Monday Open Thread [7.15.13]

The Editorial Board of the Independent on the Zimmerman verdict:
[T]he first black president of the United States ventured an early comment, saying that if he had had a son “he would look like Trayvon”. In so saying, Barack Obama pinpointed the truth that a great many white Americans will see a young man up to no good before they see a president’s son. For all the civil rights advances over half a century, personified by the black family now residing in the White House, racism remains pernicious and entrenched. [...] [T]he verdict leaves the impression not just that it is acceptable for an individual in large parts of the US to take the law into his own hands, but that the life of a young black man is cheap. This incendiary case from central Florida – electorally, a swing district of a swing state – shows how far, despite Mr Obama’s election, the US still fails to practise racial equality.
And if you celebrated Zimmerman's verdict, Andrew Sullivan" says you just might be a racist. At the very least you are repellant. And I agree with him.

Friday Open Thread [7.12.13]

A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie (R) has a 2-1 job approval rating and a 61% to 29% lead over challenger Barbara Buono (D). However, just 20% of voters say they are more likely to vote for a state legislative candidate endorsed by Christie, with 15% less likely and 63% who say the governor's endorsement won't influence their vote.
Said pollster Maurice Carroll: "The governor continues to thrash Sen. Buono, but voters say they're not inclined to support legislative candidates because Christie supports them, or, as a matter of fact, because Buono supports them. It could change when the real campaign starts after Labor Day, if Christie decides to emulate his mentor, former Gov. Tom Kean, and work for the rest of the ticket. But at this stage, Christie is good only for Christie.".
Thursday Open Thread [7.11.13]

Thursday Open Thread [7.11.13]

A new poll from Quinnipiac shows a massive shift of public attitude on the war on terror and how it affects our civil liberties. Among those polled, 45% say the government's anti-terrorism efforts go too far restricting civil liberties, a reversal from a January 10, 2010, survey by the independent Quinnipiac University when voters said 63 - 25 percent that such activities didn't go far enough to adequately protect the country. Now 40% say they don't go far enough. Among younger votes, the numbers are far more striking.

Wednesday Open Thread [7.10.13]

So yesterday Speaker Boner... oh I'm sorry, Boehner, you know, the orange weeping fellow, announced that Immigration Reform was all but dead in this current Congress. Brian Beutler at TPM reports that “John Boehner stated a specific policy preference Tuesday that will alienate the entire Democratic Party if he adheres to it, and thus doom the reform effort." Here is the wonderous weeping Speaker:
“It’s clear from everything that I’ve seen and read over the last couple of weeks that the American people expect that we’ll have strong border security in place before we begin the process of legalizing and fixing our legal immigration system,” Boehner said outside the Capitol Monday afternoon.
First, I always love how Boehner uses the American People as his shield, and then lies about what the American People want. His usage of that phrase implies that all Americans, which includes, as mush as he hates it, Latinos. Yes, Latinos are Americans too. What he is talking about is what he and his conservative members and the base of his party wants. Yes, they are Americans too, but Boehner best be more specific in describing who wants what, lest he be called a liar. Brian Beutler says that this statement is an endorsement of the conservative view that any steps to legalize existing immigrants should be contingent upon implementation of draconian border policies. But the bill already contains draconian border policies. Come inside for more...
Sunday Open Thread [7.7.13]

Sunday Open Thread [7.7.13]

National Journal:
"With an anxious eye toward the coming debt-ceiling negotiations, House Republicans are drafting what members call a 'menu' of mandatory spending cuts to offer the White House in exchange for raising the country's borrowing limit." "This menu is more a matrix of politically fraught options for the Obama administration to consider: Go small on cuts and get a short extension of the debt ceiling. Go big - by agreeing to privatize Social Security, for example - and get a deal that will raise the ceiling for the rest of Obama's term." "It's a strategy meant to show the GOP is ready to deal. But even conservatives admit that this gambit might do little to help them avoid blame should the negotiations reach a crisis stage."
The country's improved economy, which brings in more revenue, and the raising of the taxes on the rich, has delayed the moment of reaching the debt limit for most of this year. But eventually, this fall, it will have to be raised again. Hopefully the President sticks to his guns as he has since the 2011 debt ceiling sequester deal, in that he says he will not negotiate on the debt limit. Either Congress raises the limit or it gets the blame for the untold disaster that occurs if it is not raised. I will tell you one thing, the second that Democrats regain control of the House, the first order of business is to do away with this arbitrary debt ceiling one and for all by passing legislation that says the Fed must always pay the nation's debts. Otherwise, the internets are pretty quiet with political news this holiday weekend. I hope you all are enjoying yours.

