My Vintage The Capital Gang- March 27, 1993: Foreign Policy and The Clinton Budget

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat Plus

President Boris Yeltsin who certainly has his issues as President of Russia, looks like a good guy if not a saint, at least compared with Vladimir Putin today. It would’ve been nice had Russia been able to transition away from President Yeltsin and to someone like him. And continued with the economic and political reforms in Russia. And not of moved in a neoconservative if not Far-Right direction. That they’ve been on ever since Putin became President of the Russian Federation in the late 1990s.

As far as the Clinton 1993 budget, I agree with then Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole. Who then was not only highest ranking Republican in Congress, but in the U.S. Government at least, when he said that President Clinton shouldn’t get that much credit for getting his budget plan through. Because he had an overwhelming Democratic Congress back then. Of something like 257 seats in the House and 57 in the Senate. And where the Senate Minority can’t block the budget and require sixty votes to pass it. Leaders shouldn’t get extra credit for simply doing what they are able to do and should do.

My Vintage Video: The Capital Gang March 27th, 1993

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My Vintage Video: The Capital Gang, February 20, 1993: The Clinton Deficit Reduction Plan

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

This whole show was about the 1993 Deficit Reduction Act. That was offered by President Bill Clinton, which was his first major economic bill as President. That was passed by a Democratic Congress by a total of two votes. One vote majority in the House and a one vote majority in the Senate. With only Congressional Democrats voting for the DRA. With not a single House or Senate Republican voting for it. You can make a case that the DRA cost Democrats Congress in 1994. But the plan worked with the budget almost balanced by 1996. With most of the new revenue to the Federal budget coming from the new revenue and tax hikes from the 1993 plan. Which was a combination of spending cuts both in defense and non-defense and a tax hike on the wealthy. And reversing some of the tax cuts from the Reagan Administration from the 1980s. The plan was costly politically, but it worked.

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PBS: NewsHour- Shields and Brooks on Making a Deal With Iran

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat Plus

As far as the nuclear deal with Iran, what is the alternative? Invading a large country that is physically the size of Saudi Arabia, but with seventy-five-million people, where the people there tend to be somewhat pro-American, at least the young people. I mean look at Iraq, anyone want to call that a success? Iran is three times the size of Iraq with three times as many people. You want to take their nuclear program out through the air? You have to find it first. Again large country with a lot of people. There’s nothing to lose here for America and everything to gain. If Iran behaves, they won’t get nuclear weapons, they misbehave and will continue to pay the economical price for their bad behavior. Their people want to end the economic sanctions and it looks like so does their government. If you can negotiate with a giant the size of the Soviet Union back in the day that already had nuclear weapons and around four-hundred-million people, you can negotiate with a country that is not nearly as powerful or as large.

PBS: NewsHour- Shields and Brooks on Making a Deal With Iran

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PBS: NewsHour- Shields and Brooks on CPAC and Homeland Security Shutdown

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat Plus

As far as CPAC, the one thing I respect about that group is that they do actually bring in lets say Classical Conservatives or Conservative Libertarians and actual Libertarians. It’s not just about mushy-middle establishment Republicans who always play it safe and the Christian-Right and the broader Far-Right of the Republican Party. So with this event you really get to see the state of the Republican Party and what they are thinking. And right now the Conservative Libertarian wing of the party that Senator Rand Paul seems to lead, seems to have the strongest voice.

As far as the Homeland Security shutdown in Congress, thank God for gerrymandering if I’m a Republican and water is dry and fire is cold! Otherwise they would never be in charge of anything with the current state of the party and their inability to govern and work with people who don’t agree with them on everything. I would say how do Democrats keep losing to people who believe the Earth is flat and climate change is a hoax and gays are responsible for 9/11 and America is being invaded by Latinos and every other conspiracy theory that they have. But I know about gerrymandering.

If the Republican Party actually had leadership in the House instead of a punching bag or puppet in John Boehner, someone would’ve told and convinced that caucus that you don’t attach riders to bills that have to be passed in order for the government to run. You do those things separately. The first rule of government is do no harm. And that means performing the basic functions of government like funding the basics like homeland security and law enforcement. And issues where you disagree with the President, you debate those things separately and through other bills that don’t have to pass. So you can make your point and case, but still do your job at the same time.

PBS: NewsHour- Shields and Brooks on CPAC & Homeland Security Shutdown

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PBS: Video: NewsHour: Shields and Brooks on the MidTerm Mood

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on Blogger

Most likely and for me that means the best guess and best educated guess, Senate Republicans win back the Senate on Tuesday and perhaps add five seats to their House majority as well. I don’t see a wave for 2014 where Republicans win 8-10 seats in the Senate and twenty or more in the House. But things are so bad for Democrats right now that Republicans despite their own problems with voters, do not need a wave to do well in Congress on Tuesday.

