The short version is that the budget proposal cuts vital programs including Social Security and Medicaid in order to pump money into tax cuts for the very richest Americans and for money cash for the bloated and wasteful Pentagon. Trump was always consistent and insistent on the campaign trail that he would not ever, under any circumstances cut Social Security.
In 2008, when Obama faced off against John McCain, turnout for an American presidential election was relatively high-- 63.7%. This past year it fell to 55%. France's voter turnout ion their presidential election earlier this month was also down-- to around 65%. Yesterday Iran voted. The voter turnout was around 70%, higher than turnout in any US election since 1900. Why is that? Well there could be a number of reasons-- some existential, but in Iran Election Day is a national holiday; people get off work to vote.
Yesterday, we looked at WV-03, Trump's strongest congressional district in West Virginia. He beat Hillary there 72.5-23.3%. It was one of Hillary's worst performances in any district in America. And the point yesterday was that a progressive Democrat, running on a populist economic platform, would stand to win there in 2018 or 2020.
Tuesday, Jean Stothert was reelected mayor of Omaha 51,413 (53%) to 44,977 (47%) over Heath Mello. I don't doubt that Mello would have made a better mayor than Jean Stothert has been. And-- most important for some shallow imbeciles-- he would have been against Trump. What more could anyone want? Plenty.
The DCCC-- as it is wont to do-- is putting all its eggs in one basket. Their operating premise is that Trump and Ryan will cause the congressional Republicans to be so loathed that voters will go to the polls in 2018 with only one thing in mind-- replace Republicans with Democrats. It could happen. If it does, even the worthless, garbage candidates being recruited by the DCCC will be swept into office (for a term or two before the GOP reclaims those seats).
In Elizabeth Warren's words, "TrumpCare isn't a health care bill. A bill that destroys health care for millions to shovel cash to the rich isn't a health care bill. This is the same cruel bill that House Republicans tried to pass weeks ago. It still strips coverage from millions. Still guts Medicaid. Still strips funds away from states like Massachusetts that are battling the opioid crisis. The only thing that's changed about TrumpCare in recent weeks is that they made the original plan even more brutal. This isn't football. It's not about scoring points.
On January 24th John Conyers introduced H.R. 676, the Medicare for All Act. He had 50 cosponsors on that first day, mostly progressives, but New Dem Eliot Engel signed on and so did a member of the House Democratic leadership, Jim Clyburn. No other members of the leadership signed on that day-- nor since-- no Nancy Pelosi, no Steny Hoyer, no Joe Crowley, no Ben Ray Lujan.
Last night, in a deep red Georgia congressional district, progressive Democrat Jon Ossoff scored 48.1% in an open multi-party primary to replace right-wing Trumpist Tom Price-- 10 points better than the last Democrat who ran for that seat. The Republicans were all over the map and the top 3 GOP candidates combined only came to 39.4%. The Democrat was polling at around 43% on Friday across several polls but then Trump weighed in and Ossoff gained 5 points. Too bad Trump didn't weigh in sooner!
Yesterday, as rumors of corporate Democrat Joe Biden running in 2020 swept Capitol Hill, there was a real clear policy fault-line vote developing in the House. A Wall Street-backed bill introduced by Randy Hultgren (R-IL), H.R. 1343 (Encouraging Employee Ownership Act) passed 331-87.
According to CleanSlateNow.org, there are only six members of the House who don't take PAC money-- 4 Democrats and 2 Republicans:
