Came In On Saturdays

How to Gin Up a Non-Scandal?— Get GOP Congressman  Jason Chaffetz to Lead the Assault  May 23, 2013

       D.C. Politics in a nutshell- nothing President Obama does will ever satisfy the Republicans. When Obama bends over backwards to try to deal with them on legislation, which he has done from the start, GOPers falsely argue they have never been consulted. They wrongly whine that Obama is arrogant. When Obama handily beats Romney and Democrats win seats in the House and Senate, the GOP pretends the 11/2012 elections never happened. The GOP keeps arguing issues that were epic fails in the recent presidential campaign. Exhibit A—the Benghazi “cover-up.” In the 10/16/2012 town hall debate, Romney criticized Obama for “shifting” explanations for the Benghazi, Libya attack that killed our ambassador and three other Americans. He stated that it took Obama 14 days to use the word “terrorism” in describing this act. Obama immediately called Romney out and told him he had used the phrase “act of terror” just one day after this 9/11/2012 attack. Obama had moderator Candy Crowley confirm his use of the word “terror” in his 9/12/2012 Rose Garden remarks.  Obama was furious that Romney was accusing his administration of playing politics with this incident.  Obama declared, “the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the Sec. of State, our U.N. ambassador, anybody on my team would play politics or mislead when we’ve lost four of our own, Governor, is offensive. That’s not what we do. That’s not what I do as president (NY Times, 10/16/12).”  CNN debate watchers gave Romney’s Libya charges low ratings. Some people leaning toward Romney were stunned by his contempt of the presidency with his Libya remarks (Kos, 10/17/12 rexymeteorite).

      Despite an electoral thumping, the GOP did not abandon its Benghazi obsession.  It hounded Obama’s first pick for Sec. of State, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, over Benghazi.  Rice withdrew her name from consideration.  GOPers kept blathering on talk shows about Benghazi. They set up several committee investigations of this supposed White House team “cover-up” despite not one scintilla of evidence.  Democratic witch-hunter Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was in the forefront of the Benghazi brouhaha.  While promising significant fireworks, nothing of the sort occurred at Issa’s 5/08/2013 hearings (See “Think Progress,” 5/08/13, H. Brown).  On 5/15/2013, President Obama released 100 pages of e-mail correspondence concerning Benghazi.  On 5/16/2013, CBS News spoke about the real Benghazi scandal.  CBS reported that at least two of the Benghazi diplomatic e-mails, leaked to the media by Republicans on 5/10/2013, had been altered. CBS stated that “there is no evidence that the White House orchestrated these changes (cbsnews.com, See Kos, DownstateDemocrat, 5/16/13, Kos, Lewison, 5/17/13).” GOPers, obviously, altered these memos. They want to hurt a 2016 Hillary Clinton run for the White House and to tar Obama.  On 5/14/2013, GOPer Karl Rove put up the first anti-Hillary ad dealing with Benghazi , before the real documents had been released.  Cong. Issa and Rove are not the only Republicans yelling “Benghazi.” Leading the fake Benghazi charge is Congressman Jason Chaffetz (CHAY-fits). Who is Chaffetz?

      Three-term GOP Congressman Jason Chaffetz (46) represents Utah’s 3^rd Congressional District (CD) in the eastern area of that state. Utah, Wasatch, San Juan, and Kane Counties are part of this Beehive State district, redrawn after the 2010 Census.  The 3^rd CD includes the city of Provo in Utah County, home of Brigham Young University (BYU). From 2000-2010, Provo was the sixth-fastest growing metro area in the nation. BYU is one of Utah’s largest employers and has attracted big-name software firms. The 3^rd includes companies in the dietary supplement industry. Mining and ranching are additional economic mainstays.  Politically, Provo’s Utah County drips “Red.” Less than 5% of that county’s voters are registered Democrats. Mormon BYU is known for its socially / politically conservative faculty and students (Barone 12 Almanac, CQ 12 Almanac, Utah Redistricting Map). The 2012 Cook Political Report’s Partisan Voter Index (PVI) gave Utah’s 3^rd an R+25 score, the 7^th most GOP district in the country.  In 2012, BYU undergraduate and co-religionist Mitt Romney crushed Obama by nearly 59 points. In 2008, McCain’s won the 3^rd by “only” 38 points (Pres. Results by 113^th CD, 2008-20012, docs.google.com).

       Los Gatos, Calif. native Jason Chaffetz grew up in Arizona and Colorado. His father’s first wife was Katharine Dickson, better known as Kitty Dukakis. Kitty Dukakis became the wife of 1988 Dem. presidential nominee Michael Dukakis. Jason is the child of his father’s second wife, but has a close relationship to his older half-brother John Dukakis, Jr. and the Dukakis family.  Chaffetz attended BYU on a football scholarship where he became a star athlete as well as a convert to Mormonism.  While at BYU, Chaffetz was a Democrat. He co-chaired Dukakis’s 1988 presidential campaign (“Jewish Daily Forward,” J.J. Goldberg, 1/15/10, byucougars.com, Drell, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/30/1991). Chaffetz worked 11 years as a spokesman for Nu Skin International, a multi-level marketing company. In 1990, Chaffetz became a Republican after meeting Ronald Reagan (Herald Extra, K. McNeil, 10/18/08, CQ 12). Chaffetz also held part-time jobs for KUTV as a sports reporter and anchor. He later formed Maxtera, a corporate communications and marketing firm (CQ 12).

        In 2003, Chaffetz worked as communications director and campaign manager for Republican Jon Huntsman’s gubernatorial campaign. When Huntsman won in 2004, he appointed Chaffetz   chief of staff. After less than a year, Chaffetz resigned this post. Many people believed Chaffetz left because he was too inexperienced. State legislators had complained that Chaffetz had barred access to the Governor (CQ 12). In 2008, Chaffetz managed to defeat 6-term conservative Congressman Chris Cannon in the GOP primary. Chaffetz made a name for himself with his hard line opposition to W’s proposed immigration reform that called for a pathway to citizenship for illegals. Chaffetz pushed for immediately deporting illegal aliens and constructing tent cities surrounded by barbed wire fences to detain illegals who had committed crimes.  After handily winning the primary in the “Red” 3^rd , the general election was a footnote. Chaffetz clobbered his Democratic rival with nearly 66% of the vote. Chaffetz has since cruised to re-election (Barone 12, CQ 12, Cong. At Your Fingertips, 113^th Cong.).

        Chaffetz has not deviated from his extremist views. He is a member of the dominant conservative Republican Study Committee, RSC (CQ12). In the 112^th Congress, he voted with fellow hard right GOPers 92% of the time. In the 113^th Congress, with GOP House Speaker Boehner still at the helm, Chaffetz has a similar 93% party line record (Wash. Post, U.S. Cong. Votes Database). Chaffetz voted against the fiscal cliff deal, which passed the House. He voted to repeal health care reform and for the Ryan, “Kill Medicare” budget. The Democratic Senate defeated both of these House- GOP proposals (Cong. Votes Database). Despite his father’s support of gay rights and his own ties to the Dukakis family, Cong. Chaffetz voted against the D.C. gay marriage law, which passed Congress.  Chaffetz cast a “Nay” for repealing the anti-gay military “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” standard (Barone 12, J.J. Goldberg, Forward, 1/15/10). He voted against Obama’s stimulus bill, health care reform, and regulation of Wall Street. He was a “No” vote for energy reform. He voted with the minority against overturning the Supreme Court Lilly Ledbetter decision. In that case, the Court had refused to extend the statute of limitations in equal pay discrimination cases (Toobin, “The Oath,” Barone 12).  Chaffetz, the holder of a Utah conceal-carry gun permit, is against any new federal legislation to restrict gun ownership or place limits on the amount of ammunition people can purchase. After the Newtown, Ct. massacre, he stated that any effort to monitor the mental health of gun owners is a matter “not best meant for the federal government but for families, churches and schools (Wash. Post Politics, M. Leahy, 12/16/12).”

           Chaffetz presently sits on the House Homeland Security, Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform Committees. Chaffetz chairs the National Security Subcommittee on  Darrell Issa’s “Hunt Democrats” Oversight  Committee (113^th Cong. At Your Fingertips).  Aggressive and provocative Chaffetz remains the GOP’s Benghazi point man.  He is leading the charge to gin up non-existent evidence of an Obama administration Benghazi cover –up (See, NY Times, J. Weisman, 5/16/2013). Chaffetz is a media hound. On the 5/06/2013 Fox & Friends morning show, panelists Brian Kilmeade, Steve Doocy, and Gretchen Carlson interviewed Chaffetz. These normally pro-GOP “talking heads” were skeptical of Chaffetz’s Benghazi conspiracy talk. Chaffetz argued that “we were certainly misled at every step of the way.” He claimed that officials manipulated the findings of the Accountability Review Board, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice’s talking points, and told military officials on the ground not to interfere or protect American interests during the attack. The FOX hosts tore into Chaffetz. Doocy asked what they were trying to cover up. Kilmeade scoffed at the idea of the CIA being complicit in a cover-up. He asked why Ambassador Pickering and Admiral Mullen, who headed a review of Benghazi, would “sacrifice their reputation for a report that wasn’t accurate.” Carlson noted that former Defense Sec. Panetta, respected by “both sides of the fence,” stated that “we couldn’t have gotten anybody there (to rescue the Americans in Benghazi).” Carlson found it hard to believe that Hillary, Susan Rice, and Mullen covered up something “just to re-elect Obama (“Think Progress,”5/06/13, Volsky).” In a separate FOX News Sunday appearance, Chaffetz accused the State Department of threatening witnesses to the attack. When host Chris Wallace asked for examples, Chaffetz could offer none (“Think Progress”).  

    Chaffetz refuses to remove his tin foil conspiracy hat.  On the 5/19/2013 “Face the Nation” show, he continued to say that Obama has still withheld too many documents on Benghazi. Nothing will ever satisfy him, nothing short of the “I”-word. Chaffetz has repeatedly stated that he refuses to take “impeachment off the table (Chaffetz remarks, 5/13/2013, 5/16/2013, NY Times, Weisman, 5/16/13, CNN Political Unit).”  Besides his loony impeachment talk, Chaffetz has the nerve to blame Obama for poor security at Benghazi. In a 10/10/2012 CNN interview, Chaffetz admitted that he and his fellow GOPers had voted to cut funding for embassy security after they had taken back the House. He called such cuts “a matter of prioritizing things” during tough economic times. In 2011 and 2012, the House GOP majority cut a total of $459 million from the administration’s request for embassy security funding (Huffington Post, S. Budin, 10/11/12).    

          Cong. Chaffetz can keep getting re-elected in the Utah 3^rd. The GOP “game” consists of ginning up a non-existent scandal. The Tea Party base will then vote “big time” in the 11/2014 midterm to keep the House and take back the Senate. Pres. Obama is currently doing just fine in the polls. The GOP, however, will continue pushing the “where there’s rumor of scandal smoke, there must be fire” meme until Obama, Hillary, and other Democrats get pummeled. Democrats must resist this Benghazi witch hunt. There is one way to stop Chaffetz and his Tea Party allies. In 11/2014, Democrats must turn out in droves to recapture 17 House GOP seats. In the House minority, Chaffetz and his buddy Issa will then be unable to hold hearings peddling this nonsense.  

 

              

Campaign 2014 Battle #1—Progressive Ed Markey v. “Mitt Romney, Jr.,” Gabriel Gomez    May 9, 2013

       The first volleys have been heard in Campaign 2014’s battle for control of the U.S. Senate.  On 4/30/2013, Massachusetts voters fired the “shots heard round the U.S. political world.” In the Democratic primary, Malden Congressman Ed Markey clobbered Boston Rep. Stephen Lynch by 16 points, 58%-42% (Wash. Post, “The Plum Line,” Greg Sargent, 5/03/2013, Kos, 5/01/13). In the GOP Senate contest, Gabriel Gomez easily defeated his two rivals, Mike Sullivan and Dan Winslow (AP, 5/01/13). Markey and Gomez will now square off in a 6/25/2013 special election for the Senate seat formerly held by John Kerry, now Secretary of State (CNN “Political Ticker,” Liptak, 5/03/13).

   It’s back to math class. In the 2014 midterm, Democrats will be defending 21 seats. At least 6 of them are toss ups. Democrats will also have to keep the seats held by retiring Democratic Senators in New Jersey, Iowa, Michigan, and Montana “Blue.” Pundits will declare a GOP win in the 6/2013 Bay State special election a repudiation of both Obama and his Democrats, or a replay of Campaign 2010. Remember 2010? In 1/2010, Mass. GOPer Scott Brown upset inept Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.  Analysts called Brown’s victory a bellwether that demonstrated strong anti-government Tea Party/GOP sentiment. In 11/2010, the GOP recaptured the House and gained 6 Senate seats. Should Gomez win in 6/2013, the Democrats will lose their 2 seat 2012 Senate election gain. The GOP needs just 6 Senate seats to make obstructionist champ Mitch McConnell (R-KY.) Majority Leader (“Politico” Raju & Sherman, Time Mag. Election Special, Daily Kos, dpinzow, 11/20/12, Sabato, “Barack Obama And The New America”). Much of the media is making Gomez the new “flavor of the season,” anointing him as an “independent/moderate.” Don’t buy it.  

        On paper, Gabriel Gomez was created by the GOP’s “central political casting” department. Los Angeles, Calif. native Gomez (47) is no Southern GOP white male Protestant. Latino- Catholic Gomez is the son of Columbian immigrants who grew up in Washington State. Gomez graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. He was an aviator on aircraft carriers and then became a Navy SEAL (National Journal, Catalini, 4/30/2013, Boston Globe, “Gomez for U.S. Senate,” boston. com/metrodesk/2/28/13). In 1966, he left the Navy and went to Harvard Business School where he received an MBA. Gomez worked for several private equity investment banking firms. In 2004, Gomez joined Advent International, where he made a fortune. From 2007-2011, Gomez reported earning $8.5 million (AP, National Journal).

        Gomez claims he is not a “career politician and I’m not set in any kind of ideological position (NY Times, S. Weissman, 4/30/13).” In 2010, many right wing Tea Party/ GOP candidates won by calling themselves “non-career politicians” and proceeded to gridlock Congress. Gomez stated he was running for the Senate because Washington is “too partisan and too petty and he can fix it (Patriot Ledger, M. Murphy, 2/12/13).” On 1/17/2013, Gomez, however, wrote Mass. Dem. Governor Deval Patrick that he would not run in the Senate special election race if Patrick appointed him interim Senator. Patrick didn’t pick Gomez. In his letter to Patrick, Gomez called himself a “moderate Republican” who had supported Obama in 2008.  Not true. Gomez later stated he gave some money to Obama during the Democratic primary because a friend asked him to, but supported McCain “the whole way.” Gomez wrote Gov. Patrick he would support Obama’s positions on gun control and immigration. Gomez has since opposed Obama on these issues (AP, 3/13/13, Mass. Republican, S. Schoenberg, 3/13/13 & 3/22/13).  “Non-career” Gomez is just another ambitious/ hypocritical GOP politician in the Mitt Romney flip-flop mode.

