During the last Democratic debate we got two very different takes on what the American healthcare system should look like. The two leading progressive candidates, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, strongly advocated for a universal healthcare system, while Joe Biden, the leading moderate candidate, proposed an expansion and improvement of Obamacare.
Tag: Republicans
Trump Continues to Fight for the End of DACA
Ever since President Obama signed DACA, The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, it has received constant beratement from Republicans and conservative activists. One of the most common criticisms of DACA is that President Obama did not have the legal right to sign it.
Developments in the Trade War – Can China Compromise?
Up to this point the Trump presidency has been marked with controversy, uncertainty, disapproval, and excitement. Of All of the president’s policies none embody these characteristics as well as his tariffing of Chinese imports, and the subsequent trade-war with China. This trade war has caused volatility in the stock market, increased costs to American manufacturers, and has threatened US imports into China. It has also has also helped to protect American industry and to give the US leverage against China to renegotiate trade agreements.
More Concerning anti-Israel Rhetoric from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Democratic-socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is no stranger to controversy, especially regarding her anti-Israel stances. She’s been criticized for supporting sanctions against Israel, aligning herself with Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, both of whom have been condemned for their anti-semantic comments, and most recently for her anti-Israel statements on the “Ebro in the Morning” talk show.
Mueller’s Testimony: A Complete Waste of Time
During his testimony Robert Mueller’s most common response seemed to be “I’m not going to discuss that.” Although Mueller made it clear that his testimony would be limited, his constant aversion to seemingly relevant questions began to annoy lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. However Muller’s reluctance to answer many of the questions directed to him only slightly added to the fact that the nearly eight hours of testimony revealed nothing new and was more or less a waist of the nation’s time and energy. At the end of all the questioning it’s still clear Republicans think the entire investigation is a farce, and Democrats believe they have grounds for impeachment.
Another Attempt at Impeaching Trump Fails Spectacularly
Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, has once again attempted to impeach the President. This is the third time Congressman Green has tried to impeach President Trump, and this is the third time the House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted against him.
Schism – Democratic Party Infighting
Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) shocked the political establishment when she was elected to the House of Representatives without any major political experience to speak of. Since her election Ocasio-Cortez has championed some of the most liberal and progressive policies ever to be discussed in the halls of the U.S. Congress.
The Courts Rule Against Trump’s Wall, But This Isn’t the End of It
When President Trump declared a national emergency in November in order to secure funding for the border wall, he predicted a fierce legal battle would ensue, and he was right. In November the president ended a 35 day government shutdown in exchange for $1.4 billion for a physical barrier along the southern border, which was far less than he originally wanted.
US Customs and Border Protection Latest Law Enforcement Agency to be Demonized by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
On Monday representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility after it was discovered that multiple CBP officers were members of a Facebook group where members shared derogatory comments about migrants and Representative Ocasio-Cortez.
Chicago Mayor and Illinois Governor Refuse to Cooperate with Trump; They Have No Problem Taking His Money
It’s no secret that Chicago is proud of their sanctuary city status and their lack of cooperation with the Trump Administration. With the election of Lori Lightfoot as mayor, it became clear that Chicago will continue down the path of presidential defiance and migrant protection.
Lightfoot recently addressed the issue of illegal immigration, saying that the Chicago Police Department would not cooperate with President’s Trump’s planned ICE raids that will target over 2,000 families in 10 cities.
“Are You an American Citizen?” How a Simple Question Can Cause so Much Controversy
“Are you an American citizen?” Although this question seems simple, it is surrounded by controversy. The most recent of which comes from a Supreme Court case involving adding an additional question to the Census. This question would ask American residents if they are citizens. Despite the conservative lean of the court, they delayed the president’s action, perhaps long enough to keep it off the 2020 Census. The court claimed that the White House’s explanation for adding the question was insufficient. They felt that President’s reason was “more of a distraction” than an explanation.
Has Trump Already Gotten Mexico to Pay for the Wall?
One of the President’s loftier promises during his 2016 campaign was that there was going to be a southern border wall, and that Mexico was going to pay for it. Some laughed off the idea as another crazy Trump outburst, much like when he questioned President Obama’s country of birth. Others believed that the then candidate’s words should not be taken literally, but could be used more as a loose metaphor for Mexico helping to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S.
Trump Campaign Update: More Talk Than Action on His Big 3 Issues
Trump has been focusing on three major issues during the last few days: immigration, tariffs, and infrastructure. Of those issues, infrastructure is the one that seems at least a bit refreshing. The last time Trump really made infrastructure a major focus was during his 2016 campaign.
During that campaign Trump compared U.S. infrastructure to that of “a third world country.” His promise to rebuild and reinvest in the country’s infrastructure was something that excited and pleased many Americans.
Mueller Report Released: Reads, Reactions, and Takeaways
- Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report was released by Attorney General William Barr Thursday. Roughly a third of the report contained at least one redaction, and twelve pages were entirely blacked out. Many of the redactions centered around the actions of the Internet Research Agency, Russia’s infamous troll farm.
Not Just Trump, All Politicians Should Submit Records for Transparency
Right now, as of today, a new poll has been released showing that only 17% of United States citizens trust the government to do what’s best for the people. This comes on the heals of months of needless bickering on subjects that simply have no place in our society right now. There’s too many needs of the people that should be addressed as opposed to worrying so much about digging up dirt on someone else. And, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Mueller Update: Report Goes Barr Hopping
- In a four-page letter delivered to Congress last week, Attorney General William Barr indicated that no evidence of conspiracy or coordination between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government was found by special counsel Robert Mueller. Barr wrote that Mueller neither exonerated nor implicated the President on obstruction of justice.
