#hell every election in general is still showing that dems are better than republicans

[navree]

genuinely would love for some of the "both parties are the same" people to name me a single election in the entirety of the twenty first century where the outcome for the country wouldn't have been better if a democrat had won

[anexperimentallife]

So you want leftist candidates? Here's how you get them:

First off, you have to understand that the far right didn't just wake up one day and say, "We should fuck up the country!" They have been OPENLY working for decades to fill literally every elected or appointed government position they could with Christian Dominionists and other right-wingers, and these folks show up to the polls EVERY SINGLE TIME.

When I was a kid in a far right church in the 1960s, they openly discussed how important is was to get their people into office who would help pass legislation to persecute/imprison/kill anyone who didn't follow their religion. If there's no one sufficiently right-wing running, they'll vote for whomever is closest, even if it gags them. And I cannot emphasize enough that they have long term goals that they are willing to take--and HAVE taken--generations to achieve.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade, for example, is a DIRECT RESULT of the decades-long effort by the far right to boost the most far-right-leaning candidates they could find. They've been talking for decades SPECIFICALLY about getting enough far right judges in SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade. And these SCOTUS appointments are for LIFE, so these judges get to set policy for your GRANDCHILDREN.

So yes, the overturning of Roe v. Wade was only made possible because Trump was able to appoint three SCOTUS judges, in addition to all the other federal judges he appointed. Amd they're talking about going after same-sex marriage, minority rights, etc.

(Hell, the judge in charge of his secret documents case is one that he appointed--she has indefinitely postponed that case,by the way.)

And you don't think local school board elections are important? Have you not seen the news about all the anti-queer policies, and all the book-bannings? This, also, has a generational effect.

Meanwhile the left refuses to turn up to the polls because none of the candidates are pure enough. So guess why things are getting worse?

If the Left turned out for the most left-leaning candidate at EVERY SINGLE ELECTION, whether local or state or whatever, including primaries, we'd start seeing more leftist candidates. Yes, that means that if there's a choice between two extreme right wing candidates, you vote for the least extreme one.

I know I keep emphasizing that this is not just about POTUS, but POTUS does figure in, of course (among other things, who do you think appoints judges for congress to approve?).

So swallow this pill: Anything shitty Biden is doing, the shitgibbon will do MORE of.

"Not gonna vote Biden because he supports genocide, so I'd rather the guy win who ALSO supports genocide, wants Russia to invade more countries, thinks it's fine if China retakes Taiwan, wants a nationwide abortion ban, removal of civil rights for minorities, wants to overturn same-sex marriage (which the right-leaning majority in SCOTUS are already talking about), to cut back the role of congress in checking executive actions (including workarounds to avoid the need for congressional confirmation for presidential appointees), to remove federal employee protections so federal personnel can be replaced with Trump loyalists, and so on! That'll teach those Dems a lesson! THEN they'll be sorry. And fuck everyone the bad guys hurt, because I'll still be PURE. So what if top GOP officials want to actually NUKE Gaza?"

That's fucking kindergartner thinking.

Yes, Biden is a piece of shit, but I am not waxing at all hyperbolic when I say that a second orange shitgibbon term, with a far-right-majority SCOTUS--especially if the GOP manages majorities in both houses of congress--may be the end of what little is left of Democracy in the US. Not gonna argue about it, because I don't waste my time with petulant children.

Look at the GOP's plans for a Republican administration, and tell me you think it sounds better than another term of Biden. Hell, they've even set up online trainings and loyalty tests to narrow down potential federal hires to those who will commit to follow Trump without question.

I repeat: If you want more leftist candidates, if you want more worker power, if you want billionaires taxed, if you want to protect minorities and the queer community, you have to adopt the strategy that the right has used, educate yourself about what candidates stand for, and show up EVERY SINGLE TIME. Again, that includes primaries.

So many of us on the left would rather sit in the basement dreaming of some magical revolution that's going to fix everything, giving ourselves and others purity tests, and proudly announcing that we're... boycotting democracy by not voting(?), "because none of the candidates are a good choice."

Yeah, the left refusing to vote--or only voting in presidential elections--while the right turns up every time is exactly how we got here.

And you have to support the most left-leaning candidate even if it makes you gag, and even if "most left-leaning" means "not as openly fascist." This is the ONLY way you can be assured of candidates getting further to the left in the future. (Note that this means learning about your local candidates.)

"But voting won't fix--" I never said it was going to fix everything. There's no rule that if you vote, you can't volunteer with Food Not Bombs, or run for school board, or demonstrate, or circulate petitions. It takes more than voting, but voting has to be PART of our strategy.

You also have to accept that it may take decades to change course, and that you're not going to like every candidate you have to vote for.

The right didn't just magically get the orange shitgibbon into office overnight. It took decades of work. And if we want decent human beings in charge, we have to be willing to do the same.

[letterstomycountry]

Manufacturing Liberal Consent

Image via TPM

Noam Chomsky wrote a book with Edward S. Herman in 1988 called Manufacturing Consent.  It is about how media outlets are controlled and manipulated by people in positions of power to influence public opinion.  

I couldn’t help but think back to Chomsky’s message in Manufacturing Consent as I took stock of the media coverage of this year’s Democratic primaries, which has been uniformly awful.  

Take, for instance, the popular narrative that after Joe Biden won Michigan that the Bernie Sanders campaign is all but over.  Headlines include:

Sanders not dropping out but where does he go from here?

Bernie Sanders will stay in primary race despite losses in key states

Campaign Says Bernie Sanders Will Not Drop Out Immediately Despite Michigan Loss

Defiant Bernie Sanders vows to soldier on in US campaign

The bleak picture painted by these headlines suggest that the Sanders Campaign’s chances of victory is slim.  But that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  Right now, Joe Biden has 864 delegates.  Bernie Sanders has 710.  So Bernie is roughly 150 delegates behind.  And there are still over *2000* delegates that haven't been awarded yet.  

So why are so many pundits saying Bernie Sanders' campaign is basically over and has failed to “win key states” when the Obama campaign was even further behind in 2008?  Why the slanted media coverage?

The answer seems pretty clear:

You can see that strikingly today where there is huge debate about Sanders being a socialist. “How can we have a socialist president?” In fact, Sanders is what would be called a moderate social democrat in most other societies. In other societies, the word “socialist” is not a curse word — people call themselves socialists and even communists. In the United States, there’s a stigma attached to it by massive propaganda going way back to 1917. Such huge propaganda efforts to demonize the concepts of socialism and communism (saying it means the “gulag” or whatever) is again pretty much unique to the United States. It’s a barrier to introducing even mild New Deal–style social-democratic reforms.

This stigma is largely a type of manufactured consent, however.  When you ask people if they agree with the policies Bernie Sanders is proposing, polls consistently show that the majority of people approve of his policies.

Polls also consistently show that the Bernie Sanders campaign is the best suited to defeat Donald Trump in the general election.

So why do we continue to hear how dangerous it is to nominate Bernie Sanders as the Democratic presidential candidate from media outlets?  Why are people like Chris Matthews freaking out on national television?  Why are moderate democrats calling for the primary to be “shut down” when there’s still a relatively small gap between the candidates?

This is how the rich and powerful manufacture consent.  They use their influence over media outlets to ensure that a certain narrative is reinforced.   And frankly, I have to say that this year’s coverage of the Democratic primary has been uniquely demonstrative of that fact.  Never before has it been more plain that people in charge of powerful institutions are using their large bank accounts and ability to influence media programming decisions behind the scenes to try to sway public opinion in a specific direction by making certain narratives about politics appear to be "common sense" among the intellectual class.

How else can we explain the fact that we have been bombarded with opinion pieces over the past year telling us how Bernie Sanders isn’t electable, despite poll after poll showing that Bernie Sanders does better against Trump than any other candidate?  How else can we explain the fact that nearly all the other  moderates in the Democratic primary dropped out in near-perfect synchronicity just before Super Tuesday in an effort to shore up support for a single moderate candidate?  

The DNC has made it publicly apparent that they want to stop Bernie Sanders from getting the nomination.  Some reports suggest that Barack Obama made several calls telling the other candidates it was time to drop out and get behind Joe Biden.  Whether that specific factoid is true or not, who knows.  But given the DNC’s very publicly announced bias towards Sanders, it seems probable that there was an organized effort to get the moderate candidates to coalesce around a single moderate.  

And so the DNC has now forced Joe Biden upon us.  A man who--not unlike our current President--apparently has trouble not touching women without their consent.  A man who is showing signs of deteriorating cognitive ability.  A man who is so gaffe prone that his own surrogates are trying to limit the number of public appearances he makes to avoid more media gaffes.  A man who, despite signaling support for the #metoo movement and women’s rights, once said this about Roe v. Wade:

“I don’t like the Supreme Court decision on abortion. I think it went too far. I don’t think that a woman has the sole right to say what should happen to her body.”

And even if you ignore all this, imagine how Donald Trump--a master of verbal misdirection and appealing to the electorate’s baser instincts on the bully pulpit--will manhandle a Democratic presidential candidate who recently tried to quote a well known phrase from the Declaration of Independence and forgot it halfway.  This is to say nothing of the ammunition Trump will have during the general election given that the Republican led Senate is now proceeding with an official corruption probe into Joe and Hunter Biden’s private dealings.

Despite all this, establishment Dems are doing their best to manufacture consent for Joe Biden.  And by every indication they are doing a hell of a job.  Before Super Tuesday, Biden’s performance was abysmal.  But once he became the only moderate left in the race, and suddenly received a storm of endorsements from other establishment politicians, he was suddenly electorally competitive.  Add to this a little bit of voter suppression designed to discourage young voters from participating, along with the emotional resilience of the “problematic Bernie Bro” mythology that has been empirically demonstrated to be false, you have an excellent full court press designed to manufacture consent for Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Keep this in mind as the primary campaign continues.  And keep it in mind this Sunday when Joe Biden debates Bernie Sanders.  Better yet, think about all of this if  Joe Biden gets the nomination, because if he does, he will almost certainly lose to Donald Trump in November.  Not just because he is a weak candidate, but because nominating Joe Biden is the end of the Democratic party as we know it.  

Progressives have made it clear that they are sick of being lied to and used to support Democratic candidates who then flip the script once they are in office.  They are tired of being black-mailed into supporting candidates like Joe Biden, who told a room of wealthy donors last year that “nothing will fundamentally change” if he is elected President.  

The media has done a fantastic job of making Joe Biden seem like an electable moderate.  But  “our needs our not moderate.”  As we speak, New York City can’t close schools to prevent the Corona Virus from spreading because over 100,000 kids in the NYC school system are homeless and depend on meals from school to get enough food for the day.  But since nothing will fundamentally change if Biden is elected, it sounds like he will not show half as much determination to solve this problem as he showed in opposing federal busing to end segregation in the 1970′s. 

