This “Washington Post” headline says it all: "The Republican field is a clown car." Continue Reading Below I guess the Post can get away with that, since it's on the opinion page and the headline is summing up the opinion of columnist Dana Milbank, who is a great writer, but one for whom the GOP candidates clearly don't engender a great deal of respect. (Especially when it comes to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), the latest Republican testing the presidential waters.) It's pretty clear Milbank doesn't think much of this increasingly crowded Republican field. Maybe because after going through Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee and Ben Carson, and throwing in the possibility of Donald Trump, and even former New York Gov. George Pataki -- it is a crowd. But why does that make it a clown car? Because Milbank doesn't think any of them has a shot. Or worse, maybe he thinks they're all jokes? He has a right to his opinion, but be careful assuming it is fact. … [Read more...] about Watch Out for Punchline on GOP Clown Car Jokes
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GOP tax reform already breathing life into US economy?
close Video GOP tax reform already breathing life into US economy? Tax cuts motivating companies to offer bonuses, make new investments. DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING "Cost of Freedom Recap" CONTAINS STRONG OPINIONS WHICH ARE NOT A REFLECTION OF THE OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS INVESTMENT ADVICE WHEN MAKING PERSONAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS. IT IS FOX NEWS' POLICY THAT CONTRIBUTORS DISCLOSE POSITIONS THEY HOLD IN STOCKS THEY DISCUSS, THOUGH POSITIONS MAY CHANGE. READERS OF "Cost of Freedom Recap" MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN INVESTMENT DECISIONS. GOP Tax Cuts Motivating Companies to Offer Bonuses, Make New Investments Charles Payne: The economy is already rocking and rolling and we saw already there's a whole slate of names- Tuesday, FedEx in their report the CEO said we are going to hire people we're going to spend money on infrastructure, and we're going to fund our pensions- we are going to do all of that and have a buck extra for the … [Read more...] about GOP tax reform already breathing life into US economy?
Daniel Holzman: GOP is waging class warfare
Dear Editor: The GOP’s President Donald Trump and Gov. Scott Walker are alike. They both give to the wealthy and their corporations while hurting middle-class working families. Trump is robbing the U.S. Treasury and giving hundreds of billions to wealthy people like Trump while running up the U.S. debt. For untold decades, the children of the middle class will be paying the debt of the billionaires and their corporations. Similarly, Walker is taking $3 billion of Wisconsin taxes and giving it to an international corporation and its billionaire owner, Terry Gou. Wisconsin’s middle class and its children will be paying their taxes for decades to an international corporation and its billionaire owner. There is definitely GOP class warfare going on, and the overtaxed middle class is defenseless. Daniel Holzman Baraboo Send your letter to the editor to [email protected] Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone … [Read more...] about Daniel Holzman: GOP is waging class warfare
To get healthy, GOP will have to lose even more
To get healthy, GOP will have to lose even more By Michael Gerson December 18, 2017 Photo: KEVIN D. LILES /NYT If loyalty to Trump means backing candidates such as Roy Moore, who lost his U.S. Senate race in Alabama to Democrat Doug Jones, then loyalty has to be redefined and losing more races has to be stomached to build a healthier GOP. If loyalty to Trump means backing candidates such as Roy Moore, who... I find myself wandering in an unfamiliar place. As a pro-life conservative, I am honestly happy — no, positively elated — that pro-choice Democrat Doug Jones won Alabama’s Senate election. It is an odd position for me, and a complicated one. This change may impose costs to causes I care about. And Democrats did not make my shift of sentiments any easier. A pro-life Democrat (there used to be herds of such unicorns before they were hunted to near extinction) would have won the Alabama … [Read more...] about To get healthy, GOP will have to lose even more
Farenthold’s name won’t be on GOP primary ballot after all
Farenthold's name won't be on GOP primary ballot after all December 20, 2017 Updated: December 20, 2017 6:36pm Photo: Andrew Harnik, AP Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, arrives for a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, in Washington. Two Republicans say that Texas GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold won't seek re-election next year. The lawmaker is under pressure from sexual misconduct allegations that surfaced three years ago but have come under renewed focus. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, arrives for a House Committee on... AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas, who isn't seeking re-election amid allegations of sexual harassment, won't appear on 2018 primary ballots after Democrats unsuccessfully tried Wednesday to leave his name in place. Most Popular 1 Symphony musicians hope for last-minute agreement 2 … [Read more...] about Farenthold’s name won’t be on GOP primary ballot after all
