Somebody finally said it plain. In his “Land of the Free, Home of the Turncoats” American prospect Co-Editor Robert Kuttner argues persuasively that “Republicans are out to destroy government’s ability to govern. This attack, not on policy differences but on government itself, is new and ominous….The right’s reckless assault on our public institutions is not just an attack on government. It is a war against America.”
David Nir discusses a new Public Policy Polling survey, in his Kos post “MA-Sen: Elizabeth Warren Leads Scott Brown in New Poll.” it’s just 2 points, within the M.O.E., but not too shabby for openers.
Kris Kromm has an enlightening Facing South post on how “Redistricting battles highlight political barriers faced by Latinos,” focusing on gerrymander games in TX, GA and FL.
“Mainstream Pundits vs. Mainstream Voters” by Washington Monthly Political Animal Steve Benen uses recent polling data to shred the arguments against the president’s jobs proposals being made by “centrist” pundits David Brooks, Mark Penn, and Mark Halperin.
The Daily Beast has Michael Tomasky’s “GOP’s Class Warfare Sham,” in which he makes the case that “This tax fight will be the great test of the Obama presidency. All else–stimulus, bailouts, financial reform, even health care–was prelude. The tax debate is the money shot…”
Robert Reich agrees in his blog post “Make the Rich Pay More Taxes! How Obama’s Pledge to Fight for a Fairer Tax Policy Sets Off the Real Battle of 2012.”
Ben Nuckels, former campaign manager for Democratic Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn, has a useful post up at Campaigns & Elections, “How to Spend Late Money the Smart Way.” Nuckels tells how to buy TV time on the last weekend of a campaign and also offers some tips on which methods of GOTV contact provide best bang for bucks.
Campaigns & Elections is also offering an interesting freebie from their 1988 archives “How to beat a Republican” by Rahm Emanuel. Despite the 22+ years that have passed since then, Emanuel’s insights are as interesting as his track record is formidable. One of his tips:”…Just because the law may tolerate ethical missteps does not mean voters will. And even if your early ventures fail to pan out, keep digging. The untainted Republican has not yet been invented.”
The progressive coalition resisting the GOP’s voter suppression campaign in Ohio is working overtime to get 231,300 signatures on petitions to protect early voting from a Republican-passed ban on voting 3 days before the election, which also shortens the early voting period and stops automatic mailing of absentee ballots. in key counties Says coalition leader Brian Rothenberg: “Reducing early voting to three weeks will have a major impact…the current system was put in place after 2004 when we had all the long lines. Some people waited over 10 hours to vote.” Devin Dwyer of ABC News/Politics has the story here.