        And here is Gomez’s “moderate” record which Cong. Markey and fellow Democrats immediately pounced on.  In pro-choice Mass., Gomez states he is “pro-life,” but believes Roe v. Wade should not be repealed. He says there should be no “litmus test” for judicial nominees. Even if he doesn’t oppose overturning Roe, Gomez is not saying he will vote for pro-choice Obama judicial nominees. Gomez’s statements allow him to bar funds for Planned Parenthood and put anti-abortion provisions in health care plans, because such actions don’t “technically” overturn Roe. Markey rightly called Gomez anti-choice (Kos, 5/01/13, Blue Mass Group, 5/02/13).

       Gomez on gun control?  He is against banning assault weapons. Gomez says he wants to close the “gun show loophole” but without requiring background checks (Kos, 5/01/13, Patriot Ledger, Bloom, 3/13/13). Such a position is impossible to enforce. Gomez, the son of Hispanic immigrants, opposes amnesty for undocumented immigrants in all cases, including teenagers brought into this country as children (Patriot Ledger, 3/13/13). Health care reform and Wall Street regulation? Gomez backs them “in principle.” However, he would gut both key bills. He would allow states to “opt out” of health care reform and thinks that banks are “too overregulated (Schoenberg, Mass. Republican, 3/22/13).” Gomez believes the war with Iraq was justified. Although he wants to hand over control to Afghan forces, he is against Obama’s imposing a timetable for withdrawal (Mass. Republican, 3/22/13).  Gomez says climate change is “real.” However, he calls for a “serious energy agenda that promotes private sector innovation.”Translation, “Drill, baby, drill.” He supports the Koch Industries- backed anti-environmental Keystone pipeline.

         Gomez falsely claims our nation’s entitlement programs are “on the path to insolvency (Gomez, “Issues”).” He is for “reforming these programs without scaring our seniors.” In his 4/30/2013 Dem. primary victory speech, Cong. Markey explained what these comments meant—“putting Medicare and Social Security on the operating table (Kos, 5/01/13).”  Gomez is in lockstep with his fellow GOPers over the budget deficit. He wants to cut more middle class programs without touching the military. He opposes further tax cuts on the wealthy (See Gomez, “Issues”).

        Gomez is to the right of Scott Brown. In their 2012 Senate contest, both Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren signed the so-called People’s Pledge to limit outside money from flooding their race. Markey called on Gomez to sign this pledge. Markey vowed to fight for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United case which paved the way for groups to spend unlimited amounts of money on candidates (CNN, Killough & Steinhauser, 4/30/13). Gomez refused to limit such special interest spending. He has no interest in overruling Citizens United (Boston Globe, 5/02/13). Markey stated he planned to challenge Gomez “every single day, to take this pledge.” Markey stated that if Gomez refuses to sign this pledge, he will not unilaterally abide by it. Markey rightly does not intend to commit political suicide (See Boston Globe).

       Gomez claims he’s “above the political fray.” Really? Former Navy SEAL Gomez was a media spokesman for the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund. In 2012, this group spent nearly $500,000 running a 22 -minute video. The video bashed President Obama for politicizing the killing of Osama bin Laden and labeled the raid an “intelligence disaster” that jeopardized national security. Loren Thompson, a defense analyst for the conservative Lexington Institute, called these charges “largely unfounded,” and part of “a continuous Republican campaign to discredit the president on both economic and defense policy.”  In 2012, the Obama campaign rightly accused Republicans of trying to “Swift Boat,” the President as they had smeared Kerry in 2004 over his military credentials. The OPSEC group had extensive GOP ties. Besides Gomez, this group included Chad Kolton, who worked for W, attorney Mark Braden, who worked with the Republican National Committee, (RNC), and GOP consultant Michael Smith. Gomez stated he “had no regrets” about being the group’s spokesman on radio and TV. This group is now seeking fundraising donations of up to $5,000 for Gomez (National Journal, 4/30/13, Mass. Republican, Schoenberg, 2/15/13, McCarter, Lewison, Kos, 5/03/12, Reuters, 8/17/12). Gomez and RNC Chair Reince Priebus are “whining” that Markey is attacking him over his Bin Laden “Swift Boating” actions ( CNN, 5/04/13,Kos, Lewison, 5/03/13 & 5/07/13). Politics is hardball and Gomez’s record must be exposed.   

        “Newcomer” Gomez has extensive ties to the Romney camp. Gomez has hired Romney 2012 veterans Bradley Crate, Gail Gitcho, and Lenny Alcivar. Crate is Gomez’s treasurer and worked for Scott Brown. Former Romney and Scott Brown advisor, Eric Fehrnstrom, is also advising Romney. Fehrnstrom coined the term “Etch-a-Sketch” to describe Romney’s attempt to whitewash his record for the general election (National Journal, 4/30/13).

         Despite Gomez’s right wing stances, few people in Mass. know much about him and are willing to give him a fresh look. Markey must continue to hit him and never let up. Recent polls show the race between Markey and Gomez very close. A PPP Poll has Markey leading Gomez by just 4 points, 44%-40%. An Emerson Poll has Markey up by just 6 points, 42%-36% (Gomez Press Release, Kos, McCarter 5/03/13). Despite Mass.’s reputation as a “Blue” State, independents are the biggest block of voters (51.4% v. 37% Democrats) and the key to victory. Independents are presently favoring Gomez over Markey, by 16 points to make this race far too close. Twenty-one percent of Democratic voters, more conservative Lynch ones, currently support Gomez. Some of Lynch’s union supporters still have reservations about Markey (Boston Globe, 5/02/13). Markey must stop this hemorrhaging. In addition, 16% of the voters are undecided in PPP’s sample.  In 2012, this group voted for Obama by 18 points.  Thirty-two percent of them are liberal, and 61% are women. Markey must grab this set of Democratic voters to win.  In 11/2012, Mass. voted for Obama over ex-Gov. Romney by 23 points. In the present PPP poll, there is an electorate 5% more Romney friendly than we had in 11/2012.  Markey must end this “enthusiasm gap.”

     Gomez won his primary by coming from behind with television ads he self-financed (National Journal). Bet on Koch Industries and other GOP groups to enter this race with oodles of money. Democrats must financially counter in kind (See Boston Globe, 5/02/13). After the 2010 Coakley debacle, Democrats can take nothing for granted. President Obama will not be on the ballot and many students will have left the Mass. area for summer vacation. President Obama, First Lady Michelle, and other Democrats, however, will campaign for Markey. Twenty-term Cong. Markey of Malden, the son of a milk truck driver (66), has a stellar progressive record. He has bold forward-looking ideas, not the reactionary ones of young inexperienced Gomez, aka Mitt Romney, Jr. If Mass. Democrats don’t come out in droves on 6/25/2013 to elect Markey, they have only themselves to blame.   

    

       

              

 Congressman Bill Flores— He Wears the “Red H” Disaster Hypocrite Label   April 25, 2013

          Since the 11/2012 election, the GOP has been on a “rebranding” mission. Republicans want to make themselves appear Hispanic, women, and youth “friendly” without changing their core reactionary agenda. Such “rebranding” would be nothing but a cosmetic stunt. The rebranding process must start with truth telling. Republicans should stop calling themselves the GOP, “Grand Old Party,” and take the initials “GHP” for “Grand Hypocrisy Party.”  Look at the GOP hypocrisy concerning disaster relief. In order to get additional radical spending cuts, the Tea Party/GOP House wing tried to hold disaster aid hostage to millions of eastern state Hurricane Sandy victims. Such action had never occurred before, even after Hurricane Katrina. Although Sandy relief finally passed the House, 67 GOPers voted against it. Of those 67, 37 wear the “Red H” or hypocrite label. They previously voted for disaster aid when their own constituents were affected. Michigan’s Dan Benishek (R- 1^st Cong. Dist.) won a “Red H” hypocrite badge. He voted against Sandy aid but endorsed crop relief assistance after spring freezes in his district (“Think Progress”, 1/07/13). It’s time to hand out a 38^th “Red H” award to Congressman Bill Flores. Who is Bill Flores and why does he win a disaster hypocrite citation?

      Two-term GOP Congressman Bill Flores (59) represents Texas’ east-central 17^th Congressional District (CD). After redistricting following the 2010 census, the Lone Star 17^th has Waco anchoring its northern border. Waco is the home of Baptist Baylor University in McLennan County. Waco is the 17^th CD’s largest city (approx. 124,805). From Waco, the 17^th meanders east and southeast and takes in the cities of Bryan and College Station in Brazos County. College Station is home to Texas A&M. A&M houses the H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Unlike many universities, including Austin’s University of Texas (UT), both Baylor and A&M are conservative with strong agricultural, military, and religious traditions (CQ Almanac 12, CQ Politics, Barone 12 Almanac). The 17^th is “bright Red” GOP.  Romney clobbered Obama here by nearly 23 points (Pres. Results by 113^th CD, 2008-2012docs.google).The Cook Political Report gave the reconfigured 17^th an R+12 Partisan Voter Index (PVI) score.

         Flores was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming on the Warren Air Force Base, where his father was serving in the military. Flores grew up in the Texas Panhandle. Flores said he “didn’t want to be poor or hungry.” He stated he was always taught “not to turn to government for anything.” He graduated from Texas A&M where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the student body government. He received his M.B.A. from Houston Baptist University.  He worked for the KPMG accounting firm. Over three decades, he built a career as a financial manager. He went into the oil and gas industry in Houston and made millions. From 2006-2009, Flores was President, CEO, and a director of Phoenix Exploration Company which engaged in oil and gas exploration off the Gulf Coast and Gulf of Mexico (CQ 12, Barone 12, Carlyle Group, 8/30/06).

             In 2009, Flores decided to run for Congress. He claimed he was worried about the future “of the American Dream.” Flores self-funded his campaign with half a million dollars and won the GOP primary. In 11/2010, Flores faced 10-term Democratic Congressman Chet Edwards. Flores spent $3.3 million, including $1.5 million of his own money. Outside groups raised $720,000 against Edwards. Right wing Koch Industries gave Flores $2,500. In this strongly growing GOP district, Flores trounced Edwards by 25 points, 62%-37% (OpenSecrets.org, Barone 12, CQ 12). In 2012, no Democrat ran against Flores. Flores then took nearly 80% of the vote from a Libertarian (texasalmanac.com).

            In the House, Cong. Flores joined the conservative GOP Republican Study Group, RSG (CQ 12). He sits on the Budget, Natural Resources, and Veterans’ Affairs Committees (Cong. At Your Fingertips, 113^th Cong.). Flores’ first bills were measures to set more stringent deadlines for government approval of offshore oil and gas drilling.  He also pushed to extend for 12 months all oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico affected by the Interior Dept.’s drilling moratoriums after the massive BP oil spill (Barone 12).  From 2011-2012, Koch Industries gave Flores $10,000. Koch was #8 on Flores’ Top 20 campaign contribution list (OpenSecrets.org). In the 112^th Cong., Flores voted with his hard right party 96% of the time. In the current 113^th   Congress, he has a 91% record (Wash. Post, U.S. Cong. Votes Database). Rep. Flores repeatedly voted for Cong. Paul Ryan’s “kill Medicare” budget which died in the Dem. Senate. Flores voted to repeal the Health Care reform bill Obama signed, a measure that the Senate also defeated. Accountant Flores showed poor economic sense by voting for the failed Balanced Budget Amendment and against the fiscal cliff compromise (Cong.Votes Database). Baptist Flores is a strong pro-lifer on abortion issues.

    Although Cong. Flores’ patrilineal great-great-great-grandfather was Hispanic, he is not an advocate of the bipartisan immigration reform bill working its way through Congress. He told a 4/02/2013 town hall meeting that “he is not sure that an effective immigration overhaul can be accomplished in one piece of legislation.” He likened this comprehensive reform to “building a sandwich.” Flores “was not sure you can do it as one solution. That’s like building a sandwich, and every time you build a sandwich, you’re going to find people who don’t like the bread or pickles or whatever.” According to Flores, he prefers to tackle the issue “in a piecemeal approach,” with strong emphasis on strengthening the borders and opposing amnesty (Huffington Post, C. Kane, 4/03/13, CQ Roll Call New 112^th Cong. Guide). Translation, more of the same “do nothing” stance, that only emphasizes punitive measures.

          The normally unnoticed Congressman Flores just landed in the news. On 4/17/2013, a  fertilizer plant, owned by West Fertilizer Company, exploded in West, Texas. The town of West (pop. 2,800) is located in McLennan County in Flores’ 17^th CD, about 20 miles north of Waco. Firefighters had been battling a fire at the plant for about 20 minutes before the explosion.  Fifteen people were killed, and at least 200 more were injured.  Many of the dead included volunteer firefighters. The blast destroyed about 60-80 houses, reduced a 50-unit apartment complex to a “skeleton standing up,” and left a crater 93 feet wide and 10 feet deep. The plant was in a highly populated neighborhood. A five block-area sustained the worse damage. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the explosion had the magnitude of a 2.1 earthquake (YAHOO!News, Gilliam& MacLaggan, 4/18/13,CNN, Levs & Mungin, 4/18/13, LA Times, 4/18/13. Carcamo, Glionna & Rojas, 4/18/13, Chappell, NPR, 4/23/13). This blast occurred during a “week from hell.” The explosion happened two days after the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon. Packages containing poison were also sent to Pres. Obama and GOP Miss. Sen. Roger Wicker (YAHOO! News, 4/18/13). There is, however, no indication of terrorism in the Texas blast (CNN Levs & Mungin).

       Texas Gov. Rick Perry stated this explosion was a “nightmare scenario” that most likely “hit every family.” He declared McLennan County a disaster area and said he would request federal disaster aid from President Obama. Obama also declared West, Texas a federal disaster area. On 4/25/2013, he spoke at a memorial service for the victims at Baylor University (NPR). Gov. Perry? He was the GOP presidential candidate who felt Texas could stand on its own and repeatedly talked of seceding from the U.S. if the federal government “continues to thumb its nose at the American people (Fox News, “Think Progress”).” No one now hears Perry yelling for secession or wanting aid to West, Texas held hostage to budget cuts. Cong. Flores? Flores voted against aid to Sandy victims because not enough budget cut offsets had been made. However, after the West explosion, Flores stated that he had spoken with congressional leaders and that Washington “was ready to act if requested by the state. We’re ready for the call (Gov. Perry’s). We’re working with the offices of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). We’ve contacted the governor’s office and said ‘as soon as you make the call, let us know.’” Flores added, “We’ll get FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) involved. FEMA has been alerted to this and even Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) office has reached out and is willing to step in.” Flores added he hoped to be “back there (in West) as soon as possible” to aid in the recovery (“The Hill,”Sink).  Cong. Flores, please claim your “Red H” disaster hypocrite badge. You are all for “big government” aiding West, but not “Blue State” Sandy victims. Senators Cruz and Cornyn also deserve “Red H” badges for voting against Sandy aid but demanding immediate federal help for their constituents. Welcome y’all to the G rand H ypocrisy  P arty!

