Catching Up With LePage, Scarborough, The NRA and the Crisis in Africa

That title of this article implies a general roundup and this correct. The news never stops and it is time to catch up so here we go around the world.

MSNBC host and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough continues to walk the fine line between being a television personality and a serious politician. Over the weekend Scarborough spoke at a National Review Conference and was one of the more popular speakers. Still several members of the far right criticized the National Review for allowing him to speak. This might be the clearest picture of the dysfunction on the right. When an articulate, fiscal Conservative like Mr. Scarborough is not worthy of a speaking slot due to his not drinking the kool aid on issues like guns then the right has a problem. Scarborough continues to argue persuasively for the right to find a voice, to carve a niche and stop being so closely identified with the one percent. He peddles the idea of a right leaning populist movement focused on debt, shared sacrifice, and the breakup of the big banks. It all sounds good to me. Most think Hillary is unbeatable in 2016 and that might well be true. Still a Christie, Scarborough ticket certainly would be worthy of much consideration.

An interesting article the other day from economist Paul Krugman talking about the new Republican bogeyman, folks on disability. Krugman shows that just as Reagan's welfare queen was a stereotype that was salable to a segment of the population so does this argument also work at times. The problem as Krugman states it is that while the disability rolls are increasing, and while inevitably there is some small amount of abuse, that the real rise is nothing more than a demographic truism. As the baby boomer population ages it is inevitable that they amount of people qualifying for disability will rise. It is a correct argument but one that we know will not be understood in all circles. As long as the right can gain followers by targeting " the lady with food stamps buying steak in front of you at the supermarket" this sort of hate and fear-mongering will not go away.

On Meet the Press this week former Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan praised Hillary Clinton stating that if we had a Clinton Presidency we would not have this debt crisis we are in. It is interesting how respected the Secretary of State is on the right, how will they react if she does agree to run. Will they be able to disavow all of their praise over the last few years when they were using her as a wedge against the President.

Watching the NRA's response to the President's gun control measures he put forth last week is a demonstration of how out of tune this organization is. When a true blue Conservative such as Oklahoma's Tom Coburn says that if measures can be taken to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and those with mental issues they should be pursued then you know that the NRA is perhaps too far out in front of it's supply train on this one.

The political word of the week is gerrymandering. Suddenly average citizens are becoming aware of how this system of rigging Congressional districts to insure one party control is paralyzing our government. When the Republicans kept control of the House of Representatives last November despite losing the popular vote by a considerable margin what was known to a few became obvious to all.

On that note with ideas being floated in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other states to change the electoral college in those states to match the gerrymandered districts it would be good to note that in 2004 when Democrats in Colorado suggested a similar measure they were criticized by Republicans as being hyper partisan and attempting to subvert the votes of the majority. Perhaps our friends on the right pushing these plans should ask themselves if the shoe fits.

It seems that each week we hear of another employer stating that Obamacare will cost them so much money that they will either have to manipulate their employees hours and status to get around the coverage or pass the costs on to customers or both. While it is easy to pillory executives like Papa John and the Whole Foods CEO we should understand that despite our dislike for their methods they have a point. What we have now with the President's plan is the best we could get but the problems these employers have is just another example of why employer based healthcare needs to be replaced. Remember our auto manufacturers for example are at a competitive disadvantages because of the insurance costs they bare for their employees while foreign car makers are not. The answer, as always, is a single payer system run through the government.

An article in the Bangor Daily News two Saturdays ago illustrated the coming crisis on local funding of education costs. As more and more funding is passed from the state level to the local level, and certainly the Governor's recent proposals will do nothing to alleviate that, local cities and towns are going to be in a terrible position. With the likelihood of large increases in property taxes just to maintain the status quo you are going to see divisive battles between those who have children in the school system currently and those who do not. I propose a rule that any person in elected office who claims to be pro education should have the Pinocchio treatment when saying so if he has voted to pass these costs from their constitutional place in Augusta to the local governments to fund.

