Congressional Elections Of 2012

Congress Approval At All Time Low: What It Means

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A new poll shows that only TEN percent of those polled have a positive view of Congress in 2012.

The Gallup Poll showed the unbelievable reality that Congress has a lower rating than BP during the Oil Spill, or Richard Nixon during Watergate, or banks during the banking crisis of 2008.

This could mean, in theory, that we could witness a wholesale removal of members of both parties in Congress in November, but that is really highly unlikely.

The fact that many Americans are unhappy with Congress as an institution does not mean that they do not like THEIR member of Congress, and most members routinely get re-elected, particularly in the House of Representatives, with a higher chance of defeat in the Senate races.

Also, reapportionment of seats, which occurs once in a decade, will probably promote less turnover since boundary lines change. And since a substantial number of members of Congress are retiring, some of them are leaving because they see the handwriting on the wall, as the saying goes!

More than incumbents losing who do not retire, is the question of whether the Republicans can retain control of the House of Representatives, and whether the Democrats can continue to control the Senate.

What seems most likely at this juncture is that we may see a switch in party control in both chambers, as the Democrats only need a 25 seat gain to take control, and there is great discontent with the Tea Party Movement membership in the GOP, which has made life miserable for Speaker of the House John Boehner and his party.

And the likelihood is that the US Senate will see a Republican takeover, needing only four seats to accomplish that.

This will present a new scenario for President Barack Obama if he is re-elected, but it is a more normal situation to have a Democratic House and a Republican Senate historically, having occurred from 1911-1913, 1931-1933. and from 1981-1987. The present opposite party control in the two chambers–a Republican House and a Democratic Senate–has NEVER happened, and seems to have proved to be less able to accomplish ANY cooperation as a result!

Two Year Anniversary Of Citizens United Supreme Court Case: The Corruption Of American Politics A National Tragedy

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Two years ago, the Supreme Court, controlled by a conservative majority of 5-4, made a decision considered among the worst ever in their history.

After a century of regulation of corporate involvement in political campaign fundraising and advertising, the majority, claiming freedom of speech, allowed corporations and labor unions to have totally free access to spend and promote candidates and parties.

On first blush, some might have thought that it was not such a bad decision, as labor unions were permitted to do the same as corporations. On second thought, it became noticeable that labor unions could not compete with corporate money, and the result was the distorted political atmosphere of the midterm 2010 Congressional and state elections, which led to the success of the Tea Party Movement and the right wing direction of many state governments and the US House of Representatives. This has created a stalemate in Congress, and attacks on labor, the elderly, the poor, minorities, and the environment in many state legislatures, and the widespread attempt to limit the right to vote by discriminatory voter registration laws.

We have witnessed the damage done, and the continual enrichment of the top one percent in America, and the Super PACs are in operation, poisoning the political atmosphere for the 2012 election campaigns for President and the Congress, as well as many state governments.

Our democracy is being lost, negating a century of reforms under the Progressive Era, the New Deal, and the Great Society.

A move is on to attempt a constitutional amendment to overrule the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, but that is not going to be easy, and meanwhile, or maybe for good, we are seeing corporations regain complete control of government at all levels, and bringing us back to the Gilded Age of the late 19th century.

This is a national tragedy of massive proportions!

The Absolutely Worst Congress In Modern American History: The 112th Congress, First Session!

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The first session of the 112th Congress stands out only negatively: as the Congress which did nothing to unite the American people, solve problems, promote cooperation with the President; or avoid crises. Instead, the GOP majority in the House of Representatives under Speaker of the House John Boehner was unable to work to create jobs or show willingness to cooperate at all with the President.

Meanwhile, the Senate, technically under Democratic control, had its 47 Republican member minority abuse the filibuster and even utilize the threat to use it, so as to make it impossible to accomplish any legislation, or any cooperation with the White House.

Only when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky realized that his party was looking badly on the middle class tax cut continuation issue did he take action to force the Republican majority in the House to give in and prevent a tax increase, which would have been political suicide.

The Tea Party Caucus of about 80 members promoted destructive behavior and an anti government anarchism that is totally terrifying.

Only if McConnell and Boehner decide to fight letting one third of their caucus to continue their “blackmail” over the leadership of their party in both houses of Congress, will they get elected to a majority in the Congressional Elections of 2012. To expect any action of positive nature from the 112th Congress is a dream not to be fulfilled as things stand right now.

It is odd that the disaster of the 112th Congress comes after the very successful 111th Congress, the best since the 89th Congress of 1965-1966!

