by Judd Legum
Last week, we told you about our big goals for expanding our coverage of climate change, and we asked for your help.
We’re blown away by your support for serious investigative journalism on the most important issue of our time.
But we have not yet met our goal. If you haven’t had a chance to contribute, it’s not too late.
Will you donate today to help us break new ground in environmental journalism?
As we discussed before, Congress rushed to the rescue of air travelers after a mere four days of flight delays. Meanwhile, some of the most vulnerable Americans have been dealing with the additional hardships imposed by painful sequester cuts for more than two months now.
Our Center for American Progress colleague Erik Stegman explain hows the sequester is hurting struggling families, seniors, and children:
It’s very clear by now that Republicans are perfectly happy to force this kind of painful austerity on the American people so long as it means that corporations and the wealthiest Americans get to keep their special tax breaks. And now Republicans are refusing to even sit down and talk about finalizing a budget for next year. Worse yet, they are once again threatening to take the full faith and credit of the United States hostage unless Democrats agree to hundreds of billions of dollars in new corporate tax breaks.
BOTTOM LINE: Our economy and struggling families literally cannot afford the games the GOP continues to play with programs that benefit millions of Americans each and every day.
BREAKING: Delaware becomes 11th state with marriage equality.
Author of bogus Heritage Foundation immigration “study” admits he hasn’t even looked at the entire Senate immigration bill.
DC police chief promises to meet loaded rifle-toting protesters at the DC border.
On day stock market hits new record, conservative group blames Obama for “wrecking the stock market.”
Pro-marriage equality Republican senator still not sure about protecting gays from getting fired just for being gay.
Minnesota House of Representatives to vote on marriage equality this Thursday.
GOP’s latest attempt at women’s outreach is a trap.
Marco Rubio denounces bogus Heritage Foundation immigration “study.”
Study proves that Justices Alito, Roberts are the most pro-corporate in nearly 70 years.
In 2007, the Heritage Foundation released an influential — though widely debunked — report claiming that immigration reform would cost the U.S. $2.6 TRILLION. While no one factor alone is responsible for the death of reform that year, the Heritage paper certainly helped kill it.
Well, “here we go again,” as Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) tweeted earlier today. Today, Heritage released an updated report with an even more fantastical claim: immigration reform with a path to earned citizenship (which the report and its authors falsely and repeatedly refer to as “amnesty”) will now cost $6.3 TRILLION over the next 50 years.
This time, however, something is different. It’s conservatives who are lining up to trash the Heritage report. In just the few hours the report has been out, influential conservatives have lined up to discredit Heritage’s way-too-bad-to-be-true claims:
As conservatives also pointed out, Heritage’s current view is even at odds with its own past statements on immigration:
The new report contradicts the think tank’s 2006 position on immigration. Heritage then wrote,“the argument that immigrants harm the American economy should be dismissed out of hand” and urged for a comprehensive bill. “A lopsided, ideological approach that focuses exclusively on border security while ignoring migrant workers (or vice versa) is bound to fail.”
Earlier this year when ultra-conservative former Sen. Jim DeMint was appointed to head Heritage, some worried aloud that this would undermine the organization’s credibility:
The DeMint choice signals a shift toward more conservative activism from one of America’s largest think tanks and is sure to please conservative donors. But it’s not likely to provide donors the political results they want. Instead, it is likely to reduce the relevance of both DeMint and Heritage.
Indeed, the organized opposition to the Gang of 8 immigration bill appears to consist largely of the Heritage Foundation, racist hate groups like FAIR, and right-wing talk radio hosts. While these groups may continue to be influential with some segments of the Republican base, it’s clear that they are increasingly outside of the mainstream of both American society and even the GOP itself. In fact, a poll out just last week found that 83 percent of all Americans and 84 percent of Republicans favor a path to earned citizenship so long as immigrants pay fines, back taxes, and meet other requirements — in other words, exactly what is in the Gang of 8 bill.
Air Force officer in charge of preventing sexual assault was himself arrested for sexual assault.
Feds ramp up crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries.
Elizabeth Smart: Abstinence education teaches rape victims they’re worthless, dirty, and filthy.
Not even Fox and Friends buys the GOP’s claims of Benghazi “cover up.”
Gun protesters plan march on Washington with loaded rifles in order to “put the government on notice.”
There are 2 MILLION extra unemployed Americans because of austerity.
NRA’s gun safety advice: store guns in your kids’ rooms.
Mississippi set to kill a potentially innocent man tomorrow.
Another week, another pointless House GOP vote to repeal Obamacare.
Lives lived. Stories told. The seniors we serve are the same people who helped shape our nation. Using their minds, ingenuity and hard work, they were there when we needed them. They fought for our freedom, invented machines, developed medicines, dared to dream and ensured a brighter future for us all. Their stories are our stories. We share their stories with you in honor of all of the seniors whom we serve and who inspire us to do what we do. We are Meals On Wheels, and this is our story.
Mr. AlsworthMr. Alsworth credits Meals On Wheels with helping him get back on his feet after undergoing cancer treatment.
Back in 2010, Mr. Alsworth was losing weight and feeling weak while receiving chemo and radiation therapy. A health professional suggested Meals On Wheels might be an option.
Alsworth says, “It was exactly what I needed. It gave me energy. It really got me back into my life.”
“It’s like a foundation of a house,” he explains. “If you don’t have a good foundation on a house, you don’t have a house. Food does the same thing for your body.”
Mr. Alsworth also appreciates the kindness of the volunteers. “They talk to you and make sure you’re alright; they’re beautiful people. You can’t ask for more.”
We are Meals On Wheels, and this is our story.
 Tomorrow’s Political Cartoon? |
I’m trying my best. But there is a limit to what I can accomplish when there are 232 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives (a/k/a “the Comatose Caucus”) and only 201 Democrats.
If we’re going to win more votes, and pass more good bills, then we need more Democrats. Democracy is like that.
Tomorrow, there is a special election in South Carolina to replace Tim Scott, who was the last remaining African-American Republican in the House. (There are 42 African-American Democrats in the House.) The Republican nominee is former Governor Sanford. The Democratic nominee is Elizabeth Colbert Busch. Despite the fact that President Obama lost this district last year by 18 points, in the latest poll, the two candidates are only one point apart.
I’m not going to make fun of Governor Sanford. That’s just too easy.
Nor am I going to ask you to support Colbert Busch because her brother is Stephen Colbert of the Comedy Central Channel. By the same token, I will not ask you to support Warren Beatty for Congress just because his sister is Shirley MacLaine. Same thing with Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Also Peter Graves and James Arness. And Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.
I could ask you to support Colbert Busch because, according to one report, she is pro-choice, she backs marriage equality, and she supports immigration reform. So I could ask you to support her without feeling my gorge rise. But I won’t do it for that reason alone.
No, I’m going to ask you to support her campaign because the last thing that we need in the U.S. House of Representatives right now is another Republican. And the thing that we do need is more Democrats. Seventeen more Democrats, to be exact.
We’ve established a contribution page to help her campaign. Click here, etc., etc. Let’s take back the House.
Courage,
Rep. Alan Grayson
P.S. Please help elect another Democrat by sharing this with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
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