Thursday Open Thread [2.26.15]

From the Wall Street Journal:

“Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal must respond to falling tax revenues as lower oil prices hit his energy-dependent state. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is trying to stabilize state finances amid ballooning pension costs and credit downgrades. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is navigating a less-severe revenue shortfall after cutting taxes in recent years.”

“How the governors handle budget problems could bolster their reputations among Republican voters in early primary states, who tend to favor spending curbs and smaller government. But the opportunity comes with the risk of pitched battles at home as the race for the GOP nomination picks up.”

Each of the three have, like Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, left their states in smoldering ruins fiscally. The red ink in each state should disqualify them.

From President Obama’s remarks at a Miami Town Hall, as reported by Mollie Reilly at HuffPo:

“In the last election, a little over one-third of eligible voters voted. One-third! Two-thirds of the people who have the right to vote — because of the struggles of previous generation, had the right to vote — stayed home. I’m willing to bet that there are young people who have family members who are at risk of the existing immigration system who still didn’t vote.”…”Why are you staying at home?” Obama said. “Why are you not participating? There are war-torn countries, people full of poverty, who still voted 60, 70 percent. If here in the United States of America, we voted at 60 percent, 70 percent, it would transform our politics. Our Congress would be completely different. We would have already passed comprehensive immigration reform.”

Preach it Mr. President. Jason330 will now say it is not their fault that they are not voting, and the chicken and the egg argument of which comes first begins anew.

“Do you believe in evolution or not?” A 49% plurality of Republicans said they do not,” reports Steve Benen From Paul Krugman:

“For some time now it has been impossible to be a good Republicans while believing in the reality of climate change; now it’s impossible to be a good Republican while believing in evolution.” This is the party that wants to lead America into the information age of the 21st century?

More like 21 BC.

The Senate is moving forward on a clean bill funding DHS until September, and though it’s not clear when that vote will happen, we know that House Republican leadership plans, at the very least, to let things go down to the wire. For some House Republicans, after all, a DHS shutdown is not such a big deal.

First Read: “With the Senate easily advancing a ‘clean’ bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, the ball is now in House Speaker Boehner’s court. And the timing couldn’t be more problematic for him: The conservatives assembling at CPAC probably aren’t going to appreciate House Republicans caving in their fight against the Obama administration. It’s déjà vu for Boehner: He’s caught between trying to help his caucus out of tricky situations, and looking over his shoulder for conservatives who want his head on a platter if he caves to Democrats. What we haven’t been able to understand: Why haven’t Boehner and Republicans been able to make their success (so far) in the courts against Obama’s executive action an asset here?”

Donald Trump, “who has long toyed with presidential ambitions, said Wednesday he is serious about pursuing a run for the White House — moving ahead with a spate of political hires and delaying his television commitments for 2016.”

“In recent days, Trump has enlisted several strategists to advise him in three key states, retained an attorney to help him navigate federal election law and alerted GOP officials about his desire to seek the Republican nomination. Trump said he has also declined to sign on for another season with the entertainment division of NBC, where he hosts Celebrity Apprentice, because of his political projects.”

Said Trump: “NBC has said they want to renew. But I can’t do it right now because I may be doing something else.”

I’ll believe this when I see it. But if it does happen, he needs to run as an Independent with Sarah Palin as his running mate. It would be glorious.

NATIONAL–PRESIDENT–Public Policy Polling–Clinton 50; Bush 40; Clinton 47, Paul 40; Clinton 48, Rubio 41; Clinton 50, Cruz 40; Clinton 48, Carson 40; Clinton 48, Christie 40; Clinton 48, Walker 40; Clinton 50, Huckabee 41.
NATIONAL–PRESIDENT–Public Policy Polling–Bush 45, Biden 39.
NATIONAL–PRESIDENT–Public Policy Polling–Bush 43, Warren 41.
NATIONAL–PRESIDENT–DEMOCRATIC–PRIMARY–Public Policy Polling–Clinton 54, Biden 16, Warren 12, Sanders 5, Webb 2, O’Malley 1