Democrats still have hope even in the Senate. They win Georgia and Kansas where they are currently ahead with Michelle Nunn over David Perdue in Georgia and Greg Orman over Republican Senator Pat Roberts has been in Congress since 1981 and maybe Democrats hold Republican gains to four or five and barely hold the Senate having to rely on a couple of new Independents to hold their majority. But they would also need to hold North Carolina and New Hampshire with Kay Hagen respectfully to pull that off. Also may need to hold Arkansas or Louisiana as well.

What may be the only victories for Democrats on Tuesday night could at the state level and not in Congress. But governor’s races and legislature races where Democrats have real pickup opportunities in both areas. Pennsylvania, Florida, perhaps even Georgia, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan. If they win those states or just a few of them and not lose any big states where they currently are in power, we could see better redistricting that could favor House Democrats in the future.

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PBS NewsHour: Shields & Gerson On Ebola & 2014 Elections

Source:PBS NewsHour– left to right: Michael Gerson & Mark Shields.

Source:The New Democrat

“Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s news, including the response to Ebola in the U.S. and how it affects national politics, as well as the outlook for the midterm elections and the gubernatorial debate in Florida.”

From the PBS NewsHour

“The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a North American public broadcaster and non-commercial,[1][2][3][4][5] free-to-air television network based in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia.[6][7][8][9] PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational programs to public television stations in the United States,[10][11][12][13] distributing shows such as Frontline, Nova, PBS NewsHour, Masterpiece, Sesame Street, and This Old House.[14]

PBS is funded by a combination of member station dues, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, pledge drives, and donations from both private foundations and individual citizens. All proposed funding for programming is subject to a set of standards to ensure the program is free of influence from the funding source.[15] PBS has over 350 member television stations, many owned by educational institutions, nonprofit groups both independent or affiliated with one particular local public school district or collegiate educational institution, or entities owned by or related to state government.[4]

As of 2020, PBS has nearly 350 member stations around the United States.”

From Wikipedia

Anyone who uses Ebola to gain political power (Right or Left) is unfit for office and perhaps should resign or give up their request to win the office that they are pursuing. This is a serious issue that affects millions of people who the U.S. Government and others have to deal with effectively, or millions of people could get hurt by it. And they need all the resources and people necessary to handle this problem as effectively as possible.

As far as the U.S. Senate elections: Mike Gerson might be right and maybe Senate Republicans are ahead in 8-11 elections right now. But I’m still seeing Kansas where Republican Senator Pat Roberts is in the fight for his Congressional career and is losing to Greg Orman. And I don’t think the debate this week helped Senator Roberts. And I’m seeing Georgia where Democratic Senate nominee Michelle Nunn has a small lead against David Perdue and they are competing for a Republican Senate seat.

In Kentucky, Allison Grimes has probably shot off too many of her own toes to win that election. You know a centrist or center-left Democrat not being able to admit that she voted for a Democratic President in Barack Obama, who is also center-left, shows she may not have the character and political knowledge as far as how much that could hurt her by not being able to admit the obvious, to win a U.S. Senate seat. Even against an unpopular Mitch McConnell who is also the Senate Minority Leader, Leader of the Senate Republicans.

Senate Democrats path to retaining the Senate even at 50-50 or 51-49, is to run the table and hold all the close Senate Democratic seats. They need to hold probably half of them and pick off a few Republican seats as well. Like Kansas and Georgia and they do that by holding North Carolina, where Senator Kay Hagan as a lead there. Holding South Dakota, which seemed impossible even a few months ago. Hold Colorado with Senator Mark Udall and somehow pull out Arkansas or Louisiana. And put Senate Republicans in a position where they have to run the table to even win a net of six seats, after dropping a couple of their own.

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PBS: NewsHour- Mark Shields & David Brooks on Same-Sex Marriage, Voter ID & U.S. Senate Elections

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat

As far as same-sex marriage where right-wingers have a 5-4 majority on the U.S. Supreme Court and tend to be respected by the Christian-Right in this country. Same-sex marriage is dead as an issue when not even the U.S. Supreme Court will take it up to hear appeals being made about anti-gay marriage bans that were thrown out by lower courts. Only the Christian-Right cares about this issue as far as seeing it as some threat to the country that must be defeated. Republicans need to move from it and find issues where they can appeal to Independents and people not as far to the right as their far-right base.

