Can Iowa be Ground Zero for Obamacare?

(All the Graphics on this post were lifted from Bleeding Heartland)

Should Democrats make Iowa’s ongoing Medicaid expansion fight ground zero for Obamacare?  Yes! Because its a winning issue in a state that is politically important.  Additionally, they could win.  Additionally, they could win.  And Finally I want them too.  

Cruz to the White House?

Can Sen. Ted Cruz ever become president? Who knows, we've seen weirder things happen.  Can he win in 2016?  No! He cannot, and here’s why.  It’s hard to imagine that the general population hasn't noticed that Cruz has, in his short time in office, had numerous acerbic confrontations with members of both Democrats and Republicans. 

Voter memory tends to be transitory; however, people should remember those compared to former Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy.  That is the kind of thing that should stick to someone's resume.

On Legacy: McCain should follow the 1990’s Barry Goldwater fight for Gay Rights

John McCain is getting up there in years, and now is thetime to start thinking about what he wants to be remembered for.  There is a lesson he can learn from his predecessor.  But before we get into that, let’s look at why he could leave a legacy to be proud of, and then how he could make that stronger.

This last Friday, Vice President Joe Biden said that Sen.John McCain would have beat then Senator Barack Obama in 2008 if not for acollapsing economy. 

Biden said to McCain that "The truth of the matter is -- Barack knows it, I know -- had theeconomy not collapsed around your ears, John, in the middle of literally — asthings were moving — I think you probably would have won,” "But it would have been incredibly,incredibly, incredibly close. You inherited a really difficult time."

It’s not odd that this comes out now.  It’s likely a thank you to of sorts to McCain for being a leading Republican that voted for expanding background checks for gun buyers,which failed two weeks ago.  However, I am not sure We should buy this version of history. Obama was on a run, about to make history and McCain was living down the reputation of the very unpopular Bush White House. 

One thing is for sure, McCain ran a mostly clean campaign in 2008, and many Republicans blame that for Obama’s win, not the extreme unpopularity of the Republicans at the time.  The conservative choice then was Mitt Romney, and it is doubtful he could have beaten Obama in 2008, when he couldn't accomplish this in 2012.  It’s possible that Obama and his team appreciate the way McCain has shown respect with dealing with the their administration. 

McCain’s only real chance to become president came and went when Rove and company destroyed him in 2000. Maybe you remember the do-or-die South Carolina Republican Primary of 2000, when George W. Bush's political life was seemingly hanging in the balance.  John McCain experienced the ugliness of Republican strategist Lee Atwater’s, the Dark Prince of negative campaigning, known tactics.  The same thing Kerry would face in 2004. 

McCain just had a 19 point upset win over GeorgeW. Bush in New Hampshire, and arrived in South Carolina on a role.  Bush had resisted going negative there, and Rove was with him.  Things needed to change, and boy did they. 

At the time, McCain’s deputy campaign manager, RoyFletcher, said that the morning after the New Hampshire vote “[they] had all kinds of stuff coming into the Washington headquarters. [The Bush team] were already spreading all this crap about McCain.… [Fletcher] knew right then [they] had a problem: These guys are gonna go nuts. … It was pretty obvious they’d laid a plan for South Carolina, to start immediately. Just boom! Go at him as hard and as vicious as you can.”

McCain was hit with accusations that he had a black child out if wedlock, that he was crazy, and a traitor,

McCain did not have an out of wedlock African Child.  His wife, CindyMcCain, had been on a relief mission to Bangladesh.  While there she was asked by one of MotherTeresa’s nuns to help a young orphan with a cleft palate.  When she flew her back to the U.S. for surgery, Cindy came to the conclusion she couldn't give the child up, so the McCain’s adopted the child. 

It was sad that had been used against him to scare racist southern Republicans to keep them from voting for McCain.  RickDavis, McCain’s national campaign manager at the time said that a smear doesn't have “to be true to be effective.”

The attackskept on coming, they said Cindy was a drug addict, that McCain turned traitor in “Hanoi Hilton,” or that he was mentally unstable from his captivity. They even said he was some kind of Manchurian Candidate, brainwashed to destroy the G.O.P. All of it crazy.