Washington Post writer Eugene Robinson noted recently that it certainly appears Republicans are digging in their heels on issues rather than seeing the demographic shifts. The recent reelection of RNC head Rance Priebus indicates that little change will be forthcoming. Robinson also notes that it is interesting that Micheal Steele who led the party to it's sweeping victories in 2010 was immediately fired as RNC head while Priebus was rewarded for the defeats of last November with another term. I guess we will file that one under things that make you go hmmmm.

Proving that Arizona is tired of Florida being the state with the craziest Republicans a bill has been put forth in the Arizona legislature which would not allow qualified students to graduate high school until they took or signed some sort of loyalty oath to America. With all of the problems in this country it is interesting to think this is the biggest concern out west. Certainly this would never pass Constitutional muster.

For those in the know the decision by Senator Saxby Chambliss to not seek reelection to the Senate in Georgia is a bit ironic. Chambliss who deserves begrudging respect by Democrats for working as a member of the Gang of Six on a budget deal last year chose to resign say most insiders due to the prospect of a challenge in the primary from the right. The Senator, a strong Conservative, has been criticized by the Tea Party groups for joining the Gang of Six and even talking about the potential for revenue increases, i.e raising taxes. Irony comes in the fact that Chambliss gained his seat by running advertisements that insinuated that the incumbent at that time Democrat Max Cleland was soft on Iraq and other military matters. Cleland, it should be noted was a triple amputee as a result of his service in Vietnam. One would have thought that entitled him to an informed opinion on matters military without having his patriotism questioned. So in the case of Chambliss I guess it is karma, though one wonders about the future of a party for whom he is not Conservative enough.

Lastly there is our own Governor. Now he thinks we should take some of the Oxford Casino money that was to be targeted to education to shore up his general budget. Mr. Governor how many ways will you try to break the rules, here is an idea, reverse the tax cuts you put in place as your first act as a sop to your right wing friends. After doing that if we are still short you might have a better argument to make for shared sacrifice.

Let's hope things quiet down this week so we can all enjoy this midwinter thaw we have promised.

Republicans Looking For a Revolution

You have to, and I mean this, give credit to the Republicans. They much moreso than the Democrats have grasped that controlling Government at the state level can lead to changes that can affect the balance of power nationally.

In the years since the 2010 elections we have heard over and over about the horror stories, if your a Democrat, that have taken place in states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and sadly Maine with the Republican controlled legislatures working in concert with Republican Governor. Without going into long detail it is safe to say that unions, education, and voting rights have all taken a hit.

Since the results of the November Presidential election made them aware that they are headed into a demographic pit the Republicans have begun floating ideas that are exceptional in how far they go. We in Maine over the last couple of election cycles have been made aware that we distribute our electoral college votes in an odd way, namely rather than winner take all by state, the winner of each Congressional district can gain an electoral vote even if they do not win the state as a whole. With the wide demographic split between our first and second district it has been thought that perhaps this split would occur. It has not yet, however, come to pass.

Tired of losing on a national level we are now hearing rumblings in states like Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and Ohio of a plan to change how their electoral college votes are distributed. Simply put they would like to have their votes given out as a result of each Congressional districts vote tallies. While this might seem an acceptable idea one must understand that Congressional districts, everywhere not just in these states, have become a gerrymandered mess. When Republicans won control of these states in 2010 they went even further than before in redistricting plans to make sure they held their majority. I suspect Democrats too would have done so had they thought of it but the truth is it Republicans who are better at knowing how to win and then how to rule with a dagger.

What does it all mean. The similarities in all of the state mentioned are that they are state's that the Democrats consistently win in National elections but more often than not, as a result of gerrymandering, lose at the state level. If, for example, the methodology that these states are proposing were in place at this last election Mitt Romney would have won a significant victory. He would, however, have lost by over five million votes. With the divisive nature of this country, with talks of state's seceding and the overall climate of general hatred between the right and the left do we really think that people would stand still for a result such as that.