          Cong. Flores is part of the deregulate business gang, standard right wing GOP “thinking” that is strong in Texas and with his Koch Industries’ friends. Texas is known for its libertarian “freedom” from zoning, build anything where you like mindset.  Remember high school chemistry? Fertilizer is a well-known component of homemade bombs and is extremely explosive. The West plant stored more than 100 times as much ammonium nitrate as Timothy McVeigh used in the Oklahoma City bombing (StateImpact Texas). There were houses across the street from this plant and two of the town’s three schools. A nursing home within the blast radius was completely leveled. One of the middle schools next to the plant suffered severe fire damage. The town of West was aware of this potential danger. Two months ago, the middle school students were evacuated after school officials noticed a controlled brush burn near the plant (Kos, 4/19/2013).

        And there is more. West Fertilizer Company wrote a report claiming that it had 54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on hand  but that there were “no” fire or explosive risks. Over the past 5 years, OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration), a federal government agency repeatedly defunded by GOPers, was able to inspect just 6 Texas fertilizer plants. West Fertilizer was not one of them (Dallas Morning News, Kos Labor, Clawson, 4/18/13). OSHA last inspected this plant in 1985 and cited it for one serious and two other violations (Wall Street Journal, Berzon, Lefebver, & Gilbert). In 2012, West Fertilizer paid $5,250 to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for violations discovered in 2011. A federal inspector found 3 violations that included transporting anhydrous ammonia without a security plan and carrying it in improperly labeled tanks. In 2006, West Fertilizer was fined $2,300 by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for not having a risk management program in place (LA Times, R. Lopez, 4/18/13). In 2006, West Fertilizer was also investigated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Neighbors had complained of a “very bad” ammonia smell. The Texas Commission told the company that it needed to build a barrier between the tanks and road traffic. The Texas report noted the company’s closeness to homes and a school. It said this plant had to be equipped with a water-spray system (Wall Street Journal, Berzon et al).  

       Despite his anti-regulatory views and opposition to Hurricane Sandy aid, Flores will brag that he can quickly deliver federal aid to his constituents. He will be able to get reelected in the “Red” 17th as long as he wants. However, in order to make Flores an irrelevant backbencher, Democrats and moderates, especially in swing districts, must come out in droves in 2014 to take back the House. Democrats need to flip 17 seats “Blue” to make GOP Speaker John Boehner surrender the gavel. It is time to “Just say ‘NO’” to Cong. Flores’ G rand H ypocrisy P arty.    

            

       

         

                     

         

            

     

Dan Benishek—A GOP Congressman Whose Time Has Come to Go   April 11, 2013

      If anyone believes that the effects of the GOP-triggered $85 billion job sequester cuts are unrelated to the anemic employment report for March, 2013, they are living on Newt Gingrich’s “moon colony.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in March, 2013, only 88,000 jobs were added, the lowest monthly gain since June, 2012. The January and February, 2013 BLS reports gave us a total of 416,000 jobs (148,000 in 1/2013 and 268,000 in 2/2/013).  The Tea Party/GOP sequester began on 3/01/2013. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the sequester continues to the end of the fiscal year, 9/30/2013, Americans could lose 750,000 jobs. Other economists put sequester losses at 300,000. Split the difference and the economy loses the equivalent of two to three months in job growth. With the current sequester, employers will be reluctant to hire workers (CNN Money, 4/05/13, Kos Labor, Meteor Blades, 4/05/13, Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 2/28/13). The GOP could care less. If Obama does not have robust job growth, Republicans believe they can increase their midterm 2014 House gains and retake the Senate.

     The GOP remains chock full of pro-sequester middle class job cutters. Look at Michigan’s GOP congressional delegation. Besides 3^rd District Congressman, Justin “wacko bird” Amash, there is Dan Benishek. Who is Benishek?

       Second-term GOP Congressman Dan Benishek (60) represents Michigan’s 1^st Congressional District (CD). The 1^st geographically takes in almost half of Michigan. The 1^st CD includes Michigan’s entire Upper Peninsula (U.P.), which borders Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, as well as the northern region of that state’s Lower Peninsula. The Wolverine 1^st contains U.P. Marquette, Mackinac, and Chippewa Counties. Add Dickinson, Menominee, and Iron Counties to this list. The Lower Peninsula part of the 1^st consists of counties bordering Lake Huron on the east and Lake Michigan on the west (Mich. Redistricting Map).

         Nearly half the people in the 1^st CD live in the U.P. and nickname themselves “Yoopers.” The 1^st ‘s largest cities are “Yooper” Marquette (pop. 21,355) and “Soo,” or Sault Ste. Marie (pop. 14,144). Tourism and logging are economic mainstays in the 90% forested U.P. Because of its geographic isolation, “Yoopers,” are laptop junkies. The federal government’s 2010 decision to spend $100 million in stimulus funds to expand broadband access in the U.P. was local headline news. Starting in the 19^th Century, the U.P.’s mineral veins produced over 14 billion tons of iron ore. Although the Mackinac Bridge connects the U.P. to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, many “Yoopers” culturally identify with Canada and Wisconsin. Auto manufacturing is big in the 1^st CD. Tourism is strong in the 1^st CD’s Lower Peninsula, especially on the Lake Michigan side. Affluent Chicagoans have long summered in resorts around the cities of Petoskey and Charlevoix (CQ 12 Almanac, Barone 12 Almanac).

       Irish, Italians, Germans, Finns, and Slavs have come to the Wolverine 1^st to work in the mines. Historically, the 1^st ‘s U.P. area has been Democratic with a labor union heritage. However, many of these Catholic U.P. immigrants and their descendants are anti-abortion, fear environmental regulations, and are hostile to gun control. These are GOP issues. The Lake Michigan shore of the Lower Peninsula is fast- growing and becoming heavily GOP. The eastern part of the Lower Peninsula is expanding more slowly and is politically marginal. The 2012 updated Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index (PVI) gave the 1^st CD an R+4 rating, a +1 GOP increase from its previous score (Barone 12). In 2008, Obama defeated McCain here 51%-49% (Cook Report, 113^th Cong.) In 2012, Romney bested Obama 53%-45% (mlive.com/politiccs/index.ssf/2012/11/2012).

      GOP “Yooper” Congressman Dan Benishek is an Iron River native and Crystal Falls resident. His grandparents were Czech and Polish immigrants. When Benishek was 5, his father was killed working in Iron County’s mines. Benishek was raised by his mother and extended family. Until he went to college, he worked in the family business, the Iron River Hotel (CQ 12, Barone 12, rootsweb.ancestry.com, L. Hoffman, 3/16/10, ironmountaindailynews.com). A 1974 University of Michigan graduate, Benishek obtained a medical degree in 1978 from Wayne State University. He practiced general surgery in the U.P. Dickinson County Healthcare System (CQ12, Hoffman, ironmountaindailynews.com).

       Before his congressional win, Benishek never held elective office. He stated he decided to run for congress after the 2/2009 passage of Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus bill. Benishek “just couldn’t believe they would spend nearly a trillion dollars without reading the legislation. This just put me over the top (CQ12).” The 1^st CD Dem. Cong. Bart Stupak voted for that legislation (CQ 10).  Stupak also voted for Obama’s health care reform. Catholic Stupak voted for this bill only after he put language in it prohibiting federal money from being used for abortions (Politics, Wash. Post Gov., Bart Stupak). In the first 48 hours after Stupak’s “yea” vote, Benishek received over $50,000 in unsolicited donations. Benishek promised “to use this momentum to repeal the health care law and help the GOP take over the House.” After Stupak’s health vote, the right wing “American Spectator” called Benishek, “The Most Popular Republican in America.” On 4/09/2010, 9-term Stupak announced he would not run again. Benishek won the GOP primary. In the 11/2010  Tea Party “wave election” that gave the GOP control of the House, Benishek, handily defeated his Democratic opponent State Rep. Gary McDowell by 11 points, 51.9%-40.9% (CQ 12, CNN, 4/09/10, R. McCain, American Spectator, 3/21/10, uppermichiganssource.com).

       Catholic Benishek and Stupak share a Slavic ethnic heritage. However, there the similarities end. Unlike Stupak, Benishek votes as if he represents a “lobster Red” southern district, not a northern swing area. He is a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee (CQ12). As he promised, Benishek repeatedly voted to repeal the health care reform act. He voted three times for the “Kill Medicare”/anti- middle class Paul Ryan budget plan that died in the Democratic Senate. Benishek voted for the economically disastrous budget balancing amendment which failed to pass the House (Wash. Post, U.S. Congress Votes Database). While no friend of the struggling middle class or Medicare, Benishek goes all out for big oil companies. Benishek stated, “there are no government subsidies for oil.” He then went on to vote several times to protect oil subsidies and to keep their $4 billion tax breaks. Benishek believes “oil companies pay their fair share (Petoskey News, 8/24/11, CNN, 4/26/11,  detroitnews.com, 4/12/12, Cong. Record, H1426, “The Hill,” 5/4/11).” While Benishek stood for saving oil breaks, he voted to cut funds for education (S 627, Vote #676, 7/29/11, Cong. Record, H5764, 7/29/11). Benishek took $59,100 from oil and gas contributions (OpenSecrets.org).

          Benishek dismisses scientific opinion on climate change, calling it “all baloney (Wash. Post, 7/23/12, Eilperin).” In 2010, anti-environmental right wing Koch Industries funded him to the tune of $5,000 (OpenSecrets.org). From 2011-2012, Koch was one of Benishek’s Top 20 contributors, kicking in $10,000 (OpenSecrets.org).

          Benishek considers himself fiscally and socially conservative. He is pro-life and pro-gun rights. Do not expect the 12/14/2012 Newtown, Ct. massacre to change his gun control views (thecypresstimes.com). Based on his conservative philosophy, Benishek is for low taxes and for slashing the federal budget (See CQ Roll Call, Guide to 112^th Cong.). His health care “solution” consists of tort reform and allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines with no federal regulations (Benishek Official website-Issues). Translation, bar plaintiff’s lawyers from helping the injured and keep greedy insurance companies running health care.

      Cong.  Benishek was one of 67 GOPers who voted against aid for eastern state Hurricane Sandy victims unless more programs were axed from the federal budget. He was one of 37 hypocritical GOPers who had previously voted for disaster aid when their own constituents were affected. While ignoring Sandy victims, Benishek endorsed emergency crop relief assistance after spring freezes in his district (1/07/13, osh Israel, “Think Progress”). Before backing Mitt Romney in the 2012 general election, “Common sense guy” Benishek endorsed zany Herman Cain in the 2012 GOP primary (Mak, “Politico,”11/05/11, 1/20/12, mittromney.com/news/press, Roll Call, Guide to 112^th Congress). Benishek has stood behind the GOP’s sequester plan because he will not raise taxes on the superrich to balance the budget, just push for middle class cuts. Democrats are   targeting him with phone calls for triggering the sequester (Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 2/28/13).  

         In 2012, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee aimed to defeat Benishek. The NY Times called the 1^st a “Tossup.” Gary McDowell, with strong labor backing, faced Benishek in a rematch. The DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) gave the 1^st, its only targeted Mich. district, extra financial resources. Its GOP counterpart, the National Republican Congressional Committee, boosted Benishek (NY Times, “House Race Ratings,”freep.com, 1/18/12, NRCC “Patriot Program 2012,” OpenSecretsblog, M. Martinelli, 10/21/12).  Although pre-election polls showed McDowell leading in the 2%-5% range (See PPP, 9/12 Poll, Detroit Free Press, 5/2012), Benishek defeated McDowell by .5 of a point, 48.1%-47.6% (Mich. Sec. of State 2012 “Official Election Results”). 

         Although anti-Tea Party sentiment and Benishek’s voting for Ryan’s anti-Medicare budget made this race  close, Benishek, with a slight campaign fundraising edge (OpenSecretsblog, Martinelli, 10/21/12), still won. The third party libertarian took 3.1% of the votes that could have gone for Benishek. A  Green Party candidate hurt McDowell by snagging 1.2% of the total (Mich. 2012 “Gen. Election Results”). McDowell has not announced whether he will run again. Many Democrats and pundits believe that after McDowell’s two losses, another candidate should run. Mich. Dem. Chair Mark Brewer and others are talking to several people who may be interested (A. Blake, “The Fix,” Wash. Post, J. Pepin,miningjournal.net, 2/03/13).

       The Wolverine 1^st remains on top of every Democrat’s “flip-to-Blue” list. This CD is one of the 17 seats Democrats hope to grab to recapture the House. In 2014, Obama will not be on the ballot. However, there will be a hot Mich. Senate race to replace Dem. Carl Levin. Unpopular GOP Gov. Rick Snyder will be running for re-election. In the swing 1^st, Democrats and moderates must come out in droves to support the “Blue” nominee. Extremist Benishek must go.      

       

             

GOP Congressman Rodney Davis—A Member of Paul Ryan’s “Insanity Caucus”—March 29, 2013

      There’s a saying attributed to Albert Einstein, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” House GOPers, many of them scientific “skeptics,” don’t put much stock into the words of a Nobel-laureate physicist. How else can we explain their 3/21/2013 vote to support Paul Ryan’s “flimflam reactionary” budget (Krugman, NY Times)? With just 10 Republican “Nays”, and no Democratic “Yeas,” the GOP House voted 221-207 for radical $4.6 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years. Ryan’s budget proposal calls for turning Medicare into a voucher system, destroying middle class programs, and repealing Obamacare. The 3/21/2013 vote is the third time in three years that the House passed Ryan’s plan. House GOPers know that Ryan 3.0 will be DOA in the Democratic Senate, just as were Ryan 1.0 and 2.0 (See comments of Rep. Thomas Massie {R-KY}, Kos, McCarter, 3/21/13, Lo Giurato, “Business Insider,” 3/21/13).  Congressman Rodney Davis was one of Ryan’s 3.0 votes. Davis calls himself a member of the “No Labels” group (politicstoday. wordpress.com, 3/02/13). With his budget vote, Davis has joined a congressional club with one big label, Paul Ryan’s “Insanity Caucus.” Let’s focus on Congressman Davis.

     Freshman GOP Congressman Rodney Davis (43) presently represents Illinois’ 13^th Congressional District (CD). The redrawn Illinois 13^th CD, based upon the 2010 Census results, includes some of that state’s central portion. The reconfigured 13^th contains all of Christian, Calhoun, and DeWitt Counties. The 13^th additionally takes in Macon, Macoupin, and Montgomery Counties. The 13th has some of Champaign, Madison, McLean, and Sangamon Counties. Parts of the cities of Decatur, Godfrey, Taylorville, Springfield and Urbana are in the 13^th. Edwardsville, Bloomington, Collinsville, and Champaign are other major cities in this CD (elections.il.gov, WMBD/WYZZ TV Newsroom, 1/04/13, St. Louis Today, R. Saunders, 12/05/12, CQ Roll Call). Agriculture is strong in the 13^th. There are factory jobs in Madison County’s Edwardsville and Collinsville. Higher education is an economic mainstay with the Univ. of Illinois’ Urbana-Champaign campus of 40,000 + students as well as several other colleges. The 13^th’s Bloomington is the home of State Farm Insurance (CQ 12 Almanac).