It took some nerve to attack a war hero in this way, but theBush team did just that.  Something McCain would not repeat when it was his turn.

During the 2008 campaign John McCain had shown a grace while running against Obama.
href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history_lesson/2008/11/mccain_ran_the_sleaziest_campaign_in_history.2.html">DavidGreenberg of Slate wrote about it here. He points out that McCain took stands against the outrageous conduct of members of his own campaign—“he fired staffers who stoked racism or anti-Muslim sentiments and rebuked his own hate-spewing supporters at rallies.”  He would not play off of the fear that the Democrat was a Muslim, or some kind of a plant with a secret agenda to destroy the country.  This is what rhetoric you will still find on the comment boards of many right wing blogs still today.  McCain had already faced this kind of stuff from Rove, he was not about to repeat it. 

Maybe this is why Biden is suddenly patting McCain on the back.  Maybe they hope he can help them in the future.  McCain is looking to polish up is legacy, and team Obama would likely want him to be an ally. 

One of the instances that he could do this on is immigration.   

The Washington Post wrote that "McCain’s most probable avenue back to the land of mavericks and media adulation runs through immigration reform."  There should be little doubt this will help; however, McCain could do more. 

Another Arizona Senator moved slightly left after he left the senate. McCain took his spot, but he does not have to wait until after he retires to cement a positive legacy.  He just has to follow his predecessor, but do it before he retires.

BarryGoldwater turned into a gay rights activist before he died. In 1990’s he “championed homosexuals serving in the military and has worked locally to stop businesses in Phoenix from hiring on the basis of sexual orientation.”  He also signed on as honorary co-chairman of a drive to pass a federal law preventing job discrimination towards homosexuals. 

Goldwatersaid that "The big thing is to make this country, along with every other country in the world with a few exceptions, quit discriminating against people just because they're gay,"and "You don't have to agree with it, but they have a constitutional right to be gay. And that's what brings me into it."

After years of fighting for conservatism, Goldwater made a left turn on a fundamental social issue, in a time Republicans were largely anti-gay.  Maybe McCain will follow Goldwater's lead to the left on Gay Rights issues.  What a way to go out huh?  This will put him on the right side of history, and he can retire as a maverick--but not the Palin kind.    

Really, No Checks on Guns Bought at Gun Shows and Over the Internet!

Yesterday when President Obama stood with the parents who lost children in the Newtown tragedy, I could not help but think how disappointed I am with the U.S. Congress, especially the Republicans who voted no against common sense background checks on those who would purchase a weapon at gun shows or over the internet.  This common sense measure could have be a real step towards protecting the children from gun violence.  

The vote on background checks ended at 54-46.  But this was not enough.  Are these people serious?

Republicans need to Face Reality, Medicaid Expansion is the Right Choice

The Des Moines Register Editorial Board recently wrote an article about how the GOP has strayed from Ronald Reagan’s heritage of expanding Medicaid.

The former Republican President had on a few occasions expanded the health insurance program that was created by Congress nearly 50 years ago. 

Republicans around the country in opposition to expanding Medicaid as part of Obamacare, they are in resistance to a heritage of a party that has a history of expanding Medicaid. 

The Register also pointed out that Republicans used to be a party of individual with maverick (Not Sarah Palin Like) streaks of disobeying party leaders to cater to the needs of their constituencies.

Seven Democratic still holding out on Equality!

The people over at MoveOn.org sent me this, and I am posting it for you. 

The Supreme Court is debating two vital laws, California's discriminatory Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act, and this could have consequences for gay marriage all around the country, although its unlikely.  The point is as the Justices ponder whether or not the country is ready for marriage equality there are seven Senate Democrats who don't support equality.

Slamming the NRA’s “Cold Dead Hands” with Statistics!

Cold Dead Hand with Jim Carrey from Jim Carrey

The above video with Jim Carrey is funny.  I laughed through the whole thing. Unless you are trying to compensate with a big guns, you may like this too.  The NRA has peddled fear for years and Jim Carrey takes them on with satire.  If you go to the site’s comment thread you can even find American gun-toting fanatics becoming upset at a piece of comedy.

