LGBTQ news and entertainment
Rep. Steve King says that we’ve created “a nation of slackers” because of food stamps and unemployment.
First of all, this is a cold and black/white view of the issue. Things aren’t that simplistic.
You can’t get unemployment benefits without having first worked. You can’t get food stamps without working, be looking for a job, or be retired/disabled.
His opinion seems to be: unemployment benefits and food stamps only encourage laziness. So starve, you good for nothing slackers!
Just a few random thoughts about last night’s NBC/Politico Republican debate…
1. Mitt Romney said that Mr. Obama had halted offshore drilling, blocked construction of new coal plants, slowed development of nuclear plants and failed to develop natural gas trapped in shale formations.
Not quite true. While President Obama declared a moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP spill in 2010, the government began granting permits again earlier this year and activity is approaching pre-spill levels. Also, the administration recently announced a major lease sale in the western Gulf of Mexico and gave provisional approval to a Shell project in the Arctic off the coast of Alaska.
2. Gov. Rick Perry repeated his claim that “the science is not settled” on the topic of global warming and whether humanity plays a part.
The scientific consensus on climate change is about as settled as any major scientific issue can be. The National Academy of Sciences, in an investigation requested by Congress, concluded last year: “Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused primarily by human activities, and poses significant risks to humans and the environment.”
3. Michele Bachmann said “Obamacare is killing jobs. We know that from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, but I know it firsthand from speaking to people. We see it this summer. There are 47 percent of African-American youth that are currently without jobs, 36 percent of Hispanic youth.”
The health care law passed last year has long been labeled a job killer by Republicans, who often cite a Congressional Budget Office analysis to buttress their claims. But the CBO never said the law would result in job losses. Instead it made the lesser assertion that fewer people may choose to work. “The legislation, on net, will reduce the amount of labor used in the economy by a small amount — roughly half a percent — primarily by reducing the amount of labor that workers choose to supply,” the CBO said in an analysis. That’s not job-killing, that’s workers choosing not to work because of easier access to health care.
Also, regarding Bachmann’s unemployment “statistics,” there is no evidence that the health care law is responsible. The health care law is largely unimplemented, with some of its key provisions not taking effect until 2014.
4. It is cynical to say out loud, but I believe that while the Republicans complain about the state of the economy they are actually making choices that keep the economy from improving – because to do so would help President Obama get re-elected.
I believe that when Sen. Mitch McConnell said “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term President,” he was speaking for the entire GOP in Washington, DC. He didn’t say “the single most important thing we want to achieve is reducing unemployment.” He didn’t say “the single most important thing we want to achieve is ending the wars abroad.” He didn’t say “the single most important thing we want to achieve is ending childhood hunger.”
I personally believe that the GOP is fine with a double dip recession if it gets them back in the White House.
If and when that happens, WATCH how fast the word “compromise” comes back into Republican fashion.
(fact sources – AP news; NYTimes.com)
CNN is the latest national poll to show Rick Perry in the lead.
Rick Perry – 32%
Mitt Romney – 18%
Michele Bachmann – 12%
Newt Gingrich – 7%
Ron Paul – 6%
According to a new Gallup poll, shortly after announcing his official candidacy, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has emerged as rank-and-file Republicans’ current favorite for their party’s 2012 presidential nomination.
Twenty-nine percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents nationwide say they are most likely to support Perry, with Mitt Romney next, at 17%.
See the chart for results.
Rep. Michele Bachmann barely beat out Rep. Ron Paul to win the 2011 Iowa Straw Poll. Getting less than half the two top places was former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and falling even farther behind was former Sen. Rick Santorum.
While the results are non-binding, generally history has shown it to be very difficult to build or keep any momentum if placing less than first or second.
2011 Straw Poll Full Results (Votes, %)
1. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (4823, 28.55%)
2. Congressman Ron Paul (4671, 27.65%)
3. Governor Tim Pawlenty (2293, 13.57%)
4. Senator Rick Santorum (1657, 9.81%)
5. Herman Cain(1456, 8.62%)
6. Governor Rick Perry (718, 3.62%) write-in
7. Governor Mitt Romney (567, 3.36%)
8. Speaker Newt Gingrich (385, 2.28%)
9. Governor Jon Huntsman (69, 0.41%)
10. Congressman Thad McCotter (35, 0.21%)
Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann all had things to say about same-sex marriage and civil unions at last night’s GOP debate.
MITT ROMNEY: Marriage is a status. It’s not an activity that goes on within the walls of a state and as a result, our marriage status relationship should be constant across the country. I believe we should have a federal amendment to the Constitution that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman.
JON HUNTSMAN: I also believe in civil unions, because I believe this nation can do a better job when it comes to equality and I believe we can do a better job when it comes to reciprocal beneficiary rights rights.
RON PAUL: I think marriages should be between a single man and a single woman and that the federal government shouldn’t be involved.
