Rachel Maddow's Blog, page 3355

As Steve pointed out earlier today and Rachel discusses this evening, members of Congress being home for the August recess means constituents have a chance to make sure their representatives know how their constituents feel about the issues they'll be voting on (or not).

To that end, here are a couple of tools that can help you find a town hall near you:

Accountable Congress, from the progressive Americans United For Change, offers a featured list of events, but also allows you to search for one in your area.
The conservative FreedomWorks encourages you to demand a town hall if their tool doesn't show any events near you.

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Published on August 08, 2013 18:16

Ahead on the 8/8 Maddow show

Tonight's guests include:

Lulu Martinez, “Dream 9” activist who was detained after crossing the Mexican border

Eugene Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post

Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida ACLU

Here is tonight's soundtrack! And here is executive producer Bill Wolff with a look at tonight's show:

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Published on August 08, 2013 16:12

Ryan, Cantor 'secretly spoke' at Koch brothers' event

Associated Press

Charles and David Koch made considerable investments in the 2012 elections, and as the dust settled, they didn't have much to show for their investments.

Several months later, however, the Koch brothers aren't exactly scaling back their political efforts.

Rep. Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez secretly spoke to wealthy donors at the Koch brothers' recently concluded summer gathering on the outskirts of Albuquerque.

The 2012 vice presidential candidate and No. 2 House Republican are return participants to the twice-annual seminar.... A spokesman for Cantor's office declined to comment, while Ryan's office did not immediately respond to questions.

As the Politico report explained, Koch Industries periodically hosts these "invitation-only seminars" under "extremely tight security." The brothers' powerful allies attend so they can hear from "Republican elected officials, conservative dignitaries and leaders of right-leaning groups backed by the Kochs' network," which Republican players attend to connect with donors and make the Kochs happy.

Ryan, Cantor, and Martinez are hardly unique -- previous attendees include governors (Christie, Perry, McDonnell), senators (Cornyn, DeMint), notable Republican media personalities (Limbaugh, Beck), and even sitting Supreme Court justices (Scalia, Thomas).

And while conservatives are certainly free to get together like this, I can't help but wonder why all the secrecy is necessary. Neither Ryan nor Cantor were willing to talk about the appearance, before or after attending, and when a reporter from the NBC affiliate in Albuquerque tried to cover the event where the New Mexico governor was speaking, he was turned away at a checkpoint -- a mile from the resort.

If the Koch brothers want to give the public the impression that something untoward is going behind closed doors with leading Republican policymakers, this is certainly the way to do it.

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Published on August 08, 2013 08:10

The view from Rodney Alexander's high horse

Associated Press

When Rep. Rodney Alexander switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party nine years ago, he did so in the ugliest way possible. The conservative Louisianan waited until the very last minute to file his re-election paperwork, not because he was struggling with a moral dilemma, but because he wanted to make it impossible for Democrats to run a candidate against him.

Earlier in 2004, Republicans had tried to get Alexander to switch, but he declined, vowing to stick with Democrats. And then he flipped, literally a half-hour before the local filing deadline, in an unusually sleazy move.

This week, Alexander announced his retirement from Congress, decrying "partisan posturing." From his official statement:

"Rather than producing tangible solutions to better this nation, partisan posturing has created a legislative standstill. Unfortunately, I do not foresee this environment to change anytime soon. I have decided not to seek reelection, so that another may put forth ideas on how to break through the gridlock and bring about positive change for our country."

Reading this, it might be tempting to think Alexander is eager to be a constructive lawmaker, putting aside cheap tactics in order to get things done, but has been stymied by a dysfunctional system.

But that's not quite reflective of Alexander's record. Indeed, as Juliet Lapidos reported yesterday, "It's hard to disagree with Mr. Alexander's characterization of Capitol Hill, but his statement makes for surreal reading nonetheless because the Congressman has voted to repeal healthcare reform 40 times. For those not keeping track, that's every possible occasion."

If Alexander is sincere about "producing tangible solutions," why hasn't he played a more productive, cooperative role? The Louisiana Republican is frustrated by the "legislative standstill" and "gridlock," and he doesn't expect this "environment to change anytime soon," but isn't that largely because the House is dominated with members whose voting records are indistinguishable from Rodney Alexander's?

And this, of course, leads to the related question of why the congressman would denounce the very gridlock he's contributed to directly on Capitol Hill.

My hunch is, it's because Alexander thinks it's what Louisianans want to hear -- and he may soon ask for their votes again.

