Louie Gohmert's Complaint About Immigration Reform Bill: No one Read Every Word

     Of all the phony GOP arguments we're always hearing, this is always one of my favorite thanks to its total meaninglessness.

      "Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said the notion that overwhelming Senate action should compel the House to act ignores the American system of checks and balances. "Imprudence at one end, the Founders were hoping, would be countermanded by prudence at the other," Gohmert said. "And it goes both ways. Sometimes we've been imprudent and the Senate has helped rein us in."

     "It's unclear how many Republican senators will ultimately vote for the Gang of Eight proposal. The border-security amendment sponsored by GOP Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and John Hoeven of North Dakota attracted 15 Republican votes on Wednesday, and collected 69 votes total. And some aides think the tally for final passage of the bill could surpass 70."

     "But at the end of the day, House Republicans say, there is no "magic number" of Senate votes that will pressure them into passing comprehensive immigration reform."

     "When we have 70 senators who have read every word of the bill,” Gohmert said, “then I'll be more persuaded.”

      http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/senate-supermajority-on-immigration-means-nothing-in-the-house-20130627

      Can the Congressman name me the bill that has been read word for word? How many bills has he read every word of? This is Congress after all, where the final draft of a bill is usually very lengthy-no one human usually does read it or even write it. It's written through conferences and deliberation by different Congress critters' staffs. Did Reagan read the 'tax reform' bills of 1982 and 1986 word for word?

      Meanwhile House conservatives are increasingly convinced that Boehner won't break the Hastert Rule. However, he always promises he won't break it and he has done in the past when necessary. I continue to think he will do just that. 

      Whether he will or he won't you can't tell by the fact that he says he won't-he had said the same thing about the fiscal cliff. If he were planning to put it up for a vote would he be broadcasting that intention at this stage of the game?

       I get what's going on in the House. You have a lot of Tea Party Reps who care only about holding onto their seats and holding off a primary challenge. Is this Boehner's main concern? I think you have to say that the amount of support from the GOP establishment is impressive. Karl Rove:

      "The Karl Rove-backed conservative activist group Crossroads GPS issued a statement Thursday lauding the Senate's passage of the bipartisan immigration legislation as "an important first step toward meaningful immigration reform."

    “Today's vote is an important first step toward meaningful immigration reform, but it must not be the last," the statement read. "Since Senate Democrats blocked crucial improvements to the bill, it will be up to the House to ensure the final bill takes a more balanced approach to reform.  We remain hopeful that Congress will pass bipartisan reform that strengthens America's immigration system and puts our security and economy first.”

      http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/crossroads-gps-we-remain-hopeful-that-congress-will

      Like the way he faults Democrats for blocking 'crucial improvements' to the bill but not the fact that only 14 of 45 Republicans voted for this legislation that he celebrates passing. He had an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today that gives conservatives a much needed math lesson-that if 2 million whites vote in 2016 the GOP wouldn't get all 2 million but more like the 59% Romney got in 2012. 

      http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323873904578569480696746650.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

      McCain clearly can do the math and gets that if this fails it's on the GOP:

       Moments after immigration reform passed the Senate Thursday by a whopping 68-32 vote, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) gently nudged his House colleagues to do what it takes to ensure the success of a comprehensive overhaul.

      “We will be doing whatever we can to convince our colleagues in a respectful manner,” he told a handful of reporters just off the Senate floor. “None of our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol like to be talked down to or given tutorials. They have their own views and we respect them. And we need to have a respectful dialogue.”

      "The Arizona Republican is a critical figure in the reform effort — a member of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” senators that struck the deal that formed the foundation of the legislation. Much has been made about the GOP’s death spiral with Hispanic voters, the country’s fastest-growing demographic, which resoundingly voted for Barack Obama twice."

     "TPM asked McCain if Republicans can recover in 2016 if the overhaul falters and if the party nominates a pro-immigration candidate. He took a deep breath and shook his head."

      “No,” he said.

      
       http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/06/mccain-republicans-immigration-reform.php?ref=fpb

       My guess is Boehner gets this too.

       

      

Good News and Bad News in What GOP Learnt in 2012

    .  They had their famous autopsy but I'll admit it-I'm cynical. I never figured they'd learn much of anything.   It seems they mostly haven't. I guess the jury is still out on immigration reform-this always seemed to be the dark horse, the one thing they may have taken from 2012 that they actually had right. 