 Remember that Al Gore lost in 2000.  John Kerry lost in 2004.  Hillary Clinton lost in 2016.  And recall that Obama won in 2008 by appealing to young voters, who are  much more supportive of progressive policies than older voters.   Despite this, the Democratic party has once again--just like in 2000, 2004, and 2016--made it abundantly clear that it would rather run a weak establishment moderate and lose, than run a progressive change candidate and win.  Why?  Well, at least that way, wealthy democratic donors get to keep their yacht money.  

[tygerseye]

I feel like the first commenter is under the age of 30.  Not a lot of long-term perspective on politics.

So lets take this bit by bit:

1), democrats are split between the progressives and the moderates. these two factions cannot agree on an agenda. republicans are largely unified. 

There are also moderates on the republican side because moderate is usually indicative of being politically independent and independents vote on either side.  The difference is there are less extremists on the republican side than the democrat side right now therefor the “moderate” republicans have more in common with those farther on the right side of that line than the “moderate” democrats have with the far lefties.

Here is a visual:

It’s not that everyone that sides republican agrees but it’s that the republican party is the only one currently trying to safeguard our constitutional rights.  Believe me, a lot of people don’t really WANT to be voting republican but they feel they have no choice because the current democrat party has a boner for destroying the constitution.

2), honestly? democrats are kind of bad at politics. they won’t play hardball to get their agendas pushed through, they tend to try and do things “properly.” republicans, on the other hand, use underhanded but effective political tactics to ram their shit through.

They won’t play hardball?? You’re kidding right? They have used more strong-arm tactics than the republicans ever did.  They filibuster and block republican bills and even bi-partisan bills just to prevent them from getting any “wins”.  I’m certainly not saying republicans have never done this (See: Obama) but don’t sit there and say the dems try to do things properly.  For fucks sake, Biden has used more Executive Edicts Orders than almost ANY OTHER PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY.  In fact democrats have strong-armed with EOs more than republicans when you look at history:

3) republicans are fantastic at blocking democratic agendas. say what you want about mitch mcconnell (and I will, the man is a demon wearing human skin), but he wrote the playbook for obstructionism and it’s kind of genius. republicans all across the country now use the filibuster to block basically everything they can. democrats, in an example of point number two, are unwilling to get rid of it. 

I’m not going to repeat from #2 but you’re wrong here.  Both parties use strong-arm filibuster tactics to block each other.... this has been a popular tactic in recent years in fact and almost entirely by democrats:

Next?

4) along those same lines, democrats keep trying to appeal to republicans’ better natures and work with them to pass legislation. many still seem to think bipartisanship is possible and want to return to the way politics used to be when reaching across the aisle was not only common, but expected. republicans haven’t cared about this since like, 1998.

I feel like the only political knowledge you have is from the Obama era.  If we were only talking about Obama’s time I would agree with you here but in general democrats have been equally as ruthless and uncompromising.  We USED to believe in bi-partisan bills pre-2000 but that changed in most recent decades.

There is an amazing visual which shows how we used to be very bi-partisan but we’ve lost that over the years:

5), democrats know they have major disadvantages in most elections due to the way republicans gerrymandered the hell out of the district maps in the 2010 census, something that doesn’t seem to have been corrected for 2020. because of this, democrats in every area except big cities have to try and persuade moderates and swing voters to their side, which means catering to the center-right. this prevents democrats from doing anything that appears too “leftist” for fear of losing these votes. republicans by and large don’t have this problem. 

The only thing I will give you is gerrymandering is a popular tactic by republicans and that is wrong of them 100%.  I want to make this clear, I’m not a republican, I am an independent and on top of that I’m not fond of the party system in general.  That being said, the democrats are not innocent here.  They have ensured victories in major cities and if they had their way they would eliminate the Electoral College which is our only safeguard against cities controlling our manufacturing/farming/ranching industries that we rely on for independence from foreign product.  They did this through underhanded re-districting just as the republicans have done.

I will put this out there: I hate both parties overall. 

Currently, the republicans are at least trying to keep our basic human rights safe so I’m currently siding with them but that has not always been the case.  I still remember the BS they pulled during the Obama administration, I still remember “good’old” George Dubba the human man-child....

The problem is we’ve had the shittiest fucking politics for the past 40 years.

I know most people here have literally grown up in a time of the worst politics we’ve ever seen but just because it’s always been that way during your life doesn’t mean it’s how it’s always been.

LEARN YOUR HISTORY and please for the love of god don’t rely on your fucking schools for historical facts.  Research various angles from opposing viewpoints and think critically about the information you’re hearing.

[patriotsnet]

How Many Republicans Are Registered In The Us

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/how-many-republicans-are-registered-in-the-us/

How Many Republicans Are Registered In The Us

The Claim: There Are Just 133 Million Registered Voters In The Us

In Battleground States, Newly Registered Democrats Are Outnumbering Newly Registered Republicans

DespiteÂ;losing dozens of lawsuits andÂ;the Electoral Collegeâs certification of Bidenâs win, President Donald Trumpâs campaign and others continueÂ;to promote falsehoods about the credibility and security of the election.

A Dec. 21Â;, which pulled a screenshot of a Twitter post,Â;claimed Biden somehow receivedÂ;22 million phantom votes. The post has over 1,200 shares, as of Dec. 30.

âSimple math: Trump got 74 million votes and there are only 133 million registered voters in the USA,â the claims. âEven if everyone whoâs registered actually voted, there would only be 59 million votes left for Biden. So how the hell did Biden get 81 million votes? 22 million extra?â

The Facebook user who made that particularÂ;post has not returned a request for comment from USA TODAY.Â;

Another made the same claim without pulling a screenshot from Twitter. USA TODAY has also reached out to this user for comment.

And theÂ;Twitter account MSM Fact Checking posted a similar claimÂ;on Dec. 18, from which many viral Facebook posts stem.

And then, âJust for complete transparency, even at 65% turnout the total would be just over 138,000,000 voters resulting in over 155,000,000 votes. However you look at it, it doesnât add up.â

Which Administration Should Have Been The One To End The Us Presence In Afghanistan

There are more than 10 professors affiliated with the Democratic Party for every faculty member who is a registered Republican, according to a new study.

Mitchell Langbert, an associate professor of business management at Brooklyn College, reviewed the party affiliations of 8,688 tenure-track, Ph.D.-holding professors at 51 of the top 60 liberal arts colleges listed in U.S. News and World Reports 2017 rankings.

Nearly 60 percent of all faculty members were registered as either a Republican or a Democrat, and of that sample, there were 10.4 times as many Democrats as Republicans.

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The political registration of full-time, Ph.D.-holding professors in top-tier liberal arts colleges is overwhelmingly Democratic, Mr. Langbert wrote in an article published by the National Association of Scholars. Indeed, faculty political affiliations at 39 percent of the colleges in my sample are Republican free having zero Republicans.

There are several shortcomings associated with political uniformity in higher education, Mr. Langbert continued, including biased research and diminished academic credibility.

Studies show that academic psychologists are more likely to study the attitudes and behaviors of conservatives than liberals. They are also more likely to view conservative beliefs as deviant.

There are a few colleges that stood out in Mr. Langberts sample.

Voting In Primary And Caucus Elections

States choose a candidate to run for president through primary elections, caucuses, or both. Depending on your states voting rules, your states primary or caucus elections can be open, closed, or a combination of both. The type of primary or caucus your state holds can affect your voting eligibility:

During an open primary or caucus, people can vote for a candidate of any political party.

During a closed primary or caucus, only voters registered with that party can take part and vote.

Semi-open and semi-closed primaries and caucuses are variations of the two main types.

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Actors Who Are Republican

Hollywood looks like a haven for the liberal-leaning Democrat supporters but if you look beyond the surface youll find there are actually quite a few who lean the other way. From superheroes to comedians the list of actors who are Republicans may surprise you.

1. Laura Prepon

You know her from That 70s Show and Orange Is the New Black, Laura Prepon is known for playing quite liberal-leaning roles but off-screen shes a proud Republican having famously supported Bush during his election.

2. Christian Bale

Though it hasnt been confirmed officially it would appear that former Batman Christian Bale is Republican. Many point to his attendance of actor and political activist Charlton Hestons funeral as proof. Christian Bale is thought to be one of the very few actors who attended.3. Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler lets his money do the talking, he quite notably donated a substantial sum of money to support Rudy Giulianis Presidential campaign during the 2012 election.

4. Peyton Manning

Star Quarterback Peyton Manning is known for showing his support for the Republican party by writing checks. Hes donated over $20,000 to Senators and Presidential hopefuls through the years. Most recently he supported Jeb Bushs Presidential run with $2,700, the most a single person can donate to an election.

5. Heather Locklear

The former Superman openly backed Mitt Romneys Presidential bid during the 2012 election and hes a regular guest on Fox News.

7. James Earl Jones

8. Tom Selleck

Americas Top 20 Ceos Donated To The Midterm Elections At Republicans And Democrats:

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com

John B. Hess, Hess Corp.Total: $877,600

Stephen Wynn, Wynn Resorts LimitedTotal: $797,467

James Rupert Murdoch, Twenty-First Century FoxTotal: $506,666

Stephen James Luczo, Seagate TechnologyTotal: $469,825

Steven Roth, Vornado Realty TrustTotal: $432,400

Leslie Herbert Wexner, L BrandsTotal: $359,700

Timothy C. Wentworth, Express Scripts HoldingTotal: $262,594

Celgene CorporationTotal: $195,682

Ian C. Read, Pfizer Inc.Total: $181,833

Joel S. Marcus, Alexandria Real Estate EquitiesTotal: $175,400

David M. Zaslav, Discovery, Inc.Total: $143,600

Gregory Q. Brown, Motorola SolutionsTotal: $132,150

David A. Ricks, Eli LillyTotal: $128,020

David N. Farr, Emerson Electric Co.Total: $127,033

Leonard S. Schleifer, Regeneron PharmaceuticalsTotal: $125,000Worlds Best CEOs Rank: #576

A. Jayson Adair, Copart

Charles William Ergen, DISH Network Corporation Total: $119,900Party: $51,300 DEM; $53,600 GOP

Thermo Fisher ScientificTotal: $118,100

Robert A. Iger, Walt DisneyTotal: $111,800

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Political Party Strength In Us States

Political party strength in U.S. states is the level of representation of the various political parties in the United States in each statewide elective office providing legislators to the state and to the U.S. Congress and electing the executives at the state ” rel=”nofollow”>U.S. state governor) and national level.

