;)
The Commentariat -- Jan, 12, 2014
Paul Krugman: "... the social troubles of urban blacks emerged, not because there was something inherently wrong with their culture, but because job opportunities in inner cities dried up. Sure enough, when the God-fearing (and definitely white) people of Appalachia face a loss of employment opportunity, their region turns into what [conservative Kevin] Williamson [in the National Review] calls the Great White Ghetto. And this in turn says that the problem isn't that we're becoming a nation of takers; it's the fact that we're becoming a nation that doesn't offer enough economic opportunity to the bottom half, or maybe even the bottom 80 percent, of its citizens." ...
... As Digby documents, Williamson retorts.
... Michael Isikoff of NBC News: "The chairman of a New Jersey legislative panel investigating the George Washington Bridge lane closures said Gov. Chris Christie's top aides had engaged in a 'cover-up' and the governor could be impeached if it is determined he was aware of efforts to use the bridge for political purposes. 'Using the George Washington Bridge, a public resource, to exact a political vendetta, is a crime,' New Jersey Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who is spearheading the bridge probe, told NBC News on Saturday." ...
The Nationalization of State & Local Politics. Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times: "... the strategic deployment of campaign cash has helped consultants and donors accelerate or arrest states' natural drift toward one party or the other.... Not unlike a political version of Cayman Islands banks, the networks allow political strategists to sidestep regulations and obscure the source of funds. Campaign contributions that would be banned or restricted in one state can be sent to a state where the rules allow money to flow more freely, often scrubbed of the identity of the original donor."
What Happens When a Politician Tries to Do the Right Thing. Shaila Dewan of the New York Times: "Gayle McLaughlin, the mayor of Richmond, Calif..., has a plan to help the many Richmond residents who owe more money on their houses than their houses are worth, but it's one that banks like Wells Fargo, large asset managers like Pimco and BlackRock, real estate interests and even Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance giants, have tried to quash. Her idea involves a novel use of the power of eminent domain to bail out homeowners by buying up and then forgiving mortgage debt."
Pete Kasperowicz of the Hill: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says he is now open to considering Republican amendments to a bill extending emergency unemployment benefits through most of 2014."
Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Democratic senators are pleading with President Obama to abandon his proposal to trim Social Security benefits before it becomes a liability for them in the midterm elections. The president proposed a new formula for calculating benefits in his budget last year, in hopes that the olive branch to Republicans would persuade them to back tax increases in a broader fiscal deal."
Alleged Arsonist & Car Thief Determined to Remain a Worthless Scumbag. Molly Hooper of the Hill: "Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) in 2014 will pursue the IRS scandal, the deadly Benghazi attack and the botched Fast and Furious operation in what will likely be his last year as the House GOP's chief investigator."
Washington & his first Cabinet.Peter Shane, in the Atlantic, debunks the conservative "myth of the anti-government Constitution." The gist of the myth: "It is not merely that the Framers wanted to avoid re-creating a monarchy. They actually sought to make it difficult for government to function. If the Senate can't come to terms with the president, then liberty demands that the government be paralyzed." But Shane points out, "The Framers, in John Marshall's words, 'had experienced the embarrassments' of government under the Articles of Confederation, They wanted a government that worked." Thanks to contributor safari for the link.
Shadee Ashtari of the Huffington Post: " The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear a challenge to an Ohio law that forbids candidates and issue groups from making false campaign statements. The case, involving an anti-abortion group's claim that Ohio's False Statement Law violates free speech, will likely be argued in April, with a ruling announced during the last months of the Supreme Court's term in May or June." ...
... Digby: "I guess some members of the court are concerned that the anti-abortion zealots are being obstructed from lying. You can't blame them. Blatant dishonesty is a big part of the forced childbirth movement strategy.... I expect they will rule that lying in political ads is perfectly acceptable under the First Amendment. And maybe it is.... Politicians of all partisan stripes lie, but there is one group that makes a particular fetish of it. And they have an endless supply of money."
Katie McDonough of Salon: "According to a comprehensive new study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, the overwhelming majority of women who seek abortion care do not change their minds after receiving and viewing a sonogram.... Laws forcing women to undergo an ultrasound at least one day in advance of the procedure (and that the ultrasound be performed by the same physician who performs the abortion) contradicts medical best practice. Ultrasounds are generally provided by technicians, not physicians. Having a physician present for two days can drive up the cost of an abortion, putting the procedure out of reach for many low-income women. (This is all the more significant now that restricting insurance coverage for abortion is a major agenda item for anti-choice lawmakers across the country.)" CW: Another cruel, misogynistic law designed to remind poor women not to have sex.
