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01 Sep 2011 10:54

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Politics: BURN: College student schools Rick Santorum on gay parenting

  • This is officially our new favorite video. In it, Rick Santorum (speaking to a group of students at Penn State on Tuesday night) makes a strong argument why he’s not a bigot for thinking gay marriage is wrong, and a student tears into him, basically shutting down his argument. This is arguably more damaging than his Piers Morgan interview, where the bigotry charge came up. Rick Santorum, you just got shut down by a college student. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 23:34

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Biz, Politics: Rick Perry: Totally backed that AT&T merger with T-Mobile

  • $500,000 from AT&T to Rick Perry source
  • » AT&T’s contributions = Rick Perry’s support? Back in May, Rick Perry told the FCC he backed the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. “I believe that this merger will continue to provide for great consumer choice, offer a wide range of service options, and spur continued innovation,” he wrote. He might’ve had a little help from those campaign contributions over the past decade. AT&T has a bit of a history of going out of its way to turn public favor its way, going so far as to bizarrely convince GLAAD to support the merger. With the Justice Department coming out against the merger and AT&T’s contributions to Perry coming under scrutiny, will Perry back down? (Strangely enough, BTW, the Justice Department’s James Cole made a statement that reads like the polar opposite of what Perry wrote: “We believe the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile would result in tens of millions of consumers all across the United States facing higher prices, fewer choices, and lower-quality products for their mobile wireless services.” Hrm.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 17:14

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Politics: Boehner asks Obama to reschedule congressional jobs address

  • Boehner wants Obama’s jobs address pushed back: It’s being reported that House Speaker John Boehner has asked President Obama to reschedule his jobs address to the Congress, which is set for September 7th, to the following day. Reports offer no specific elaboration on Boehner’s motive beyond his citing a “tight schedule,” which if it’s referring either explicitly or tacitly to the GOP Presidential debate that night makes it seem a slightly tacky pitch. It’s not as if the GOP field won’t have months to batter each other around, on-stage and off, and it feels like a surprisingly audacious request. Then again, John Boehner is the man widely reported to have snubbed Obama’s phone call, so maybe asking for a rain check isn’t such a big deal? source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 16:37

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Politics: How is the corporate pay/corporate tax balance doing?

  • 25 highly paid CEOs earn more than their company’s income taxes source
  • » The high cost of big loopholes? The angst you may have had or heard the past few years about corporate tax loopholes and decadent executive pay comes home to roost nicely in this study by the Institute for Policy Studies, a left-wing Washington think-tank. As is typical in the strange and sometimes muddy world of Washington think-tanks, some have doubted the study (which found that 25 of the 100 highest paid CEOs in America earned more than their company paid in income tax), calling its accounting methods into question — in this case, corporate spokespeople for Boeing and General Electric.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Aug 2011 22:53

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Politics: Why to be careful when blocking judicial nominations

  • cause Back in May, Goodwin Liu’s nomination to the 9th Circuit Court was blocked by Republicans, due in part to his support for same-sex marriage.
  • effect Liu is now on track to be seated on the California Supreme Court instead–and will likely be confirmed in time to hear the case to repeal Proposition 8. source
  • » One note: Goodwin Liu has publicly opposed Proposition 8 in the past, so if he ends up hearing the case, supporters of the law will likely ask that he recuse himself. But that doesn’t mean he has to.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Aug 2011 22:29

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Politics: Ex-Powell staffer: Cheney fears he’ll be tried for war crimes

  • [Dick Cheney]’s developed an angst and almost a protective cover, and now he fears being tried as a war criminal.
  • Colin Powell’s former chief of staff, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson • He also contends that Cheney “was president for all practical purposes for the first term of the Bush administration,” something critics have long-alleged. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Aug 2011 22:06

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Politics: Forecasting model with perfect record predicts Obama reelection

