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Ed Markey: Dred Scott = Citizen’s United
[youtube]http://youtu.be/zK_nOjMU3kk[/youtube]
Really?
In a campaign appearance on Tuesday, Representative Ed Markey (D., Mass.), one of the front-runners in the race for John Kerry’s former Senate seat, compared the Citizens United Supreme Court decision on campaign finance to the pro-slavery ruling in Dred Scott: ”The Constitution must be amended. The Dred Scott decision had to be repealed; we have to repeal Citizens United, otherwise democracy as we know it will be in danger.”
Maybe Republican and former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown should reconsider……
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Day By Day February 21, 2013 – Laws
Chris, funny, how it is all about the guns….
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The Morning Flap: February 21, 2013
These are my news headlines for February 21st:
- Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us | TIME.com – 1. Routine Care, Unforgettable Bills
When Sean Recchi, a 42-year-old from Lancaster, Ohio, was told last March that he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his wife Stephanie knew she had to get him to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Stephanie’s father had been treated there 10 years earlier, and she and her family credited the doctors and nurses at MD Anderson with extending his life by at least eight years.Because Stephanie and her husband had recently started their own small technology business, they were unable to buy comprehensive health insurance. For $469 a month, or about 20% of their income, they had been able to get only a policy that covered just $2,000 per day of any hospital costs. “We don’t take that kind of discount insurance,” said the woman at MD Anderson when Stephanie called to make an appointment for Sean. - GOP Has Trouble Settling on Candidates Who Can Win – One of the interesting things about recent elections is that Republicans have tended to do better the farther you go down the ballot.They’ve lost the presidency twice in a row, and in four of the last six contests. They’ve failed to win a majority in the U.S. Senate, something they accomplished in five election cycles between 1994 and 2006.But they have won control of the House of Representatives in the last two elections, and in eight of the last 10 cycles.And they’ve been doing better in elections to state legislatures than at any time since the 1920s.
One reason for this is that, as I have written, Democratic voters are clustered in large metropolitan areas, which helps them in the Electoral College but hurts in legislatures with equal-population districts.
But there’s another reason, which has been particularly glaring in races for the U.S. Senate: candidate quality.
- The future of free-market healthcare – Over nearly a century, progressives have pressed for a national, single-payer healthcare system. When it comes to health reform, what have conservatives stood for?For far too long, conservatives have failed to coalesce around a long-term vision of what a free-market healthcare system should look like. Republican attention to healthcare, in turn, has only arisen sporadically, in response to Democratic initiatives.Obamacare is the logical byproduct of this conservative policy neglect. President Barack Obama’s re-election was a strategic victory for his signature healthcare law. Once the bulk of the program begins to be implemented in 2014 — especially its trillions of dollars in new health-insurance subsidies — it will become politically impossible to repeal. And as the baby boomers retire and Obamacare is fully operational, government health spending will reach unsustainable levels.The great irony of Obama’s triumph, however, is that it can pave the way for Republicans to adopt a comprehensive, market-oriented healthcare agenda. The market-oriented prescription drug program in Medicare has controlled the growth of government health spending. Similarly, conservatives can use Obamacare’s important concession to the private sector — its establishment of subsidized insurance marketplaces — as a vehicle for broader entitlement reforms.
- The Pro-Growth Sequester – The Obama administration is whipping up hysteria over the sequester budget cuts and their impact on the economy, the military, first providers, and so forth and so on. Armageddon. But if you climb into the Congressional Budget Office numbers for 2013, you see a much lighter and easier picture than all the worst-case scenarios being conjured up by the administration.For example, the $85 billion so-called spending cut is actually budget authority, not budget outlays. According to the CBO, budget outlays will come down by $44 billion, or one quarter of 1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP is $15.8 trillion). What’s more, that $44 billion outlay reduction is only 1.25 percent of the $3.6 trillion government budget.
- Ted Cruz knocks Obama on immigration – Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says President Barack Obama wants to “scuttle” immigration reform by injecting a path to citizenship into the debate so Democrats can keep the issue alive for political gain.“The president has been focusing on amnesty — a path to citizenship that skips ahead of the line,” the freshman tea party senator said Wednesday at a speech in Dallas, according to The Dallas Morning News. “That, he knows, is a position not supported by a great many Americans and not a position that will achieve bipartisan cooperation. It’s designed to scuttle the bill.”
- Foreign Buyers Hop on Rental Trend – US Masters, a real-estate investment trust that has raised $276 million, primarily from Australian retirees, is one of a handful of foreign firms that are betting on the U.S. housing recovery by buying houses at discount prices.The business of buying-and-renting houses, long dominated by local mom-and-pop investors, has morphed over the past two years into one of the hottest investments on Wall Street. Dozens of pension investors and private-equity firms, such as Blackstone Group LP BX -2.19% and Colony Capital LLC, are clamoring to buy homes in beaten-up markets, sometimes using money from foreign co-investors.