        After redistricting, the 13^th went from a safe Republican district to a swing seat (CQ 12, Wash. Post Blog, 5/11/12). The Cook Political Report’s updated Partisan Voter Index (PVI) gave the Illinois 13^th a D+1 rating.

      Des Moines, Iowa native Rodney Davis grew up and resided in Taylorville, Illinois. After graduating from Millikin University in 1992, Davis worked for GOP Sec. of State George Ryan, who became Illinois’ Governor. Ryan was later convicted and served time in federal prison for corruption charges (Chicago Tribune, Leventis & Sweeney). In 1998, Davis successfully managed GOP Ill. Cong. John Shimkus’ first re-election campaign. Davis then served on Shimkus’ staff for 15 years, including working as his projects director. After 6^th-term Rep. Tim Johnson won his Congressional primary in 2012 for the 13^th CD, he declined to run for re-election. The 14 GOP County Chairmen in the 13^th made Davis their nominee (Bloomington Pantagraph, A. Petty, 5/19/12). Over $9 million was spent by both parties and interest groups to grab this key seat (pantagraph.com/news 11/13/12). In 11/2012, Davis narrowly defeated Democrat David Gill by a margin of 1,002 votes or (0.3%) (il.gov/electioninformation/VoteTotalsList). Davis was helped by the fact that 32% of the redrawn 13^th, the largest part of his reconfigured district, came from Shimkus’ old 19^th CD.  Shimkus now represents the new Ill. 15^th CD (CQ 12, 113^th Cong. At Your Fingertips).

       In the House, Davis sits on the Agriculture and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees (Cong. At Your Fingertips, 113^th Cong. 1^st Session). Davis says all the “right words” about “breaking up the Congressional status quo (WMBD/WYZZ TV Newsroom, 1/04/13).” However, his record remains that of a status quo GOPer more interested in pushing partisan polarization and its resulting House gridlock. Although not as well-known as zealots Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Mike “birther” Coffman (R- Col.), he remains up there with his extremist stands. Davis co-sponsored two anti-abortion bills. Bill #1, H.R. 217, “would prohibit the Sec. of Health and Human Services (HHS) from providing any federal planning assistance to an entity unless that entity certifies it will not perform, and will not  provide any funds to any other entity that performs an abortion.” HHS would have to report all entities that perform abortions that were the result of rape, incest, and the mother’s life being in danger. Bill #2, H.R. 732, would amend the U.S. Code “to prohibit taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions (“Politics Today,” 3/02/13, JOED5K).Although Davis’ wife is a nurse and cancer survivor, he believes in repealing Obama’s health care law and replacing it with “a market-based approach.” Translation-- let the greedy insurance companies continue to shaft the American people as they did before this legislation passed.

    Davis supports opening the outer continental shelf and drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Roll Call, Guide To The New 113^th Congress). Davis told a radio caller that according to recent reports, “global warming stopped about sixteen years ago,” a discredited claim that made the rounds of talk radio shows like Glenn Beck. Science “skeptic” Davis then went on to repeat the Exxon/Koch Brothers talking point that “there’s still a debate about whether man-made pollution is causing the crisis ( Focus interview WILL public radio, Kos, Willinois, 11/01/12).” Koch gave loyalist Davis $5,000. Exxon was also a big contributor (Ill. News Gazette, T. Kacich, 7/17/12).  

       Cong. Davis has refused to cooperate with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) in its initial probe of alleged campaign finance violations by fellow Ill. GOP Cong. Aaron Schock (18^th CD). Although the OCE has not charged Davis with wrongdoing, it recommended that Davis be subpoenaed in the Schock investigation because of this non-cooperation (News Gazette, 2/08/13, Kacich, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 2/06/13, McDermott). Davis also has an ethically troubled history dating back years. Davis once admitted that he helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for GOP organizations. Finance expert Kent Redfield said such action served as an “end run” around campaign limits. Davis was twice listed on convicted Gov. George Ryan’s “Favors List.” This list was kept by Ryan’s advisor Scott Fawell. This list tracked politically connected people who allegedly sought favors from Ryan while he served as Ill. Sec. of State (SOS).  Davis, remember, worked for Ryan when he was Ill.’s SOS (Springfield, Ill. State Register, 2/07/13, 7/27/95, 8/10/95, DCCC, 2/25/13, Chicago Tribune, 1/28/03, Galesburg Register-Mail, 5/09/12).

           In view of Davis’ marginal district, his extremist voting record, and ethical issues, Democrats have targeted him as one of the “top 10 vulnerable Republicans” in 2014 (St. Louis Post Dispatch, McDermott, 2/06/13). Democrats need 17 seats to recapture the House. Emergency room physician David Gill, who nearly defeated Davis in 2012, is considering a 2014 rematch. However, Gill’s would be running for the fifth time in this area, and many Democrats believe he is not the best candidate. Gill’s close  2012 run may have been aided by a third party candidate who siphoned off 7.2 % of the vote that Davis might otherwise have taken (See“Politics Today,”JOED5K, 3/02/13, Toeplitz, CQ Roll Call, 1/30/13, Examiner.com, D. Flatt, 10/30/12). Many Democrats are looking at Madison County Circuit Court Chief Judge Ann Callis. Other possible candidates include Champaign Mayor Don Gerard, former Champaign Board Member Brendan McGinty, and special prosecutor Matthew Goetten. Goetten had previousy been recruited by national Democrats to run for this seat, but he narrowly lost the 2012 primary to Gill (CQ Roll Call, Toeplitz, “Politics Today,” JOEDK).

      Although the 13^th CD looks like a promising seat to paint “Blue,” it will be a hard fight. President Obama will not be on the ballot in the 2014 midterm election. In 2012, Romney edged Obama in the marginal 13^th by less than half a percentage point. Cong. Davis keeps himself fairly unknown and pretends to act like a moderate. The DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) will have to target Davis frequently. Democrats and their allies will have to raise a ton of money for Davis’ opponent to counter Koch and the GOP millions. Again, every congressional election counts. Democrats, independents, and moderate GOPers must come out in droves in 11/2014 to defeat Rodney Davis. The 16^th CD area has a history of sending moderates to Congress, including Abraham Lincoln and Obama’s GOP Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (Kos, Willinois, 11/01/12). Rodney Davis is way outside the 16^th CD and U.S. mainstream.

          

         

GOP Congressman Justin Amash—A Proud Member of the “Wacko Birds’” Gang   March 14, 2013

          Senator John McCain (R- AZ) has taken aim at the GOP crazies. McCain was scorched by his 2008 pick of Sarah Palin, and doesn’t want his party rallying around other wild folks. In an interview with the Huffington Post’s John Ward, McCain was asked whether the younger GOP conservatives were a “positive force.” McCain’s answer, “They were elected, nobody believes there was a corrupt election, anything else. But I also think that when, you know, it’s always the ‘wacko birds’ on right and left that get the media megaphone. I think it can be harmful if there is a belief among the American people that those people are reflective of the views of the majority of Republicans. They’re not.” Ward asked McCain whom he was specifically talking about. McCain replied, “Rand Paul, Cruz, Amash, whoever (Wash. Post, R. Weiner, 3/08/13, Business Insider, B.  Lo Giurato, 3/08/13).”

     On 3/07/2013, McCain went to the Senate floor and chastised freshman Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) for conducting a 13 hour filibuster talkathon trying to block John Brennan, Obama’s nominee for CIA Director (NY Times, Shane & Shear, 3/08/13).  On the Michael Medved 3/08/2013 radio show, McCain called Paul’s filibuster a “waste of time.” He correctly stated that Paul’s concerns about American civilians not engaged in violent activity being hit by drones on U.S. soil were “ludicrous” and “inappropriate (Wash. Post, 3/08/13).” After Paul’s filibuster, Brennan was confirmed 63-34 (Kos, Meteor Blades, 3/07/13). The other two members of McCain’s “wacko birds’” gang are Texas rookie “Sen. No” Ted Cruz and Congressman Justin Amash (ah-MASH). Amash tweeted his thanks to Paul for filibustering. Amash put up comments on his Facebook page praising the views and actions of Cruz and Paul. Amash tweeted McCain. He said that the Senator’s “wacko birds” comments must have come from having “Dinner with Barack (Huffington Post, Miller, 3/08/12).” Translation, in Amash’s world, even going to dinner with the President constitutes “selling out.” Who is Cong. Amash and why is he important?

       Second-term GOP Congressman Justin Amash (32) currently represents Michigan’s 3^rd Congressional District (CD), located in that state’s lower western portion. After the 2010 Census redistricting, the reconfigured Wolverine 3^rd includes Kent, Ionia, Barry, Montcalm, and Calhoun Counties. The redrawn 3^rd was extended to take in Battle Creek, home of cereal giant Kellogg’s. The 3^rd also contains Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids has the nation’s largest furniture manufacturers. Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel started Amway here. Jay Frederik and Hendrik Meijer began Thrifty Acres in this area, combining supermarkets with discount stores. Grand Rapids is home to a machine tool empire. Wolverine World Wide, the footwear manufacturer of Hush Puppies shoes, has its headquarters in Rockford, north of Grand Rapids.  Health care is an economic mainstay. Michigan State University built a new medical school in Grand Rapids (CQ 12 and Barone 12 Political Almanacs, Michigan Redistricting Map, 8/11).  

         The 3^rd CD was founded by New England Yankees. They were joined by Dutch immigrants who have been coming here since the 1870’s. Grand Rapids has the highest percentage of Dutch Americans in any U.S. city, 14%. Although Holland is known for its liberalism and tolerant lifestyle, the Dutch Americans in the 3^rd are religious and culturally conservative Reform Protestants. They have a strong economically conservative outlook. More than 80% of the voters live in Kent County, home to Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids has been the center of Michigan Republicanism for much of the last century. The 3^rd has been one of the two most GOP districts in Michigan. House Minority Leader and later President Gerald Ford came from Grand Rapids. The 2012 Cook Political Report gives the 3^rd CD an R+5 Partisan Voting Index (PVI) (Barone 12, CQ12).  

           Grand Rapids native Justin Amash is the son of immigrants. He is an Eastern Orthodox Christian. His mother is Syrian. His father is a Palestinian who lived in a   refugee camp before immigrating to the U.S. in the 1950’s. Amash’s father is a wealthy tool importer. Amash received both his undergraduate and law degrees  from the University of Michigan. Amash worked as a consultant for his family’s import tool business. He practiced as a corporate attorney for a year. In 2008, he won a seat in the Michigan House. During that time, he donated money to presidential candidates Cong. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Sen. Rand’s father, and Sen. John McCain. During his two year term as a state legislator, Amash fought to eliminate state taxes on businesses. He sponsored 5 resolutions and 12 bills, none of which passed (legislature.mi gov). Amash was the only “no” vote on 59 Michigan House bills. These bills included a measure to toughen penalties on human trafficking. Amash refused to vote in favor of bills that he did not have a chance to read (Grand Rapids Press, 2010, Barone 12). In 2010, Amash decided to challenge then 8-term GOP Cong. Vern Ehlers, because he was “fed up” with his “moderate” record. After Ehlers declined to run, Amash won the GOP primary. He outraised his opponents and was a Tea Party favorite. He was endorsed by Cong. Ron Paul and the anti-tax Club for Growth (Barone 12). In the general election, Amash clobbered his Democratic opponent 60%-37%. Time Magazine had boosted Amash by naming him to its “40 under 40” list of civic leaders (Barone 12). In 2012, Amash handily won re-election (Early Guide to 113^th Cong., CQ Roll Call).

           In the House, Amash aims to be the heir of fringe libertarian Cong. Ron Paul who retired after 2012.  Amash called Ron Paul “a big supporter of mine from the very beginning. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who has championed the Constitution, limited government, economic freedom and individual liberty to the extent that he (Ron Paul) has over the past few decades.” Ron Paul is similarly impressed by Amash’s understanding of “individual liberty (“Politico,”T. Mak , 12/8/11).”  In 2011, Amash voted with his GOP just 78% of the time. Ron Paul had a similar 74% record. Amash’s libertarian sentiments made him the 3^rd least likely to vote with the “not pure enough” GOP. Ron Paul was the 2^nd least likely (“Politico,” Mak). In the 112^th Congress, under GOP Speaker John Boehner, Amash joined his right wing GOP just 75% of the time. In the current 113^th Congress,  Amash has a  69% score (Wash. Post, U.S. Cong. Votes Database). In 2012, Amash endorsed Ron Paul for president (Facebook).

        Amash’s “heroes” are 19^th Century author Frederic Bastiat and 20^th Century writer Friedrich Hayek. Bastiat argued against taxing people to pay for schools or roads. Hayek is a Tea Party favorite who strongly opposed government intervention in the economy. Amash keeps photos of Austrian economist Hayek in his office (Barone 12, Roll Call, R. Bade, 3/05/12). In Congress, just as in Michigan, Amash is noted for his skillful use of online tools, including Facebook and Twitter. In Michigan and in Congress, Amash tries to explain every single vote he took in real time on the Internet (CQ12). A 21^st Century technologically savvy man, for reactionary 18th-19^th Century ideas.

      Amash voted against the 2011 debt ceiling agreement and the fiscal cliff deal, breaking with the GOP leadership. He didn’t believe these attempts to cut government spending went far enough (Votes Database, Detroit Free Press, T. Spangler). Amash is “pro-life.” He is hostile to National Public Radio (NPR) and against Planned Parenthood. However, he voted “present,” not “no” on the 2011 Appropriations Act to defund NPR and Planned Parenthood. According to Amash, legislation that names specific groups, rather than all organizations involved in particular activities, is “unconstitutional (Roll Call, Bade, 3/05/12, NY Times, 4/15/11).”  Like Ron Paul, Amash wants to abolish the Federal Reserve, a major part of our financial regulatory system since Woodrow Wilson’s administration (Mak, “Politico,” 12/08/11). Amash, with his fellow House GOPers, voted to repeal health care reform, a bill that died in the Democratic Senate. He opposes making health insurance mandatory, which the Supreme Court found constitutional (amashforcongress.com). Amash is for DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits state recognition of same sex marriage. He believes only Congress has the power to declare war. He opposes restrictions on gun ownership because such laws violate the Second Amendment (amashforcongress.com).

