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via Amy B. Dean, The Huffington Post “We are striking to improve the conditions in the schools. Right now the children are getting a raw deal.” That statement came from a striking member of the Chicago Teachers’ Union… in 1969. It still resonates in September 2012, when the CTU’s members have again walked a picket … Continue reading
via M.S. Bellows, Jr., The Guardian There has been much speculation about why Romney refuses to disclose earlier tax returns. Could it be as simple as an address? Friday’s exchange of letters between the election campaigns of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, in which Romney rejected Obama’s offer to drop the tax return issue if … Continue reading
via Manya Brachear, Chicago Tribune Seeking to heal historical rifts between religious congregations and the gay community, organizers of this year’s Pride Parade have moved the faithful closer to the front lines. More than a dozen religious organizations — Protestant, Jewish and, for the first time, Mormon — will lead the 2012 Pride Parade down … Continue reading
via Justin Sink, The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room Despite widespread speculation that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is one of the top names under consideration for Mitt Romney’s vice presidential nomination, the freshman senator has not been asked to complete any questionnaires or fill out any financial disclosure documents, according to a report by ABC News. … Continue reading
via Darius Dixon, Politico Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz fired back Wednesday at Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch’s claim that Democrats would attack Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith in the fall election, saying the charge was “nonsense” and that the issue of religion was off-limits. “That is just preposterous,” the Florida Democrat, who chairs the Democratic National Committee, … Continue reading
via The Huffington Post Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) found himself in hot water over the weekend for a controversial comment he made regarding Democrat Tammy Duckworth’s military service, and attempted Monday to explain his words, though didn’t offer an apology for them. The congressman stirred up controversy on Thursday by seeming to belittle the service … Continue reading
via Kristen Mack, WGN Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth won the Democratic primary last night in the 8th Congressional District. Duckworth had 66 percent of the vote to 34 percent for Raja Krishnamoorthi, a former deputy state treasurer with about 60 percent of the vote in. A Krishnamoorthi spokesman said the candidate conceded defeat. Duckworth … Continue reading
via Susan Davis, USA Today The roster of congressional candidates for this year’s elections is taking shape and one trend is emerging: 2012 could be another “Year of the Woman” in American politics. The moniker was famously applied in 1992 when four women were elected to the Senate, a high watermark for the chamber that … Continue reading
via Christina Boyle, NY Daily News Same-sex pairs in Hawaii and Delaware began the new year as officially recognized couples as historic laws allowing civil unions in the two states took effect. The long-awaited moment brings the number of states that grant civil unions or marriages to gay and lesbian couples to 11, in addition … Continue reading
Chris Christie’s political advisers are working to determine whether they could move fast enough to set up effective political operations in Iowa and New Hampshire in the wake of a relentless courtship aimed at persuading Mr. Christie, the governor of New Jersey, to plunge into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to operatives … Continue reading
After a weak debate performance and a loss in the Florida straw poll, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is having his fitness as the GOP presidential frontrunner seriously questioned. These doubts were on display during the roundtable on “Fox News Sunday.” “Perry really did throw up all over himself in the debate, at a time … Continue reading
Voters in at least one Illinois congressional district will have to choose between two Republican incumbents next year after Representative Joe Walsh announced Wednesday that he will seek re-election in a new district, pitting him against a fellow Republican, Representative Randy Hultgren, in a primary. Mr. Walsh, a darling of the Tea Party and a … Continue reading
There has been no shortage of liberal discontent with the path pursued by President Barack Obama during his first few years in office. But when the discontent manifests itself (as it occasionally does) in talk of a primary challenge in 2012, the chatter usually succumbs to political reality. For all the Democratic base’s tiffs with … Continue reading
The frontrunners for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination are touting the backing of governors while keeping lawmakers on the back burner. With anti-Washington fervor playing a huge role on the campaign trail, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) have done little to court Capitol Hill, according to lawmakers interviewed for … Continue reading
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) slammed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) on his foreign policy experience and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and the rest of the Republican presidential field for being anti-science. Huntsman, who most recently served as the Obama administration’s ambassador to China, has been focusing his attacks on Romney … Continue reading
Democracy may get a whole new look when it comes to presidential politics in 2012. The Electoral College will still bring the next commander in chief to the White House, but tweaks to the system could change the rules of the game. After the 2000 election recount drama, polling showed that most Americans wanted to … Continue reading
Republicans who are mainly interested in making sure their party wins the 2012 presidential election would seem to face a catch-22. The man who currently leads the GOP race in national polls, Rick Perry, has a history of making reckless and inflammatory statements about Social Security — enough to raise serious questions about whether nominating … Continue reading
The race to hold early Republican presidential primary contests is heating up. The Arizona Republic reports that Gov. Jan Brewer (R) issued a proclamation on Monday declaring that the state will hold its GOP presidential primary on February 28 of next year. Brewer’s decision breaks national party rules mandating that only Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada … Continue reading
A battle over Social Security launched last week between the top two GOP presidential contenders doesn’t show any signs of quieting down as candidates prepare for round two at the first-ever CNN/Tea Party Republican Debate on Monday night. The debate, being held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, will also give the six other … Continue reading
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Iowa) believes Social Security, while troubled, needs to be retained for current beneficiaries and future generations. The presidential candidate said Friday that while the program is “in trouble,” the federal government has made a commitment to senior citizens that it must keep. “The United States made a decision 80 years ago about … Continue reading
The full-throated sparring between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry during the Republican debate on Wednesday night provided an early glimpse of the very different strategies that will propel their presidential campaigns forward in the next several months. Mr. Perry, the governor of Texas, made clear in his first national appearance that he would campaign as … Continue reading
Twenty minutes into last night’s Republican presidential debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry attacked the Massachusetts health care law signed by then-Gov. Mitt Romney. Perry said the program showed “what will not work, and that is an individual mandate in this country.” People “don’t want a health care plan like what Governor Romney put in place … Continue reading
Most of the post-debate media chatter centered on the sparks that flew between top-tier candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. That’s to be expected, of course — that’s precisely the way the media framed the debate going in to last night. And for the most part, that’s the story today, with the addition of some … Continue reading
Rep. Michele Bachmann still hasn’t won over any converts among her presidential rivals with her pledge to get gas prices below $2 a gallon. At Wednesday’s POLITICO/NBC Republican presidential debate, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman splashed the biggest bucket of cold water on the idea. “Of course not,” Huntsman said when asked if Bachmann’s plan … Continue reading
The organizers of Wednesday night’s debate did their best to turn the eight person debate into one that was really about two people: Perry and Romney. And, in that match-up, Romney came out the winner. He was confident and solid throughout the entirety of the debate, a benefit of being a two-time presidential candidate. He stuck … Continue reading
The Brandt Standard 