DocJess Posts

There's no question that Mitt's remarks were based on faulty information, and that he said them while smirking, showing incredibly disrespect for those Americans who died doing their jobs of trying to protect America. There is also no question that he made his remarks to pander to religious types (Christians and Jews) he thought he could make a play for, and that that was the reason he said what he said. More importantly, he indicated through his words that if he wee president, and an embassy or consulate was surrounded by people attempting to breach, they would not be allowed to put out a statement that basically said (albeit in a slightly ineffective way) "hey, it wasn't us. Please don't kill us." Mittens didn't even understand that "on the ground" presents a different set of circumstances.

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

On this 11th anniversary of the fall of the towers, the attack on the Pentagon and the downing of the plane in Western Pennsylvania, we are ALL Americans attacked. The DCW team bows its collective head in remembrance of those lost and injured, and of the brave men and women who did all they could in the aftermath.

While this should not be a day for politics, there is new information that the Bush neo-cons were apprised not just in August, but also in May of 2001 that Bin Laden was planning an attack on American soil. Rumsfeld and company chose to believe that Saddam Hussein was the greater threat. Read here. Think of everything that went wrong AFTER 9/11, the unnecessary war in Iraq, the ineptitude in chasing down Bin Laden by the Bushies, the intolerance directed against innocents. Remember it today, act on it November 6th.

Matt and I are Native New Yorkers, and Oreo is originally from the 'burbs. We grew up with the Towers being part of everyday life. Huge, a giant shadow, but just part of what we knew. I personally remember being a kid and going on school trips to see its construction. To those memories, there is this from Dan Meth.

We wish you peace on this sad anniversary. 

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

What Paul said, my tags for the bottom of the screen in blue.

Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored by the support of this convention for vice president of the United States. It's nice to see he mentioned Joe Biden in the first line.

I accept the calling of my generation to give our children the America that was given to us, with opportunity for the young and security for the old – and I know that we are ready. If every kid was like Paul, they'd get college paid for by Social Security, the reins of a government-subsidized construction firm, and a wife with a giant inheritance.

I’m the newcomer to the campaign, so let me share a first impression. I have never seen opponents so silent about their record, and so desperate to keep their power. WOW! I didn't know he considered multiple choice Mittens to be an "opponent" - and he forgot to add"tax returns".

President Barack Obama came to office during an economic crisis, as he has reminded us a time or two. Those were very tough days, and any fair measure of his record has to take that into account. My home state voted for President Obama. When he talked about change, many people liked the sound of it, especially in Janesville, where we were about to lose a major factory. That factory closed in 2008. Before the election. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

The first troubling sign came with the stimulus. It was President Obama’s first and best shot at fixing the economy, at a time when he got everything he wanted under one-party rule. It cost $831 billion – the largest one-time expenditure ever by our federal government. Um, not really. The Democrats didn't get everything we wanted as we believed in bipartisanship and worked with the GOP. We didn't get half of what we wanted. And as for "one-time expenditures" - we spent more on Iraq and Afghanistan - the large Republican messes. It's the gift we keep on paying for. 

But this president didn’t do that. Instead, we got a long, divisive, all-or-nothing attempt to put the federal government in charge of health care. Lie #3, but hey, Paul and his family have been getting government paid health care since the day he was elected. Why is it okay for him, but not other people?

Obamacare comes to more than two thousand pages of rules, mandates, taxes, fees, and fines that have no place in a free country. Unlike Paul, I read all 2,700 pages and I can say conclusively that these things DO have a place in a free country. And well, they are enacted in every other industrialized nations (and some that aren't) around the globe.

The president has declared that the debate over government-controlled health care is over. That will come as news to the millions of Americans who will elect Mitt Romney so we can repeal Obamacare. It may well come as news to the millions who will vote for Mittens and Eddie Munster, but not to the Supreme Court, nor the millions who vote for Barack Obama, who will win the election.

The greatest threat to Medicare is Obamacare, and we’re going to stop it. That's right, Romney-Ryan is going to stop Medicare. Wait? Did I read that wrong? NO. They want to dismantle the donut-hole fill the ACA put in place (the donut hole Paul voted for), they want to increase the cost to current seniors, and give everyone else a voucher that will go as far towards Medicare premiums as a free Big Mac voucher goes to buying a steak at Ruths Chris.

A Romney-Ryan administration will protect and strengthen Medicare, for my Mom’s generation, for my generation, and for my kids and yours. Lie #4.

Mitt Romney and I know the difference between protecting a program, and raiding it. Yes they do. And they're going to rob the little left for the poor and middle class and give it to themselves, the rich white guys.

It began with a perfect Triple-A credit rating for the United States; it ends with a downgraded America. Thank you teabag idiots, the only people stupid enough to vote against raising the debt ceiling.

Yet by his own decisions, President Obama has added more debt than any other president before him, and more than all the troubled governments of Europe combined. One president, one term, $5 trillion in new debt. Lies number 5, 6 and 7. Just not objectively true in any regard.

Republicans stepped up with good-faith reforms and solutions equal to the problems. Really, name two. Like voting to repeal the ACA 33 times, and not even bringing a single jobs bill to the floor? Like shutting down the FAA by temporarily defunding them? Like cutting Pell grants? Hey Paul, you've sponsored exactly 2 bills that were enacted in all your 13 years Congress. One of them renamed the Janesville post office, and the other modified the taxes on arrows used in archery equipment. 

My Dad used to say to me: “Son. You have a choice: You can be part of the problem, or you can be part of the solution.” Please Paul, be part of the solution. Lose both elections, go home, and never be heard from again.

My Mom started a small business, and I’ve seen what it takes. Amazing she didn't want to work for the multimillion dollar construction company the rest of the family owns and operates. You know, the one that got big and rich using Federal funds.

We have a plan for a stronger middle class, with the goal of generating 12 million new jobs over the next four years. They've never published the actual plan beyond the platitude. And 12 million jobs would dwarf anything the world has ever seen. But I'm game: prove it Paul, or this is lie #8.

In a clean break from the Obama years, and frankly from the years before this president, we will keep federal spending at 20 percent of GDP, or less. That is enough. The choice is whether to put hard limits on economic growth, or hard limits on the size of government, and we choose to limit government. And that is it: they do choose to limit government. Federal spending at 20% of GDP is only possible if government ceases to exist in most forms. I'll publish the numbers this weekend.

