Thursday Open Thread [6.13.13]

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explains why ‘the states-are-the-laboratories-of-democracy’ is a poor substitute for a functioning national government:

“First, it leads to a race to bottom. Over time, middle-class citizens of states with more generous safety nets and higher taxes on the wealthy will become disproportionately burdened as the wealthy move out and the poor move in, forcing such states to reverse course…Second, it doesn’t take account of spillovers — positive as well as negative. Semi-automatic pistols purchased without background checks in one state can easily find their way easily to another state where gun purchases are restricted. By the same token, a young person who receives an excellent public education courtesy of the citizens of one states is likely to move to another state where job opportunity are better…Finally, it can reduce the power of minorities. For more than a century “states rights” has been a euphemism for the efforts of some whites to repress or deny the votes of black Americans.”

Joan Walsh posts that Hillary must be active in 2014:

“…She needs to be part of a Democratic team making the 2014 midterms a referendum on the uncompleted business of the Obama presidency – and on the GOP’s outrageous abuse of its minority status to block everything from popular legislation to agency nominations…Clinton has enormous political capital with the Democratic base, and beyond it. She needs to spend some of it turning out voters in 2014, or the presidency might not be a prize worth winning, except as another title in your Twitter bio.”

Joe Biden has already started, and I am sure O’Malley and Cuomo are sure to be traveling the country.

Here is some polling goodness:

MASSACHUSETTS–U.S. SENATE–Harper Polling: Rep. Ed Markey (D) 49, Gabriel Gomez (R) 37.

Said pollster Brock McLeary: “Simply put, Gomez trails because there are more Democrats than Republicans in the state. In the next two weeks, the challenge for Gomez is to open up a sizable lead among independents. There are indications that this is possible, but this survey indicates that the race is currently tied among independents.”

NEW JERSEY–U.S. SENATE–DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY–Rutgers: Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) 55, Rep. Frank Pallone (D) 9 and Rep. Rush Holt (D) 8.