Tag: Republicans

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ObamaCare Paul Ryan Politics

The Brand New Same Old, Same Old – Ryan Plan

With a plate full of crises already looming in President Obama’s second term – North Korea’s nuclear threats, the Drone Program, domestic gun control and continued GOP obstructions on every front – the latest battle is an oldie and not a goodie. It appears Obamacare has resurfaced with a great wave of ‘pomp and circumstance’.

Over this past weekend, many Republicans have begun their 35th war on ObamaCare, threatening to destroy the very fabric of its existence in the name of Debt Reduction. Now, the wiz kid of the previous election, Vice Presidential Candidate Rep. Paul Ryan has devised a plan (Again) to eliminate ObamaCare and reduce the debt in the same swing. After the fiscal cliff fiasco, Ryan said, “We’re not going to re-fight the past because we know that’s behind us,” but he doesn’t apply that logic to ObamaCare, which he and his fellow Republicans do want to relitigate… again!

Fighting to repeal ObamaCare was “never a doubt” in Republican minds, he said Tuesday.

This is completely ironic, mind you, because if you recall, Obamacare was patterned after the Mitt Romney health care plan he formulated in Massachusetts while he was governor. Also, if you recall, then Vice Presidential candidate Ryan, also formed his own plan. (Do you follow me?) When asked by a reporter what he thought of the Paul’s plan, Romney said, “I’m the one running for president. We’ll go by my plan.”

It appears that Rep. Ryan has no one holding him back now, so here is the brand new same old same old Paul Ryan Plan… again, Part 2.

It’s a 10-year fiscal plan that takes aim at repealing ObamaCare’s 2010 health care overhaul in which Paul projects savings of $4.63 trillion over 10 years, yielding a surplus of $7 billion by fiscal 2023. “Our opponents will shout austerity, but let’s put this in perspective,” Ryan wrote in an op-ed posted to The Wall Street Journal’s website Monday night. “On our current path, we’ll spend $46 trillion over the next 10 years. Under our proposal, we’ll spend $41 trillion. On the current path, spending will increase by 5 percent each year. Under our proposal, it will increase by 3.4 percent.”

But who benefits from this plan and who will be hurt by it?

As always, tax cuts for the wealthiest and the poor will see programs slashed, if not cut completely. The budget would take its heaviest toll on entitlements that support the poor, including Medicaid and food stamps, while holding Social Security harmless. Why the poor and middle class are always targeted by Republican programs has been a mystery to millions of Americans especially when the wealthy seem to not be phased by any loophole they can squirm through.

Do they understand that taking away any program from those that are in need only demoralizes that individual, that family, that community? And does the super rich Congressional Republicans really believe that Americans truly want to live on Food Stamps and Unemployment Benefits? Or have a Medicare program that doesn’t work for them?

Here’s the final analysis Rep. Ryan. During the 2012 election, America did not support your “plan” of action. They came out in record numbers and voted for the President’s approach in November. As a matter of fact, a new McClatchy-Marist poll of registered voters shows that, generally, voters, by 53 to 37 percent, prefer to reduce the deficits by mostly cutting government programs and services rather than mostly by raising taxes..

The White House chimed in on the Ryan plan stating,

“By choosing not to ask for a single dime of deficit reduction from closing tax loopholes for the wealthy and well-connected, this budget identifies deep cuts to investments like education and research – investments critical to creating jobs and growing the middle class.  And to save money, this budget would turn Medicare into a voucher program–undercutting the guaranteed benefits that seniors have earned and forcing them to pay thousands more out of their own pockets.  We’ve tried this top-down approach before.  The President still believes it is the wrong course for America.”

It’s an attempt to make himself and his party look ‘busy,’ the same old, tired attack on Obamacare – a healthcare program that at last count, had the support of 9-GOP Governors over the past 3 weeks. Rep. Ryan and a group within the rank and file Republicans have decided to give it another go. But all of this is just another attempt to tarnish the legacy of President Obama.

Congressional Republicans have not backed the President’s plans or his direction for this country unless they felt cornered. And this is just an addendum or a harbinger of the Republicans wish for the future. Posturing for the 2014 elections? Digging in for the 2016 White House? Yes and Yes. But make no mistake about it, with Americans polling in high numbers that the wealthiest should take on more of the tax burden than the poor, Rep. Ryan and his GOP surrogates have an uphill fight or if you prefer, going up stream, up a creek without a paddle.

Still Out of Touch with America. The good thing is, the longer they stay out of touch with America, the longer they’ll stay Out of the White House. In that case, Stay the Course.

