Monday, March 25, 2013

Guns, Money and Fantasy

GUN CONTROL – There was an interesting back and forth yesterday on MEET the PRESS between New York Mayor and gun control advocate Michael Bloomberg and NRA Executive and gun proliferation advocate Wayne La Pierre.  Bloomberg is spending $12 million of his personal dollars on a national advertising campaign designed to pressure politicians in key states to back gun control legislation.  La Pierre doesn’t like it.  He says that “millions of people are sending the NRA $5, $10, $20 asking us to stop this guy….he’s (Bloomberg) is using his $27 billion dollar fortune to “buy America…it’s time for him to put his own personal agenda aside and listen to the American people.”  This from the head of an organization that spent $32 million in last year’s elections to promote pro-gun candidates.
88% of the country supports stricter gun control laws including universal background checks.  Thanks to Michael Bloomberg the gun control advocates finally have the funding to stand up to the NRA.  Someone needs to buy LaPierre a television and a subscription to a local newspaper so he can see what’s going on outside the little bubble he lives in.
SENATE PASSES BUDGET!  PATS SELF ON BACK! – For the first time in four years the United States Senate has passed a budget.  The partisan proposal which calls for almost $1 trillion in tax increases and makes no effort to balance the budget has zero chance of passing the Republican controlled House.  Nevertheless, Senator Mitch McConnell took to the senate floor to congratulate his colleagues on their historic achievement.  Apparently the senate has set the bar so low that passing anything is cause for celebration.
REPUBLICANS FIGURE OUT HOW TO WIN IN 2014-2016 – The Republicans have figured out why they lost in 2012.  It’s all about the process.  According to those in attendance at the recent CPAC convention, the Republicans have decided that they lost in 2012 because 1.) There were too many primaries, 2.) There were too many primary candidates, 3.) There were too many debates 4.) The primaries and the debates were too early and 5.) They didn’t talk to women and minorities as if they were equals.  Brilliant!  Problem solved! 
Apparently Republicans actually believe that their problems can be solved by a simple adjustment in the primary process.  As for their policies…”We’re good to go!”  In 2012 Republicans lost by 55%-71% among women, black, Hispanic, Asian and youth voters.  They have lost the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections.  Thinking that tweaking the process and speaking nicely to women and minorities will fix things is like a doctor treating a patient with a terminal brain tumor by bandaging a paper cut on his finger.  As long as Republicans continue to preach to old white men while ignoring the changing demographics in this country…they are doomed to repeat the failures of the past twenty years. 
But their primaries will be reeeaaallllyy efficient.          

No comments:

Post a Comment