AM Feed - June 22: New Levels of Extremism
Hot Topics
- Just how extreme has the right-wing dominated House of Republicans become? Yesterday the Republican leadership was forced to cancel a vote to extend the landmark Voting Rights Act, after an internal revolt within party ranks. The Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965, is responsible for ending discrimination at polling booths, and for creating an environment that allowed for blacks to be elected to office throughout the South. Yet conservatives yesterday complained about renewing the act, claiming that it unfairly targeted the South, and that its requirements for ballots to be printed in foreign languages were unnecessary. The Republican House leadership had promised to renew the bill, and this latest internecine squabbling is yet another sign of conservative unrest. [link]
- Meanwhile, the Senate rejected a proposal yesterday that would have offered a boost to the national minimum wage for the first time in almost 10 years. The provision was pushed by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and would have bumped wages for lowest-paid workers from the current hourly rate of $5.15 to $7.25 by the beginning of 2009. House Democrats are supporting a similar measure to raise the minimum wage, but it has (not surprisingly) been stifled by the House Republican leadership. [link]
- The news of House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s (R-IL) sizable profit from a shady land deal has been swirling around for a few days now – but it appears that Hastert’s behavior is part of a larger trend among lawmakers. Reps. Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Gary Miller (R-CA) also secured federal funding for projects close to parcels of land that they owned. In Calvert’s case, he sold the land for nearly double what he initially paid for it. “The sound bites from politicians have always been that they’re doing what’s best for their districts, but we’re starting to see a pattern that looks like they might be doing what’s best for their pocketbooks,” said Keith Ashdown, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. [link]
Quote of the Day
“Our legislation doesn’t amount to anything if the president can say, ‘My constitutional authority supercedes the statute.’ And I think we’ve got to lay down the gauntlet and challenge him on it.” – Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), promising to challenge the Bush administration on the president’s habit of adding “signing statements” to laws
Morning Snark
- If and when the House ever gets its act together and extends the Voting Rights Act, will President Bush see fit to add a signing statement (regarding hanging chads, of course) to that, too?
Comment
- I’m sick of Arlen Specter, who constantly runs his mouth, but never produces any results when it comes to challenging this incompetent, corrupt administration.
— Tommy Jun 22, 12:28 # - At risk of being tongue lashed by the AFV readers & posters, I think some credit should be given the guy for at least speaking out. Do you see any other repug doing that? TGranted, the guy is not going to agree with everything the intellectually superior Democratic Party stands for, but he is one voice of the many republicans that occasionally has the courage to speak with reason in opposition to the party line. Let’s not stifle a dissenting voice, repug though it may be. Those types of dissents should be encouraged.
— jen Jun 22, 13:08 # - Just occurred to me that I am personally sacrificing nothing materially to the war in Iraq. My children and grandchildren will pick up the tab.
When the payments come due they will probably not be in the income bracket that will benefit from the Republicans’ tax breaks, such as the Cheneys, Bushes, Rumsfeld’s, etc., who will be exempt from the debt payments.
Also, I believe that China is winning in the US’ war on Irag. Their loans to US are significant, and US is so focused on the Iraqi war (and gay marriage, flag desecration, permanently removing the estate tax, selling out our environment for oil and other big business interests), China moves ahead.
Here in Red Upstate SC, I’m in a very, very small minority who believes the Iraq war was wrong from the beginning.l My born-again, Christian neighbors think God is using Bush as a divine instrument to punish Saddam Hussein. Therefore, they fervently believe this is a just war, regardless of its cost.
— Reta Richardson Jun 22, 14:06 # - Reta, Try to remind your born agains that the Saddam Hussein Bush is punishing is the same Saddam that prior Republican (& Democratic) regimes propped up in order to retain an ‘ally’ in the struggle against unfriendly governments in the region. We kept him there, when he disobeyed our orders and desires, we took him down, not before then.
MM
— M. Mandel Jun 22, 14:49 # - AfV and it’s supporters, myself included, need very badly to do something that shows that the people we send to D.C. are not “all just the same”, which is what many swing-voters, independents, and fence-sitters think. We have to dispel the myth of moral equivalency that the GOP and its many media enablers perpetuate, and that many of those we need in order to win buy into. The Democrats are most definitely NOT “JUST AS BAD AS” the GOP mafia that is running the show right now. That does not mean that there is no such thing as a viable alternative to the Democratic party, nor does it mean that all Republicans are inherently and completely bad and misguided. We have to shout down the liars, and prove beyond reasonable doubt that the Democrats we’re talking about and trying to get elected are FAR BETTER PEOPLE than the Hasterts, Frists, Santorums, Cunninghams, Lewiss, Delays, that the GOP has advanced. All they have done us rip us off, for their own personal, private, already wealthy enough advantage. They have done so on a scale never before known in American politics, uniquely Republican and Conservative (whatever that means).
— tom baker Jun 22, 16:27 # - We need people in Washington who—are honest + ethical at all times.—put national security ahead of corporate profiteering— support strong public schools— favor a health care system that helps patients and keeps costs down.— protect the environment—favor liberty + freedom on the social issues. (pro choice, protect the Constitution, etc…)—support a progressive tax code which cuts middle class taxes while making the top 1% pay like they used to in the 1950s+1960s.—favor consumers over corporations.
That means bye bye to almost every Republican and yes bye bye to a few Democrats as well.
not voting, apathy, falsely claiming they are all the same, etc… are not viable options.
If you don’t like the Democrat in office, get a new one in a primary.
— big Dave from queens Jun 23, 12:36 # - I’m sick to death of that hack, Arlen Specter. He talks a good story about “lay[ing] down the gauntlet” on Bu$h/Cheney lawbreaking” and then runs away from his own public statements the moment the camera lights go out.
Hey Arlen! How many hearings have you held on illegal wiretaps, data mining and bank snooping so far? Oh yeah. None. Thanks pal.
— Vicki Jun 24, 14:28 #
Do you have any ideas for the AM Feed? Any stories or issues that you'd like to see highlighted? We'd love to hear your feedback. Drop us a line at afv@americanfamilyvoices.org.