Floundering Republican Elites Lose Control of Party, Ask "What Civil War?"
Ask the elites of the Republican establishment in Washington about the civil war within their party, and you're likely to be met with feigned bewilderment. Well golly, I've got no idea what you're talking about! It's a strategy that has been an almost religiously adhered to by the so-called adult types - the John Boehners and Paul Ryans in Congress, and George Wills and Charles Krauthammers of the punditry class - who are grasping at straws in an effort to keep the party from coming completely unglued. But now, even the most wide-eyed supporters must now see through this guise of unity. This week House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who boasts a 95 lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union, was tossed aside for Dave Brat, an unknown ultra-conservative Tea Partier. That's right, the same Eric Cantor who has been long-considered a young star of the party, known for being a constant thorn in the President's side for his refusal to compromise his conservative values, was toppled by the Tea Party in the blink of a primary. He became the sitting first majority leader in history to lose a primary since the position was created in 1899. Just hours later, extreme Tea Partier Chris McDaniel, who is running to unseat incumbent conservative Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran in another nasty and drawn out intra-party fight, sent a fundraising email with the subject line "We Just Beat Eric Cantor." Now that the Tea Party has killed the narrative of its decline with a single swift victory, what will be their next target? The American people can only await complete and utter government gridlock in the coming months.
Seven Things You Should Know About Tea Party Radical David Brat
Here's what you should know about David Brat, the Tea Party radical who blindsided House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) in a primary challenge on Tuesday: He is a right-wing candidate who opposes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, supports radically reshaping our heath care system, and event wants to scale back the regulatory powers of the FDA. Don't take our word for it? See the research below.
1. Brat supported radically altering the American health care system.
Brat Supported Radically Altering The American Health Care System, Said “‘We Need To Also Scrap Employer-Based Health Insurance.” According to Culpeper Star-Exponent "Of course, the first question I asked him was what should be done with Obamacare? ‘It needs to be scrapped,’ he replied without hesitation. ‘Completely.’ So I asked him what should take Obamacare's place, and to understand his answer, you have to know some history… When I asked him what should take Obamacare's place, his answer was, ‘We need to also scrap employer-based health insurance, and give those incentives to individuals to carry their own portable health insurance.’ He went on to say, ‘If we did that, the issue of pre-existing conditions largely goes away.’" [Culpeper Star-Exponent, 3/31/14]2. Brat called bankers “the solution, not the problem” in regards to the financial crisis.
Brat On The Financial Crisis: ‘Bankers Are The Solution, Not The Problem,’ According to The News & Advance “David Brat says that’s the state of today’s economy, and says everything we know about what is being termed a recession is wrong… The global economy is overleveraged. Ultimately, he said, pointing to the European debt crisis, the country’s economy is headed for disaster if changes aren’t quickly made. And the answer, he said, is not in economics, but ethics. ‘Bankers are the solution, not the problem,’ he said, adding, ‘[Washington] D.C. knows this.’" [The News & Advance, 1/25/13]3. Brat is radical on immigration.
