GOP Field On Taxes: Big Cuts For Our Megadonors Come First
The GOP candidates on stage tonight complained the last debate lacked a legitimate discussion of "pocketbook issues," but they'll do…
Jeb Bush: "Repeal And Replace" — And Privatize Medicaid
Jeb Bush today committed himself to the tried-and-failed GOP promise to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act. What would…
Inhofe trolls conservatives on highway bill punt
The House of Representatives took the easy way out last night on rebuilding infrastructure by succumbing to a short term, temporary fix to the highway bill. Democrats and Republicans, business groups and labor groups, cats and dogs all agree that a long-term highway bill is necessary to boost our economy and keep the travelling public safe. As Bridge Project explored in a recent report on Republican obstructionism on the highway bill, it’s Tea Party conservatives – doing the Koch brothers’ dirty work – who are forcing Congress to punt on a long-term bill. Sen. Jim Inhofe confirmed this yesterday when he said, “The problem with this bill is really more Republicans than Democrats.” Senator Inhofe isn’t the only Republican fed up with his party for blocking a long-term fix to fund infrastructure projects. Bridge Project’s highway bill report looked at other Republicans who desperately want their national party to stop standing in the way of infrastructure projects that will add jobs and boost our economy.
If someone ever emails "time for traffic problems," don't respond
Top Chris Christie crony and former Port Authority political appointee David Wildstein -- a figure smack dab in the middle of the Bridgegate scandal that has bludgeoned Christie's presidential aspirations with a traffic cone -- is set to plead guilty to criminal charges as soon as tomorrow. Wildstein is infamous for his "Got it" response to the "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" email from Christie's deputy chief of staff, Bridget Ann Kelly. If only he used a carrier pigeon... The slow drip of news that the federal prosecutor is looking into David Samson's potential extortion of United Airlines for his "chairman's flight" means that Christie's headache is far from over. Wait to see if Christie's New Jersey approval rating can fall any lower than 38 percent (lowest yet) due to what National Journal described as "endless scandal and economic stagnation back home."
New Web Ad: Thom Tillis Forgot To Tell You A Few Things
Thom Tillis released a new TV ad today telling you a few things about his background and his record. The only problem? He forgot the facts. Nearly everything Tillis says in the ad is completely undermined by the truth about his record as Speaker of the North Carolina State House. From massive education cuts and budget shortfalls to tax cuts for the wealthiest North Carolinians in a perfectly Koch-aligned agenda, one thing is clear: Tillis does not want to talk to you about his record in the legislature. It's a record he's obviously so proud of that in this new ad he conveniently fails to mention that he has anything to do with the very legislative body he presides over. So we decided to help Speaker Tillis out and fill in some of the crucial context he was unable to fit into his new ad.
BRIDGE BRIEF: Cuccinelli's Disastrous Tax Plan
Cuccinelli Proposed Cutting Taxes By $1.4 Billion By Reducing Income And Corporate Taxes. According to NBC Washington, “Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli released his tax plan Tuesday that would cut about $1.4 billion in taxes by reducing the state’s personal income and corporate tax rate. His proposed plan, “Economic Growth and Virginia Jobs Plan,” would reduce the personal income tax from 5.75 percent to 5 percent and the corporate tax rate from 6 percent to 4 percent.” [NBC Washington, 5/8/13] More Than 75% Of The Tax Cuts Would Go To Households Earning At Least $108,000 A Year. According to the Washington Post, “The Richmond-based Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis examined one piece of that proposal — Cuccinelli’s plan to reduce Virginia’s top individual tax rate from 5.75 percent to 5 percent — and found that the state’s wealthiest citizens would benefit the most. ‘Nearly 4 in 10 Virginians (39 percent), mostly low- and moderate-income households, would see no reduction in their income tax bill,’ the institute said. ‘No Virginian earning less than $21,000 would receive a tax cut under the proposal and only half of all families earning between $21,000 and $39,000 would see their taxes reduced.’ More than three-fourths of the benefits of the tax cut would go to households earning at least $108,000, the analysis found, , while middle-class taxpayers would get a relatively small cut. [Washington Post, 5/16/13] Washington Post Editorial: Like Mitt Romney, Cuccinelli Refuses To Say How He Would Pay For His Tax Plan. According to a Washington Post staff editorial, “Like Mitt Romney, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II wants to cut taxes — by a lot. Like Mr. Romney, Mr. Cuccinelli, the Republican candidate for governor, promises this would not reduce government revenues by a dime, since he would also eliminate significant tax loopholes and deductions. And like Mr. Romney, Mr. Cuccinelli adamantly refuses to identify these loopholes and deductions. Why would Mr. Cuccinelli expect Virginians to fall for this?” [Washington Post, 5/9/13]
Introducing KenOnTheIssues.com
Today American Bridge launched KenOnTheIssues.com to educate voters on Ken Cuccinelli's extreme views on everything from sexual orientation and climate change to Medicare and reproductive freedom. The statements show that the focus of Cuccinelli's career has always been on furthering his extreme agenda rather than finding mainstream solutions for Virginians. Check it out - https://kenontheissues.com/ Some examples... [gallery link="file" ids="10227,10228"]
Facts Matter: The Complete American Bridge Post VP Debate Fact Check Video
Our friend Lyin' Ryan was at it again tonight. Like the Vice President, American Bridge saw a lot of malarkey on stage. Here's the complete American Bridge fact check video on tonight's debate.
MEMO & VIDEO: Romney's Circus Of Lies
During the Republican presidential primary debates, a telling pattern emerged. Mitt Romney, who first ran for public office back in 1994, called Rick Perry a “career politician.” Mitt Romney, who owned stock in and profited from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, criticized Newt Gingrich for working for Freddie Mac. Mitt Romney, who lobbied for funding for the Salt Lake City Olympics and has many of DC’s top Republican lobbyists intimately connected to his campaign, attacked Rick Santorum as a lobbyist. It seemed that each attack that Mitt Romney leveled at his opponents was done before they had an opportunity to say it about him. If precedent holds, then the best way to interpret Romney’s charge that Obama will “say things that aren’t true” is that he is attempting to inoculate himself against the abundance of falsehoods he plans on espousing at the debates. Mitt Romney’s propensity for flip-flopping long ago passed into self-parody, perfectly epitomized by his own campaign’s reference to an etch-a-sketch. But it is important to remember that his ability to say one thing one day and say the opposite the next with a straight face is rooted in his casual relationship with the truth.