Minor Parties In Gubernatorial Races 1857

The following table includes state-by-state information on when a minor partyâs candidate for governor won at least 5 percent of the vote between 1857 and 2012. In four states , a minor party candidate for governor had not won 5 percent or more of the vote since the 19th century. A total of 17 states saw minor party candidates win at least 5 percent of the vote for governor between 1982 and 2012. The information was compiled by Richard Winger of Ballot Access News.

When did a minor party last poll 5% for governor? State

Ballot Access News

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Wide Divides In Partisanship Persist By Race And Ethnicity

Some of the largest differences in partisanship continue to be seen across racial and ethnic groups.

The GOP continues to maintain an advantage in leaned party identification among white voters . By contrast, sizable majorities of black, Hispanic and Asian American voters identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. Among black voters, 83% identify or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared with just 10% who say they are Republican or lean toward the GOP.

The Democratic Party also holds a clear advantage over the GOP in leaned party identification among Hispanic voters , though the margin is not as large as among black voters.

Among English-speaking Asian American voters, 72% identify or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared with just 17% who identify with or lean toward the GOP.

The balance of partisanship among white, black and Hispanic voters has been generally stable over the past decade. However, English-speaking Asian American voters have shifted toward the Democratic Party.

For The First Time There Are Fewer Registered Republicans Than Independents

Why American voters in Israel can impact U.S. election

For the first time in history, there are more registered independents in the United States than there are registered Republicans.

It may not be for the reason you think, though.

New data from Ballot Access News, which tracks registrations in the 31 states that require voters to register by party, shows that independents account for 29.09 percent of voters in them, compared with 28.87 percent for Republicans. As recently as 2004, Republicans outpaced independents by nearly 10 percentage points.

There are still way more registered Democrats; 39.66 percent of voters are registered with that party.

This marks the first time since party registration began in the early 1900s that the number of registered independents in the United States has surpassed members of either major political party, according to Ballot Access News.

Heres the data going back to 2004:

But before anybody chalks this up as having to do with the current occupant of the White House, its worth parsing the trends.

While independents have surpassed Republicans, there actually hasnt been a huge drop in GOP party registration since President Trump took office. Since October 2016, GOP registration has dropped by half a percentage point. The number of registered Democrats declined by nearly a full point over the same span. Independents have benefited from both drops.

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Religious Divides In Partisanship

Partisanship has become increasingly tied to religious identification over the past quarter century.

White evangelical Protestants have seen one of the largest moves toward the GOP over the past 25 years. In 1994, 61% of white evangelical Protestant voters leaned toward or identified with the Republican Party, while 31% leaned toward or identified with the Democratic Party. Today, the GOP has opened up an overwhelming 78% to 17% advantage in leaned partisanship among white evangelicals, making them the most solidly Republican major religious grouping in the country.

The GOP holds somewhat narrower advantages in leaned party identification among white non-evangelical Protestants and white Catholics . Both groups of voters have moved toward the Republican Party over time, though the shift has been more pronounced among white Catholics.

Hispanic Catholics stand out from their white counterparts in their association with the Democratic Party. Roughly two-thirds of Hispanic Catholics identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. The partisan leanings of Hispanic Catholics have not changed much in recent years.

Among those who do not affiliate with an organized religion, 67% identify with or lean to the Democratic Party, compared with just 24% who identify or lean toward the GOP. Religiously unaffiliated voters have been trending steadily toward the Democratic Party over the past few decades and represent a growing share of all registered voters .

More Nevadans Registered As Republicans Than Democrats Last Month Election Officials Say

LAS VEGAS Election officials say more Nevadans registered as Republicans last month than Democrats. Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske reported that the GOP gained 6,580 active registered voters in July.

The Democratic Party added 5,718 active registered voters voters. Democrats still hold a statewide voter registration advantage over Republicans in Nevada, comprising 38% of all active registered voters. Republicans make up 33%.

Unaffiliated voters are 23%. Overall, there are more than 1.6 million active registered voters in Nevada. Inactive registered voters are voters who generally do not have a current address on file with election officials. They are still eligible to cast ballots.

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Key Point From This Article

Altogether, there are 31 states with party registration; in the others, such as Virginia, voters register without reference to party. In 19 states and the District, there are more registered Democrats than Republicans. In 12 states, there are more registered Republicans than Democrats. In aggregate, 40% of all voters in party registration states are Democrats, 29% are Republicans, and 28% are independents. Nationally, the Democratic advantage in the party registration states approaches 12 million.

Tennessee Made It Harder To Register Voters Activists Consider Whats Next

In 2018, a statewide voter registration drive accumulated 91,000 applications.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez, a Democrat who serves the Lawrence area, will not prosecute people under the new law, telling Stateline the measure is too subjective and has chilled essential voter registration efforts.

You could have a 75-year-old woman who had no criminal history and just trying to do a civic duty in a nonpartisan way being charged with a felony, she said. Im just shocked by all of it. I dont see how someone who is trying to get people to vote and be part of the democratic process is in any way a threat to public safety in our community.

While the practice is uncommon, there have been recent examples of prosecutors ignoring laws with which they disagree. In Kansas, Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder, a Republican, said last year that he would not enforce executive orders related to COVID-19. Marilyn Mosby, states attorney for Baltimore and a Democrat, said she would no longer prosecute marijuana infractions or certain other minor crimes, a stance shared by District Attorney Rachael Rollins of Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Rollins is also a Democrat.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, said suspected crimes related to the new law would still be prosecuted by his office, including in Douglas County, despite Valdezs objections.

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Now That The Fda Has Granted Full Approval To The Covid

There are more than 10 professors affiliated with the Democratic Party for every faculty member who is a registered Republican, according to a new study.

Mitchell Langbert, an associate professor of business management at Brooklyn College, reviewed the party affiliations of 8,688 tenure-track, Ph.D.-holding professors at 51 of the top 60 liberal arts colleges listed in U.S. News and World Reports 2017 rankings.

Nearly 60 percent of all faculty members were registered as either a Republican or a Democrat, and of that sample, there were 10.4 times as many Democrats as Republicans.

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The political registration of full-time, Ph.D.-holding professors in top-tier liberal arts colleges is overwhelmingly Democratic, Mr. Langbert wrote in an article published by the National Association of Scholars. Indeed, faculty political affiliations at 39 percent of the colleges in my sample are Republican free having zero Republicans.

There are several shortcomings associated with political uniformity in higher education, Mr. Langbert continued, including biased research and diminished academic credibility.

Studies show that academic psychologists are more likely to study the attitudes and behaviors of conservatives than liberals. They are also more likely to view conservative beliefs as deviant.

There are a few colleges that stood out in Mr. Langberts sample.

Closed Primaries Are When Only Registered Democrats From January 2007 To January 2011 There Were More Democrats

This quiz will ask you questions about your political beliefs. Ive seen a lot where it says theyre a registered democrat . 39.66 percent of voters are registered with that party. The most recent poll at the time of writing gives a d+11 advantage. It is not a straightforward question. Prove it by acing our democrat or republican quiz. What republican and democrats believe. Lets start with this example. Altogether, there are 10 states with more registered independents than either democrats or republicans. For example, in kentucky1 as of 8/15/2018, 49.8% of registered voters are democrats while only 41.6% are republicans. The analysis in this report draws on more than 10,000 interviews with registered voters in 2017 and tens of thousands of interviews conducted in previous years (see. Being a registered democrat or republican, or for that matter socialist, green or independent, simply means that when you filled out your voter registration form you checked that box on the form. There are many pressing issues in.

Also Check: Who Were The 7 Republicans Who Voted To Impeach

Republicans Target Ballot Access After Record Turnout

GOP legislators introduced more than 100 restrictive bills in 28 states.

But these statements have left election officials puzzled.

Its clear as mud, said Aaron Ockerman, executive director of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, a bipartisan group that represents county election boards. The confusion is rampant across the board right now.

Ockerman hopes LaRose will issue a public advisory or legal directive that is more binding than a public statement to clear up concerns. Nichols did not say whether LaRose would do this by the time the law goes into effect in the fall.

Democratic state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney has introduced legislation that would repeal the budget language. Inserting it into the budget at the last minute without public debate was absurd and dangerous, she argued.

Why would we stop public-private partnerships? she said. It makes no sense. Its so irrational. It can only be strategic to make sure certain types of people arent voting. Its nefarious.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a wide-ranging election bill in May with a provision that requires groups running voter registration drives to warn voters the group might not submit their registration applications on time. If third-party organizations violate state policy on returning voter registration applications, those groups could be subjected to fines up to $1,000 per form.

Tennessee lawmakers took a similar step in 2019.

Our Ruling: Partly False

How much do you trust the U.S. election system?

The claim in the post is rated PARTLY FALSE. The tweet that appears in viral Facebook posts cites correct vote totals for Trump and Biden . But it falsely reports the number of registered voters. More than 159Â;million registered voters cast ballots in the general election, out of 239 million eligible voters. So it is completely possible that Trump and Biden would post that many total votes.Â;

Recommended Reading: How Are Democrats Different From Republicans

Gop Registration Drop After Capitol Attack Is Part Of Larger Trend

WASHINGTON In the weeks since the January riot at the Capitol, there has been a raft of stories about voters across the country leaving the Republican Party. Some of the numbers are eye-catching and suggest that the GOP may be shrinking before our eyes, but a closer look at the numbers over time shows that a larger change has been working its way through the party for some time.

In fact, when one takes into account shifts in the composition of the Democratic Party, the real story seems to be more about a deeper remaking of the nations two major political parties.

To be sure, the headlines from the last few weeks have been striking, with multiple states reporting large declines in Republican voter registrations.

In Pennsylvania, more than 12,000 Republicans dropped the âRâ from their registrations in January. In North Carolina, the figure was close to 8,000. In Arizona the figure was about 9,200 through late-January. And in one county in California, San Diego, more than 4,700 Republicans left the party last month.

Those are sizable changes and they are much larger than the moves away from the Democrats in those places, but they come with some caveats. There are always some losses and gains in registrations for the Democrats and Republicans. Partisan identity can be fluid for a large chunk of the voters, and remember: just because a voter is registered with one party doesnt mean he or she always votes for its candidates.

[jcoin7]

And You Look The Other Way

A friend of mine posed the following question: “Who would trust Trump to be alone with their young adult daughter?”

Hmmmm....Obviously this is someone who doesn’t trust Trump in general, and knowing him I can say with certainty that he is firmly on the Liberal side of the political spectrum. Which I am not. Well, not until recent events caused me to find myself labeled a Liberal by people whose leanings I realized were so far right that they can’t go fishing for fear of capsizing every boat they are in. But then something interesting happened, and by interesting I mean something that caused my hair to catch fire I was so mad at the jackass who responded with the following: “In the White House with Trump, yes. In the White House with Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton, no.” 