I learned a good deal about economics, and about America, from the author of the Reagan tax reforms – the great Jack Kemp. Jack Kemp lost.

He was the Republican governor of a state where almost nine in ten legislators are Democrats, and yet he balanced the budget without raising taxes. Unemployment went down, household incomes went up, and Massachusetts, under Mitt Romney, saw its credit rating upgraded. Lies #9, 10 and 11.

Mitt and I also go to different churches. But in any church, the best kind of preaching is done by example. Insert list here of pedophile priests, gay evangelical ministers caught on camera, churches closed due to embezzlement and court settlements and the whole Warren Jeffs group.

Our different faiths come together in the same moral creed. We believe that in every life there is goodness; for every person, there is hope. Except, of course, pregnant women who'd die under your belief system because the life of a never-viable ectopic pregnancy is more important to you than the mom. 

Whatever your political party, let’s come together for the sake of our country. Join Mitt Romney and me. Let’s give this effort everything we have. Let’s see this through all the way. Let’s get this done. I'm taking this to heart, Paul. I'm going to give it everything I have to make sure that you guys lose in November. I'm going to see that through. I'm going to get it done, with the help of all the other people in America who believe in America: all its people, all its promise.

Yesterday afternoon, I went with a friend to Chester County Voter Services because we'd been unable to find her name on the PA voter list. The people at Voter Services were great, as they always are. The guy at the front counter routed around in his computer system and found that the name they had for her had an "a" in the middle instead of the "o" it should have been. He allowed her make the change on her voter card, and then sign it. He then made the change in the computer and told her to expect her new card in four weeks.

While we were there, another woman came in, trying to get an absentee ballot for her 91 year old mother who physically cannot go to the polls. She asked if it was a problem that the mother's drivers license was expired, and several people came out from the back and all said to use the last four digits of her Social Security number instead. "That will work" "Get the number" "We want everyone to vote" And that IS Chester County Voter Services. I've dealt with them for years as someone running drives, as well as having attended training from them to work the polls. There has always been an absolute commitment to having everyone vote, and to making sure every vote, whether in person, by absentee or by provisional ballot count. Sadly, that isn't true for every county, and certainly not for the state legislature.

And then it was on to Voter Registration. It was busy, and the time just flew by! Big thanks to Marilyn, with whom I've been standing Friday night registration for years, and who knows all too well that I have some hereditary prosopagnosia and is very helpful about my limitation. We signed up new voters, made changes to addresses, and spent extra time with every woman who passed us to make sure they checked that their voter registration was not under their maiden name and their ID under their married name or vice versa. We also handed out a lot of absentee ballot applications for kids who would be away at college, after helping them determine in which state they would be better off voting. 

Last week in the evenings, I started going around my neighborhood with my phone, using it to make sure all my neighbors are registered under the name they think they're registered under, making sure they know where to vote if they're new to the neighborhood, and giving "first touch" for those with non-Republican registrations. 

Most interesting voter of the evening was the woman who came up to us and asked how she could, and I quote, "unregister". As Marilyn said, rightly, "just because you're registered, it doesn't mean you have to vote", I blustered "you don't WANT to VOTE!?!?!?" It turned out that she just didn't want to go to jury duty. We explained that jury duty rolls are determined by drivers licenses and not voting rolls, found out that she'd be out of town on election day, and got her hooked up with an absentee ballot application.

All very exciting, and we'll be out there again today and tomorrow. 

Remember, you can put www.canivote.org into your phone and determine your state site for registration checks. You can then check all your friends, family and neighbors. It's pretty low stress, even for those of you who don't like to interact with strangers. Remember, the right can spend as much money as they want, but we can turn out actual voters. On MSNBC yesterday, they mentioned that Republican dark money and SuperPacs have spent over $300 million on ads so far, while its only about $20 million on the Democratic side. And we're still winning on most polls in most places. Think about that for a minute: they wanted to be able to spend unlimited money, they're SPENDING outrageous amounts of money, and they're not getting the traction they thought they would. 

Elections are won one voter at a time.
Get yours today.

It's more important than ever! As always, if you have registration questions or need assistance, just drop me a note. 

Yesterday, House and Senate primaries were held in Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin. First, for the I-cannot-believe-she-won-AGAIN race: Michele Bachmann with 80% of the vote. Thanks, I feel better for sharing the insanity.

In Connecticut, there were no surprises. Chris Murphy won over Susan Bysiewicz 67.5% - 32.5% to capture the Democratic nomination. He will face, and easily win against, Linda "WWF" McMahon, who captured 72% of the vote over Chris Shays on the Republican side. This is currently Joe "Turncoat" Lieberman's seat. It will be gratifying when this seat returns to its Democratic place in the Senate in January. And yes, I'm sure Murphy wins. There were no surprises in the House primaries, with most races being uncontested. 

In Minnesota, incumbent Senator Amy Klobuchar captured 90% of the primary vote, and will be challenged by, and will win against, Kurt Bills. There were some interesting state house outcomes. with the longest-serving Republican being tossed out by a teabag challenger. But in the national House races, only one surprise. Rick Nolan edged out Tarryl Clark to take on freshman teabagger Chip Cravaack, who is legitimately vulnerable.

On to Wisconsin. Tommy Thompson managed to win the Republican Senate primary against three tea bag challengers. This sets up a heated race between the former governor and Tammy Baldwin, who ran uncontested. This is the seat Herb Kohl is retiring from, and yes, Herb is from the family that owns the chain Kohl's. The polls in the head-to-head have been close, with Thompson slightly ahead. Thompson was a popular governor, and former Federal official. For a Republican, his health care stance is relatively decent, and he did good work in Wisconsin on health matters. Tammy Baldwin is a long-term pol, having held local and state positions before being the first woman from Wisconsin elected to Congress. She was also the first openly-gay non-incumbent ever elected to Congress. She is serving her 7th term. In her first two races, she captured 53% and 55% of the vote, and has consistently won with more than 60% ever since. She voted against invading Iraq. I'm looking forward to the next sets of polls, because it is possible that teabaggers will either come in as "undecided" or "other", which may propel Baldwin to the lead. The Wisconsin House races were uneventful, and mostly uncontested.

