UP-FRONT RACE/IMMIGRATION NUGGET!!
Fortress White America (Richard Kim) from the Nation
"... there you have a succinct blueprint for the construction of Fortress White America: evict as many brown people as legally possible; build a wall to keep out the rest. ... For the past two decades, the GOP has waged a crusade to redraw the political map so as to maximize the number of white voters in Republican-leaning districts, while lumping as many minority voters as possible into Democratic-leaning ones. The siege mentality is baked into the very DNA of the party, and it creates a perverse incentive structure in which only white voters matter."
Lots of truth in Kim's final sentence. Republicans simply can't fake it.
Hitting China’s Wall (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"All the signs coming from the economic data show that China is in big trouble."
A Very Clear Explanation of China’s Economic Woes (Brad Plumer) from the Washington Post
"The problem is that this model works well for a developing economy, but when you become the second-largest economy in the world, as China has, it’s very difficult for the rest of the world to absorb those imbalances. If China wants to produce more than it consumes, someone else has to consume more than they produce."
Enough of the Daytonians (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"In Bosnia, the time has come to move past division and denial."
Middle Class Still Left Behind in U.S. economic recovery, data show (Jim Tankersley) from the Washington Post
"The economic recovery of summer 2013 is playing out in an all-too-familiar way for poor and middle-class Americans: Gas prices are up, growth is slowing, and there still aren’t nearly enough new jobs to employ the almost 12 million people seeking work."
Obamacare Skeptics Are Deluding Themselves (Matthew Yglesias) from Slate
"Conservatives think the law is unraveling. But implementing the Affordable Care Act is going to be a huge success."
The Obamacare Train Still Hasn't Wrecked (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic
"The fact that premium bids seem to be coming in lower than CBO and other experts predicted is a pretty big deal—and not for reasons widely understood. For one thing, it means the overall price of Obamacare—the amount of money the government must spend, in order to make the law function—is going to be even lower than predicted."
The Party of No Flirts With Yes as Mitch McConnell’s Grip on the GOP Slips (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"After calling ‘bullshit’ on McConnell, Bob Corker said he was ‘glad that that occurred.’ Michael Tomasky on the minority leader’s restless caucus."
House Republicans Cave On Marriage Fight from Buzzfeed
"“[T]he House now seeks leave to withdraw as a party defendant.” House Republicans stop defending statutes similar to the Defense of Marriage Act that ban recognition of same-sex couples’ marriages."
Zimmerman Acquittal Another Reason to Wake Up (Leonard Pitts) from the Miami Herald
"Four words of advice for African Americans in the wake of George Zimmerman’s acquittal: Wake the hell up."
I think Pitts is channelling a largely overlooked sentiment here, one that has already had an impact in the 2012 elections and stands to seriously upend the projections for the 2014 election cycle. Given the Supremes' ruling on the Voting Rights Act and the outcome of the Martin trial, I would project that African American turnout for the mid-term elections will dwarf current projections and what recent history would suggest. Interestingly (given how ham-fisted the GOP has been generally on the issue) I suspect that many in the Republican Party leadership KNOW there is trouble here given the vocal noise that has been generated from Boehner et al., about passing new voting rights legislation that would pass legal muster. The base of the GOP has no interest in any new legislation. GOP leaders know, however, that in 2012 (for the first time) African American turnout (as a %) surpassed white turnout. In light of these continued assaults on African American rights, look for another round of unprecedented turnout (for a midterm election) next year. Republicans, white conservatives generally (and their conservative media surrogates) do not appreciate the extent to which they have hit on a CORE issue for black voters. This is not food stamps or racial profiling or gun violence or bad inner city schools or affirmative action or one of dozens of important topics that African American voters care about. The GOP (through its base of southern white voters) has substantively attacked the Voting Rights Act ... and Pitts's comment aside, black voters are waking up!
Rand Paul Can Never be a Mainstream Republican (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post
"This disdain for Lincoln is not a quirk or a coincidence. Paulism involves more than the repeal of Obamacare. It is a form of libertarianism that categorically objects to 150 years of expanding federal power."
PRES-2016: Pete King Says He’s ‘Certainly’ Looking at Running for President (Colin Campbell) from Politicker
"Late last night, Newxmax reported that Long Island GOP Congressman Pete King, not widely considered one of the top contenders for the White House for 2016, was nevertheless looking at running for president, citing anonymous sources."
AH! A NEW clown jumps into the GOP ring for 2016! Let's see: we now have Rick Perry, Donald Trump, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz with some flirtations coming from Scott Walker and (the only marginally sane one of the bunch so far) Marco Rubio. Three other lesser fruits include Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and Bobbie Jindal. However, these three (when they haven't been actively damaging their standing with GOP base voters) seem to be keeping pretty low profiles. My guess, they (and other sane potentials for 2016) are waiting to see what Hillary is doing. If she runs (and most evidence suggests that she is planning to), look for all of these moderate types to fold their cards and wait for some later cycle. The one exception (and he could be the most formidable) may be Jeb. Jeb is now 60 years old -- he was originally planning to run in 2000 if not earlier. If he sits out 2016 and Hillary wins, he will be 67 in 2020 and (if the Democrat won two terms) Jeb's next real chance would be 2024 when Jeb would be 71! Sorry folks, even in this day and age, that is too old for someone to be entering the White House. The physical wear and tear the job takes is making being President a job more suited for younger, more physically fit people. Even with Hillary (who I support), I have a concern about her age and health. In addition to the age issue, politically Jeb Bush's sell-by date will long since have passed by 2024. Looking at this set of timelines, the Bushs may figure that 2016 would be Jeb's last best chance. I could not argue with the logic -- but, against Hillary, they may still decide to give it a pass. However, if Hillary takes a pass, look for Bush (and Christie and Jindal) to jump in.
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