Political Ruminations

Chart of the Day

We knew that the current (112^th) Congress was a do-nothing sort, but now, thanks to Steve Benen’s handy dandy chart, we know that the 112^th Congress is actually the do-nothingest Congress since…..the House Clerk began keeping records in 1947.

Keep in mind that it wasn’t Democrats who held things up. It was Republicans who were set on defeating Obama. And many of these Republicans/Tea Party people were reelected on November 6 by their obviously know-nothing constituents.

Via Ashby

Morning Quote: Tea Party Co-Founder Amy Kremer

At a Tea Party event yesterday, the Party’s co-founder, Amy Kremer, declared that Gov. Rick Scott’s (R-Fl) illegal voter purge is necessary because, according to Kremer,

“ If the Democrats cannot win it  [an election] fair and square, they will steal it.”

As Steve Benen noted this morning, Kremer made this oh so ironic remark without a “hint of irony”. Benen also pointed out that “87% of Scott's purge list is made up of minorities, minority voters tend to support Democrats, and the scheme is being executed five months before Election Day, the partisan motivations behind the governor's agenda is rather transparent”.

Image via Flickr/Gage Skidmore

Morning Quote: Mitt Romney

According to Steve Benen, Mitt Romney continues to lie about the Affordable Care Act:

“The employees of the Catholic Church have to be provided by the Catholic Church with health care that gives them free contraceptive and free sterilization treatments and morning-after pills despite the fact that this violates the conscience of the Catholic Church.”

Romney is lying.

Chart of the Day: Trajectory of Unemployment Claims 2007-2012

Steven Benen explains:

In fact, the new figures are the best since April 2008, and even exceeded positive expectations.

The number of Americans who filed requests for jobless benefits fell by 6,000 last week to 357,000, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had projected claims would total 360,000, seasonally adjusted, in the week ended March 31. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to

Despite last week's annual revisions, the same metrics still apply: wh363,000 from 359,000. The average of new-benefit applications over the past four weeks, meanwhile, dropped by 4,250 to 361,750.en jobless claims fall below the 400,000 threshold, it's considered evidence of an improving jobs landscape, and when the number drops below 370,000, it suggests jobs are actually being created rather quickly.

And with that, here's the chart -- which reflects the revised, seasonably-adjusted data -- showing weekly, initial unemployment claims going back to the beginning of 2007. (Remember, unlike the monthly jobs chart, a lower number is good news.) For context, I've added an arrow to show the point at which President Obama's Recovery Act began spending money.

UPDATE

More good news on the economic front from The Washington Post:

Add Mark Zandi to the growing chorus of economists who believe that the U.S. is finally headed for a real turnaround. The chief economist for Moody’s Analytics just revised his outlook for 2012, and the biggest change to his forecast involves the unemployment rate. Back in January, Zandi predicted that the rate, which is currently at 8.3 percent, would stay above 8 percent through the end of the year. Now he says it “appears set to fall below 8 percent by year’s end” and believes it will fall below 7 percent by the end of 2013, as he explains in his latest note.

Morning Quote

Steve Benen:

“There are a lot of things lacking in American politics; maturity is high on the list.”

Morning Quote

Via Steve Benen, Eli Lake on Twitter:

Eli Lake, a national security correspondent for the unabashedly conservative Washington Times and not exactly a fan of President Obama, raised a point on Twitter that the right probably didn’t care for. (via Zack Beauchamp)

“Worth noting. President Birth Certificate has done what Reagan and W could not: end Gadhafi's reign and kill bin Laden. #realkeeping”

Morning Quote: Sen. Bob Corker

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Thursday:

“Maybe the debt ceiling was the wrong place to pick a fight, as it related to trying to get our country’s house in order. Maybe that was the wrong place to do it.”

Seriously.

Steve Benen:

This isn’t the first time in American history policymakers have tackled fiscal policy and worked on a debt-reduction plan. This is the first time in American history policymakers from one party connected such a fight to the debt ceiling.

It’s been largely lost in the shuffle, but Republicans have other avenues to pursue these same goals. Indeed, they could raise the debt ceiling today and go right back to fighting the same fight.

But, no. They saw an opportunity to take a hostage, and wanted the leverage, regardless of the risks. Even after being begged by the Fed, economists, and the financial industry not to be so incredibly stupid, Republicans proudly declared they’d crash the economy on purpose unless Democrats met their demands.

Romney Goes After Obama on Jobs

Watch Romney’s new ad all about teh jobs:

The problem with Romney’s jobs message is that Romney made his money by downsizing companies and outsourcing jobs. Stephen Colbert via Steve Benen, emphasis mine:

“You see, Romney made a Mittload of cash using what’s known as a leveraged buyout. He’d buy a company with ‘money borrowed against their assets, groomed them to be sold off and in the interim collect huge management fees.’ Once Mitt had control of the company, he’d cut frivolous spending like jobs, workers, employees, and jobs. Just like America’s sweetheart, Gordon Gecko.”