         When he ran for Congress, Amash supported the reasonable “two state solution” for Israel and the Palestinians (CQ12). However, Amash was one of only 6 Congressman to vote against a resolution threatening to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority, if it pursued recognition of statehood outside of negotiations with Israel (NY Jewish Week, 7/08/11).  Amash was one of 7 Congressman to vote against a resolution targeting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists, tightening loopholes against Iran, and condemning its record on human rights (HR 1905). Amash initially voted in favor of HR 4133. HR 4133 stated it was “the policy of the United States to help Israel preserve its qualitative military edge, and to give Israel the ability to defend itself against any threats.” On a 5/28/2012 Facebook posting, Amash stated he “would reconsider his support for HR 4133, and would not vote for it again, if given a chance.”

         Amash’s stunts were too much for the GOP leadership and he was removed from the powerhouse Budget Committee on 12/03/2012 (Detroit News, 12/04/12). He remains on Democratic witch hunter Darrell Issa’s Oversight and Government Reform Committee (Roll Call, 3/09/13). Amash was a key player in  the unsuccessful attempt to topple John Boehner as GOP Speaker in the 113^th Congress. Amash cast his vote for fellow coup-member Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) (“Reason Magazine,” National Review 1/04/13).

         Even before 6^th term Mich. Dem. Senator Carl Levin (78) stated he would not run in 2014, Amash was considering challenging him. He still looks interested in trying to reclaim Levin’s seat. On 3/08/2013, he tweeted that the Mich. State GOP “can not put up an unelectable establishment candidate for the Senate who doesn’t appeal to independent and moderate voters on federal issues.” Many Democrats think that Amash would be another laughable choice similar to Christine O’Donnell or Todd Akin. Do not “misunderestimate” Amash. He is popular in his district and loved by Tea Partiers. Ron Paul fans, members of the Amway DeVos family, and many right wing groups are in his corner. They could easily raise money for him and flood Michigan with volunteers in a primary and general election. In 2014, Obama will not be on the ballot. Democratic turnout will be crucial. In 2014, Democrats must defend 21 seats with at least 6 of them toss-ups. Six is also the number the GOP needs to make Mitch McConnell Senate Majority (R-KY) Leader (“Politico,” Time, Daily Kos). Iowa, New Jersey, and now Michigan have open Senate seats where the favored Democratic incumbent is not running. Wolverine Democrats must come out in droves to retain Levin’s seat. Cong. Amash must not join his fellow Senate obstructionist “wacko birds,” Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.

          

                         

Ted Cruz— “Senator No” 2.0   February 28, 2013

      “Repackaging” constitutes the current GOP rage. After their 11/2012 presidential and congressional drubbings with Hispanic voters, Republicans understand that their party brand appears toxic. The remedy? Proclaim young Hispanic Republicans “rising stars.” Ignore the fact that they have hard right records and spout the same drivel uttered by their elder Southern white GOP allies. Besides “water gulping” Sen. Marco Rubio, the GOP is featuring Senator Ted Cruz (42). The GOP doesn’t get it. In an attempt to slap a future looking gloss on their party, Republicans have done what they always do—go back to a reactionary past. Sen. Cruz has been aptly labeled “Senator No,” the title once held by race baiting right winger Senator Jesse Helms (R-N. Carolina, 1973-2003) (Weber & Cassata, AP, 2/24/13, Goldman, ABC News Services, 7/04/08). Let’s look at Sen. Cruz, his record, and his contribution to congressional gridlock.

       Freshman GOP Texas Senator Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz’s (42) biography makes Republicans giddy. Cruz’s Cuban father, a pastor, was jailed and tortured by dictator Fulgencio Batista for fighting with Castro. He did not then know Castro was a Communist. He later became strongly anti-Castro. Cruz Sr. fled to Austin, Texas in 1957. He took a job as a dishwasher and worked his way through the University of Texas. Cruz’s mother, a native of Delaware of Irish and Italian descent, was the first in her family to attend college. Cruz’s parents met at an oil exploration company. They started a business that processed seismic data for petroleum companies. Son Ted was born in Calgary, Canada, where his parents were working in the oil industry. When Cruz was 4, his family returned to the U.S. (Roll Call Guide to the New 113^th Congress, L. Hymas, grist.org, 8/08/12, NY Times, Zernike, 11/18/11, Texas Tribune, 8/13/12, Weiner, Wash. Post, 8/01/12, Dallas News, Yahoo News).

      GOPers normally detest Ivy League-educated graduates as “elitists.” I guess only if they’re Democrats. Republicans boast of Cruz’s intellectual achievements. In 1992, Cruz graduated from Princeton University as a top debater. In 1995, he received his law degree from Harvard, magna cum laude.  When he worked for William Rehnquist, Cruz became the first Hispanic law clerk for a U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice (Roll Call 113^th Cong. Guide, Tedcruz.org, debate.princeton.edu, Peppers, “Courtiers Of The Marble Palace”).

   Cruz held a partnership in a prominent law firm where he had a Supreme Court practice. He argued 43 cases before the High Court. Cruz worked in the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Justice Department, and was an advisor in W’s 2000 campaign. Cruz was Texas Solicitor General from 2003-2008 (Roll Call, Red State, 1/19/11, Tedcruz.org). When GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison declined to run in 2012, Cruz entered the GOP primary. The “usual wing nut suspects” backed him. They included Freedom Works, the Club for Growth, and the Tea Party Express. Syndicated radio firebrand Mark Levin, Rick Santorum, and Sarah Palin joined Cruz’s camp. With this Tea Party/ extremist support, Cruz upset Texas “establishment” conservative Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst by 14 points. In the general election, Cruz demolished his Democratic rival by 16 points (AP, 7/31/12, Huffington Post, 7/31/12, State of Texas, Office of the Sec. of State, Election Results, M. Halperin, Time, 8/13/12).  Cruz called his primary win a “victory of grass roots conservatives” not decided by a “handful of people in a dark room (Roll Call, Fox News).” In the 11/2012 election, Cruz, no D.C. political novice, ran against “career Washington Beltway politicians” whom he blamed for the “$16 trillion national debt (Roll Call, New 113^th Cong. Guide).”

            Sen. Cruz campaigned on “shaking up” Congress. He has not deviated one iota from this pledge. Neither has Cruz abandoned his “in your face” style (Kofler, keranews.org, 2 /2 0/13). Cruz bills himself as the “anti-establishment guy” who’ll help “fix the establishment.” The “establishment” GOP, which still “dances with the Tea Party gal that brung them” to prominence, tapped Cruz to be a vice-chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. That group raises money and recruits GOP candidates. Rookie Cruz landed positions on the powerhouse Armed Services and Judiciary Committees (Raju, “Politico,” 2/14/13)   “Established” GOPers see Cruz as a key liaison to the Tea Party grass roots. They think Cruz’s Texas victory can be used teach other GOP candidates how to take back the Senate in 2014 (“Politico,”Nocera, 1/17/13).

           And here are Sen. Ted Cruz’s “mainstream” views that the GOP believes will turn voters “Red.” Cruz was just one of 22 Senators who voted against the Violence Against Women Act, which passed with 78 votes. This legislation passed the GOP House 286-138, with 87 GOPers joining all the Democrats. Cruz voted against suspending the debt ceiling for three months and against aid to victims of Hurricane Sandy. He was only one of 3 Senators to vote against Mass. John Kerry’s confirmation as Secretary of State.  Before a conservative audience, Cruz griped and smirked that Kerry and former Sen. Chuck Hagel were “less than ardent fans of the U.S. military.” Dem. Kerry and former Nebraska GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel both fought in Vietnam and earned Purple Hearts. Cruz never served in the military (Bruni, NY Times, 2/15/13, Kos, K.J. Gray, 2/28/13). Cruz declared school choice or giving vouchers to students “the civil rights issue of our time.” He opposes gun control. He views such legislation as an “attempt to deny poor single women the right to defend themselves and their families.” Cruz repeatedly supported the NRA’s broadly condemned ad that used Obama’s daughters in the gun debate (Bruni, NY Times, “Politico,” Nocera, 1/17/13). Despite his father’s background, Cruz is against the Senate bipartisan compromise on immigration. He stated the GOP “doesn’t need to do an ‘about-face’ on the issue.” Cruz advocates adopting a “kinder tone” when discussing immigration with Hispanics (“Politico,” Nocera). He is against Obama’s proposal to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00 an hour (Kofler, keranews.org, 2/20/13). Cruz wants to roll back the powers of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). He views the Endangered Species Act as a vast “conspiracy to cripple capitalism as we know it (grist.org, Hymas, 8/21/2012).”

          Besides being Jesse Helm’s heir in opposing and obstructing (See Bruni, NY Times), Cruz can claim the mantle of 1950’s witch hunter Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.). The “New Yorker”reported that in 2010, Cruz accused Harvard Law of having “12 Communists on its faculty who believed in the overthrow of the U.S. government when he attended in the early nineties.” Cruz stated that there was only “one” Republican on the faculty. Cruz’s Harvard law professor, GOPer, and Reagan’s former Solicitor General, Charles Fried, took issue with that remark. A Harvard spokesman was “puzzled” by Cruz’s allegations. Cruz did not deny that he made these comments and his spokesman called his statements “absolutely correct (Mayer, New Yorker, 2/24/13).” Cruz is standing by his charges (Clawson, Kos, 2/25/13). Cruz has latched onto right wing conspiracy talk that billionaire George Soros is behind a two-decade old non-binding U.N. document, Agenda 21. Agenda 21 calls in general terms for improving living standards and protecting ecosystems. Cruz sees Agenda 21 as calling for abolishing “golf courses, paved roads, and grazing pastures (Hymas, grist.org, 8/08/12).” Cruz told the Christian Broadcasting Network that “President Obama is the most radical president we’ve ever seen.”

           Democrats and even some Republicans, including Hagel opponent John McCain, believe that Cruz improperly stepped over the line in opposing Hagel’s attempt to become Secretary Defense. Cruz asked whether N. Korean sources may have “funneled $200,000 to Hagel.” Hagel denied receiving such funding (USA Today, Vanden Brook, 2/26/13). Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) attacked Cruz for “impugning Hagel’s patriotism (M. Raju, 2/14/13, “Politico,”keranews.org, Kofler).” Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Dem. from “Red”-leaning Mo., told reporters she “was not sure it would do any good to reach out to Cruz (Raju).” Cruz voted against Hagel joining all but 4 GOPers. On 2/26/2013, Hagel was confirmed by a 58-41 vote (USA Today, Vanden Brook).

         Cruz will not stand in the way of stopping the economically crippling sequester cuts. In the year 2013, cuts to the tune of $85.4 billion will go into effect on and after 3/01/2013, if Congress does not make a budget deal to cut $1.5 trillion over 10 years (Wash. Post, Wonkblog, 2/20/13). GOPers previously signed on to the sequester provisions and have refused to repeal them. Tens of thousands of teachers and federal air traffic controllers, many FBI agents, and defense department employees will be laid off. Cruz blamed Obama for seeking to avoid these cuts by raising taxes on millionaires and ending some breaks for oil and gas companies. He accused Obama of “desperately trying to not have any real spending cuts (kernews.org, Kofler, 2/20/13).” “Brilliant” Cruz remains just another mathematically challenged GOPer. He will only aid the top 1%.

         Ohio voters were recently surveyed by a GOP polling outfit. They were asked to suggest words they associate with Republicans. Among the common adjectives and phrases voters used were, “rigid,” “polarizing,” and an “all or nothing approach.” Cruz fits these descriptions “big time (Bruni, NY Times).” This GOP “star’s” refusal to raise revenues to cut the deficit is one major reason why Congress is gridlocked and has cellar ratings.

         Despite poor national reviews, Cruz remains wildly popular with his “Red” Lone Star constituents. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot proudly called him a “Cruz Missile (Yahoo News, AP, 2/24/13).” In Campaign 2014, Democrats must defend 21 Senate seats. Six of them constitute toss ups. Six is also the “magic number” the GOP needs to make obstructionist Mitch McConnell Senate  Majority Leader. In 11/2014, Democrats and moderates must come out in droves to keep Ted “Senator Cruz Missile” from hitting more middle class political targets. “Senator No” 2.0 must remain in the minority.      

          

           

Heavyweight Andrew Romanoff—He’s in the Race to Defeat Congressman Mike “Tea Party” Coffman   February 8, 2013

        In the reality-based political world, mathematics and candidate recruitment rule. Let’s do some 2^nd grade arithmetic. In Campaign 2012, the Democrats needed a net gain of 25 seats to recapture the House. They gained 8. How many more seats are needed for Nancy Pelosi to get the gavel in 2014? If you answered, “17,” give yourself an “A.” According to DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) Chair Steve Israel, about 30-48 GOP seats remain in play (“The Hill,” Jaffe, 1/17/13).  Candidate recruitment comes next. You can’t beat GOP incumbents with unknown Democrats. The strongest best -known Democratic candidates must step up. In 11/2012, extremist GOP Cong. Mike Coffman defeated Democrat Joe Miklosi by just 2 points, 47.8%-45.8% in Colorado’s 6^th Congressional District (Col. Sec. of State, “Official 2012 Election Results,”DailyKos11/19/12). Besides having weak name recognition, Miklosi struggled with fund raising (NY Times, 2012 “House Race Ratings”). Miklosi was hurt by having Doran Kaye on his staff. Kaye had a history of arrests for drug-related offenses and was forced to resign (Colorado Peak Politics, 8/17/12). Democrat Andrew Romanoff, who many felt would be the strongest candidate, declined to run. In the 2014 midterm, Romanoff will oppose GOPer Coffman  (Denver Post). Let’s take a close look at the Colorado 6^th ,  Coffman, and Romanoff.

          Third-term GOP Congressman Mike Coffman (57) currently represents Colorado’s 6^th  swing Congressional District (CD). After redistricting, the Colorado 6^th CD went from safe GOP turf with a Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) of R+8 to just R+1. While Miklosi was narrowly losing, Obama was defeating Romney 52%-47% (Kos, 11/19/12). The 6^th’s redrawn 2012 map includes nearly equal amounts of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. The new 6^th ‘s Latino population increased from around 9% to 20% (K. Lee, Denver Post, 12/06/11). The remapped 6^th contains all of Aurora and some of the south Denver suburbs. Tens of thousands of residents from the GOP Douglas County stronghold went to a neighboring district (CQ 12 Almanac, K. Lee, Denver Post, 12/06/11).

             Coffman won his first congressional election in 2008, taking the seat of anti-immigration zealot Tom Tancredo. Tancredo left Congress to launch an unsuccessful GOP presidential bid (Huffington Post, Bendry, 10/14/11, Barone 12, CQ 12). An Army doctor’s son, Coffman served in the Army and Marines. He received his undergraduate degree from the Univ. of Colorado and started some Denver area property firms. After winning several terms in the Colorado House and Senate, he was elected State Treasurer in 1998. In 2005, he resigned to go to Iraq for six months (CQ & Barone 12).

         In 2006, Coffman won the office of Col. Sec. of State by touting his experience working on Iraqi elections. Shortly before the 11/2008 election, Coffman purged thousands of state voters from the rolls and was sued by a national voting rights group. A federal judge ordered Coffman to reinstate the purged voters before the 2008 contest and stop removing additional names (CQ & Barone 12). Despite these voter suppression stunts, Coffman clobbered his Democratic opponent in the then ultra-“Red” 6^th (CQ 12).

