Politics

This weekend Missouri Senate candidate, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), make big news when he declared women could shut off their bodies from getting pregnant during a "legitimate rape". Since then we have seen troves of big names in the GOP come out and denounce the comments, including the head of the RNC, Mitt Romney and even the head of Tea Party Nation.

But what does this say about the GOP and their pro-life platform?

The comments Akin made, while totally absurd, are not that far off base with what the GOP has said for years. They constantly try to come up with ways to defend the denial of abortion to women in all cases. Akin and Paul Ryan even co-sponsored legislation last year that tried to redefine rape. So Akin is actually really aligned with the GOP platform.

So why is the GOP running from this?

They constantly say they want to make abortion a key issue and that most of America supports their views, so why not capitalize on what Akin said? Why is it now that the real views are out there the GOP chooses to hide?

The reason is simple and a lesson that all conservative voters, especially the social conservatives, should take in. The GOP doesn't want abortion outlawed. I have said this for years and you can simple look through history to see proof of this. The GOP had control of the House, Senate and White House for years early in the millennium, yet they never tried to ban abortion. They never even really brought the issue up.

The top people in the Republican Party know they need abortion to rally church and social conservative support and if it were to become outlawed, then that takes away a big motivator for the base. Remember, we do live in a country that voters need huge motivation to vote.

Rep. Richard Hanna (R-NY) has taken his parties leadership to task. In an interview with the Post-Standard editorial board, he had this to say:

I have to say that I’m frustrated by how much we — I mean the Republican Party — are willing to give deferential treatment to our extremes in this moment in history.

[SNIP]

We render ourselves incapable of governing when all we do is take severe sides. If all people do is go down there and join a team, and the team is invested in winning and you have something that looks very similar to the shirts and the skins, there’s not a lot of value there.

[SNIP]

I would say that the friends I have in the Democratic Party I find ... much more congenial — a little less anger.

And these extremes are pushing moderates out of the Republican Party. Rep Steven LaTourette (R-OH) announced yesterday that he would be retiring from Congress after this term. The news was a shock to GOP leadership, especially Speaker John Boehner, which LaTourette had a close relationship with. LaTourette is also the most moderate Republican of the Ohio delegation.

One of the things that can be to blame for moderates being upset over GOP leadership is the lack of leading a country in dire times. Instead of taking up important issues, GOP leadership has decided to take up political issues:

And the decision by Majority Leader Eric Cantor to schedule several votes on abortion, reaffirming that the nation’s motto is, in fact, “In God We Trust” and other social issues has angered moderates for more than a year.

Time once again to expose the extreme hypocrisy of the wingnuts. Here's video from yesterday's White House presser:

(via Real Clear Politics)

Reporter: What city does this Administration consider to be the capital of Israel? Jerusalem or Tel Aviv?

Jay Carney, White House press secretary: Um... I haven't had that question in a while. Our position has not changed. Can we, uh...

Reporter: What is the capital [of Israel]?

Jay Carney: You know our position.

Reporter: I don't.

And then you get the total disrespect of the crazies from the right wing media:

Lester Kinsolving, World Net Daily: No, no. She doesn't know, that's why she asked.

Carney: She does know.

Reporter: I don't.

Kinsolving: She does not know. She just said that she does not know. I don't know.

Carney: We have long, lets not call on...

Kinsolving: Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?

Carney: You know the answer to that.

Kinsolving: I don't know the answer. We don't know the answer. Could you just give us an answer? What do you recognize? What does the administration recognize?

Carney: Our position has not changed.

Kinsolving: What position?

But let's forget the asshole from World Net Daily that thinks he can just go into the White House and yell at the press secretary. We have become used to that from Republicans, which embrace it from John Boehner on down. Instead let's focus on the question and the response from the wingnuts. For example, king wingnut Glenn Reynolds:

What does the GOP have against lowering taxes and bringing jobs back to America?

Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked the No.1 item on the president's congressional "to-do-list," refusing to allow a vote on a bill that would give tax breaks for companies that "insource" jobs to the U.S. from overseas while eliminating tax deductions for companies that move jobs abroad.

In voting against the bill, Republicans raised both substantive and procedural problems with the measure.

The bill fell four votes short of the 60 needed to bring it to debate, with 42 voting against it. Four GOP senators -- Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Dean Heller of Nevada -- voted in favor of the bill.

Here we have something that would have helped out the job market, made America more appealing to employers and reduce taxes, yet the Republicans blocked it. I asked why, but we know why. The answer came last year from the mouth of the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, when he said that if the economy improves it hurts their chances at elections. In other word, screw you and your family and America overall; all the Republicans want is power.

I was just reading something really interesting:

Facebook users in Washington state will have something else to brag about to their online friends: that they registered to vote on Facebook.

The secretary of state's office said Tuesday it will have an application on its Facebook page that allows residents to register to vote and then "like" the application and recommend it to their friends. It's expected to launch as early as next week.

As soon as I saw that I thought "wow, what an idea!" What Washington is doing is trying to get their citizens more involved in our democracy. They want to make it easier for people to take the necessary steps to engage in their constitutional right to vote.

Voter turnout in the United States averages 67% in a Presidential year. Non-presidential years, it drops below 50%. Our nation, once considered the birthplace of democracy, has dropped to number 55 in voter participation. That is a joke, but one the GOP loves.
Amazing!

Since Republicans had their wave in 2010, a concentrated effort by the right has commenced to make it harder for people to vote. The Republicans know an amazing fact; this country is mostly Democratic. They know that when Democrats get energized and get out to vote that the GOP will lose. So instead of trying to conform more to the views of the people, the GOP has taken to actions to silence the people.

That's a problem.

A couple weeks ago Richard Posner, one of America's most influential conservative judges, made big news when he said the Republican Party has become "goofy". Now he is backing that claim up more by offering his view on some of the bigger decisions the Supreme Court has made and the right supports, namely Citizens United:

Speaking to foreign educators, Judge Richard Posner told the assembled that the wealthy give lots of money to legislators and that an individual legislator “knows that if he doesn’t promote the interests of the donor,” he won’t get any more money.

[snip]

Posner left no doubt about his criticism of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United campaign-finance decision. He said, “Our political system is pervasively corrupt due to our Supreme Court taking away campaign-contribution restrictions on the basis of the First Amendment.”

Let's think about this in common sense terms and maybe terms that those on the right will understand. I own a business that makes devices for abortions. Congress is going to try to outlaw abortions after all these years. Well business has been good and I have a ton of cash. I know if this legislation passes and becomes law, my cash flow ceases. So I decide to give some huge donations to key players in Congress. Why? To prevent this legislation from becoming law. To keep my cash flow coming.

Citizens United did just that - it allowed that unlimited cash flow to come in to the hands of our politicians. It didn't open the door to bribery, it made bribery legal. I believe Ronald Reagan would have seen it that way and the fact that one of his most famous appointments to the federal court sees it like that helps me validate my view.

The Federal Trade Commission has put out a very serious warning:

It's enough to make you sick. No sooner had the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Affordable Care Act than scam artists began working the phones. They say they're from the government and that, using the Affordable Care Act as a hook, they need to verify some information. They might have the routing number from your bank, and then use that information to get you to reveal the entire account number. Or, they'll ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID, or other personal information.

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, advises consumers not to give out personal or financial information in response to unsolicited phone calls, emails, or knocks on your door. Scam artists want your information to commit identity theft, charge your existing credit cards, debit your checking account, open new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, write fraudulent checks, or take out loans in your name.

If someone who claims to be from the government calls and asks for your personal information, hang up. It's a scam. The government and legitimate organizations you do business with already have the information they need and will not ask you for it. Then, file a complaint at ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. If you think your identity's been stolen, visit ftc.gov/idtheft or call 1-877-ID-THEFT. You also can file a complaint with your state Attorney General.

For more information about the federal health care law, visit HealthCare.gov.