Faulty Republican Medicaid Logic

Republicans have been feeding this false narrative of the federal government will renege on their commitment for Medicaid funding. The latest to express uncertainty is Florida State Rep. John Wood.

“There is a great deal of uncertainty out there and that just makes me cautious,” Wood said.

Gov. Rick Scott was busted for falsely stating that Florida would pay the bulk of the cost for Medicaid expansion. The truth is that the federal government will pay for the bulk of the cost.

This funding is unlike past efforts to expand Medicaid in that the federal government will pick up the full tab for the first three years. The state gradually has to pick up some costs in 2017 but by 2020 the federal government is still picking up 90 percent or more of the Medicaid tab.

Jonathan Chait made the point that Republicans will make any disingenuous argument to not make a deal with President Obama on the sequester.

If Obama could get hold of Klein’s mystery legislator and inform him of his budget offer, it almost certainly wouldn’t make a difference. He would come up with something – the cuts aren’t real, or the taxes are awful, or they can’t trust Obama to carry them out, or something.

Florida Republicans are using the same bogus rationale that congressional Republicans are using on the sequester. Republicans will argue that the federal government will not cover Florida's Medicaid expenses. Never mind that the federal government covers the majority of Florida's Medicaid cost. This is the logic Florida House Republicans used to vote against Medicaid expansion.

Alex Sink Continues to Back Bush Tax Cuts

I am sure the heads of progressives everywhere will explode after watching this video. Alex Sink doubles down and tells Chuck Todd she supports extending the Bush tax cuts. Todd asks if Sink wants the Bush tax cuts to be "permanently or temporarily" extended. Sink leans towards permanently extending the Bush tax cuts. Any plan Rick Scott had to attack Sink on tax cuts went straight to hell. The tax cuts are a major factor for the deficit

Jonathan Chait thinks it is a politically stupid idea for Democrats to support the Bush tax cuts.

I don't see how the question of whether the Obama administration should extend the Bush tax cuts only on income over $250,000 a year is even a question. This seems totally obvious. Let's walk through this.

1. Voters in general are in favor of pretty much any measure that takes money from the rich. And they specifically support, by wide margins, repealing the Bush tax cuts for the rich

2. George W. Bush's policies remain highly unpopular, but the Democrats' problem is that Americans don't believe that Republicans would continue those policies:

Chait proposes Democrats should come out against extending the tx cuts and force Republicans to defend a Bush policy and giving the rich a tax cut during a recession. I will add that Republicans can't claim to be deficit hawks ans keep the Bush tax cuts.



The Pew Economic Policy Group projected extending the tax cuts to 2020 would make public debt 71 percent of GDP. Yike!

Quote of the Day

""Reaching out to the Muslim world may help in creating an environment for peace in the Middle East, but we must insist as Americans that our policies be firmly grounded in the beliefs of the Judeo-Christian tradition upon which this country was founded."

House minority whip Eric Cantor, speaking to Christian Zionists.

Jon Chait suspects Cantor is advocating the United States should back Israel based on religious commonality.

Cantor is saying that Israel deserves America's support merely because of its Jewish quality. So if, say, Israel were to become a fascistic state bent on the destruction of its neighbors*, then the case for the U.S.-Israel alliance would be no less strong, because of a shared religious heritage. It's a rancid, illiberal, primitive way of thinking about foreign policy.

Cantor listens to Britney Spears. To suggest Cantor has a foreign policy worldview is giving him too much credit. Cantor was pandering. The fact a member of the Republican Congressional leadership advocates basing America's foreign policy on "Judeo-Christian tradition" and not national interests is troubling. Pandering or no pandering.

Lieberman to Stump for McCain

I will celebrate the day when Joe Lieberman can no longer caucas with Democrats. The only reason Lieberman has power is by holding the Dems ransom and obstructing the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Lieberman's refusal to hold hearings on FEMA's and Homeland Security's handling of Katrina is a digrace.

"We don't want to play ‘gotcha' anymore" and that "looking back… would be a waste of Congress' time."

Senator, it is called oversight, which is Congress's responsibility in the Constitution. It is called checks and balances.

Lieberman is coming to Florida to campaign for John McCain.

Eight years after campaigning in Florida as a Democratic virtual favorite son, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman is expected to campaign in the Sunshine State this month for Republican John McCain’s presidential bid, a source close to the McCain campaign says.

Details haven’t been announced, but Lieberman visits to Palm Beach and Broward counties are expected.

This is the same Lieberman that was endorsed by Republican Congressman Chris Shays. President Bush refused to endorse Lieberman's Republican Senate opponent Alan Schlesinger.

"We are not making any endorsement in Connecticut. The Republican party of Connecticut has suggested that we not make an endorsement in that race and so we're not," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Like Democrats Zell Miller and John Breaux, Lieberman can hold both parties hostage because of a razor thin majority. Miller is a former segregation. The New Republic's Jon Chait described Breaux as a "repellent sleazebag." Pls like this is why I don't support a Unity ticket.