May 2014 - Page 3 of 8

U.S. Evenly Split on Abortion Issue

May 22, 2014 Buck Banks

47%

Of U.S. adults describe their views as “pro-choice” and 46% as “pro-life,” according to Gallup. Nearly one in five voters will only support candidates who agree with them on the abortion issue.

An Honest Memoir

May 22, 2014May 23, 2014 Buck Banks

A pre-campaign memoir is seen as one measure
Of how a candidate would perform as a leader.
But I’m with Mike Murphy
Who’s hoping that someday
Someone will write “Screw Iowa and New Hampshire.”

Waiting for the ‘Screw Iowa and New Hampshire’ Political Mamoir

May 22, 2014 Buck Banks

When someone is brave enough to write one of these books and call it ‘Screw Iowa and New Hampshire’ or something, then I might actually read it.

— GOP strategist Mike Murphy, quoted by the New York Times, on pre-presidential campaign political memoirs.

New Super-PAC to Target GOP Climate-Change Deniers

May 22, 2014 Buck Banks

$100 million

Amount liberal billionaire and environmentalist Tom Steyer is using to create a Super PAC that will attack Republicans in seven key states who are climate-science deniers, NBC News reports. “These states — all of which President Barack Obama won in both 2008 and 2012 — also play an important role in 2016, given that Iowa and New Hampshire are early presidential nominating contests, and that Colorado and Florida are top general-election battlegrounds.”

Tweet

Rockefeller Draws GOP Ire for Linking Racism to ACA Opposition

May 22, 2014 Buck Banks

I think it’s very important to take a long view at what’s going on. I’ll be able to dig up some emails that make part of the Affordable Care Act that doesn’t look good–especially from people who made up their mind that they don’t want it to work because they don’t like the president. Maybe he’s of the wrong color, something of that sort. I’ve seen a lot of that and I know a lot of that to be true.

— Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), suggesting that President Obama’s race “factored into opposition to the Affordable Care Act, sparking outrage on the part of one of his Republican colleagues,” National Journal reports.

Adult Obesity Rate on the Rise in the U.S.

May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 Buck Banks

27.7%

The adult obesity rate in the U.S., so far in 2014, according to Gallup. In 2008 the average was 25.5%.

Boehner: Tea Party, Conservative Republicans Not that Different

May 21, 2014 Buck Banks

I think the tea party has brought great energy to our political process. You get in these primary elections — they are hard-fought battles and sometimes — listen, there is not that much, not that big a difference between what you call the tea party and your average conservative Republican.

— House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), asserting the tea party and conservative Republicans are basically the same, CNN reports.

Yoho Suggests that Only Property Owners Should Vote

May 21, 2014 Buck Banks

I’ve had some radical ideas about voting and it’s probably not a good time to tell them, but you used to have to be a property owner to vote.

— Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL), quoted by the Huffington Post.

Clinton Earns $5 Million for Speeches

May 21, 2014May 21, 2014 Buck Banks

$5 million

Amount Hillary Clinton has made since leaving the State Department on more than 90 speeches and notable appearances, Mother Jones reports.

Support for Same-Sex Marriage Reaches New High

May 21, 2014 Buck Banks

55%

Of Americans support legalization of same-sex marriage, according to a new poll from Gallup. In 1996, 68 percent of Americans were against legalization of gay marriage. Among young adults age 18-29 support for gay marriage has risen to 78 percent.

47%

Of U.S. adults describe their views as “pro-choice” and 46% as “pro-life,” according to Gallup. Nearly one in five voters will only support candidates who agree with them on the abortion issue.

When someone is brave enough to write one of these books and call it ‘Screw Iowa and New Hampshire’ or something, then I might actually read it.

— GOP strategist Mike Murphy, quoted by the New York Times, on pre-presidential campaign political memoirs.

$100 million

— Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), suggesting that President Obama’s race “factored into opposition to the Affordable Care Act, sparking outrage on the part of one of his Republican colleagues,” National Journal reports.

27.7%

The adult obesity rate in the U.S., so far in 2014, according to Gallup. In 2008 the average was 25.5%.

I think the tea party has brought great energy to our political process. You get in these primary elections — they are hard-fought battles and sometimes — listen, there is not that much, not that big a difference between what you call the tea party and your average conservative Republican.

— House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), asserting the tea party and conservative Republicans are basically the same, CNN reports.

I’ve had some radical ideas about voting and it’s probably not a good time to tell them, but you used to have to be a property owner to vote.

— Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL), quoted by the Huffington Post.

$5 million

Amount Hillary Clinton has made since leaving the State Department on more than 90 speeches and notable appearances, Mother Jones reports.

55%

Of Americans support legalization of same-sex marriage, according to a new poll from Gallup. In 1996, 68 percent of Americans were against legalization of gay marriage. Among young adults age 18-29 support for gay marriage has risen to 78 percent.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“If you are committing fraud against the American people, all of us in public leadership should be trying to stop it and throw you in prison for enriching yourself off the American taxpayer.”

— Vice President JD Vance, on Fox News.

“Your generation has a great bullshit meter, because you’re fed bullshit online all day. And the Democratic Party brand right now is so bullshit.”

— Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D), quoted by The Atlantic, speaking to college students.

“We are done, Americans are done with endless conflict in the Middle East, spending trillions of dollars, American lives… this is insane and we have to call it for what it is.”

— Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), on CNN.

Numerati

+175,000

“The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas during President Donald Trump’s administration so far,” Fox News reports.

$4,600

11

30%

A new American Research Group poll finds just 30% of Americans say they approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president and 67% say they disapprove.

61% to 35%