June 2013 - Page 7 of 8

Solid Majority Backs Same-Sex Marriage

June 6, 2013June 6, 2013 Buck Banks

52%

Of Americans “support allowing same-sex couples to marry, endorsing the goal of gay-rights activists as the U.S. Supreme Court this month prepares to rule on the issue for the first time,” according to a new Bloomberg poll.” Of those supporters, more than half — 61% — want a national law rather than a state-by-state approach.”

Obamacare More Unpopular Than Ever

June 6, 2013 Buck Banks

49%

Of Americans say they believe the Affordable Care Act is a bad idea, according to the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. That’s the highest number recorded on this question since the poll began measuring it in 2009. Just 37% say the plan is a good idea.

Issa Conjures Shades of McCarthyism

June 5, 2013 Buck Banks

In a reminder of how the GOP overreached during the Clinton-era sex scandal, [Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-CA)] doesn’t seem capable of letting damning facts speak for themselves. … Note what Issa is doing. He does it all the time–start an unsubstantiated allegation with an absolute declaration (‘when in fact’) and follow it with weasel words (‘the indication is’). This smear-and-caveat technique allows him to ruin reputations without being called a liar. Issa is a demagogue with plausible deniability.

— Ron Fournier, writing in National Journal.

Christie Commits to Special Election, Saying He Doesn’t Care About the Cost

June 5, 2013 Buck Banks

I don’t know the cost for the special election and I don’t care.

— New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), announcing a special U.S. Senate election that falls just weeks ahead of the November gubernatorial election.

A Plurality Don’t Believe Obama on IRS Scandal

June 5, 2013 Buck Banks

47%

Of Americans say they don’t believe Obama on the IRS controversy, compared with 40% who say he is being truthful, a new Bloomberg poll finds. A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds 55% of poll respondents said IRS scrutiny of conservative groups raised some level of doubt about the administration’s “overall honesty and integrity.”

A No-Competence Vote

June 5, 2013 Buck Banks

Marco Rubio’s Gang of Eight drafted it.
Rubio even staked his political career on it.
But if his immigration reform
Is itself not reformed,
Marco now says he’s not going to vote for it.

Rep. McDermott: Why Do Anti-Tax Political Groups Want Government Hand-Outs in the Form of Tax Breaks?

June 5, 2013June 11, 2013 Jon Ponder

In a hearing on the IRS scandal, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) questioned representatives from tea party groups that appeared to be political groups who oppose taxation whether they actually qualified as social welfare groups as required by law in order to receive tax exemptions. His prepared statement follows:

[…]

Study: Obamacare to Increase Entrepreneurship in U.S.

June 4, 2013 Buck Banks

11%

Amount the Urban Institute predicts that President Obama’s health care reform law will increase the number of self-employed Americans in 2014, or by 1.5 million.

Cruz Promotes Flat Tax

June 4, 2013 Buck Banks

We ought to abolish the IRS and instead move to a simple flat tax, where the average American can fill out our taxes on a postcard.

— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), in an interview with Fox News, offering his solution to the controversy of the IRS targeting conservatives groups.

Obama Aides Cashing in on Experience

June 4, 2013 Buck Banks

Over the years, Washington has lost any sense of shame. The standard bipartisan pattern has become to work for an important political figure for a few years — and then monetize your Rolodex.

— Walter Shapiro, noting that many former Obama staffers now illustrate the enduring adage about political aides in D.C.: “They came to do good and stayed to do well.”

Month: June 2013

Solid Majority Backs Same-Sex Marriage

52%

Obamacare More Unpopular Than Ever

49%

Of Americans say they believe the Affordable Care Act is a bad idea, according to the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. That’s the highest number recorded on this question since the poll began measuring it in 2009. Just 37% say the plan is a good idea.

Issa Conjures Shades of McCarthyism

— Ron Fournier, writing in National Journal.

Christie Commits to Special Election, Saying He Doesn’t Care About the Cost

I don’t know the cost for the special election and I don’t care.

— New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), announcing a special U.S. Senate election that falls just weeks ahead of the November gubernatorial election.

A Plurality Don’t Believe Obama on IRS Scandal

47%

A No-Competence Vote

Rep. McDermott: Why Do Anti-Tax Political Groups Want Government Hand-Outs in the Form of Tax Breaks?

Study: Obamacare to Increase Entrepreneurship in U.S.

11%

Amount the Urban Institute predicts that President Obama’s health care reform law will increase the number of self-employed Americans in 2014, or by 1.5 million.

Cruz Promotes Flat Tax

We ought to abolish the IRS and instead move to a simple flat tax, where the average American can fill out our taxes on a postcard.

— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), in an interview with Fox News, offering his solution to the controversy of the IRS targeting conservatives groups.

Obama Aides Cashing in on Experience

Over the years, Washington has lost any sense of shame. The standard bipartisan pattern has become to work for an important political figure for a few years — and then monetize your Rolodex.

— Walter Shapiro, noting that many former Obama staffers now illustrate the enduring adage about political aides in D.C.: “They came to do good and stayed to do well.”

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“This may prove to be the most memorable ad of the entire election cycle. It is devastating. But I would’ve held it until the final weekend of the campaign. With this much time before the election, I fully expect the Democrats to have an equally devastating response.”

— Republican pollster Frank Luntz, quoted by Politico, on the campaign ad run by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R) featuring his opponent’s mother.

— President Trump, quoted by NewsNation.

— Paul Krugman

Numerati

31%

63% to 38%

KFF Poll: “With the 2026 midterm campaigns in full swing and early voting about to begin, there is a wide enthusiasm gap between partisan voters, with Democratic voters 25 percentage points more likely than Republican voters to say they are ‘more motivated’ than usual to vote (63% vs. 38%).”

29,000

Wall Street Journal: “The U.S. added 29,000 jobs in September, far short of expectations, in a sign that the labor market remains steady but may not be able to deliver consistent and sizable employment gains like it did in the past.”

13%

1,000