  • In 1981, a professor at American University developed a forecasting model for presidential elections. Based on thirteen different metrics, or “keys,” the model has never been wrong. In 1992, it spotted George H.W. Bush’s vulnerability when everybody assumed he was invincible; that prediction was instrumental in convincing Bill Clinton to enter the race. Which is to say, were it not for Allan Lichtman and his “Thirteen Keys,” we may have never had a President Clinton. Now, Lichtman has applied his model to 2012. Here’s how Obama stacks up:
  • Reelection Working in the president’s favor are his significant domestic policy accomplishments, a lack of scandals, a weak Republican field, generally successful foreign policy, no significant third party candidates, no primary challenger and a lack of sustained social unrest.
  • Defeat So why might Obama have reason to worry? Well, the long-term economy, a lack of personal charisma, the results of the last House election and, if it comes to fruition, an upcoming recession could all spell trouble for his reelection campaign.
  • » Conclusion: “Even if I am being conservative, I don’t see how Obama can lose,” Lichtman says. The President wins 9 out of the 13 keys, two more than needed. Now, there’s lots of room for debate here–for example, is it really true that Obama lacks personal charisma? Lichtman’s rationale here is that the president has “lost his ability to connect since the 2008 election,” but that’s debatable. And do we know for certain that Rick Perry won’t prove to be a dazzling candidate, charming voters across the nation? Furthermore, a lot can happen between now and 2012: a surprise rebound of the economy, an unforeseen international crisis, or some other black swan event. But as it stands, this metric is some of the best reelection news Obama’s had in months. (Photo: Reuters/Jim Young). source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

30 Aug 2011 21:01

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Politics: Senator answers the question no one’s been asking

  • NO Jim DeMint won’t run for president in 2016 source
  • » Thanks for clearing that up for us, Jim. We were on pins and needles.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Aug 2011 22:42

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Politics: Piers Morgan nails the “Hurricane Irene Overhyped” meme to the wall

  • How many have to be killed for you to assess this as serious enough?
  • Piers Morgan • During a suitably dramatic debate on whether the media overhyped coverage of Hurricane Irene. Morgan and a couple of his fellow guests — New York Times super-reporter Brian Stelter and meteorologist Chad Meyers — ripped into the Washington Times’ Joseph Curl, who claimed that the storm was in fact overhyped. Curl was against a stacked jury: Stelter (who is on Tumblr) had just gotten back from North Carolina, Meyers is a meteorologist and Morgan is a sucker for passionate quotes. The overhyped argument loses again in the media sphere. Now, let’s go talk about getting some donations to people who need it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Aug 2011 17:42

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Politics: House Republicans plot major deregulatory push

  • Deregulation = jobs: A memo obtained by ShortFormBlog contains details of an upcoming Republican effort to push massive deregulatory legislation through the House of Representatives, in hopes of unshackling “costly bureaucratic handcuffs” faced by businesses. The letter, sent today by Eric Cantor to the House Republican caucus, details the “Top 10 Job-Destroying Regulations,” and how Republicans plan to address them. “By pursuing a steady repeal of job-destroying regulations,” Cantor wrote, “we can help lift the cloud of uncertainty hanging over small and large employers alike, empowering them to hire more workers.” Some key proposals:
  • Weakened emission limits  The TRAIN (Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation) Act, along with the EPA Regulatory Relief Act, would delay implementation of EPA standards intended to limit air pollution.
  • Limiting union power The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act would limit the National Labor Relations Board’s power, rescinding its ability to influence relocation of manufacturing plants.
  • Farm dust for all The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act would, as expected, restrict the federal government’s ability to regulate farm dust, allowing it to do so only within state and local regulations. source
  • » In keeping with Republican orthodoxy, Cantor also proposes to two tax cuts (one for government contractors, another for small businesses), and the repeal of unspecified provisions of the Affordable Care Act. What do you all think of Cantor’s plan? Read the whole thing at the link. (AP Photo)
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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