“Because Mitt Romney knows just how to trim the fat. He rescued businesses like Dade Behring, Stage Stories, American Pad and Paper, and GS Industries, then his company sold them for a profit of $578 million after which all of those firms declared bankruptcy. Which sounds bad, but don’t worry, almost no one worked there anymore.”

“Besides, a businessman can’t be weighed down with a bleeding heart, as one former Bain employee put it, ‘It was very clinical…. Like a doctor. When the patient is dead, you just move on to the next patient.’ See? Mitt Romney is like a doctor! [On screen: Dr. Kevorkian]”

Anyone who believes in Romney’s jobs message needs to rethink that scenario, cause Mitt Romney surely does love him some good, old-fashioned American jobs slashing.

Steve Benen on Romney’s jobs record, emphasis mine:

Complicating matters, during Romney’s only service in public office, his state’s record on job creation was “one of the worst in the country.” Adding insult to injury, “By the end of his four years in office, Massachusetts had squeezed out a net gain in payroll jobs of just 1 percent, compared with job growth of 5.3 percent for the nation as a whole.”

How bad is Romney’s record? During his tenure, Massachusetts ranked 47th out of 50 states in jobs growth.

Adding…….via Nancy Pelosi, the latest depiction of the jobs trend from 2008 of the George W. Bush administration, through April 2011 of the Obama administration.

Wasting Taxpayer Money to Score Cheap Political Points

Sen. Orrin Hatch wants a resolution to condemn President Obama’s reiteration of a policy that’s only existed for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) announced Friday he would introduce a congressional resolution disapproving of President Obama’s stance on Israel’s border lines, saying that “threatens Israel’s security.”

“By calling for a return to the pre-1967 borders, President Obama has directly undermined her,” Hatch said of Israel.

It always amazes me how Republicans can twist, turn, and outright lie with a straight face; it should also enrage Republicans since Hatch, and others like him, evidently believe that their base is stupid. Steve Benen:

Hatch isn’t some rookie backbencher who got elected on a fluke. He knows full well what he’s saying is ridiculous.

Hatch knows President Obama did not actually call for a return to pre-1967 borders. He knows Obama did what people involved in the process have always done — identified these borders as a starting point for talks, with the understanding that they would be altered to account for Israeli settlements in the West Bank with land swaps. He knows that this has been U.S. policy for decades, as well as the common standard for the international diplomatic community.

Hatch knows all of this, but he intends to push a resolution of condemnation anyway, because he’s a shameless hack.

What’s more, whether he appreciates the larger dynamic or not, by undermining U.S. foreign policy on purpose, Hatch’s hysterics hinder the Middle East peace process itself.

Quote of the Day

Steve Benen on John Boehner and the debt ceiling:

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is worried about upsetting our creditors and exorbitant interest rates. So, he’s pursuing a strategy likely to upset our creditors and cause exorbitant interest rates.

John Boehner, holding Democrats hostage to his favored spending cuts, threatening refusal to raise the debt ceiling, and thus allow the U.S. economy to collapse. Domestic terrorism?

Morning Quote: Steve Benen

Steve Benen on how a government shutdown by Republicans could impact the economy:

In 2011, we have a fragile recovery, which will be put at risk if most of the 2 million civilian government employees can't work, can't earn a paycheck, and can't spend money.

Congressional Republicans, in other words, aren't just playing with fire when it comes to public services -- they're putting the economy at risk in order to push brutal spending cuts, which also put the economy at risk.

RELATED POSTS

Obama Took Over the Internet

At least that’s what Conservatives are claiming. The truth is far less sexy.

The FCC enacted new regulations to protect you, the consumer, the average internet user, from discrimination by the telecom-cable companies.

The regulations prevent service providers from blocking rival services, or dividing traffic to sites in to slow and fast lanes, which would give priority to certain [large corporations] providers of web content. In other words, the regulations seek to ensure that you have equal access to all legal content on the web.

But, according to Conservatives, these regulations enacted in order to protect consumers, constitute a nationalization of the internet, or, or, worse…….

Please.

Steve Benen:

I suppose it's possible that these Republicans are just deeply confused, have absolutely no idea what net neutrality is, and are spewing nonsense just to rile up right-wing activists. It's also possible these Republicans know the truth, but are shamelessly lying as part of a larger campaign to scare unsuspecting conservatives about a "big government" bogeyman.

But it's worth appreciating the fact that the rhetoric from prominent GOP voices really is unhinged. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) insisted that "unelected, unaccountable Democrat [sic] FCC commissioners are taking over the Internet." Incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called the policy "another government takeover." Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) told a national television audience yesterday, "[W]e're starting to see the FCC say, 'You have to come to us to get permission to manage your own website.'"