Republicans can easily win elections and become a force on the National level, all they really have to do is moderate some views that all but their most extreme element know are crazy and move forward. If, however, they truly intend to move forward in these movies that have the intent to do nothing but thwart the views of the majority and in effect rule this country in almost apartheid way then I do fear the results. I do fear that we might drift into an era where clashes in the streets, and open violence becomes a way of life.

It is not a good thought and I hope and pray that those on the right will hold back their extremists, realizing that their future success will not come as a result of gimmicks but by following their hero Ronald Reagan's " big tent" inclusiveness.

Erick Erickson's Brilliant Column

Erick Erickson is a Conservative Republican. He runs the highly regarded Red State Blog. Few people would expect Erick Erickson to be calling out his fellow Republicans to be more respectful of the President.

On January 20th in a column Mr. Erickson wrote his Congratulations to the President on his recent inauguration. In doing so he advised that when he had done the same on Twitter on Monday he had received responses that embarrassed him and should embarrass the party that he loves.

Erickson goes on to write that he does not in anyway agree with the President and his plans for America. He believes that they will not produce the results the President intends. He also goes on, however, to advise that he does not think the President is doing what he does maliciously, he does not think the President is treasonous, he does not hate him, in short he thinks that the President is a good man with whom he simply disagrees.

If only it could be so simple. Erickson states that he in fact is more outraged by his own party and their own outrageous behavior. He states that the party needs to sell something that they believe in, to be a party of ideas again. In short they need to be the party of that Americans can believe in.

I doubt that Erick Erickson and I would ever agree with each other in regards to many things political. I salute him however for understanding and stating that those on the extreme in his party and mine are the ones causing permanent damage to our country. Calling out " outrage pimps" on both sides of the aisle Erickson has done a great service, the question is of course will anyone listen.

Paul Lepage and the Cost of Pettiness

Today we were advised that one of the credit rating agencies has lowered the State of Maine's credit rating to AA from the higher rating of Triple AA. What does this mean? It means that they have less confidence in the financial health of the State of Maine. And like you or me when our credit rating is lowered it means that the cost of borrowing increases. This is never a good thing.

What is more concerning is the statement released by Fitch and company that stated that while Maine's significant budget gap was a cause of this drop it was not the only reason. One does not need to wonder what else caused the change. We are told by Fitch that they are concerned over the " contentious decision making environment" present in Augusta.

Let me spell it out for you. L-E-P-A-G-E. Lets keep in mind that it is not the Democrats who are refusing to meet with the Governor. It is not the Democrats who call names and storm out of a meeting. In short it is not the Democratic leadership or members who perform the equivalent of a teenage girl running upstairs and slamming their door or a boy not allowed to pick the teams taking his ball and going home.

It is our one and only Governor. Paul LePage. I do not know anyone who needs more evidence to be convinced what a terrible Governor he is but if one does consider how much money he will be costing us because of this drop in the state's credit rating.

In Virginia It's You Take The Low Road and I'll Take the Lower Road

The Virginia state Senate yesterday made news by finding the new standard for low road politics. Well actually I should be specific and say that the Republicans in the state Senate have done so. Be honest. Are you surprised?

A little backstory will be helpful. The Virginia State Senate is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans twenty to twenty. One of those Democrats is an African American man named Henry Marsh. Marsh is a longtime civil rights activist, active in the sixties, and eventually served as the first black Mayor in Richmond. As might be expected Mr. Marsh chose to attend the inauguration yesterday. At seventy nine there might well not be another inauguration as meaningful to him as this one. Attending however seems to have been a big mistake.

A reasonable person might say why and the answer will shock a reasonable person. While state Senator Marsh was in Washington the Republicans in the Senate sprung an unannounced bill, a bill to redistrict the state Senate districts in Virginia. The bill passed twenty to nineteen. This is an incredible act. Important beyond belief. Analysis of the new districts has shown that four new safe districts will be established for the friendly Republicans and might well make it impossible for the Democrats to ever gain control of the State Senate.

