Month: June 2017

Majority: GOP Healthcare Will Be Harmful

Buck Banks

60%

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that “nearly 60% of adults said they thought it would make insurance more expensive for low-income Americans and people with pre-existing conditions. Fifty-seven percent said it would make Medicaid less available, and 69% said it would cut federal money for Planned Parenthood.” Overall, 41% of American adults oppose the House plan, while 30% support it. Another 29% said they “don’t know.”

Opposition to GOP Healthcare Bill Growing

Buck Banks

49%

A new Politico/Morning Consult poll finds opposition to the Republican health bill is growing. “As the GOP-led Senate prepares to take up the measure, only 35% of voters surveyed approve of the bill passed by the House last month. Nearly half of voters, 49%, disapprove of the bill. The other 16% don’t know or don’t have an opinion, the poll shows.”

Our Secret Republican Government

Buck Banks

“Inch by inch by inch, the Trump administration is rolling back press access, which means less information for the public. And lack of accessibility is only half the problem. Lack of accuracy in official statements is a big issue too. … The president’s anti-media defenders may support the administration’s approach, but it’s hard to justify the rollback in accountability. It’s not just the White House, either: the State Department and the Pentagon have all but stopped holding on-camera briefings, too. … This isn’t exclusive to the executive branch. There are heightened concerns about legislative branch secrecy as well.”

— Brian Stelter

More Republicans Support Gun Control Now Than After Pulse Shooting

Buck Banks

52%

Republican support for stronger gun control laws is up seven points from a year ago. More than half of Republicans (52 percent) said they oppose stricter gun control, down seven points from the June 2016 poll, according to a recent Morning Consult poll. The poll, conducted in the days following the shooting that wounded House Majority Whip Steve Scalise — along with a lobbyist, congressional staffer and a member of the Capitol Police — found 44 percent of Republicans said they support strengthening gun laws.

When the Bill Was Obamacare, McConnell Favored Transparency, Legislative Process

Buck Banks

“This is a very important issue. You know, we shouldn’t try to do it in the dark. And whatever final bill is produced should be available to the American public and to the members of the Senate, certainly, for enough time to come to grips with it… And we are going to insist — and the American people are going to insist — that it be done in a transparent, a fair and open way.”

— Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), quoted by NBC News on October 2, 2009, nearly three months before passage of the Affordable Care Act.

The Hug That Wasn’t? Ivanka Turns to Stone Under Threat of Rubio’s Affection

Trish

hilu89e43

There’s a caption contest on Twitter for this photo of an eager Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) hugging Ivanka Trump without actually touching any of Ivanka’s parts. The contest was started by “AltEPA,” whose Twitter handle is @ActualEPAFacts, and who is worthy of your “following” consideration.

The shot makes you wonder just how tall “Little Marco,” as Ivanka’s dad calls him, is. A search came up with this article detailing the heights of the 2016 presidential candidates, along with heights of the past presidents. It offers this caveat at the beginning:

For the record, Rubio is listed at 5’10” in our chart but we have heard from well informed Florida sources that he is more like 5’8″.

Judging by the photo, we’re going to say those Florida sources are onto something. Ivanka, from what we could find, is 5’11” in her stocking feet, and Little Marco’s eyes are about level with her mouth.

Got a caption of your own for this shot? Leave it in the comments section. FYI, “Daddy does it too” was already used on the Twitter feed.