Republican

POLITICS 04/18/2018 01:38 pm ET Updated 33 minutes ago The majority-black city is out $250,000 in funds for its bicentennial. By Sara Boboltz 170 Tennessee’s Republican-controlled House on Tuesday retaliated against Memphis for removing two Confederate monuments by withholding $250,000 previously earmarked for the city’s 2019 bicentennial celebration. Democrats in the House condemned the move, which came in the form of a last-minute amendment to an appropriations bill and triggered a heated debate. State Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D) said the amendment was the most “vile, racist” measure he had seen, while state Rep. Raumesh Akbari (D) called it “un-Christian.” “The amendment and the explanation is hateful,” Akbari said before the vote.  But Republicans were not moved, and the amendment passed with a strong majority. In a largely party-line vote, only five Republicans joined 22 Democrats in opposing the … [Read more...] about Tennessee Republicans Punish Memphis For Removing Confederate Statues

POLITICS 06/12/2018 12:06 pm ET It does, though. By Arthur Delaney WASHINGTON ― Before the House agriculture committee approved a bill requiring more able-bodied adults without dependents to work or enroll in training in order to receive food stamps, Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) raised a subject that is often left undiscussed. “The image of able-bodied men not working are African American men in the minds ― not in everybody’s minds, but there are unfortunately people out there who have this mental disposition,” Scott, who is African American, told the committee. He was not making things up. Researchers have studied the link between welfare politics and racism for decades and found that many people mistakenly believe safety net programs benefit more minorities than whites. A paper published two weeks ago, for instance, found increasing opposition to welfare programs among white Americans worried about their economic status relative to … [Read more...] about Republicans Swear Food Stamp Debate Has No Racial Connotations

POLITICS 06/13/2018 02:59 pm ET Updated 36 minutes ago A Neo-Confederate victory in Tuesday's primary indicates a frightening direction for the GOP. By Zach Carter Five years ago, Corey Stewart was almost completely unknown in the national political arena. Few of his fellow Virginians devoted much thought to him. He lost badly in a statewide race to be the Republican Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, and retreated back to a minor post in Prince William County. Last year, Stewart emerged from hibernation to run for governor, again losing in the primary to Ed Gillespie, a corporate lobbyist and one-time chairman of the Republican National Committee. But Tuesday night, Stewart finally got over the hump. He defeated Nick Freitas, a right-wing member of the Virginia House of Delegates, to claim the GOP nomination for this November’s contest against Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Stewart isn’t just a Virginia problem. He’s an American problem. … [Read more...] about Donald Trump’s Takeover Of The Republican Party Is Now Complete

POLITICS 12/14/2018 04:41 pm ET GOP lawmakers wanted to force public-sector unions to hold recertification elections every two years. By Dave Jamieson A plan by Michigan Republicans to weaken public-sector unions in the state fell apart in the legislature’s lame-duck session Thursday. GOP leaders had hoped to pass a law that would force unions representing government workers to hold and pay for “recertification” elections every other year. Such elections would give workers the chance to expel their union, or recertify them as their representative.  Republican senators took up the measure this week, but didn’t approve it in time to get it through the house and to the desk of outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder (R). They no longer have enough time to fast-track it before the lame-duck session ends. “We don’t have the votes ready to do that one,” Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof told reporters, according to MiTechNews.com. … [Read more...] about Michigan Unions Dodge Republican Attack In Lame-Duck Session

POLITICS 02/04/2019 06:28 pm ET "Taxing the wealthy" polls pretty well, new surveys find. By Ariel Edwards-Levy Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) proposal for a “wealth tax” on Americans worth more than $50 million currently has significant support across party lines, new polling suggests. The exact level of support varies from survey to survey. But in three recently released online polls, support for Warren’s plan ranges between 50 and 61 percent, with opposition languishing between 20 and 23 percent. In a new Politico/Morning Consult survey, 61 percent of voters favored “a recent proposal to levy a new, 2 percent annual tax on all assets owned by households with a net worth of $50 million or more, and an additional 1 percent tax on households with a net worth of more than $1 billion.” Just 20 percent were opposed, with the rest unsure. Democratic voters supported the plan by 74 percent to 11 percent, while … [Read more...] about Elizabeth Warren’s Tax Proposal Is Popular Even With Republicans