Alexander’s statement boils down to this: Congress isn’t a very fun place to be and I am done with it. (One caveat: Alexander is mentioned as a potential candidate for the open Louisiana governor’s seat in 2015 and he left that door wide open in interviews on Tuesday. UPDATE, 1:30 pm: Alexander is expected to take a job in the administration of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal later today.)

It was, to be sure, unusual to hear a sitting member of Congress lamenting what's become of the institution in such blunt terms. But given the larger context, it appears Alexander is interested less in Congress' future and more in his own -- the lawmaker doesn't want to be tarnished by the stain of Congress' unpopularity when he runs for governor in a couple of years.

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Published on August 08, 2013 07:20

Cuccinelli's credibility conundrum

Associated Press

With Gov. Bob McDonnell's (R) corruption scandal having rocked Virginia politics this election year, it's hardly surprising that state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), who hopes to replace McDonnell, would position himself as a champion of ethics reform. Statewide candidates who hope to win obviously need to focus on the issue on the minds of voters throughout the commonwealth.

But in this case, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful has a credibility problem.

Arguing that his "own mistakes when it comes to Virginia's disclosure requirements" have better prepared him to lead on the issue, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) on Wednesday published on op-ed reiterating his call for a special session of the Virginia's General Assembly, to address the state's ethics laws.

"I will be the first to admit that I've made my own mistakes when it comes to Virginia's disclosure requirements," Cuccinelli wrote in an op-ed published by The Daily Caller, referring to his recently disclosed financial ties to businessman Jonnie Williams and his company, Star Scientific. "Though I was fully cleared by a Democratic Commonwealth's Attorney, I've learned from my mistakes and believe they make me a more credible messenger in this much-needed debate."

For now, let's put aside the dubious assertion that Cuccinelli was "fully cleared," because that's not quite what happened, and instead consider the underlying point.

Cuccinelli's new argument isn't that he can be effective on ethics reforms despite his own controversies; his new argument is that he can be effective because of of his own controversies.

If this sounds vaguely familiar, it's because former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) made a very similar pitch last week, saying he'd be a successful mayor of New York "because of" of his sexting scandal.

That was hard to take seriously, and in many respects, Cuccinelli's claim is even worse.

The far-right Virginian is clearly caught up in the larger scandal, having accepted undisclosed gifts from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams -- gifts Cuccinelli now refuses to return -- and making unexplained investments in Star Scientific stock at interesting points in time over the last couple of years.

This, Cuccinelli now says, puts him in a unique position to lead on ethics reform. By the same reasoning, Alex Rodriguez should take the lead on addressing steroid use in baseball and Dick Cheney's advice on foreign policy should be taken seriously.

If Cuccinelli wants Virginians to believe he's "learned from" his "mistakes," shouldn't he at least start by repaying the gifts and explaining his curious investment strategies?

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Published on August 08, 2013 06:50

Santorum reflects on uncomfortable showers

Byron York, a prominent voice in conservative media, generated some interesting discussion yesterday with a fairly straightforward question: "Why isn't Rick Santorum the GOP 2016 frontrunner?"

Now, the next presidential race is still years away (we just finished the last one); we don't know who'll run; and naming a "frontrunner" at this point is obviously premature, but if the point that underscores the question is why Santorum isn't taken more seriously, I have a few ideas.

Watch on YouTube

Earlier this week, Santorum accepted an award at a Students for Life event, and during his unscripted remarks, the former senator reflected on abortion-rights advocates making people uncomfortable in YMCA showers.

"They make it uncomfortable for students who come to Austin to shower at a Young Men's Christian Association -- YMCA -- gym," he told the group. "Because they live it. They're passionate. They're willing to do and say uncomfortable things in mixed company."

And apparently that's how a culture war is won?

Santorum went on to talk about the American Revolution, saying we won because Americans "wanted it more" than the British, and apparently arguing that contemporary liberals are comparable to the Continental Army. "That's how the left has done to America what you've seen in your lifetime -- because they simply won't give up," he said.

He added, "We have the truth and we give up. We have righteousness and we give up -- because it's unpopular," Santorum said.

And since Santorum doesn't much care whether his opinions -- on showers, on contraception, on "man on dog" relations -- are "unpopular," he's inclined to keep sharing his views and offending the American mainstream.

So why isn't Santorum seen as a major political force and likely future president? I'd say this has a lot to do with it.

