Rachel Maddow's Blog, page 3349

The slow-motion disaster on auto-pilot just keeps getting worse

Associated Press

President Obama visits a Head Start center in 2011

Top federal judges in 49 states did something highly unusual last week: they collectively sent a message to Congress. The message wasn't subtle: sequestration budget cuts, they said, were undermining the nation's justice system, jeopardizing public safety, and have the potential to cause a "devastating and long-lasting impact" on the federal courts.

Conditions are arguably worse for scientific and medical researchers dependent on grants, and Sam Stein explained in great detail last week how the sequester has become "a cancerous tumor inside the world of science." Stein talked to one scientist at the University of Virginia who said, simply, "We are in deep s**t."

The New York Times reports today that five months into sequestration, "much of the United States government is grounded." At this year's National Space Symposium in Colorado, for example, representatives from France, Germany, and China made the trip -- but no one from NASA could be there because the agency couldn't afford to send anyone.

And then there are the effects on children.

Head Start programs across the country eliminated services for 57,000 children in the coming school year to balance budgets diminished by the federal sequester, cutting 1.3 million days from Head Start center calendars and laying off or reducing pay for more than 18,000 employees, according to federal government data scheduled for release Monday. [...]

Most programs did completely cut services to some children. The sequester "also impacted how many staff kept their jobs, how many dental screenings and health screenings are available and what happens to those families as we go into a new school year," the official said.

There's just no reason for the United States to do this to ourselves on purpose. It's a slow-motion disaster on auto-pilot that could be stopped easily, if only Congress would flip a switch and turn the darn thing off.

To reiterate a point from a few weeks ago, let's not forget that sequestration cuts have been condemned by House Republicans and they've been condemned by Senate Republicans. The cuts are hurting the economy, and by some accounts, they're hurting our national security.

So maybe GOP lawmakers will agree to end this madness? According to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), he's open to the possibility, just so long as President Obama cuts Social Security and Medicare.

In other words, we're once again looking at extortion politics at its most ridiculous -- either the White House cuts social-insurance programs to Republicans' satisfaction, or Republicans will continue to embrace a policy that deliberately hurts the country.

And Cantor sees this as responsible because, in his mind, the deficit that's shrinking is actually "growing."

 

Selling a 'wave of fear' in Colorado recalls

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Between the $54 million "erotic grammy," the accusations of faked signatures and the late-breaking Libertarian candidates, it can sometimes be difficult to follow the Colorado state senate recalls, or even to keep track of who's in which race. Right up until Friday, Colorado was still struggling with when the election would be held and how it would be conducted.

But every so often, even through the muddle, you can see quite clearly what the recalls of Democrats John Morse and Angela Giron are about -- namely, stopping gun reform across the states. Senators Morse and Giron voted for Colorado's reform back in March, some of the nation's first after the Newtown massacre. Come September 10, the anti-reform lobby wants to make a cautionary tale of them for legislators everywhere. In a clip first posted by ColoradoPols, Jon Caldara of the Colorado Independence Institute promises anti-reform voters:

If the president of the Senate of Colorado, who did nothing except pass the laws that Bloomberg wrote, gets knocked out, there will be a shudder, a wave of fear that runs across every state legislator across the country, that says, "I ain't doing that ever. That is not happening to me. I will not become a national embarrassment, I will not take on those guys." That's how big this is. 

As ColoradoPols notes, the folks trying to recall Morse -- and, by extension, Giron -- will need the support of swing voters to succeed. Those voters "may well ask themselves if they want to be part of 'a wave of fear' in support of guns -- and answer 'no, that sounds creepy,' " ColoradoPols writes, especially in a state that has experienced waves of fear about guns already.

Monday's campaign round-up

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Virginia, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe is keeping his focus on Republican Ken Cuccinelli's role in the scandal involving Star Scientific and CEO Jonnie Williams. This new ad, released today, focuses on the gifts Cuccinelli has not yet returned.

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* In a reminder about how silly politics can be, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) felt compelled to release his birth certificate yesterday. Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, to an American mother, which immediately made Cruz an American citizen.

