Tuesday Open Thread [7.16.13]
LOLz. This is from Gallup. The only group that supports Republicans on the immigration issue is the old white people. Even young white people, like myself, support the Dems.
NEW YORK CITY–MAYOR–DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY–Quinnipiac: Anthony Weiner (D) 25, Christine Quinn (D) 22, William Thompson (D) 11, Bill de Blasio (D) 10, John Liu (D) 7
NEW YORK CITY–COMPTROLLER–DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY–Quinnipiac: Eliot Spitzer (D) 48, Scott Stringer (D) 33
Texas Governor Rick Perry is running for President again in 2016. Dan Balz asked him if his “lousy introduction to the national stage” during the 2012 presidential campagin would affect his chances if he were to run again.
Said Perry: “You mean in the way Bill Clinton’s introduction was bad?,” referring to Clinton’s infamous nomination speech for Michael Dukakis at the 1988 Democratic National Convention.
So Rick Perry has just favorable compared himself to Bill Clinton. Governor, I worked with Bill Clinton. I knew Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton is a friend of mine. Governor, you’re no Bill Clinton.
Harry Enten: “Is the Republican party heading for doom? My guess is Republican primary voters with a big assist from party insiders will solve the problem. There’s a tendency among many to think that Republican primary voters are the driving force behind the Republican party’s move to the right. The academic literature tends to dismiss that view. Moreover, there is a good bit of evidence to suggest that Republican presidential primary voters put one goal above pretty much all others: winning.”
Remember last year with Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell was on everyone’s short list for Romney’s VP, and he was definitely considered front runner material for 2016 should Romney fail? Well, he turned out to be one corrupt bastard, and now the GOP instate is thinking of forcing him to resign or impeaching him.
“Defending their majority this fall, House of Delegates Republicans will cut and run on the first sign that McDonnell’s problems are becoming theirs. Their survival instinct will demand it. An alarming harbinger for Republicans: conservative bloggers, who had already turned against McDonnell for raising taxes, report as fact that his resignation is inevitable, part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. An administration that ordinarily ignores the blogs did otherwise this time, issuing a forceful denial. Should pressure intensify because of hostile public opinion, fed by unflattering news reports that go unanswered by McDonnell, House Republicans may have no option than to tell him he has none: that it’s time for him to go.”
I don’t know who the good guys are on immigration reform. At issue are millions of jobs for Americans of all races at a time we badly need them. Democrats want to bless the loss of those jobs and the overall downward pressure on wages and make it an accepted reality of our new social contract on employment; Republicans want to harass brown immigrants because they don’t want them to vote and are racists in general. Corporatists on both sides of the aisle want to preserve the cheap exploited labor as long as possible. The one common feature both sides agree to is amnesty and and capitulation to the loss of American jobs. The bill will never pass unless it also includes increases in the high-tech jobs given away to satisfy a bogus shortage. The proposals have nothing to do with reforming immigration, but are all about illegals who are already here. I don’t think there are any good guys in this fight. Whatever happens, American workers will lose and the jobless recovery will grind on, providing an endless upward funnel of wealth upward to the 1%
A good summarization of the puts and takes. I would settle for an initial step of enforcing the laws we have against hiring those who are not legally residing in this country.
Immigration reform, or whatever name someone wants to give it cannot be accomplished in a comprehensive manner regardless of our desire to do so.
I’m not sure why Congress feels the need to approach things in a “comprehensive” all or nothing manner in the first place regardless of whether we are talking about health care, immigration, financial reform. By trying to be all things to all people, we usually end up with these packages being nothing to everyone.
Breaking- McCain gets to appoint two to the NLRB, in exchange Reid drops threat to end Fibuster.
Compromise Dem Style!
Old white people are a big part of the problem, I say that as a 57 y.o. white man. I hope Rick Perry runs and many like him, they’ll destroy whatever chance the GOP has in 2016 just like they did in 2012. Hope the billionaires shower him with mega millions, but hold some back for Rick Santorum, he really impresses people as they think he’s nuts before he even opens his mouth.
” I would settle for an initial step of enforcing the laws we have against hiring those who are not legally residing in this country.”
Everyone thinks it is illegal to hire illegal immigrants but it is not. That’s how weak our current law is. It is illegal to “knowingly” hire illegals but as long as you claim they showed you some kind of ID, you are in the clear.