Daily Clips: November 30th, 2015

November 30, 2015 Nick Cassella

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You are more than 7 times as likely to be killed by a right-wing extremist than by Muslim terrorists: Our Supreme Troublemaker, Nick Hanauer, shared this fascinating article on Twitter and I thought it deserved a place in today’s clips. While we are still not sure of the motivations behind the Colorado Springs shooting, the shooter’s “actions…appear to be an act of politically motivated terrorism directed against an institution widely reviled by conservatives.” 60% of Ted Cruz’s tax cuts go to the 1%: How to solve income inequality? Create more of it! Of course! Speaking of Ted Cruz, could his bromance with Donald Trump be coming to a close? The tweet below suggests as much: Ted Cruz on Donald Trump: "I don’t believe Donald Trump is going to be our nominee and I don’t believe he is going to be our president." — Jessica Hopper (@jesshop23) November 30, 2015 Up until now, Cruz has been extremely congenial towards Trump and his easily offended supporters. However, it looks like the gloves may be coming off. With the Iowa caucuses approaching rapidly, Cruz must start snatching some of Trump’s base if he hopes to win. And winning Iowa (or coming a close second) is a must for the Cruz campaign. Why the economic fates of America’s cities diverged: “Despite all the attention focused these days on the fortunes of the ‘1 percent,’ debates over inequality still tend to ignore one of its most politically destabilizing and economically destructive forms. This is the growing, and historically unprecedented, economic divide that has emerged in recent decades among the different regions of the United States.” Here’s a fascinating read on the geographical convergence (and divergence) of wages in America. Fear wins, Obama loses: Paul Waldman notes, “manipulating the public’s emotions has never been Obama’s strong suit.” He’s not wrong. Yet, we know that “Campaign Obama” was quite effective at creating a powerful sense of hope in the public’s emotions. So why doesn’t he carry on that sort of rhetoric as president – especially when it comes to foreign policy? Waldman
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Daily Clips: November 25th, 2015

November 25, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Daily Clips

Only 7 percent of Maryland Democrats support Martin O’Malley for president: Poor Martin O’Malley. The former Governor of Maryland hasn’t been able to gain any traction in this race – even in his own state. Time to pack it up, methinks. US consumer spending slowing, but business investment poised to rise: According to Reuters, “consumer spending edged up 0.1 percent after a similar increase in September. That suggests consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, has slowed from the third quarter’s brisk 3.0 percent annual pace.” Nearly 140 lawmakers ask Obama to shut loophole that allows gun sales without background checks: They wrote the president, saying, “Under current law, only licensed gun dealers are required to perform background checks for all gun sales, and only those individuals deemed to be ‘engaged in the business’ of dealing in guns are required to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF),” the House letter states . “However, the regulatory definition of ‘engaged in the business, is exceptionally vague. As a result, individuals are able to sell guns at a high volume at gun shows, over the internet, or elsewhere without ever having becoming licensed and, in turn, without being compelled to conduct a simple background check before completing a sale. Your administration could take an immediate step that would have an important impact on limiting gun violence,” the letter also said. “Despite tragedy after tragedy, the Republican Congress has not been willing to pass any meaningful legislation to strengthen laws to help keep guns out of the hands of individuals who pose an increased risk to public safety.”

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Daily Clips: November 24th, 2015

November 24, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Daily Clips

51% say government should ensure health care: It looks like our nation is a bunch of socialists again. For the first time since 2008, the majority of the nation believes that the government is responsible for providing health care to its people. In 2014, that number was at 45%. This change in public attitude most certainly helps the Democratic party and should remind all serious candidates (locally and federally) that they should not run away from Obamacare. Rather, they should defend its advancement of health care, but point out there is still much that can be improved. Rubio is the dark money candidate: Marco Rubio is the scariest candidate I’ve seen from the Republican party in over eight years. He’s young, he’s passionate, and he has a quintessential “American Dream” upbringing. (Check out Rubio’s ad which highlights his father’s working-class credentials.) Anyways, I digress. A recent piece at Vox highlights that, “Rubio has benefited from anonymous, undisclosed cash to a degree that’s unprecedented for a modern presidential primary contender. Indeed, the vast majority of ads aired to promote Rubio so far this year have been funded by a single group — one that won’t reveal its funders.” In short, he’s a bought candidate. Will that juxtapose well against Donald Trump? Time will tell. One thing we can know for certain: Rubio is the dark money candidate of this election cycle. (Sorry David Brooks, it looks like he’s not “ uncorrupted ” after all.) 5 Black Lives Matter protestors shot in Minneapolis: Three white men are considered suspects for this horrific shooting. Thankfully, none of the protestors suffered life-threatening injuries. America has some serious race issues. Quiet desperation and American fascism: Alec MacGillis of ProPublica, writing in The New York Times Sunday Review, observes that for the most part, the poor aren’t defecting to Republicans— they are not voting at all . His exhibit A is eastern Kentucky, one of America’s poorest and most government-dependent regions. But the poor are so marginalized and disaffected that they are disconnected from civic life entirely. Looking
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Republicans Have Become The Anti-Diversity Party