* In Texas, state Attorney General Greg Abbott (R), who's also running for governor, thanked a supporter yesterday on Twitter who referred to state Sen. Wendy Davis (D) as an "idiot" and "retard Barbie." Soon after, Abbott backpedaled on his appreciation from his backer.

* Rep. Michael Michaud (D) formally kicked off his gubernatorial campaign in Maine late last week. The race for his seat in the state's 2nd congressional district is expected to be competitive. Three Democrats and one Republican are already in the race.

* In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie (R) will endorse his party's U.S. Senate candidate, Steve Lonegan at a public event this week at the Hunterdon County GOP headquarters in Flemington, New Jersey. Christie and Lonegan were rivals for their party's 2009 gubernatorial nomination.

* And the National Republican Congressional Committee bought airtime last week to run attack ads targeting Reps. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) this week. The ads will run this week, though it was not immediately clear what the content of the spots will cover.

Scott Desjarlais explains 'where we're at'

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R) hosted an event in his Tennessee district last week on immigration, and fielded a question from a frightened 11 year old, who asked, "Mr. DesJarlais, I have papers, but I have a dad who's undocumented. What can I do to have him stay with me?" The response is a little tough to see in this clip, but it's illustrative of a larger issue.

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The Republican congressman could have tried to make the girl feel a little better, but he chose to do the opposite. After thanking his constituent for the question, DesJarlais said "the answer still kind of remains the same, that we have laws and we need to follow those laws and that's where we're at."

In other words, say goodbye to your dad -- DesJarlais thinks the best course of action would be break up your family. What's more, much of the crowd thought that sounded great.

ProgressivePopulist.org reported that the girl is seeing a child psychologist in order to cope with the stress and anxiety of losing her father to deportation.

There are a few takeaways to keep in mind here. First, the next time DesJarlais and his allies reference the importance of "family values," I hope we'll remember the congressman's comments at this event.

Second, with every incident like this, the Republican Party's outreach to the Latino takes a major step backwards.

And third, I'm not sure DesJarlais, of all people, wants to emphasize that "we have laws and we need to follow those laws."

We learned last fall, for example, that DesJarlais was caught up in a sordid tale in which he committed adultery by sleeping with a patient, then pressured his mistress to have an abortion in the hopes of hiding his misdeeds from the wife he allegedly abused.

Indeed, during a messy break-up with his ex-wife, DesJarlais also allegedly held a gun in his mouth for three hours, "dry fired" a gun outside his wife's locked bedroom door, and was accused of other forms of spousal abuse.

In time, additional stories about alleged misdeeds surfaced.

Maybe, when it comes to kids poised to lose their parents, DesJarlais can do better than "we have laws and we need to follow those laws"?

This Week in God

Associated Press

First up from the God Machine this week is an unexpected legal fight in Tennessee, where a 7-month-old boy by a state judge who disapproved of his parents' choice in monikers.

Last week, when a Tennessee judge forcibly changed an infant's name from Messiah to Martin, it was hard to decide which was more noteworthy, the parents' grandiosity in naming their child for the one they consider their Savior or the judge's religious zealotry in prohibiting the name.

"The word 'Messiah' is a title, and it's a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ," said Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew.

It seems pretty obvious that the Tennessee judge went too far. State restrictions on parental naming rights exist, but general apply to practical considerations: names can't be so long that they no longer fit on a birth certificate, and some states prohibit non-letter characters -- exclamation points, ampersands, etc. -- from being included.

But for a state court to reject a name because the judge considers it religiously inappropriate seems pretty outrageous. Indeed, according to the Social Security Administration database, there were 762 American baby boys named "Messiah" last year -- making it roughly as popular as the name "Scott." There were also were 3,758 Americans given the name "Jesus," which appears to be more common in families of Hispanic ancestry.

While we wait for Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew's ruling to be overturned, however, the New York Times report on this story included : what happens when parents use their naming rights as a form of proselytizing?

Last year a New York judge refused to allow a couple to change their family name to ChristIsKing. The judge argued that allowing certain names could infringe on the religious liberties of others, and he offered the example of a court employee forced to call out a name with a religious message.

