Monthly Archives: April 2014

Dems’ Dead Cat Bounce

BY JOHN FEEHERY
Reprinted from TheFeeheryTheory.com

Originally published in The Hill

Over the last week or so, there has been a mini boomlet of media stories and polls suggesting that vulnerable Senate Democrats are in better shape to win reelection than previously thought.

Sen. Mark Pryor, the Arkansas Democrat, has a 10-point lead over his presumed opponent, House Republican Tom Cotton. Sen. Mary Landrieu has a wide lead over Rep. Bill Cassidy, her potential Republican opponent. Sen. Kay Hagen is competitive against the field arrayed against her in North Carolina. Sen. Mark Begich seems to be doing pretty well in Alaska. Continue reading

Media, Right Wing, Yin & Yang – Part II

BY MICHAEL S. JOHNSON

The right wing of the Republican Party has gotten constant, almost obsessive exposure by an endless number of mainstream, quasi and neo news outlets. It suggests a condition within the House GOP of something ranging from disunity to civil war. The reality is the House GOP is united and the media believes that if they write enough about this civil war, it will come true.

The news shower is a reflection of the love-hate relationship between the media and the so-called Tea Party wing of the GOP. The shower will get hotter as we get closer to primaries in which a few right wing candidates are challenging conservative Republicans, many of whom were once Tea Party darlings themselves, but fell from grace for getting elected to office and then attempting to govern the country, the fools.    Continue reading

This Was Not a Junket

BY RICH GALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

When most of us think of Congressional overseas junkets we think of keeping an eye on the latest in aircraft technology at the Paris Air Show; investigating the application of banking laws on Grand Cayman Island; or helping understand the engineering involved in the Great Wall of China.

The leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Elliot Engel (D-NY) led an overseas trip last week and spent its time in the garden spots of Kiev and Dnipropetrovsk. As you have guessed, they are both in Ukraine. Continue reading

Number, Number: Who’s got the number of uninsured?

BY FRANK HILL
Reprinted from TelemachusLeaps.com

The President and his Administration, sans the lady who set it all up in the first place, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, have been proudly touting that ‘8 Million People Have Signed Up For The ACA!’

We have been reading a lot of things lately to try to discern just precisely how many for the formerly uninsured are now ‘insured’ under Obamacare…and to be honest, we are having a lot of trouble finding that precise number. Continue reading

Media, Right Wing, Yin & Yang – Part I

BY MICHAEL S. JOHNSON

“Lawmakers pick from platters of bread and deli meat, cheese, and olives and wash down their meals with cold cans of Cherry Coke, the group’s soda of choice.”

National Journal reporter Tim Alberta’s description of a House Liberty Caucus buffet caught my eye because it suggested that Alberta was actually in the meeting. How else could he have known with such certainty that the Coke was cold. I know. I get the Sherlock Holmes comparison all the time.   Continue reading

Running on Obamacare

BY RICH GALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

During his press conference last week, President Barack Obama was asked by Politico’s Edward Isaac-Dovere whether he would advise Democrats to run on the success of the Affordable Care Act.

According to the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza the President said in response: “I think Democrats should forcefully defend and be proud of the fact….we’re helping because of something we did.”

He also said, “I don’t think we should be defensive about it.” Continue reading

Well, Well, Well! Isn’t That Special?

BY FRANK HILL
Reprinted from TelemachusLeaps.com

‘Well, well, well. Isn’t that special?’

The NY Times, of all people, reported yesterday that the Obama White House worked closely with the US Census Bureau to change the way they collect data on health insurance coverage from the American people.

They ‘say’ it is just ‘coincidental’ that this new survey occurs at the same time as the roll-out of the ACA, aka Obamacare. Continue reading

Semper Sebelius

BY RICH GALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

This is not going to be a screed against out-going Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. I believe that most people who get into government at a senior position know they have a target painted on their back from the day they are nominated until the day someone comes by to pick up the cardboard boxes from their office.

Yet they volunteer to do these jobs. Now, back to the non-screed.

Last Thursday, Kathleen Sebelius announced that 7.5 million people had signed up for Obamacare and pronounced the program a success. Continue reading

Bring Back Silent Cal

BY FRANK HILL
Reprinted from TelemachusLeaps.com

Amity Schlaes has written a very good, comprehensive book on one of the most obscure Presidents of the United States that many people have never heard of, Calvin Coolidge.

Quiz: A) Name the years he served; B) how he got there; and C) what his record was as President. No cheating or Googling! Continue reading

All Is Well, Except When It Isn’t

BY FRANK HILL
Reprinted from TelemachusLeaps.com

On April 2, the state legislature heard ‘stunning’ testimony from the North Carolina State Board of Elections that 36,515 people in North Carolina had voted in past elections….and apparently also voted in one of 28 other states as well. These people cast ballots in two different states in the 2012 Presidential year elections. Continue reading

Age of Deform

BY JOHN FEEHERY
Reprinted from TheFeeheryTheory.com

Lobbyists groaned.

If there was any immediate result that came from the decision by Supreme Court to invalidate the Federal Election Commission, that was it.

It all started with McCain-Feingold. They were the ones who started this process towards the Age of Deform.

Continue reading

The Leo Man

BY JOHN FEEHERY
Reprinted from TheFeeheryTheory.com

My dad turns 80 tomorrow. My brother Brian hosted a party for him at his house in the Chicago suburbs and the DC Feeherys flew in to help him celebrate.

Eight decades can be hard on a body and for my father the last couple of years have been pretty rough. He has a form of Parkinson’s, the kind of disease that makes it awfully hard to get around and to perform basic functions. Continue reading