House Republicans and the Betrayal of Democracy | Geoffrey R. Stone

... the House Republicans have every right to try to get their preferred policies enacted into law through the democratic process. They have tried to do this politically, electorally and judicially. They have failed at every turn. The have lost every time they have tried to repeal Obamacare through the legislative process. They have lost in the Supreme Court when they challenged the constitutionality of the law. They have failed politically with the electorate when they were soundly defeated in the 2012 election. Indeed, the only reason House Republicans can play this cruel and criminal game at all is because they gerrymandered congressional districts to enable them to control the House even though they were defeated by the Democrats in the national popular vote for Congress.--Geoffrey R. Stone 

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House Republicans and the Betrayal of Democracy | Geoffrey R. Stone

GOP insider: Religion destroyed my party - Salon.com

Original Salon Post 8-15-12, Recent Blog Post 9-26-13

The author of this article appears to  equate the words "religious right" and "Tea Party" as synonymous or very nearly so, which, in fact, they are: The "Tupelo MS Tea Party" and the "American Family Association" are very close kin, so much so that I, a resident of Tupelo myself, have decided to include the two together as  being  a part of Tupelo MS's "Dark Side."--ABratt  

The Tea Party, which initially described itself as wholly concerned with debt, deficit, and federal overreach, gradually unmasked itself as being almost as theocratic as the activists from the religious right that Armey had denounced only a few years before. If anything, they were even slightly more disposed than the rest of the Republican Party to inject religious issues into the political realm. According to an academic study of the Tea Party, “[T]hey seek ‘deeply religious’ elected officials, approve of religious leaders’ engaging in politics and want religion brought into political debates.” The Tea Party faithful are not so much libertarian as authoritarian, the furthest thing from a “live free or die”Constitutionalist.

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GOP insider: Religion destroyed my party - Salon.com

Why Obama Can’t Pay a Debt-Ceiling Ransom -- Daily Intelligencer

Will O stand by his word is yet to be determined.

Making a point melodramatically on Sunday, President Obama said, "We will not negotiate over whether or not America should keep its word and meet its obligations."
In reality, Congress and administrations have for decades—under both Republican and Democratic presidents—negotiated over or included spending and budget reforms as a part of debt-ceiling increases.

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Why Obama Can’t Pay a Debt-Ceiling Ransom -- Daily Intelligencer