Month: September 2015

Federal judge rules that House has standing to sue to challenge ‘ObamaCare’ subsidies to healthcare insurers

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ObamacareThe reason that the TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, feels emboldened to threaten to sue the President every time that his Tea-Publican Caucus fails to achieve their prime directive of obstructing all things Obama, it is because the federal court system has been packed with conservative activist judges who stand at the ready to give Tea-Publicans a second bite at the apple to continue their fight in another forum.

This was the case on Wednesday when a conservative activist judge ruled that the TanMan and the House have standing to pursue a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act aka “ObamaCare.” GOP scores early win in ObamaCare lawsuit:

A federal district judge on Wednesday delivered a blow to the Obama administration, ruling that the House Republican lawsuit against ObamaCare can move forward.

“The Court concludes that the House has standing to pursue those constitutional claims,” Judge Rosemary Collyer wrote in a 43-page decision.

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BREAKING: Democrats block disapproval of Iran nuclear agreement

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Iran-nuclear-deal-1024x576The U.S. Senate just finished voting on a cloture motion to advance debate on H.J.Res.61, the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle for the congressional disapproval of the Iran nuclear agreement.

The final vote was 58-42, with four Democrats, Sens. Schumer (NY), Menendez (NJ), Cardin (MD), and Manchin (WV) joining all the Republicans in voting for cloture.  60 votes are needed for cloture, so the motion failed.

This is a major win for the White House and U.S. negotiation partners. Senate rejects attempt to derail Iran deal in victory for Obama:

Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican effort to scuttle the Iran nuclear deal, delivering a major victory to the Obama administration.

It has become clear in recent days that the White House can prevent Congress from immediately rejecting the deal, but the successful filibuster of the resolution of disapproval ensures that President Obama won’t have to rely on his veto pen to preserve a major piece of his foreign policy agenda.

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The GOP House Freedom Caucus ‘Tortilla Coast gambit’ to delay the Iran deal is a fraud

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TortillaCoastOn Wednesday, Arizona Congressman Matt Salmon and the farther-far-right GOP “House Freedom Caucus” of which he is a member, Freedom is just another word for another wingnut group, forced the Tan Man, Weeper of the House John Boehner, to pull a scheduled procedural vote on the P5+1 world powers nuclear agreement with Iran because of an already debunked conspiracy theory about IAEA “secret” side deals with Iran that have been circulating in the conservative media entertainment complex for the past two months.

The House went into recess so that these wingnut conspirators could meet again at the Tortilla Coast and plot their next insane move. GOP House Freedom Caucus forces delay in vote on Iran deal.

After several nacho platters and pitchers of cerveza — and I’m guessing there had to have been several rounds of tequila shots — this is the hair-brained scheme that these wingnut conspirators came up with. House GOP changes course on Iran after conservative revolt:

House Republicans are changing course to take up a last-minute plan to oppose the Iran nuclear deal following a revolt from some of the conference’s conservative members.

Instead of a single vote to disapprove the deal, the House will now hold three separate votes on the agreement.

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Rendezvous On 4th Avenue on September 12

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Rendezvous On 4th Avenue Saturday September 12th 5pm to 9pm “As the days of summer begin to give way to the responsibilities of fall, it’s clear Tucson is going through its familiar pattern of seasons. The streets, often quiet for three months of the year, are packed once again with students beginning another busy semester. … Read more

From the vault: “In Defense of Partisan Hacks”

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So I dusted off my best NPR voice and was in the KJZZ studio earlier today being interviewed by Steve Goldstein for Here and Now. The topic was the National Federation of Republican Women being in town this week and how the parties planned to target women voters. This old post of mine is not directly related to the topic of the interview but I thought of it because I ended the interview by proudly stating that I was a partisan and because the AZ Capitol Times Yellow Sheet reported that the Top Two people were going to be launching their initiative again and are leaning on prominent Arizona Democrats to support it.

From August 14, 2012:

Republic columnist Laurie Roberts took some time off from her “De-kook the Capitol” project (in which somehow our Republican controlled legislature will become less extreme by, erm, electing more Republicans) to hawk the Open Primaries initiative.

The top-two primary initiative would usher in a new system of nominating congressional, state, county and local officials. Instead of holding partisan primaries, Arizona would hold one primary open to all voters and the top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, would move to the general.

Gone would be the day when most congressional and legislative elections are decided in the primary, when politicians who cater to narrow ideological interests find themselves elected before most voters ever cast a ballot.

Of course, Roberts produces no evidence whatsoever to substantiate this claim but, whatever. Puppies! Rainbows! I’ve already explained why I don’t care for this primary initiative and don’t trust many of it’s proponents so I won’t get too deeply into that again. What irked me about Laurie’s piece was her obvious disdain for partisan activism.

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