rates, the results should not generate any revenue that might be used for any other purpose.  

I don't know how else to interpret this but as an argument AGAINST job creation. 

And so goes life with the modern Republican Party.  They say they want the government out of our personal lives--but continue to pass law after law aimed at governing the female reproductive system.  The say they support small  government--but pass laws defining religion, families and marriage rights. They say they want a safer America--but they refuse to pass gun safety regulations while at the same time passing laws that make it easier for anyone to carry a firearm anytime, anywhere.  

They say they want to create jobs, but when the President gives them the perfect opportunity to do just that, they reject the idea because the announcement a) hurt the Speaker's feelings, b) doesn't follow their interpretation of bi-partisanship and c) doesn't do anything for the rich. 

 

Keep it up, boys.  Keep it up.

The Republican Party, Where Spite is More Important Than "The Majority Rules"

Colorado will hold the first recall election in its history on September 10.  The N.R.A. and Colorado's Republican Party are trying to unseat two state senators who supported that state''s new gun law.

After the Columbine and Aurora massacres, the legislature of Colorado had had enough and passed a new gun law requiring universal background checks for all gun purchases and restricting magazine size to 15.  The bill had wide public support.  State Senators John Morse (D), who sponsored the bill, and Angela Giron (D) were both outspoken supporters of the bill and are now the focus of the September recall election.

Senator Morse who serves as President of the State Senate, is a former police chief who says he respects the Second Amendment, but with reasonable restrictions.  About the recall election, he said, "Recalls are for unethical behavior and not disagreements."

what eye thynk:   Senator Morse is absolutely correct; but today, so much of our political conversation is ruled by pettiness and spite that respect for our democratic process is beginning to seem like an anachronism.  

The principle of the-majority-rules no longer seems to apply in today's public arena.  "I don't agree with you, but your opinion garnered more votes than mine, so that's the way we'll go forward from here" has been replaced with "I don't agree with you and your opinion garnered more votes than mine, but I'm going to ignore the wishes of the majority and continue to fight you in every way I can.  And if I can ruin you in the process, so much the better."

The N.R.A. and Republicans who oppose the new gun bill see the recall election as a chance to send a message to any politician anywhere who is thinking about supporting similar legislation. Becky Mizel, chairwoman of the Republican Party in Ms. Giron's home district was recently quoted as saying "Legislators should be scared."

To show how petty and spiteful the recall effort is, Ms. Giron is up for re-election next year anyway.  And, under Colorado's term limits law, Mr. Morse is ineligible to run again in 2014.  

But spite is a drug that the Republican Party can't seem to get enough of.  And, for the N.R.A., the chance to bring down anyone who disagrees with them is a high they seem to crave beyond all reason.

July 29 - Monday Quote

I dedicate this week's quote to Martha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) who, in 2005 voted for George W. Bush's home appliance energy efficiency bill and in 2013 sponsored her own anti-home appliance energy efficiency bill, calling energy efficiency standards just another example of President Obama attempting to create a Democratic nanny state.

monday quote: Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. (Charley Reese, conservative columnist, 1937-2013) 

Defunding the ACA, Energy Efficiency Ratings, and Ryan's One-note Budget Gloat

I believe myself to be fairly intelligent and somewhat rational; but sometimes I just cannot figure out how Republicans come up with the things they say--or the straight faces with which to say them. 

1.  Defunding the ACA
Two weeks ago, Senator Marco Rubio, (R-Florida) said that the Republican Party should shut down the federal government unless Democrats agree to defund the ACA.  Seventeen Republican Senators, including House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), immediately jumped on this ultra-conservative bandwagon.  There was lots of bad press after which some Senators quietly disembarked.  Other, more realistic Republican Senators spoke up to agree with Senator Richard Burr (R-No. Carolina) who called the idea "The dumbest idea I've ever heard of."  

Fast forward two weeks.  Upon hearing that President Obama vowed to veto any spending bill that does not fully fund the ACA, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) said in a radio interview:  "What the President's basically saying is that 'If you don't fund Obmacare, I won't sign a bill that funds the government.'  So he's the one that's threatening to shut down the government, not us."

what eye thynk:  What in the hell is this man talking about?  


2.  Energy Efficiency Ratings
The House has passed a bill forbidding the federal government from enforcing energy efficiency standards for ceiling fans, light bulbs, refrigerators and freezers.  Their rallying cry was that the Obama administration is creating a Nanny State and is overstepping by requiring energy efficiency for home appliances of any kind.