See what happened there? The respondent (Let’s call him “Jack”) somehow decided that not only is Trump trustworthy enough to be left with a young woman alone, but that both Bill and Hillary Clinton are NOT. And when he was questioned on his statement he went even further, stating, “Only 2 presidents have a history of grabbing the pussy or letting sperm fly in the White House, and they are Kennedy (D) and Clinton (D).” That’s an exact quote so don’t blame me for the shitty writing, I do well enough with that on my own. 

With that comment Jack has done two things. First he has implied that Presidents Clinton and Kennedy’s affairs make them LESS trustworthy for young women to be around than a man who has been caught on tape admitting to grabbing women’s genitalia and getting away with it because he’s famous, and admitting to walking in on underage girls in beauty competitions he funds while these underage girls are in various stages of undress. Second he has implied, by including the aforementioned Presidents’ political affiliation, that Democrats are somehow less trustworthy around women than a man who between 1987 and 2012 changed his Party affiliation FIVE TIMES (1987 Republican, 1999 Independence Party, 2001 Democrat, 2009 Republican, 2011 No Party Affiliation AKA Independent, 2012 Republican). And that’s just since he moved to Manhattan back in 1987).

So I decided to tell him that no, he wasn’t correct. And a LOT of “NO” wound up coming out.

No, other Presidents have had numerous liaisons both in and outside of the White House.

No, they were not all Democrats. Like Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican (the ideological predecessor to the modern Republican Party), who had an affair with a slave and fathered five children with her. Can you imagine if he’d have been a Democrat? NO ONE would have let their slaves near him knowing how lecherous those pesky Dems could be! Or Warren Harding, a Republican, who allegedly had TWO affairs, and whose second mistress was actually paid $50,000 BY THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE so that she would not come forward and expose their affair as Harding had just won the Republican nomination to run for President. Boy, if he’d have been a Democrat I’m sure that he’d have dies much sooner from his untrustworthy ways than the manner in which he allegedly DID go - poisoned by his wife for cheating on him just three years into his Presidency! Whew! Good thing he was a Republican!

No, you were not asked to elaborate on the question so as to draw attention away from President-elect Trump's proclivity for physically assaulting women. You may (and I’d venture a guess WILL) continue the current Trumpist strategy of “Defense By Distraction,” but I would also venture a guess that such a tactic will eventually blow up in your collective faces.

No, it is not okay to state that "Only 2 presidents have a history of grabbing the pussy," since it completely ignores the fact that President-elect Trump has a history of doing just that, which is known because HE HIMSELF SAID SO. That’s right, you remember don’t you? He actually said that himself, it wasn’t someone claiming that he heard it, or some “11th hour victim” as you and others have called them, who you claim only came forward to try to hurt Trump’s chance of being elected. Even though a number of those women have been either attempting to get their story out for years or had previously told their story only to have it ignored because, well, the man wasn’t running for President at the time. Excuse me for a moment.

Okay, I’m back. I felt the need to wipe the feeling of disgust off of myself, for having to explain such things to a fellow human being who is apparently fine with slandering possible assault victims as well as blatantly making things up to suit his guy’s case. It’s sickening. And now to continue....

Yes, you can and probably will spend the next four years defending a man who, before he has even taken the Oath of Office, has reneged on many of the campaign promises that you voted him into office because of. A few quotes, and their current state of being: “I WILL build a wall, and Mexico will pay for it!” NOPE. “I will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton.” NAH. “I will repeal Obamacare and replace it with something much much better.” SORRY. “I will drain the swamp.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHANOOOOOOPE!

Yes, other Presidents have made mistakes.Clinton slashed both military spending and Intel spending to the point that the Agencies that collected Intel hoarded it and kept things from each other in order to make themselves look important, which indirectly led to the failure of Intel that was 9-11. But I’m sure his affair with an intern was MUCH worse since that is ALL YOU EVER TALK ABOUT when Trump’s sexual misadventures are brought up. And Obama spent so much time trying to get social programs through Congress that he ignored a large swath of the American public who were also hurting but felt that they had no voice anymore, which indirectly led to Secretary Clinton losing votes and helping Trump get elected. But hey, HILLARY STOOD BY BILL EVEN AFTER HE HAD AN AFFAIR! WHAT A BAD PERSON! That’s way more important, since you remember THAT but not that Trump is on his third marriage after cheating on his first two wives, while Bill and Hillary are still together even AFTER all that they went through. Family values, only Trump understands them.

No, you will not actually be able to point to the mistakes of these and other Presidents for the next four years in order to distract from the dumpster fire on top of a train wreck that is ALREADY becoming the Trump Presidency.

So there are my nos, along with some yeses just to keep it positive. But you may ask at this point, “Preacher, exactly WHY do you feel that the impending Presidency of Trump will be suck a massive clusterfuck?” Well, here are just a FEW things that I told good ol’ Jack when he continued to try defending the sweet potato with legs that is about to take charge. Mind you, ALL of these are FACTS unless I otherwise mention, and I DO mention it if it’s simply speculation or opinion for the sake of fairness:

The man admitted to grabbing female genitalia and getting away with it because he's famous and to intentionally walking in on young women while they were getting dressed. It’s him, on tape. And you looked the other way.

The man berated and belittled women. He called a former beauty queen “Miss Piggy,” he alluded to Megan Kelly having her period to explain why she, in his words, treated him “unfairly.” And you looked the other way.

This man mocked a reporter with a disability on national television. And to DEFEND HIM, right-leaning news outlets showed videos of him mocking OTHER PEOPLE. So the argument was that he wasn't mocking the disabled (which the video actually shows that he WAS), he just MOCKS LOTS OF PEOPLE. Which is unconscionable in a Presidential candidate, let alone the actual President. And you looked the other way.

The man pointed to completely fake news stories in order to besmirch the names of his political opponents. He actually cited an article in the Enquirer to explain how Ted Cruz’s father may have tried to kill Kennedy. On television. And you looked the other way.

This man got the news that the last true Socialist dictator, Fidel Castro, had died the same time the rest of the world did. And while the sitting President released an eloquent letter on what Castro's death and the ongoing normalization of relations between our two countries meant for Cuba and for the world, YOUR man tweeted, "Fidel Castro is dead!" That's it. From the next leader of the free world. And you looked the other way. 

The man used hatred in order to incite violence among his followers. He once told a crowd at a rally that he loved “the old days” because a protester who was interrupting him would be “carried out on a stretcher, folks,” and told another crowd in reference to a man who was punched and kicked for protesting that “maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.” The man was protesting. Nothing else. And you looked the other way.

The man showed on national television that he was unaware of some of the key aspects of our national defense strategy. When asked about our nuclear triad, the man SIMPLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS. HE flailed about speaking on various topics from his opposition to the Iraq war (sigh - you’re on tape with an opposite statement there too guy), President Obama being wrong about global warming being important, and, oh yeah, his commitment that nuclear proliferation should be halted. And if that last one sounds great, it would except that shortly after this interview he went on record saying first of all that OTHER NATIONS SHOULD HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS, and that he himself was not opposed to A NUCLEAR STRIKE IN EUROPE in order to win a war. Which. I’m sorry, is as terrifying as it is absolutely fucking insane. And you looked the other way.

The man stated numerous times during his campaign that he would release his tax returns after the election. Then after the audit was completed. And most recently that it doesn't matter if he releases them because only the media cares. Which is completely false as well as a smack in the face to people, like Jack, who ACTUALLY DEFENDED TRUMP by saying that after he WON, the tax records would come out and then “boy will you Liberals look stupid!” And yet here we are. And you continue to look the other way.

The man stated, in clear language and in NO uncertain terms, that he would build a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico, and that he would make Mexico pay for that wall. Unequivocally, without any reservation, with no room for gray area, he told the American people that Mexico would pay for the wall. And within a month of his being elected he stated that the United States would build the wall and that Mexico would "reimburse us," which is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than what he said would happen. And the SAME DAY that he announced this, the President of Mexico reiterated AGAIN in a statement that Mexico will NOT PAY FOR A WALL. And you looked the other way.

The man said that if he won the Presidency that he would put his businesses into a blind trust run by his children. Which is NOT A BLIND TRUST. Not by the business definition and CERTAINLY not by the legal definition. These are holdings that CAN and in fact already HAVE caused ethical issues stemming from the fact that foreign nations could show preferential treatment to his businesses in order to get preferential treatment from OUR NATION. And you looked the other way. But wait, this one gets worse. Because now that you have elected him, he has gone back on the promise to divest himself from his business holdings or come even CLOSE to putting them into a blind trust, instead openly stating in his first press conference that the day-to-day running of his businesses will be done by his sons, and that he and his daughter will have nothing to do with the running of said businesses. He will STILL OWN THE BUSINESSES THOUGH. Which, yes, is actually against the United States Constitution. That, in case you forgot, is the document that you and others like you were afraid that President Obama and Secretary Clinton if she were elected would tear to pieces, the same document that YOUR GUY is about to violate. And his daughter is as of today still in talks with a Chinese company about a Trump project in China, a company that is majority owned BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. Neither she nor her father have made any move to cut her out of these negotiations. And you continue to look the other way.

The man stated that he would repeal Obamacare and replace it with "something much better." his own words. He also stated that no one would be left without coverage when Obamacare was repealed because he had "so many ideas" (again, his own words) for what to replace Obamacare with. And Congress has just moved to begin the repeal of Obamacare, something of which Trump approved, with NO REPLACEMENT AT ALL. AT ALL.  Let me say that again, NO REPLACEMENT AT ALL. Because of this, over TWENTY MILLION PEOPLE will at least temporarily and over half of them permanently LOSE THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE. This is tantamount to murder, as one of the biggest provisos of Obamacare has always been the inability to be turned down due to preexisting conditions, which is ALSO coincidentally one of the FIRST things that Congress JUST VOTED THE OTHER DAY TO END. And you continue to look the other way. 

The man, AND the sitting President, were briefed on CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE that members of President-elect Trump's campaign had DIRECT CONTACT with the Russian government during the election. This is not the bed-pissing nonsense, I could not care less about whatever deviancy he practices or does not practice in his bedroom or in a Russian hotel room, for that matter. This is a detailed report based on real Intel that has caused the FBI to begin an investigation into whether members of the Trump election team colluded with the Russian government to sway a United States Presidential election. And you continue to look the other way.

But hey, at least he’s surrounding himself with “good people, smart people.” Once again, his words. How’s that going....