      "In that much ballyhooed autopsy, Republican National Committee analysts repeatedly stressed the party’s need to develop a more tolerant and inclusive aura. It noted the GOP must strive to “expand and diversify the base of the Republican Party, both locally and nationally,” and must develop a “welcoming, inclusive message” to better appeal to younger voters and to remain competitive in national elections."

       http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/27/the-morning-plum-gop-doesnt-need-no-stinkin-makeover/

      In most areas, however, they seemed not to have learned too much:

     "But the emerging GOP response to the trio of major issues at the top of the news this morning — immigration, gay rights, and African American enfranchisement — suggests that in practice, most Republicans don’t really see the need for any such makeover."

     They're overreaching on abortion, and are reaffirming opposition to gay marriage. They continue to play the all or nothing game in 'negotiations' with Obama and the Democrats which usually leaves them with nothing. 

     http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-gop-congress-is-mad-but-wheres.html

     They even went out for Clitonesque scandal mongering-a move which has gained no tracton and now seems to be totally rebounding on them. 

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/27/dems-have-more-questions-for-irs-audit-author-russell-george/

     We have GOPers who argue that killing immigration reform which actually be good for the party. 

    "the RNC autopsy said that “if Hispanic Americans hear that the GOP doesn’t want them in the United States, they won’t pay attention to our next sentence.” But right now a counter argument of sorts is now gaining steam among Republican-aligned commentators — that it would be better politically for the GOP to sink immigration reform. See Sean Trende’s much discussed piece questioning the need to improve its performance among Latinos to remain competitive in presidential elections. Also see Bill Kristol’s piece this morning, which argues that Republicans must kill the Senate immigration bill, because the alternative “would divide and demoralize potential Republican voters” in 2014."

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/27/the-morning-plum-gop-doesnt-need-no-stinkin-makeover/

     Here's my premise on the GOP. I continue to think immigration reform is a good bet to pass. However, on most other issues the GOP is not going to moderate but dig in and double down. It was quite ironic that Rick Perry and pro-life conservatives were complaining that Wendy Davis' filibuster was somehow cheating-after all the majority wanted Perry's vile anti abortion bill so it was very wrong for her to thwart the will of this majority. 

    At the national level, that's Mitch McConnell's bread and butter. In fact, the GOP will likely try to continue to be competitive through anti democratic means. They're strategy is a three legged stool. 

     1). The filibuster in the Senate

     2). The gerrymander in the House

     3).  The conservative SJC handing them down gems like weakening the Voting Rights Act to make it easier to pass anti voter laws in GOP states. 

      Their agenda is minority rule. In other words, they've learned nothing from 2012. This is not good news-unless you're a Democrat, in which case you have many more elections like 2012 to look forward to. 

     

      

Immigration Reform Sails Through Senate: Ball in Boehner's Court

     I can't pretend I'm surprised, nevertheless, this is a great day as the Senate passed historic legislation to reform immigration that will help millions of immigrants and dramatically help our economy to boot. Immigration is something that both politically and economically Americans should be for.

    Politically as this is in keeping with our ideals as written on the Statue of Liberty that welcomes immigrants. Economically, as this is one major advantage we have over the immigrant phobic countries of Europe and Japan. 

    Again, I've been pretty confident that immigration reform is going to happen. 

    http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/06/immigration-reform-is-going-to-happen.html

    It really comes down to one man- Republican House Speaker John Boehner. The question is simple: will he or won't he? Will he bring the Senate bill to the floor or won't he? He's been claiming that he won't without satisfying the Hastert Rule-where the 'majority of the majority'; that is to say a majority of Republicans have to support any legislation for him to bring it up for a vote. Jonathan Bernstein and Greg Sargent argue that it comes down to what many House Republicans want to do-it may be that there's enough that want it to pass so that Boehner would have their blessing to bring it up and let the Dems vote it through. 

   If anything makes sense it's Bernstein's argument that we won't be able to gauge whether or not rank and file House Republicans want it to pass by simply taking their public statements at face value. 