- Majority of U.S. citizens say illegal immigrants should be deported – More than half of U.S. citizens believe that most or all of the country’s 11 million illegal immigrants should be deported, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday that highlights the difficulties facing lawmakers trying to reform the U.S. immigration system.The online survey shows resistance to easing immigration laws despite the biggest push for reform in Congress since 2007.
- Missile Defense Tests Successful, but Future of Program in Doubt – The unanswered question is whether the Missile Defense Agency will be permitted to advance this space-based missile defense capability—whether through the STSS program or the PTSS program—to a deployed constellation at all. There should be little doubt that arms control advocates, both inside the Administration and out, are livid that this test took place at all, let alone that it was successful. This is because a space-based missile defense capability is incompatible with the Administration’s arms control agenda.
- Gov. Scott agrees to expand Florida Medicaid program – Gov. Rick Scott announced plans Wednesday to expand Medicaid coverage to roughly 900,000 more people under the federal health overhaul, a surprise decision from the vocal critic of President Barack Obama’s plan.Scott said he will ask the Legislature to expand the program under a bill that would expire in three years, after which it would require renewed legislative support. He’s the seventh Republican governor so far to propose expanding the taxpayer-funded health insurance program.
- Tea Party and Republican groups launch Hispanic outreach – Tea Party and Republican groups launch Hispanic outreach #tcot
- How former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. Spent His Campaign Funds – Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D) pleaded guilty today “to a conspiracy to siphon about $750,000 in federal campaign funds for their personal use,” the Chicago Tribune reports.”About 3,100 personal purchases were made on campaign credit cards, totaling $582,772.58… Prosecutors said $60,000 was spent on restaurants, nightclubs and lounges; $31,700 on personal airfare; $16,000 on sports clubs and lounges; $17,000 on tobacco shops; $5,800 on alcohol; $14,500 on dry cleaning; $8,000 on grocery stores and $6,000 at drug stores.””In one of the more exotic purchases, Jackson used campaign funds in the spring of 2011 to pay a taxidermist in Montana $7,058 for two mounted elk heads to be shipped to his office in Washington. This was the beginning of an FBI sting, according to court documents.”
- California Dept. of Transportation: ‘Be Sure to Black Out the ‘United States’ and [the] Motto’ | The Weekly Standard – California Dept. of Transportation: ‘Be Sure to Black Out the ‘United States’ and [the] Motto’
- Pentagon informs Congress of plans to furlough 800K civilians – Pentagon informs Congress of plans to furlough 800K civilians #tcot
- The sequester blame game – Much depends on the timing of any economic turndown. If it occurs this year, but is followed by improvement in 2014, the political consequences are not likely to be significant. If the economy is in trouble in mid-2014, then all bets are off. For this reason, among others, Republicans should reject out of hand the president’s efforts to postpone the sequester for a year. In any event, the sequester would make the Republicans a full partner with Obama when it comes to the state of the economy.In the end, though, Republicans are committed, as they should be, to cutting government spending. This is never a politically risk-free proposition. But it’s better to get a head start now, when blame might well be shared, than to save all the work for when (if) Republicans gain control of the government and will absorb all of the blame.JOHN adds: My own view is that Republicans should happily take credit for the spending cuts represented by the sequester. They aren’t anywhere near enough, but they are the most substantial spending cuts, I believe, in my lifetime. I think 75% of the population will be pleasantly surprised to learn that Congress is actually capable of cutting spending.
- The GOP’s astonishingly bad message on sequester cuts – None of which addresses the Republican problem on the sequester. If the problem is one of substance — that is, if GOP leaders truly believe the cuts threaten national security but are nevertheless supporting them — then Republicans have put themselves into an untenable situation. If, as is more likely, the problem is one of message — that is, if Republicans believe the cuts are not only manageable without threatening national security but are also desirable as a first step toward controlling spending — then the Boehner article is sending all the wrong signals.