The man said that he would "drain the swamp," and that he would begine to rid Washington of lobbyists, insiders and big-business types who were only there for their own good and not the good of the people. And once he was elected he proceeded to nominate two Goldman Sachs executives, the CEO of the largest corporate entity in the world (Exxon-Mobil), and a handful of lobbyists to Cabinet and leadership positions. And you CONTINUE to look the other way.

The man appointed Stephen Bannon, who is responsible for articles such as “There’s no hiring bias against women in tech, they just suck at interviews” (totally misogynistic and written in such a gender-biased way as to be laughable),  “Trump 100% vindicated: CBS reports ‘swarm’ on rooftops celebrating 9/11″ (completely debunked to the point that CBS ran a story just to let people know that this was false news), and “Racist, pro-Nazi roots of Planned Parenthood revealed” (a hit piece written with such a slant that there is not an ounce of verifiable factual information in it). And when the man had his first press conference, he berated a CNN reporter and called the network “fake news” for reporting NOT that Trump likes to pay Russian prostitutes to pee the bed (that was Uproxx and others after that), but that he and President Obama had been briefed on “unverified intelligence from a credible source” that the Russian government might have information that could be used to blackmail the President-elect. That’s what CNN reported. NOT the pee-pee diaries. And your man conflated them with Uproxx. And then Trump took a question from Breitbart News. I shit you not.  And you looked the other way.

The man nominated a man who has a questionable track record regarding civil rights, who opposed repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to give people of all sexual orientations the right to serve their country and who supported a Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex marriage to head our nation's largest law enforcement body. Senator Sessions lost a bid to be a Federal Judge due to racist comments, and led his State’s defense of a school funding bill that was eventually found to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL due to its favoring of wealthy, mostly white schools over poor, mostly black ones.  And you looked the other way.

The man nominated a man to run the Office of Housing and Urban Development who has publicly stated that he DOESN'T THINK HE KNOWS HOW TO RUN SUCH AN ORGANIZATION. Ben Carson has ZERO experience running such an Agency, and has just as little experience in government. Oh yeah, and you and your friends AND TRUMP made Carson out to be a complete idiot during the Primaries who couldn’t run a Burger King. And you looked the other way.

The man nominated a man to run the Department of Energy who has publicly stated that he would DO AWAY WITH IT, though he COULDN'T REMEMBER THE AGENCY'S NAME WHEN HE WAS ASKED IT. Former Governor Perry is a climate change denier, and is STILL ON THE BOARD of the company that is trying to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. And you continue to look the other way.

The man nominated a woman to run the Department of Education who has a long and vociferous history of OPPOSING PUBLIC EDUCATION. Betsy DeVos is a billionaire who advocated for charter schools and the privatization of the public education system, something that has been repeatedly proven to favor the wealthy and to disproportionally affect the poor.  And you continue to look the other way.

In a few days this man will take the Presidential Oath of Office under a cloud of possible ethics violations, under a cloud of question over his leveraging of national power to make money for his businesses, under a cloud of suspicion over whether he will keep ANY of his campaign promises, most of which he’s already broken, and under a cloud of doubt as to his ability to actually do the job of President. The United States will have a possible Constitutional crisis on its hands from day one.

The fact that he has admitted to inappropriately touching women without their permission and to walking in on underage young ladies in various stages of undress are only two of MANY reasons that I would not trust the man alone with ANYONE, least of all my daughter. And she’s not even a year old yet. Which is good, because at least I can hope that by the time she understands stuff like politics, the Trump era will have become just an extremely embarrassing memory.

- Preacher

[robgrayofficial]

