A good statement from Secretary of State Kerry about the horrific violence in Egypt. But shouldn’t Democratic leaders stand firm for respecting the results of free elections, even when we oppose elected officials’ theocratic policies? Otherwise, how can we be credible advocates for democracy?
There goes Gallup again with the “blame congress” meme, and the MSM gobbles up the bait. Not a peep here about which party voters blame more. Would it be so hard to ask the same respondents, “which party do you believe is more responsible for congressional gridlock?”
In his latest tweet, Rand Paul seems determined to set a new standard for denial regarding racial discrimination and voter suppression.
At Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, Geoffrey Skelley writes that “… There is little question that the upcoming fights over the future of Obamacare, the budget, the debt ceiling and immigration will sorely test Obama. The lack of meaningful action in Washington and the ugly clashes that are on the way may drag Obama down the same road as Truman, Johnson, Nixon and the younger Bush. On the other hand, the absence of a stalemated war and the possibility of continued (if slow) economic improvement may allow Obama to escape their path and tread one more similar to Ronald Reagan. In this polarized, partisan era, Obama will benefit from continued intense backing by Democrats and minority voters; his ceiling isn’t fixed, but Obama’s floor is relatively high.”
At The Daily Beast Jamelle Bouie has a good update on North Carolina Republicans’ all-out war to suppress African American and other pro-Democratic voters.
And at the Crystal Ball, Kyle Kondik reports on “Democrats catching breaks in North Carolina.” Says Kondik: “Democrats need a rallying cry for this race, and the Republican legislature has provided them with one; whether the Republican Senate primary voters do as well is an open question….The unsettled Republican field means, to us, that of the four incumbent Democratic senators running for reelection in states that Mitt Romney won in 2014 — Mark Begich (AK), Mark Pryor (AR), Mary Landrieu (LA) and Kay Hagan (NC) — Hagan is probably in the best shape at the moment.”
In Thomas Perez, it looks like Dems — and American workers — will have one of the strongest Secretaries of Labor ever, as AP’s Sam Hananel reports.
Here’s a good Kos cause. Help worst ever Speaker Johnny B. get back to work. As the Kos petition puts it, “To Speaker John Boehner: Dude, seriously, you’ve worked for just 87 days this year and you’re taking a five-week vacation? You’re golfing with Donald Trump while the House hasn’t voted on immigration reform or a jobs bill so far this year? Get off the golf course and back to work.”
Even the Wall St. Journal thinks Priebus is out of line.
Looking ahead to the 50th anniversary of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28th, Mijin Cha explains at Demos Policy Shop why “The March on Washington is as Relevant as Ever.” See also Gary Younge’s excellent Guardian post, “Martin Luther King: the story behind his ‘I have a dream’ speech.”