Gospel
Ashley Alman of the Huffington Post: "Christopher Schaeffer, a Pastafarian minister, was sworn into the Pomfret, N.Y. Town Council last week wearing a colander, the Observer reported on Friday. Schaeffer is a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a group founded by an atheist in 2005 that has adopted the spaghetti strainer as its symbol. 'It's just a statement about religious freedom,' Schaeffer told the Observer. 'It's a religion without any dogma.'" Via Steve Benen.
Local News
Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post: "Former New Jersey governor Thomas H. Kean, one of the state's most revered figures and a mentor to current Republican Gov. Chris Christie, contends that the leadership qualities Christie has shown while in office should give pause to voters nationally, as they begin to size up Christie as a potential president.... Kean's own breach with his onetime protege occurred last year, when Christie attempted to unseat Kean's son, Thomas H. Kean Jr. (R), as state Senate minority leader. Christie's power play failed -- in one of the few times he has not gotten his way with his party in the legislature. Kean said the aggressiveness that Christie had shown toward his son, who was feuding with a Christie ally, was typical: 'If you come at him, he&'s going to come back at you harder.'" ...
... Michael Linhorst of the Bergen Record: "The incoming [New Jersey] Assembly speaker says he'll call a special session next week to renew the subpoena power of the panel investigating the George Washington Bridge lane closures." ...
... Martin Longman makes the case in the Washington Monthly that Chris Christie was a corrupt U.S. attorney who politicized his office to the satisfaction of the corrupt Bush "Justice" Department, so we should not be surprised he's still politicizing supposedly non-political institutions like the Port Authority. ...
... Olivia Nuzzi of Politico runs down a list of other "controversies" that have dotted Christie's career. CW: Still waiting to see Mitt's oppo file on Christie -- the one that made him decide Paulie would be a better veep candidate. ...
... David Simon: "He knew. We can say this now with certainty if we ask ourselves one basic question about human nature: What good does it do a political operative to screw over the opposition if you can't then tell your boss about it? Where is the joy for any lickspittle hack in the office hierarchy if he or she can't pull off a dirty trick against a political adversary, then walk down the hall and tell the boss just how well you did on his behalf? What would be the point? ... Anger and argument lose all charm when they are employed for stakes so small, stupid and selfish. He knew. And he's lying about it now." Via Annie Laurie in Balloon Juice. ...
... Maureen Dowd: "The Christie saga is still unraveling. Maybe he was a dupe in the dark.... Let's just say, I'm not yet permitting him in my circle of trust. ...
... Matt Flegenheimer of the New York Times: "A Mr. Richard Feder from Fort Lee, N.J., has a question. Thanks to Nisky Guy for the link.
James Hohmann of Politico: "Terry McAuliffe, the legendary Democratic fundraiser and political fixer, had a message for Republicans during his rain-drenched inauguration Saturday as Virginia's governor: Let's make a deal. With a Republican-controlled General Assembly and control of the state Senate up for grabs in two contested special elections, McAuliffe struck a conciliatory tone following a bitter campaign, praising outgoing Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, and even quoting Thomas Jefferson in calling for compromise on subjects such as Medicaid expansion. 'The impediments to consensus are well known: ideology, personal political ambition, partisanship or score-settling,' the 56-year-old said as longtime allies Bill and Hillary Clinton looked on. 'No one who has served as an elected official has looked back and wished they had been more rigid, more ideological or more partisan.'" The Richmond Times-Dispatch story, by Jim Nolan & Olympia Meola, is here. The Washington Post story, by Laura Vozella & others, is here. ...
... Laura Vozella of the Washington Post: "In the nine weeks since Election Day, political observers say, Terry McAuliffe (D) has been shockingly gubernatorial. With moderate Cabinet picks and an ardent courtship of Republicans, the colorful former Democratic National Committee chairman and political fundraiser has projected an image of seriousness, caution and bipartisanship that critics had doubted he could muster."
AP: "A Wisconsin judge quashed subpoenas and ordered the return of property to the targets of a secret campaign-finance investigation involving Governor Scott Walker. Judge Gregory A. Peterson ruled Friday some of those subpoenas were improper. He's overseeing the so-called John Doe investigation into Walker's campaign and more than two dozen conservative groups. Peterson wrote they 'do not show probable cause that the moving parties committed any violations of the campaign finance laws.'"
News Ledes
Reuters: "Restaurants and shops were reopening on Sunday in parts of West Virginia where the water supply was poisoned by a chemical spill, although up to 300,000 people spent a fourth day unable to use tap water for anything besides flushing toilets.... It could still be several days before people in nine counties and Charleston, the state capital and largest city, can once again use the water from their faucets...."
New York Times: "Pope Francis continued reshaping the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday by appointing his first group of cardinals with an emphasis on Asia, Africa and Latin America, even as he also made omissions that signal his distaste for the traditional clerical career ladder." None of the new cardinals are from the U.S.