And finally, we have Florida, Florida, Florida. (I still miss you Tim Russert.) Betcha $10,000 that Mittens wished he would have waited a couple days to announce Paul Ryan. John Mica, a 10-term Republican redistricted to run against freshman teabagger Sandy Adams, won with 61% of the vote. Cliff Stearns has apparently lost to veterinarian Ted Yoho, but Stearns has refused to concede, and the vote has not been certified as of this writing. It's close: under 800 votes. Stearns can be blamed, in part, with the rest of the blame resting on Karen Handel, with the implosion of the Susan G. Komen foundation. Karen Handel was the one who got the organization to cut Planned Parenthood funding because of an "on-going Congressional investigation." Stearns WAS the "Congressional investigation." Good riddance.

In the Florida 9th, Alan Grayson will be back on the ballot, running against Todd Long, who won over John Quiñones and others on the Republican side. This puts Grayson in a stronger position. 

Connie Mack IV will be challenging Bill Nelson in the Senate race. Every time I think of baby Mack, I am reminded of the 1992 Eddie Murphy movie The Distinguished Gentleman. Baby Mack is a mere shadow of former Connie Macks. This one is married to Mary Bono Mack, Sonny Bono's widow, and holder of her own Congressional seat. The two of them like to spend time together more than they like to go to work. Connie Mack IV has the 7th worst record for missed votes.  Mack claimed that Nelson missed 56% of the votes, but it turns out that number was from a long time ago, and recently Nelson missed one vote. Total. Nelson is on track to re-election not just because Baby Mack doesn't show up, and generally voters want their elected representatives to go to work, but also because Nelson is very, VERY pro-Medicare, and Ryan on the ticket makes Medicare all they're going to talk about in Florida, with a side order of Social Security.

Don't understate the importance of the Ryan pick in the Florida primaries: on the front page of every major paper in Florida on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were headlines reminding Floridians about Ryan and Medicare and NOT the primary elections. 

Remember:

Elections are won one voter at a time.
Get yours today.

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

A lot of the chattering class view the choice of Paul Ryan as an easy win not only for President Obama, but a sure thing for holding the Senate and recapturing the House (or at least coming close enough to count). However, I've seen Paul Ryan up close and personal and he is incredibly good at speaking in a manner that convinces people his lies are truths. We must be ready! So, this is the first in a series, telling you what you need to know when people you know believe the dark side.

Romney/Ryan likes to say that President Obama cut $700 million (sometimes $500 million) from Medicare and that "they" are working to save it. To understand why this is an out and out falsehood, you need to understand the difference between defined benefit and defined contribution. 

In terms of retirement (and we'll get to how it applies to Medicare), defined benefit was a pension program. That is, the retiree received a set amount of money every month for the rest of his/her life. Defined contribution is a 401(k) program, where the potential retiree places a set amount of money in an account and hopes for the best in terms of payout.

Currently, Medicare is a defined benefit program. The "benefits" are things like doctor visits, medications, surgeries, durable medical equipment and hospital stays, to name a few. These are NOT specific dollar amounts, they are paid in terms of goods and services, whatever that costs the government. Yes, Medicare recipients are required to chip in, but the majority of the costs are covered by the program. 

Romney/Ryan wants to replace this with a voucher program. That is a defined contribution program: Medicare recipients would receive a set amount of dollars a month with which they can purchase health insurance.  Thus, Romney/Ryan would contribute to Medicare recipients care, but whether or not that would be enough to cover the cost of premiums, much less co-payments and deductibles is completely unlikely. If you doubt this, pretend that you're in your 60's and have a pre-existing condition, and then go price private health insurance. 

This changes the spread of costs between the government and individuals. Below is a chart from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (reprinted with permission) that shows things very clearly.

You may wonder why there is such a disparity in total costs. If you remember back to 2009 when DCW was all over the various health care proposals, the insurance companies take 15 - 30% in administrative costs out of every premium dollar paid, while it costs Medicare 2 - 4%. Plus, many more items would be excluded from the list of covered services. Remember, the Romney/Ryan plan would repeal the ACA, so there would be no holding down of premium costs because there would be no public option, not even for Medicare. There may well be, in their dreams, a Medicare "insurance" option, but it would be limited in terms of payouts. 

Let's get back to that huge $700 million cut. What the ACA did was to decrease the amount paid to doctors, hospitals, and durable goods providers. They did not cut the defined benefit to the recipients. The cut is also not current, it's a going-forward amount over 10 years. Further, the Ryan budget (as published) specifically includes the ACA cuts while repealing all other portions of the law.

So there you have it: the Medicare lies. Next in the series, the lies Ryan and Romney tell about themselves. By way of coming attractions: did you know, for example, that Ryan is a trust fund baby, went to college with government funds, and comes from a family that made its megamillions on government contracts? Yes, really.

I spent a lot of this past weekend working voter registration in suburban Philadelphia. My compatriots and I had signs, we had tee shirts. We were, for this time of year, inundated with potential voters, people needing to update information, people who needed absentee ballot applications, and most interestingly, people who wanted to check if they were registered, or had potentially been purged.

In the past month, the state of Pennsylvania has purged 758,000 voters from the rolls. If you think these are people who have died, or haven't voted, you'd only be partially right. They've also purged active voters.

The first night, we checked about 20 people, and found 3 of them had been purged, including one who had voted in the May, 2012, primary. I posted the information to Facebook and Twitter, asking everyone I knew to check their status, and between them and the table checks over the weekend: 7 people purged. And that's just people I came in contact with.

If you live in Pennsylvania and want to check if you've been purged, you can click this link. Having a voter registration card does NOT mean that you are still registered. If you live in any other state, you can use this link to find your state's registration check website.

Starting on Saturday, there were a lot of people who approached asking what Mitt's choice of Paul Ryan meant for the outcome of the election. Since all voter registration drives MUST be non-partisan, meaning that whoever wants to register, to any party, is treated kindly, and his/her application is accepted and processed. Therefore, it was necessary to respond in a non-partisan fashion. The best I could come up with was that the conservative Republicans were very happy with the choice of someone who had written the Ryan Budget plan which dismantles Social Security and Medicare, along with holding all other government spending to 3% of GDP and vastly increasing both the overall deficit and taxes for everyone earning under $250,000/year, and the Democrats love the choice because it gives them a far better chance of winning. If you're a Democrat and want a free "Save Medicare, Vote Democrat" bumper sticker, click here.