Brat Opposed Any Kind Of Immigration Reform; Ran To The Right On Eric Cantor On Border Security. According to Watchdog.org, "Cantor, in Brat’s view, is flunking badly on border security. Indeed, the congressman even applauded President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address outlining a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. On Friday, Cantor said on the House floor that ‘immigration reform could be an economic boon to this country.’ Brat is having none of it. He calls the imminent GOP cave-in on immigration an exercise in ‘crony capitalism.’" [Watchdog.org, 2/6/14]- Brat: “A Change In Immigration Policy Means Amnesty.” According to Watchdog.org "‘At every turn, the GOP establishment is favoring the elites,’ Brat declares. ‘A change in immigration policy means amnesty.’" [Watchdog.org, 2/6/14]
MEMO: Tea For Everyone
Memo: Tea For Everyone To: Interested Parties From: Brad Woodhouse, President of American Bridge Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 This primary season has had the "Republican establishment" giddy as they have thus far managed to stave off embarrassing defeats from "Tea Party" challengers. Of course the reality is that GOP hasn't squelched the Tea Party at all--they've just embraced it. When you look at the "establishment" candidates of 2014, and their stances on key issues, they ARE the Tea Party of 2010. Opposition to minimum wage hikes and equal pay legislation. Support for personhood amendments to outlaw a woman's right to choose without exception and limit some forms of contraception. Support for Paul Ryan's plans to end Medicare as we know it and privatize Social Security. Denial of scientific fact on climate change. Massive tax cuts for the wealthy, shifting more of the tax burden to working families. These are the the platforms on which today's so-called "establishment" Republicans are running. But for those who have still fallen in the trap of believing that the GOP has somehow suppressed the Tea Party, tonight should put that little theory to rest. Could there be a clearer rejection of the establishment from the Republican base than the primary defeat of Majority Leader Eric Cantor? Keep in mind, not only has he legislated as anything but a moderate, Cantor actually spent over $1 million against a drastically underfunded opponent trying to convince primary voters of his extremism. He distributed mailers and emails tacking way to the right and bragging that he was blocking common-sense immigration reform--or as he now calls it, amnesty. And still, Cantor, with all his sprints to the right, with help from his powerful friends, and with a resume that would have been considered staunchly conservative just a few years ago, could not pass the "true conservative" test that today's GOP requires. The Tea Party is alive and well. And now, it goes by the name "GOP."
Chris Christie And Curious The Case Of The Disappearing Taxpayer Money
Just throw it on my tab! That's Chris Christie's message to New Jersey taxpayers, as his self-exoneration bill keeps climbing and climbing. New documents yesterday showed that through February, New Jersey has been billed over $3 million so that the Governor can "clear" himself of wrongdoing in his bridge fiasco. It's a feeble attempt to rehabilitate an image that has been tarnished not only by scandal, but also by economic failures. But Christie has shown time and time again that his image comes before the well-being of his constituents. Just a few weeks ago it came to light that Christie gave significant raises to his own staffers, especially those who helped boost his image during his 2013 re-election, while he ransacked pension funds due to his own massive budget shortfall. What's more, in October, Christie wasted $24 million in taxpayer money to hold a special Senate election, rather than just holding it concurrently with the gubernatorial election three weeks later. Why? He was worried that having Cory Booker on the same ballot as him would shrink his margin of victory. For a guy who was supposed to be a fiscal conservative, Chris Christie has been extremely liberal about throwing taxpayer money around--as long as it's to his personal benefit.
Scott Walker, Where Are The Jobs? (They're In Other States)
Scott Walker isn't just failing to fulfill his own job creation promise--he's failing to keep up with surrounding states. A new report shows that Wisconsin has created about 45,000 fewer jobs than would have been expected if the state kept up with historical trends. Moreover, the analysis shows that by December of 2010, towards the end of the Doyle administration, Wisconsin had regained a higher percentage of jobs lost in the recession than any other state included in the study. But by September of 2013, after three years under Gov. Walker and his hyper-conservative policies, Wisconsin had recovered a fewer percentage of its jobs than Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa and Indiana. The state's job gap doubled in Walker's first year, and increased again in his second year. This report is more than just a confirmation that Scott Walker's agenda has been bad for Wisconsin. It's a real-world indictment of the very policies that the Republican Party constantly champions. We've been told time and time again that if only we slashed taxes and shrank government, the free market would bring prosperity to all. But this austere path has only stifled once-booming job growth in Wisconsin, and the state is set to spend $559 million more than it takes in next year. Walker's conservatism has long been the toast of the GOP. Chris Christie praised his reforms for making Wisconsin "a better place to live and work." Grover Norquist declared that "his success in Wisconsin will change America." And AFP president, Tim Phillips lauded his agenda as "the new model for the country." Well, the results are in. The model has failed. And America is not soon to follow in Walker's footsteps.