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fail Politics

Boehner Can’t Do It, So President Obama Must Bring Republicans Together

“This week we’ve gone 180,” Boehner said. “After being in office now for four years, he’s actually going to sit down and talk to members. I think it’s a hopeful sign and I’m hopeful that something will come out of it. But if the president continues to insist on tax hikes, I dont think we’re going to get very far. If the president doesn’t believe that we have a spending problem, I dont know if we’re going to get very far. But I’m optimistic.”

I don’t know, and I could be wrong. But it sounds to me like Boehner is now breathing a breath of fresh air. With the President going straight to congressional Republicans trying to convince them to do what’s best for the American people, Boehner no longer has the burden of being looked upon as the Speaker who has no control over his House, or unable to bring his party together. That burden now rest on the President’s shoulders and Boehner is more than willing to just stand-off to the side and watch from the sidelines.

If the President’s outreach program succeeds, Boehner will celebrate with the rest of Congress. They will all be seen as being productive, working for the people who brought sent them to Washington. If the President fails, Boehner could then come into the spotlight and blame Mr. Obama for doing too little too late in trying to reach out.

Dude thinks he’s slick, but as Rev. Al Sharpton says on his show, you think you’re pulling one over on us, but “we got’cha!”

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Politics

The President Is Palling Around With Republicans – They Are Happy Now

They claim they couldn’t remember the President reaching out to them in the past. I don’t know what their issue is, but Congressional Republicans seems to have a very short memory or maybe it’s just selective memory. I can remember a very recent invitation from the President, asking Republicans to come to the White House for a screening of the movie Lincoln. They all refused.

Whatever their issue is, these Republicans are now happy again, because the President is continuing his outreach program to them. After taking them to dinner last night, President Obama will be hosting a lunch today. We’ll see what they have to say about him later, after all the dinners, breakfasts and lunches are over.

Reminds me of the saying, “what have you done for me lately.” They will love you when you’re paying, but hate you when you’re not.

Following on his unusual dinner on Wednesday with a dozen Republican senators, President Obama will have a bipartisan lunch on Thursday with Representative Paul D. Ryan, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, and the panel’s senior Democrat, Representative Chris Van Hollen.

Mr. Obama’s recent spate of meals and phone calls with Republicans is a new outreach strategy to work around party leaders, especially in the Republican-controlled House, who have dug in against any more budget talks. And the lunch comes as Mr. Ryan is preparing to bring a new budget plan to a vote in his committee next week.

Since Mr. Ryan’s House budget is expected to be contrary to Mr. Obama’s plan, it is unclear what might come of the luncheon parlay. Mr. Ryan, as in the past three years, is expected to propose balancing the budget by cutting projected spending only, especially for the fast-growing entitlement programs Medicare and Medicaid. Mr. Obama wants a deficit-reduction package that is a balance of spending reductions and further tax increases by closing some breaks for the wealthy and corporations.

Mr. Obama’s two-hour dinner with Republican senators at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington on Wednesday apparently covered more subjects than the budget, including immigration and gun safety legislation – two of the president’s other second-term priorities. As they left, Senators John McCain of Arizona and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma each gave waiting reporters a thumbs-up.

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Politics

Let Me Help You Understand How Wealth Is Distributed In America – Video

So you’ve worked all your life trying to achieve “the American dream” and making ends meet. But of lately, it seems like no matter how hard your work (providing you have a job) and how much overtime you put in, that American dream has become an illusion and making ends meet gets more and more difficult.

Well there’s a reason for that and Republicans are playing a vital role in making sure your struggles continue.

Do you have any idea what’s really happening in this country where wealth distribution is concerned? I’m sure you think you do.

We’ve heard a lot about the top one percent and we’ve watched in amazement as Congressional Republicans defend this group while asking the rest of the country to do more with less. The top one percent are the group of people who Republicans go to bat for. They are the ones Republicans want to give more to – through service cuts and raising taxes on the poor to maintaining and creating more tax loops for the rich.

As you watch this video, keep in mind the Republican’s role in how income inequality is distributed in this country.

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Politics

President Obama Proves Again Why He Is The Only Adult In Washington – Video

A powerful Q&A happened today after President Obama met with leaders of Congress. The president held a press conference to talk about what happened in his meeting and took questions from reporters. One of the question was from a CNN reporter, Jessica Yellin, who implied that the President was not doing everything possible to force Republicans into see things his way.