No matter how you vote, it's important TO vote. My maternal grandmother was arrested, and went to jail, twice in the 19-teens so that my mother and I could vote today. I come by voter drives honestly, and in Grammie Sadie's memory.  Perhaps you'd like to join me. It's fun, it's interesting, and it's important. Even my 17 month old puppy worked a shift, her first of what will be many. If you're interested, please drop me a line at docjess at demconwatchblog dot com.

Make no mistake. This is a seminal election, and its outcome will influence what kind of America our country becomes. We'd love to have you at registration, but you may prefer to work in some other capacity: I can get you hooked up there, too, whatever your choice of volunteering. 

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

In choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has made an even more extreme choice than John McCain made in choosing Sarah Palin in 2008. You can tell I'm serious because I didn't say Mittens, Spunky and John-Boy, and haven't picked a nickname for Paul yet.

The Ryan choice completes Mitt's morph from moderate Republican businessman with aspirations of ultimate power to the signing pen for Grover Norquist. If you don't know what that means, you need to know.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and one of Washington’s most influential anti-tax conservatives, told National Public Radio in 2001, “I don’t want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.”

Grover Norquist and his organization are the folks who make Republican candidates at all levels sign a pledge to never raise taxes. This ultimately led to the teabag contingent coming close last summer to denying the US government the ability to pay its bills, in direct violation of the US Constitution. If Ryan hadn't been born, Grover would have invented him.

Because there are so few undecided voters this year, Mitt needs to shore up the conservative fringe of the Republican base. Ryan is the choice to do that. In spades. 

In the spring of 2009, I heard Paul Ryan speak on his proposed changes to health care at Cato. I thought he was joking. But no, he wants to completely destroy Medicare, Medicaid and every other social program. Don't believe me? His budge, in full, is after the jump. 

Here's the Cliff Notes version: 

It substantially restructures Medicare; cuts Medicaid, food stamps, and transportation infrastructure; and it reduces the top tax rate from 35% to 25%. Regarding Medicare, the 2011 version of the Ryan budget would transform it from a government-run program to one where future seniors receive a voucher or premium support to purchase health insurance from private insurers. The Congressional Budget Office said the plan would force most seniors to pay more for their health care  than under the current Medicare system. [...]

Ryan and his allies say a bold plan - reforming entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid - and slashing discretionary spending is needed to reduce the deficit and debt. But critics argue that the pain comes primarily from the poor and middle class. An analysis from the liberal-leaning Center on Budget Policies and Priorities says that 62% of the spending cuts in the Ryan budget would come from low-income programs, while 37% of its tax benefits would go to those making more than $1 million per year.

Really.

If you want to read the full CBO analysis, click here. For a synopsis, click here. If you are confused as to what percentage of the Federal budget is currently spent on what, see the true breakouts here.

This is going to be THE issue of the election. That is, the question of whether the US government exists to  protect our borders, enact legislation, print money, oversee the courts, and work for the interests of the citizenry, or whether government ceases to exist at all. And make no mistake, the ultimate goal of Ryan and Norquist is to destroy government so that the United States is a corporate fiefdom. Mitt's out of the mix on this one, so long as they give him the title, he doesn't actually care what else goes on around him. 

So get up, get informed, and get active. This is the seminal election: the one where we hold the line against the darkness or end up a third world nation. No snark  - it's that extreme.

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

As we, the Democrats, look forward to our convention, let's take a break to compare and contrast what we're doing vs. what they are doing. While a quick peruse through recent posts will show that we have great speakers, the GOP is looking to keep their most visible folks OFF the podium (think Spunky Palin, Newt Gingrich, The Donald and Orly Taitz). We showcase, they hide. Our platform is constructed with a lot of public scrutiny (and y'all know how I feel about the platform!) while the GOP version will likely be a more locked down version of their last production, which was dedicated to the rich and powerful. And then there is what is euphemistically called the adult entertainment industry:

“Hands down, the Republicans have always been our best customers,” says Angelina Spencer, the Executive Director of the Association of Club Executives. It is the national trade organization for adult nightclubs.

“And they tend to be business-focused,” she says. “That’s really all I can say. We get clients from all walks of life, but for whatever reason… I have heard club owners say, ‘Boy, those Republicans really are great customers.’” 

Family values. Go figure.

And then there are the attendees. They have all sorts of restrictions on who can and cannot attend. We're open. If you want to attend, you can sign up here. Want to skip most of the convention but see Obama accept our nomination? Click here. 

Next, we will have no mystery. We stand for what our large tent has always stood for: The American People. All of us. Its our core value and it will be on glorious display. They'll be dealing with a veep nomination. The final short list is rumoured to be Pawlenty, Portman and Ryan. While we'll know which middle aged white guy gets chosen prior to the event, the choice will feed into the platform determination and the tone of the convention. If the choice is Ryan, as the GOP "intellectuals" want (mostly for reasons of "purity") the platform, and the convention, and then the campaign, will center on the dismantling of Medicare and Social Security. (HELLO! Florida!)The big mystery though, will be which Mittens shows up to accept the nomination. Here's a set of choices:

And finally, a fun push poll to end the morning post. When I put up the #DNC2012 logo, I thought I'd compare and contrast by showing the RNC Convention logo (you remember, originally there was the one with the minarets, but now it's changed, but I digress.) I went over to the RNC site, and was greeted by a pop-up from John Boehner advertising a survey, with the note:

Your survey answers will help shape, guide and/or confirm our new House Majority’s approach to dismantling the liberal, job-destroying programs that President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats put in place in recent years.

So I took the push poll. It's here, and if you want to have 5 minutes of fun, you too can contribute to their platform ideas. I thought I did my bit as an American by answering things like "Do you favor repealing the Democrats’ jobs-killing health care law?" with a resounding no, NO, HELL NO. Just trying to be helpful!

If you're in the Philadelphia 'burbs, we're running voter registration drives all weekend (and every weekend) - if you'd like to stop by, drop me a note for directions. Would love to see you. I'm the one in the "register here, register now" tee shirt. 

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

Yesterday, the NCAA and the Big Ten came down on Penn State in ways that show sometimes, rarely, but sometimes, there is justice in this world. It's possible that form of heavenly lightening might strike twice here in the Keystone State.

As you are likely aware, the Corbett administration in concert with the most racist and backwards elements of the PA General Assembly and state Senate passed legislation in March of this year making it close to impossible for almost 10% of all registered voters to vote this November. Yes, really: 9.2%. Source.