The voter id laws getting thrown out in Wisconsin and North Carolina helps Democrats. Why, because those laws are designed to prevent young Americans and minorities from voting. Lets just be real about that and those voters tend to vote for Democrats because Republicans haven’t done a damn thing to try to appeal to them, at least since Ronald Reagan. Close U.S. Senate race in North Carolina between Senator Kay Hagan and Thom Tillis. Close governor’s race in Wisconsin where Republican Government Scott Walker is fighting for his political career.

As far as the U.S. Senate races. Good news for Senate Democrats this week in North Carolina where Senator Hagan has opened up a lead and where Senate Democrats have good poll numbers nationally. Greg Orman has a lead over Republican Senator Pat Roberts in Kansas. Allison Grimes with a small lead in Kentucky against Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. But her failing to answer who she voted for president in 2012 could erase that lead. She could turn that around by clearly winning the debate this Monday. So a good week for Democrats, not including President Obama.

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20th Century Vision: ‘MacNeil/Lehrer Report- 1988 Iowa Caucus, Democratic Candidates’

Source:20th Century Vision– PBS News political analyst David Gergen.

Source:The New Democrat 

“These guy’s get everything wrong.”

From 20th Century Vision

Governor Michael Dukakis looked like the clear Democratic nominee for President as early as the summer of 1987 and was never really seriously challenged for that nomination. Representative Dick Gephardt was supposed to win the Iowa Caucus and that is exactly what he did being from Missouri and having so much support from organized labor and Iowa being a big organized labor state. Mike Dukakis being more of a New Democrat from Massachusetts even, which is probably not very common, who was to the right of Senator Ted Kennedy.

Mike Dukakis was the Democrat that the George H.W. Bush Campaign feared in 1988 and knew he could definitely beat them. And knew that voters especially Independents would probably like Dukakis who had a great personal and family story coming from a Greek immigrant family. Working his way up and making big success in life. Compared with George H.W. who was an Anglo-Saxon-Protestant, from Connecticut, who was born to great wealth. And the Bush Campaign set to take Dukakis down as soon as he won the nomination, because they knew Dukakis would probably beat them otherwise.

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PBS: Video: NewsHour: Shields and Brooks on President Obama as a Reluctant Warrior and Congress

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on Blogger

President Obama gave a very good speech on why America should act against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Now its time for Congress to do their job and hold a debate and vote on action against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. As Representative Peter King said a Republican from New York City, “President Obama should use military force against ISIS and Congress should approve of it”. Time for the House and Senate to step up here and do their job and hold a debate and vote on American military action against Syria and Iraq.

As far as the Senate elections. The jury is still out on who will control the Senate in the next Congress. I see it still at 50-50 either way because of vulnerable Senate Democrats running for reelection in red states. But again Georgia, Kentucky and now Kansas are all in play for Senate Democrats as well. Which means even if Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia fall to Senate Republicans, that is only a net plus of two seats for them if they don’t hold Georgia, Kentucky and Kansas which are all in play for Democrats. If that is the scenario, North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana and Alaska will decide with party controls the Senate in the next Congress.

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20th Century Vision-PBS: MacNeil/Lehrer Report Iowa Caucus 1988

Meet the GOP Presidential Candidates

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat

Without the Bush Campaign literally bashing Bob Dole in South Carolina in 1988 and doing things like accusing Mr. Dole of fathering African-American babies which I guess was considered a sin for Caucasian men to do at least back then, Bob Dole probably wins the Republican nomination for President. The story would’ve been that the ranking Republican Leader in Congress, the highest ranking Republican in Congress beats the Vice President of the Untied States the 2nd highest ranking officer in the Federal Government and the 2nd ranking officer in the Republican Party. At the time Bob Dole was the Republican Leader in the Senate as Minority Leader. George H.W. Bush was Vice President of the United States.

Because of course George Bush was going to win New Hampshire. He’s a Northeastern Republican a Yankee if you will against Bob Dole who’s from Kansas that looks a lot like the deep South culturally and perhaps even politically. So Dole was probably in better position to beat Bush in South Carolina just for those reasons alone. Plus the fact with Dole’s long conservative record in Congress not just as Minority Leader, but Leader and Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Republicans in the South and Midwest back then tended to trust Bob Dole over a Yankee Northeastern Republican like George H.W. Bush.

So Bob Dole did what he had to do in Iowa which was win the caucus in 1988. Knowing that George Bush was probably going to win New Hampshire and the real test for both and the primary that would give either one real momentum going forward with an opportunity to win several states after that was South Carolina. The Bush Campaign swung for the fences and put in everything they could to beat Dole in South Carolina, including lying about Dole’s record in Congress and they succeeded. With the Dole Campaign apparently unprepared for the Bush attacks.
20th Century Television: PBS MacNeil/Lehrer Report Iowa Caucus 1988

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