How Excited Are Young Voters?

Via ThinkProgress:

Both pictures are from this week's college stops for each campaign.  I wonder who is more likely to get the young vote?  I don't know why Romney even tries to make campaign stops at college when he basically makes speeches where he tells students to just borrow money from their parents and start their own business.  Not really an option when you are tens of thousands of dollars in debt already.

The excitement is palpable in the picture on the left.

College May Get A Lot More Expensive Soon

Club for Growth is in the news again and is unsurprisingly on the wrong side of reason. They are opposing the Interest Rate Reduction Act (HR 4628) which would, well, do exactly what it says. The previous law had a sunset clause on it and that ends very soon. Without passing this one, interest rates would double for student loans.

Via ThinkProgress:

“It’s bad policy to subsidize student loans in the first place, but the net result will likely drive up tuition costs for all students, making the overall cost of the bill much higher than its current price tag.”

Tuition is rising for all students, that is true, but that is where the truth in their statement stops.  There are many causes for the tuition rise, but government sponsored student loans are not one of those reasons.

John Boehner has claimed that the Democrats are at fault if the rates double despite the Republican's record of obstructionism. He claims that Democrats voted to double the rate when the passed the bill with the sunset clause. Never mind that the Republicans refused to vote on it at all without it in the first place. So who is really at fault? Surely not the Republicans from before or they now that refuse to pass the Interest Rate Reduction Act.

Interest Rate Reduction Act, how could anyone oppose something so obviously good for students? I suppose this is similar to when the President put forward the American Jobs Act and Congress didn't want to touch it.

Mitt Romney has his own advice for college students:

This kind of devisiveness, this attack of success, is very different than what we’ve seen in our country’s history. We’ve always encouraged young people: Take a shot, go for it, take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents, start a business. -MittRomney at Otterbein University

Never mind that the cost of getting a degree is much higher now than it has ever been in the past, even compensating for inflation. Never mind that most students cannot just borrow money from their parents because their parents are not millionaires. That isn't an attack on success, just a fact. Not everyone has a trust fund waiting for them like Romney. Continued comments like this just prove how out of touch Romney is.

It will be a long road to November.

Typical Nebraska Politics

I find Nebraska politics disgusting. I once said that I was ashamed to be from Nebraska because of it. I don't exactly feel that way anymore because Nebraska, like every state really, has a rich history. The history of Omaha, for instance, is very interesting and really embodies that pioneer spirit. It also shows how cutthroat people can be but that's not important right now. From the reason the capitol is named “Lincoln” to the reason Omaha grew as big as it was as fast as it did is all a great story. However, that is obviously not the problem I have with the state.

I realize that I live deep in Red State America, but we have shown that we can have a purple streak. Because Nebraska, along with Maine, is strange about the way electoral votes are awarded in presidential elections, Obama took one of Nebraska's electoral votes in 2008. I know I was happy about that and am proud to say I was a part of it. Nebraska has also had Democratic governors and senators, though I'm not sure Ben Nelson should really be counted as such.

My problem is with the petty nature of the attack ads... ok, so that is not exclusive to Nebraska but stay with me. In such a strong red state the attacks, at least in the primaries, seem to center on making each opponent seem like a big, bad, baby-killing, money wasting, hippie loving Democrat.

There is an ad currently running against Bruning for the senate race. It talks about Bruning having a high spending record when he was in the Nebraska state legislature and then praising the stimulus. It does this while showing the Capitol building with Nancy Pelosi, the President and Bruning all in the background. As if he had something in common with them. I know this is a pretty tame ad and they will only get worse as we get closer to the primary on May 15^th.

Here's the ad:

Club for Growth Action is the sponsor of the ad. I looked them up on OpenSecrets.org and they have about $5 million on hand right now. They have not given any money to a candidate but I would say it is safe to assume they are not supporting Bruning. An interesting/frustrating thing is that zero contributions to this PAC are from Nebraska and yet they stick their nose in our business.

I truly cannot wait for the primary to be over.

Fox Facts

Artist - Pat Bagley

I have been a little scarce lately but I will try to get back into a routine in the next couple days.

In other news, there was a confirmed case of Mad Cow disease in California.  So that's fun.  Makes me want to go get a burger...

Really though, this is a perfect time to bring up regulations.  Republicans rail against them but stuff like this are reasons why we need them in place.  If you need a refresher on how the meat industry ran things before any regulations, read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. 

