As it now stands, the Republican Party has convinced a segment of the population that government is antithesis to the health of this nation. It has enabled a radical collection of far-right congressmen to eschew all compromise and centralized party direction. Tea Party politicians in Congress can afford, even relish, the political ramifications of a shutdown because, after forty years of anti-government rhetoric, these congressmen only need to re-affirm to their voters that government cannot function.
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It is readily evident that an honest and sound debate cannot occur in Congress when (ultimately, at least) one of the primary effects of a bill is to inject millions of new voters into the electorate.
Read MoreBoth sides are going to have to bend, but in this instance, the Republicans must be prepared to bend a little more. This does not mean the GOP needs to give up fiscal conservatism, but it does mean it must be willing to listen to the American people and to put nation and party before unyielding ideology.
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Everyone should go vote in November and follow not just the presidential race, but also the congressional ones. Everyone should strive to be well informed on all the candidates’ positions.
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Thirty-three is the number of times the House has voted to repeal The Affordable Care Act. Thirty-three. I understand the notion of “politicking”, and I understand that election years inherently hurt the legislative process. But there has to be a threshold. There has to be a point when Congress can no longer be called a legislative body, when it no longer deserves the seal of the United States.
Read MoreClyde Williams, a potential challenger for the 15th Congressional District of New York, is laying the groundwork for a campaign against longtime representative Charles Rangel.
Read MoreThis is a difficult, volatile issue in a time of small minds and big egos — good luck finding enough members of Congress willing to fall on the sword and make immigration reform a reality. But if any issue demands bipartisan care and attention, it is this one — we must find a way forward.
Read MoreYou can say whatever you want about House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R- WI), but you can’t deny this—the man has cojones.
Read MoreThe Internet’s capacity for making information seamlessly accessible is even more impressive given its largely unregulated and decentralized nature. This freedom from regulation has allowed superior technologies like Google to quickly make themselves the standard. Yet although the protocols and codes for the Internet belong to the private sector, important components of the Internet rest within the grasp of a single power: the United States government.
Read MoreThe boldness of the recently chosen leading Senate Democrat was surprising given his moderate record, but appropriate given the current political climate. Reid normally exhibits outspoken moderation, which is emblematic of the larger uncertainty within the Democratic Party as a whole.
Read MoreNew York Congressman Anthony Weiner Wants to be Mayor
Read MoreLisa Adams was not a welfare queen. When she walked into the office of Jewish Vocational Services (JVS), a San Francisco-based non-profit that offers welfare-to-work training, she was just a black mother of three trying to get her life in order.
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