   It seems that Boehner is between a rock and a hard place: if the bill isn't passed this will hurt the GOP a lot in the next few elections-while the conventional wisdom is that the GOP base will be more motivated in 2014 than the Democrats, a defeat of immigration reform could be the impetus that changed that-on top of the SCOTUS mangling the Voting Rights Act 

   On the other hand many House Republicans are concerned mostly with avoiding a Tea Party primary challenge. Today House conservatives 'encouraged' Boehner not to break the Hastert Rule. This encouragement came in the form of threatening to depose him if he does. 

    “There gets to be a point in time where there is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) said Wednesday, arguing that if Boehner violates the Hastert Rule again on the issue, “I think that a lot of members in the conference would probably be frustrated to the point of looking for new leaders.”

     "Speaking at a Capitol Hill panel organized by the Heritage Foundation, Salmon said there’s “great unrest” among Republicans about the violations of the majority-of-the-majority principle this year. GOP leaders have this year brought up four bills without the support of most House Republicans — including legislation to avert the fiscal cliff, provide aid to Hurricane Sandy victims and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act."

     "Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) issued the same threat."

    “The American people elected a Republican majority to the House of Representatives,” McClintock said. “Were a leader of that majority to use his authority to circumvent that majority, that would be cause for removal in my judgment.”

     http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/06/conservatives-threaten-depose-boehner-hastert-rule-immigration.php?ref=fpb

     It was Boehner who said he needs this job lie a hole in his head! Greg Sargent argues that another important House Republican to watch is Paul Ryan. He has spoken positively about 'immigraton reform' in general terms-as has Boehner-but today on Fox he says he wants to do it the House Republican way-which he says is 'methodical.'

     "Rep. Paul Ryan says the House won’t be taking up the Senate immigration bill, but it will be working on its own legislation that he says will create a “workable legal immigration system.”

     "The Wisconsin Republican told Sean Hannity on Fox News on Wednesday that the border security amendment to immigration reform passed by the Senate brings that bill closer to the House position, but he wants to make sure there are “triggers” in the final bill."

     "We’re not going to bring up the Senate bill, we’re going to do it our own way, on our own very methodical way, because we want to make sure we get this stuff right,” Ryan said. “We want to have real triggers on the border, real triggers on what we call the e-verify.”

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/paul-ryan-immigration-bill-93490.html#ixzz2XSPGqQ6I

     Yes, that's the Republican way. That's how they passed the farm bill and Boehner's fiscal cliff bill. Oh wait. 

    http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-gop-congress-is-mad-but-wheres.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiaryOfARepublicanHater+%28Diary+of+a+Republican+Hater%29

    On the other hand, Ryan did say that  a path to citizenship is not 'amnesty.' So he's still playing both sides. My guess is that most GOP leaders like Ryan, Boehner, and Cantor will continue to do just that. They don't want their to be no ambiguity as to what they may or may not support. If they do plan to allow the Senate bill, they necessarily have to do this. Not surprisingly, with that hit on his head, Boehner spoke as if bringing up the Senate bill as is, simply isn't an option. 

    "Today Speaker John Boehner actually drew a sharper line than before in ruling out any vote on an immigration bill that lacks the support of a majority of House Republicans. Hesaid such a bill would not get a vote even if it emerged from Senate-House conference negotiations. Boehner appears to be continually caving to conservative demands to rule out letting anything that might pass with Dem support to even get to the House floor."

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/27/on-immigration-what-will-paul-ryan-do/

     Still, it's not clear whether this is simply caving to the conservatives or giving himself room to maneuver. It's not like the other times he broke the Hastert Rule he came in vowing to. At the end of the day, my bet is that Boehner does what he knows he has to do. I don't think he lets the House GOP take blame for its failure-and he probably has the support of Ryan and Cantor on this. Intellectually, the only conservative group still with the anti immigration crusade is the Heritage Foundation-most other organs of the conservative press are behind this. There's some great company to keep. 

   Let's finish with something less unpleasant than House GOP politics-Harry Reid's stirring dedication of this bill's passage to the late Edward Kennedy:

   "Just before the vote Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) dedicated the decision, in part, to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), who worked for reform but never saw it signed into law."

   "Senator Kennedy knew the day would come when a group of senators, divided by party, but united by love of country, would see this fight to the finish," Reid said. "So the day is today. And while I am sad that Senator Kennedy isn’t here to see history made, I know he is looking at us proudly and loudly.

     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/senate-immigration-reform-bill_n_3511664.html

      

The GOP Congress is Mad But Where's the Method?