2018 Election Scenarios: What Comes After?
- If the Republicans hold both the House and the Senate: Expect them to try again to Repeal and Replace Obamacare and to make the tax cuts permanent. “In the short term, U.S. equity markets could perhaps benefit from renewed hopes on taxes and deregulation. In the longer term, the risk of the U.S. economy overheating would increase.”
- If the Democrats win the House: The most guaranteed outcome is gridlock. President Trump’s has begun preparations to deal with a flood of subpoenas that could arrive next year from Democrat-controlled committees. Democrats are already plotting to reopen the House intelligence committee’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Other committees are plotting aggressive oversight of Trump’s web of business interests and want to obtain copies of the president’s tax returns.
- If the Democrats win both the House and the Senate: While this scenario may be bad for banks and health care businesses, Democrats say they will pursue a $1 trillion infrastructure package, expanded broadband access or a $15 per hour federal minimum wage. Some even see an opportunity, however slim, for dealmaking with Trump on guns, immigration and infrastructure if a realignment in Congress occurs.
- President Trump is expected to fire several team members after the midterm election. Among the most talked about targets are Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Chief of Staff John Kelly.
- Immediately after the election, Congress will hold a lame-duck session that could include passage of a farm bill where negotiators are arguing over work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and criminal justice reform where concern over the inclusion of sentencing reform with prison reforms could scuttle the deal.
Election Hits: Last Minute Attacks, Dirty Tricks and Hail Mary Passes
- NORTH DAKOTA: The North Dakota arm of the Democratic Party is running ads on Facebook discouraging hunters from turning out to vote in Tuesday’s midterm elections. A spokesman for North Dakota Gaming and Fish told Port the same: “We’ve never heard of that.”
- MONTANA: An email, purportedly from the Montana Democratic Party, is being sent to businesses seeking support for re-electing Sen. Jon Tester. But the bogus email misrepresents Tester’s stances, saying he supports abolishing ICE and repealing the GOP tax cuts.
- INDIANA: The Indiana Democratic Party sent out a mailer promising voters there is a choice for Senate “who will really lower your taxes.” But that choice wasn’t Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly. The mailer calls Libertarian Senate candidate Lucy Brenton “the anti-tax candidate” and says she would “cut red tape on small businesses, helping them create better jobs in Indiana.”
- Activists with Project Veritas embedded with campaigns of unknowing Democrats across the country ahead of the midterms. So far, the group has posted undercover videos with liberal campaign workers or candidates in six tight races: MISSOURI, NORTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, ARIZONA, FLORIDA, OREGON and VIRGINIA.
- OHIO: Facebook ads from a new, mystery group have started running promoting the candidacy of Green Party candidate Joe Manchik in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District — the closest and most at-risk Republican seat in the state. The group is not only supporting Manchik. They are also running Facebook ads for third party candidates in other tightly-contested races in a handful of districts across the U.S.
- GEORGIA: Oprah Winfrey campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams on Thursday. But Winfrey made it clear to the audience that she’s not running for President in 2020.
- Twitter deleted more than 10,000 automated accounts posting messages that discouraged people from voting in Tuesday’s U.S. election and wrongly appeared to be from Democrats, after the party flagged the misleading tweets.
- Former President Obama has recorded more than 50 last-minute messages for Democratic candidates across the country, a below-the-radar push to get voters to the polls ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
- Previously: 7 Days to Midterm Elections: No Stone Left Unturned for Votes
- Previously: 14 Days to the Midterm Elections: Too Close to Call?
- Previously: 21 Days to the Midterm Elections: #RedWave or #BlueWave?
14 Days to the Midterm Elections: Too Close to Call?
- The latest polling and forecasts indicate that Donald Trump and the Republicans could hold onto both houses, although the House of Representatives looks the more likely to fall to the Democrats.
- California Senator Kamala Harris’ trip to Iowa represented a breakthrough — signaling the 2020 contest to challenge President Donald Trump had moved into an important and more urgent phase for what is expected to be a large and wide open Democratic field.
- If Democrats regain a House majority, expect them to forge ahead with more probes into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign. Democrats who want an impeachment have urged the party to investigate Trump and build a case before attempting to remove him from office.
- Minnesota Republican candidates are looking to spoil Democrats’ hope for a “blue wave” in November. A new poll shows that a Republican is now leading the race for state attorney general, an office which the Democrats have held since 1971.
- Thousands more Texas voters have participated in the first day of early voting for the 2018 midterm elections on Monday than they did in the 2014 contest. A total of 37 states and the District of Columbia permit early voting. The midterm elections will be held on Nov. 6.
21 Days to the Midterm Elections: #RedWave or #BlueWave?
- Democratic strategists are beginning to acknowledge a Senate takeover is unlikely this year. The 2018 map was always tilted against them as they were forced to defend 10 seats in states President Trump won.
- The question being asked now is whether Republicans can retain seats in Nevada and Arizona while picking up seats in Florida, Indiana, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio and West Virginia. A GOP senate majority of 54 to 58 seats is very possible. And democrats may be stuck in the minority.
- Meanwhile, the House still has many seats in play, nearly all of them Republican. Democrats need just 23 seats to capture control of the chamber. The key battleground states include California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Nevada, where President Trump’s popularity dips.
- Congressional campaigns are on pace to break fundraising records with House candidates raising $1.2 billion so far this year. However, it seems the GOP failed to target enough vulnerable Democrat seats this year.
- Both sides say they’re fighting for Independent and Republican-leaning women in suburban districts. Republicans believe the recent Kavanaugh confirmation fight turned the tide in their favor. Democrats say Trump’s crude treatment of women, including recently calling Stormy Daniels “horseface” will drive enough women voters away to end the GOP House Majority.
- IN SUMMARY: The gender war midterm battle could be a dry run for the presidential election in 2020 and fundamentally reshape the nation’s political parties.
