Scott Walker doesn’t want you to vote; Biden says ‘fight back’ Across the land, Republican state legislators have shouted “voter fraud, voter fraud” to justify various schemes to restrict voting. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is now leading the charge, which makes sense since the phony fraud redounds to his benefit. Legislative actions, written by the corporate-funded…
Republican senators dig in against tea party primary challenges When Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) took the stage recently at a Chamber of Commerce brisket dinner, he not only defended his pork-barrel spending, he spoke about the goodness of government—something few Republicans have dared to do since the small-government tea party movement swept through their party. His…
Sheldon Adelson: Wild card The guessing game is creating anxiety among Republican Party elites eager to avoid a repeat of 2012, when Sheldon Adelson and his family dumped more than $20 million into a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich’s long-shot GOP presidential campaign. The Adelsons went on to give even more money to help Mitt…
The devastating, sneaky genius of John Roberts’ opinions Chief Justice John Roberts. has an unparalleled talent for making the sweeping seem small and the sharp seem mild. His rhetoric is all about sounding reasonable and earnest, even if (especially if) the outcomes of his rulings are anything but. He’s a champion of the long game. He’s Scalia’s…
Obamacare helping millions register to vote It’s the right’s worst nightmare: Obamacare working to boost not just the number of Americans who have affordable health insurance—but also the number who are registered to vote. And it could be coming true. Take it from Rush Limbaugh. “What do you really think is going on?” the conservative radio host asked…
Obamacare numbers coming in huge: Here’s a guide to GOP excuse-making Against all odds and expectations, enrollments in health plans qualified under the Affordable Care Act surged Monday toward—and maybe beyond—the 7-million figure projected by the Congressional Budget Office before Oct. 1, when the open-enrollment period began. The deadline for starting enrollment applications for 2014 plans was…
A “nation of takers?” Here are the real “takers” In the debate about poverty, critics argue that government assistance saps initiative and is unaffordable. After exploring the issue, I must concede that the critics have a point. Here are five public welfare programs that are wasteful and turning us into a nation of “takers.” Perhaps…
Banks won’t do business with legal marijuana sellers—enter PotCoin So far 20 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, but with the rise of the legal pot business has come a wave of robberies and other crimes targeting pot dispensaries and their owners. The purveyors of legal pot…
When the government outsources to private companies, inequality gets worse State and local officials nationwide are responding to budget crunches by siphoning off public services to private contractors—the classic “market-based solution” for a fiscal crisis. But on balance, the savings of these supposedly cost-saving outsourcing measures often turn out to be less than advertised. A new…
Ethics board: ‘Substantial’ belief McMorris Rodgers misused funds An independent congressional ethics board found “substantial reason” to believe Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the fourth-ranking House Republican, improperly used official funds for campaign activities. The full findings of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) were made public for the first time on Monday by the House…