     The GOP has been notorious the last 4 years for record levels of obstruction where even the most routine, simple things can't get done. At this point many within the party itself are increasingly frustrated with the latest debacle-Boehner's failed farm bill.

      "Fallout from the farm bill’s failure is erupting behind closed doors. Almost a week after Republicans failed to pass the nearly $1 trillion, five-year agricultural package through the House, Speaker John Boehner and other GOP leaders are feeling the heat from frustrated lawmakers sick of screw-ups."

     "Republican Reps. Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota separately stood up at a GOP meeting Wednesday and confronted their leadership about its bumbling legislative strategy and inability to figure out a way forward on the massive legislation, according to multiple sources at the meeting."

    "Noem, who once served in Republican leadership, took aim squarely at Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.). She reminded him that he controls the House floor, and she drilled Cantor hard on his precise plans to mop up the mess, several Republicans who attended the meeting said. Cantor wasn’t able to outline a plan that satisfied Noem, and he blamed Democrats for the bill’s defeat."

    "Noem — usually a quiet figure in GOP circles — also warned the 61 Republicans who opposed the farm bill after voting for tougher work requirements for food-stamp recipients that she will not be supporting them in the future. Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and other lawmakers were later heard on the floor backing Noem in her heated dispute with Cantor."

   "Cramer, a first-term lawmaker, read aloud an editorial to his colleagues from a North Dakota newspaper, arguing that failing to pass a farm bill could end his brief congressional career. In an interview with POLITICO, Cramer said Republicans — especially committee chairmen — who voted against the farm bill are “jeopardizing the whole majority.”

    http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/farm-bill-defeat-house-leadership-93477_Page2.html

    It is sobering stuff. If they can't even get their act together enough to pass a farm bill what can they get done? Actually, I'm currently reading Hank Paulson's On the Brink about his handling of the 2008 financial crisis and right now I'm reading about the passage of TARP. What's very interesting-the whole book of course is very interesting-is that Boehner couldn't convince his GOPers to vote for it even though he personally thought it was the right thing. 

     http://www.amazon.com/Brink-Inside-Collapse-Global-Financial/dp/B006CDD6K0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372367939&sr=1-1&keywords=hank+paulson+on+the+brink

    Nothing much has changed-Boehner still can't get anything done. What we continue see is that the GOP strategy of My way or the high way! doesn't work. Never really does-it's debatable whether it ever did. In the 90s they used it and this caused the government shutdown. There's no question that they lost the political battle in that case by a mile. Indeed, by 1998, Newt Gingrich was out of politics altogether and the GOP lost 5 seats in an off yer election-which was just unheard of. 

    Still, they did have some legislative victories like 'welfare reform' financial deregulation-though we saw who the losers were in that one; the American people and their economy-and some nice tax cuts for the rich. 

    What's really striking about the last 4 and a half years, is how few victories they have had. Say what you like about the President-he's been whacked again and again by many left-liberals for his first term performance; yet most of his objectives have been achieved. We can count his defeats on one hand-gun control; so far-and the sequester. What does the GOP have to show for its obstruction? 

     By playing all or nothing they usually come away with nothing-out on the highway. In 2011 they could have gotten a much better fiscal deal than the final fiscal cliff deal passed at the start of this year. In 2011 Nancy Pelosi had been willing to accept $1 million as where the Clinton era top tax rate would kick in; when Boehner proposed it in December it was a nonstarter. 

    Now the same thing looks set to happen with climate change. Obama plans to execute his environmental bill mostly via executive action. The GOP doesn't like this agenda-so what's their strategy? Mostly just try to use it against Democrats in 2014 by claiming that environmental measures are by definition job killing-which is far from the truth. It actually will create lots of jobs-how-after all, we need new technologies. 

   http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/aggregate-supply-aggregate-demand-and-coal/?_r=0&gwh=01B281F31D85D3C2D1F4CF86127351CD

   The GOP though, as usual won't let facts get in the way-Paulson himself complained of their scorn for the 'fact checkers' during the debates on TARP. Yglesias discusses how short sighted it is:

    "Darren Goode offers a rundown of GOP options for blocking Obama's new climate change initiatives and concludes that they really have no options. So what they're going to do instead of mounting a substantive response is "use Obama’s climate agenda to hammer Democratic incumbents and candidates in red states in 2014—and try to get them to cast tough votes" with things like "message votes seeking to cut off funding for EPA to work on the power plant rules."