"A calendar call in the courthouse would require the clerk to shout out, 'JesusIsLord ChristIsKing' or 'Rejoice ChristIsKing,' " wrote Judge Philip S. Straniere, of Richmond County. He was alluding to the daughter's first name, Rejoice, and a name they had sought for their son, although no court would allow them to change it to "JesusIsLord."

The NYT's Mark Oppenheimer added that the New York ruling "is not binding in Tennessee, but it reminds us that whenever religious language is involved, whether etched into public buildings or slapped onto a Social Security card, there are competing claims of religious freedom."

Also from the God Machine this week:

* Oklahoma's pointless efforts to ban Sharia law in state courts isn't going well: "A proposed amendment to Oklahoma's state constitution that would have prevented state courts from considering Sharia and international law was struck down by a federal judge on Thursday."

* Bad advice on church politicking: "Even as polls show Americans broadly oppose electioneering from the pulpit, a new report by a group of faith leaders working closely with Capitol Hill argues for ending the decades-old ban on explicit clergy endorsements. The report being given Wednesday to Sen. Charles E. Grassley -- the Iowa Republican whose office for years has been probing potential abuses by tax-exempt groups -- comes as the ban has become a culture-war flashpoint."

* The Gastonguay family made a very bad decision: "A northern Arizona family that was lost at sea for weeks in an ill-fated attempt to leave the U.S. over what they consider government interference in religion will fly back home Sunday."

* And Darek Isaacs, a creationist author and filmmaker, insisted this week that dragons actually existed and interacted with people. And what makes him think this? Because, Issacs argued, there are Biblical references to dragons, which necessarily means dragons were real.

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Cocktail Moment: The Sky Pilot

In honor of Area 51, and for those who never doubted, the Sky Pilot:

1 1/2 oz applejack
3/4 oz dark rum
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz grenadine

Combine. Add ice. Shake. Strain. Serve in a cocktail glass. And remember: the booze is out there.

Christie vetoes measures on gun violence

Wikimedia Commons

The Democratic-controlled state legislature in New Jersey approved 15 measures to address gun violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, and last week, Gov. Chris Christie (R) approved 10 of them. The measures signed into law weren't terribly controversial -- they mostly dealt with increasing penalties on existing gun laws.

Christie did not, however, take a side on the five most contentious bills, including a ban on .50 caliber rifles. That changed late this afternoon.

Gov. Chris Christie issued an absolute veto today of the bill that would have barred civilians' use of .50-caliber weapons.

In discussing A3659/S2178, Christie's office said in a release that "The bill passed by the legislature seeks to ban a firearm that has reportedly never been used in a crime in New Jersey. It imposes criminal liabilities on all current owners of these firearms, including those who believed that they had properly registered their guns with law enforcement."

It's worth pausing to appreciate just what Christie has done with this veto. See that image above? The .50 caliber is the one on the left. As Rachel explained on the show earlier this week, a .50 caliber shell is basically the size of a "carrot," which serves "an effective military weapon against even some armored vehicles. A few years back, 60 Minutes showed .50 caliber rifles making short work of steel plate armor at several hundred yards." It also has the capacity to shoot down an airplane.

Under current law in New Jersey, any adult can legally purchase this weapon. The state legislature decided that's no longer a good idea, and today, Chris Christie vetoed the ban.

Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D) said in a statement, "Banning these battlefield-style weapons was designed to keep these highly destructive firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals and terrorists. Weaponry designed for the battlefield, that serves no legitimate civilian use, should not be landing on our streets. Instead the governor has shunned this notion and bowed to the pressure of right wing conservatives. The governor's vetoes today demonstrate a failure in leadership. Instead of doing what's right for New Jersey, he bowed to the pressures of his political party."

This was not his only gun-related veto this afternoon -- Christie also rejected a bill that would create new firearm ID "smartcards."

I have a hunch Rachel will have more on these developments on tonight's show.

Ahead on the 8/16 Maddow show

Tonight's guests include:

Abby Huntsman, co-host of “The Cycle” on MSNBC

Montravias King, student at Elizabeth City State University, denied run for Elizabeth City Council seat

Here is tonight's soundtrack! Video preview will be up shortly. 