Barack Obama And The American People Given A Christmas Gift By The Caving Of The House Republicans And Speaker John Boehner!

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The House Republicans, led by Speaker of the House John Boehner, caved in this afternoon, under pressure from the Wall Street Journal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Karl Rove, and numerous Senate Republicans including a new convert, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and agreed to the two month temporary extension of the payroll tax cut, unemployment compensation, and delay in Medicare cuts to doctors.

The House Republicans were pushed into a corner, and this is a major victory for the American people, the Democrats, and President Barack Obama, who finally took a no negotiation stand and forced the hand of Boehner, Eric Cantor, and the Tea Party radicals.

The effect of this victory is that Boehner has been weakened as Speaker; the Tea Party radicals have been shown to be destructive to the nation at large; Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy, the chief deputies to Boehner, have been shown for the deceit they practiced on Boehner in their mad rush to seize power from him; and this event has likely assured a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress!

The Republicans have, symbolically, shot themselves in the foot, and will have trouble convincing the American people that they care about the middle class, and that they are not beholden to the corporations and the top one percent wealthy in this country!

Barack Obama looks a lot stronger and more assertive as a result of this confrontation, and with Ron Paul rising in Iowa, and being exposed for his racist and anti Semitic past, and with the GOP in total disarray, the odds of Obama winning reelection have improved tremendously!

Speaker John Boehner Under Attack From Senate Republicans And The Wall Street Journal

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Speaker of the House John Boehner is rapidly losing respect and support, as many Senate Republicans have condemned him and the Tea Party radicals for holding up the payroll tax cut, continuation of unemployment compensation, and delay in Medicare payment cuts to doctors.

Along with Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Dean Heller of Nevada, and Olympia Snowe of Maine, we have now seen Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi also condemning the House Republican leadership.

And imagine, the Wall Street Journal, a loyal conservative and Republican newspaper, has also called for immediate action on the legislation, so that taxes do not go up on January 1, as that would be a winning proposition for Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress!

Indications are that Boehner might lose his Speakership sooner rather than later, and that Eric Cantor is salivating at the thought of becoming Speaker sooner rather than later.

In any case, it seems less likely now that the GOP will hold on to the House, and that Mitch McConnell will NOT be as likely to become Senate Majority Leader in 2013!

House Republican Standoff Against Bipartisan Senate Vote May Hurt Senate Majority Chances Of Republicans In 2012!

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The refusal of the House Republicans, led by Speaker of the House John Boehner, to vote on the bipartisan Senate vote of 89-10 extending unemployment compensation, the middle class tax cut, and delay in cutting Medicare payments to doctors, is likely to boomerang on the party, not only in House elections in 2012, but also Senate Republicans facing tough reelection contests.

That explains why Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, soon to be opposed by Elizabeth Warren in a tough race in which Warren is leading in public opinion polls, denounced House Republicans for their reckless, outrageous action.

Similar outrage and anger has also been expressed by Senator Dean Heller of Nevada, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, and Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, all of whom face tough reelection challenges.

If these seats are not retained, the odds of a Senate Republican majority in 2012 is far less likely to occur.

So the Republicans are in the process of likely slaughtering themselves, and coming across as unconcerned about 160 million Americans, and that will be paid back by middle class voters when the vote comes for Congress and the President ten and a half months from now!

The Republicans Are Self Destructing Before Our Eyes, And The American People See It Clearly!

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The Republican Party is self destructing before our eyes, as House Republicans led by the “Young Turks”–House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin–and supported by the 80 Tea Party Caucus members—are tying the hands of Speaker John Boehner, and making him look foolish!

Boehner had said an agreement of Senate Republicans led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and backed 89-11 in a bipartisan vote, allowing a temporary two month extension of unemployment compensation, the continuation of the middle class tax cut, and delay of cuts to Medicare doctors, was acceptable, with further action in January. But then, under pressure from the leaders mentioned above, he backtracked, and has brought about a situation where the continuation of the policies mentioned will be prevented, as the New Year comes on!

It is clear to anyone who watches what is going on, that Cantor, McCarthy, and Ryan are working together with the Tea Party supporters to paralyze the legislative process, and that their aim, ultimately, is not just to defeat Barack Obama for the Presidency in 2012, but also to remove John Boehner from the Speakership.

And as this goes on, a CNN poll shows Obama’s popularity has risen five points from 44 to 49 percent; the ratings of the Republicans have fallen six points from 49 to 43 percent; the Democrats ratings have stayed steadily at 55 percent; a majority now say they trust Obama more than the Congressional Republicans as compared to 44 percent before now; and dramatic gains among the middle class are being made by Obama, while Republicans continue to have the support of the wealthy.