You make think there's a lot of fraud going on in Pennsylvania. Well, no. The state stipulated that there is no voter fraud:

This was stipulated as part of a court case brought against the state on behalf of legitimate voters who will be denied suffrage, and which we posted on when the suit was filed back in May.

There's no doubt that the law was enacted solely to disenfranchise minorities who would more likely vote for Obama than Romney. Really. The guy in the clip is Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai. 

More proof that the disenfranchisement is targeted here. 

And now the Feds are involved under the 1965 Voting Rights Law. Not Section 5, which relates to those states that had discriminated in the past, but Section 2, which states:

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or membership in one of the language minority groups identified in Section 4(f)(2) of the Act. Most of the cases arising under Section 2 since its enactment involved challenges to at-large election schemes, but the section's prohibition against discrimination in voting applies nationwide to any voting standard, practice, or procedure that results in the denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen to vote on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. Section 2 is permanent and has no expiration date as do certain other provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Thanks Eric Holder! 

In a letter sent to Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele on Monday, DOJ requested state data on registered voters as well as the state’s list of individuals with driver’s licenses and ID cards. Additionally, DOJ requested information on the state’s efforts to educate voters about the new law as well as documents and records supporting a March 14 statement from Gov. Tom Corbett (R) which claimed “99 percent of Pennsylvania’s already have acceptable photo IDs.”

Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez requested Pennsylvania send the information to federal authorities within 30 days.

The case is in court tomorrow, and if it somehow gets past the judges, even with an appeal in place, the Feds are on it. 

For those of you in Pennsylvania interested in making sure voters are registered, and that people without IDs get them if things stall before the election, click here to get involved. If you live in Chester County and want to work on local registration, Cheryl and I are launching Friday night and continuing on through the last possible day. Drop me a note if you're willing to give us 2 hours. 

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

Yes, I know, I'm not generally the best person to discuss sports. And in the interest of full disclosure, I've never actually been to a football game. Still, I understand the economic effects that football has on college: both direct and indirect. The lessons we can learn from that relationship, and the Penn State imbroglio, have direct transferability to what is happening to our political system. Further, the meshing of the two has had life-altering consequences for too many young boys. 

Friday, USA Today had an editorial on Penn State, entitled "Will Penn State save itself from 'death penalty'?".  The salient point from the editorial:

Outraged critics want the NCAA to level its "death penalty" to shut down the Nittany Lion football program for at least a year. That option is under consideration, and appropriately so given the severity of the crime, but it's a crude tool. No doubt it would cripple Penn State's football program for many years. That's what happened the only time it was used, against Southern Methodist University in 1987. But it would also injure a lot of people — players, employees, businesses — who have no culpability. Before it's applied again, Penn State should have a chance to come up with a response that could serve as a model. (Emphasis mine.)

Here's the thing about culpability, and its applicability to politics: there are no indrectly-involved innocent adults (except the victims). What happened at Penn State, and as the editorial points out, at many other institutions, is that a bunch of very rich people use their money to further their ends, the needs of everyone else be damned. Happy Valley is an insular society where everyone knows what's going on. People have known about Sandusky and the cover-up for decades potentially going back to the 1970's. But hey, Penn State was winning, and that was all that mattered. "Mattered" not just to the college, but to the political system of Pennsylvania.

In 2008, information about Sandusky was brought to the PA Attorney General's office, then headed by Tom Corbett. The case languished as Corbett ran for Governor, accepting in $640,000 in donations from Jerry Sandusky's Second Mile charity. Worse, after assuming office, Corbett gave a $3 million dollar grant to Second Mile. As a side point, in his position as governor, Corbett is an ex-officio trustee of Penn State. The trustees, you may recall, didn't fare so well in Louis Freeh's report, in terms of not acting on information about which they were well aware.

After Corbett left the AG's office, it was a matter of months until Sandusky was indicted and successfully prosecuted. After 3 years of inaction, MONTHS. Three years of additional victims. The money generated by Penn State football was so very important not only to the university (at the expense of academic programs) but to the governor's office. Important enough that the dozens of sexually abused boys did not matter at all to any of them. To be clear: Tom Corbett knew he was going to run for governor while he was AG. He allowed a multiple-victim sexual abuse case to not be prosecuted so that he could protect a football team and get political donations.

Let that sink in. 

In my mind, there is no doubt that the punishment to Penn State should be that they don't get to play football this year. The players should be allowed by the NCAA to either transfer to other schools, or take a year off and maintain eligibility. If that's too harsh, really punish them by allocating every single dollar in profit made by the football program to charities that work with sexual abuse victims for the 2012-13 season, 90% of the profit allocated that way for the following season, dropping down each year...

And for the political side? Prosecute Tom Corbett for hindering prosecution, take away his law degree, and impeach him for moral turpitude. 

Hold Penn State and Tom Corbett up as talismen for what should never, EVER happen again.

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

Today is Tuesday the 5th of June.

In California, they're trying out the new jungle primary system, as well as a number of ballot initiatives. (See the full list here.) The full 9th Circuit will release its decision today on whether it will review the 3-judge panel's decision overturning the gay marriage ban. There's a non-binding primary in Montana for the GOP, and a binding primary for the Democrats. The closed party primaries held today in New Jersey are binding on both sides. There are also binding primaries on both sides in New Mexico and South Dakota, as well as the North Dakota Democratic side. Generally, this would be all over the news, especially the California primary, but instead all eyes are on Wisconsin.

 More after the jump.

In the Badger State, they're expecting turnout of about 65%, and if that threshold is cleared, there's a high probability that America and our two-party system will survive to fight another day. The lower the threshold, the higher the chance that we have seen the end of the two party system for a generation, and the higher the probability that we will see street protests that rival those this year in Greece, Portugal, Spain and Canada. 

The spending in Wisconsin on the recall is something like $30 million on the side of evil, and about $3 million on the side of truth and light. To a lot of us outside the Beltway, we're very disappointed that the DNC declined to engage, and that the sole peep from our president was a single tweet last night, which said"

@BarackObama It's Election Day in Wisconsin tomorrow, and I'm standing by Tom Barrett. He'd make an outstanding governor. –bo

Inside the beltway, they're saying that Obama was right to steer clear as that would have made it a "partisan issue" instead of a state issue, but we'll see.