VIDEO: Rick Scott's Hypocrisy On Veterans Health Care
Rick Scott is talking a lot about veterans health care these days. With the recent VA issues that have surfaced, Rick Scott has been making the rounds, bashing the federal government and demanding that we do everything in our power to get our veterans the care they deserve. But while Rick Scott pays lip service to those who have served, 41,000 veterans in his own back yard don't have access to Medicaid because Florida won't expand the program. We all agree that our veterans deserve nothing but the best. Surely they should have access to quality health care. So why is Rick Scott still refusing to take action on Medicaid expansion, denying that health care coverage to the very veterans he claims he is fighting for?
MEMO: Congratulations to Koch-crony Joni
To: Interested Parties From: Brad Woodhouse, President of American Bridge 21st Century Re: Congratulations to Koch-crony Joni Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2014 Congratulations to Joni Ernst. Last night she captured the Tea Party Senate nomination in Iowa, and all she had to do was oppose the minimum wage, “philosophically” oppose renewable fuel standards, and flatter the billionaire, out-of-state Koch brothers. Ernst faced a slew of conservative candidates in the Republican primary, but ultimately, her extreme record prevailed. You can't question her Tea Party bona fides--in addition to opposing a federal minimum wage altogether, she thinks shifting a greater tax burden onto the middle class is "a great way to go." She has made the case for privatizing Social Security, supported Paul Ryan's budget to gut Medicaid and voucherize Medicare, and called for the elimination of Renewable Fuel Standards along with all other taxpayer subsidies. Her position on every one of those issues is in lockstep with the Koch agenda, and she even co-sponsored a personhood amendment, which would make some forms of contraception illegal and take away a woman's right-to-choose even in the case of rape or incest. What more could a Tea Partier ask for? Now, general election voters in Iowa can enjoy five months of getting to know Koch-crony Joni and her anti-middle class agenda.
Thom Tillis is a Fraidycat
Speaker Tillis, what do you have to hide, sir?
But the House isn’t making it easy on the Democratic group – prohibiting them from filming at times in the center gallery above the chamber and imposing tougher restrictions. Under new informal rules from the sergeant-at-arms and Tillis’ office, the trackers are not allowed to set up tripods and use the center gallery area, which they say is reserved for credentialed media. No such restrictions exist in the Senate.You can read the whole report at the News & Observer here.
President Brad Woodhouse Op-Ed: The TRUTH About the Koch Agenda
Don't miss American Bridge President Brad Woodhouse's new op-ed on CNN.com on the truth behind the Koch agenda, and visit RealKochFacts.com to learn more.
They called Social Security "the most serious threat to the future stability of our society next to the threat of nuclear war." They wanted to abolish all minimum wage laws, while giving tax breaks to the rich and big oil. All in a self-serving attempt to drive the policy discourse further toward their extreme ideals to benefit their own bottom line. Voters deserve to know the truth behind the Kochs' self-serving agenda and just what they stand for. So, at American Bridge, we've launched RealKochFacts.com, a new research and rapid response resource to highlight the truth about the Koch agenda and what it means for working families in states around the country.You can read the full op-ed over on CNN.com
DUI: Democracy Under the Influence (of Koch)
The Koch brothers have been trying to abolish campaign finance laws for more than three decades. In 1980, David Koch discovered a loophole that allowed him to contribute unlimited funds to a campaign if he was on the ticket. So he wrote to the Libertarian Party, bought a spot as their VP nominee, contributed over $2 million of his own money, and ran on a ticket that advocated for abolishing campaign finance laws (among others, like the minimum wage). Fast forward 30+ years and the Kochs' dream of overrunning democracy with unbridled political spending has essentially been realized. Their extensive network of dark money organizations reaches far and deep - like the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, which has already promised to spend $125 million to buy midterm elections for extreme Republican candidates that will push the Kochs' self-serving agenda. It's the same agenda that they've been pushing for decades--abolishing the minimum wage, slashing Medicare, removing environmental protections, and dismantling Social Security.