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Picking Up Where Krugman Left Off
October 14, 2012
by
Posted by Bob Lord
Paul Krugman's piece on Friday summed up my feelings perfectly about why this election is so critical:
And here’s the thing: if Mitt Romney wins the election, the G.O.P. will surely consider its economic ideas vindicated. In other words, politically good things may be about to happen to very bad ideas. And if that’s how it plays out, the American people will pay the price.
You can read the entire piece here
Here's what I think is possible if Romney wins and Krugman is correct. We likley will see a right turn immediately after the election, with the Ryan tax plan replacing the Romney tax plan. Why? Because Romney likes the Ryan plan better than his own, he just doesn't have the balls to 100% own it right now. The Ryan plan would exempt all investment income from tax, which is the direction Romney wants to go. HIs own plan takes smaller steps in that same direction. Although Romney has not 100% owned the Ryan plan, he heaped enough praise on it earier on to allow him to claim his election is a mandate for it. And the legislative process works in his favor here, because he can have the Republican House start the process.
Willful ignorance of economics is reckless and irresponsible
October 14, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
After reading the endorsements by the state's two largest daily circulation newspapers, The Arizona Republic(an) and the Arizona Daily Star, it is clear that the editors of these newspapers are fully invested in failed GOP economic policies and are out of touch with the Arizona electorate.
Conservatives like to refer to the Arizona Daily Star as the "Red Star" because it is generally progressive on social issues and frequently endorses Democrats. But on economic issues, there is little daylight between the views of The Arizona Daily Star and the Arizona Republic(an). These newspapers enable failed GOP economic policies to survive by giving them the veneer of credibility, to the detriment of all Arizonans.
Ask any Arizona voter what the top issue is in the election this year and they will tell you "JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!" Or as James Carville once famously said, "It's the economy, stupid."
The editors of the state's two largest daily circulation newspapers, The Arizona Republic(an) and the Arizona Daily Star, however, tell us the top issue in the election this year is the federal debt and government spending. This is traditionally an issue upon which Republicans run against when a Democrat is in the White House, but immediately abandon once a Republican is in the White House. As Vice President Dick Cheney famously said after election, "deficits don't matter." (See below).
To endorse a Republican on the basis of the federal debt and government spending, as the Arizona Daily Star did for Jonathan Paton, and The Arizona Republic(an) did for Jeff Flake today is to turn a blind eye to history and to the facts. Ronald Reagan quadrupled the federal debt as president, and George W. Bush doubled it again before blowing up the financial system and our economy with the Bush Great Recession, the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression.
In the case of Jeff Flake, he voted for the Bush tax cuts and putting two wars on the nation's credit card without asking any sacrifice from Americans — except our service men and women — to pay for those wars. (He subsequently voted against veterans benefits.)
When the private sector withdraws from the economy during economic collapse, the government sector must step in to stimulate economic activity and restore stability. This is Economics 101. It is also known as Keynesian economics, which the "geniuses" (sic) who sit on the editorial boards of this state's two major newspapers reject.
The Arizona Republic(an) has frequently editorialized against the federal stimulus packages, which arrested the economic freefall the U.S. economy was in and stabilized the economy, allowing for the return of economic growth.
The Arizona Daily Star writes today that it does not believe that "the government should directly create more jobs to help the economy. Private job creation, not more government spending, is the answer."
Such willful ignorance of basic economics and blind faith in failed GOP economic policies that resulted in the federal debt and the greatest economic calamity since the Great Depression is a great disservice to the readers of these newspapers, and to Arizona voters.
Early Voting Month – return your early ballots!
October 14, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Early voting runs from Thursday, October 11 to Friday, November 2, 2012. The Last day to request an early ballot by mail is Friday, October 26, 2012. There will be emergency voting on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at some locations, and Monday, November 5, 2012 only at the Downtown location.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN AND DATE THE AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPE before inserting it into the outer envelope for mailing. Your ballot cannot be counted without a signed and dated affidavit.