November 23, 2015 Nick Cassella

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2016

I can still remember the first time I read the Republican National Committee’s incredible autopsy on the 2012 loss. Mere months after Barack Obama secured a second term, here was a document, penned by our rivals, which was impressive in its self-awareness and criticism. It seemed as if GOP strategists had learned all the right lessons from Mitt Romney’s defeat. “Our message was weak; our ground game was insufficient; we weren’t inclusive,” Priebus noted quite accurately. Within the first few pages of the 100-page report, the RNC made clear: We need to campaign among Hispanic, black, Asian, and gay Americans and demonstrate we care about them, too. We must recruit more candidates who come from minority communities. The report continued: “Asked to describe Republicans, [focus groups] said that the Party is ‘scary,’ ‘narrow minded,’ and ‘out of touch’ and that we were a Party of ‘stuffy old men.’ This is consistent with the findings of other post-election surveys.” Back in 2013, I read this and thought, “Oh, no. They’re not going to make the same mistakes again.” In 2015, I can only look back at that thought and laugh. Instead of developing a more welcoming and “compassionate conservatism,” the Republican party has chosen to become the anti-diversity and anti-inclusion party. They have decided to double down on “the perception that the GOP does not care about people.” They have (cravenly) determined to double down on xenophobic comments towards Hispanics, even though the report warned them “if Hispanics think we do not want them here, they will close their ears to our policies.” Throughout this primary process, they have made a concerted effort to double down on just about every fault they displayed in the 2012 contest. I suppose that’s good news for Democrats, but my god, is it bad news for our national politics.

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Daily Clips: November 23rd, 2015

November 23, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Daily Clips

Cartoon of the day: It appears that another war in the Middle East is on the horizon. Let’s face it, folks, we are a people that love operating in a world of black and white. Every ten years or so, we identify an “evil” (be that terrorism or communism) and then begin to whip up raw, fearful emotions in our people. After the Iraq War debacle, perhaps America feels an overwhelmingly sense of contrition and wants to right this terrible wrong. If that is the case, John Adams presciently noted our national psyche: “Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.” Hillary’s pledge to not raise middle-class taxes is bad news for progressive politics: This lurch to the right has come as no surprise to many progressives. Yglesias points out that disavowing middle-class tax increases has become like “a formal Grover Norquist–style pledge” in the Democratic party. He warns that this pledge is “destructive of the long-term possibilities of progressive governance.” I couldn’t agree more. Clearly, the wealthy have to pay the most taxes – both by relative and absolute terms. However, in order to fund bold programs, every single American must share some of the burden. To say otherwise is to live in a political fantasy world. It’s disingenuous and it comes across as pandering. Furthermore, Clinton and Obama’s refusal to increase the taxes of the middle class “speaks to a profound problem in the larger liberal project.” Pledging “that the 1 percent will pay for everything reflects a fairly shallow solution.” More than that, it represents a misdiagnosis of how to deal with income inequality. It’s beginning to feel like 2002 all over again: So says Paul Waldman, who laments the parallels between the Paris attacks and 9/11. To be clear, I’m not arguing that heightened fears of ISIS will sweep the Republicans into the White House next year; there’s lots of time between now and then, and other issues will grab the electorate’s attention. The American public and its political elite
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Daily Clips: November 20th, 2015

November 20, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Governor Jay Inslee’s NYT piece on the Syrian Refugees: A must read. People are right to be angry and hurting because 129 innocent people who thought they were safe were slaughtered in Paris. But we cannot condemn all Syrians or all Muslims for those heinous acts. America has been victimized by domestic and foreign terrorists. The blame for those acts should be with the radicals who committed them, not any religion, race or country of origin. I don’t deny or condemn the fear that has swelled since the Paris attacks. But fear can be overcome. We can take a deep breath, stand up straight and make a realistic assessment of risk. And we can’t forget the times we have been tested, both when we’ve failed and when we’ve succeeded. Donald Trump and his Muslim database: Oh, look: you’re more likely to be xenophobic if you’re Christian! Let’s not forget this chart as we point blame at Trump. It’s sad to say, but he is merely promoting the viewpoints of the vast majority of the GOP base. Economists tested 7 welfare programs to see if they made people lazy. They didn’t. A fascinating read which should be useful, as you argue with your conservative uncle this Thanksgiving.