This should make Republicans happy but the question is does the end justify the means. What if Mr. Marsh had been in an accident and faced a life threatening situation. What if he was attending the funeral of a wife or child or grandaughter. Would that be different? Is there any reason for a person being absent from a Senate session that would keep Republicans from their dirty tricks. One wonders. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnel has stated he does not approve of the methods his Republican counterparts in the State Senate used to pass this bill. That said he has not said that he will not sign it. If he does we will have seen a new standard for low behavior by a legislative group. Something the good folks of Virginia can be proud of.

What the Hell Paul, The Breakdown of Paul LePage

How many times will I have to write an article like this. How often do we find ourselves reviewing our esteemed Governor's most recent outburst and wondering if he has hit the limit of his own capacity for foolishness.

I think I have to accept that these writings are pointless. It would appear there is no end to how ridiculous he can act.

Yesterday news broke of a meeting that took place between the Governor and three members of the Maine house who caucus with neither the Republicans or the Democrats. Holding to Maine's long tradition of supporting Independent candidates these men are a vital part of the center in Maine. The meeting did not go well. If what we are told, and the reports are confirmed by all three members that were in the meeting, Mr. LePage, upon being asked about the increase in property taxes that would be necessary on the local level as a result of his plan to halt municipal revenue sharing, went off. Calling the legislators " idiots" he advised that they were worse than those other guys ( presumably the Democrats). LePage then stormed out of the room. Many of us have been in a meeting or place where someone storms out. One can only imagine how these men felt. The meeting was not over however, LePage stormed back in moments later, swearing, and pounding the table stating that if the legislators could find 200 million he would put back the revenue sharing.

I think these fellows were surprisingly able to keep their composure. LePage from all accounts was acting a bit unbalanced and yet a valid response was given him with one of the gentleman advising that the revenue and more could be found if the Governor's controversial tax cut that he put in place as his first act was reversed. Needless to say our Governor was not interested in that.

Lets look at where we are right now, on the twenty-second of January. We have a gaping hole in our budget. To get through this year, the budget ending June 30, 2013 school districts are now meeting to make mid year cuts to get through the year. With his municipal revenue sharing on the table to be cut, local towns will be forced to raise more money than ever, and homeowners will be losing their homestead exemption. The pressure on school districts is only increasing.

One should keep in mind that the Governor surely has a bug in his bonnet about education. With his constant statements about Superintendent's double dipping, his claims about the paucity of the education received in Maine schools, and his claims that Maine teachers should make much more the Governor is all over the map.

We should also keep in mind that since the election in November when Democrats regained control of the State Senate and House the Governor has not met with the leaders of his opposition. Why? Well it seems that he really does not like having his public appearances taped. The state's Democratic party is taping all of LePage's public moments and speeches. One may not like it, but as the Governor it goes with the job these days.

The fact is our Governor has some personality issues that are making him even less successful than a person of sane behavior with the same Conservative approach would be. One might notice that since his budget proposals there is not a great deal of support coming from the state's Republicans. The fact is no one wants to stick their neck out for Governor Paul LePage.

He is fast moving up the charts as the worst Governor in the country and one thing we can evidently be sure of is this is one category he is going to make sure Maine leads the nation.

It is an embarrassment that even Republicans are starting to tire of. Perhaps the Governor should do what he seems to want to do, take his ball and go home. We would all be better off.

Guns, Video Games, and Movie Violence Advocates Are All The Same

While we debate what can be done to control gun violence it is interesting to see almost no one do anything less than you would expect.

You have gun advocates and the extreme right wing manipulating through fear and having folks gather in their state capitals yesterday .

While those of us in favor of gun control however look at these folks and feel superior lets remember this.

Have you seen anyone on the left speak out in favor of any limitations or common sense measures to control violence in movies or television, or to admit that sending teenage boys to play shoot and splatter video games constantly might not be a good thing.

The fact is that both sides are just as rigid and both sides are wrong.