Saturday Open Thread [7.6.13]

President Obama, in his weekly message, focuses on the meaning and importance of our Independence Day. Governor Markell's weekly message, in which he lauds the just concluded legislative session and the bills he sought to get passed.
Friday Open Thread [7.5.13]

Friday Open Thread [7.5.13]

Jobs report: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that, seasonally adjusted, the private sector added 202,000 new jobs in June while government shed 7,000. The official unemployment rate remained steady at 7.6 percent. The private sector has now added more jobs than it has lost for 39 consecutive months. The monthly tally makes no distinction between full-time and part-time jobs, nor does it consider how much those jobs pay or provide in non-wage benefits compared with the ones that have been lost. June is also tough for the BLS to measure accurately because of the large number of youth who enter the job market that month. The 175,000 jobs gain the BLS reported for May was revised to 195,000. Gains in April were revised from 149,000 to 199,000.

Wednesday Open Thread [7.3.13]

I think Kavips is right. We have a libertarian Supereme Court.
There appears to be a solid libertarian bias that leans through this court. If progressive, they are libertarian progressives, if conservative they are libertarian conservatives, and if split, then the most libertarian of them all, Justice Kennedy, is the decider. Let me first touch on those decision made last week. a) Voting Rights Act… If there is no firm reason not to leave it to the states, then leave it to the states… Libertarianism. b) Repeal of Clause 3 of DOMA… If the government is picking favorites of one custom over another, that is not the government’s business… Government needs to butt out… Pure Libertarianism. Those inured in thinking only in terms of “left” and “right” are by their blinders.. baffled. However there is a very clear aim through out this court and that aim clearly states that the government should not be interfering with people’s rights to decide things for themselves.

Tuesday Open Thread [7.2.13]

Huffington Post: "Over the Christmas break of 2010, Mitt Romney and his family took an internal poll on whether he should run for president once more. Twelve family members cast ballots. Ten said no. One of the 10 was Mitt Romney himself." "The doubts that the former Massachusetts governor harbored before ultimately launching his second unsuccessful bid for the presidency are one of several attention-grabbing details in Collision 2012, the newest book on the 2012 campaign." I don't believe this for a second. Sure, he may have voted that way, but he wasn't being honest with his family in doing that. He just wanted it to appear that he was more relunctant so that his family would be more understanding and supportive. But whatever the machinations or rationales, I do not believe for a second that Mitt Romney was conflicted about running for President. He started running in 2012 on November 4, 2008. Former Governor and possible future Presidential candidate Jeb Bush (R) said that it's time Republicans "cease being the obstacle" to immigration reform and urged House GOP leaders to hold a vote on legislation passed by the Senate last week. I think immigration reform will define the 2016 Republican Primary much like the Iraq War defined the 2008 Democratic primary. Given the racist Republican base, voting or being against Immigration Reform will be the winning side. Thus, Bush and Rubio have already ended their presidential campaigns, they just don't know it yet.
Sunday Open Thread [6.30.13]

Sunday Open Thread [6.30.13]

Lt. Governor Matt Denn:
I want to take special note of the work that newly-elected Representative Paul Baumbach did this year to get both landowners and residents to agree on a bill to set some limits on rent increases for manufactured home residents. Working with Senator Bruce Ennis, who has championed this issue for years, Paul helped do what the General Assembly had been unable to do for well over a decade. Thousands of manufactured home residents, many of them on fixed incomes, will benefit when the Governor signs the bill this afternoon. Paul was quietly effective, and even after the bill's passage has sought little attention for himself -- but he deserves it. Kudos to both him and Senator Ennis.
Indeed, Paul Baumbach hit Leg Hall running and has been a progressive champion.