GOOOOD AFTERNOON PATRIOTS!This is your girl, u/Ivaginaryfriend here and I'm back with your weekly recap of all things dank and spicy!As always, If you happened to miss any past recaps you can catch them here!Let's get this recap started!Sunday, September 2nd:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Tiger Woods showed great class in the way he answered the question about the Office of the Presidency and me. Now they say the so-called “left” is angry at him. So sad, but the “center & right” loves Tiger, Kanye, George Foreman, Jim Brown & so many other greats, even more....... ... ....The fact is that African/American unemployment is now the lowest in the history of our country. Same with Asian, Hispanic and almost every other group. The Democrats have been all talk and no action. My Administration has already produced like no other, and everyone sees it!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Peaceful memorial gatherings, showing victims of Muslim attacks, is now considered “alt right”. No wonder liberal schools want to ban 9/11 memorials!Chick-fil-A Manager Stops Service To Pray for Employee Having Surgery for Breast Cancer. With In and Out getting love, I figure we still want to appreciate Chick-fil-A.The perfect woman doesn't exi...Uncucked Seahawks owner Paul Allen gives $100,000 to help Republicans keep control of U.S. House, MAGA🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Imagine trying to explain this picture to someone 5 years agoI'll just leave this hereJust an iconic photo of the 21st century that you'll never see in a textbookTRUMP 2020Anon gets robbed by the FedsMonday, September 3rd:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Happy Labor Day! Our country is doing better than ever before with unemployment setting record lows. The U.S. has tremendous upside potential as we go about fixing some of the worst Trade Deals ever made by any country in the world. Big progress being made!The Worker in America is doing better than ever before. Celebrate Labor Day!Richard Trumka, the head of the AFL-CIO, represented his union poorly on television this weekend. Some of the things he said were so against the working men and women of our country, and the success of the U.S. itself, that it is easy to see why unions are doing so poorly. A Dem!The U.S. is respected again!(Retweeting The White House) In July, President Trump announced the Pledge to America's Workers. In little more than a month since, MILLIONS of new opportunities have been created for our workforce.(Retweeting Ivanka Trump) Today, on #LaborDay, let’s also recognize the amazing stay-at-home parents across America, who seldom receive the credit they deserve for the invaluable work that they do, as they nurture and raise the next generation of American workers! Thank you! #HappyLaborDayTwo long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff...... ... ....The Democrats, none of whom voted for Jeff Sessions, must love him now. Same thing with Lyin’ James Comey. The Dems all hated him, wanted him out, thought he was disgusting - UNTIL I FIRED HIM! Immediately he became a wonderful man, a saint like figure in fact. Really sick!I see that John Kerry, the father of the now terminated Iran deal, is thinking of running for President. I should only be so lucky - although the field that is currently assembling looks really good - FOR ME!According to the Failing New York Times, the FBI started a major effort to flip Putin loyalists in 2014-2016. “It wasn’t about Trump, he wasn’t even close to a candidate yet.” Rigged Witch Hunt!President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Japan only admits 27 Muslim “refugees.” Two already arrested for gang rape.r/politics just can't believe in happy/successful conservative POCDiner that kicked out Sarah Huckabee Sanders has severe drop in tourism, now pulling from emergency funds to “rescue their image” in new ad campaign.Since President Trump took office, he has helped create 3.4+ million new jobs (7/31/18), the overall unemployment rate has dropped from 4.6% to 3.9%, long-term unemployment has dropped from 1.9 million to 1.4 million, and some of us with crappy jobs have found better jobs through more choices!ININININININININININININININININININ - N - OUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUT🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Ryan Gosling's next movieJust a picture of the savior of the western world going out to meet his destiny.Blue Wave 2018- Ben Garrison cartoon! Beach Closed!He could have kept to his billionaire lifestyle, where the media and celebrities all loved him. Instead he decided to help our country. And he didn't do it by taking a knee, but by standing up!What the fucking fuck!?Tuesday, September 4th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration PostsPresident Donald J. Trump Signs an Executive Order Protecting Americans' Retirement🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:NBC FAKE NEWS, which is under intense scrutiny over their killing the Harvey Weinstein story, is now fumbling around making excuses for their probably highly unethical conduct. I have long criticized NBC and their journalistic standards-worse than even CNN. Look at their license?Everyone in the path of #Gordon please heed the advice of State and local officials and follow @NHC_Atlantic for updates. The Federal Government stands ready to assist. Be safe!Jon Kyl will be an extraordinary Senator representing an extraordinary state, Arizona. I look forward to working with him!The Brett Kavanaugh hearings for the future Justice of the Supreme Court are truly a display of how mean, angry, and despicable the other side is. They will say anything, and are only.... ... ....looking to inflict pain and embarrassment to one of the most highly renowned jurists to ever appear before Congress. So sad to see!“Pledge to America’s Workers”Paul Cook is a decorated Marine Corps Veteran who loves and supports our Military and Vets. He is Strong on Crime, the Border, and supported Tax Cuts for the people of California. Paul has my total and complete Endorsement!“Judge Brett Kavanaugh is an Exceptionally Qualified and Deserving Nominee for the Supreme Court”Statement from Secretary of Defense, James Mattis:Statement from White House Chief of Staff, General John Kelly:Statement from White House @PressSec, Sarah Sanders:The Woodward book has already been refuted and discredited by General (Secretary of Defense) James Mattis and General (Chief of Staff) John Kelly. Their quotes were made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes. Woodward is a Dem operative? Notice timing?Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake NBC News said it’s time for the Press to stop complaining and to start fighting back. Actually Chuck, they’ve been doing that from the day I announced for President. They’ve gone all out, and I WON, and now they’re going CRAZY!The already discredited Woodward book, so many lies and phony sources, has me calling Jeff Sessions “mentally retarded” and “a dumb southerner.” I said NEITHER, never used those terms on anyone, including Jeff, and being a southerner is a GREAT thing. He made this up to divide!Jim Mattis Calls Woodward Book 'Fiction': 'Product of Someone's Rich Imagination'“Secretary Mattis Nukes Woodward Allegations”SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Statement from Secretary of Defense, James Mattis:Statement from a White House Chief of Staff, General John KellyConfirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett KavanaughWhile America was distracted with the Kavanaugh circus, nobody noticed that Arizona flipped RED today in the SenateWomen’s March leader Linda Sarsour was among the left-wing activists arrested Tuesday for interrupting the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:SALT MINE THREAD CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR SUPREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEME COURT NOMINEE JUDGE KAVANAUGH - REDDIT SUICIDE WATCH CONTINUESA black man drops a red pill in r/news, gets massive downvotes but also gold x 4. #WalkAway, bro!Just a picture of our next Supreme Court Justice.Watching the Kavanaugh hearing on Fox, it sounds like a couple of these non-gender specific humans might be producing lots of salt in the audienceBrett Kavanaugh leaves his house with....an ADIDAS bag. #NikeBoycottWednesday, September 5th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individual to a Key Administration PostPresident Trump Meets with the Amir of the State of KuwaitPresident Trump has an Expanded Bilateral Meeting with the Amir of the State of KuwaitPresident Trump Meets with Republican Congressional LeadershipPresident Trump Meets with Sheriffs from Across the Country🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws?Almost everyone agrees that my Administration has done more in less than two years than any other Administration in the history of our Country. I’m tough as hell on people & if I weren’t, nothing would get done. Also, I question everybody & everything-which is why I got elected!The Trump Economy is booming with help of House and Senate GOP. #FarmBill with SNAP work requirements will bolster farmers and get America back to work. Pass the Farm Bill with SNAP work requirements!Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!Thank you General Kelly, book is total fiction!Thank you General Mattis, book is boring & untrue!Join me tomorrow night at 7:00pm MDT in Billings, Montana for a MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY! Get your tickets here:Today, it was my honor to welcome the Amir of Kuwait to the @WhiteHouse!The Failing New York Times!TREASON?Does the so-called “Senior Administration Official” really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source? If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!I’m draining the Swamp, and the Swamp is trying to fight back. Don’t worry, we will win!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Day 2BREAKING: Kim Jong Un agrees to cooperate with United States in nuclear talks.There is an admitted TRAITOR inside the Trump Administration. Someone needs to get to the bottom of this ASAP!!!!!Here's the video of Alex Jones confronting CNN's oliver darcy - the reporter who lobbied YouTube & Facebook to shut down Infowars. "You are incredibly shameful," Jones told Darcy, adding, "You are literally an anti-American, anti-free speech coward."Sarah Sanders Unleashes the Fury on a TraitorFITTON:GIANT Email Finds by Judicial Watch: Strzok drafted initial Comey letter on Weiner laptop to Congress. Comey seems to have shut down probe before Weiner laptop review complete.🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Paid Protestors she me the moneyJust being AntifaSo this is the end game they really wanted?Alex Jones having a ball at Facebook/Twitter Congressional hearingsBrigade us all you want, lefties. You’re still losingThursday, September 6th:TODAY'S ACTION:Six Nominations Sent to the Senate🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims “unwavering faith in President Trump.” Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy - & they don’t know what to do. The Economy is booming like never before, Jobs are at Historic Highs, soon TWO Supreme Court Justices & maybe Declassification to find Additional Corruption. Wow!Cosumer confidence highest in 18 years, Atlanta Fed forecasts 4.7 GDP, manufacturing jobs highest in many years. “It’s the story of the Trump Administration, the Economic Success, that’s unnerving his detractors.” @MariaBartiromo“The record is quite remarkable. The President has faithfully followed the agenda he campaigned on in 2016. People should focus on the results, and they’re extraordinary!” James Freeman - Wall Street JournalLook forward to seeing everyone in Montana tonight! #MAGAAre the investigative “journalists” of the New York Times going to investigate themselves - who is the anonymous letter writer?Landing in Montana now to support Matt Rosendale for U.S. Senate! #MAGAGetting ready to go on stage for Matt Rosendale, who will be a great Senator. Jon Tester has let the people of Montana down & does not deserve another six years. Matt is strong on Crime, the Borders, & will save your Second Amendment from the onslaught. Loves our Military & Vets!MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!Thank you Montana, I love you!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Day 3Man Caught Paying Off Kavanaugh Protesters Works For Soros-Funded OrganizationMcCABE GRAND JURY: Secret Grand Jury Proceedings Underway Against Andrew McCabe; Witnesses Summoned – It's almost like Christmas morning every day right now! SaLtY tEaRs RaIn On Me!!!!Obama’s spying scandal is starting to look a lot like WatergateDocs Reveal Clinton Meddling In Russian PoliticsPRESS BRIEFINGS, INTERVIEWS, RALLIES:WATCH PARTY: President Trump & Matt Rosendale Rally - Billings, MT - 9/6/18🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Kick and scream all you want, losers. Kavanaugh is getting approved. Day 3 lets go!The Left's worst nightmareOkay.. which one of you was this?Alex Jones’s last tweet... Press F to pay respects.over 100 downvotes in 10 minutes, these people are FUCKING SEETHING that Kavanaugh is getting inFriday, September 7th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individual to a Key Administration PostPresidential Proclamation on National Days of Prayer and Remembrance, 2018🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:What was Nike thinking?Matt Rosendale will be a Great Senator from a Great State, Montana! He is a fighter who will be tough on Crime and the Border, fight hard for our 2nd Amendment and loves our Military and our Vets. He has my full and complete Endorsement!The Woodward book is a scam. I don’t talk the way I am quoted. If I did I would not have been elected President. These quotes were made up. The author uses every trick in the book to demean and belittle. I wish the people could see the real facts - and our country is doing GREAT!Under our horrible immigration laws, the Government is frequently blocked from deporting criminal aliens with violent felony convictions. House GOP just passed a bill to increase our ability to deport violent felons (Crazy Dems opposed). Need to get this bill to my desk fast!“Unprecedented Jobs Growth Streak Continues as Wages Rise”14 days for $28 MILLION - $2 MILLION a day, No Collusion. A great day for America!(Retweeting Dan Scavino Jr.) .@larry_kudlow: “Job gains, wage growth show Trump's economic boom continues”(Retweeting Caleb Hull) [“I complained plenty about Fox News, but I never threatened to shut them down.” It’s probably a good time to remind you that Obama used the Espionage Act to go after whistleblowers who leaked to journalists more than all previous presidents combined.]()(Retweeting Richard Grenall) [fact check: @realDonaldTrump kicked the Nazi out of NYC after 14 years and multiple Presidents allowed him to stay.]()(Retweeting Eric Bolling) Watching @BarackObama take credit for @realDonaldTrump successes is disgraceful. Score So Far- TRUMP: -Unemployment Rate -GDP -Wage Growth -# Blacks Employed -# Hispanics Employed -# Women Employed -ISIS Wins -Homegrown Terror Events. OBAMA: -Slick Speaking -School ShootingsSIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Day 4Fuck yes!!!. ICE Raids Dairy Farm Where Illegal Alien Accused of Killing Mollie Tibbetts WorkedA sample of 300 verified Twitter accounts promoting anti-white racism. Strange what will get one banned and what will get one check-marked and promoted, isn't it?BREAKING: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell signals Cory Booker may face ethics probe over document release in political stuntLOL!!! Trump on Obongo's speech: "I fell asleep. I've found he's very good, very good for sleeping."🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Not Real SocialismHad a few Pedes ask about the image I used on my sign at the Billings rally last night. I didn't create it, I just spruced up the color and changed the slogan on the hat, added the text at the bottom. Make it your own!14 DAYS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHACorey Booker is the gift that keeps givingTrump Jr. for the winSaturday, September 8th:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Dave Hughes is running for Congress in the Great State of Minnesota. He will help us accomplish our America First policies, is strong on Crime, the Border, our 2nd Amendmen, Trade, Military and Vets. Running against Pelosi Liberal Puppet Petterson. Dave has my Total Endorsement!“To this point, President Trump’s achievements are unprecedented.” @LouDobbsWe are breaking all Jobs and Economic Records but, importantly, our Country has TREMENDOUS FUTURE POTENTIAL. We have just begun!Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China - but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive. Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting! #MAGASIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Marketwatch: The reasons why Trump’s trade wars will boost U.S. jobs and stocksSomeone Remind Obama that Trump Kicked the Nazi Out of NYC – The Same Nazi Obama Ignored for 8 YearsCNN buys ad on “InfoWars” search in App StoreSecDef Mattis signs a flag for the door gunner on a CH-47 Chinook upon departure from Kabul, Afghanistan, Sept. 7Battlefield 5 censors "white man" in chat. I thought it was ok to be white?🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:THIS AGED WELL QUOTE: Mark CubanJust Delete It.Typical Obama...Number of days since President Trump asked kneeling NFL players to recommend wrongfully convicted people for pardonsSuper Rare PepeSOOOO MUCH FUCKING WINNING!Without further ado, some tunes to get you jamming through all this WINNING:I Love ItRosesPink and WhiteStay Up!Only OneIvyMAGA ON PATRIOTS! #robgray

[anchorarcade]

Congress' uncertain path on Obamacare subsidy fix

http://ryanguillory.com/congress-uncertain-path-on-obamacare-subsidy-fix/

Congress' uncertain path on Obamacare subsidy fix

Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander’s bipartisan effort with Democrat Patty Murray has already encountered skepticism from GOP conservatives and growing opposition from the White House. | M. Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO

In the short term, a bill to restore funding faces huge hurdles on Capitol Hill, where the White House’s decision has reignited partisan warfare.

By JENNIFER HABERKORN and ADAM CANCRYN

10/13/2017 04:21 PM EDT

Updated 10/13/2017 06:06 PM EDT

2017-10-13T06:06-0400

Congressional Republicans were caught off guard by the Trump administration’s decision Thursday to pull $7 billion in Obamacare funding next week, leaving them scrambling over whether or how to replace the critical subsidy funds.

President Donald Trump had been threatening for months to cut off the funds, which insurers use to help low-income people pay their deductibles and co-pays, but Congress had scant warning when he finally stopped them, effective immediately, less than three weeks before the Nov. 1 start of the next open enrollment season.

Story Continued Below

A bipartisan attempt by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to stabilize Obamacare, which would fund the subsidies for up to two years, has already encountered skepticism from GOP conservatives and growing opposition from the White House. The two lawmakers plan to keep talking — but it’s a tough road.

“Under no circumstance should Congress attempt to expand Obamacare by cutting a check for President Obama’s bailout of insurance companies,” Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, tweeted late Thursday.

In the short term, a bill to restore the funding faces huge political hurdles on Capitol Hill, where the White House’s decision has reignited the partisan warfare over the GOP’s failed Obamacare repeal efforts. Democrats are already eyeing a year-end spending bill or a supplemental disaster bill as possible places to tuck in the Obamacare funding.

But without the money for the cost-sharing subsidies, which reduce the out-of-pocket health care costs for low-income people, the Obamacare markets are likely to grow more unstable over the next year, with big questions about viability in 2019.

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Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning — in your inbox.

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The sudden decision to end the payments — which is likely to be thrown into the courts — presents a risky political calculation for both parties before the 2018 mid-term elections.

If Republicans negotiate with Democrats, it means taking partial ownership of a health law that is toxic to their base. If they walk away, it may not be so easy for Republicans to keep blaming Democrats for higher premiums with the GOP in control of Washington. Similarly, Democrats have to decide whether it’s better to make changes to Obamacare, or to blame rising premiums on a Republican party hell-bent on taking insurance away from people as they head into the fall campaign.

Several polls have shown that while the Trump base still clamors for Obamacare repeal, much of the country wants both parties to stabilize the health law. A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation released Friday found that 7 in 10 Americans want the Trump administration to make the health law work, not make it fail.

While they don’t have a final agreement yet, Alexander and Murray have a general framework they hope will result in a deal: Republicans would support up to two years of cost-sharing payments in exchange for giving the states flexibility to get around Obamacare’s requirements. But the negotiations had stalled over how to define that flexibility in a way that both parties could accept. Alexander and Murray plan to keep working when the Senate returns from a recess next week.