    "This is emblematic of the dysfunction that's gripped American political culture. The GOP wants a total victory against efforts to curb CO2 emissions, but they can't obtain a total victory, so their fallback option is ... political posturing."

    "A much better idea would be to negotiate and find a solution that environmentalists and conservatives alike can prefer to EPA regulation—carbon pricing, with some of the revenue used to reduce other taxes and some of the revenue for clean energy investments. It'd be an easy win-win for everyone relative to the course we're currently on. But it would require Republicans to come to the table and bargain over policy outcomes instead of positioning themselves for talking points. And ever since 2009 they've been stuck on this one-note theory of governance that's about obstructing everything that can be obstructed (Ted Cruz announced today he'll block literally all State Department nominees) and then whining about everything else. The notion of tactical flexibility where sometimes you cut a deal in order to get a better outcome rather than just saying "the worse, the better" for the purpose of political messaging is totally out the window. It's frustrating and depressing."

       http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/06/26/gop_s_lame_climate_counterplan.html

      As sordid as the GOP seems to think compromise is, could they possibly have less to show if they tried it for once than they have for the usual all or nothing. demands?

     UPDATE:

     The usual logic is at work with the strong passage of immigration reform in the Senate: GOPers are threatening to take away Boehner's Speakership if he flouts the Hastert Rule. 

     http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/06/conservatives-threaten-depose-boehner-hastert-rule-immigration.php?ref=fpb

Standing With Wendy Davis

     Her courageous stand has inspired the nation as her filibuster was able to kill Governor Rick Perry's draconian anti abortion bill. Many Democrats and prochoice advocates across the nation stood with her in spirit on Tuesday, and this could be the kind of thing that galvanizes the nation and rouses them to stand up for a woman's right to choose. It certainly gained the appreciation of the 26 U.S. Senators who sent her a thank you letter.

    http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/26-senators-send-letter-thanking-texas-sen-wendy

    As Obama's official Twitter account tweeted: Something special is happening in Austin tonight.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/obama-wendy-davis_n_3500083.html

    It was special and the question now is what the ripple effects of it might be.

    "What’s happening in Texas may not stay in Texas."

    “There’s kind of a view nationally that Texas is conservative, very conservative and [that] the leadership could do whatever they want to without taking into account what other people in the state might want,” said Judy Waxman, vice president of health and reproductive rights at the National Women’s Law Center, which opposes the Texas bill. “If this can happen in Texas, if this kind of resistance results in awareness in the nation, women will be heard. I think there are implications for every state and the federal government, as well.”

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/texas-abortion-fight-93469.html#ixzz2XPFz5NFb

  

   For one night, we saw the people of Texas stand against this conservative leadership. Rick Perry is not used to losing-at least not in the state:

   "Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced late Wednesday he was calling a special session of the Legislature on July 1 to take up three unresolved issues — including abortion. “Texans value life and want to protect women and the unborn,” he said in a statement. “We will not allow the breakdown of decorum and decency to prevent us from doing what the people of this state hired us to do.”

     You've got to like this kvetching about a 'breakdown in decorum and decency.' Now that it's used against them, it seems that conservatives find there's something quite unsavory and unwholesome in the filibuster.

      "This is straight out of an anarchist playbook,” Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life, told POLITICO about the Texas standoff. “I think we all need to duly note this [filibuster] is the only way they could win. That actual vote on the bill did pass.”

     The only way they could win. Yet I never hear Mitch McConnell worrying that this is the only way he can win. 

     Yoest says the pro-abortion rights groups and the noisy protesters at the Texas Capitol are fooling themselves if they think the public wants unfettered access to late-term abortions.

“What happened [Tuesday] night was really outrageous,” Yoest said. “What you’re seeing is a political position, not shared by the majority of the American people, becoming increasingly desperate as they lose through democratic processes. So they created absolute chaos [Tuesday] night. It’s the only way they could win.”

    How many times have we seen the Senate GOP filibuster something against the expressed will of the majority of the American people-starting with the obvious: background checks?

    Another thing you see is the prolife movement trying to shift the rhetoric by saying that these draconian bills that have the effect of shutting down most healthcare clinics that offer abortions is meant to 'protect women and babies.'

    In fact there is no interest in protecting women and all these measures harm them. This is why they oppose rape even with the life of the woman at risk. This is why they defund women's healthcare. 