Representative Martha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) sponsored the bill saying, "Nothing is safe from the Obama administration's excessive regulatory tentacles."  Perhaps Ms. Blackburn needs to be reminded that the first bill regulating energy efficiency for home appliances was signed into law by Ronald Reagan in 1987.  Someone should also point out to her that ceiling fan efficiency rules were passed by both the Republican led House and the Republican led Senate and signed into law by then President George W. Bush in 2005.  Ms. Blackburn voted in favor of the bill.

what eye thynk:  And if Republicans are really so against "regulatory tentacles", they might consider keeping their hypocritical nanny nose out of the business of excessively regulating my vagina.


3.  Ryan's One-note Budget Gloat
The 112th Congress cut the federal budget's discretionary spending by $1.5 trillion.  This was before the Republicans forced billions in additional cuts through sequestration.  Economists on both sides of the aisle, (at least those not bought and paid for by the Koch brothers and big business), agree that the sequester is holding back our economic recovery.

Now the House is beginning to unveil more draconian cuts in its new budget bill causing Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) to brag about the low spending levels by saying "It's about time we cut some spending around here."

what eye thynk:  Paul Ryan has become "Poor Johnny One Note".  Does he really think no one is aware of or has forgotten about the cuts already made?
  

Quick Fact - Petty Anti-ACA Tactics Foiled by Big Business

In news related to Republican in-fighting over their threat to shut down the federal government if Democrats refuse to defund the ACA:  http://whateyethynk-politics.blogspot.com/2013/07/eye-recommend-senate-goper-calls.html  ..............

And Republican double standard intimidation tactics relating to getting information out to Americans about their ACA rights: http://whateyethynk-politics.blogspot.com/2013/07/eye-recommend-unsportsmanlike-conduct.html     ...............

I give you Fox News' Erick Erickson who, upon hearing that CVS Caremark is planning on helping people navigate the new health care law and would be assisting them in enrolling in available exchanges, announced that he would be boycotting CVS and would instead be shopping at Walgreens.

Which just shows that you don't have to be a politician to be petty.

Mr. Erickson is apparently unaware that Walgreens has partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield and will also be assisting their customers with signing up for ACA benefits.

Ahh, the embarrassing cost of possessing a Lilliputian mind.  

Eye Recommend -- Senate GOPer Calls Shutdown Threat the Dumbest Idea I've Ever Heard

SENATE GOPer CALLS SHUTDOWN THREAT THE DUMBEST IDEA I'VE EVER HEARD,  by Steve Benen -- http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/07/26/19696834-senate-goper-calls-shutdown-threat-the-dumbest-idea-ive-ever-heard?lite

Republican in-fighting is becoming one of my favorite sports. 

"The idea was first pushed by one guy:  It was Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) who said two weeks ago that he and his party should shut down the entire federal government unless Democrats agree to block all funding of the Affordable Care Act, even if that denies health care coverage to millions of American families. 

Then Rubio picked up some friends.  The number of Republican senators endorsing this tactic grew, just over the course of two weeks, to 17--roughly a third of the Senate GOP caucus--including members of the Republican leadership."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) was on board with this idea.

"But a funny thing happened on the way to the shutdown:  all of a sudden, a fair number of Republicans, including Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), started to realize their party's idea was blisteringly stupid.

'I think it's the dumbest idea I've ever heard of,' Burr said.  'Listen, as long as Barack Obama is president, the Affordable Care Act is going to be law...I think some of these guys need to understand that if you shut down the federal government, you better have a specific reason to do it that's achievable.  Defunding the Affordable Care Act is not achievable through shutting down the federal government.  At some point you're going to open the federal government back up and Barack Obama's (still) going to be president."

The cynic  in me can't help but wonder if this anti-shutdown rhetoric is an honest opinion or one that was seeded by a need to protect himself  from a possible adverse voter reaction.

"Over in the House, Rep. Tom Cole, (R-Okla.), a deputy majority whip and close ally to Speaker Boehner, told Fox News, 'Seems to me there's appropriate ways to deal with the law, but shutting down the government to get your way over an unrelated piece of legislation is (the) political equivalent of throwing a temper tantrum.  It's just not helpful.  And it is the sort of thing that creates a backlash and could cost the Republicans the majority in the House.'"

Which I guess answers my previous question.  They might WANT to shut down the government, but not if it costs them seats.

"If this plan implodes...it's going to make Sens. Rubio, Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Mike Lee (R-Utah)--the ringleaders of the gambit--look awfully foolish...

...(If) the scheme falls apart, and even gets mocked by their own allies, it will reinforce the impression that these far-right senators are inept show-horses who aren't serious about governing and can't even execute their own bad ideas."

An outcome that, I admit, would not break my heart.