#tbt: Rand Paul Brought Back His 90s Argument Comparing Entitlements to Fraud
Rand Paul said that federal pensions "might be fraud" at an event yesterday...a Rand Paul argument that he has kept dormant since 1998. Paul has compared Social Security to a Ponzi Scheme and has advised the young-uns it's better to put "your money under your mattress." Comparing pensions to fraud was a pure #TBT to his early political career. Paul is hardly the first 2016 GOP contender to call for cutting Social Security benefits and entitlement reform with Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, and Marco Rubio calling for the same thing.
In Michigan, Jeb Gives Unsolicited, Sketchy Business Advice
Jeb Bush is taking his second trip of the year to Michigan today to tour a business, meet with senior execs, and speak to a Lincoln Day dinner. Perhaps Jeb will impart his controversial business experience that the Associated Press today described as "a dizzying array of corporate connections that earned him millions of dollars and occasional headaches" and could become a major issue in the election. If his ineffective business experience isn't enough, Jeb's opposition to the auto rescue will dissuade Michigan workers and business owners. If Jeb had his way, 4 million jobs would have disappeared and Michigan's auto industry would have been left to die.
Spoiler alert: GOP belittles women earning less than men (with video)
The Republican Party has lurched so far right on equal pay for women that each presidential contender tries to out-crazy each other on the rhetoric. (In that sense, you have to hand it to Jeb Bush, who didn’t even care enough to research the issue or he would have heard of the Paycheck Fairness Act.) While working women continue to struggle and make about 77 cents for every dollar their male counterpart earns, it’s clear that the GOP field will not offer any solutions to close the wage gap 52 years after the Equal Pay Act was signed into law. Here are the 2016 GOPers in their own, twisted words on equal pay: Jeb Bush Asked “What Is The Paycheck Fairness Act?” “Voter: Do you think that Secretary Land should support the Paycheck Fairness Act? Jeb Bush: What is the Paycheck Fairness Act?” [Jeb Bush, American Polish Cultural Center, Troy, MI, 10/13/14; American Bridge Tracking Footage] Rubio: “We’re Wasting Time” On Equal Pay Legislation In The Senate. “The proposals before the Senate now are really geared towards making it easier to sue an employer. Again, I understand the political benefit of highlighting that and why they’re doing it, but it isn’t going to solve the core of the problem and I just think we’re wasting time.” [“The Lead with Jake Tapper,” CNN, 4/8/14]
Jeb's Financial Swamp: Complicated Business Dealings Will Beleaguer Bush
While certain Beltway Bandits freak out at the mere mention of "LLC," here's where the real action is: Jeb Bush's long history of complex financial dealings, shell companies, and ghost corporations. Since leaving office, Jeb's financial dealings have been positively Romneyesque, with companies like Granada Investment Holdings, Altara Investments, and Columbus Equity Holdings all registered to Bush and with purposes that have not yet been publicly determined or accounted for. For more background, check out below:
Jeb Bush Has A Web Of Pass-Through LLCs With Undisclosed Clients And Purposes
Ayotte steps into a “mostly false” on women’s healthcare
Kelly Ayotte is rehashing an outdated conservative bill in a recent op-ed that would make birth control up to 600 bucks more expensive per year and cost women around the country more than $480 million. One big problem for Ayotte – it's the same bill that Cory Gardner sponsored last year when his argument that it would make birth control "cheaper and easier for you" was deemed “mostly false." No surprise that the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Planned Parenthood oppose Ayotte's bill.
Professional Political Loser Rick Santorum Joins the Bloated GOP Field
With all the momentum of a sloth moving up a branch, Rick Santorum is announcing his formal bid for the presidency today. Coming off of losing his Senate seat in 2006 by a crushing 17 points and an ill-fated run for the White House in 2012, Santorum is back to squeeze out the last vestiges of support he has from the Tea Party. The former Pennsylvania senator has already been pushing his particular brand of social conservatism on the GOP 2016 field and the spotlight-seeking politician won't be letting up anytime soon. While the poll numbers might exclude him from the "big-league" debates, Santorum's knack for extreme stances proved enough to win him Iowa in 2012 and will keep the rest of the field watching their right this time around. Take a look at Santorum in his own words: On limiting legal immigration: "Medium income in going down. Why? Part of the Reason is that we're bring in floods of legal -- not illegal -- legal immigrants into the country." "We need to take the 1,050,000 people legal immigrants to this country – almost all of whom are unskilled – who are competing against the 74 percent of Americans who don’t have a college degree. We need to reduce that.”
Jeb Gets Four Pinnochios on ISIS, Takes on More Water Over W
Jeb Bush is taking on still more water as he struggles to avoid his brother's disastrous political legacy. First, the Washington Post Fact Checker awarded Jeb four Pinocchios for his botched attempt to pass the blame on his brother's mess in Iraq:
Bush seems to have fallen prey to Washington conventional wisdom, in which ISIS suddenly emerged into consciousness in the past year or so. That may be fine for armchair analysts or journalists. But that’s little excuse for a presidential candidate, who might have to grapple with this problem if he or she is elected president. ...
Four-day work week is the only good news for Bush
Jeb Bush hasn’t been able to recover since his stumbles on Iraq two weeks ago. He ended last week with…
SRLC Roundup: GOPers can't help but talk extreme social issues
The Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Oklahoma City dealt the latest blow to Jeb Bush after coming in sixth in the straw poll while Ben Carson ran away with first. The race to the right continued with Bridge catching Scott Walker and Rick Santorum threatening to close the door on legal immigration. Bush is so scared of W's shadow that he starts off speeches telling the crowd how much he loves his brother (and his policies, we'd note.) Bobby Jindal couldn't help but remind voters about how extreme the GOP slate of candidates is with Indiana-style RFRA discrimination laws, Hobby Lobby, and his belief that the Republican Party shouldn't be supporting big business. Take a look at the highlights from the week: Scott Walker "Wake up" that immigrants have "other motives" than jobs. Chris Christie Calling to raise the retirement age. Jeb Bush “I’m proud of my brother.”
Jeb's Rhetoric on W. Crashes Into Reality
Memo to Jeb: You can run from W all you want, but you can't hide from your record. From Politico's Florida Playbook: Overall, bottom-line budget spending increased nearly 46 percent in his eight years in office, growing from nearly $48.9 billion to about $71.3 billion. The state's debt increased as well (in part due to voter-approved environmental and class-size reductions measures).... 'BIG GOVERNMENT REPUBLICAN?' - "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2006," by Cato's Stephen Slivinski: "Real per capita general fund spending has grown an annual average of 5 percent over the past two years, making Bush one of the biggest spending Republican governors in this report card. Bush is seen by many as an attractive candidate for higher office. He certainly has a solid record on taxes. But the one glaring question that his second-term budget record has produced is whether he's turned into a big government Republican."