If you plan to vote at a voting location on Election Day, please verify your correct voting location before going to vote. See Pima County Recorder's Office or call the Recorder's Office at (520) 724-4330. You will need to show required ID. Pima County Elections Required Identification at the Polls.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
Early Voting locations:
DOWNTOWN
Recorder’s Main Office
115 N. Church Ave.
520-724-4330
Located downtown in the historic
Old Pink Courthouse with the tiled dome
SITE OPEN: Thursday, 10/11/2012 through Friday 11/2/2012
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
EMERGENCY VOTING:
Saturday, 11/3/2012
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Monday, 11/5/2012- Downtown Only
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
EASTSIDE
Recorder’s Eastside Annex
6920 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite D
520-724-4330
Located on the southwest corner of Broadway and Kolb Rd.
behind Bring’s Funeral Home
SITE OPEN: Thursday, 10/11/2012 through Friday 11/2/2012
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
EMERGENCY VOTING:
Saturday, 11/3/2012
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
President Clinton campaigns for Carmona in Arizona, as polls show race tightening (video)
October 14, 2012
by Pamela Powers Hannley
Despite Arizona’s reputation as a stalwartly red state, with a capital R, Democrats are hoping to take back one of the state’s US Senate in November.
Although Democrats have held a percentage of the state’s Congressional seats for years, the Republican Party has controlled both Arizona US Senate seats since 1994, when embattled Senator Dennis Deconcini retired, and Arizona Congressman Jon Kyl won it.
Since early 2012, former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona has been crisscrossing the state, campaigning tirelessly to move that Senate seat to the D column. Over the summer, Carmona climbed steadily in the polls against Kyl’s heir apparent and six-term, conservative Congressman Jeff Flake. A recently released poll shows Independent-turned-Democrat Carmona leading Flake by four percentage points—a statistical dead heat.
This close—and important—Senate race has attracted the attention of heavy hitters from both parties. While the Koch Brothers’ Freedom Works PAC has been pumping money into Flake’s campaign, this week Democrats sent their secret weapon—President Bill Clinton—to Arizona to help Carmona.
Wednesday night, Carmona and Clinton addressed an estimated 5500 Arizonans at an outdoor rally on the Arizona State University (ASU) campus.
More details and a videos after the jump.
Obama campaign ad: ‘Challenges’
October 13, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Obama campaign is up with a new ad narrated by Morgan Freeman, entited "Challenges." Description:
"Every president inherits challenges, few have faced so many. Four years later our enemies have been brought to justice. Our heroes are coming home. Assembly lines are humming again—there are still challenges to meet, children to educate, a middle class to rebuild but the last thing we should do is turn back now."
Video below the fold.
Rocky Mountain poll: Obama leads by two points in Arizona
October 13, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: President Barack Obama stands at 44% and GOP challenger Mitt Romney has 42% in the Rocky Mountain poll released Saturday. The margin is within the poll's sampling error. Poll: Presidential race close in Arizona (CNN): With 11 electoral votes, the state has been considered to be leaning in Romney's favor. The state's … Read more
Draw the Line – Sign the Bill of Reproductive Rights
October 13, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
If we do not stand up and defend the reproductive rights of women, the pro-life forced birth movement will take those rights away and reduce women to second class citizens under the Constitution.
We just heard Rep. Paul Ryan say during the vice presidential debate this week that he and Willard "Mittens" Romney intend to put the fundamental constitutional rights of women to life, liberty and property to a referendum vote (disguised as a ban on abortion and most forms of contraceptives). Fundamental constitutional rights are not subject to a vote — that's what makes them fundamental constitutional rights. The minority is protected from tyranny by the majority.
A woman does not lose her constitutional rights to life, liberty and property at the moment of conception, reducing her to a second class citizen to her fertilized egg, and making her uterus "property of the state" subject to regulation.
Romney-Ryan promises to stack the U.S. Supreme Court with conservative activist judges who will rubberstamp their actions. Take this threat seriously.
Arizona’s Newest Supreme Court Justice, Ann Scott Timmer, and Prop 115
October 13, 2012
By Michael Bryan Governor Brewer just made her selection to replace Justice Hurwitz on the State Supreme Court: Arizona Appeals Court Judge Ann Scott Timmer. Judge Timmer will make a fine Supreme Court Justice and is highly qualified for the Supreme Court. The reason she was picked is that she was one of three … Read more