In his response, President answered that he is “not a dictator,” and if Republicans say they have to go catch a plane, he “cannot have Secret Service block the doorway.” He continued;

I know that has been some of the conventional wisdom that’s been floating around Washington, that somehow, even though most people agree that I’m being reasonable, that most people agree I’m presenting a fair deal, that fact that they don’t take it means that I should somehow do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right.

Well they’re elected. We have a constitutional system of Government. The Speaker of the House and the Leader of the Senate and all those folks have responsibilities. What I can do is I can make the best possible case for why we need to do the right thing. I can speak to the American people about the consequences of the decisions that Congress is making or the lack of decision making by Congress.

But ultimately, it’s a choice they make. This idea that somehow there’s a secret formula or a secret sauce to get Speaker Boehner or Mitch McConnell to say, you know what Mr. President, you’re right. We should close some tax loopholes for the well off and well connected in exchange for some serious entitlement reform and spending cuts to programs we don’t need, I think if there was a secret way to do that, I would have tried it. I would have done it.

What I can do is I can make the best possible argument. And I can offer concessions, I can offer compromise, I can negotiate, I can make sure that my party is willing to compromise and is not being ideological or thinking about this just in terms of political terms. And I think I’ve done that and I will continue to do that. But what I can’t do is force Congress to do the right thing.

But there was a follow-up. Jessica had another statement/question to make. She asked about New York’s Mayor Bloomberg who stated that the effects of the Sequester was being overstated. Jessica wanted to know if Bloomberg was correct. The President responded with a few examples, one of them being that the Department of Defense now had to figure out how to continue providing full education to the children of military families if their teachers were furloughed . And he pointed out that Mayor Bloomberg will not feel that pain.

Watch the full exchange below;

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Politics

Republicans In Congress Finally Approve The Violence Against Women Act

We all know what’s happening here, right? That’s right, Politics is at play. In the last election cycle, Republicans watched as women voted for President Obama and Democrats in near record numbers. There were hashtags [#GOPWarAgainstWomen] going around on Twitter detailing how Republicans were against women because they refused to approve the Violence Against Women Act.

Well that was yesterday’s news. Today, Republicans are trying to regain some of those women voters and they finally voted to approve the bill today.

The vote comes after House Republican leaders, cognizant of the need to improve their faltering image among women voters, accepted a Senate bill passed two weeks ago on a strong bipartisan vote.

The House vote to reauthorize the 1994 law that has set the standard for anti-violence programs came after lawmakers rejected a more limited approach from Republicans.

The law lapsed in 2011 and has been caught up in the partisan battles that now divide Congress.

Last year, the House refused to go along with a Senate-passed bill that would have made clear that lesbians, gays, immigrants and Native American women should have equal access to anti-violence programs.

The bill now goes to President Obama to be signed into law.

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Politics rachel maddow

Rachel Maddow Debunks The GOP Claim That The Sequester Is Tied To The Deficit

We all know that Republicans are not being honest when they say President Obama is increasing the deficit. And what makes that lie even worse is when they try to tie the sequester into their false claim.

But facts don’t lie, and Rachel Maddow used one of her segments last night to debunk both Republican lies – that Obama has increased the deficit and that reducing the deficit is their reason for favoring the sequester.

Without further ado, Rachel Maddow…

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Politics

After It’s All Said And Done, Republicans Will Vote For Chuck Hagel’s Confirmation

We all knew this was going to happen, that Republicans would eventually endorse and vote for Chuck Hagel’s confirmation. So what exactly was the point of them filibustering ‘their Republican friend’ last week? I mean, at what point will they put politics aside and just do what they all knew they would do from the start?

These Republicans are absolutely amazing, and that’s not in a good way.

Hagel cleared the threshold when five-term Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama said he would vote for the former GOP senator from Nebraska after joining other Republicans last week in an unprecedented filibuster of the Pentagon nominee.

“He’s probably as good as we’re going to get,” Shelby told the Decatur (Ala.) Daily.

Although a Republican, Hagel has faced strong GOP opposition, with many of his former colleagues voting last week to stall the nomination. Republicans have questioned Hagel’s support for Israel, tolerance of Iran and willingness to cut the nuclear arsenal. His opposition to the Iraq war after his initial vote for the conflict angered his onetime friend, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

GOP lawmakers demanded more time to review the nomination that a divided Armed Services Committee had approved on a party-line vote.

Shelby’s support was a clear sign of weakening Republican opposition, and it prompted two letters within hours from Hagel’s fiercest GOP foes. One letter went to the president calling on him to withdraw the nomination, the other to GOP senators pleading with them to stand together against Hagel.

