Watching the Republicans - Runaway Train

[Clodfobble]

You have to admit, there's a difference between trying to talk some number of black voters into voting for a white guy (they can only gain, if incrementally,) and expecting racist white voters to vote for a black woman (they can lose their existing base, big time.) The GOP just knows their members.

[Lamplighter]

Today is the day... SNAP feels the brunt of the true spirit and intent of the GOP.

The average monthly benefit per household last year was $278.
A family of 4 will receive $36 less in Food Stamps each month
due to this cut, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The government recognizes that recipients previously received
enough food stamps for only the first 27 days of the month.
Now, they will run short after the first 3 weeks each month.

Stateline
Jake Grovum
11/1/13

How Food Stamp Cuts Affect Your State

Benefits are being reduced by about 5 percent beginning Nov. 1 for all of the
nearly 47.7 million Americans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.<snip>

The cuts severely curtail the federal funds that have flowed
into local communities and businesses through the states.<snip>

The reductions will be acutely felt in states with a higher food stamp population,
particularly in the dozen states where one in five residents is collecting benefits.

(For state-by-state data on the distribution of the cuts and
how many people are affected in each state, see Stateline’s interactive.)

Note, the interactive link above will take you to a screen like this,
which shows each state's numbers of children and elderly affected by the GOP intransigence.

The GOP is proposing an additional $40,000,000,000 ($40 billion) cuts over the next 10 years.

... HAPPY THANKSGIVING and MERRY CHRISTMAS too...

[Undertoad]

LL, why is Oregon the third biggest big food stamp state?

[Lamplighter]

Without looking it up somewhere, I'd guess the following... not in any particular order.

Rural populations that depended on the extremely depressed timber industry
Rural coastal populations that rely on the fishing industry
Rural coastal populations that rely on the tourist industry
... all coastal business is very cyclic and/or has suffered in recent years.

Native Americans (reservations)
- but this may be changing with the new gambling casino incomes

Oregon has a fairly liberal attitude towards the homeless,
but I'd be surprised if that is a truly a significant number
- even tho we know other states do put a small number of homeless
or otherwise disabled people on buses with one-way tickets to PDX.

Otherwise, we also know that Portland is midway between Seattle and California,
and has mild winters so the homeless/unemployed are our "rain birds"
- as opposed to our better off "snow birds" that travel south over the winter.

Beyond that, I'd look at just the general unemployment in PDX as
a result of loss of jobs in manufacturing as the major group.

[Lamplighter]

The GOP has just learned the hard way that what goes around comes around.
The GOP is resorting to name-calling... but Reid has just told the GOP: GFYS.

Harry Reid gave plenty of warning back when Ted Cruz made his threat
of "filibuster vs government shut down".

Harry Reid also gave warning days ago when Lindsey Graham made his threat
of stopping all Senate approvals for "judgeships vs Benghazi"

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

<snip>

Remember Lindsey Graham's political manoeuvre of blocking ALL of Obama's nominees ....

NY Times
BILL CARTER and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
11/8/13

CBS to Correct Erroneous Report on Benghazi

Undoubtedly, the GOP will now attempt to make reprisals regardless of who might get hurt.
Eventually, they will succeed at something, and round and round we will go.

[regular.joe]

Very generous of you to say that the GOP has learned something.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[classicman]

Harry Reid is still an ass. This is not a good thing for the country. It makes those currently in power,and their supporters happy. I doubt they will agree when the shoe is on the other foot... Time will tell.

[Lamplighter]

Harry Reid is still an ass. This is not a good thing for the country.<snip>

Classic, I basically agree with you. It was an "unfortunate" action.

I've read that historically, the dear, upstanding, GOP Vice President Richard Nixon
tried to do the same thing (twice), but Senate members didn't let him get away with it.

But seriously, aside from name-calling, what would you have Reid do ?

This came directly from the tactics of current several GOP senators,
...and specifically from one, [R-SC] Lindsay Graham, who openly and publicly
promised to filibuster all nominees, regardless of the person or the position
until he got his way on a completely unrelated political issue (Benghazi).

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

But seriously, aside from name-calling, what would you have Reid do ?

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...cloture-votes/

This was from 3 1/2 years ago.

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/03/02...f-filibusters/

A less partisan and more up to date viewpoint, but with less information about the structure of Congress at the time.

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/ref...tureCounts.htm

There is a point at which reasoned opposition becomes an attempt at nullification. On one hand the Republicans complain about being weak in foreign affairs and on the other hand they attempt to weaken him domestically. They complain about his lack of accomplishments domestically.

Well, the good news is that part of that whole lack of accomplishments domestically is now being handled. It will still end up in a gerrymandered House, but there will now be actual votes on issues and voters can see where their senators stack up.

I'd love to hear what Ann Coulter is saying about this. When the Democrats used it, the partisan princess was all about how the filibuster had no Constitutional basis. Did she stay consistent or did she backpeddle her big ass?

[Lamplighter]

The GOP has just discovered the Second Law of Thermodynamics

NY Times
CARL HULSE
December 13, 2013

Boehner’s Jabs at Activist Right Show G.O.P. Shift

WASHINGTON — While Speaker John A. Boehner was harsh in his public criticism
of conservative advocacy groups opposed to a new bipartisan budget deal,
his attack on the organizations was even more pointed when he was behind closed doors.