- Video: John McCain Gets Testy With Arizona Voter Questioning Immigration Amnesty – Flap’s Blog – Video: John McCain Gets Testy With Arizona Voter Questioning Immigration Amnesty #tcot
- Mistake in First California Carbon Auction Raises Questions About Secrecy | KQED News Fix – Mistake in First California Carbon Auction Raises Questions About Secrecy
- Second cap and trade auction needs big bucks | news10.net – Second cap and trade California auction needs big bucks
- We predicted there was no tax ‘windfall’ | CalWatchDog – We predicted there was no California tax ‘windfall’
- The Morning Flap: February 20, 2013 – Flap’s Blog – The Morning Flap: February 20, 2013 #tcot
- A Mighty Wind by Ben Boychuk – City Journal – A Mighty Wind – California Flatulence Jokes
- Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us | TIME.com – 1. Routine Care, Unforgettable Bills
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Flap’s Blog @ Flap Twitter Daily Digest for 2013-02-20
- Majority of U.S. citizens say illegal immigrants should be deported http://t.co/vJcEdr66my #tcot 20:31:17, 2013-02-20
- Missile Defense Tests Successful, but Future of Program in Doubt http://t.co/kon9fIZtu3 #tcot 17:02:50, 2013-02-20
- Gov. Scott agrees to expand Florida Medicaid program http://t.co/gRJJ1fBmMQ #tcot 15:55:43, 2013-02-20
- Tea Party and Republican groups launch Hispanic outreach http://t.co/mjMYgoeg7c #tcot 15:55:42, 2013-02-20
- How former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. Spent His Campaign Funds http://t.co/qvVwynvoGV #tcot 15:55:42, 2013-02-20
- LOL – so true! Really? RT @EWErickson: Left's slogan is "Forward." Right's slogan seems to be "Dwell". Romney at CPAC? Really? 15:54:40, 2013-02-20
- California Dept. of Transportation: ‘Be Sure to Black Out the ‘United States’ and [the] Motto’ http://t.co/w6kAhWjAKO 14:49:40, 2013-02-20
- Pentagon informs Congress of plans to furlough 800K civilians http://t.co/hoxzqDHI #tcot 12:57:20, 2013-02-20
- The sequester blame game http://t.co/T35EvqaO #tcot 12:57:20, 2013-02-20
- The GOP’s astonishingly bad message on sequester cuts http://t.co/y6U0VkUk #tcot 12:57:19, 2013-02-20
- Video: John McCain Gets Testy With Arizona Voter Questioning Immigration Amnesty – Flap's Blog http://t.co/VRDGDO2r #tcot 10:35:11, 2013-02-20
- Video: John McCain Gets Testy With Arizona Voter Questioning Immigration Amnesty http://t.co/SKsSFnt4 #tcot 07:47:47, 2013-02-20
- Mistake in First California Carbon Auction Raises Questions About Secrecy | KQED News Fix http://t.co/v4CIyOpn #tcot 07:41:36, 2013-02-20
- Second cap and trade auction needs big bucks | http://t.co/HXWZHdDE http://t.co/gMz0mOri #tcot 07:41:36, 2013-02-20
- We predicted there was no tax ‘windfall’ | CalWatchDog http://t.co/oFl2Coks #tcot 07:41:36, 2013-02-20
- Mistake in First California Carbon Auction Raises Questions About Secrecy http://t.co/v4CIyOpn 07:12:40, 2013-02-20
- Second cap and trade California auction needs big bucks http://t.co/gMz0mOri 07:12:40, 2013-02-20
- We predicted there was no California tax ‘windfall’ http://t.co/oFl2Coks 07:12:39, 2013-02-20
- The Morning Flap: February 20, 2013 http://t.co/hNowzkAL #tcot 06:07:38, 2013-02-20
- A Mighty Wind – California Flatulence Jokes http://t.co/8mJDv39d 05:28:33, 2013-02-20
- Obama's sequestration strategy: Shame http://t.co/q6b25r10 #tcot 05:23:23, 2013-02-20
- Anti-austerity strike to bring Greece to a standstill http://t.co/LjDIyHW4 #tcot 05:23:23, 2013-02-20
- John Boehner: The President Is Raging Against a Budget Crisis He Created http://t.co/4Sno6RhV #tcot 05:23:22, 2013-02-20
- RT @conncarroll Romney is to Obamacare as Rubio is to Obama's amnesty plan http://t.co/JvNb4ztU #tcot 04:52:29, 2013-02-20
- Shocker! RT @dcexaminer Poll: Gov. Chris Christie has a 56 percent approval rating with New Jersey Democrats http://t.co/no5gb0jy 04:49:21, 2013-02-20
- RT @kausmickey TIME cover makes it pretty clear @MarcoRubio always proamnesty-it's TeaParty interlude that was fake http://t.co/ZQgVRZVk 04:48:20, 2013-02-20
- Tea partier weighs Mitch McConnell race http://t.co/bpqUQ0Th #tcot 04:47:27, 2013-02-20
- You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.
– Frank Shorter
Happy Wednesday! 04:43:09, 2013-02-20
- Video: President Obama Speaks Out of Both Sides of Mouth on Sequester – Flap's Blog http://t.co/ERnQsod5 #tcot 04:12:00, 2013-02-20
- (500) http://t.co/1tPM9EY8 http://t.co/wqTcyJSd #tcot 04:12:00, 2013-02-20
- Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Digest for 2013-02-19 http://t.co/IYBY2S44 04:03:26, 2013-02-20
- Flap’s Blog @ Flap Twitter Daily Digest for 2013-02-19 http://t.co/oPtWsFEg #tcot 03:02:59, 2013-02-20
- Video: President Obama Speaks Out of Both Sides of Mouth on Sequester http://t.co/agudF5GR #tcot 03:02:59, 2013-02-20