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Politics

The GOP Eats Its Own

Once Chuck Hagel is finally confirmed as Secretary of Defense, he should think twice about accepting any lunch invitations from his former GOP colleagues. My fear is that he will become the meal. Yes, friends, the imploding tsunamic A-bomb that is the Republican Party is trying to claim another trophy for its sagging walls, but all they’ve done is drawn out a fight they’ve already given up on to a president they never get tired of losing to.

You would think that a decorated Vietnam veteran who served as a Senator would be a lock to be confirmed even in the polarized political world we live in. Apparently though, his maverick denunciations of Bush era foreign policy including a spot-on critique of why, exactly, we were in Iraq has led the true maverick, John McCain, to sputter and croak about service and events like Benghazi that have nothing to do with Hagel.

Then you have the reincarnation of Senator Joe McCarthy, Ted Cruz of Texas, who decided that disagreeing with Hagel was not enough and that he had to smear him by alleging that Hagel not only took money from Iran, but might have a problem with Israel’s foreign and domestic policies.

I don’t have to justify my support of Israel from a religious, cultural or moral perspective, but I have a real problem with the Netanyahu government’s policies on settlements and their hypocritical support of the ultra-religious parties he needs to keep his coalition. Religious governments of any stripe are dangerous, discriminatory and extreme, and the Orthodox who want to impose strict Jewish law on Israel are no exception. For the conservative Christian right in this country to blindly support Israel because they would protect Christian historical shrines is self-serving, and brooking absolutely no dissent is dangerous in any group.

Chuck Hagel’s questioning of Israel’s policies is what any good Defense Secretary would do. It’s what Hillary Clinton did as Secretary of State. Friends are always friends, but there are times when they can go too far. That’s when true friends tell them the truth. It doesn’t seem as if Netanyahu or the radical Republicans understand that message, and recent elections in Israel saw a backlash against Netanyahu. Israel must survive and I know that the United States government will do everything it can to ensure that. GOP questioning of Obama’s and Hagel’s motives is a red herring (in cream sauce).

Cruz’s accusations against Hagel’s patriotism relating to Iran was beyond the pale and rightly earned Cruz a back room scolding by both Republicans and Democrats. He defended himself by saying that he was elected to shake things up. That he did, but not in a way that will help him in the long run with his fellow Senators. I’m sure the Democrats will highlight this Tea Party behavior in 2014. John McCain’s one-man Bengahzi crusade might satisfy his supporters, but it’s only postponed the inevitable confirmation.

The next issue will be the sequester and the massive cuts that are on the way on March 1. Again, the GOP is ready to sink the economy in a misguided attempt to end programs that most Americans want and voted for in 2012. My hope is that President Obama will make an attempt at a pragmatic bargain to forestall the cuts, but if not, we know where the blame lies.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and on Twitter @rigrundfest

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Politics

Republicans Filibustered Hagel – Harry Reid Said It’s “Really Unfortunate.” Really Harry?

Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid was heard earlier today lamenting the fact that Republicans were filibustering Chuck Hagel‘s confirmation. It must have came as a surprise to Reid, especially after he shook hands with the Republican minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and accepted McConnell’s pledge that Senate Republicans will cut down on filibusters.

Consider this another broken republican promise Mr. Reid… as if you really expected the Republicans to be honorable to their words. Jeeze!

When it became clear to Reid that Hagel’s confirmation was being filibustered, Reid voiced his displeasure;

“It is tragic that they have decided to filibuster this qualified nominee. It is really unfortunate. “This isn’t high school getting ready for a football game, or some play being produced at a high school. In less than two hours, our country will be without a secretary of defense.”

Yes Reid, it is really unfortunate.

What’s unfortunate is the fact that you and the Senate Democrats had a chance to change the Filibuster rules and you chose not to. You saw the way the Republicans have used and abused the filibuster over the last 4 years and instead of putting a stop to it, you crumble to a handshake from a Republican and you believed what he told you. That Mr. Reid, is unfortunate and the confirmation of the President’s nominee to head the Department of Defense is suffering because somewhere along the line, you Mr. Reid, lost whatever backbone you may have had.

The confirmation is now on hold because after the final vote today, Democrats failed to muster the 60 votes needed to end the filibuster. And according to Harry Reid, our country is now without a secretary of defense.

Yes Reid, that is really unfortunate.

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Politics

Democrats Now Against Obama, Republicans Now Defending Him

It’s amazing. Like someone took Washington and flipped it on its head.