The state Democrats, along with the unions, have knocked almost a million doors, and phone banked almost a million homes, they expect to do even more today. If Barrett wins today, it is the triumph of many very hard-working, dedicated boots on the ground who will convince people in the third gubernatorial recall in US history (the others were in 1921 and 2003) that their votes matter. In a state where the airwaves are ruled by Walker's cronies' money, AND THEY CHEAT, a win will be exclusively due to the power of grassroots, of handshakes, a triumph of what elections are supposed to be - issues and actions. 

Don't underestimate the power of money in elections, and be aware that the Walker contingent is so full of lies that they've sunk this low:

Reports began to surface Sunday from around Wisconsin that those canvassing for Governor Scott Walker were informing residents that if they had signed a recall petition that there was no need for them to vote today as their signature was their vote.

WE know that's not true, but most people aren't smart where politics and elections are concerned. Hopefully voters took the time to listen to the two debates, wherein Barrett stuck to the facts and Walker sidestepped, ignored questions and outright lied. Hopefully, the voters are paying attention to the fact that Walker is the only governor with a legal defense fund, and is on the cusp of indictment. Hopefully they value schools and human beings over corporate tax cuts and the selling of public lands as paid deer-hunting "farms". 

This is the first election where the full force of Citizens United is being felt, or the second if you include the GOP presidential primary fiasco. When the votes are finally tallied, which likely won't be until early tomorrow at the earliest, will we suddenly be a plutocracy? That's question number one. Followed by the question of Milwaukee County: will the same voters who turned out in 2008 for Barack Obama come out today? If so, it will be a clear victory for Tom Barrett no matter what happens in the rest of the state. Milwaukee County is that populous, and Obama won with 62% of the vote. There are a number of people who've been interviewed who are voting for Walker NOT because they like him, but because they don't like the recall process. Are these people a large number, or just who the media chose to focus on?

Whatever the outcome, we need to learn from this situation going into November: we need to become even more focused on the idea that EVERY VOTE MATTERS. Turnout counts. Grassroots is all we've got left to fight the half million dollar (and up) donations made by the über rich. 

In my household, the fear is truly palpable, and it will be a long night. Fingers crossed the dawn brings joy.

There are primaries in Texas today. On the Democratic side, they are only advisory in nature at the Presidential level, the state convention will be held on June 8th and 9th. On the Republican side, the primary held today is binding for delegates, and the state conventions will also be on June 8th and 9th. There will also be primaries for all Congressmen/women as well as for the Senate seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The primary is open, although one's party affiliation will be switched if a voter selects a different party. That is, if one is a registered Democrat and votes in the Republican primary, he/she will then be a Republican, although it is possible to switch back later. 

There is a high probability that today, Mittens will reach the delegate threshold needed for nomination. This will not preclude all sorts of shenanigans by the Paulites in Tampa, but numerically, he'll likely make it today. Unless, of course, Texas gives a resounding "no" to his candidacy. If so, there are still California and New York upcoming (amoung others) to put him over the top.

If you're voting in Texas today, and want lists of all the Congressional and Senate candidates, you can click here. 

For a round up of what to watch for tonight as the results come in, click here. Things like this:

What about the Democrats? Is there life on the other side of the political ledger?
Texas Democrats have compiled a dismal record that renders them easy to ignore in most state races. Once upon a time, that was the story of Texas Republicans, and they eventually came out of it. The primaries won’t necessarily tell the story of whether the Democrats can do the same, but they might reveal a decent candidate here and there, and maybe even someone who can take a Republican in November, if circumstances are right. 

Tomorrow, the Washington state conventions begin, and will last for 4 days. That may well be interesting depending on what the Paul people can accomplish, but today belongs to Texas.

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

First and foremost, to those of you who are "celebrating" this day in remembrance of a loved one, on behalf of the DCW team, thank you for your sacrifice, our sympathies for your loss. You can see the full history of the day here.

According to "history" this year marks the 50th anniversary of American troops in Vietnam. Revisionist history sets the date for the first forays in the late 1950's, but still, it's been a half century. A lot of good men and women died in that theatre, as did many from the Revolutionary War through wars fought today. The interesting fact about the current dying is that more soldiers are committing suicide than are dying in battle. This has been true for the past several years. This is a horrorible situation, and attributable not just to the war conditions themselves, but to the lack of support our troops are receiving when they return from multiple deployments with both physical and psychological scars. 

To a certain extent, the Afghan War, and the troops remaining in Iraq, fly under the radar to most of America as the total number of soldiers comprises less than 1% of the population. The war is something we may well disagree with, but the war itself is an abstraction. The draft ended in 1973, but for most Boomers and those older, we remember the annual Vietnam lotteries. We ALL knew soldiers: they were our fathers and uncles who served in WW2 and Korea, our brothers, sisters and friends who served in Vietnam. Nowadays, most Americans do not know a single person who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

And so we forget the sacrifice of not only those who serve, but their families who struggle with limited pay and benefits (remember, many military families legitimately get food stamps.) It was just a few years ago that Walter Reed Hospital closed several buildings due to mold and disrepair, before shutting down completely last year. There are tens of thousands of vets awaiting medical care, and for those who are "healthy" there is massive unemployment, at around 20%. 

As a country, we should be ashamed of the situation facing our returning military men and women. We dishonour them not only directly in terms of a lack of jobs, education and services, but also in terms of many the people we have elected the past few years. 

Blood has been spilled on our soil going back to the 1700's so that America could be free. "Free" does not include union bashing, plutocracy, theocracy nor the cessation of voting rights and women's rights, nor the protection of the old, sick and poor. Those are the things we fought for over 200 years, the things we are ostensibly fighting for now in Asia: freedom from plutocracy and theocracy, expanded rights for minorities, women and workers, the ability for the greatest country on earth to fight for ALL Americans, not just the rich white guys.

As you place that flag on your house today, and again on July 4th, as you watch the parades, perhaps visit a cemetery for someone you lost, think about what you can do this year to honour the troops and what they fought for: America moving forward, not taking a giant leap back. Commit now to helping with GOTV for next week's special election in Wisconsin and the California jungle primary. Commit to helping with voter registration over the summer, complete with all the Voter ID insanity. Commit to working for candidates who will honour all America. 