Newt's Penguin

Artist - RJ Matson

In other news, Marco Rubio, someone whose name comes up in any discussion about possible Romney VP picks said today that he would say no if asked.  I don't blame him, really.  Romney is certain to lose and if Rubio has higher political aspirations, he would do better if he ran in 2016 when, theoretically, the Republicans had a shot of winning.

John Raese Needs A History Lesson

John Raese, the Republican candidate for Senate in West Virginia needs a history lesson. At a recent campaign event he was talking about a recent smoking ban in Monongalia County and he said this:

"But in Monongalia County now, I have to put a huge sticker on my buildings to say this is a smoke-free environment. This is brought to you by the government of Monongalia County. Okay?" he said. "Remember Hitler used to put Star of David on everybody’s lapel, remember that? Same thing."

No, it isn't the same thing, John. The stickers you are talking about indicate that a person can enter the establishment without worrying about inhaling any cancer causing second hand smoke. The stars of David that the Nazis made the Jews wear indicated that they were Jews. Then these Jews were rounded up and put in ghettos, and then the ghettos were liquidated and these star of David wearing Jews were sent to different concentration camps where they were put to work and more than six million died.

It is not the same thing.

I would like to see the Jewish lobby be up in arms about this idiocy but I would actually be surprised if they did.

This is not the first time he has run for the Senate. He ran in 2010 and lost. The Huffington Post put together a series of some of his most ridiculous positions here.

Romney's Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy

Newly anointed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that there is a vast left-wing conspiracy against him. Obviously, he was being a little tongue-in-cheek referencing Hillary Clinton during Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. However, because of the way he went on with the interview saying that people on the left side of the aisle would do everything they could to beat him, I think he was more serious.

It made me chuckle though because...isn't that how elections work? Why would the Democrats just let him do his thing without fighting back? Especially when his campaign is wrong and has a reckless disregard for the truth.

It will be interesting to see what the next several months have in store for us.

Success!

Artist - Dave Granlund

I wanted to write a bit on the whole Ann Romney stay at home mom thing but I just don't know where to start.  The comment that she had never worked a day in her life clearly was not meant as a jab at stay at home moms but at the Romney's ridiculous amount of wealth.  Hilary Rosen shouldn't have said it, however, because it could be taken so wrong and Democrats were good to jump on her for it.

The strangest thing about the whole story is Romney's position it the debate.  Clearly, he supports his wife and is now all gung-ho about stay at home moms.  But what if Ann was poor?  Earlier, he said that mothers who need financial help have to go to work to receive benefits.  I don't know what happened in these few months to change his whole outlook on motherhood and how they raise their children... oh, yes, it has become politically expedient to do so...


It's going to be a long road to November.

Retracing The Titanic

By: Bob Englehart

The President released his tax returns today, while Mitt Romney asked for an extension. I suppose with all that campaigning it just slipped his mind. Or perhaps he thought the 22% given to charity by the Obama's wouldn't play well compared to his own? Better stick it in a different news cycle. Good call, Romney campaign.

Hoekstra's Jab At Women

Republican candidate for Senate in Michigan, Pete Hoekstra, displayed his true feelings about women in the workplace. He called the law signed by President Obama that ensures equal pay for women a nuisance.

He was asked at a campaign event yesterday whether he would try to make it a priority to repeal the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. His response was very timely considering all the recent talk of the Republican War on Women.

"Will, you know, will repealing it be a priority? If you came back and said, you know, that's really the thing that's hurting my business the most. My guess is there are other things that we can do that have a higher priority in terms of what I, what I believe might need to be done. I think you know we need to create -- that thing is a nuisance. It shouldn't be the law."

If paying your employees fairly and not discriminating based on gender is really hurting your business and you can't handle it, perhaps you shouldn't be in business. It is absolutely ridiculous that this sort of talk is happening in 2012. And maybe the most appalling thing about it is that it is happening by candidates for national office. These are not Bill and Steve at the local bar, but a candidate representing one of the two major parties for the upper house of the United States Congress. It has no place in the public discourse and ought to be mocked at every turn. If the Democrats do not sweep the woman’s demographic in these elections I will be shocked.