On a more serious note, we must stop the NRA thoughtless fear peddling.  They help allow too much violence on American Streets. The following numbers will prove this to be true. 

Most people around the world are probably confused by the American obsession with guns.   These things kill so many people, but we glorify them like they are toys.  I'm not against video games, but I am against arming everyone with weapons of war.

(Complete List of Gun ownership by country)

The U.S. has more firearms per 100 people than any other nation.  Here you can find an interactive map showing the leading countries in gun ownership.  The U.S. has 270,000,000 civilian firearms—88.8 for every 100 people.  We are ranked 1^st in the world.  In 2011 there were 9,146 homicides by firearm.  This is 2.97 per every 100,000 people.  60% of all the homicides in the U.S. are from guns.

At Least Strike Down Proposition 8 and DOMA!

Through the next couple of days the Supreme Court will consider two of the most important civil rights cases in years.  Both cases will deal with the ongoing struggle for gay men and women to gain equal treatment under the law.   The court will consider the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, which was an initiative that banned same-sex couples from becoming married in the state.  One day later the court will look at the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a law enacted in 1996 that prohibits the federal government from extending benefits to same-sex partners, even if they were legally married in their home state.

The cases could turnout in many ways.  What we want to see the court do is take the country forward, not backwards.  Ideally the court would outright say any state that bans gay couples from marrying is violating their constitutional right.

Iowa Gov. Branstad attempts to Leave Iowans with less for more!

Lucky for Iowans, progressive groups are aligning up to fight for Medicaid expansion!

Medicaid expansion would expand health coverage to up to 150,000 Iowans who currently receive too little care or no care.

The debate over whether or not Iowa should expand Medicaid is speeding up.  Although it is not really a debate.  Right now the question is whether or not Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is going to continue to play politics with the health of Iowans living below the poverty line. 

Nvidia's Huge Jump in Face Rendering Technology

Its scary how close graphic card makers are to getting the human face to look real.  Nvidia has been a 20-year odyssey to make the face look real.  Its getting closer. 

The Independents review of the GOP 'autopsy'

Yes, I lifted the name of this post from Erik Erickson’s (redstate.com and Fox News) recent post (A Conservative review of the GOP 'autopsy') about the 98-page document released by the Republican National Committee known as the “autopsy.”  Its real name is the “Growth and Opportunity Project.”  The purpose of the “autopsy” is to keep the GOP from repeating many of the mistakes made in Campaign 2012.  A laudable goal right?

Medicaid Expansion makes Sense!

On March 12, while urging Governor Branstad to help 150,000 uninsured Iowans, Senator Mary Jo Wilhelm told the Senate her own story of when she was working, in pain, and uninsured.  Its a touching story and emblematic of the good that could come from expanding medicaid.

Go Rob Portman! But is the Republican Party really changing?

Recently Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) came out in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.  The fact that his views have converged with that of the LGBT community is great news.  A big name Republican, rumored to be on the short list as Mitt Romney vice presidential pick, comes out in support of legalizing same-sex marriage.  That should be big news, and in many ways it is.

However, how he got to this decision seems to have offended so many people in the LGBT community.

Attempting to Save Face over the Violence Against Women Act

Republicans have many difficulties: boring candidates, problem speaking to average Americans, being the party of no, attracting minority voters, and attracting women voters.  But it is the conservative base that poses the largest problem for the party of Lincoln.

Banning Gay Marriage is not yet Unconstitutional and you should be Outraged about it!

Are you outraged that we are discriminating against gay couples all over this supposedly free nation?  You should be!  It’s time to make banning gay marriage unconstitutional and the Supreme Court can do that soon.

Not long ago former President Bill Clinton called on the United States Supreme Court to overturn a law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages; which he regretfully signed into law in 1996.

Clinton recently wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post that he “signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)” in a “very different time.”  At the time there were zero states that recognized same-sex marriages.  Some states were moving that way, and many viewed some of the options that were coming out of Washington as “draconian” (imagine that, Republicans in Washington D.C. dreaming up abrasive plans to stop progress on gay rights).

At the time those who supported DOMA believed it “would defuse a movement to enact a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which would have ended the debate for a generation or more.”  If the debate would have ended then, we would not have seen so much progress today.