Remember that today, you're outside grilling, or shopping, or playing in the park because of the troops who have made America as safe as it is. Commit to doing your part for those troops, and their children. 

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

First and foremost, to those of you who are "celebrating" this day in remembrance of a loved one, on behalf of the DCW team, thank you for your sacrifice, our sympathies for your loss. You can see the full history of the day here.

According to "history" this year marks the 50th anniversary of American troops in Vietnam. Revisionist history sets the date for the first forays in the late 1950's, but still, it's been a half century. A lot of good men and women died in that theatre, as did many from the Revolutionary War through wars fought today. The interesting fact about the current dying is that more soldiers are committing suicide than are dying in battle. This has been true for the past several years. This is a horrorible situation, and attributable not just to the war conditions themselves, but to the lack of support our troops are receiving when they return from multiple deployments with both physical and psychological scars. 

To a certain extent, the Afghan War, and the troops remaining in Iraq, fly under the radar to most of America as the total number of soldiers comprises less than 1% of the population. The war is something we may well disagree with, but the war itself is an abstraction. The draft ended in 1973, but for most Boomers and those older, we remember the annual Vietnam lotteries. We ALL knew soldiers: they were our fathers and uncles who served in WW2 and Korea, our brothers, sisters and friends who served in Vietnam. Nowadays, most Americans do not know a single person who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

And so we forget the sacrifice of not only those who serve, but their families who struggle with limited pay and benefits (remember, many military families legitimately get food stamps.) It was just a few years ago that Walter Reed Hospital closed several buildings due to mold and disrepair, before shutting down completely last year. There are tens of thousands of vets awaiting medical care, and for those who are "healthy" there is massive unemployment, at around 20%. 

As a country, we should be ashamed of the situation facing our returning military men and women. We dishonour them not only directly in terms of a lack of jobs, education and services, but also in terms of many the people we have elected the past few years. 

Blood has been spilled on our soil going back to the 1700's so that America could be free. "Free" does not include union bashing, plutocracy, theocracy nor the cessation of voting rights and women's rights, nor the protection of the old, sick and poor. Those are the things we fought for over 200 years, the things we are ostensibly fighting for now in Asia: freedom from plutocracy and theocracy, expanded rights for minorities, women and workers, the ability for the greatest country on earth to fight for ALL Americans, not just the rich white guys.

As you place that flag on your house today, and again on July 4th, as you watch the parades, perhaps visit a cemetery for someone you lost, think about what you can do this year to honour the troops and what they fought for: America moving forward, not taking a giant leap back. Commit now to helping with GOTV for next week's special election in Wisconsin and the California jungle primary. Commit to helping with voter registration over the summer, complete with all the Voter ID insanity. Commit to working for candidates who will honour all America. 

Remember that today, you're outside grilling, or shopping, or playing in the park because of the troops who have made America as safe as it is. Commit to doing your part for those troops, and their children. 

First and foremost, to those of you who are "celebrating" this day in remembrance of a loved one, on behalf of the DCW team, thank you for your sacrifice, our sympathies for your loss. You can see the full history of the day here.

According to "history" this year marks the 50th anniversary of American troops in Vietnam. Revisionist history sets the date for the first forays in the late 1950's, but still, it's been a half century. A lot of good men and women died in that theatre, as did many from the Revolutionary War through wars fought today. The interesting fact about the current dying is that more soldiers are committing suicide than are dying in battle. This has been true for the past several years. This is a horrorible situation, and attributable not just to the war conditions themselves, but to the lack of support our troops are receiving when they return from multiple deployments with both physical and psychological scars. 

To a certain extent, the Afghan War, and the troops remaining in Iraq, fly under the radar to most of America as the total number of soldiers comprises less than 1% of the population. The war is something we may well disagree with, but the war itself is an abstraction. The draft ended in 1973, but for most Boomers and those older, we remember the annual Vietnam lotteries. We ALL knew soldiers: they were our fathers and uncles who served in WW2 and Korea, our brothers, sisters and friends who served in Vietnam. Nowadays, most Americans do not know a single person who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

And so we forget the sacrifice of not only those who serve, but their families who struggle with limited pay and benefits (remember, many military families legitimately get food stamps.) It was just a few years ago that Walter Reed Hospital closed several buildings due to mold and disrepair, before shutting down completely last year. There are tens of thousands of vets awaiting medical care, and for those who are "healthy" there is massive unemployment, at around 20%. 

As a country, we should be ashamed of the situation facing our returning military men and women. We dishonour them not only directly in terms of a lack of jobs, education and services, but also in terms of many the people we have elected the past few years. 

Blood has been spilled on our soil going back to the 1700's so that America could be free. "Free" does not include union bashing, plutocracy, theocracy nor the cessation of voting rights and women's rights, nor the protection of the old, sick and poor. Those are the things we fought for over 200 years, the things we are ostensibly fighting for now in Asia: freedom from plutocracy and theocracy, expanded rights for minorities, women and workers, the ability for the greatest country on earth to fight for ALL Americans, not just the rich white guys.

As you place that flag on your house today, and again on July 4th, as you watch the parades, perhaps visit a cemetery for someone you lost, think about what you can do this year to honour the troops and what they fought for: America moving forward, not taking a giant leap back. Commit now to helping with GOTV for next week's special election in Wisconsin and the California jungle primary. Commit to helping with voter registration over the summer, complete with all the Voter ID insanity. Commit to working for candidates who will honour all America. 

Remember that today, you're outside grilling, or shopping, or playing in the park because of the troops who have made America as safe as it is. Commit to doing your part for those troops, and their children. 

I have wondered aloud for years why people vote against their own self-interest. People tell me various answers but none that have ever made enough sense to me. So here's this:

Cancer patient Kathy Watson voted Republican in 2008 and believes the government has no right telling Americans to get health insurance. Nonetheless, she says she'd be dead if it weren't for President Barack Obama's health care law. Source.

You might think that Kathy would, in 2012, be thinking of voting Democratic and changing her mind about the individual mandate. But no. She's a small businesswoman, and doesn't want the government involved in telling business what to do (especially where the individual mandate is concerned) but that she should be able to buy health insurance even with her pre-existing condition. She doesn't realize that insurance is a business, too, and her cancer-riddled body does not fit within their money-making model. Without the government telling the insurers they must cover her, they will not, at least not at any affordable premium cost.

There you have it, a woman who would be dead now if not for ACA, and she STILL supports the people who worked to derail it.