They have support from many governors, including some Republicans who would prefer to see a stable insurance market rather than an imploding one.

“I continue to be optimistic about our negotiations and believe we can reach a deal quickly — and I urge Republican leaders in Congress to do the right thing for families this time by supporting our work,” Murray said Friday.

Before the funding was pulled, Senate Republicans were increasingly pessimistic that Murray and Alexander could reach a deal that a broad number of Republican senators could support. And they were even more skeptical that any plan they pass could get through the more conservative House, where the GOP lawmakers are still smarting from seeing their Obamacare repeal bill die in the upper chamber.

Privately, many Republicans hoped the White House would continue making the payments so that the GOP didn’t have to deal with the problem. In fact, within a day of the announcement, notably few Republicans had made public statements to weigh in one way or another on the White House’s decision.

Trump has often mused about throwing the Obamacare markets into chaos to force Democrats to the negotiating table. He spent months toying with pulling the subsidy funding before making the call Thursday night — just hours after signing an separate executive order paving the way for health plans that are exempt from Obamacare rules. Policy experts warn those “skinny plans” appealing to younger and healthier people could do widespread damage to the individual market on its own.

“Massive subsidy payments to their pet insurance companies has stopped,” Trump tweeted afterward. “Dems should call me to fix!”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer quickly ruled out any thought that Democrats might be pressured to give ground on health care, repeatedly telling reporters that it’s up to Republicans to find a way to fund the subsidies or risk owning whatever chaos hits the markets.

“Republicans in the House and Senate now own the health care system in this country from top to bottom,” he said. “Threats and bullying is not going to work. In this, politically, [Trump]’s in worse shape than we are.”

With polls showing that Americans largely hold Republicans responsible for the fate of the health care system, there’s little incentive to give in to any demands that would make major structural changes to Obamacare.

“Our Republican colleagues understand that they have an obligation to solve this problem,” Schumer said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urged a quick repair. Funding could be restored in a “stand-alone [bill], a vehicle that’s attached to a supplemental, or down the road in the omnibus, but that’s pretty far down the road; hopefully we could resolve it sooner,” she said.

Republicans also have to decide whether they want to step between the increasingly hostile relationship between the White House and insurance companies. The combination of the White House decision to cut the cost-sharing payments as well as the new executive order to allow insurance companies to sell less regulated plans has the potential to further destabilize shaky markets.

“They’re sending a signal as strong as they can to the insurance industry: I double dog dare you to participate” in the Obamacare markets, said Rodney Whitlock, a vice president at ML Strategies and a former GOP aide on Capitol Hill.

It was House Republicans who first objected in 2014 to the Obama administration using its executive authority to fund the subsidies — a legal challenge that they ultimately won in a district court. But when Trump won the presidency, it put the GOP in a difficult spot between pushing to end the subsidies at the risk of owning any resulting damage, or quietly reversing their stance in court.

House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said Trump’s decision reaffirmed that only Congress can appropriate money.

“As Obamacare’s failures continue to hurt families across the country, Congress is continuing to look for ways to provide certainty and lower premium costs for the millions of Americans still trapped in Obamacare’s collapsing marketplaces,” he said.

Conservative Republicans on Friday said the decision to stop the payments is an opportunity to renew the repeal debate — calling on the GOP not to accept anything less than a total replacement of Obamacare.

“We need the focus to be on repealing and replacing Obamacare,” a spokesman for Walker said. “What we don’t want is for the Senate to pass a bill that simply props up the failing system.”

Heather Caygle contributed to this report.

Missing out on the latest scoops? Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning — in your inbox.

Source link

[awesomefelicitylewis-blog]

Congress' uncertain path on Obamacare subsidy fix

http://ryanguillory.com/congress-uncertain-path-on-obamacare-subsidy-fix/

Congress' uncertain path on Obamacare subsidy fix

Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander’s bipartisan effort with Democrat Patty Murray has already encountered skepticism from GOP conservatives and growing opposition from the White House. | M. Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO

In the short term, a bill to restore funding faces huge hurdles on Capitol Hill, where the White House’s decision has reignited partisan warfare.

By JENNIFER HABERKORN and ADAM CANCRYN

10/13/2017 04:21 PM EDT

Updated 10/13/2017 06:06 PM EDT

2017-10-13T06:06-0400

Congressional Republicans were caught off guard by the Trump administration’s decision Thursday to pull $7 billion in Obamacare funding next week, leaving them scrambling over whether or how to replace the critical subsidy funds.

President Donald Trump had been threatening for months to cut off the funds, which insurers use to help low-income people pay their deductibles and co-pays, but Congress had scant warning when he finally stopped them, effective immediately, less than three weeks before the Nov. 1 start of the next open enrollment season.

Story Continued Below

A bipartisan attempt by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to stabilize Obamacare, which would fund the subsidies for up to two years, has already encountered skepticism from GOP conservatives and growing opposition from the White House. The two lawmakers plan to keep talking — but it’s a tough road.

“Under no circumstance should Congress attempt to expand Obamacare by cutting a check for President Obama’s bailout of insurance companies,” Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, tweeted late Thursday.

In the short term, a bill to restore the funding faces huge political hurdles on Capitol Hill, where the White House’s decision has reignited the partisan warfare over the GOP’s failed Obamacare repeal efforts. Democrats are already eyeing a year-end spending bill or a supplemental disaster bill as possible places to tuck in the Obamacare funding.

But without the money for the cost-sharing subsidies, which reduce the out-of-pocket health care costs for low-income people, the Obamacare markets are likely to grow more unstable over the next year, with big questions about viability in 2019.

The most reliable politics newsletter.

Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning — in your inbox.

By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.

The sudden decision to end the payments — which is likely to be thrown into the courts — presents a risky political calculation for both parties before the 2018 mid-term elections.

If Republicans negotiate with Democrats, it means taking partial ownership of a health law that is toxic to their base. If they walk away, it may not be so easy for Republicans to keep blaming Democrats for higher premiums with the GOP in control of Washington. Similarly, Democrats have to decide whether it’s better to make changes to Obamacare, or to blame rising premiums on a Republican party hell-bent on taking insurance away from people as they head into the fall campaign.

Several polls have shown that while the Trump base still clamors for Obamacare repeal, much of the country wants both parties to stabilize the health law. A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation released Friday found that 7 in 10 Americans want the Trump administration to make the health law work, not make it fail.

While they don’t have a final agreement yet, Alexander and Murray have a general framework they hope will result in a deal: Republicans would support up to two years of cost-sharing payments in exchange for giving the states flexibility to get around Obamacare’s requirements. But the negotiations had stalled over how to define that flexibility in a way that both parties could accept. Alexander and Murray plan to keep working when the Senate returns from a recess next week.

They have support from many governors, including some Republicans who would prefer to see a stable insurance market rather than an imploding one.

“I continue to be optimistic about our negotiations and believe we can reach a deal quickly — and I urge Republican leaders in Congress to do the right thing for families this time by supporting our work,” Murray said Friday.

Before the funding was pulled, Senate Republicans were increasingly pessimistic that Murray and Alexander could reach a deal that a broad number of Republican senators could support. And they were even more skeptical that any plan they pass could get through the more conservative House, where the GOP lawmakers are still smarting from seeing their Obamacare repeal bill die in the upper chamber.

Privately, many Republicans hoped the White House would continue making the payments so that the GOP didn’t have to deal with the problem. In fact, within a day of the announcement, notably few Republicans had made public statements to weigh in one way or another on the White House’s decision.

Trump has often mused about throwing the Obamacare markets into chaos to force Democrats to the negotiating table. He spent months toying with pulling the subsidy funding before making the call Thursday night — just hours after signing an separate executive order paving the way for health plans that are exempt from Obamacare rules. Policy experts warn those “skinny plans” appealing to younger and healthier people could do widespread damage to the individual market on its own.

“Massive subsidy payments to their pet insurance companies has stopped,” Trump tweeted afterward. “Dems should call me to fix!”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer quickly ruled out any thought that Democrats might be pressured to give ground on health care, repeatedly telling reporters that it’s up to Republicans to find a way to fund the subsidies or risk owning whatever chaos hits the markets.

“Republicans in the House and Senate now own the health care system in this country from top to bottom,” he said. “Threats and bullying is not going to work. In this, politically, [Trump]’s in worse shape than we are.”

With polls showing that Americans largely hold Republicans responsible for the fate of the health care system, there’s little incentive to give in to any demands that would make major structural changes to Obamacare.

“Our Republican colleagues understand that they have an obligation to solve this problem,” Schumer said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urged a quick repair. Funding could be restored in a “stand-alone [bill], a vehicle that’s attached to a supplemental, or down the road in the omnibus, but that’s pretty far down the road; hopefully we could resolve it sooner,” she said.

Republicans also have to decide whether they want to step between the increasingly hostile relationship between the White House and insurance companies. The combination of the White House decision to cut the cost-sharing payments as well as the new executive order to allow insurance companies to sell less regulated plans has the potential to further destabilize shaky markets.

“They’re sending a signal as strong as they can to the insurance industry: I double dog dare you to participate” in the Obamacare markets, said Rodney Whitlock, a vice president at ML Strategies and a former GOP aide on Capitol Hill.

It was House Republicans who first objected in 2014 to the Obama administration using its executive authority to fund the subsidies — a legal challenge that they ultimately won in a district court. But when Trump won the presidency, it put the GOP in a difficult spot between pushing to end the subsidies at the risk of owning any resulting damage, or quietly reversing their stance in court.

House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said Trump’s decision reaffirmed that only Congress can appropriate money.

“As Obamacare’s failures continue to hurt families across the country, Congress is continuing to look for ways to provide certainty and lower premium costs for the millions of Americans still trapped in Obamacare’s collapsing marketplaces,” he said.

Conservative Republicans on Friday said the decision to stop the payments is an opportunity to renew the repeal debate — calling on the GOP not to accept anything less than a total replacement of Obamacare.

“We need the focus to be on repealing and replacing Obamacare,” a spokesman for Walker said. “What we don’t want is for the Senate to pass a bill that simply props up the failing system.”

Heather Caygle contributed to this report.

Missing out on the latest scoops? Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning — in your inbox.