Editorial: State’s hidden guns would proliferate under GOP bill
Next time you’re in a restaurant or walking down the street, imagine the person at the next table or approaching on the sidewalk packing a concealed firearm. He or she might have no gun-safety training. Might be a convicted stalker or have a record of violent crime. Might have never undergone a background check or even obtained a permit to carry. Yet that person could be legally toting a loaded gun under his jacket. Here. In California. A state with some of the nation’s toughest gun laws. That’s the world the National Rifle Association and its Republican toadies in Congress have in mind for you. And, now, they’re within a few U.S. Senate votes of making that a reality. While the nation focused on the horrific tax bill, the House, mostly along party lines, this month passed legislation requiring interstate reciprocity for concealed weapons. It would mean that people who can legally carry concealed guns in their home states could do the same in San Jose, Oakland … [Read more...] about Editorial: State’s hidden guns would proliferate under GOP bill
Affordable housing in California takes hit under GOP tax plan
The new Republican tax overhaul will likely chop plans for thousands of new affordable homes in California and further squeeze low-income renters, but experts say the impact could have been more severe. The tax law, signed by President Donald Trump last week, preserved two threatened federal programs that are key to building tens of thousands of affordable homes in California — low-income housing tax credits and tax-exempt private activity bonds. But experts estimate the new tax rules could still reduce federal funding for subsidized housing in the state by 20 percent, translating to roughly $500 million a year of projects and 4,000 new units lost. “The worst possible hits were taken out of the bill,” said Carolina Reid, assistant professor of city and regional planning at UC Berkeley. But, she added, “It does nothing to actually promote affordable housing.” Advocates say the need for affordable housing has become more visible and urgent, as Bay … [Read more...] about Affordable housing in California takes hit under GOP tax plan
Berkeley/West County letters: A better response to GOP tax bill
A better response to GOP tax bill While the GOP obviously deserves our derision for this monstrous tax bill, the left needs a better response than “this is bad.” So here are a few: Let’s not pass bills that are blatantly designed to enrich our donors. In fact, let’s change the process to empower small donors. We are already at pre-Depression levels of wealth inequality. Let’s actively try to shrink the gap between rich and poor. Financial insecurity is a way of life for at least half the country. Let’s address that directly through an unconditional basic income. These are big political lifts, but, critically, they can inspire voters. Democrats can be more than the party that cleans up the mess. We can present a vision that is equal to the challenges we face and our potential to lift the standard of living for every single person. Owen Poindexter Berkeley Recent Oakland Hills fire echoed 1991 blaze Panic set in for many of us in the Oakland Hills … [Read more...] about Berkeley/West County letters: A better response to GOP tax bill
GOP property tax tweaks may cause your home value to drop, says housing economist
Residents in New York, California and other high-tax states on the coasts could see the home values decline as knock-on effects of the GOP changes in property taxes begin to take hold next year, the National Association of Realtors' chief economist said Thursday. "We expect some price declines in California, in New Jersey, in New York, Connecticut ... in the 5 percent range," NAR's Lawrence Yun predicted during an interview on CNBC's"Squawk Box." Yun said that two changes in the new GOP law surrounding the treatment of real estate taxes may cause buyers of expensive homes in states with higher taxes to become more cautious. The first change affects people applying for a new mortgage. Under the new law, they will be able to deduct interest on home loans only up to $750,000. That's down from the current threshold of $1 million. Existing mortgage … [Read more...] about GOP property tax tweaks may cause your home value to drop, says housing economist
GOP cut taxes; now the party must lead
0 View Comments The public dislikes the Republican tax bill, polls show, and that's because they think it's a tax increase. Of the 70 percent who would see their taxes cut under this bill, fewer than 1 in 4 know that they stand to benefit, not lose. Of the one-third who believe the bill will hike their taxes, fewer than 1 in 5 will see their taxes rise. In short, the public is woefully ignorant of the truth about the bill. News media bear primary blame, as their disinformation was so relentless that Andrew Breitbart's moniker for the media, "the opposition party," fit more aptly than ever. But Republicans are also to blame. Has a party ever been so incapable as the GOP has of selling their message effectively? It has lacked decent communications ever since former President Ronald Reagan left office. But it's also not just about messaging. It's about process. A better process and a more legislatively adept party would have held its own against Democratic deception and a … [Read more...] about GOP cut taxes; now the party must lead