Month: February 2013

Marco Rubio: ‘Stay thirsty my friends’

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I am sure Sen. Marco Rubio was reminding himself not to screw up like the others who came before him had done. "Don't say 'happy Mardis Gras' like Bobby Jindal did." "Don't talk into the wrong camera like Michele Bachmann did."

And then it happened – the only thing that people will talk about and remember from his big moment in front of the cameras – comedy gold for late night comics. U.S. Senator Rubio's water break creates a flood of jokes:

During the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, Florida Senator Marco Rubio lit up social media by awkwardly reaching off-screen for a bottle of water and taking a gulp while keeping his eyes on the camera.

Mr. Rubio's clumsy attempt at refreshment – he appeared to have a dry mouth and had wiped sweat from his temples – sparked instant jokes, including this GIF showing the sip in an endless loop.

The Farley Report: 2-12-13

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Time once again for The Farley Report from Sen. Steve Farley (D-LD 9):

Thanks so much for those of you who came to our LD9 Bipartisan Town Hall last Saturday. It was a really energizing event, in large part because of the mix of folks that attended — a great blend of Republicans and Democrats together at a political event, something not often seen lately. 

The positive results proved that if we come together to engage respectfully — even if we disagree — the fraying fabric of our common political discourse will be strengthened. This is vitally important for the future of our democracy. Your presence made that happen, so thank you.

This year, much more positive bipartisan interaction is happening at the Legislature — witness our recent vote to provide emergency funding to Child Protective Services — but there are still some unfortunate tendencies to retreat to the same old battles from time to time. 

Presidential exploding fist bumps: a history

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by David Safier Though there were many wonderful moments in the SOTU speech, what will probably live on from the night in meme memory is this: Obama's pre-speech exploding fist bump with Republican Senator Mark Kirk, who recently returned to the Senate after suffering a stroke. My extensive research revealed, this was not Obama's first … Read more

Obama: “They deserve a vote.”

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by David Safier Absolutely right. “It has been two months since Newtown. I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different. . . . Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that’s your choice. … Read more

Al Melvin’s “special interest” education company: how it does business in Utah

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by David Safier

Screen Shot 2013-02-11 at 4.49.13 PMI've been posting about Al Melvin's bill, SB1239, which would appropriate $30 million to a "research-based, technology-based provider" for a reading program designed to help K-3 students whose reading skills are far below grade level. Melvin wrote explicit criteria into the bill which only fit one company, Utah's Imagine Learning. The bill's language matches up beautifully with the language and details on the company website.

Why did Melvin focus his bill on Imagine Learning? One reason is, the company is right in his conservative wheelhouse. It's a high level funder of ALEC and sits on ALEC's Education Task Force. It's also connected with the conservative "school choice" movement. So Melvin would have had plenty of opportunities to talk with company representatives, and he would have liked what he heard.

Melvin's bill would create a statewide license for Imagine Learning products, meaning that school districts could use them without dipping into their own limited resources. It's a great deal for Imagine Learning, which can rake in up to $30 million just by convincing a few legislators to give the company a state license. No time consuming, costly sales pitches to individual schools and school districts which would have to consider whether the products are effective before investing in them. It's a statewide, one-stop sales pitch, and the chosen sponsor, Al Melvin, would be far more interested in the cut of your conservative jib than the effectiveness of your educational product.

Imagine Learning did this once before, in its home state of Utah, where it managed to get a state license for its products in 2010. I can't find details about how much Utah spent on the reading programs, but according to the Utah Education Issues blog, Imagine Learning spent a good chunk of money in campaign contributions to grease the skids — about $12,000 in 2009, spread out among a number of conservative legislators, including the Chair of the Executive Appropriations Committee and a key member of the Senate Education Committee.