            Coffman was a quieter Tancredo. He looked “moderate” by not yelling as loudly before every microphone (M. Roberts, blogs.westword , 5/18/12). Coffman’s record is something else. He repeatedly called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.” In 2010, he supported Col.’s “personhood” amendment, a radical anti-abortion policy that defines humans as people from the moment of conception. This amendment went down by a 3:1 margin in Col.’s 2008 and 2010 elections. Coffman voted to defund Planned Parenthood. Col.’s anti-abortion groups view him as “Pro-Life, with no exceptions.”  Coffman believes the regressive flat tax has “tremendous value.” He supported Rick Perry for President and Cong. “kill Medicare Paul Ryan” for VP even before Romney picked him (Huffington Post, Saltzman, 5/8/12, Huffington Post, 11/08/11, Bassett, Col. Right to Life website). Coffman voted for Ryan’s anti-middle class budget (Wash. Post, U.S. Cong. Votes Database).

          In the 111^th Congress, headed by Dem. Pelosi, Coffman fell in line with the House GOP 95% of the time. In Republican Boehner’s 112^th Congress, Coffman had a 91% GOP voting record. In the new 113^th GOP House, Coffman has voted with his party 94% of the time. Ideologue Coffman voted against the fiscal cliff agreement and suspending the debt ceiling until May, contrary to most of his fellow GOPers (CQ & Barone 12, Cong. Votes Database). Coffman is a member of Michele Bachmann’s extremist Tea Party Caucus and the Republican Study Committee, the most conservative bloc and dominant force in the House GOP  (CQ12). He voted against health care reform and for its repeal. He was against the 2009 stimulus. Coffman was a “Nay” for energy reform and Wall Street regulation. Like anti-immigrant Tancredo, Coffman opposed Obama’s Dream Act. Parts of this act were put into force by an Obama executive order. The Dream Act is included in the Senate’s present immigration deal. The Dream Act would give legal status to some children of illegal immigrants who lived here most of their lives and are law abiding. The House is presently considering immigration legislation (CQ & Barone 12, LA Times, B. Bennett, 2/06/13 ).  

       “Moderate” Coffman dabbled in “birtherism,” the loony notion that President Obama was not born in the U.S. At a private Elbert County 5/12/12 fundraiser that was recorded, Coffman declared, “he didn’t know whether Obama was born in the U.S.” He went on to say that “in his heart he’s (Obama ) just not an American (K. Lee, Denver Post, 5/18/12).” When these comments went viral, Coffman stated he “misspoke.” However, he still absurdly attacked Obama for not believing in “American Exceptionalism.” Despite these rantings, the national GOP financially aided Coffman in 2012 with its “Patriot Program,” to help retain and increase its majority.

          Contrast Coffman with Progressive Democrat Andrew Romanoff. Romanoff (46), the son of a judge and social worker, had grandparents who brought medical supplies to Africa under Project Hope. Romanoff took an early interest in civil rights. He worked to combat the KKK and neo-Nazi hate groups for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Romanoff took his bachelor’s degree at Yale and taught English in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. He earned a law degree from the University of Denver. Aurora resident Romanoff practiced and taught law. He worked for Dem. Gov. Roy Romer. He was a member of Colorado’s Common Cause and mentored at-risk students through Denver Kids. Romanoff was elected three times to the Colorado House of Representatives from 2000-2008. He was House Minority Leader and then became the first Democrat to hold the Speaker’s post since 1975 (L. Bartels, Wash. Post, 9/17/09, denverpost.com).

                  Romanoff was the main author of Referendum C, passed by Coloradans in 2005. This measure allowed Colorado to use rising tax revenues to restore state funding for elementary and higher education, health care, and transportation.  Under the previously passed Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) such funding was prohibited (Bell Policy Center). Romanoff, working with State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, sponsored the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Act, the largest investment in Colorado school construction. The BEST Act emphasized rural school repair. Unlike Coffman, Romanoff has always been a supporter of creating energy renewable sources, reducing fossil fuel usage, and establishing more green jobs. 

               Romanoff is proud of his Jewish identity. He was a Wexner Fellow, a program designed to educate young Jewish leaders in their faith. He is a strong Israel supporter and wants to isolate nuclear-obsessed Iran (Kampeas, JTA, 7/27/10, Colson, Aspen Times, 8/08/08).

            In 2010, Romanoff unsuccessfully challenged Michael Bennet in the Dem. Senate primary (Barone 12). After his loss, Romanoff took a position as senior advisor with International Development Enterprises (IDE). IDE is a Colorado-based non-profit organization that works in developing countries to create income opportunities and provide low cost water access for rural households (Booth, Denver Post, 10/06/10).

           In entering the 2014 House race, Romanoff stated, “If we want to get anything done, we need a Congress that’s capable of constructive action and that’s not the Congress we have (Denver Post).” The Denver Post aptly described Romanoff as “one of Colorado’s most successful legislators.” State Rep. Rhonda Fields called Romanoff “exactly the leader we need to represent us in Congress.” Colorado Democratic Chair, Rick Palacio, called Romanoff “a great leader and great Speaker.” However, before he can take on Coffman, Romanoff may have to face former Dem. State Representative Karen Middleton, current State Senator Linda Newell, or others in a primary. Middleton and Newell would also be “wonderful” members of Congress, according to Palacio.

    Unlike Romanoff, who has name recognition because of his 2010 Senate primary race and state Speakership, Newell and Middleton, like Miklosi, are fairly unknown. Romanoff, with a network of grass roots progressive supporters, would better be able to fundraise (CQ, Roll Call, 2/02/13). Romanoff or any Democratic nominee will need all the money they can get against Coffman. Coffman clobbered Miklosi financially with GOP help and with his own campaign finance outfit, the Starboard Group. Campaign & Elections, the nation’s leading trade journal for political consultants, recognized Starboard as one of four finalists for the Best Fundraising Program (Denver Post). Romanoff will not take any money from PACs, political action committees or special interest groups, just individuals. Coffman has no such inhibitions. PACs made up about 30% of Coffman’s contributions in the 2011-2012 election cycle (Open Secrets.org).

           In 2014, Romanoff is also running without Obama on the ballot. Too many Democrats don’t come out in midterm elections, something we must change. In order to win, Romanoff must be well financed in the primary and general election. He must get Democrats to turn out in droves in 11/2014. Taking back the House will be won in the trenches in district by district contests. Colorado’s 6^th CD will be one of Campaign 2014’s major battlegrounds.     

           

       

  “Our Journey Is Not Complete”—January 23, 2013

           Conventional wisdom stresses that second presidential inaugurations are like motion picture sequels. They usually can’t top the original. However, in President Obama’s case, discard conventional wisdom. True, Obama couldn’t repeat the record 1.8 million 2009 first inaugural crowd (LA Times, 1/20/2013, AP, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies). However, he had an enthusiastic and joyous crowd, maybe about 1 million (Fox News, 1/21/13). Despite all the prattling about Obama’s supporters being cynical after four years of fierce presidential and congressional battles, no such mood enveloped the inaugural attendees. And can you remember an inaugural emcee enjoying himself as much as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)?  After “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson sang, “My Country Tis of Thee,” Schumer yelled, “Wow!” The public celebration of Inauguration Day, 1/21/2013, fell on Martin Luther King Day. Myrlie Evers- Williams, widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, gave the invocation for African American Obama. “Pitch perfect.” Non-poetry enthusiasts could still thrill to the Walt Whitmanesque/Carl Sandburg-like descriptions of America written and read by Richard Blanco, a gay Cuban American poet (Tobar, LA Times, 1/22/13).

        After Chief Justice Roberts’ swearing in of Barack Obama, (no mistakes this time), it was the President’s turn. He did not disappoint. Pundits correctly noted that his speech, which outlined his second term vision, was elegantly and artfully constructed. His comments constituted a “poetic” version of his future State of the Union address (CNN, J. King, G. Borger). Obama biographer, David Maraniss, found the President’s second inaugural address more positive than his first one. In his second inaugural, you could “hear his heart beating through it.” Obama made the address, “his moment, our moment (Maraniss).” He spoke to the American people as well as his base of women, youth, gays, and minorities who had re-elected him. He discussed his plans for the next four years and connected them to the truest values of the Founding Fathers. He demonstrated to Tea Partiers that the Founding Fathers belong “to all of us.” In Obama’s view, our Founders had a much wider vision than the crimped one Tea Partiers ascribe to them.

       As opposed to his 2009 first inaugural, his second 18-minute address contained many memorable phrases and themes. Obama called for “fidelity to our founding principles” that “require new responses to new challenges (NY Times, M. Shear, 1/21/13, J. Pace, AP, 1/21/13).”  Obama declared that the country was “made for this moment…decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford to delay.” Obama correctly challenged GOP ideologues and firebrands with these words. “We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate (NY Times, 1/21/13).” Obama, once again, refuted Romney’s crack that 47% of people are reliant on government. Obama declared programs like Medicare and Social Security “did not sap the country’s spirit and initiative. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make the country great (NY Times).”

          IMHO, the overarching theme that ran through this inaugural was Obama’s repeated phrase, “Our journey is not complete.” Five times, Obama uttered that phrase. He called 1. “Our journey (to make all people created equal) incomplete until women earn equal pay, 2. Until gays are treated equally, 3.Until no citizen has to wait hours to vote, 4. Until immigrants are welcomed, and 5. Until all our children from Detroit, Appalachia, and Newtown are safe from harm (ABC News, text of Obama Second Inaugural).”

               Obama made history by being the first president to endorse gay rights in an inaugural. He equated the 1969 struggle with the police at NY Stonewall’s gay bar to those of blacks at Selma, Ala. and  to the women’s rights 19^th Century convention at Seneca Falls, NY (ABC News Transcript, Reuters, Felsenthal, 1/21/13). Obama attacked science deniers of global warming. He promised to push for sustainable alternate energy resources to protect our planet, something he was unable to do in his first term (ABC Transcript). At the end of his address, he called on his fellow citizens to reaffirm their votes in these areas by making their voices heard on these major issues to “shape these debates of our time (ABC Transcript).”

             Yes, these are progressive goals given in a progressive speech, as the New York Times noted. However, remember that elections have consequences. Majorities decide elections. Nearly 52% of the American people voted for Obama, as opposed to Romney’s 47%. Obama received nearly 5 million more votes and a 332-206 electoral landslide, a mandate under any circumstances (LA Times, Memoli, 1/04/13). Unless you lived in an alternate universe, any reasonable voter knew that Obama took progressive stands.

         Despite high praise for Obama’s second inaugural, GOPers are already griping about the speech. Sen. McCain felt there was not enough “bipartisanship (Kos, Hunter, 1/21/13).” Give me a break! Obama bent over backwards again,   again, and again to get Republican votes on health care, the stimulus, immigration, jobs, and the budget. Again, again, and again, the G “NO”P, including Sen. McCain, rebuffed him. GOP Calif. witch hunter Rep. Darrell Issa called Obama’s speech a “code for a progressive agenda (Kos, Hunter).” OMG! Congressman Steve Stockman accused Obama of offering, “hopelessness, bitter personal attacks and politics as usual (Kos, Hunter).” Stockman’s a fine fellow to invoke negative politics.

           GOP Congressman Steve Stockman (56) represents the newly created 36^th Congressional District (CD). The 36^th CD is located in Texas’ southeast corner. It includes all of Newton, Jasper, Tyler, Polk, and portions of southeastern Harris County. The Lone Star 36^th has a lopsided R+20 Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) ( voices.washington.com, state.tx.us/PlanHeader).In Campaign 2012, Stockman clobbered his Democratic opponent by 44 points, 71%-27% (Early Guide 113^th Cong., Cong. At Your Fingertips).

         The 113^th Congress does not constitute Cong. Stockman’s rookie term. He won his first term in 1994 , for the 104^th Congress, but lost re-election in 1996. Before 1994, Stockman had worked as an accountant, computer salesman, and lab researcher at IBM. In his 1994 race, born-again Christian Stockman created Mobilizing Morality in America conferences with the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. Stockman promoted early voting after church in his “Citizen Sundays (Roll Call,  Guide to New Congress).” The Houston Chronicle called Stockman’s first congressional term, one “marked by weirdness.” In an article in “Guns & Ammo,” Stockman accused the Clinton administration of raiding the Branch Davidian Waco, Texas compound on 4/19/1993 to get an assault weapons ban. He told the AP he stood by this article, which was published after the 4/19/1995 Okla., City Murrah Federal Building bombing. A few weeks later, he still defended the article, but regretted writing it, “mostly for its timing (AP).” In his first term, Stockman sponsored bills to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants, an attempt to repeal the 14^th Amendment. He proposed defining human life as “beginning at conception.” Stockman authored a bill to eliminate background checks, waiting periods, and registration for firearms (Roll, New Congress Guide).

      After his 1996 defeat, Stockman unsuccessfully ran in the GOP primary for the Texas Railroad Commission. He conducted training for conservative groups. He was involved with the Young Conservatives of Texas, and worked with the Republican National Committee. During that time, he received a 100% American Conservative Union rating and had the support of the Gun Owners of America. Extremist GOP Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert backed him (Gizzi, “Human Events,” 7/07/12).

     Stockman was one of 11 GOPers who refused to vote for John Boehner as Speaker of the 113^th Congress. According to Stockman, Boehner was “too eager to negotiate with the liberal White House, and harshly dealt with conservatives (“The Hill,” Stockman 1/02/13 press release).” In 1/2013, after the Newtown, Ct. massacre, Stockman introduced a bill to repeal federal laws requiring gun free zones around schools. In a press release, he condemned Pres. Obama for signing executive orders dealing with gun control. He threatened to thwart these actions by “any means necessary including filing articles of impeachment.”

        President Obama should be delighted he antagonized the likes of extremist Cong. Stockman. Stockman must be relegated to the minority by Democrats and independents. They must come out in droves in 2014 to take back the House. In the meantime, remember and act upon another quote from Obama’s second inaugural: “history tells us that while these truths (about equality and inalienable rights) may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.”    