 

Friday's Mini-Report

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Day of Rage: "As many as 60 people are dead after clashes broke out around mass demonstrations by supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi in Egypt on Friday. Morsi's Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement had called for a 'Day of Rage' in the wake of a military crackdown that killed more than 600 people."

* This was apparently not intended as irony: "Leaders of the Afghan Taliban are calling for an end to the violence in Egypt, demanding the military end its "inhumane and unethical action" against government protesters in the country."

* Pennsylvania: "A state judge on Friday barred enforcement of Pennsylvania's strict voter-identification law in the Nov. 5 general election. The state also cannot require local elections officials to verbally tell voters at the polls that photo IDs could be required in future elections, but officials can distribute written material about the law, Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard McGinley said."

* The Dream Defenders wrapped up their sit-in protest in the Florida Capitol today, following 31 days and 30 nights.

* If only people cared about the sequestration cuts: "Top federal judges in 49 states are urging lawmakers to avoid another round of automatic spending cuts that they say would have a 'devastating and long-lasting impact' on the federal courts."

* Good: "The U.S. Sentencing Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to address concerns with mandatory minimum prison penalties. The commission action follows a Justice Department policy shift that was announced on Monday."

* Not good: "Ohio is running out of the drug it uses to kill convicts on death row, the sedative pentobarbital. Combined with a cocktail of muscle paralyzers, and heart-stopping drugs, pentobarbital is the first step in a series of injection that state' consider to be an ethical way of killing a person."

* I'm beginning to think Fox isn't taking the climate crisis seriously: "According to Fox News, it's a myth that polar bears are threatened by global warming since the polar bear is actually 'thriving.'"

* Philadelphia's finances are not as dire as Detroit's, but the city "agreed at the last minute on Thursday to borrow $50 million just to be able to open schools on time." And even with that money, "schools will open Sept. 9 with a minimum of staffing and sharply curtailed extracurricular activities and other programs."

* And right-wing radio host Mark Levin has heard the rumors about him asking questions of Republican presidential candidates in 2016. "I accept," he said today.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

Christie vetoes medical marijuana measure, but leaves door open

Associated Press

Regulated medicinal marijuana use is already legal in New Jersey, but a spirited debate has been underway recently about broadening existing rules a bit. The controversy took on greater significance this week after the father of a two-year child suffering from a form of epilepsy confronted Gov. Chris Christie (R), explaining that a specific edible marijuana strain would alleviate his daughter's seizures, but it's not currently legal under the state's narrow rules.

The Democratic-controlled state legislature has already approved legislation to allow wider use of medicinal marijuana. The governor responded this afternoon, rejecting the bill but leaving the door open to progress.

Gov. Chris Christie has agreed to give chronically ill children easier access to medical marijuana. However, the governor conditionally vetoed a bill on the issue because it goes further than he was willing to go.

"As I have repeatedly noted, I believe that parents, and not government regulators, are best suited to decide how to care for their children," Christie said in a statement. "Protection of our children remains my utmost concern, and my heart goes out to those children and their families who are suffering with serious illnesses. Today, I am making commonsense recommendations to this legislation to ensure sick children receive the treatment their parents prefer, while maintaining appropriate safeguards. I am calling on the Legislature to reconvene quickly and address these issues so that children in need can get the treatment they need."

Reading the governor's statement, one might get the impression that Christie supports the bill he just vetoed. The fact remains, however, that while the governor now backs some new expansion of medical marijuana access, he's still insisting the state legislature change the reforms to meet his specific demands. In this case, as an AP report explained, Christie will accept production of ingestible forms of pot at state-approved dispensaries and to allow dispensaries to grow more than three strains of the drug, but in order for sick children to quality, they would need approval from a psychiatrist and a pediatrician, and possibly a third doctor if one of the other two is not registered as part of the state program.

It's unclear how quickly the state legislature, which is not currently in session, will respond to the governor's conditions. Look for more on this from Rachel on tonight's show.