    With this bill, Governor Perry was very ambitious, he tried to push this thing threw as part of a huge omnibus:

    "All eyes were on Texas not just because it’s a big state with big politicians. The bill itself was big, rolling into an omnibus anti-abortion bill many of the measures coursing through other states — a ban on most abortions after 20 weeks, tough regulations on clinics’ physical plants, hard-to-meet hospital affiliation mandates for doctors and limits on how abortion drugs are administered. That language was added in the House version of the bill, which passed earlier this week."

    As for what's next, the immediate next step in Texas is that Perry will do everything he can to force this through. He's called yet another special session-this last session was itself 'special' and doubtless will keep calling sessions till he gets it through.

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/rick-perry-special-session_n_3505786.html

   However, the large effect will hopefully be a galvanizing of all who truly care about the health and choice of women. Let's do it for Wendy Davis!

    

Tea Party IRS Scandal Continues to Unravel in Darrell Issa's Hands

     An issue that since this story first broke some liberals-like myself to be honest-have to bring attention to is that whether or not the IRS acted improperly in the way they monitored the awarding of the 501c(4) designation or not, it wasn't only conservative groups being targeted.

     This fact is now gaining wide currency. In addition, as Issa refused to release the full IRS House transcripts, the Democrats have which have given us a much better picture. With the full picture it's not the simplistic story of conservative persecution Issa and his friends have been telling us about.

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/18/breaking-full-house-committee-transcripts-shed-new-light-on-genesis-of-irs-targeting/

      As for the sensational claim that the IRS problems started in the White House, with every day that passes there it becomes more clear this is false.

      Issa is not apologizing of course. Instead he's claiming that he never said it was-while still leaving out cryptic hints that even now, maybe it is. 

      "The news that progressive groups were also targeted by the IRS should, in theory at least, prompt reporters to press leading Republicans on a simple question: Do you still stand by your insinuations that the White House or Obama campaign were somehow behind the politically motivated targeting of conservatives?"

       "In a key moment, Rep. Darrell Issa — the chair of the Oversight Committee and a lead investigator into the IRS scandal — is now claiming he never, ever said the White House or the Obama campaign was behind the targeting. In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash (at the 1:30 mark), he said this:

“I’ve never said it came out of the office of the President or his campaign. What I’ve said is, it comes out of Washington.”

     "And yet, later in the very same interview, Issa said this:

“For years, the president bashed the Tea Party groups. He was very public against these groups. And on his behalf — perhaps not on his request — on his behalf, the IRS executed a delaying tactic against the very groups that he talked about.”

      "This is utter gibberish, and reporters (kudos to Bash for doing a great job here) need to hold Issa accountable for it. Indeed, the juxtaposition of the two statements neatly captures the increasingly untenable nature of Issa’s stance. He claims the IRS targeting was done “perhaps” not on the president’s request — seemingly dangling that out there as a possibility – right after flatly stating he has never said the targeting was directed by the White House or the president’s campaign. Is there any evidence that this was orchestrated by Obama or his campaign, or isn’t there? Yes, or No? Doesn’t the current evidence actually tell us otherwise? Yes, or No?"

      "As for Issa’s suggestion that he never made any such charge, here’s what he said in mid-May:

“This was a targeting of the president’s political enemies, effectively, and lies [sic] about it during the election year so that it wasn’t discovered until afterwards.”

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/26/the-morning-plum-darrell-issa-backtracks-on-irs-scandal/

     Now the Dems are demanding to know why the fact that liberal groups were also targeted was hidden. It turns out that the reason that we only heard of conservative groups is that this is what Issa asked the investigation to look at. 

     "This now goes well beyond Issa. Sam Stein has the latest:Democrats are now demanding to know why the original inspector general’s audit of the IRS omitted the critical fact that progressive groups were also targeted in a BOLO. This is key:

Karen Kraushaar, the communications director at the treasury inspector general’s office, said investigators had been constrained by their mission statement. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa had specifically requested that investigators “narrowly focus on tea party organizations.” So they did just that, Kraushaar said.

    "The charge that the targeting of conservatives was directed from Washington has collapsed, and the notion that conservatives were targeted for political reasons is in serious doubt. The IG is expected to respond soon."

     Oops. 