              

      

             

All Hands on Deck for Heavyweight Progressive Congressman Ed Markey—  January 11, 2013

      It’s “déjà vu all over again” for the GOP. True, Democrat consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren thrashed GOP freshman Senator Scott Brown by 8 points on 11/06/2012 (CNN, Steinhauser, 12/20/12). Republicans, however, are salivating for a rematch they themselves engineered. GOPers falsely attacked UN Ambassador Susan Rice over failing to prevent the 9/2012 riot in Benghazi, Libya. Rice then withdrew as Obama’s first choice for Secretary of State to succeed Hillary Clinton (Wash. Post, DeYoung & Gearan, 12/13/12). On 12/21/2012, President Obama nominated 5^th term Dem. Mass. Senator John Kerry for this position. Kerry (69) has been “in training” for State all his life. He has traveled extensively since his childhood. He is currently chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In 2010, he quietly worked with key GOP Senators to help ratify the New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia, a tough sell for many Republicans (“Showdown,” D. Corn, CNN Politics, Yellin, 12/16/12). While pummeling well-qualified Rice, GOPers invoked the mantra that Kerry would be an “easy” confirmation. A Kerry nomination would open up a Mass. Senate seat. Recently defeated Scott Brown could run again and win in a special low turnout election, as he did in 1/2010 to replace the late Ted Kennedy. Should Brown prevail, Democrats would be left with just a 1-seat Senate 2012 election gain. They would be heading into a tough 2014 midterm cycle where they would be defending 21 seats, with at least 6 of them toss-ups (Cong. At Your Fingertips, 112^th Cong., Time Mag. Election Special, 11/19/12, Daily Kos, dpinzow, 11/20/12, Lewison, Kos, 1/11/13).  Republicans are pushing Brown to run and trying to clear the primary field for him. Democratic Congressman Ed Markey has entered the race (M. Murphy, Medford Transcript). Let’s examine Markey’s record, background, and his electoral prospects.

         Twenty-term Cong. Edward Markey (66) currently represents Massachusetts’ 5^th Congressional District (CD). The newly reconfigured 5^th CD occupies much of the old 7^th that Markey previously represented, including Melrose, Malden, Medford, and Stoneham (Murphy, Medford Transcript, 2013).  The 5^th anchors itself in the northwest Boston suburbs. This CD now includes the majority of Sudbury and half of Cambridge. Southborough, Ashland, Holliston, and Sherborn have also been added. The 5^th contains Irish Catholic Democrats, Yankee Protestants, as well as Italian, Jewish, and Asian Americans. Many Malden and Medford residents have blue collar jobs. The 5^th has a strong software and internet industry (CQ 12 Almanac). Politically, Southborough, Ashland, Holliston, and Sherborn are GOP areas that went for Scott Brown in his 1/2010 special election. These GOP sections west of Boston are less populated than overwhelmingly Democratic Cambridge. Cambridge and Sudbury went for Brown’s 2010 opponent, Martha Coakley, as did most of the towns previously in this district (NY Times, “Interactive Map, Election Results,” 8/29/12, CQ 12). The 2012 updated Cook Political Report gave the new 5^th a Partisan Voter Index, PVI, of D+16.

       Irish Catholic Malden native Ed Markey, the son of a milk truck driver, earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Jesuit Boston College (BC) and was in the Army Reserves from 1968-1973.  From 1973-1977, he served in the Mass. State House. In 1976, he won a seat in the U.S. House (Barone 12 Almanac, CQ 12). Markey has since cruised to re-election and is now the dean of the Mass. and New England House delegations (Hartman, YAHOO! NEWS, 2012).

             A self-described progressive Democrat, Markey has a gift for well-timed quips. Markey once attacked the GOP’s stance on global warming saying in a hearing, “I won’t physically rise, because I’m worried that Republicans will overturn the law of gravity, sending us floating about the room (“Think Progress,” 3/10/11).” Markey has compiled a record of solid accomplishments. He is a progressive loyalist. He backed the Democratic leadership nearly 99% of the time in the 110^th (2007-2008) and 111^th Congresses (2009-2010). From 2006-2010, he had four 100% ratings from labor and received five perfect scores from the liberal Americans for Democratic Action (CQ12). In the last Congress (112^th), Markey voted with his party 94% of the time. In the 113^th session, he voted for Dem. Nancy Pelosi as Speaker and for the fiscal cliff compromise.

    Markey voted against Paul Ryan’s “kill Medicare” budget bill and against repealing the health care reform law (Wash. Post U.S. Cong. Votes Data). He was a strong supporter of health care reform, Wall Street reform, and for repealing the   anti-gay/lesbian “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” military standard (CQ 12). In the 112^th Congress, Markey sat on the key Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources Committees. On Natural Resources, he was the top Democratic member (CQ12).

      Markey has focused on energy and environmental issues. He is a power player on fuel-efficient cars, climate change, and an advocate of innovative technology. He was one of the architects of the cap-and-trade climate change bill to limit carbon emissions that passed the House in 2009, but stalled in the Senate. Markey was a strong critic of British Petroleum’s actions after its 2010 Gulf oil spill. Pressure from Markey prompted BP to provide a live underwater video feed showing oil leakage (CQ 12, CBS News, 5/19/10). In 1996, Markey helped pass the telecommunications overhaul that opened local phone markets to competition and regulated competition between phone and cable companies. He has been behind the transition to digital television. Markey helped increase fuel-expansion standards for automobiles (CQ 12, Barone 12).

          After Ted Kennedy’s 8/2009 death, Markey considered running for his Senate seat in the special election. He declined. Markey believed that with the Democratic House majority he could do more in that chamber. Martha Coakley then won the nomination and blew the 2010 special election to Scott Brown. With the GOP in charge of the House since 2010, Markey decided to go for Kerry’s seat (“The Fix,” Wash. Post, Blake, 12/20/12).

   On 12/27/2012, Markey announced he was running. He called for “innovations in jobs and for protecting Social Security and Medicare.” In his announcement, Markey stated: “I refuse to allow the Tea Party-dominated Republican Party to lead us off the fiscal cliff and into recession. I won’t allow the NRA (National Rifle Association) to obstruct an assault weapons ban yet again. I will not sit back and allow oil and coal industry lobbyists to thwart our clean energy future or extremists to restrict women’s rights and health care (Medford Transcript).”

        One day later, the DSCC (Democratic Senate Campaign Committee), sent out an email from Sen. Kerry supporting Sen. Markey’s decision to run. The DSCC quickly followed up with another email formally endorsing Markey. Sen. Kennedy’s widow, Vicki, also endorsed Markey (Medford Transcript, Nir, Daily Kos, 12/28/12, 12/31/12). National Democrats are sending a strong message that they want the primary field cleared for Markey so that Mass. Democrats are united to take on Scott Brown. Under Mass. law, when Kerry resigns after his confirmation, the governor appoints an interim senator. The special election would occur 145-160 days after his resignation, between 6/14 and 6/29/13. The primaries in each party would take place in late April or early May, 2013. Should Markey face a tough primary challenge, he would have his campaign treasury depleted and then have to unify his party to face Brown within about 6 weeks, a dicey prospect, if Brown has the GOP field to himself (“Politico,” Bresnahan, 12/22/12, CNN, Steinhauser). Two Mass. Congressmen, Mike Capuano and Stephen Lynch, are considering running against Markey. Capuano was clobbered by weak Coakley in the 2009 primary. Lynch is a conservative Democrat who voted against health care reform. Many Mass. progressives will not be very excited about him. At a rally, Lynch was booed over his health care vote (“The Fix,” 12/20/12, Nir, Kos, 1/04/13).

        Although Cong. Markey has $3.1 million on hand and Brown has not yet declared, don’t consider him out. Brown has already gone after Markey for not living in Malden, claiming he never sees Markey there. Markey’s spokesperson immediately replied that such an attack is utterly false, because Markey “has lived in Malden his entire life, owns a home there, and represents Malden’s values.” Malden’s mayor endorsed Markey. He said Markey shoots basketball hoops at the Malden YMCA and shows up at community events throughout the year (Medford Transcript). With Brown already attacking Markey, bet on his running. In order to successfully win this special election, Democrats will have to raise another $5-10 million (“Politico,” 12/2212, Bresnahan).

         Despite his defeat by Warren, Brown is currently leading Markey and all other Democratic contenders, according to a WBUR poll. However, much of this polling rests on Brown’s 100% name recognition which Markey and the others do not have. Brown also has a 58%-28% favorable/ unfavorable rating.  Elizabeth Warren initially was way behind likeable “Pickup Truck” Brown. However, with money and increased name recognition, Warren defeated him (Kos, Nir, 12/20 /12, CNN Steinhauser). Unlike the Coakley-Brown race, Pres. Obama and Michelle, Bill and even Hillary Clinton will personally campaign and raise money. They will be “all in” from the start (“Politico,” Bresnahan, 12/22/12).

         Democrats must unite behind Markey and keep reminding Mass. voters of Brown’s reactionary record. Brown falsely described himself as someone who consulted with “kings, queens, and Hillary.” Brown was supported by Tea Partiers and received $5,000 from Koch Industries. Unlike Markey, who had 97% and 100% League of Conservation scores in the 112^th and 111^th Congresses, Brown had cellar ratings of 36% and 0%. Brown repeatedly voted for huge oil tax subsidies.  Koch and every GOP-leaning group will again be handing Brown oodles of money. Brown claimed he was pro-choice but stated he would vote for a Supreme Ct. Justice who opposed Roe v. Wade. He has low scores on women’s issues. Brown called Scalia his “ideal justice” and voted against Obama nominee Elena Kagan.  He voted against the Clean Air Act and went with his right wing party 80% of the time. He is against raising taxes on the top 1%, helped weaken the Wall Street reform bill, and received tons of money from Wall Street banks as their “go to” fellow (Wash. Post, 1/10/10, Huffington Post, 1/14/10, Think Progress, Boston Globe, 12/10/10). Between 2010 and 2012, Brown was the leading recipient of campaign donations from the gun lobby, getting $53,275 (Open Secrets). He is against renewing a federal ban on 19 types of assault weapons (Boston Globe). He can’t be trusted to work for sensible gun control even after the Newtown, Ct. massacre. Markey has fought for gun control from the start and has an “F” rating from the NRA. In Mass, an NRA “F” rating is, frankly, a badge of honor.

    Again, Scott Brown must not be allowed to return to the U.S. Senate. Mass. Democrats must come out in droves to put Ed Markey into Kerry’s seat. The 2013 Mass. election must be different from 2010.

     

         

    

 

 

 

       

                     

Congressman Elijah Cummings Supports the Fiscal Cliff Compromise Bill—So Should We    January 4, 2013

        Our 2013 New Year’s Resolution: We resolve that “compromise” is not a dirty word. Compromise constitutes what makes passing legislation doable in our democracy of over 308 million people (See Barone  12 Political Almanac). Compromise remains essential to politics, the art of the possible. In their 2012 book, “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks,” Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein state what many progressives have been saying for years—the present dysfunction of our national government must be squarely blamed on the GOP, not equally on both parties. These authors aptly argue that the GOP has become “an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme and scornful of compromise.” In his 12/30/2012 “Meet the Press” interview with David Gregory, President Obama seconded Mann and Ornstein. He told Gregory, “the only thing I would caution against…is I think the notion of, ‘Well both sides are just kind of unwilling to cooperate.’ And that’s just not true. I mean if you look at the facts, what you have is a situation here where the Democratic Party, warts and all, and certain me, warts and all, have consistently done our best to put country first.” That the (fiscal cliff) standoff persists “is an indication of how far certain factions inside the Republican Party have gone where they can’t even accept what used to be considered centrist, mainstream positions on these issues.”

        The term “fiscal cliff” refers to the impending crisis of “massive large spending cuts and tax increases” that would hit the country after 1/01/2013 if Congress did not act (CNN Money, 12/12/12). The Bush tax cuts, extended in 2010, would expire. The 2011 across the board spending cuts on both domestic and defense programs (“sequestration”) would go into effect. The Alternative Minimum Tax thresholds would increase to 2000 year levels and the 2% Social Security payroll tax cut would expire. Federal unemployment insurance benefits affecting millions of Americans would end. Additionally, if Congress didn’t extend the farm bill which expired in October, 2012, milk prices could hit $7 per gallon (Jalonick & Fram, AP, NY Times, Calmes, 5/22/12, CBO Staff, 8/22/12). A disastrous recession would result just as our economy was recovering (NY Times, Steinhauer, 1/0/2013).

      In the early hours of 1/0/2013, the Democratic-controlled Senate, by an overwhelming 89-8 bipartisan vote, passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act. This legislation will raise $620 billion in new revenue over 10 years and prevent a $2,200 tax increase on the average American family (White House and Congress, LA Times, Mascaro & Hennessey, 2/02/13).  The bill’s highlights:

  1. Income tax: This bill will extend the decade-old tax cuts on incomes up to $400,000 for individuals, $450,000 for couples. Earnings above those amounts would be taxed at a 39.6 % rate, up from the current 35%. This law will extend the Clinton-era caps on itemized deductions and the phase-out of the personal exemption for individuals making more than $250,000 and couples earning more than $300,000. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of Americans and 97% of small businesses would not have their taxes increased.

   2. Estate tax: Estates would be taxed at a top rate of 40%, with the first $5 million exempted for individual estates and $10 million for family estates. In 2012, these estates faced a top rate of 35%. Taxes on capital gains and dividend income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for families would increase from 15% to 20%.

 3. Alternative minimum tax: This tax will be indexed for inflation, preventing 30 million middle-and-upper-middle- income taxpayers from being socked with higher tax bills averaging almost $3,000.

 4. Other tax changes: This bill will extend for 5 years expansions for child tax credit, the earned income tax credit, and up-to-$2,500 tax credit for college tuition, all items Obama sought. There will be one year extensions for accelerated bonus depreciation of business investment in new property and equipment, for research and development costs, and for renewable energy.

5. Unemployment benefits: Jobless benefits will be extended for a year for about 2 million unemployed Americans.

  

6. Cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors: A 27% cut in Medicare payments to physicians will be blocked for one year.

7. Social Security payroll tax cut: A 2% cut in the payroll tax passed two years ago will expire, restoring the payroll tax to 6.2%.

 8. Across-the-board cuts: The sequestering of $109 billion in across-the-board spending cuts for both Pentagon and domestic agencies will be delayed for 2 months.

 9. Milk prices: The farm bill, which stalled in Congress, will be extended for 9 months, preventing the public from paying $7 for a gallon of milk (Yahoo, Jalonick & Fram, LA Times, Mascaro & Hennessey, 1/02/12, White House and Congress).

    The “heavy lifting/negotiating” of this Senate bill was done by VP Joe Biden with Pres. Obama’s blessing. A 36-year Senate veteran, Biden is well-versed in that chamber’s ways. In the Senate, Biden worked well with hardline GOPers Strom Thurmond, Orrin Hatch, and John McCain on domestic and foreign issues.  VP Biden dealt with hard-right Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and successfully negotiated major wins for the middle class. Obama and Biden succeeded in raising taxes on the superrich for the first time in 20 years, a GOP anathema (CNN Politics, Levs & Payne, 1/01/12).