“They are not fighting for conservative policy,” he continued, according to accounts of those present.
“They are fighting to expand their lists, raise more money and
grow their organizations, and they are using you to do it. It’s ridiculous.”
<snip>
In addition, some congressional leaders are no longer willing to
remain silent to avoid antagonizing important political partners.
They have seen a clear downside to the rising influence of outside conservative organizations
that promote divisive primary fights, producing flawed candidates who lose winnable seats to Democrats.
<snip>
Conservative leaders said they viewed Mr. Boehner’s attacks as tantamount to
a declaration of war and accused him of trying to change the subject from a budget plan
that increases spending and sacrifices earlier hard-won fiscal victories by House Republicans.
<snip>

The lesson to be learned is:

When the Speaker of the House appoints someone to a Committee,
don't criticize the work of that person coming out of that Committee.
To do so is just politically dumb !

[Lamplighter]

The 3rd WOW in one week !

Democrats have won 5 top elected positions in Virginia... WOW !

Virginia Republican state Sen. Mark Obenshain conceded the attorney general’s race
Wednesday afternoon, ushering Democrat Mark Herring into office and
giving Democrats their first clean sweep of the top five statewide offices since 1969.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/1...#ixzz2nsSboFDt

[Lamplighter]

Chris Christie has so far garnered something of an amusing reputation in the media
... at least for a GOP governor and presidential hopeful.

But New Jersey is New Jersey, and politics there are brutal.
There are several examples in Christie's past that show how he operates
...and here is one more.

Wall Street Journal
Ted Mann And Heather Haddon
1/8/13
Christie Aide: 'Time for Some Traffic Problems'

A top aide to Gov. Chris Christie told an executive at the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey it was "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee"
before the authority closed lanes onto the George Washington Bridge in September,
triggering a week of massive traffic jams, documents show.

The aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, sent the email, dated Aug. 13, to David Wildstein,
a political ally of the governor who was the authority's director of interstate capital projects.
Mr. Wildstein, replied: "Got it."

The email exchange is the clearest sign that a series of lane closures on the bridge in September
were carried out at the behest of high-ranking members of Mr. Christie's administration.
It is in contrast with the original explanation for the closures
— that they were part of a mishandled traffic study by Mr. Wildstein,
a career political operative and friend of Mr. Christie's for years.
<snip>

Maybe this is seemingly a trivial political dirty trick.
But Christie's public ridicule of accusations that his "staff were not involved"
actually shows how he actually operates ... 'support me or suffer the wrath'

[Lamplighter]

[tw]

This controversy was exposed by the NY Times about 1 month ago. Intentional harm to Ft Lee traffic was a front page story that also included other events. For example, a NJ State Republican Senator, who did not say something good enough about Christie, suddenly found his legislation blocked including a judge sponsorship. Another NJ Congressman said some things good and bad about Christie. Gov Christie is keenly and daily aware of what others say. And what is happening in his administration. So this Congressman, who was up for a Judgeship, immediately found himself struck from the list. And at least two of his relatives who do business with or work for the state had their jobs immediately terminated that week.

Can we attribute any of this to Christie? No. The only reason this NY Times article was ignored: no smoking gun. But that article inspired the legislature to investigate. An NJ Congressional investigation discovered e-mails that confirm what the NY Times reported a month and ago and that the NJ Governor publicly denied back then.

A bully will be vindictive to the weak. And will make a big deal about working with others he cannot bully. Christie does this well because, as noted previously, he is a shrewd politician. Shrewd does not mean honest or having political integrity. It only says he is excellent at manipulating most of us.

Did he make a mistake? Normally a politician will reject these accusations with a few comments and little fanfare. Instead, Christie did a 2 hour press conference. I remember previous politicians spending so much time denying an accusation: ie Nixon and Watergate. Was that overly long press conference harmful. Had it been another politician, I would have called it a major mistake. But this is Christie. Interesting is if so much time in denial results in a state wide pardon or a sudden suspicion of a man who has a bully's history.

[Lamplighter]

You gotta have a program to know the players....

USA Today
Bob Jordan, Asbury Park (N.J.)
January 10, 2014

Some access lanes from Fort Lee, N.J., to the
George Washington Bridge were closed for 4 days in early September.

• • • Players in this chapter of Christie's bridge scandal

• Patrick J. Foye, Port Authority executive director
• William E. "Bill" Baroni Jr., deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey until last month.
• David Samson, chairman of the Port Authority Board of Commissioners
• Scott Rechler, vice chairman of the Port Authority's Board of Commissioners
• Philippe Danielides, senior advisor to the Port Authority's chairman, David Samson

• Robert Durando, George Washington Bridge general manager
• David M. Wildstein, the Port Authority's director of interstate capital projects until last month
• Darcy Licorish, Port Authority Police captain

• Bridget Anne Kelly, Gov. Chris Christie's deputy chief of staff for legislative and intergovernmental affairs from April to Thursday when she was fired
• Mark J. Sokolich, mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., a Democrat who did not endorse Christie's re-election bid

Here is a PDF file of 635 pages of documents under subpoena:

http://www.app.com/assets/pdf/B3217417110.PDF

... and here is one of the soon-to-be-famous emails:



BUT, the general rumor is that this email was entirely "false indignation", and intended to ultimately be made public
as Foye's own defense from the brewing storm.