     

     

     

     

James Sensenbrenner, Ed Snowden and Glenn Greenwald on 'Evolution'

     I remain pessimistic about the chances of undoing the harm that the SJC did yesterday in voting down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). 

     http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/06/infamy-at-john-roberts-supreme-court.html

     http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/06/it-doesnt-take-long-for-gop-to.html

      It seems clear that there's no chance of repairing this until we get a Democratic House and filibuster proof majority in the Senate. Still, if other GOPers truly feel like James Sesenbrenner then I'm too pessimistic-that I'll believe when I see, of course:

     "Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who was a key player in getting the Voting Rights Act legislation renewed in 1982 and 2006, said the Supreme Court may have ruled Tuesday to strike down a critical portion of the act, but the "threat of discrimination still exists" and he will put "partisan politics aide and ensure Americans' most sacred right is protected."

     "The Voting Rights Act is vital to America’s commitment to never again permit racial prejudices in the electoral process," Sensenbrenner said in a statement Wednesday. "Section 5 of the Act was a bipartisan effort to rectify past injustices and ensure minorities’ ability to participate in elections, but the threat of discrimination still exists.  I am disappointed by the Court’s ruling, but my colleagues and I will work in a bipartisan fashion to update Section 4 to ensure Section 5 can be properly implemented to protect voting rights, especially for minorities. This is going to take time and will require members from both sides of the aisle to put partisan politics aside and ensure Americans’ most sacred right is protected.”

      http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/sensenbrenner-on-vra-threat-of-discrimination-still-exists

      Nothing to add, there, the Congressman nails it. Let's hope that there are other GOPers who feel this way. If not then even after they pass immigration reform-as I presume they will-there will still be a very visceral issue that will cause minorities to avoid the GOP in principle. 

      With DOMA thankfully being toppled the thought of 'evolution' is close to our minds, Glenn Greenwald is so impressed by this moment of evolution he's considering returning to the U.S.

      "Glenn Greenwald, one of the Guardian journalists who broke the NSA leak story, says he is considering moving back to the United States now that the Supreme Court has struck down the Defense of Marriage Act."

       "Greenwald has lived in Brazil for the past eight years on a permanent visa with his Brazilian partner, David Michael Miranda. Greenwald has said in the past that they live there in part because Brazil recognizes their relationship for immigration purposes, while the U.S. does not. But because of the latest ruling on Wednesday, his partnership would now be recognized."

        "In an email with Slate reporter Emily Bazelon today, Greenwald said the move is "certainly something we'll consider."

It's certainly something we'll consider. It's a huge choice with many complicated factors, and it's not the kind of thing you seriously evaluate when the option isn't available to you. We haven't made up our minds in the 90 minutes or so since the decision was announced!

We've lived here together for 8 years and built a life. My partner is finishing school. All of his family is here. So it's something that will take time to resolve. But it's definitely something that we both have a desire at some point to do, and will now spend the time figuring out how and when we can do it.

     http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/greenwald-may-move-back-stateside-because-of-doma

     Speaking of evolution though, check out how much Greenwald's buddy Snowden has evolved. He didn't always have such a benighted view of leakers.

      "In 2009, NSA leaker Edward Snwoden said in a chatroom that people who leak classified information to media outlets should be "shot in the balls."

      "The chats, obtained by Ars Technica, show what appears to be Snowden angry about a New York Times article about US actions in Iran that was based on confidential leaks."

       "WTF NYTIMES. Are they TRYING to start a war? Jesus Christ, they're just like Wikileaks," he wrote in a channel on Ars Technica's public Internet Relay Chat (IRC) server. "They're reporting classified shit."

       "When someone else in the chatroom told Snowden that the Times was simply reporting, he responding that they were reporting classified information about "an unpopular country surrounded by enemies already engaged in a war and about our interactions with said country regarding planning sovereignity violations of another country."

       "You don't put that shit in the NEWSPAPER...moreover, who the fuck are the anonymous sources telling them this?" he added.

       "Snowden then took another dig at the New York Times, saying that the paper has a "HISTORY of this shit."

        "These are the same people who blew the whole 'we could listen to osama's cell phone' thing the same people who screwed us on wiretappingover and over and over again. Thank god they're going out of business...Hopefully they'll finally go bankrupt this year," he said.

     http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/greenwald-may-move-back-stateside-because-of-doma

     Guess the more things evolve the less they stay the same.