RICK SANTORUM: It sounds to me like Rep. Paul would say that polygamous marriages are okay.
MICHELE BACHMANN: I support the federal marriage amendment…and as president I would not nominate activist judges who would legislate from the bench.
From Politico: House Republicans delayed by at least a day a floor vote on their package to raise the debt ceiling, the latest challenge facing Speaker John Boehner and GOP leaders as they try to avoid a default on the nation’s debt.
The decision to move the vote to Thursday or beyond came after the Congressional Budget Office reported late Tuesday night that the package Boehner crafted would only reduce deficits by $850 billion, $150 billion short of the speaker’s goal of $ 1 trillion in budget and spending cuts.
House Republican leadership aides were looking for ways to revise the bill to address the shortfall. This could include either lowering the borrowing authority Congress approves, or recommending additional spending cuts. GOP aides said the first option is more likely. The United States is projected to default on its debt Aug. 2, according to the Treasury Department.
Boehner was hauling members who are undecided or leaning “no” into his Capitol suite for one-on-one meetings, using the time-honored tradition of his office to twist arms and win votes. Boehner had “made progress,” but the CBO scores threw all that progress into doubt.
House GOP leaders are betting that if they get the bill in front of Obama within a week of a possible U.S. default on its $14.3 trillion debt, the president will have no choice but to sign it, despite a veto threat issued Tuesday afternoon by the White House.
No official whip counts are available, although some Republican lawmakers estimate 40 to 50 GOP lawmakers are no’s or undecided heading into the dramatic floor fight. Boehner is unlikely to bring such an enormously important proposal to the floor without being completely solid on his whip count, preferring not to roll the dice on this issue. And on Tuesday night, that determination was made.
From ThinkProgress: Today, Speaker John Boehner rejected Harry Reid’s plan, claiming that it was full of gimmicks. Boehner’s principle criticism was that it counted $1 trillion is savings from winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In an interview on CNBC, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor admitted to Larry Kudlow that both the Ryan Plan and the “Cut, Cap, and Balance” Plan — which were both supported by nearly the entire GOP caucus — also counted savings from winding down the wars:
Cantor: Speaker Boehner came out months ago and said we are not going to increase the debt ceiling unless we have comensurate or even greater cuts in spending. Now Sen. Reid’s plan doesn’t do that. What Sen. Reid’s plan says is we’re going to raise the debt ceiling $2.4 trillion and we are also going to cut spending but what he does is counts over a trillion dollars in spending that is assumed to decrease and go away anyway which is the spending associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kudlow: Yes, but isn’t that in the Paul Ryan baseline also, which is the baseline for Cut, Cap and Balance.
Cantor: But, but, but… absolutely it is. But it’s not anything additional…
Please kids. You want to CUT SPENDING. The Reid plan CUTS SPENDING.
The Reid plan gives Repubs everything they want and now they are avoiding it because the real issue they want is to be able to revisit this in the middle of next year’s elections.
For months now we’ve heard that what the global markets need to see is stability and a plan they can count on. The Reid plan does that. The Boehner plan kicks the can down the road about 8-9 months. This does not show stability or a handle on our spending.
This is more posturing by the Repubs who just want to do everything they can, even if it means putting the full faith and credit of the United States at risk, to bring President Obama down.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
From DailyKos: So far, we mostly only have press accounts to go by, as few Republican presidential candidates have actually filed their paperwork for the second quarter with the FEC.
But what we do know is that the entire GOP field combined doesn’t match President Obama’s fundraising total for Q2:
That adds up to about $40 million, give or take. However, the total fundraising isn’t even quite that good, though, because it includes a $2 million donation from Jon Huntsman to himself, and another $2 million transfer from Michele Bachmann’s congressional committee to her presidential committee. (That is, the money was raised prior to this quarter.)
Meanwhile, Obama pulled in $47 million on his own, plus another $38 million for the DNC. By way of comparison, Obama raised $33 million in the second quarter of 2007, almost double what Mitt Romney pulled in this time.
During CNN’s presidential debate in New Hampshire, five of the seven Republicans on stage rebuffed Gates and suggested that they would reinstate the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy:
– RICK SANTORUM: The military is “not for social experimentation.” Commanders should have a “system of discipline in place that punishes ‘bad behavior,’” he stressed.
– TIM PAWLENTY: Despite being the first presidential nominee to argue that he would bring back the policy and even go after the Congressional funding to implement repeal, Pawlenty stressed that he would listen to the commanders on the ground. “We’re in a nation in two wars. I think we need to pay deference to our military commanders, particularly our combatant commanders,” he said.
– MITT ROMNEY: “I believe it should have been kept in place until conflict was over.”
– NEWT GINGRICH: He said that he would reinstate the policy, if asked to do so by the military.
– MICHELE BACHMANN: “I would keep the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy”.
Only Ron Paul and Hermain Cain argued that they would not overturn the repeal.