The Politics Thread

[DRW50]

Wait for the media to tell us that the biggest winner was Romney, and he's now the new Reagan, every dream come true, and those libs don't know what hit them.

Far right groups are also already planning to spend $10 million on ads trashing the ACA. Imagine what they could do to help people with that money.

[Ann_SS]

Kudos to TPM

Edited June 28, 2012 by Ann_SS

[DRW50]

I would laugh if this wasn't so sad.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/06/rand-paul-obamacare-is-still-unconstitutional-127574.html

[JaneAusten]

Do any of these politicians understand the constitution and our branches of govmt. Yes moron the Supreme Court does get to rule on what is constitutional.

[DRW50]

Rand Paul goes around saying the Bible should be the basis of our laws so why the Constitution even matters to him baffles me. I think he's just an opportunist and a huckster, riding his father's coattails.

[Max]

Despite what everyone on FOX was saying, I had thought this law might be upheld (which is why I never once predicted otherwise). Nobody on the left can demonize Chief Justice Roberts as some right-wing wacko. Ironically, Obama (along with Hillary and any other Senate Democrat who was considering running for president in 2008) voted against Roberts' confirmation so as to not offend their party's left-wing base (who would be rabidly opposed to almost anyone Bush appointed to SCOUTS). I can certainly understand why Democrats would vote against Alito's confirmation (because he is very conservative); Roberts, however, attracted bi-partisan support (as half the Senate Democrats voted for his confirmation), and those presidential hopefuls who voted against him were merely pandering.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Max

[DRW50]

Joe Trippi, who lost all relevance after destroying Howard Dean's campaign and bumbling through several other campaigns (John Edwards says hi), gives the media spin (Romney yay!)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77952_Page2.html

[DRW50]

Far right hero tells states to just not bother implementing Obamacare. Can you imagine the fury if a Democrat had said this when Bush was in office?

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/demint-obamacare-still-unconstitutional-states-should-refuse-to?ref=fpblg

[Max]

I think what destroyed Dean's campaign was his scream in Iowa heard round the world. Unless Trippi instructed Dean to do that, I don't see how he can be responsible for Dean's spectacular collapse.

Since presidential elections have always been personal popularity contests, I fully expect Obama to win re-election. Still, it is usually the losing side of a Supreme Court battle that is more fired up over the outcome (and obsesses over the ruling for a longer period of time) than the winning side (see Bush v. Gore and Citizens United).

Edited June 28, 2012 by Max

[quartermainefan]

This was a shock. The media has been saying that these 5-4 party line decisions are a concern of John Roberts and I am glad he was able to take his job as Chief Justice seriously enough to know that is not a good thing. If only Speaker Boehner would take his job seriously.

[DRW50]

Being fired up didn't do much for the left in those situations.

I don't believe "the scream" made a difference. The media went crazy over it but Kerry already had the momentum by then anyway. Blowing money on very crappy ads and having people in orange hats, from out of state, run around Iowa, was what killed the campaign.

LOL from Jack Kingston, another super patriot.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/06/really_15.php?ref=fpblg

[DRW50]

Here come the 9/11 comparisons.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/06/pence-likens-health-care-ruling-to-127628.html#.T-yk4sxlh6w.twitter

[JaneAusten]

You know I don't consider myself a hardcore democrat or republican or really any political party allegiance but why does the GOP continue to make themselves sound like such extremists and radicals or align themselves to groups of people like this. The republican party is a bigger mess than the democrats these days.

[wingwalker]

While I wasn't surprised it was upheld (although I did get worried at times), as was surprised how it was upheld. Upholding it under the congress's right to tax instead of commerce clause was a surprise and ironic given when Congress passed it they stressed it being a "penalty" and not a "tax". Also Roberts being the one to join the liberals in a 5-4 decision, this is the first time that's happened. He's joined them on 6-3 decisions, but that's only when Kennedy join the liberals as well, which Kennedy didn't this time. I wonder if Roberts expected Kennedy to join the liberals, cause I also heard Roberts is aware and concerned over how political these 5-4 decisions have become and wants the court to get back to having more 6-3, 7-2, etc rulings.

Looks like Medicaid expansion was upheld, but court said you can't take away all funds if a state doesn't opt in, you can only take away NEW funds. I'm curious as to how that effects the law, cause that gives states an opening to opt out of that part of the law.

Edited June 28, 2012 by wingwalker

[quartermainefan]

The republican party has been radicalized to the point that Ronald Reagan would not be acceptable if he ran for office today. It is sort of funny considering Reagan is the hero of them all, but they edit out the troubling spots like his tax increases, his willingness to sit down for lunch every week with Tip O'Neill to try and keep things working and his entire philosophy about big tents and everyone is welcome. The tea party has adopted the opposite theory that no one is welcome unless they say x, y and z. Reagan would never have approved of the modern tactic of running conservative primary opponents against sitting republicans to purge the party,