Secretary of State Ken Bennett May Not Be A Birther, But He Is Still An Idiot
May 22, 2012
By Michael Bryan I can't even begin to imagine what possible benefit Secretary Bennett thought he might derive from his birther stunt. I suppose he saw Sheriff Joe milking that particular bull and thought, "Heck, I can get some mileage off that, too…" Well, Ken, I didn't serve with Sheriff Joe. I don't know Sheriff Joe. Sheriff Joe certainly is … Read more
Another GOP myth debunked: Obama’s excessive spending (not!)
May 22, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I am convinced that the GOP gets away with this myth-making only because the vast majority of Americans are: (1) terrible at math, and (2) know little or nothing about economics. Low information voters are going to be the death of us all.
As Tea-Publicans tell this tall tale, President Obama is "spend, spend, spending" this country into economic ruin. One of the favorite bumper sticker slogans of these simpletons is "stop the spending."
Steve Benen posts today, The spending surge that never happened:
The notion that federal spending soared after President Obama took office is one of those "facts" that the political world just accepts implicitly. Republicans have repeated the claim so often (and so loudly) that it's no longer even questioned. Indeed, Mitt Romney promises to "stop the excessive overspending" on a nearly daily basis.
But MarketWatch's Rex Nutting took a closer look at the assumption that many assume is true, but isn't. (The MarketWatch piece included this great chart, too.)
Government spending under Obama, including his signature stimulus bill, is rising at a 1.4% annualized pace — slower than at any time in nearly 60 years.
But it didn't happen. Although there was a big stimulus bill under Obama, federal spending is rising at the slowest pace since Dwight Eisenhower brought the Korean War to an end in the 1950s…. There has been no huge increase in spending under the current president, despite what you hear.
It matters, of course, that a political myth is accepted as fact, especially when it's likely to be one of the driving messages of the 2012 campaign.
But let's also keep in mind that this has dramatic policy implications: the fact that the economic recovery is so weak and fragile has nothing to do with the debt and everything to do with not enough capital in the system, leading to too little demand.
In other words, the fact that spending growth under Obama has been so slow is practically a form of austerity, and it's bad for the economy, not good.
The biggest offenders, of course, were Saint Ronnie Reagan who quadrupled the national debt, and George W. Bush who doubled it again.
The dumbing down of political speech
May 22, 2012
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by David Safier The Sunlight Foundation analyzed the grade level of the speech by members of Congress based on an analysis of the Congressional Record. Overall results: there was a one grade level drop from 2005 (11.5) to today (10.6). Who speaks at the lowest grade level? The most conservative members of Congress. Interestingly, Republicans … Read more
Ken Bennett reveals more about his motives than he planned to
May 22, 2012
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by David Safier Let's forget birther controversy for a moment and look at SOS Ken Bennett's campaign statement against his current actions. Howie Fischer details the Bennett vs. Bennett moment in an article today. During the 2010 campaign, Bennett said the Secretary of State should be above partisanship. Bennett, when running for office in 2010, … Read more
Jesse Kelly’s energy/jobs ‘pipe dreams’ take another hit from reality
May 21, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Brad Plumer has a post today at Ezra Klein's WonkBlog that delivers another blow of reality to Jesse Kelly's energy "pipe dreams." Will cheap shale gas revive U.S. manufacturing? Not so fast:
It’s hard to think of an extravagant prediction that hasn’t been made about America’s recent natural-gas boom. Let’s see: Cheap natural gas will wipe out coal. It will make the U.S. energy independent. And, oh yes, it will create one million manufacturing jobs and revitalize the Midwest. [Cue Jesse Kelly]
That last claim comes via a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. But over at the Council on Foreign Relations, Michael Levi casts a more skeptical eye on arguments that the age of cheap natural gas from shale will really lead to a dramatic revival of U.S. manufacturing.
There are reasons to think the overall impact will be fairly muted. Energy costs are still a small factor for many manufacturers. Levi points to a 2009 paper (pdf) by Joseph Aldy and William Pizer finding that “only one tenth of U.S. manufacturing involved energy costs exceeding five percent of the total value of shipments.” Aldy and Pizer estimated that a carbon tax, which raises energy prices, would affect manufacturing employment slightly — less than 3 percent — in the most energy-intensive industries like aluminum, cement, glass, and steel. The flipside is that lower energy costs, thanks to cheap natural gas, would have a similarly marginal impact.
(Updated) Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments on the 2012 ballot
May 21, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I need to update and correct an earlier post Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments on the 2012 ballot, now that Secretary of State Ken Bennett has finally got around to posting the information on his web site in between making calls to Hawaii regarding President Obama's birth certificate. Ballot Measures.
Prop. 114 – The Crime Victim Protection From Liability For Damages Amendment, SCR 1020 (2011) (PDF)
The measure would amend Aticle II, section 31 and Article XVII, section 6 of the Arizona Constitution.
The measure would prohibit crime victims from being subject to a claim for damages for causing harm to a person if that person is killed or injured when engaging in, or fleeing after, a felony crime.
Prop. 115 – The Judicial Department Amendment, SCR 1001 (2011) (PDF)
The measure would amend Article VI, sections 4, 12, 20, 36, 37, 39, 41, and 42 of the Arizona Constituion.
The measure would modify the Appellate and Trial Court Commissions. If it passes, specifically the measure would increase the terms of judges from six to eight years and the retirement age from 75 to 70. In addition to these changes, the State Bar of Arizona will be allowed to appoint only one of five attorneys to a judicial nominating commission. Currently, the governor appoints five attorneys that are vetted by the bar association.
This arises out of GOP displeasure with the Appellate Court Commission selection of the five members of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission in 2011.
CD 8 Veterans Issues Forum in Sierra Vista
May 21, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Sierra Vista Herald provided thorough reporting on the veterans Issues forum this past Saturday in Sierra Vista. Unfortunately, the Herald put it behind a "premium member" wall. While I do have the full report, there is no way for me to summarize this lengthy report on the candidates' responses to some nine questions. Suprisingly, the … Read more
Dr. Richard Carmona op/ed on student loan dispute in Congress
May 21, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Dr. Richard Carmona's op-ed in the Ahwatukee Foothills News last week. Carmona: Hiking student loans would limit opportunity:
Access to higher education is the great societal equalizer and what ultimately makes the American Dream possible. It’s what gives every parent hope. And for kids who grew up poor like me, it’s what allows us to achieve success.
My grandmother always told me to get an education because it would set me free.
She was right, even if I didn’t immediately follow her advice. Like my friends and siblings, I dropped out of high school and ran the streets before joining the U.S. Army.
I served in Vietnam, and returned home a combat-decorated veteran. Despite earning my GED in the Army in order to qualify for Special Forces, when I returned home I still couldn’t get into college.
It was an open enrollment program for veterans at Bronx Community College that opened the door for me. It was an opportunity that changed my life. In one generation, I went from being a homeless kid on the streets to becoming the 17th Surgeon General of the United States.
