Meet Glenn Grothman And The *New* GOP
After an embarrassing cycle for the GOP in 2012 -- from a clown show of a presidential primary season that…
Putting the "Fib" in NFIB
The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) presents itself as a do-good nonpartisan group that fights for the best interests of small businesses and stays out of politics. It isn't. Dig a litter deeper and you'll quickly learn that NFIB is another group with Koch-funding working to push their anti-working family agenda and elect politicians who embody it. They purport to lobby for small business, but fight tooth and nail for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- tax cuts that help people like the Kochs and not people like the local hardware store owner.
VIDEO: A Media Firestorm For The Very Appreciative Rick Scott
Local news. National news. Everywhere you turn, someone is either fuming or just plain reduced to laughter over Rick Scott's refusal to answer questions. The governor is entangled in scandal after scandal, and keeping voters in the dark on where he stands on key issues, but nobody can get an answer from him on any of it.
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.
MEMO: Thom Tillis? Bring it On
North Carolina Senate candidate Thom Tillis, foe of working families and wannabe Tea Party hero, managed to drag his feet across the finish line in today's Republican primary thanks to $2.5 million in support from establishment GOP groups like Crossroads. Now that Tillis has sufficiently touted his extreme conservative positions and record to advance from this far right primary, he is well on his way to defeat in November. Don't take my word for it - take a look at Tillis's abysmal track record in the state house and his extreme rhetoric on the campaign trail. In the state legislature, Tillis has cut education funding by nearly $500 million, bragged about rejecting federal funds for Medicaid expansion, raised taxes on 80% of North Carolinians, made it harder for North Carolinians to exercise their right to vote, and slashed funding for women's health clinics. As he scurried to the right in this bruising primary, Tillis's extreme rhetoric has been on full display. Tillis has said he would consider eliminating the minimum wage, recently claimed that climate change is not a proven fact, has said he thinks states should have the right to ban birth control, supports personhood, and joined national Tea Party leaders in supporting last fall's government shutdown. Couple Tillis's extreme views with his well documented ethical lapses and history of pay-to-play and you have a recipe for his defeat in the Tar Heel state.
Billionaire Koch Brothers Oppose Increasing the Minimum Wage
From President Brad Woodhouse: Not exactly a newsflash – but here it is - from the Koch funded AFP – a note to Senators urging a vote against increasing the minimum wage. Two dudes worth a combined over $80 billion opposing an increase in the minimum wage for people who work fulltime but still live in poverty. Unbelievable.
Why is Scott Walker so happy?
American Bridge today is kicking off a new Tumblr and officially welcoming Scott Walker to the Wisconsin governor's race with a series of GIFs asking - Why is Scott Walker So Happy? Could it be because his promise to create 250K jobs in his first term has fallen more than flat? Perhaps he's proud of his record of making the biggest cuts to education in Wisconsin's history. Or maybe Walker's just giddy from having rolled back provisions of Wisconsin's Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which he derided as a "gravy train" for trial lawyers. Check out AmericanBridge.Tumblr.com for the full litany of possible reasons why Walker could be so happy as he announces his re-election campaign today. [gallery link="file" ids="11505,11499,11500,11502"]
BRIDGE BRIEFING: Romney Supports The Ryan Plan
Romney Endorsed Ryan’s 2013 Budget Plan March 2012: Romney Endorsed Rep. Paul Ryan’s 2013 Budget Plan. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Paul Ryan’s new budget plan drew praise from GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney and an attack from President Obama’s reelection campaign Tuesday. The House Republicans’ fiscal blueprint for 2013 would slash federal spending, lower tax rates and substantially overhaul Medicare in an effort to free the nation ‘from the crushing burden of debt,’ Ryan wrote in a document outlining the plan. In a statement from his campaign, Romney lauded the House Budget Committee chairman ‘for taking a bold step toward putting our nation back on the track to fiscal sanity.’ He said he and Ryan were of the same mind on cutting taxes and overhauling the tax code. ‘As president, I look forward to working with Chairman Ryan and his House Republican colleagues to pass bold reforms that restore America’s promise,’ he said.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/20/12] Romney Aide Eric Fehrnstrom Said Romney Supported The Ryan Plan. According to Talking Points Memo, “Eric Fehrnstrom, a top campaign adviser for Mitt Romney, tied the Republican presidential nominee to the GOP’s budget plan by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). […] ‘…he’s for the Ryan plan. He believes it goes in the right direction. The governor has also put forward a plan to reduce spending by $500 billion by the year 2016. In fact, he’s put details on the table about how exactly he would achieve that. So to say he doesn’t have a plan to – a plan to restrain government spending is just not true.’” [Talking Points Memo, 6/3/12] Romney Endorsed “What Is Essentially” Ryan’s Plan For Deficit Reduction. According to Politico, “Romney also endorsed what is essentially the Ryan plan for fiscal deficit reduction, bring budget into balance in eight years. Said loophole and special tax deductions would be eliminated to offset cost of tax rate reductions, and include ‘some things you’re not going to like.’ Will close some Federal Government departments. Romney spoke with authority and confidence, and appeared relaxed.” [Politico, 5/24/12]
BRIDGE BRIEFING: Romney And Debt
Massachusetts Had The Highest Debt Per Capita Debt Of Any State Under Romney
Under Governor Romney, Massachusetts Had The Highest Per Capita Debt Of Any State. According to Think Progress, “According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (compiled by Connecticut’s chief analyst in 2009), Massachusetts had $10,504 in per capita bond debt in 2007, the highest total in the nation. No other state had more than $10,000 in per capita debt, and only one had more than $8,000. Massachusetts ranked second, behind only Alaska, in per capita debt as a percent of personal income, with debt making up more than 21 percent of each resident’s income.” [Think Progress, 5/16/12] Under Romney, Massachusetts’ Long-Term Debt Increased By 16.4 Percent Or $2.6 Billion. According to the Massachusetts Office of the Treasurer, Massachusetts had $16,063,162,000 in long-term debt as of January 1, 2003. As of October 1, 2006, shortly before Romney left the Governor’s Office, Massachusetts had $18,697,240,000 in long-term debt. This was an increase of $2,634,078,000 or 16.4%. [Massachusetts Office Of The Treasurer, p. A-22 , 2/28/03; Massachusetts Office Of The Treasurer, p. A-24, 11/10/06]Oops… Romney Venue Benefited From Obama Admin's Actions Toward China
At his event at American Spring Wire in Ohio today, Romney repeated his pledge to crack down on China. As you know, his campaign has routinely attacked the Obama administration over this very issue. Unfortunately for Romney, though, American Spring Wire actually petitioned the Obama administration for help dealing with China... then got exactly what they wanted.
Research below:
In June 2009, American Spring Wire Petitioned The U.S. Department Of Commerce To Investigate Countervailing Duties And Antidumping On Steel Wire Imports From China.According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, obtained via Targeted News Service, “On June 17, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced its decision to initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of certain prestressed concrete steel wire strand from the People’s Republic of China (China). Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than normal value. Subsidies are financial assistance from foreign governments that benefit the production, manufacture, or exportation of goods. The petitioners for these investigations are American Spring Wire Corp. (OH), Insteel Wire Products Company (NC), and Sumiden Wire Products Corp. (TN). The merchandise covered by these investigations consists of certain prestressed concrete steel wire strand which is a collection of wire rod bars, typically covered with an epoxy material and is primarily used in concrete construction applications. The merchandise covered by these investigations is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under item numbers: 7312.10.3010 and7312.