         In the GOP/Tea Party House, many Republicans balked at going along with the Senate bill. They prattled about amending the legislation to include more budget cuts. However, the Senate had left town, making such changes impossible for weeks. The public was blaming GOPers should a deal not be reached (53% v. 27% for Obama—Wash. Post Pew Poll, 12/04/12). Fearful of even more political “radioactive fallout,” the Senate bill passed the GOP- House late in the night on January 1, the first time since 1951 that the House voted on New Year’s Day (NY Times, Steinhauer, 1/01/13). The final tally was 257-167. Just 85 GOPers, far fewer than half, voted with Speaker Boehner and Paul Ryan. Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Whip Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, Calif. were in the “Nay” column. Democrats, under Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), gave Boehner the numbers to pass the deal. Only 16 Democrats voted against the compromise, while 172 said “Yea (Daily Kos, Jarman, NY Times, 1/02/13).”  Grover Norquist stated a “Yes” vote would not violate his anti-tax pledge. However, Tea Party groups, the right wing Heritage Foundation, and Newt Gingrich went ballistic (Mascaro & Hennessey, LA Times).

        Although Democrats were amused at this GOP disarray (LA Times, Mascaro & Hennessey), too many progressive voices including labor groups, columnist Paul Krugman, and some legislators including Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Ia.) and Michael Bennet (D-Co.), were upset. They felt Obama had played a horrible hand of poker and “given away the store (LA Times, NY Times, P. Baker, 1/0/13).” Get real! Even Independent self-proclaimed Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) voted for the bill. Obama was able to gain 85% of the revenue he had sought and forced the GOP to concede on their raising the top income tax rate. Obama saved key middle class programs that will stimulate the economy and decrease poverty, including unemployment insurance, earned child tax credit, earned income tax credit, and the college tuition credit (NY Times, Baker, Yahoo). Listen to what 10-term Dem. Cong. Elijah Cummings had to say about the deal. Cummings stated that “it is clear that the vice president and president are convinced they have done the right thing. They don’t see it as a perfect deal though, and nobody else does (NY Times, Stienhauer 1/01/13).” The textbook definition of compromise. Cummings noted that Obama secured important victories, including extended unemployment benefits. He told CNN, “The president was strong here, and I think he’ll continue to be strong. I think, you know, I notice a different president since he won re-election (Baker, NY Times, 1/01/13).”

        Cong. Cummings (61) represents Maryland’s 7^th Congressional District (CD). The Md. 7^th contains much of Baltimore and is heavily African American. The latest Cook County Partisan Voting Index (PVI) gives the 7^th a D+23 rating. In 2008, Obama won this CD 77%-23% and in 2004, Kerry triumphed here 71%-29% (Cook Political Report).

         Cummings is one of 7 children, the son of sharecroppers who left S. Carolina for a better life in Maryland. Cummings graduated Phi Beta Kappa from prestigious African American Howard University, and received a law degree from the Univ. of Maryland. He served for 16 years in the Md. House of Delegates and became speaker pro tem, the highest office ever held by an African American. He won election to the House in 1996. In the 112^th Congress which just ended, he served on the Government and Oversight Committee as the top Democratic member. There, he took on Democratic “witch hunter” Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). Cummings has a great progressive record and has often received 100% ratings from labor and the liberal Americans for Democratic Action. He votes with his party nearly 100% of the time (CQ Almanac 12). He passed provisions that allowed struggling homeowners to apply for low-interest bridge loans helping them with their mortgage payments (CQ12). Cummings is a powerful Congressman on Capitol Hill and a player in major legislative debates (CQ12).

         We have not seen the last of these fiscal wars with the GOP. Despite some losses, the House Tea Party GOP contingent remains strong in the 113^th Congress, and has influential Senate allies. Three more fiscal cliffs loom where the GOP will try, once again, to take social programs and the American people hostage to get radical and economically harmful cuts. In late February or early March 2013, Congress has to raise the debt ceiling or the U.S. Government will go into default. Around March 2013, the 8%-10% sequester cuts on defense and non-defense programs will kick in, unless a deal is made. And finally, the continuing resolution to fund the federal government expires on 3/27/2013 (CNN Money, 1/01/13, Barbieri).

    President Obama has stated that he “will not have another debate with this Congress on whether or not they should pay the bills they’ve already racked up (Shear & Calmes, NY Times, 2/02/13).” Translation: No more economic brinksmanship. Cong. Cummings believes Obama and Biden have provided Democrats with a “game plan” for dealing with the debt ceiling. This plan will  include adding new revenues and threatening the GOP with  Pentagon cuts (Strong, Roll Call, 2/02/13). Like Cummings, we must trust Obama on the debt ceiling issue. We must also be confident that any compromises Obama makes on sequestration and funding the government will aid the majority of the American people, not the top 1%.            

 

    

  

        

Yes, We Did It Again—Four More Years!!  November 9, 2012

         GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) makes “no bones” about his highest priority. And it isn’t jobs, the economy, or the deficit. In a speech he gave to the National Journal Magazine, McConnell explained that “the single most important thing we (the GOP) want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president (Tomasky, “The Daily Beast,” 6/01/11, Memoli, Tribune Washington Bureau, 10/27/10).” After all his obstructionist tactics during the past 4 years, including a record amount of filibuster motions, McConnell’s attempt to deny Obama a second term ended in an epic fail. On 11/06/2012, President Barack Obama won re-election to a second term. He defeated GOP nominee Mitt Romney with at least 50.4% of the vote to 48.1%. Obama’s percentage is about 3% lower than his 2008 win, but it is over the 50% majority, which even Bill Clinton never achieved. Obama had an Electoral College landslide of 332 to Romney’s 206 (CNN, T. Cohen, 5:07 a.m. EST, 11/07/12, Huffington Post, Kanalley, 11/07/12, 2:30 p.m. EST, NY Times, P. Baker, 11/07/12, Kos 11/08/12).Obama made history by becoming the first incumbent since FDR to win a second term with unemployment above 7.4%,  during the worst downturn since the 1930’s Depression (LA Times, Barabak, 11/07/12). Obama was declared the winner less than 20 minutes after the polls closed on the West Coast at 8 p.m. Pacific  Standard Time (Barabak, 11/07/12).

         How did Obama win? In 2012, Obama carried all the states he had in 2008 with the exception of normally “Red” Indiana and N. Carolina (J. King, CNN). Obama took the “Blue” New England, Mid-Atlantic, and West Coast states. He also captured all the swing states-- Ohio, Wisconsin (Ryan’s turf), Iowa, Va., Nevada, Colorado, and, yes, Florida. America’s changing demography was key to both Obama’s 2008 and 2012 wins. In 1988, Michael Dukakis lost white voters by 20 points and was crushed in a 40-state landslide. In 2012, Obama reassembled the bulk of his 2008 coalition, Hispanics, African-Americans, younger voters, the college educated, and women. He won the majority of Catholic and Jewish voters. Romney’s support was older, whiter, and more Protestant than Obama’s, groups that are decreasing in the 21^st Century.  In 2012, Obama lost white voters by 20 points, 8 points more than in 2008. However, minorities made up 28% of the 2012 electorate and Obama captured 80% of their votes. Obama took 90% of blacks, 70% of Hispanics, and 75% of Asians. Minority turnout in Va., Nev., and Col. offset losses among whites and was crucial to these victories. Obama trounced Romney among Latinos by nearly 40 points, more than he had with McCain. The Hispanic vote increased from 9%-10%. Hispanics were turned off by Romney’s “self-deportation” and draconian anti-immigration talk.

       Young voters, ages 18-29, increased from 2008 and Obama won them handily. Women were mainstays in his victory and there was a gender gap of 11%. Women gave Obama 55% of the vote, similar to his 2008 total.  Romney and the GOP’s anti-abortion stance and proposals to defund Planned Parenthood were deal breakers. And so was Romney’s failure to forcefully denounce the absurd comments GOP Senate candidates Akin and Mourdock made about rape victims who get pregnant. Exit polls showed the 2012 electorate to be more Democratic by 6% (38% D- 32% R). The electorate was less white (72% in 20012 v. 74% in 2008) and more lower income than in 2008 (AP, Edison Research, LA Times, West, 11/08/12).

     Obama was able to keep his “Midwest firewall” in Ohio, Iowa, and Wisconsin intact by painting Romney in ads as a heartless plutocrat who made a fortune stripping American companies and sending them overseas.  Romney’s opposition to rescuing the automobile industry was poison in Michigan and Ohio. Romney’s  outrageous lie that Obama allowed Chrysler to ship its Ohio Wrangler Jeep company to China, pushed by Matt Drudge and Ohio GOP Senator Rob Portman, finished him in the Buckeye State. Despite talk about an “enthusiasm gap” among minorities, women, and the college educated, there was little evidence of it. Obama had a superb get out the vote drive organization, which set up offices in all swing states in late 2011 and early 2012. He was able to turn out huge numbers of early voters, many of them minorities. Those votes tied or even exceeded Obama’s 2008 record. In Colorado, Obama’s organizer was the fellow who helped Michael Bennet win his close Senate race in 2010. The Col. campaign knew exactly how many votes it needed in “Blue” areas to overcome GOP votes in the rest of that state (J. King, CNN 11/06/12, CNN Silverleib, National Journal, Brownstein, 11/07/12, “The Fix,” Wash. Post, A. Blake ).

        In 2013, Obama will have a friendlier and stronger Democratic Senate. At the start of Campaign 2012, most observers felt that the Democrats who just had 53 Senate seats could easily lose 3-4, making Mitch McConnell the Majority Leader. Instead, under the superb leadership of Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Chair (DSCC) Patty Murray (D-Wash.), conventional political wisdom was upended. Not only did Democrats not lose control of the upper chamber, but they also increased their lead by 2 seats. And the new Senators are generally more progressive. Exhibit A-- Mass. consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren who beat “pickup truck” Scott Brown by 8%. She is the first woman in the Bay State to hold a high national office. Lightweight Brown lived in an alternate universe of “kings, queens, and was Hillary’s ‘best friend.’” Ted Kennedy would be proud. In Ct., “Independent” griper  Joe  Lieberman is gone. He has been replaced by a real Democrat, Waterbury Cong. Chris Murphy. Murphy clobbered lying wrestling executive Linda McMahon, who spent over $90 million trying to win a Senate seat in the last two elections. In Maine, former Gov. Angus King, an independent who will probably caucus with the Democrats, easily won retiring GOP Olympia Snowe’s seat. In Paul Ryan and Scott Walker’s Wisconsin, progressive Cong. Tammy Baldwin, the Senate’s first openly gay member, beat former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson, despite GOP slurs against her. Of course, Democrats scored an unexpected pick up when Indiana’s Rep. Joe Donnelly beat Tea Party hero Richard “I won’t compromise” Mourdock. Mourdock had defeated Richard Lugar in the GOP primary. He and Mo.’s Todd Akin went down in flames over their ridiculous comments about rape in these normally “Red” states. In Va., former Gov. and DNC chair Tim Kaine kept George “macaca” Allen from regaining his previous Senate seat. In “Red” N. Dakota, progressive former state attorney general Heidi Heitkamp won as did Mazie Hirono in Hawaii. In Ohio, progressive Sherrod Brown, despite millions of dollars poured in by right wing groups, beat right wing “rock star,” master liar Josh Mandel (CNN, Barrett, Shoichet, Fantz, 11/07/12, Douglas & Bolstad, McClatchy, 11/07/12). The Senate can now make sure that any Obama Supreme Court nominees get confirmed. Message to the GOP-- Tea Party extremists Mourdock, Akin, and 2010 nominees Christine O’ Donnell, Ken Buck, and Sharron Angle are “hazardous to your electoral health.”

         The House was the only negative in the 11/06/2012 national elections. Although Democrats have won at least 25 GOP-held or newly created seats, Speaker Boehner will still control the gavel in 2013. Why?  GOPers successfully redrew districts after their 2010 election victories. This redrawing helped defeat several Democrats and shore up shaky Republican congressmen. As a result, the Democrats, so far, only have a net gain of +7 (Daily Kos). This figure may possibly climb into the low teens after all the close races have been decided. However, the Cook Report’s analyst David Wasserman wrote that 11/06/2012 was “a better than expected night for House Dems.” The Cook Report noted that Dems. won 20 out of 29 House races that were rated “Toss Ups.” The Rothenberg Report, another election handicapper, had the Dems winning 14 of 18 “Toss Up” contests, 8 out of 9 races ranked “Toss Up/Tilt Democrat” and 5 out of 13 “Toss Up/Tilt Republican.” And no party with a lead of less than 1 point in the generic congressional ballot preference has netted more than 5 seats in the last 20 years. When Bill Clinton won re-election in 1996, he picked up 2 Democratic seats. When W was re-elected in 2004, he saw a 3 -seat House GOP gain. GOPers, including Speaker Boehner and National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Pete Sessions, thought they would add seats. The GOP, with their last minute money push from Rove and other groups, outspent House Dems. on the air. Senators and presidential candidates have wide name recognition. Most Congressmen don’t, and generally receive little publicity (DCCC memo, 11/07/12). 

         Despite all these problems, Democrats had some impressive victories taking out many Tea Party extremists and their cronies. Although he is challenging the results, we can probably say goodbye and good riddance to unhinged Fla. GOP Cong. Allen West. Disabled / decorated war hero Tammy Duckworth demolished  Tea Party loony bird, Ill’s. Joe Walsh.  And it looks like Palm Springs Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack probably lost to Raul Ruiz while Bill Nelson defeated her husband Connie Mack in the Fla. Senate race. Roscoe Bartlett, who compared student loans to the Holocaust, is out of a job in Md.’s 6^th Congressional District (CD). NY eye doctor Rep. Nan Hayworth lost to Dem. Sean Patrick Maloney, a gay and former Bill Clinton adviser. Hayworth took her time condemning an aide who suggested hurling acid in progressive legislators’ faces. In Illinois, Brad Schneider defeated fake “moderate” Bob Dold. Another pretend Illinois “moderate,” incumbent GOPer Judy Biggert, lost to physicist and former Cong. Bill Foster. Democrats in Illinois were able to successfully redistrict and may have taken back 4 or 5 seats in the Chicago suburbs that they lost in 2010. In NY, extremist Ann Marie Buerkle was defeated in a rematch by Dan Maffei. In a newly created Ventura County, Calif. district, progressive Julia Brownley defeated GOP Romney loyalist Tony Strickland. In New England, there is now no GOP congressman.

          With many of the Tea Party gang going down in flames, one would think Speaker Boehner and Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would get the message and work with Obama to avert the fiscal cliff of severe budget cuts and tax increases that could occur in 7 weeks. Don’t bet on it. Boehner is refusing to raise higher taxes on the superrich (USA Today, 11/08/12). This reactionary duo is trying to downplay Obama’s popular vote and electoral mandate. According to the GOP, only when W won re-election in 2004, was there a “mandate.”   

           The Obama coalition of women, Latinos, Asians, the youth are the new America (West, LA Times, 11/08/12). There is one caveat. These groups must come out in every future midterm and presidential election with similar numbers to insure progressive victories. When they didn’t show up in 2010, the GOP took back the House and seized many governorships. Republicans then redrew congressional districts to favor them. Bill Clinton once remarked, “When Democrats vote, we win.” In order to keep our Senate gains, elect the next Democratic president, and take back the House, the voting patterns of 2012 must become permanent. “Yes we did it,” and we must keep doing it to lead America forward in the 21^st Century. Congratulations, President Obama!