Truly, if that does not happen it will be because people are not paying attention, but that won't be surprising. The Democratic party can easily harness the War on Women as a jab at Republicans. If they don't they are leaving points on the field. I think the Republicans are seeing this and are trying to combat this, laughably to be sure, by asserting that the Democrats are the one's waging a war on women. I think I'll address how ridiculous that is another time...

Pick-A-Veep

In other news, George Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder. This news didn't come fast enough. From what I hear of the special prosecutor assigned to this case, she is one tough woman. Hopefully Trayvon can have justice. Also, hopefully a narrative is opened on the “stand your ground” laws and maybe he wouldn't have died in vain.

Allen "McCarthy" West

Allen West, A.K.A. member of the crazy caucus, today said something at an event that is definitely a throwback to the 60's.

Moderator: What percentage of the American legislature do you think are card-carrying Marxists or International Socialist?

West: It's a good question. I believe there's about 78 to 81 members of the Democrat Party who are members of the Communist Party. It's called the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

To be fair, he was asked a question, but no one in their right mind would ever claim that eighty, or any for that matter, members of Congress are communists. And not just communists, but members of the big “C” Communist party. I often hear people half jokingly say that the current Republican party would like to go back to the 50's but this is ridiculous.

He also said "Democrat party," which isn't a party at all.  He is of course referring to the Democratic party.  Republican's love to say things like that because they think it bothers us.  Well it does bother me because it is so stupid.  I don't go around saying "Republitards" for example...

Santorum Drops Out

Newt Gingrich just bounced a check in Utah. Does he still think he will take the race all the way to the convention?

Cartoon

Wisconsin's War on Women

Surely, everyone has heard about Scott Walker repealing Wisconsin's equal pay law. This is the law that enabled victims of wage discrimination to have to recourse in court. Now, they don't. But this isn't what I want to write about. I want to talk about the fools who passed this and think this is a good thing for their state. Sen. Glenn Grothman (R) is one such individual.

From ThinkProgress:

Repealing the law was a no-brainer for state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R), who led the effort because of his belief that pay discrimination is a myth driven by liberal women’s groups. Ignoring multiple studies showing that the pay gap exists, Grothman blamed females for prioritizing childrearing and homemaking instead of money, saying, “Money is more important for men.”

I'd like to take the time here to remind everyone that this is the 21^st century. Clearly, no one has reminded Mr. Grothman of this fact. I don't understand how anyone today can get away with saying things like that. I suppose the people of Wisconsin could always petition to recall this guy but they already tried that for the union busting law and he's still there.

This reminds me of an incident at work where a female coworker was dismissed by a customer that he deemed didn't know what she was talking about and said, “let's get a man over here.” My coworker said that he get's to deal with her and that will have to be good enough. I was only called over when there actually was something she needed my help with. At the time I was helping him, he didn't know that I already knew what he had said to her. Of course I put on a happy face because that's part of the job but I was seething inside. I'm fairly certain that I was more pissed about the whole thing than she was.

Anyway, on goes the War on Women. We do get to capitalize that now, right?

Olbermann Sues Current TV

Keith Olbermann filed suit against Current TV today claiming that he is owed $70 million.

 I have never been a fan of Olbermann even though we may hold similar beliefs. Surely, we are at least against the same people. I have always found him boisterous and a bit overzealous so I never watched him when he was on MSNBC. When he was canned by MSNBC, it didn't affect me much as I could just as easily not watch him on Current TV. Now that he has been canned by Current TV and the storm brewing because of it, one would have to be crazy to hire him.

It seems like he is very hard to work with and may even be somewhat of a prima donna. I'm sure he is not the only one like this in cable news, however. The spotlight that accompanies a top spot on a network lineup certainly draws a certain type of person.

I know this is far from over.

Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom Trailer

Aaron Sorkin's new project "The Newsroom" finally has a trailer out and it looks amazing.  If you know me, then you know The West Wing is one of my favorite shows and I have been looking forward to this since I heard about it.  I don't have HBO at the moment but I may have to get it before the end of June!

One Small Step

I finally got a smart phone a year or so ago and now I'm taking another leap into the 21st century by creating, and hopefully maintaining, this blog.  I think it can be fun and maybe a little educational.  I know it will help me work on my writing skill which I know have waned a little since graduation.  I'll need them back for when I go back to school in the fall.

I like to discuss politics, history, movies and TV and I imagine a little of that will show through here.