Over the last few weeks, Democrats and the Democratic media have ramped up their criticism of the Obama administration concerning drone attacks. On any given night, MSNBC has gone out of their way to show everyone that they are different to Fox News, They want us to know that they will talk bad about the president if he does something they disagree with.

We all know it now guys!

Rachel Maddow and Ed Shultz for example have devoted much of their recent television shows to attacking the president’s decision to use drones. But it’s not just the use of drones they’re upset with, the group at MSNBC is apparently against the successful fight this administration has pursued against terror. On her Wednesday show, Maddow couldn’t contain herself over the upcoming congressional hearing for a member of the Obama administration and she prayed that questions would be asked about these drone attacks.

The issue MSNBC has with Obama is the new revelation that someone in the administration has the ability to call a strike against a terrorist. Not just any terrorist, MSNBC and other Democrats are up in arms over the fact that Americans can also be considered a terrorist, and ordered killed.

Anwar Al-Awlaki

They talk about Anwar Al-Awlaki, the American born terrorists who turned his back on the land of his birth, went to Yemen and engaged in multiple terrorists training and attacks, some leading to the deaths of others right here in America. Anwar was also linked to the shooting at Fort Hood. He was also linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s attempted bombing of a U.S. passenger jet over Detroit on Christmas day, 2009.

Anway Al Awlaki was a terrorist. He facilitated and trained killers. Not just any killers, but those who will kill themselves to get their target with the crazy understanding that the more people they kill, the bigger their mansion will be in Heaven. Al Awlaki was one of their leader and he was born in America.

Does that mean he was any different than Osama Bin Laden? No, Osama did the very same thing Awlaki did. He facilitated and trained killers and some of those killers killed themselves to make sure that Americans died. When Osama was finally captured Americans were overjoyed. They gathered outside the White House and celebrated. We were happy, we were relieved. We felt a sense of justice that the man who organized such  horrible events on American soil was finally found and taken care of.

But Anwar? Oh no… He is apparently different. All he did was organized a killer to kill Americans at Fort Hood, but that’s okay because Anwar was born in the USA.

Well excuse me if I disagree with MSNBC and Rachel Maddow and Ed Shultz and all the Democrats in Congress who are trying to read these sworn American terrorists their Miranda rights. These American terrorists who have left the American shores and engage in activities to kill Americans.

Excuse me if I agree with the Administration that anyone who gives up their birth-rite to join terrorist groups overseas, should be considered a terrorist before anything else and should be treated accordingly.

Amazingly, I’m not the only one who feels this way. On this matter, Republicans are the ones standing by the administration. They are the ones defending the administration against the onslaught of the Democrats and the left. And amazingly, I agree with these Republicans.

Mike Rogers, a Republican representing Michigan, went on a MSNBC’s show today and tried to calm the nerves of the left and the Democrats, telling them that what the administration is doing is legal. Rogers, a member of the House Intelligence Committee Chair had this to say;

Our policy is we will go after al Qaeda wherever they are before they can strike the United States. I think this is a part of that. And I think the legal basis conclusion of which they came to is a solid one.

And Lindsey Graham had this to say;

I think the President’s on solid legal ground. I think he’s doing the right thing.I applaud his administration. When Jay Carney said it was legal, ethical and wise, he was right in my opinion.

Why can’t Democrats understand this simple fact? These people are called terrorists for a reason. They are not trying to negotiate with us. They don’t care about rights and whatever rights they may have had, were stripped away when they called us the enemy and engage in a war against us. There is a war on terror going on here. Wake up Democrats!

Categories
Immigration Politics

Republican Representative Calls Hispanics “Low Skilled”

At a time when Republicans are trying to get the Hispanic vote, this is not something they should be saying.

Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) thinks that Republicans should not take up immigration reform or even make an effort to compete for the votes of the fastest growing demographic in the country because he believes that Hispanics are “low-skilled” and dependent on social programs who will vote for Democrats because of it.

It’s about the worst possible messaging for the party still ringing from defeat at the polls in November, during an election which saw President Barack Obama trounce his Republican opponent by a 3-to-1 margin among Hispanics — but that didn’t stop Barletta from saying it.

“I hope politics is not at the root of why we’re rushing to pass a bill. Anyone who believes that they’re going to win over the Latino vote is grossly mistaken,” Barletta said, according to Pennsylvania newspaper The Morning Call. “The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they’ll depend on.”

The White House and a bipartisan group of Senators are outlining plans this week to reform the nation’s immigration system in a way that will permit the children of undocumented immigrants to stay in the country and become citizens, as well as provide a pathway to citizenship for individuals who broke the law to come to the U.S.

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