So, Republicans, continue what you are doing and saying, and you are doomed to defeat in 2012 on all levels, as your arrogance and elitism are backfiring on your party!

The Supreme Court’s Political Impact On The 2012 Presidential And Congressional Elections

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The Supreme Court has decided to intervene and settle three controversial issues that are key factors in the 2012 Presidential and Congressional Elections.

They have taken on the case of the Obama Health Care law; the Arizona Immigration legislation; and the Texas Congressional Redistricting case, all of which have a much greater impact than just the specific details of the cases on their own.

If the Health Care legislation is declared unconstitutional , it will create chaos in the health care field, as parts of the law are already in effect.

If the decision on the Arizona law regarding illegal immigration favors that state, it will create the danger of further spreading of such actions all over, and create new civil liberties issues for the foreign born in this country, and weaken the power of the federal government over immigration, which has always been a national responsibility.

If the decision is to back Texas redistricting, which is seen as unfair gerrymandering, and an attempt to weaken Hispanic and Latino influence in Texas, as well as unfair advantage for the Republican Party over the Democratic Party in that state, then it will reverberate elsewhere.

These three cases are crucial for the future of our political, social and economic system, and will be among the most significant cases of recent times in Supreme Court history.

The reality that the Court could go too far to the right is a long term troubling matter, and also brings to the forefront the importance of who is President in 2013 and after, as the likelihood of Supreme Court replacements grows in the next term, with one to three replacements possible, and determining the long term future direction of the Supreme Court.

The cases also highlight the importance, again, of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered the “swing” vote on a Court equally divided between Left and Right!

So to say that the Supreme Court does not get involved in politics is, very clearly, a misunderstanding of our system of government!

American Unemployment At Two And A Half Year Low: The Tide Is Finally Turning, But Could Be Reversed By Republican Obstructionism In Congress!

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Finally, real progress is being made on unemployment, with the rate last month dropping to 8.6 percent, the lowest since March 2009, when everything was collapsing economically, due to the Bush administration disaster financially, just as Barack Obama took over the Presidency!

There is a long way to go, and no one is saying a miracle will occur in the next eleven months, but what can be detrimental would be for Congress to refuse to keep the payroll tax cut, which put $1000 into the pockets of the average taxpayer, and a continuation of the unemployment compensation benefit to the long term unemployed, who are rapidly become homeless, as well as jobless, in the worst economy in 75 years!

But those two actions required before the end of the year seem to be moving toward failure, due to obstructionism by the Republicans in Congress, who seem ready to see taxes go UP for the middle and working classes, while refusing to raise one cent in the taxes on the top two percent! And the long term unemployed are being depicted as lazy and shiftless, a total disgrace to depict them as such!

So the Republicans could be working toward trying to undermine the economic recovery, because after all, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky made it clear that the major goal of the GOP was the defeat of a second term for President Barack Obama.

The American people, and particularly those in economic distress, are being abandoned, being thrown into the sea without a life preserver, with any conscience by the Republican Party, which only concerns itself with the wealthy and the corporations and unbridled capitalism!

The bright spot in all this is the belief that the Republican stand will harm them in the Congressional Elections Of 2012! But meanwhile, there will be millions of victims, as a result!

Here We Go Again: Republicans Want Tax Increase For Middle Class And Don’t Care About Unemployed Millions!

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The Republican Party, which wants constant tax cuts for the top two percent and for corporations, is making clear its unwillingness to support a continuation of the payroll tax cut of 2 percent on Social Security to help middle class families, by continuing an average $1000 tax cut over the payroll year, which will expire at the end of the year.

At the same time, the fact that we have more long term unemployed than we have ever had since the 1930s does not phase the party, which is against an extension of unemployment compensation for those who have been out of work for more than 99 weeks, feeling that the lack of jobs is not the issue, but the “lazy” attitude of workers who would rather collect a check than go to work!

What an outrage to call for tax increases at a difficult time, and to have no concern if the unemployed are homeless, starving, and have no medical care!

We are seeing the Republican Party going back to the concept of the 19th century Social Darwinists–basically having no concern for the unfortunate, including millions of children, about 25 percent of all children, taking the view that poverty and deprivation is a character flaw in those people, and basically, let them starve, as that would help, somehow, to produce a better society!

Shame on the GOP, and the voters in 2012 will richly reward them for such hardhearted attitudes by throwing them out of office!