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Published on August 08, 2013 06:05

Jobless claims inch higher, but remain near five-year low

It's never good news when initial unemployment claims climb, but the new figures out this morning are better than expected and are still near a five-year low.

The number of people who applied for new unemployment benefits rose by 5,000 to 333,000 in the week ended Aug. 3, but the level of initial claims remained close to a five-year low in a possible sign of some improvement in the U.S. labor market. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims to climb to 339,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The average of new claims over the past month, a more reliable gauge than the volatile weekly number, fell by 6,250 to 335,500 to the lowest level since November 2007.

To reiterate the point I make every Thursday morning, it's worth remembering that week-to-week results can vary widely, and it's best not to read too much significance into any one report.

In terms of metrics, when jobless claims fall below the 400,000 threshold, it's considered evidence of an improving jobs landscape, and when the number drops below 370,000, it suggests jobs are being created rather quickly. At this point, we've been below 350,000 in 13 of the last 18 weeks.

Above you'll find the chart showing weekly, initial unemployment claims going back to the beginning of 2007. (Remember, unlike the monthly jobs chart, a lower number is good news.) For context, I've added an arrow to show the point at which President Obama's Recovery Act began spending money.

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Published on August 08, 2013 05:35

August off to an awkward start for the GOP

Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.) received some unexpected pressure from the far-right this week, when he told constituents he's strongly opposed to the Affordable Care Act, but he doesn't want to shut down the government. For his conservative constituents, that's simply unacceptable -- Pittenger's many votes to repeal "Obamacare" aren't enough to satisfy the right, which wants GOP lawmakers to go much further.

As it turns out, Pittenger isn't the only one.

Watch on YouTube

In this clip, Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) was also pressed by a constituent on whether he's prepared to vote against any funding bill that includes funding for Obamacare." As Jonathan Cohn explained:

The question draws strong applause from the audience. Schock says he shares the frustration with Obamacare, calling it "an extremely flawed bill" and supporting repeal. But shutting down the government, Schock goes on to explain, would be an extreme step -- one that would have harsh consequences for average Americans. "If you're going to take a hostage," Schock says, "you gotta be willing to shoot it." Another attendee quickly quipped, "kill it."

As Aviva Shen noted, there was a similar scene in Nebraska at an event hosted by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R). When the congressman said he rejected a Republican plan to trigger a government shutdown, a constituent drew applause by arguing, "[W]e elected Republicans to fight for more conservative policies."

GOP officials had fairly specific hopes for the August recess. Having conservatives complaining that Republicans aren't far-right enough on health care wasn't part of the plan.

Indeed, let's not forget that the ideal scenario for Republicans was for far-right activists to show up at town-hall meetings and shout at Democrats, about health care and other issues. But as the August recess gets underway, these early reports suggest far-right activists are indeed showing up, and they're glad to shout about health care, but it's Republicans who are on the receiving end of their ire.

As we discussed yesterday, this is a mess the GOP created. If Republicans aren't pleased with the results, they have no one to blame but themselves.

As party officials and strategists ponder their next step, they may also want to keep in mind that the pro-shutdown activists making a fuss at town-hall events aren't part of the American mainstream. The conservative Washington Examiner had an interesting item yesterday on an important poll.

First, let's examine a poll conducted June 2-5, several weeks before a small group of congressional Republicans proposed their defund-or-shutdown strategy. The survey, conducted for the Republican nonprofit Crossroads GPS by GOP polling firm North Star Opinion Research, examined voter attitudes toward Obamacare and its implementation.

Not surprisingly, the results were almost uniformly negative for Obama and other supporters of the Affordable Care Act -- with the key exception being the response to this question: "Some say that the health care reform law is so bad that an effort to repeal it should be attached to a bill necessary to keep the government running. Do you think it is a good idea or a bad idea for opponents of the health care reform law to risk shutting down the government in an effort to get rid of the law?"

Only 29 percent of respondents said this was a good idea, compared with 64 percent who said it was a bad idea and 7 percent who didn't know.

Remember, this was a Republican pollster, publishing results intended to be helpful to Republicans.

It leaves the party in quite an awkward situation. After deliberately getting far-right activists all riled up about gutting the federal health care system by any means necessary, many Republicans are now balking at a government shutdown threat, leaving the GOP base feeling betrayed. But if Republicans take the base's demands seriously, they risk alienating the mainstream, and handing Democrats a cudgel to use against them in the 2014 midterms.

Maybe GOP leaders should have thought this through a little more?

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Published on August 08, 2013 05:00