Thursday Open Thread [6.12.14]
In their heart of hearts, this is what Republicans believe. Education is a privilege for the rich, just like healthcare.
David Brat says beating Eric Cantor is the “happiest moment, obviously, of my life.” He is a husband and a father.
A tea party House candidate in Oklahoma has endorsed stoning gays to death. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) compared homosexuality to alcoholism during a visit to California.
The Texas Republican Party this month adopted a platform supporting access to ‘reparative therapy’ for gays and lesbians, a widely discredited process intended to change sexual orientation. In response to an audience question about it Wednesday night, Perry said he did not know whether the therapy worked.
Said Perry: “Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that. I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”
That rebranding continues apace.
“Ted Cruz is a total nihilist, shutting down the government. That and Rand Paul’s isolationism appeal to the lowest common denominator, which would make us a permanent minority in terms of presidential races.”
That’s GOP Rep. Pete King of New York, in a phone interview with me today, commenting on Tea Partyer David Brat’s surprise primary win over Eric Cantor. King says his worry is that Brat’s victory will enable “the Ted Cruz and Rand Paul wing to take over the party,” which “could make us a stronger party in many Congressional districts but it will prevent us from being a national party.”
NATIONAL–IMMIGRATION–Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution: 62% of Americans favor allowing illegal immigrants a way to become citizens… An additional 17% said in the new poll that illegal immigrants should be able to become legal residents but not full citizens. 19% said they should be deported.
Boy are the Republicans stupid.
SOUTH DAKOTA–SENATE–Rasmussen: Former Gov. Mike Rounds (R) 44, Rick Weiland (D) 29, Former Sen. Larry Pressler (I) 18.
MISSISSIPPI–SENATE–REPUBLICAN RUNOFF–Strategic National (R): Chris McDaniel (R) 52, Sen. Thad Cochran (R) 46.
MASSACHUSETTS–GOVERNOR–Boston Herald/Suffolk University Martha Coakley (D) 36, Charlie Baker (R) 29.
MARYLAND–GOVERNOR–Washington Post: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) 51, Larry Hogan (R) 33.
FLORIDA–GOVERNOR–Public Policy Polling: Charlie Crist (D) 49, Gov. Rick Scott (R) 42.
FLORIDA–GOVERNOR–SurveyUSA: Crist (D) 44, Scott (R) 42
“That rebranding continues apace.” Jinx!
Sen. Larry “will you at least suck me then” Pressler got his nickname when a female staffer rebuffed his sexual advances. That was back when Senators could casually ask staffers to (at least) suck them without causing much of a hubbub.
The comment about the Bourbon kings seems apt for the Republicans: “they have learned nothing and forgot nothing”. At least their base remains stuck deep in the past and still harbor the same old hatreds and fears. Pete King is half right, they will no longer be a party that can win a national election, but much like the song from the musical Oklahoma “they’ve gone about as fur as they can go” in terms of congressional districts.
George H.W. Bush celebrates his 90th birthday with a parachute jump. Looks like Herbert Walker stills got it to go!
http://freedomslighthouse.net/2014/06/12/president-george-h-w-bush-celebrates-90th-birthday-witha-parachute-jump-videos-61214/
GHWB has done this a few times. I remember the first time he jumped as an ex-pres, he said he wanted to jump out of a plane that wasn’t on fire (like his WWII plane).
Brazil and Croatia 1-1 at 50 min mark in battle to win 2014 World Cup opener.
Brazil expected to win.
Hillary handed Terry Gross her ass tonight on Fresh Air over gay marriage. I only caught part of the interview on the car radio. Terry was uncharacteristically weaselly as she repeated tried to get Hillary to admit she was pandering for political reasons by changing her views to support gay marrriage. I like both of them, but Hillary eventually had to call her out directly for it. I guess when you are married to Bill Clinton you get good at spotting world-class bullshit. Hillary sounded smart, tough, tactful, and presidential.
I heard that too, and the tactic of picking at a nit until you get something that looks like an inconsistency isn’t Gross’ usual style. It is too bad that the GOP is against gay marriage — because the real weakness in Clinton’s formulation is a lack of leadership on this civil rights issue. She’s absolutely right that few thought that gay marriage was possible in the 90’s, but leadership on civil rights is often about being out ahead of the pack — and poll numbers. SInce the GOP is against gay marriage, they’ll never have the chance to use this lack of leadership against her. Still, it was a good interview, but I’m still pretty certain that she’ll be following the Governor 1% strategy.
I liked how Clinton broke down what was going on in the interview. Terry Gross came off looking (rightfully) like a smacked ass.
Cass – what do you mean by this? “I’m still pretty certain that she’ll be following the Governor 1% strategy.”
Governor One Percent
I wrote about this a few weeks back — Democrats who are progressive on social issues, but who govern for the 1%.
Like Markell.
If you want to hear this interview, it is up on Fresh Air’s webpage and you can also download it as a podcast from iTunes.