Source link

[alwaysscreechingbasement]

A rant/essay from a Facebook friend. (LONG post ahead)

Since the depression, every generation has had to work more and more to get by. In the 50's and early 60's, a family could easily survive on a single income. By the 70's it was almost standard that if you weren't in the higher tax brackets, both parents had to work. By the 80's (because of the 'new' financial difficulties of the late 70's, and people relying more and more on credit), most people had debt, and two incomes barely covered it. Debt went NUTS in the 80's, mostly because capitalism was HUGE then because of Reagan. There were all these things that quickly went from a 'luxury' to a necessity, like home phone, cable, and multiple cars. By the 90's, the wage gap that sprouted in the 70's and flourished in the 80's had come to be a way of life. People had tens of thousands in debt, the population was growing faster than ever before, and people depended more and more on government assistance. The Clinton era saw tax breaks for the middle class, better less expensive healthcare, more readily available medicaid, and people were finally starting to get on their feet as a nation (Clinton left us [National debt] in the black for the first time in decades). Then Dubya happened. Or, outright stole the election, I should say. He took away most of what was helping people become self sufficient, raised taxes on the middle class, and simultaneously gave huge tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations. He was able to make it seem acceptable because of the influx of tech wealth. Cost of living grew much faster than the average wages, and he put us right back to where we were before the Clinton era in two years. He managed to destroy 8 years of progress with two years of greed plus two wars he put on an imaginary credit card in attempt to make himself a hero. Then Obama took office. What he did in his 8 years was to get us a deficit again, raise wages (as much as he could) and give us affordable healthcare. Unfortunately, because he was black (and also progressive, but mostly because he's black), republicans openly blocked him and fought him every step of the way. 

Funny enough, one of the main reasons that was able to happen, is up until this past presidential election, people under 30 (millennials) didn't bother to vote. The older republicans who had been duped into believing the scare tactics from the Dubya years came out in full force, while younger progressives couldn't be bothered to vote in local elections. Starting around 2000, America had record lows of young voters, and this allowed republicans to gain a strangle hold on the government. The Tea party gained traction. A black, progressive president was new, and people are generally fearful of anything new. Because of the non-progress spurred on by Dubya and then the obstructionism of the right through the Obama administration, not only did republicans gain power, but millennials (who were finally having to live on their own) were faces with an even larger wage gap (as every generation before then has been) and took to the new format of social media to complain. STILL numbers of voters in that age group were pitifully low, but the small percentage that did vote often voted for 3rd party candidates or worse, Tea Party/republican candidates, because all they knew is they wanted change that they weren't seeing. 

Then came the 2016 presidential election. Social media (created largely by baby boomers, btw) allowed them to feel more engaged with less effort. They finally started becoming more involved (though small and local elections still saw little to no rise in young voters), and they blindly glommed on to the 3rd party candidates again, who this time used the same social media platforms millennials were dependant on to spread their message of "change", without giving any solid solutions as to how to attain it. Social media also allowed conservatives, the right, and outside forces (looking at you Russia) to push a false narrative about the only major candidate that could actually enact change and continue Obama hard won achievements. Most of the "oligarchy" argument as well as the other blatant lies that were spreading around like wildfire have been proven time and again to have originated on the right.

Unfortunately, now more than ever (thanks again to social media) younger people determined that they wanted to be" different" and "anti-establishment", ironically by throwing their support behind a 30 plus year career politician. They're a generation who saw that collective online organization could affect real life change through petitions and threats... so instead of working together to improve the only progressive candidate's platform that had a chance of winning, they chose to hold the election hostage. Now, this is not speculatory, they openly did so with the "Bernie or Bust" malarkey. Bernie, having a long track record of attention whoring, helped to amp up the growing unrest, and instead of directing at the right (who got us into this mess in the first place) he falsely directed it at Hillary in attempt to be remembered for more than collecting a government paycheck and to bolster his own ego. He had zero solutions, and zero practical experience, but millennials en masse bought into his empty promises. Because of that divide, and people claiming 'political purity' by voting for Stein, writing in Sanders, or simply not voting as a protest (if not voting for Trump to "teach people people a lesson"), Trump won. The exit polls showed as much. 

Trump has shown in his time so far that we're not only heading back to pre-Clinton era tax disparity, but that the wage gap will only increase, this time with fewer routes of government assistance. So, no, it wasn't baby boomers who caused it. They aren't too blame. The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Republicans, millennials who only vote when it's "exciting" if at all, and the conservative/right/outside forces that pushed the narrative that Dems and Liberals were ineffective in achieving nationally benefitial goals. If you look back at American political history, it's been the same story over and over again. People want change (but only to benefit themselves) some vote for a candidate to achieve that change, usually the 'outraged' right. A republican wins, digs us deeper and deeper into debt, causes the cost of living to increase, and (in recent history, 80's to now) seem to TRY to get us in a war. People again want change, then some people vote, usually for a Dem, and change for the better starts happening. The original group of voters (Reps) get mad because their taxes (that they would have paid anyhow) start going to programs designed to feed, house, and give medical coverage to those in need (they like to call them moochers), and the current group (Dems) get mad because they aren't seeing change occur FAST ENOUGH. So again people start voting for change, ANY kind of change, and we end up with another republican in office, starting the whole process over again. This time it was almost different. If all the people who claimed to want progressive improvement had actually voted for the candidate that would've won (and technically DID win by thousands of votes) in a few years we would have had better wages, a less expensive housing market, and probably universal health care. Hillary ran on increasing minimum wage to $12 then increasing it incrementally over the next 4-6 years, and free college for most degrees within 2 -4 years (both of which she had a well thought out achievable plan for) Yet younger voters wanted $15 and free college NOW, and supported the guy who promised them that with no actual plan to achieve it. (I believe his actual words were 'we'll figure it out when it comes time'). 

Millennials aren't the first generation made to struggle. Far from it. The only reason it seems like it's so much worse than it used to be (aside from the ever increasing wage gap born of the back and forth of political parties elected by impatient voters) is that what's considered to be necessity now was luxury a decade and a half ago. People expect to have fast internet, cable (or online viewing services), newer cars (made more expensive by republicans making eco-friendly vehicles more expensive to buy and own), central heat and air, roomier/updated housing, "organic"/gluten-free/"GMO free food (that's costs 50-75% MORE than traditional food w/zero added benefits), and hell, even gourmet coffee. In 1998, if you paid $8 a DAY for a single coffee drink you did so because you were rich. Now people expect to be able to afford it. The cost of living is growing higher and higher because people just EXPECT to have things that 1)aren't really necessary (think a new car every few years, fancy pod coffee machines, all of the over priced food that's basically snake oil, freaking lipstick that's $60 a tube, etc) and 2) people who don't vote allow politicians who are actively working against them to gain or stay in office. So, yeah, baby boomers are in the same boat. A lot of them were fortunate enough to have been able to save money back during the Clinton era, but it was much harder for them then it was for their parents. The money they would've been able to live on then runs out exponentially faster today. They, too, have to go without healthcare (although thanks to the Clinton era boom and the Social Security they paid into then they have a little more to work with. 

Also, if you're working 3 jobs, they're probably minimum wage, less than 30 hours a week jobs. While the job market isn't great (it also has declined due to republican tax breaks and the population growth), people can still find full time jobs that pay more. A small investment in practical/ technical education (like auto repair, forklift operation, dental assistant, etc) or even the willingness to do manual labor (cities are constantly searching for workers (even with zero experience) to lay roads, collect garbage, etc. And those are good paying full time jobs. A friend of mine, with no experience, got a job working in distribution. It's physical labor so they're still looking for workers as people don't want to do strenuous activity to get a paycheck. In less than a year, he's gotten full insurance, and went from the $12 per hour he started at to $16 per hour with time and a half for (frequently available) overtime. In Texas alone there's thousands of great paying jobs that people just ignore because it's physical labor and/or outside work. I know of at least three millennials personally who turned down full time jobs because they were tough. THAT'S where the disconnect happens between older generations and millennials. Older generations actually did the jobs millennials (who grew up in a somewhat pampered tech rich world) don't want to do. THAT'S why older generations expect millennials to 'work harder', because THEY DID. Older generations see that millennials want the pay for tougher jobs without doing the tougher job, and they (pretty rightfully) don't think they deserve it. Should minimum wage be higher? Hell yes. Should a person be able to work 30 hours a week and have all the things the generations before them worked 60-80 hours at a full time job for? No. A single full time job can (and often does) pay as much if not more than 3 part time jobs. It just takes a stronger work ethic, the willingness to actually work a harder job, and the ability to not assume you should have all the things that you could do without. I have absolutely zero sympathy for someone spending $8 for a coffee everyday, $6 for a sack of "organic" oranges, and $20 a month for each online viewing service, only to bitch that they can't save money. Keeping up with the neighbors doesn't get you where hard work and frugality will.

Another side note: Millennials tend to be a bit more gullible when it comes to snake oil fixes for things. 99% of the people I've seen pushing "essential oils" and "cleanses" to cure things are millennials. Someone I used to be friends with on here bought into the "organic/GMO free/ gluten-free" BS, paid way too much for "holistic / naturpathic medicine" (read sugar pills), "healing crystals" and also $120 eyeshadow palettes/frequently changing their hair color at $75-150 a time/$30 "vegan" body wash used to complain about it being so hard to make it every month, and -while still spending ridiculous amounts on pseudoscience and overpriced luxury beauty items- frequently asked for financial help. They seem to feel they "need" these things and that they're "saving the world" through buying expensive personal products that they think are eco-friendly that really aren't. You'd think a generation that grew up having educational resources like the Internet would be smarter, but they generally don't seem to be. It's really sad that instead of using their portal to infinite knowledge, they want information spoon fed to them in memes and sensationalistic sound bites.

Not to continue on my rant/essay but... it should also be noted that with every advancement in history comes a higher cost of living. That's just a fact of life. People were pissed when they had to pay more for a bottle of milk when pasteurization became the norm because it saved lives. People were pissed when safety standards made meat cost more. People were pissed that Internet service became more expensive when they switched to fibre technology instead of modems. Every improvement comes with cost. It's how it's been since the beginning of time, and that's without modern capitalism. You can't expect the technology of tomorrow with the expense of yesterday.

ME: True, but it seems increasingly like the rich are just hoarding their wealth, and not giving enough of it back to the people (wage increases, charity funding, etc.), not to mention that politics really isn't helping this much (seriously, the GOP's mindset seems to be 'work until the day you die' - that Georgia senator that said she opposes a livable wage is a prime example), and I'm just wondering how long until capitalism implodes due to it's own hubris.

MY FRIEND: And that's why it's so important for millennials to actually get out and vote instead of handing over a list of demands and expecting it right now. Change takes time and work, and the only thing the 1%ers and the GOP are working for is to line their own pockets. You can't dig your heels in and refuse to vote for the betterment of all Americans just because you don't get your (falsely promised) instant gratification. Plus, political change starts at the local level. Until younger voters start actually giving a damn about REAL politics instead trendy meme worthy politics, we'll stay treading water if not sinking outright.