I’m preparing to watch Obama’s speech. More later.
Sep 062012
Aug 202012
This observation from Amy Davidson on Representative Todd Akin’s bizarre remarks regarding rape and pregnancy are spot-on:
Beyond that, there is a notion, common in conservative rhetoric lately, that desperation is always elsewhere, and that the crises in ordinary lives do not need to be contemplated or worried about—not by nice people. They are rare; something has gone wrong; maybe the complaint isn’t legitimate; maybe it’s their own fault. That indifference goes beyond the question of rape and abortion
I’m sure there are a significant number of evangelicals and social conservatives who find Akin’s comments laughable, but their silence on the matter makes it that much easier for the media (and a good chunk of the left) to lump them together with the true cranks. Aren’t people of faith tired of a few eccentric and ignorant politicians anointing themselves as spokespersons for millions? One can be staunchly pro-life and still acknowledge that pregnancy can result from rape. From a Christian perspective, don’t we live in a fallen world? And if that’s true, why do some Christians put so much effort into glossing over those instances when our fallen nature inflicts misery on a fellow human being?
Aug 172012
A Paul Ryan vice presidency could have dire consequences for the poor and people with disabilities. Ryan’s plans to transform Medicare into a voucher system have been well-documented, but his proposed Medicaid reductions would cut even deeper. Between eliminating the Medicaid expansion in the Affordable Care Act and transforming the remainder of Medicaid into a capped block grant, the Ryan budget would deny health care coverage to 30 million people.
Whether Congress would enact such harsh cuts is an open question. Medicaid beneficiaries don’t possess the same political clout as senior citizens, but some elected officials may still cringe at the prospect of reducing services to their most vulnerable constituents.
The need to reform Medicaid is clear and I expect that beneficiaries like me will have to accept some reductions (on top of the reductions in personal care reimbursement we’ve already witnessed). But we would prefer not to hand the reins of power over to two men who seem to regard entitlements as abstractions disconnected from the lives of real people.
Aug 142012
Exactly one other person was atmy polling place when I voted at approximately 7:00 p.m. Turnout for this primary election will be typically low, but Minnesota has few statewide elections of interest this year. Amy Klobuchar will likely walk to re-election and Obama will have to commit an epic fail to lose the state. Some of the congressional races might be interesting, but I’m not counting on any major upsets. On a local level, I voted for the Ray Dehn for state representative. He’s a bit more progressive than the other DFL candidates and he was the only one to knock on my door.
Aug 132012
Paul Ryan has probably read more books than Sarah Palin, but they’re both cut from the same far-right cloth. Nate Silver is probably right; Romney wouldn’t pick Ryan if he felt that he was sitting pretty with his base and positioned strongly for the upcoming election. Ryan is a pick designed to reassure conservatives yet again that Romney really, truly is one of them. Solidifying the base may be a good strategy in a close election, but Ryan’s plans for scaling back entitlements may give independents pause.
I doubt Ryan will do much to sway the election; people vote for a president, not their running mates. The debate between Biden and Ryan could be interesting, though. It will be the aw-shucks youthful reactionary versus the garrulous old-school liberal.
Jul 112012
Ezra Klein, the 19th Floor’s favorite wonk, puzzles over the relative stability of the presidential race thus far. Although both sides have suffered gaffes and bad news cycles, the polling remains relatively unchanged with Obama tying or slightly leading Romney. Of course, the usual caveats apply: it’s early, anything can happen, etc. But perhaps most people have already made up their minds and aren’t inclined to change them, no matter how many times the campaigns bombard them with ads.
I’m cautiously optimistic that Obama’s coalition of women, professionals, and people of color will deliver enough votes in the battleground states to win, but Romney is a relentless opponent who understands this is his last chance to make history.
Jun 042012
Things aren’t looking good for opponents of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and their efforts to recall him. InTrade has Walker as a 94% favorite to win tomorrow’s election. It’s entirely possible that the oddsmakers are wrong, but the polling trends clearly favor Walker. I’m saddened to witness from afar the venomous partisanship that has engulfed the state where I grew up. Wisconsin politics could swing between bold progressivism and staunch conservatism (Tommy Thompson was governor for much of my childhood), but the state’s political system generally reached consensus on the important issues. Much of the blame for the current state of affairs lies with Walker’s scorched-earth ideology, but I’m not sure the recall is the best strategy to effect change. The resources poured into this campaign might have been better spent on electing Democrats in November; a Walker win tomorrow could leave Wisconsin’s left dispirited and weakened. And using the recall process for purely political purposes seems like begging for trouble in the event that Wisconsin elects a truly liberal governor in the future who encounters fierce conservative opposition.
I hope I’m wrong about all this, but I have the sinking feeling that Wisconsin Democrats are playing right into their opponents’ hands.
May 102012
Obama’s interminable hedging regarding his views on gay marriage tested the patience of many progressives, so it’s good to see that his evolution on the matter is finally complete and that he endorsed marriage equality. It won’t change anything in the near term–states like North Carolina continue to incorporate blatant discrimination into their constitutions. But the fact that the President of the United States supports the right of people like my brother and his partner to marry is still significant. It leaves no doubt that no doubt that marriage equality is no longer just a mainstream notion, but an inevitable outcome. That outcome may still be years away from being fully realized, but it will come to pass–regardless of who wins this particular election. And someday we’ll look back at this moment and wonder how a guy as smart as Obama took so long to reach such an obvious conclusion.
May 092012
I’m actually surprised the Legislature is on the verge of passing a bill to fund a new Vikings stadium. Until a few weeks ago, most legislators didn’t appear too interested in discussing the commitment of public funds for a professional football stadium. But the NFL and a boisterous cadre of Vikings fans did an effective job of scaring legislators into believing that the team would decamp for Los Angeles if it didn’t get its way now. The whole thing smacks of corporate entitlement and hasty policymaking. I’d be less annoyed if I thought legislators would be just as inclined to to consider new revenue to plug next year’s deficit, but that’s not likely.
Apr 302012
The Times reports on the ongoing political standoff surrounding Minnesota’s efforts to implement a health insurance exchange. Governor Dayton remains strongly committed to establishing an online Exchange where individuals and businesses can purchase insurance, while state Republicans remain adamant in their refusal to collaborate on anything related to Obamacare. Dayton administration officials continue efforts to develop an Exchange in the hopes that a Supreme Court decision and/or the November elections will eventually resolve the standoff.
For those like me who are working to implement health care reform in Minnesota, the stalemate is a complicating factor in our work. Implementing a fully functional Exchange that will be ready to accept applications in less than 18 months is a monumental task in itself and these never-ending political disputes only distract from those efforts. It’s unfortunate that such efforts can’t be bipartisan, but bipartisanship can’t be used as an excuse for Minnesota to do nothing and risk a federally imposed solution that is not designed to best serve the needs of our residents.