The incoming chairman of the House Commerce Committee, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), has even vowed extensive hearings, in the hopes of using "every resource available" to halt the new regulations.

This is a classic case of the Republican position having absolutely no relation to reality at any level. It's just crazy. These folks are either lying or ignorant -- those are the only two options. The irony is, the whole point of net neutrality is to protect consumers from the very restrictions Republicans are whining about. The far-right rhetoric isn't just wrong; it's the opposite of the truth.

Of course, the large checks from the telecom companies to the Republicans currently shrieking in defense of an internet with out equal access, probably have nothing to do with it. Right?

Morning Quote: Steve Benen on Mitch McConnell

Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has made it very clear that he intends to obstruct progress over the next two years, much as he did over the last two years, only in order to ensure that Obama is a one term president. Steve Benen’s scathing assessment of McConnell:

By some measures, Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is an exceptional Senate Minority Leader. This may seem counterintuitive given his personal and professional characteristics: he's not honest; he doesn't negotiate in good faith; he has no real respect for institutional norms; he's proven himself willing to put his party's interests above the nation's interests; and he's never demonstrated any working knowledge of any area of public policy.

But if it's the job of the Senate Minority Leader to offer knee-jerk obstructionism, mindlessly oppose the majority's agenda, stymie the chamber's ability to function as a legitimate legislative body, and basically be an all-around pain in the arse, Mitch McConnell is very good at what he does.

Anti-Choice Zealots Will be in Charge in the 112th Congress

From Steve Benen, more reasons to regret the outcome of the midterm elections [emphasis mine]:

It's not like conservatives haven't been telegraphing their punches. Republican officials at the state level appear almost desperate to tackle culture-war social issues, and have grand ambitions. GOP activists and their lawmaker allies expect to restrict abortion rights, expand concealed-weapon laws, prohibit stem-cell research, severely limit gay rights, and privatize all kinds of services, including public education.

And then there's Congress, where the incoming House Republican majority has already said it intends to tackle birthright citizenship early in the new year. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) recently added that it's just not possible for someone to be "a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative."

And worst of all for pro-choice advocates, Joe Pitts and John Boehner, with their newly acquired power. From The New York Times [emphasis mine]:

A leading Congressional opponent of abortion rights, who is in line to take charge of an influential House panel, plans to press for much stricter limits on the procedure.

The selection of the lawmaker, Representative Joe Pitts, Republican of Pennsylvania, as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health presages a major shift on abortion and family planning, according to opponents and supporters of abortion rights.

Opponents of abortion gained about 45 seats in the midterm elections, and they count the next speaker, Representative John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, as a staunch ally, virtually guaranteeing more conflicts with the White House on the issue.

Mr. Pitts was chosen last week as the chairman of the subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over private health insurance, Medicaid and much of Medicare, as well as the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.

In urging Republican leaders to choose Mr. Pitts, the National Right to Life Committee said he had "made the protection of the sanctity of innocent human life the cornerstone of his service in the House."

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to Host Rallies in DC on October 30

Via Steve Benen:

Last night, Stewart announced he will host the "Rally To Restore Sanity" on the Washington Mall on October 30. The central message of the event, which Stewart also characterized as the "Million Moderate March," will be "Take It Down A Notch -- For America." Featured signs will include reasonable maxims, such as, "I Disagree With You, But I'm Pretty Sure You're Not Hitler."

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Shortly thereafter, Stephen Colbert announced he, too, would hold a rally at the same place at the same time. Keeping with his on-air persona, Colbert labeled his event the "March To Keep Fear Alive."

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
March to Keep Fear Alive
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

It's also worth noting, of course, that the event will be held on Oct. 30, which just so happens to be a few days before the midterms. Ideally, those hoping to elect sensible, reasonable officials to key public offices would be spending that Saturday canvassing and working in support of mainstream candidates' campaigns. That said, a rally like this one, especially if it's well attended, will likely get sane voters' attention, spark some excitement among younger voters (who often don't vote in midterms), and encourage more reasonable folks to care about what's at stake three days later.

VIDEO - Olbermann: There is no "Ground Zero Mosque"

Precisely right. So why does our media persist in validating this false notion?

Steve Benen [emphasis added]:

I realize that Olbermann's special comments don't resonate with everyone. But even if you don't find his analysis especially compelling, pay particular attention to his description of the facts in the case of Park51 -- it's not at Ground Zero, it's not a mosque, and even characterizing it as two blocks away is generous. The community won't be "in the shadow" of Ground Zero; it won't even be visible from Ground Zero. Hell, developers aren't even calling it the Cordoba House anymore, in the hopes that a more generic name -- Park51 -- will set minds at ease.

Everything about this debate is largely a sham, cooked up by conservatives who hope to pit Americans against each other in advance of an election cycle.

The bare minimum of a sensible, constructive public discourse is a base of reality to build upon. At this point, we're not even close.