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Daily Clips: November 19th, 2015

November 19, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Daily Clips

Clinton offers a more hawkish foreign policy than Obama: In one of the most predictable moves of this primary season, Clinton has “urged a more aggressive approach” to fighting ISIS. She’s doing this for two reasons: 1) because it’s campaign season and 2) because she’s drastically trying to separate herself from Obama’s legacy without pushing too far away. All of this goes to show that our next president, regardless of the party, will be far more willing to blow sh*t up. Here’s the full transcript from Hillary’s speech on ISIS. Scariest headline of the day: Please, George F. Will, N.S. Cassella wants you to retire. US weekly jobless claims continuing to decline: According to CNBC, “the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to a fairly robust labor market.” Claims have now been held below 300,000 for the 37th consecutive week. This is an important measurement, because claims below this level are most often associated with a healthy jobs market. Fear is making the GOP’s job easier: EJ Dionne’s most recent piece can be perfectly summarized in these two sentences: “There are equally good reasons for Republican politicians to encourage voters to think about their fears of terrorism, their worries about immigrants and their feelings toward Islam. For the moment, dreadful and genuinely frightening news is making the GOP’s job easier.”

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Gov. Jay Inslee stands up against anti-refugee bigotry

November 18, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Policy, Race

Jay Inslee made a bold and morally brave statement earlier this week, declaring that “Washington will continue to be a state that welcomes those seeking refuge from persecution, regardless of where they come from or the religion they practice.” He scolded over half of the nation’s governors who have publicly stated they do not want refugees in their states, calling such language “of little value except to divide people and foment intolerance.” Today, Inslee defended his position to NPR: “I think that our nation is tested from time to time, and I think this is one of those times to really dig deep and see what kind of charter our nation and my state has. I’ve always believed my state and the country has always been a place of refuge for those who have been persecuted…” During the interview, Inslee said he understands the criticism that has been directed his way, claiming, “Fear is a powerful thing and these atrocities strike deep…but I think leadership calls for people to yes, recognize it’s real and act responsibly.” Inslee pointed out that America has not always been able to overcome the “ dark impulses ” which fear and death bring about. Specifically, he spoke out about his own state’s experience of “locking up Washington and American citizens” and by that he means when the federal government sent Japanese Americans to internment camps. He noted that during this dark time in our nation’s history, “we lost moorage of who we are as a country.” You can listen to the full interview here .

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Daily Clips: November 18th, 2015

November 18, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Washington Gov. Inslee welcomes Syrian refugees: Here’s an NPR segment with our Governor, Jay Inslee, who talks about the importance of supporting Syrian refugees fleeing from civil war. His words are full of wisdom and humanity, putting him at odds with over half of the nation’s xenophobic governors. Hillary Clinton and her paid leave problem: Recently, Hillary Clinton has been attacking Bernie Sanders’ position on taxes; namely, that some of his proposals like paid family leave will require tax increases for middle-class Americans. During last week’s debate, Clinton stated, “Hard working, middle-class families need a raise, not a tax increase.” That is a great soundbite, but how would she actually pay for 12 weeks of paid family leave without taxing the middle class? A Clinton aide claims, “She supports a different way to pay for [paid leave] and so will be outlining additional ideas for ensuring the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.” For now, your guess is as good as mine. Race-baiting for the presidency: This article takes a historical look at the use of race in presidential elections and how racial divides have been callously employed since the birth of our nation. The takeaway message, in my opinion, can be summed up in this line: It may be the case that [racial divineness may be] a useful approach in some primary contests, but quite damaging in a general election with a more diverse electorate. In the maelstrom of bigotry, Republicans have forgotten this cogent piece of advice. Elizabeth Warren Delivers Stinging Critique Of Efforts To Reject Syrian Refugees: “We are not a nation that delivers children back into the hands of ISIS murderers.”

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Daily Clips: November 17th, 2015

November 17, 2015 Nick Cassella

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Obama tells Republican governors it’s “not American” to only accept Christian refugees: At the G20 summit, Obama had harsh words for our nation’s top xenophobic governors, stating, “When I hear political leaders suggesting that there would be a religious test for which person who’s fleeing from a war-torn country is admitted, when some of those folks themselves come from families who benefited from protection when they were fleeing political persecution, that’s shameful.” He also urged leaders to not give in to their “dark impulses” when it came to this matter. David Brooks is misleading you or he’s an idiot: In his latest spiritual-babble column, Brooks laments how the “secular substitutes for religion — nationalism, racism and political ideology — have all led to disaster.” You’ve got to be kidding me. As a secularist, I find it highly insulting that Brooks thinks I substitute religious meaning in the world for nationalism, racism and political ideology. The man’s a bigot. And it appears he’s not very well acquainted with secularism, however that unfortunately did not stop him from writing about it. Rubio’s plan to keep the poor out of higher education: “But education is not what Republicans are about, and this debate was aimed, naturally, at GOP primary voters. Hence, swipe at egghead philosophers, who by definition (in the Tea Party view), belong to the liberal intelligentsia. That was just the very well-educated, not-a-welder Marco Rubio playing to his nativist party’s epic anti-intellectualism.” Yellen urges rejection of rule-based monetary policy proposal: According to Reuters, “Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Tuesday condemned a proposal in the U.S. Congress that would require the central bank to tie interest rate policy to a mathematical rule, arguing this would ‘severely damage the U.S. economy.'”

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Civic Ventures

Posts by Nick Cassella