Washington Post/Bloomberg News: "The richest people on the planet got even richer in 2013, adding $524 billion to their collective net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world's 300 wealthiest individuals. Bill Gates ... was the year's biggest gainer.... Sheldon Adelson ... was the second-biggest gainer in 2013...."
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Reader Comments (7)
In yesterday's thread, @cowichan wrote, in part, "... have the checks to the survivors of Sandy been mailed? Last I read tens of millions had disappeared."
I did a couple of Google searches & couldn't find any stories about Sandy checks disappearing. That doesn't mean they didn't disappear, but until you provide some documentation, I'll assume checks got through to the intended recipients.
@ cowichan: Please follow up.
Marie
I'm no legal scholar but this article states very clearly even for the non law school graduates the relevance and implications of the recess appointments made by Obama during the age of Republican caterwauling in the Senate. Most importantly, the author makes a sound case against the Myth of the Anti-Government Constitution.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/the-myth-of-the-anti-government-constitution/283005/
Almost missed the sidebar on the superb speeches by Streep and Thompson (see under infotainment). Thank heavens for little girls that grow up to be such strong and wonderful women.
In the short story "The Monkey," Isak Dinesen writes: "[He] kissed her hand...and then all at once he got such a terrible impression of strength and cunning that it was as if he had touched an electric eel. Women, he thought, when they are old enough to have done with the business of being women, and can let loose their strength, must be the most powerful creatures in the whole world."
A real kick in the buttocks of good old Walt Disney with those heels we can now stop wearing.
And to continue on the subject of women: I was reading about Dr. Sara Josephine Baker who, during the early twentieth century, revolutionized health care, especially for mothers and babies living in the squalid tenements in New York City. Her efforts were so successful that in 1910 she and other reformers drafted a bill to create a nationwide network of home visiting programs and maternal and child health clinics. BUT the AMA, backed by powerful REPUBLICANS averse to spending money on social welfare and claimed the program was tantamount to Bolshevism (sound familiar?). Here is the transcript of the AMA's position cited by a New England doctor before a congressional committee:
"We oppose this bill because if you are going to save the lives of all these women and children at public expense what inducement will there be for young MEN [Italics mine] to study medicine?"
Senator Sheppard, the chairman, stiffened and leaned forward: "Perhaps I didn't understand you correctly," he said. "You surely don't mean that you want women and children to die unnecessarily or live in constant danger of sickness so there will be something for young doctors to do?"
"Why not? said the New England doctor, who did at least have the courage to admit the issue: "That's the will of God, isn't it?"
Along these same lines in 1971 a civil rights group drafted the Comprehensive Child Care and Development Act which would have created a nationwide system of high quality day care, preschool and home visiting programs. It passed both houses of Congress BUT RIGHT WING Republicans using language similar to that used in the AMA argument above, pressured Nixon to veto it. He did.
It is now 103 years later since the Baker efforts, 42 years since the Nixon veto and somehow it smells the same, tastes the same and sounds the same. Although the Republicans came up with that "Family Values" movement which has since "attempted to thwart just about every legislative proposal to support American families." This new effort now to finally address the poverty in this country and our continued fight to regain our foothold on women's health and abortion rights is going to be a long slog if nothing has really changed in people who still believe in " it's the will of God, isn't it?"
Marie: Sloppy posting. NJ has received money from the Feds but people still await their relief from the damage caused by Sandy.,, Christie is the great administrator so surely the monies have been distributed? Must be the post office.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/01/sandy_relief_aid_distribution_topic_of_nj_assembly_hearing.html
I am not alone
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/12/1269045/-Christie-and-Sandy-unanswered-questions
PD; Been reading old issues of the NYRB? Baker was quite a woman. She was fortunate (?) to live when the greatest wonder drug was a bucket of soapy water and a dollar of prevention really paid off. I think it telling that the Republican National Health Plan has not changed in a century. The early 20th century looms large in their mythology of charity destroying incentive.
Must be the time for universal child care. Your article on the same day as one in the Guardian. Coincidence? My reaction was 'not affordable' but then I read an article in the Globe and Mail which mentioned a child-care program in Quebec which costs $7 a day. Of course it's a government program which automatically eliminates it from consideration in the US and I haven't found any data on the actual costs. It is telling that my provincial premier rejects out of hand the idea of a universal $10 a day program in British Columbia as 'not salable' in today's political environment. What she really means is that it's a plank of the left wing party. The Globe points out that women are over 60% of the post secondary school degree holders and questions whether we can afford to have them stay home rather than pay $1000 a month per child for day-care.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/the-case-for-publicly-funded-child-care/article14954409/?page=all