The overall article in which Kathy's story appears is about the people across America who will likely die if the Supremes gut the ACA. They are cancer patients, AIDS patients, cardiac patients, the elderly relying on medications for chronic conditions, and this is not to mention the people who become sick or injured afterwards.

And that doesn't even touch the problems that doctors will face. Consider:

Imagine you’re a physician, and you have a full schedule of patients to see the day after the Supreme Court has thrown out the entire Affordable Care Act. Imagine you never liked “Obamacare” in the first place, so you are feeling pretty good about the Supreme Court decision.

Your first patient, an elderly retiree named Mrs. Jones, comes in for her annual Medicare wellness visit—one of the new Medicare preventive benefits offered at no cost to the patient. But this new preventive service benefit was created by the ACA, so presumably with the ACA overturned, Medicare no longer is allowed to pay for wellness visits. Do you tell Mrs. Jones that Medicare might not cover the visit? Provide the visit anyway, hoping that somehow Medicare will find a way around the Supreme Court ruling and pay for it? Offer it at no charge, or try to collect the 20% you would collect for a normal (non-preventive) office visit?

 Your second patient, Mr. Jones, another senior, comes in for a follow-up visit for an ongoing chronic condition. You decide to renew his expensive brand-name prescription drug, knowing that he is eligible for a 50% discount because he has fallen into the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole.” Oh wait … the Medicare Part D drug discount was part of the now-defunct ACA. So does that mean he now has to pay full price? Do you prescribe the drug anyway, knowing he can’t afford to pay the regular retail price? Prescribe a lower cost no-name brand drug that he doesn’t tolerate as well?

I read articles like these and wonder: the Supremes have access to the same sources I do, so do they read any of these articles? I have read, tagged, and made notes, on my printed copy of the Affordable Care Act. While I cannot recite it from memory, I know a lot about the law, its structure, and its interconnections. I know that none of the Supremes have read it, that was discussed at the hearing. 

If I were a Supreme, and was making a decision that affected the lives and deaths of millions of people, I know I would take the time to read the legislation. To rule without even knowing what the legislation says is to rule blindly. I would do everything I could to not only listen to the people who testified in front of me, but also to research, and have my staff research, everything I could about the impacts related to my decision. While I would certainly cede to the rule of law, I would want to know everything I could about the base data. To do anything less is a complete disservice to all Americans and the rule of law on which this country was founded.

Why do I care more about Americans and their health than the Supremes do? 

I spend a lot of time reading, mostly about politics, and it's becoming a grind. I get especially angry every time I see a poll related to whether the country is on the right track or the wrong track. For some reason, the outcome always is that OBAMA is on the wrong track, and that's what's derailing America. I believe Obama is on the right track, and it's the Republicans in Congress and the states that are screwing everything up. At such times, I go looking for something fun to distract myself. I came across this quiz. It's about US presidents, and while I thought I knew something, I honestly didn't know the majority of questions, although I learned a lot from it. There is a related list of quizzes, including one on health care reform, which is much easier than the presidential quiz.

Maybe take a break from what you're doing and try you're hand at some of the quizzes. 

Then go back to what you were reading...like how Common Cause has sued to end the Senate filibuster. The filing is here.

Crossposted from Democratic Convention Watch

Sure, the Republicans are doing everything they can to suppress Democratic turnout, especially if those Democrats are poor, black and/or elderly. But they aren't stopping there: they're also working to throw out the votes of any Republicans who don't immediately fall in line behind Mittens.

In Nevada, the state party, in going through its process from caucuses to county conventions to the state convention to the end of selecting their delegates has virtually imploded. Paul won 22 of Nevada's 25 delegates. Not enough to change the Tampa outcome directly, but the Romney campaign and the RNC really didn't like it. So what did they do? They decided to just ignore the Nevada GOP (especially in Clark County, which includes Vegas and about 75% of the state's population) especially after this:

The Republican National Committee's strategy to work around the troubled state party and starve it of cash was revealed Wednesday, a day after Paul backers led a successful effort at a Clark County GOP meeting to rebuke RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. They passed a resolution calling on Priebus to resign for helping Romney's campaign before he has officially won the GOP nomination.

What are they doing?

The plan would be to transfer money directly to Team Nevada and/or funnel some through the Washoe Republican Party, run by the respected Dave Buell, who is well-liked by the RNC and Romney folks.

To distill, the GOP insider said, “Essentially we’re setting up a shadow state party.”

That's right: when the GOP hoi polloi don't like their voters or the outcome, they just ignore it. They'll be setting up "Team Nevada" offices and using them as effectual GOP offices. Now, the Nevada Republicans are correct, it's against their rules for Priebus or the RNC to play favourites before the convention, but the insiders don't seem to care about that, either. Who needs voters when you're a plutocrat? 

Sure, the Republicans are doing everything they can to suppress Democratic turnout, especially if those Democrats are poor, black and/or elderly. But they aren't stopping there: they're also working to throw out the votes of any Republicans who don't immediately fall in line behind Mittens.

In Nevada, the state party, in going through its process from caucuses to county conventions to the state convention to the end of selecting their delegates has virtually imploded. Paul won 22 of Nevada's 25 delegates. Not enough to change the Tampa outcome directly, but the Romney campaign and the RNC really didn't like it. So what did they do? They decided to just ignore the Nevada GOP (especially in Clark County, which includes Vegas and about 75% of the state's population) especially after this:

The Republican National Committee's strategy to work around the troubled state party and starve it of cash was revealed Wednesday, a day after Paul backers led a successful effort at a Clark County GOP meeting to rebuke RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. They passed a resolution calling on Priebus to resign for helping Romney's campaign before he has officially won the GOP nomination.

What are they doing?

The plan would be to transfer money directly to Team Nevada and/or funnel some through the Washoe Republican Party, run by the respected Dave Buell, who is well-liked by the RNC and Romney folks.

To distill, the GOP insider said, “Essentially we’re setting up a shadow state party.”

That's right: when the GOP hoi polloi don't like their voters or the outcome, they just ignore it. They'll be setting up "Team Nevada" offices and using them as effectual GOP offices. Now, the Nevada Republicans are correct, it's against their rules for Priebus or the RNC to play favourites before the convention, but the insiders don't seem to care about that, either. Who needs voters when you're a plutocrat?